A Princess's Guide to Dragon Domestication

(7) Inside Every Coal, There's A Cubic Zirconia

Inside Every Coal, There's A Cubic Zirconia

“Are you ok?” Raees asked me as soon as I opened my eyes, reminding me that he had spent the night. I blinked when I realized just how close he was. His arm was still wrapped around me. How could I have not noticed?

I shut my eyes and groaned.

“Even my dream version of you is a jerk.” I mumbled inaudibly.

“The fact that you’re dreaming about me makes me think that you’re into jerks.” He snickered.

I turned red. “You weren’t supposed to hear that.”

He raised his head and balanced himself on his arms so that his face was right above mine. His hair was a mess, but a good mess. Just looking at him made my breath quicken.

“Oh, but I did.”

I pushed him off before getting up. “Since you stayed the night without invitation, breakfast is on you.”

He got up too. “That doesn’t make any sense.”

“Haven’t we already established that I don’t have to make sense?” I retorted before walking off to the bathroom.

When I came out, Raees was still sitting on my bed. “Because I kept the nightmares away and was the only reason you slept at all last night, you owe me breakfast.” I was about to explain how I’d already paid him back for that by not pushing him off the bed, but he spoke first. “And I don’t know how to cook anything. At all. So, yeah…”

“That’s no excuse. You can take me out for breakfast.” I said while folding my arms.

He stared at me for a moment before shaking his head. “Alright then.”

Half an hour later, we were leaving my place when we saw Zane outside his house.

He looked from me to Raees and then back to me again before turning away. “Well, that was fast.” He mumbled.

I frowned at him, but them gasped when the realization of what had happened hit me like a truck full of metal bricks.

“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my-”

“What now?” Raees asked without looking at me.

I jabbed my finger in his chest. A very hard chest. “I let you stay the night and I don’t even know your name!”

He frowned. “My name is Raees, you know that.”

“Your full name! I don’t even know where you’re from and-“

“Calm down, woman!” He said while taking my finger off him, “It’s not like we- I only stayed over because of your nightmare.”

“But still! I shouldn’t have let you! How could I have been so careless?! I-“ He grabbed my shoulders before putting a hand under my chin so I was looking right into his green eyes.

“Calm down.”

And I did.

All the panic I was feeling left me and I felt… calm.

“Yeah.” I said after a while, “It’s no big deal.” I then turned to Zane who was frowning at Raees, “We were going to get breakfast. You coming?”

“Cool.” He said while smiling at me, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

I frowned at him, but then let it go.

It didn’t take long for us to reach a small café that wasn’t too far from our houses.

It felt strange. I knew that Zane and Raees were strangers and trusting them this much, especially when I was home alone, was dangerous. Apart from their names, I knew nothing about them. But still, for some reason, being around them made me feel safe.