Mirage - Shall We Date Wizardess Heart' Fic

Chapter 52 (1/2): Fear is a reaction, Courage is a decision

His fingers found the door handle and, second to none, he stepped inside his office.

Aurora almost jolted startled at the sound of the door suddenly opening and directed her gaze to the entrance."Randolph!" She yelped in surprise.

Through the office doorway, he watched her move underneath the sheets; she was holding onto his pillow like a small child gripping onto a rag of cloth. Her eyes twinkled seemingly in acknowledgment of his presence and lips held a cheerful smile, one that quickly faded to his dismay.

His broad figure stood erect under the door's framing, his powerful arms hung down and his shoulders currently low-spirited, although, his face wore a rather calm and quiet look. Noticing his disheveled figure in the distance and the several red-spatters across his shirt, neck and face, she hurriedly jumped out of bed and hurried to where he was standing."What happened?!" Her hand urgently crawled up his chest and down his arms; she assessed every inch of his body looking for any sort of open injuries, the scent of fresh blood only made her panic increase."Are you hurt anywhere?"

His solemn gaze roved over her face, "I'm fine, Aurora. That's not mine."

"It is not?" She glanced up at his face, a slow smile spreading across his features, still a seemingly tired expression.

He touched her face, dotingly carresing her cheek with his thumb before gently pulling her into a tight embrace. She hesitated at first but, soon she allowed her arms to slip beneath his armpits and wrapped around his back, returning the hug. That sudden gesture felt like he was trying to reassure himself of something, somehow. She just wasn't sure of what."Randolph, what happened to you?" She asked, wondering if there was anything she could do for him.

He kissed the top of her head in a sweet gesture, "Don't worry your pretty head of yours. Nothing happened." slowly fondling down her hair.

She pulled away from him, making the stocking movement cease for a moment, and made direct eye contact with him. "You know you can talk to me, right? I'm all ears--"

"I know," He said, cutting her short. "But I prefer not talk about that right now. Is that okay?"

As before, he was absent-minded and seemed occupied not with what was before his eyes but with something else. And, in a sense, his voice sounded cold and distant to her, making it impossible for her to read his state of mind. She ended up nodding in agreement then, lapsed into silence. Her gaze left his face as her mind was so full of the question why he was shutting her down at the moment. Why did it have to be like that? Why couldn't he trust her with his problems?

"Aurora," Turning her head, he lifted her chin and gazed into her eyes."How are you doing? Are you feeling any better? What can I do for you?" His voice was now warm and gentle as well as his soft expression, he sounded more like himself.

A faint smile fastly lightened up her features, "Nothing. I'm feeling way much better now that you are here." and, out of the blue, she crashed her lips onto Randolph's. She had to stand on her tip-toes to kiss him; the moment they touched, Randolph's body stiffened up as if she had startled him. It took him a moment to comprehend what was happening but then, he quickly gathered himself and kissed her back. It was a soft, gentle and slightly careful kiss, just like himself. They kissed for a moment and then, she withdrew."Don't go just yet. Make me company for a while, Randolph." She uttered quietly, leisurely entwining her fingers with his and pulling him slightly forward; slow-moving, she guided him to the padded sofa near the fireplace.

She didn't have to ask him twice. Randolph complied and followed her suit like a well-mannered puppy following its master to the kitchen for snack-time.