Seraphine

thirty three

Seraphine

Luca is silent for a few minutes, minutes that feel like hours to Seraphine. Her once quiet mind goes crazy, telling her all the things he's thinking about her. 

The word slut flies around a few times, and it brings Seraphine back to a few minutes ago. 

The clutter in her mind stops, and all she can focus on is the feeling between her legs. After being used for two whole hours, the second she had a moment to breathe, it was happening all over again. 

Seraphine clenches her thighs together in an attempt to stop what feels like a phantom brushing between them, but it doesn't help much. 

"Seraphine--" Luca finally speaks, and she jumps, startled. Damien's hand tightens around hers, and she shoots him an appreciative smile. 

"We'll be there in ten. Draw a bath." Damien, sensing her discomfort, ends the call, and Seraphine relaxes. 

She realizes that right now, she can only handle one of her professors. She wants to be able to handle all four, to maybe be held, but being carried by Damien was almost too much and nowhere near enough at the same time. 

She just needs a second to breathe. 

"Thank you," she offers to Damien, who turns to her just as he turns the car. His thumb hasn't stopped running over her knuckles. It paused for a second, mostly in surprise, Seraphine thinks, when she kissed his hand that was holding hers. 

His eyes widened at that move as well, and she wanted to laugh. But laughing seemed like something she wasn't capable of in that moment. 

Seraphine's throat closes and tears flood her eyes as she thinks about the reality of the situation: she was just raped, by her boyfriend--ex-boyfriend--and three of his god awful friends. She may never laugh again. 

"My dear, are you alright?" Damien's deep voice brings Seraphine back to the present, and she turns towards him, and then quickly faces the window. Tears stream down her cheeks as shame paints them a bright red.

Being able to handle one of her professors suddenly seems like way too much, and her mind races. 

What if they never look at me the same again? What if I'm tainted, and used, and they don't want to be around me anymore? 

What if I'm too broken? 

"Just drive, please," she finally whispers, and Damien tightens his grip on her hand before letting go tentatively. Seraphine stares at the retreating hand and swallows a sob. 

It's starting. 

"I...didn't know if you wanted to be touched," he explains himself, but Seraphine can't hear him over the buzzing in her ears. 

Slut, slut, slut, slut.

She nods and curls up on the seat, bringing her knees to her chest as she stares out the window. 

Lightning cracks across the night sky, booming thunder following not a second after. The clouds open up and rain begins to pour down, and Seraphine stares at the rain for a moment before snorting in laughter. 

She realizes Damien had done the same thing, and they turn to face each other. 

"Rain symbolizes new beginnings, right?" She asks her English professor, who smiles proudly before nodding once. Damien doesn't take his eyes away from Seraphine as he slowly lifts his hand once more, and she doesn't break eye contact as she slips her hand back in his. 

It feels right, safe, and Seraphine feels a little bit of weight being lifted off of her shoulders. Weight that had settled there ever since uneasiness had bloomed in her stomach; ever since Derek pulled up to Atlantis. She'd been carrying this weight for two hours, and it's gotten worse every second. 

In this moment, she's eternally grateful to Damien for chipping away at the boulders on her back. 

"Thank you," she voices her gratitude to him, and his smile dims. Seraphine can sense his anger, has been able to ever since she recognized his face outside of that room, but for some reason, it feels...different. 

She's not scared. For herself, anyway. She feels protected, almost. Surrounded by this anger--which she knows will grow threefold, once they reach the estate--she feels--knows--she's safe.

Damien starts to lift their hands to his lips, but right before he presses his lips to her skin, his eyes flick to hers, silently asking permission. 

Seraphine's heart swells, and a small smile graces her lips. She nods once, and he places a gentle kiss against her knuckles. 

Safe.