Out of the Woods | ✓

00.1 | bonus chapter

When Jensen woke up, Miles was still asleep beside her, an arm draped haphazardly over her waist. She didn't necessarily remember falling asleep with his arm on her, but no part of her protested against it. There was a certain casualty to the feeling of waking up next to Miles that she enjoyed a little too much—she needed to stop enjoying it before they flew to New York in a couple weeks. Getting to be with him the last little while without worrying about preproduction was a wonderful gift. Jensen ran a gentle hand through his hair before gently getting out of bed. Making a pot of coffee was the way to go, she figured. Wake him up with a cup; black for him, double double for her.

She turned to pull the covers back up, tuck them a little more into Miles. Even a few more minutes of sleep seemed better for him, with how little he seemed to get. Jensen's eyes widened when she saw it. Red on white sheets.

"Oh my God." Her voice was low, despite the panic. Jensen turned to try and find a mirror, but there wasn't one in sight. Looking back to the mattress, she swallowed hard.

How was she meant to wash the sheets and not wake Miles up?

And why the hell was her period there then and not the couple days from then that she had been expecting? She'd had a plan. Stay the night with Miles and go back to her hotel, say that she had a great time but she should stay there when it was being paid for. It seemed valid enough. And they'd have the period talk when they'd been together a little longer.

Jensen bit her lip. "Shit."

Miles stirred. Jensen slapped a hand over her mouth. Tried to pretend she hadn't let out the softest squeak at the thought of him waking up before she had a chance to figure out how to get rid of the stain. It's not like she'd thought a laundry pen was essential stay the night gear.

Jensen quickly flipped the blanket over the sheet when she watched Miles' eyes open.

A tired smile crept onto his lips. "Am I late for coffee?"

"Hmm?" Jensen asked. "Oh. No. I'm going to make it. Now. Um. Unless you want to. And I'll. You know. Stay here."

Jensen wished she could gauge how Miles was going to react if she told him what was going on. She wanted to say he'd be fine with it. But if she was convinced of that, there would be the small seed blooming in the back of her brain, screaming that this was going to gross him out.

"What's going on, Rhodes?"

"What? Nothing."

"You look like... I don't know." Miles sat up slightly, the blanket moving with him. Jensen's breath caught in her throat. Miles froze as her hands reached out toward him. "What?"

"Nothing."

"Christ, Rhodes, did you me?"

"I—well, no." Jensen shook her head. "Of course not."

"Rhodes." Miles reached his arm out toward her. "Please tell me what's going on."

"Look, don't freak out." Jensen took his hand, thumb rubbing the back. She swallowed hard. Those were always good words to get someone not to freak out, right?

"Do I tend to do that?" Miles squeezed her hand.

"There's blood on the sheets."

Miles blinked. "Okay."

"Like. Um." Jensen twisted the stud in her nose. "Period blood. That kind of blood."