Me & Red

Chapter 25

Red let out a slow breath as she quietly brewed the herbal tea in her kitchen. Rift was still sick...
She couldn't help but feel horrible about it, even if it wasn't her fault. He was beaten up because of her, wasn't he...?
In a way, then, it was her fault...
She couldn't help the guilt that nagged in the corner of her heart. Not that she'd ever let Rift see itー if he knew she blamed herself she'd never hear the end of it. No, she would keep it to herself.
She wouldn't have him trying to tell her it was okay when it wasn't. He was famous for trying.
Laying the stirring spoon at the edge of the sink for later use, Red poured another cup full of healing tea for Rift and headed back towards the bedroom. Upon her return, she swore she saw Rift jolt to lay casually on his back, but assumed it was nothing, and refrained from saying anything about it. Coming to the bedside, she set the teacup down on the nightstand and plastered her usual smile to her face as she looked at him.
"So. Think of a game?"
Rift scowled. "No..."
Red let out a short laugh. "And you dared to make fun of me when I had nothing?"
She had expected some kind of jab in response to her words, feeling sure Rift had a comeback or something witty to say back, and yet he didn't compensate.
Rift only stared at her. She saw somethingー a feeling hiding there in his eyes unlike any he'd shown her before. She had never seen him look at her that way...
He was gazing at her so softly, so intently... It almost chilled her to the bone.
Growing worried about him now, Red's smile faded and her brows drew together.
"Rift?"
He tried to wipe the look away with his usual goofy grin, but the secret didn't leave his eyes.
"Ah, my bad. Couldn't think of a comeback fast enough, haha."
Red didn't look convinced in the least as she continued to scan him skeptically with sharp eyes. The eyes that saw completely through him made Rift shudder just a little.
"Rift," Red started gently. "Are you feeling alright...?"
Immediately guessing that his fever must've gone up, Red raised a hand and quickly pressed her palm against his forehead. She had expected to find some heat there, but to her surprise, it was actually cooler than usual. A confused look contorted her face and she slowly pulled her hand back.
Why was he looking at her that way?
The hidden feeling in his gaze seemed to grow stronger at her touch, and almost scared her into pulling her hand back faster. Her hand hadn't made it far when Rift's leapt out and latched onto her wrist, making her jolt.
Rift...?
There was a burn to his eyes now, and in that moment, for the first time, he really looked like a wolf. The predatorily steel gaze made her tremble, and she felt every bit like a rabbit.
"Wait."
The calm and sweetness in his voice was the only indication that it was still her friend Rift sitting in front of her and not a wild animal. Red was thankful for that; she didn't want to fear him. She took solace in the gentleness in his voice, and it gave her enough courage to find her own.
"... Rift...? What are you..."

"I want..."

His hand tightened there on her wrist, not enough to hurt, but enough to make her tense, and he met her gaze with softer eyes now, though the inner feeling didn't cease.
Why was he looking at her in that way...?
She didn't feel afraid... But he was making her anxious.
"I want to... To... See... Something..."
Rift's voice was so soft, so kind, that Red found herself relaxing unconsciously, and she couldn't bring herself to look away from him or take back her arm as he held her there, his face no more than a foot from hers.
Red didn't know what to do as he gazed at her, holding her captive by his firm grip on her arm. Should she pull away?
Should she tell him to stop...?
She didn't know what he was doing, what he was thinking...
Her mind couldn't process the situation fast enough.
Rift wasn't going to let her go in that moment.
The little but fearless girl that sat before him now looked every bit like his prey, yet had done things to him that he couldn't possibly explain.
It was the unknowing that caught his attention. Somehow, this girl had changed something in himー sparked something in him.
As she looked back at him now, he could feel his heart stirring in the same way it had any time she'd touched him or smiled at him or said something that made him laugh.
And now...
He was going to solve the mystery.
He was going to give that feeling a name.
The first thing he could do was venture; he knew what sort of things triggered his body's reactions. If he could just focus really hard on what she made him feel, then maybe...
Saying nothing, offering no warning, Rift gently pulled her arm towards him, pulling her upper body closer, and rested her arm against his shoulder, pressing her hand just at the back of his head.
As if on instinct, Red's hand easily relaxed there and her fingers found their way through the strands of his hair. Everything about what he was doing to her now had her on edge, and yet touching him felt natural to her.
Rift focused hard as he felt her fingertips there at the back of his head, and he could clearly feel a shudder roll through his bones, leaving his entire body feeling warm, as if he were standing just before a fire. He raised his free hand and rested it carefully on his chest. An erratic heartbeat...
He recognized it.
Rift stayed still for a moment, eyeing her intently, though he took no notice to the question in her eyes.
It was only natural she would be confused by, well, everythingー but Rift figured that was okay for now. Soon, everything would fall into place.
In the short moment that felt like centuries to Red, Rift said nothing, carefully analyzing the sensation that emanated from her fingertips alone.
In spite of that, Rift still found no name.
Confused and almost frustrated now, he scanned Red's expression, tilting his head, seeming to think something over.
That alone made Red even more nervous. She was already to the point of almost trembling as he looked at her with such penetrating eyes, and yet touched her with such gentle hands. She knew that her face had to be burning under his sharp gaze.
She couldn't remember a time she had been so nervous before...
As Rift looked at her, he decided her hand was not enough. He needed more contact...
If he could just amplify that feeling...
Then maybe...

Red didn't reject it.
With every fiber of her being she was anxious, embarrassed. But she made no move against him as Rift drew his face closer, raising a hand to cup her cheek. His touch sent chills through her, his hand soft and warm, just the same as his gaze. He leaned until his forehead pressed gently to hers, and the two of them sat motionless, never breaking the eye contact even in close quarters.
Rift knew what he wanted to doー he wanted to flood himself with her as much as possible. He wanted to do all in his ability to feel everything that was Red, everything she was.
In spite of him saying nothing, Red knew exactly what he wanted to, and the thought of it frightened her.
Even as they said nothing, did nothing other than look at each other deeply, Rift gazed at her with the silent question for permission, and rather than answer, Red only let her eyes fall closed.
Seeing her there so close to him, so welcoming of his touch was enough to draw a possessive rumble from the depths of his chest; one unlike any he'd made before, surprising even himself.
At the low sound, Rift could feel her tense, and even let out a soft squeak, though she kept her eyes closed. Soothing her, he ran the back of his hand gingerly down her cheek and neck towards her collarbone, and hesitated to do much more until he felt her muscles relax.
The only thing between them now was the heat of their bodies so close to one another, and the anxious distance keeping them apart.
As slowly as his body would allow, Rift leaned forward, careful to keep his movement steady and gentle so as not to startle her, despite the tension the two of them were beginning to feel from the wait.
And then he felt it.
He felt her small, soft lips against his own, and he felt his heart swell at the mere touch of it. Everything in him jumped at the feeling, as if someone had just resuscitated him, and he knew that if you could see happiness it would be leaking from every pore.
And then he found the wordー the name.
It crept up quietly into the back of his mind as he kissed her, and tried not to smile at the way I sounded in his head.
Love.

A//N: whoooooo! Sorry that was freaking long and a little unusually detailed for my usual writing style, but there was a lot I wanted to get to before I changed POVs haha.
Anyways, hope you liked it!

Pictured art is mine :3