The Glorious Flame (#2)

Chapter 41

Rouhem

     "What now?" She asked, sitting there in her underwear.  Rouhem couldn't keep his eyes off even if he tried.

     "How about this?" He suggested, laying down on his back. "Now that we've had released some of our repressed feelings and thoughts, can we have our cuddle session now?"

     She folded her arms. "Just cuddles? Not even any shooting or stabbing?" He shook his head, causing her shoulders to fall in disappointment. "You're no fun."

     He lifted the blanket in invitation.

     "You're unbearable," she muttered, but immediately got down and crawled to him. He definitely liked that view. "You're lucky that it's freezing right now."

    Rouhem briefly closed his eyes as she settled underneath the blanket with him. She was cool against him, but she molded to him perfectly. Her hand settled on his chest and he just about died right there.

    They didn't say anything to one another for a while. They simply laid together, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

    "I've never had a loverboy before," she whispered.

    He smiled. "Me neither."

    "So are you, like, my slave now?" She was looking straight at his chest. He had never seen her this... hesitant?

    "I thought I already was?" He asked, looking down at her.

    "Be serious," she snapped, finally looking up at him. He'd be lying if he said he didn't miss her orange eyes, but he had a feeling she could have no eyes at all and he'd still be just as in love with her as he was in that moment.

    "I am, I'd do anything for you," Rouhem confessed, reaching his hand out to play with her shorter locks. She was just so beautiful laying there, so fierce and soft at the same time. The fact that she could be so vulnerable with him never once took from her image of strength, and if anything, he hadn't seen her so powerful since he'd met her.

    "This is weird. I'm not used to you being all mushy with me," she muttered, instead of lashing out like he had expected her to. He appreciated that she didn't immediately bite off his head whenever he said something that didn't match their regular tone.

    "Do you want me to stop, then?" He hoped that she would finally feel safe with him.

    "No. It's nice. I almost believe you." She actually gave his a small smile. It was all he needed in that moment to understand that he was right where he needed to be.

    "You should, I'm an honest man." He let his hand travel down her back, just how he knew would soothe the pain she constantly experienced.

    "Okay, but at least promise me that just because I don't shoot you as often anymore, you won't stop being as mean to me." Her cheeks visibly burned at how insane her sentence sounded.

    Rouhem barked out a quick laugh. It wasn't meant to humiliate her, but rather he knew she could handle his teasing. "You want me to be mean to you?"

    "You know what I mean!" She gave his pectoral a light slap.

    "Nothing is going to change... too much, anyway," he reassured her.

    He watched her mentally have a sigh of relief. Clearly, after everything they had said to one another, she needed a kind of reassurance she would surely never ask for out loud. Who would without hurting their own pride? And if there was one thing to know about Inferno, it's that she was one of the most prideful and stubborn pixies to exist. Rouhem knew better than anyone that it could be a deadly combination.