the fire between us

chapter 7

The morning light seeped through the hotel curtains, gently waking me from a deep and restful sleep. I shifted slightly in Martinus's embrace, the warmth and comfort of the previous night still lingering. His arm was draped around me, his steady breathing a soothing rhythm that made it hard to leave the cocoon of the bed. As I stirred, I felt Martinus's grip loosen, and he slowly began to wake. 

His eyes fluttered open, and a soft smile spread across his face when he saw me looking up at him. "Good morning," he murmured, his voice husky with sleep. "Good morning," I replied, my voice still tinged with sleepiness. I gave him a gentle squeeze, feeling a mix of contentment and reluctance at the thought of leaving the comfort of his arms. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, his hand moving to brush a strand of hair from my face."Better than I have in a long time," I admitted, smiling up at him. "Thanks for letting me stay."Martinus's smile widened. "Anytime," he said softly. "But we should get up. We have a flight to catch." I nodded, reluctantly sliding out of bed and stretching.

 I grabbed the oversized shirt Martinus had given me and headed to the bathroom to change. After a quick freshen-up, I emerged from the bathroom, feeling more awake and ready to tackle the day. When I reached the lobby, I saw Nora and Marcus already waiting. Nora's eyes widened slightly when she saw me. "Is that Martinus's shirt you're wearing?" she asked, a teasing smile on her lips.I looked down, realizing I was still in the shirt Martinus had given me. "Oh, um, yeah," I said, feeling a bit sheepish. 

"I must have fallen asleep in it." Nora laughed and handed me my keycard with a grin. "I found this in your jacket last night. Thought you might need it."I took the keycard with a relieved sigh. "Oh, thank goodness. I was worried I'd lost it for good.""No worries," Nora said, still smiling. "We'll talk about the shirt later, okay?""Sure thing," I replied, though I couldn't help but notice the glint of curiosity in her eyes. Marcus was already loading our bags into the van, and soon we were all on our way to the airport. 

The drive was filled with light-hearted chatter about the concert, our night-time adventure, and the day ahead. As we arrived at the airport and made our way through the check-in process, I glanced over at Martinus, who was standing beside me. His presence was comforting, and I found myself grateful for the unexpected turn of events that had brought us closer. Once we were through security and waiting at the gate, Nora finally brought up the topic of the shirt with a playful nudge. "So, care to explain the shirt situation?" "well, since I thought I lost my keycard martinus said I could stay in his room, so yk I had a place to sleep, and since I didn't have anything to sleep in I he borrowed me this, and since I didn't have anything to change into I kept it on" 

Nora's eyes sparkled with amusement as she listened to my explanation. Marcus, who had been quietly observing, smirked but said nothing, clearly enjoying the story. Nora leaned in a bit closer, clearly intrigued. "So, nothing else happened? Just a shirt and a good night's sleep?" 

"Nora lets go get some food" "yes" Nora and I leave the others with the bags and go out to find food "so was that all?" she smiles, "no" "we may or may not have kissed" Nora and I made our way through the bustling airport, our eyes scanning for food options. 

We chatted about the events of the previous night, her teasing curiosity still bubbling beneath the surface. So, was that all that happened with Martinus? Just the kiss and a good night's sleep?" Nora asked again, her eyes sparkling with mischief. I sighed, smiling at her persistence. "Well, we talked a lot. It was nice just to be with him and feel close. But yeah, it was mainly just the kiss and a really comfortable night." Nora grinned, clearly satisfied with the answer.

 "Sounds like a pretty great way to end the night. I'm happy for you." We reached a food court with various options—pizza, sushi, sandwiches, and more. I picked up a couple of sandwiches and snacks while Nora grabbed some drinks. As we walked back to the gate, we continued our conversation. "Do you think you and Martinus will talk more about what happened?" Nora asked, her curiosity evident. I shrugged, feeling a bit contemplative.