Labyrinth

Chapter 18

NATHANIEL'S POV

After a warm bath for her, I brush Chloe's hair and quickly dry it, with her propped against me.

Then, I move us to the bed where Thomas is waiting with a drink and snack for us all. I climb on, setting Chloe in between us.

"How was that, Princess?" I ask whilst she gulps her drink down.

"Tiring." She chuckles, "I needed that." She leans over me to place her bottle on the side and then stares up at the ceiling.

"Maybe now you'll get the rest you deserve, Princess." I chuckle lightly. Thomas's hands lightly twirl some of her hair around his finger absentmindedly.

Chloe hums dismissively and readjusts slightly in the bed.

"You're such a good girl, Darling." Thomas mutters.

Again, not responding, Chloe's cheeks flush and she closes her eyes.

"You disagree?" Thomas asks, still twirling her hair in his fingers.

"No. Just..." She trails off.

I pick her up and move her onto my chest, "Shh. You're adorable, Princess." I kiss the top of her head to prove it.

"What classes have you got tomorrow?" Thomas wonders.

"Only psychology." Chloe yawns, "I've got work after that." 

"Work?" He repeats.

"Yeah. eleven thirty till four." She breathes into me, fully wrapping her arms around my chest now.

"Are you happy with that?" I question her, stroking down her hair.

"Hmm?" She mumbles, half-asleep.

"Do you mind working right after your class?" I rephrase the question and ask it slowly.

We'd prefer it if she didn't work. Not in a selfish way. She's only just started university and it may seem easier now but what happens during exam season? When her classes become really challenging. She's going to have to balance working, university and seeing us. That's a lot. Not to mention that if she's working in a café, her entire shift will be spent with her stood up, maybe getting to sit down during a ten minute break or so. She deserves to rest and she could be doing that during the time she works.

She just shrugs, "It is what it is."

I wrap my arms around her tighter. "Sleep. You'll need it for tomorrow."

"I'll be fine." She tries to insist. It's cute when she's like this.

"You can always message us, Darling." Thomas reminds her.

"Don't tell me that, I'll want to call you all day." She laughs.

Soon after she drifts asleep, we follow her.

"Come on, Darling." I hear as my eyes begin to open. I can still feel Chloe in my arms, I want to keep it that way. I hold onto her tighter, despite being awake now.

I look over to see Thomas is ready in his black suit trousers and grey blazer, he must love that outfit, with an unimpressed expression, "Are you alright?" I ask him.

"I would be if you let her get up." He smirks lightly.

"I'm not stopping her, I'm just holding onto her before she gets up, it's up to her when." I reason with him.

"Darling," He shakes her shoulder, "You need to get up."

"Mhm." She mumbles, evidently asleep still.

"That means getting out of the bed, Princess." I chuckle.

She doesn't say anything but snuggles closer to me.

"Chloe." Thomas grunts.

No response. She looks so adorable curled up into me.

"If you don't get your ass out of that bed in thirty seconds..." He leaves the warning hanging in the air.

"Yep." She sighs sleepily.

I try to stifle my laugh as Thomas's face goes cold at her reply.

Looking down at her, she was now sleepily smiling, possibly because she felt my chuckle.

"It's ten past eight, Princess." I coo. That got her attention.

"What!" She bolts upright, "My class starts at nine. Oh my God. Why didn't you wake me up in time? You know what time it starts." She accuses Thomas whilst flying from one end of the room to the other. 

When she was crouched down next to my side of the bed, sifting through her bag, which we brought up last night, for clothes, she grumbles, "Asshole."

I feel my gaze darken and I look over to Thomas. He probably heard it too.

"Little girl." He barks.

Chloe looks up briefly, "Yes?" She grabs her clothes from her bag and begins towards the bathroom. Before she can reach it, Thomas grabs hold of her neck.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asks her dangerously.

"I need to get ready, I'll miss class otherwise." She tries to reason softly.

"Does that make up for your disrespect and disobedience?" His hand still with a firm grip around her throat and bending his head down slightly to meet her height.

"I-I'm sorry, Sir." She apologises through a shiver.

"Should we let you off of these transgressions?" He questions.

"Please, sir. I didn't mean to." She says.

"We'll deal with it tonight. For now, get ready, I'll have some breakfast for you downstairs, then we can leave." He declares.

"It's fine, sir, we can just leave when I'm ready. I don't want to hold you up." Before letting him respond, she dashes out.

He groans, running a hand down his face.

"Good luck with your class." I chuckle, knowing he'll be itching to punish her all day.

Thomas leaves the room with a grunt, presumably going to make Chloe some breakfast - which she will eat.

Looking over to the bathroom door, where she darted into, I realise that she didn't close it fully. Stretching out for a second, I strut over there and push the door open. Chloe jumps, only in her underwear now, "Good morning, Princess." I smirk, turning towards the sink to brush my teeth.

I laugh internally as she stands there, stiff as a rock, reflected in the mirror.

"As much as I'd love it," I sigh, "You can't gawk at me all day." I turn around. 

She glances at her watch and groans.

I put my toothbrush down on the counter and reassuringly grab her arms, tearing her frantic gaze from her watch, "You'll have enough time, Princess." I rub her right arm, "But I'm sure the professor will be lenient anyway," I chuckle.

She embraces me shortly before continuing to change, "I don't want him to be lenient. He should shout at me. He shouts at every other student for the same thing."

"Every other student didn't have a tough night - or day - like you did, yesterday." I try to console her.

"It was nothing. I was just over reacting. That's all." She quickly replies, "Thanks, though." She pecks my cheek and rushes downstairs.

She's too hard on herself and this workload mustn't be helping. I wish we could help her in some other way but she insists on doing it herself. There's nothing wrong with that, of course, we'd just wish we could stop anything negative from happening to her. She hasn't told us much but it's not hard to tell that she hasn't had it easy. To make it worse, she's even harsher on herself. At least now she has two people she feels like she can come to. 

We hope.

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A/N: Hey guys! This chapter was mainly a filler :)