SAFE . . . reyna ramirez-arellano

6 - dreaming

BRIAR WOKE UP to see that she was in a bedroom with someone pressed against her.

She looked up to see Reyna, sleeping soundly. Briar's head was tucked under her chin, and her arms were around Briar's waist, their legs tangling together.

At the head movement, Reyna woke up, blinking as she registered where she was, before looking down and smiling at Briar. "Hey," Reyna greeted, and her morning voice was so hot. Briar felt like she was in heaven.

"Did I wake you?" Briar asked.

"It's alright," Reyna started tracing shapes on her shirt. "I like looking at you better than sleeping."

"You're such a dork," she mumbled, but leaned into Reyna more, if that was possible. "And here I thought that Jason was the cheesy one."

"You love it," Reyna hummed, and Briar could've fallen asleep again on the sound of her heartbeat alone. "You're the one dating me, after all."

"I'm only dating you because you're cute," Briar fought to keep her eyes open, looking at the clock. They should be getting out by now, but training drills can wait. They were already set on that, anyway.

"And?" Reyna prompted.

Briar turned so she was eye to eye with her girlfriend, tracing her fingers on her face to memorize the features on it — the mole on Reyna's temple, the hair that slightly frames her forehead, the feel of her lips. "And you're important to me,"  Briar whispered. "I care about you a lot."

Reyna softened, tucking a strand of Briar's hair behind her ear. "Briar . . ."

"There's no point of living if you're not here, Rey," Briar admitted, and she couldn't keep eye contact. "I'd follow you to fucking Tartarus. You're everything to me. I've given you every piece of myself that I can give. My feelings for you will never change. Not even if you poisoned me, or joined the fucking Titans. I'd go wherever you go."

"Who's the dork now?" Reyna smirked, her hand cupping Briar's face.

"It's still you," Briar leaned into the contact, as she usually did. "I'm just poetic. And as the poets say, I look like fucking art."

"Yeah, you are." Reyna stared down at her adoringly, and Briar felt her cheeks flush pink. Over a year of dating, and yet Reyna was the only person who could make her blush. "I'd stare at you in a museum."

Briar scoffed, rolling away from Reyna's grasp. "That's fucking creepy, get away from me."

"Seriously," Reyna reached out for her. She didn't roll back into her arms. "In a room full of art, I'd stare at you. You're pretty. Stunning. Gorgeous. Radiant. You know, like art."

"Stop it," Briar groaned.

"It's like, I can't even think straight," Reyna continued. "Because I just love you so much, you idiot."

"I love you too," Briar rolled her eyes. "Dude."

Reyna let out a soft laugh. "You say you love me then call me 'dude'?"

"I'm a poet, Reyna," Briar smiled. She couldn't resist it. "It's just what I do."

"I can't believe I fell in love with the biggest idiot," Reyna leaned down and captured Briar into a passionate kiss, and all thoughts of sanity left her mind.

But that wasn't real life. It was just a dream — a memory.

Suddenly, she stood on a mountaintop at night, city lights glimmering below. In front of her, a bonfire blazed. Purplish flames seemed to cast more shadows than light, but the heat was so intense, her clothes steamed.