𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Chapter 90 | Curvature

                                 June 17th: 00:08am.

"You are my home where I have none."
"You've been my home for a while now Miri."

Our eyes sink into each other's, and after a little kiss, he asks, "shower or sleep?"

I felt tiredness wash over me, but I also didn't want this night to end so soon.

"Both."

I stretch my arms out, and he hauls me over his shoulder, standing up as I trace circles on the small of his back. Putting me onto the seat inside the bathroom, he pushes the taps forward. Warmth and coldness mixes into the bathtub and soon little bouts of steam spill into the room.

"Miri you're staring." He smiles, and I catch myself out of the trance of looking at his back muscles. On his shoulder blade, a little dove rests above. "I'll get a small lily flower there soon, don't worry."

My lips curl as he turns away from the bath, looking up at me. Despite the fact he's on the floor and I'm on the chair, he's still at my eye level. "I love you."

His declaration ricochets off the bathroom walls. "I love you more, mi amor," I whisper, attempting my best impersonation of him.

He dips a hand to check the temperature of the bathtub behind him, and cups the side of my face with his other.

With both of them, he picks me up and lowers me into the bathtub, joining me in my front. "Fuck I could look at you for ages." I found myself catching my breath as he ran soap up and down my legs with the gentlest of motions.

"You're not exactly rough on the eyes either." He stifles a laugh, making sure to caress every inch of my skin, and I can't help but soak in the gentleness of his actions. My head tilts against the cold granite, allowing every ache to dissipate with his touch.

"You're not going to sleep here mi amor." I lift my head up to give him a pout which quickly gets replaced with a little giggle. "You're better at saying it than I am."

"I'll teach you Spanish if you want." I nod without hesitation. "Wedding ceremony in Spanish?" I wink, "might make the vows a little more bearable." He quips, using a washcloth to cleanse between my inner thighs. "Hey, my vows will be superb. Now see where the difficulty may come is remembering to say your name and not Renny's."

His movements stop, and I hold back my whine at the loss of his touch. "If you stop I might have to ask Renny to marry me instead."

"Oliver would never allow it," he says returning his actions, hovering his face closer to mine.

"Just Oliver?" I question.

He nods. "Just him. I think we've already established I have no qualms with sharing what's already mine Mrs Anderson."

I roll my eyes, pressing my lips against his, a sensual kiss that we ponder over until our lips are swollen at its break. We return to our routine, knowing that if we continued the kiss, it would lead to something more, and my body was already exhausted after tonight.

He washes my hair, an act he hadn't done for ages now, yet still managed to perfect every step of my routine. The curls that adorn my face are now in full view, and the thought of diffusing my hair drained all the life out of me, despite the cold.

"Are you done?" He asks, and I say yes, as we both step out of the bathtub.

June 17th: 00:43am.

I didn't have to worry about diffusing my hair, instead he did it for me. All I had to think about was relaxing my body against his chest as he took care of me, always.

"Who else did you tell?" He asks, the sound of the dryer now being brought against my table. "Sandrine." He make an inaudible mumble, and I hold back a smirk. "Yeah, expect the teasing the moment we're back."

He rested his head against my shoulder in defeat, anticipating his older sister's teasing at being more grown up and settled than she was.

"Besides her and Erin, I haven't been able to get into contact with the others since they went back."

University made it difficult for us all to talk.

We still had the odd message sent to the group chat, but apart from that, I wasn't able to see them as easily as I used to. "Don't forget about me." I told them all before they went back, and Theo's words filled me with reassurance.

"I could never forget about that beautiful smile of yours gorgeous."

I had meant my plea in a joking way, but his response made me realise how serious I was. I didn't want them to forget me. But even if they did, I was grateful to each of them.

Sometimes you don't need to constantly be in someone's life to appreciate the messages and gifts they bring you. I would keep each gift of their friendships locked in my heart, whether they were in my life at every aspect or left it entirely.

How couldn't I?
They were the ones who taught me how to love and to be loved.

Now I had the greatest gift of them all.

"Come on baby, you need to sleep." I contemplate protesting my tiredness, but the word sleep blankets me like a wave, and soon I'm tucked into his side, draping my leg over his in the now familiar and comfortable position.

"I love you." He kisses my eyelids as the night washes over me.

                                June 17th 4:30am.

                                        ***

The phone rings, and Levai takes his hand from under me, beginning to stir in his sleep. I wipe away the sleep from my eyes, "L-Levai, your phone." I yawn, and he groans as a response, lifting his head from the pillow to sit up.

My eyes close again as my head hits the pillow.

I anticipate him to end the call, but instead he stares at the caller ID, and eventually answers it.

Now curiosity pulls me from my sleep, and I sit on the balls of my feet, turning the lamp on beside me.

"Samae-" his tired voice turns small. "I-I'm with Miri, why?"

He wasn't wearing a shirt, and his chest was inflating and collapsing at the words being said on the other line.

Eventually the line ends, and Levai's phone slides from his grip, thudding the screen against the hardboard floor.

I tap my hand on his shoulder, to which he flinches. He's never flinched at my touch before. What did Samael say?

My heart collapsed at his next words.

"Theo... he.." his voice is raspy, and barely comes out as a whisper. "he's gone."

                                                            June 17th: 4:33am.