𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒' 𝐅𝐀𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐅𝐔𝐋 𝐃𝐎𝐆 | 𝘷𝘢𝘥𝘵𝘥 𝘹 𝘔.𝘺/𝘯 |

(62) A Weird Morning.

"........,"

୨⎯ " Wιnter'ʂ ΡσƲ " ⎯୧

"........,"

I lay awake in the calm of the early morning light, the warmth of the bed and the sound of (Y/N)'s breathing bringing a strange sense of peace.

He was still asleep, facing away from me, his back rising and falling steadily.

The room was quiet, the only movement being my fingers as they played with the ends of his hair, idly braiding the soft strands.

I couldn't help but let my thoughts wander as I twined his hair between my fingers.

It was a habit I had picked up recently, a simple act that seemed to soothe us both.

My mind drifted to the moments we had shared, those intimate times when he'd been so shy, unable to meet my eyes.

He couldn't continue if I was looking no matter how many times we did it, his nervousness so palpable it would almost make me smile.

That's why he'd often use his tie to blindfold me, thinking it was enough to hide from my gaze.

He never seemed to remember that a simple see-through-fabric spell was well within my abilities, but I never had the heart to tell him.

I'd let him think it worked, let him believe he was safe from my watchful eyes.

Other times, he'd shift us into a position where I was facing the other way, ensuring that I couldn't see his face at all.

It was his way of coping, I suppose, but it always left me wondering.

This morning, though, something felt different.

When did he become so... brave? Bold, even.

It wasn't just last night but in the last few days leading up to it as well.

There was a confidence in his movements, a boldness that hadn't been there before.

When did that happen?

When did he start to open up more, let himself be seen?

I paused, considering this shift in him.

I wondered if this was simply the beginning of a new chapter in his life, a moment of change where his personality began to shift.

As I thought about it, a warmth spread through me that had nothing to do with the morning sun.

The memories of yesterday, of the things I'd said, came rushing back with startling clarity.

The words I'd spoken in the heat of the moment...

My face flushed as I recalled them, my mind replaying the scenes in vivid detail.

"Oh my..." I whispered, my voice barely more than a breath.

But despite the embarrassment creeping up my neck, there was also a sense of... calmness.

I glanced down at (Y/N), still fast asleep, unaware of the turmoil brewing inside me.

I continued to braid his hair, the simple motion grounding me as I processed my thoughts.

Perhaps we were both changing, growing in ways neither of us fully understood yet.

And maybe, that was okay.

As I finished braiding the last strand, my eyes wandered down the length of his back.

The morning light highlighted the scratches left on his skin-red, faint lines that traced over his shoulder blades, down his sides, and lower.