Wicked Academy

30

The early morning light filtered softly through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. Jason lay beside Stella, his body turned toward her but giving her space. The tension from the previous night still hung between them, thick and undeniable. Stella, her back to him, was still angry, her body rigid, her breath steady.

He was still groggy, his body aching with the remnants of exhaustion. The early morning light did little to shake off the fatigue clinging to him, last night had taken its toll. Between the endless cleanup and the fight with Frederick, he'd barely gotten any rest. Yet, even with his eyelids threatening to close again, his gaze stayed fixed on the slow, steady rise and fall of her back. Sleep tugged at him, but for some reason, he couldn't bring himself to look away.

The events of the night before replayed in his mind, the fight in the dining hall with Frederick, the harsh spells exchanged, the way he had ignored her pleas to stop, her voice laced with urgency and concern. But he hadn't listened. His own anger had drowned out everything, including her. And now, in the quiet of the morning, all that remained was the heavy silence between them, a distance that felt impossible to bridge.

Stella stirred slightly in her sleep, her lashes fluttering before her eyes slowly blinked open, still hazy with drowsiness. For a moment, her gaze was unfocused, drifting as if caught between dreams and reality, until it settled on him. Or rather, on his lips, the same lips that had kissed her with passion and fire were now marred.

Jason didn't think much of it at first, but as her eyes lingered, something shifted. Her expression softened, her brows drawing together ever so slightly, her focus sharpening like she was seeing something he hadn't even noticed.

Jason was about to speak when he felt the cool brush of her thumb against his lips. The contact, soft but intentional, made him freeze. He hissed involuntarily at the sudden touch, the sting from his bruised lips catching him off guard. His eyes snapped to her face, and he saw the look of realization flicker in her gaze. It was then that he understood, she had been staring at the bruise on his lips, the mark left by the fight in the dining hall, the one he hadn't even felt until now.

Her thumb brushed across the tender spot again, and he flinched, the sharp reminder of the previous night's anger hitting him harder than it had before. He hadn't noticed the bruise, hadn't realized the full extent of it until now. The mark on his lips, from a fight that should have never happened, now felt like a silent reminder of everything that had gone wrong.

Jason's gaze lingered on her for a moment, the tension between them palpable. For a fleeting moment, he considered saying something, anything, but the words never formed. Instead, he let a smirk curve his lips, masking the turmoil beneath with effortless ease. "Still mad at me?" His voice was teasing, but there was an edge to it, a hesitation hidden behind the playful tone. He watched her, his lips curling into a grin as he leaned just a little closer.

Stella didn't answer right away. Her gaze lingered on the bruise at the corner of his mouth, her expression unreadable, caught somewhere between anger and something softer. Jason could feel the shift in the air, the delicate push and pull of emotions.

"You know," he murmured, his voice dipping into something almost teasing, almost sincere, "I could kiss it better if you wanted."

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and for a heartbeat, the world around them seemed to fade. The silence between them stretched, taut and fragile, thick with anger, regret, and something else entirely. Jason could feel the pull, the quiet gravity of it.

Jason watched her, waiting, half-expecting a sharp remark, a scoff, anything. But none came.

Slowly, deliberately, he leaned in, closing the space between them. His pulse thrummed in his ears, but he kept his movements unhurried, giving her a chance to pull away, to stop him. She didn't.