Bound by Shadows

27

The memories of last night floated back to me, making me smile despite the discomfort. I slowly opened my eyes and turned my head to the side. There, lying beside me, was Caelus, his eyes fixed on me with a tender, loving gaze, his head cradled in his hand as he watched me.

His dark hair was tousled from sleep, and a soft smile played on his lips. He reached out, gently brushing a strand of hair away from my face. "Good morning, Zanya," he whispered, his voice soft and warm.

I smiled back at him, feeling a rush of affection and contentment. "Good morning," I replied, my voice still thick with sleep.

Caelus shifted closer, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me into a gentle embrace. Despite the aches all over my body, I melted into his touch, feeling his warmth against mine. We lay there in silence for a few moments, simply enjoying each other's presence.

"How are you feeling?" he asked, concern lacing his tone.

"Sore," I admitted with a small laugh, "but in the best way possible."

Caelus held me close for a few more moments before suggesting, "How about a hot shower to ease those muscles?"

I nodded eagerly. "That sounds perfect."

We reluctantly untangled ourselves from the sheets and made our way to the bathroom. The warm water cascaded over us as we stepped into the shower together. Caelus lathered soap in his hands, massaging my shoulders and back with gentle, soothing motions. The heat and his tender touch worked wonders, and I couldn't help but sigh with relief.

"Feeling better?" he asked.

"Much better," I murmured, leaning back against him.

After we rinsed off and dried ourselves, we dressed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast. Caelus prepared a simple yet delicious meal—scrambled eggs, toast, and fresh fruit. We ate at the small table by the window, enjoying the morning light and each other's company.

As we finished eating, I felt the exhaustion from the night before start to creep back in. "I think I need to lie down for a bit," I admitted, stifling a yawn.

Caelus smiled understandingly. "Go ahead, darling. I'll take care of the dishes."

I gave him a grateful kiss on the cheek before retreating to the bedroom. The bed was freshly made with clean sheets, and I sank into the mattress, feeling the comfort envelop me. Within moments, I was drifting off to sleep.

When I woke up, the sun had already set, casting a soft twilight glow through the curtains. I stretched and slowly got out of bed, feeling much more rested. The house was... quiet.

Curious, I wandered outside, following the faint glow of a lamp down to the beach. There, I found Caelus reclining on a long chair, a book in his hands, accompanied by the gentle sound of the waves and the cool night breeze. The lamp beside him casted a warm circle of light, allowing him to read.

I approached quietly, not wanting to disturb his peace. As I drew closer, Caelus looked up from his book, his face breaking into a warm smile. "Hey there," he said softly.

"Hi," I responded, settling beside him. "What are you reading?"

He displayed the cover, revealing "Neverwhere" by Neil Gaiman. "It's a dark urban fantasy novel I found in the house," Caelus said, putting the book down and turning to me. "How was your sleep?"

I smiled. "Great," I replied. "You really just had to go on the whole night, huh?"

Caelus chuckled. "I don't exaggerate how much I want you. You loved it too, and begged me not to stop either."

I rolled my eyes. "You're such a liar. I don't recall doing that."

Caelus raised a brow. "I don't mind going for another round to remind you."

I gulped, looking away. "No, thank you. What we did was enough," I said, knowing he was still smiling over his small victory in our playful debate.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, the stars already shining brightly above us. "What should we do tonight? I want to do something fun," I suggested, turning my head to him.

Caelus was reaching for his book again.

"It's not good to read in the dark," I told him, but he proceeded anyway, opening it to the page he left off.

"My vision is perfect," he muttered, squinting slightly.

I scoffed a laugh and took the book from his hands, folding the top edge of the page as a makeshift bookmark and setting it down on the small table.

"You folded the edge..." he trailed off, eyes wide, a hand over his mouth.

"Yeah, and?"

"It's an unwritten rule to not do that," he said, still stunned.

I shrugged. "I didn't know there was a rule about it."

He immediately grabbed the book back, smoothing out the edge. After a minute, he sighed in defeat, realizing the fold was still visible.

"You are a menace to books," he said, running a hand over his forehead like it was a huge deal.

"Don't be overdramatic. That wasn't even your book."

"But it's still a book," he retorted.

As we stared at each other, I smirked, knowing I had the upper hand this time.

"Does the unwritten rule include bending a spine of a book?" I teased, my eyes darting towards it.

"Zanya," he warned.

I stuck my tongue out and shrieked in laughter, sprinting away with the book in my hand, after snatching it from him. Caelus immediately chased after me, our laughter filling the beach, mingling with the sound of the waves.

As he caught up to me, his arms wrapped around my waist, lifting me off the ground effortlessly. We stumbled towards the water, our laughter echoing in the night air.

Caelus carried me into the shallows, the cool water splashing around our ankles. I wrapped my arms around his neck, still giggling as he spun us around.

Eventually, we fell back onto the soft sand, breathless and grinning. The stars above seemed to twinkle brighter as we lay there, tangled in each other's arms. Caelus leaned in, his lips brushing softly against mine in a tender kiss.

"I love moments like this," he whispered, his forehead resting against mine.

"Me too," I replied, my heart swelling with warmth as I pulled him closer, bringing him in for another kiss. I pulled away, "You're not hiding anything from me, right?"

He kept information from me. I distinctly remembered discussing children, yet he denied it ever happened. He was a man full of secrets, but was it bad that I wanted to give him one last chance?

"No, I'm not," he said, his eyes appearing genuine, sealing it with another kiss.