After Midnight

Chapter 58- Gage

The aroma of coffee fills the air as my eyes flutter open. When I look over, Star is no longer next to me. After yesterday, I decide to throw on my pyjama pants and walk out to the kitchen. As she stands over the stove making breakfast, I walk up behind her and kiss her cheek. "Morning," I softly say.

"Morning," she smiles, "grab a plate." She tells me. I pass it to her, and she puts eggs and bacon on it and hands it back to me. "Thank you,"

She smiles again as she dishes her own meal. She hands me a cup of coffee and takes a seat. We sit in silence as we eat. So I decide to ask her what she wants to do today. "Do you still want to paint or do something else?"

"Paint, we might as well considering we are completely snowed in and the plows won't be here anytime soon."

"Okay, I'll get the painting supplies ready, and we can start whenever you're ready." I tell her.

We start moving things out of her room and covering what we can't move after we finish eating. We move her bed to the middle of the room and cover it with plastic so it does not get ruined. We can feel the breeze blowing through the house as the front door opens.

"Gage?" Ace shouts.

"I'm in here!" I shout.

Ace enters Star's room with a broad grin, chuckling, "Nice legs, princess," and I notice Star is only wearing my t-shirt. "Kiss my ass, jerk," she states as she crosses her arms.

"I would, but that man over there," he points to me, "would kill me."

"Dude, she would absolutely destroy you; I wouldn't need to do anything." I tell him, smiling, knowing my girl is a badass in the ring.

"Bet, I want to fight you in the ring." He looks at Star and smiles.

"Okay. Just make sure mommy's around to comfort you when I kick your ass and make you cry." She smiles with confidence.

"Well, anyway, I'm here because I need your ass outside to help shovel the driveway before the plows come, or we will never be able to get out." I run my hand through my hair. "Go," Star says.

I tell him I'll be out in a minute. I quickly get dressed and kiss her cheek. I tell her I'll be back soon. I head to the front door and slip on my boots before heading outside. Ace hands me a shovel as he starts on one end and I start on the other. We both work in silence, the only sound being the scraping of metal against concrete. We work on the girls after we finish with ours. We both take turns shovelling the snow and throwing it onto the side of the driveway. As we work, I can feel my body warming up from the physical activity and the cold air. The snowfall seems to be getting heavier, but we keep going until the driveway is completely clear.

We go our separate ways, and I head back to Star's. I enter the house, and I'm grateful for the warmth. In times like this, I wish I could shift into my wolf form to keep myself warm, but I know I can't because of the girl I love. I take off my wet coat and hang it up. Shivering, I walk into her room. I see that she has already started to cut the edges of the walls with paint. She's dressed in a tank top and cotton shorts, singing and dancing to the music while she paints, and I'm just standing there admiring the scene.

Her hair is messy and paint-splattered, but she looks beautiful nonetheless. I can't help but smile at her as she turns to me, noticing my presence. "Hey, you're back," she says, putting down her paintbrush. "How was shovelling the driveway?" I shrug and say, "It was fine, just really cold." She nods sympathetically and says, "I know, I've been freezing in here too. But at least we have each other to keep warm." She grins, and I feel my heart swell with affection for her.

She misses her footing and slips; I run and catch her in my arms before she can hit the floor. She smiles, "Thanks."

"Anytime." I put her down, and she hands me a brush, pointing to the wall I need to start painting. I strip off my clothes, only keeping my sweatpants on. As I start painting, I can feel the cool breeze from the open window on my skin. The brush strokes are therapeutic, and I become absorbed in the task at hand. The room starts to transform with each stroke of the brush. I look over at Star, and she smiles.

"It's looking good so far," she says.

"Yeah, but I think it will need another coat," I say as I laugh.

"What's so funny?" She looks at me, cuteness covering her face. I approach her and use my thumb to remove the paint from her face. Her eyes narrow, and she says, "Not everyone can be perfect like you." At that moment, a sinister smile crosses her face. I recognize that expression and back away.

She takes the brush and wipes it on my chest. I press my lips together and say, "You're dead." As I laugh. I take my brush and wipe her face with it. She gasps but gets me back; she goes to run out of the room, but I stop her, flipping her to the floor. Our gazes lock, and I notice her breathing becoming heavier. I take the paintbrush and slowly trace it across her neck and down to her chest. She shivers, and I can feel the tension between us. I lean in closer, our lips almost touching, and whisper, "Let's make some art together."

Her hand grips my neck, drawing me in closer, and our lips press together. I can taste the paint on her lips as we kiss, and it only adds to the intensity of the moment. The air is thick with desire as our bodies move in perfect sync. Our hands explore each other's bodies, leaving trails of paint and passion. It's as if we're creating a masterpiece with every touch and every kiss.

Her head on my chest as we lay on the floor looking up at the ceiling, we both try to control our breathing. She begins to laugh as she grabs the paintbrush and brushes it against my face. "This was fun, but we need to finish up this room," she smiles.

I get up and take her hand to help her. We finish the last coat of paint and take a step back to look at the walls. "Perfect," she says. I look over at her, wrap my arm around her shoulders, and smile before kissing the top of her head. We stand there for a moment, admiring our hard work and the transformation of the room. It's amazing what a fresh coat of paint can do to brighten up a space.

As we start to clean up our supplies, I can't help but feel grateful for this moment with her. I take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the fresh paint, and feel a sense of accomplishment wash over me. We did this together, and it looks amazing. She turns around and looks up at me; her eyes smile before kissing me. "Thank you," she whispers. I pull her closer to me and just hold her tight as I feel my heart swell with the love I have for her.