love & war | festus creed

16 | pucker up, buttercup

Bellona let out a groan as she regained consciousness, feeling something pressing into the side of her head.

What the? Bellona thought, opening her eyes to see what was going on. Instantly, the girl's eyes widened in shock noticing that her head had been resting on Festus's shoulder. Festus, however, did not seem to care, too busy sleeping to even notice.

When had this happened? Last she remembered the two were barely touching.

But despite the initial shock, Bellona couldn't seem to pull her eyes away from the boy. Unlike at all other times, Festus appeared much more relaxed. His curls were slightly messy, covering his forehead more than usual and his nose scrunched up just enough for Bellona to see the faint freckles that painted it, but still, by the rising and falling of his chest, Bellona could see just how calm he really was.

And for some reason, she seemed to feel a lump in her throat at the sight. Was this how Festus really was with others? Calm and relaxed? Why did she feel so drawn to him right now?

Bellona tried to shake off her thoughts as she noticed Festus begin to stir, a panic in her chest as she tried to pull her head off his shoulder before he could notice. But it seemed her efforts were in vain. As if he had missed the warmth from her head, Festus's eyes trailed toward his shoulder, landing instantly on Bellona.

His eyes widened slightly for a moment, but unlike Bellona, his look didn't seem to be out of fear. Instead, it seemed to be out of genuine curiosity, his lip faintly twitching as his eyes glanced down again.

And then, he did something Bellona had definitely not expected.

Without a second thought, Festus surged forward, cupping her cheeks as he pressed his lips against hers. Bellona, surprisingly enjoying the feeling, closed her eyes and ignored the burning of her face as she matched his pace.

As if fueled by her acceptance, Festus pulled the girl closer, taking his hands off her cheeks and moving them down to her waist. But the awkward angle made it hard for the two to continue, so Bellona, unwilling to stop now, shifted herself into his lap as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders without pulling their lips apart.

For the first time in a long time, Bellona's thoughts remained silent. No anger. No anxiety. Only desire to keep the warmth between them.

And the two did just that, continuously letting their lips come back to one another as they huddled closely, ignoring the pounding of their hearts. It was only when they could not physically maintain their breaths any longer that the two separated, chests heaving as they tried to regain a healthy breathing pattern.

Still, Bellona remained numb to everything but their touch, letting the boy press his forehead against hers as she kept her eyes closed.

But, of course, all good things end eventually.