Bone of my Bow

Chapter 5

  Stepping into my library, I paused when I saw Archer on the couch. It was just a little after noon, Rin wasn't expected home until later, so was Archer actually taking a nap before we went after Caster? Or was he just laying there with his eyes closed?

  I felt my curiosity pique as I stepped further into the room. I had come to read, but my attention was now on something else.

  Quietly getting closer to the couch, I leaned over the man to see if he was awake or not. He was softly breathing and not moving, and I narrowed my eyes. As a test, I poked his cheek. Archer didn't even stir, confirming he was indeed sleeping.

  Now I had a choice to make.

  Leave him be or grab the whipped cream and a marker. Pranking him as he slept was childish, yes, but oh, would it be funny to see the outcome. I would try to get pictures to show Rin when she got home.

  But first, I needed to make sure he wouldn't wake up in the middle of it. I crouched by the couch and poked his cheek again. Archer remained dead asleep, so I trailed my finger over his cheek. Still nothing.

  However, I found that his skin was actually rather soft. I touched his forehead while thinking of writing 'IDIOT' right in that spot. Archer was still not waking up, which boded well for my plans.

  My fingers went along his jaw and I froze when I saw his brows slightly furrow. Not moving a muscle, I waited with bated breath, and his brows slowly went back to that relaxed look as he slept. An evil grin broke out on my face as I hurried out of the room to find a marker and grab the whipped cream.

  When I returned, I set the can of cream on the coffee table before popping the cap off of the marker. Leaning over Archer, I placed my other hand onto the armrest to have better balance, and in the back of my mind, I couldn't help but think of how handsome he was. The marker was only inches from his face when a hand suddenly wrapped around my wrist.

  I looked down to see those light eyes locked onto me. Archer's expression was void as his gaze drifted to the marker. I then gave a sheepish grin when he looked back at me.

  His other hand grabbed my face as he shot up and snatched the marker from me.

  'Archer! Archer!' I was squirming on the floor as he had me pinned. Firmly holding my jaw in one hand as he sat on me, Archer ignored my squirming while getting an evil grin of his own.

  "It's not very nice to draw on someone while they sleep, Yumiko." He had an amused tone as I was tugging on his wrist with both hands to try and free my jaw. "What should we start with, hm?"

  'Nothing!'

  "You're right. A mustache is a great idea." Archer brought the marker down to draw on my face, but I managed to turn away. "I'm not afraid to grab you like a fish if I have to, stop squirming." Archer was trying to get me to face him again to scribble on me like I tried to do to him, but I didn't stop squirming.

  And Archer held to his word, changing his hold to grab me like a fish to keep my head still. His fingers curled under my jaw as his thumb hooked behind my teeth and held down my tongue. He went in to try and draw on my face again now that my head wasn't moving.

  However, he stopped with the marker centimeters from my face as his smile fell. It was almost as if the playful atmosphere from before had become electrified, and I didn't know why. Archer's gaze was piercing, and his thumb moved over my tongue as he was pulling his hand away.

  His thumb then went over my bottom lip, and the gentle touch sent sparks along my nerves. Archer didn't actually seem to be paying attention, and I could feel the heat rising in my face. What had started as harmless fun had quickly turned into....something else.