Blue Blood ~ Young Royals

Saturday

When I wake up the next morning, my mind instantly fills with memories of last night. I feel Simon's naked body in my arms, his chest against mine, his face buried in my neck, our legs tangled together along with the blanket. My heart could burst with how full of joy I am in this moment, how much being with Simon feels like home and safety. I pull his still sleeping figure a little closer to me, wanting to hold him against me forever. 

I almost fall asleep again, lost in the peaceful moment, when Simon makes a small sound and jabs my arm by accident. He's starting to wake up and I have to blink a few times to let go of the sleepy feeling that almost took over again. He moves a little and stretches one arm, his eyes still closed. I smile a little, he's so adorable. 

He opens his eyes and immediately smiles, his outstretched arm falling and resting on my bare shoulder. "Hey." He whispers.

I could melt. I've got my boyfriend naked in my arms, whispering and smiling sleepily at me. Could this morning get any more perfect? "Good morning... Did you sleep well?"

He chuckles softly. "Yeah. I wish I could sleep like this every night."

"Me too." I pull him a little closer again and he smiles, resting his forehead against mine. 

"I don't wanna get up." He says, groaning. "Can we stay in bed all day?"

I chuckle softly. The idea doesn't sound too bad, but I think it would raise some suspicion from other people. "Maybe not all day."

He smiles a little. "Hmm... But let's just stay here a little longer."

"Yeah... It's nice like this."

He's so cute, smiling like that. We hold each other, smiling and whispering, until someone knocks on my door to tell me breakfast is served in 5 minutes. Both of us reluctantly get out of bed and quickly put our clothes on. No one at school actually knows Simon's here and neither of us has thought of that yet. 

"Simon?"

"Hmm?"

"Um... Well, everyone thinks you're at home. And it would be kind of weird if you started walking around school on a Saturday morning during breakfast time."

He frowns slightly, looking conflicted. "Right... I hadn't thought of that." He pulls the curtain away and peeks through the window out to the overcast sky. "I suppose I could... Stay here for a while? And then I'll sneak out when no one's looking."

I contemplate it for a moment, then an idea forms in my mind. I smile a little. "Yeah, alright... You can stay here and I'll come back after breakfast. And we could... Sneak out and hang out at the lake for a bit before you go?"

He smiles. "That sounds pretty good."

"You got enough, uh... Protein shake bullshit thing in your bottle?"

He chuckles slightly and looks down at his feet. "Um, yeah... I think I still have some. Because of my... Allergies and stuff... Like I told you..."

He's acting weird again and that old suspicion stirs inside me. I don't think he told me the full truth when I confronted him. I show no sign of it on my face, but this is definitely not the end of me suspecting his weird behavior. "Hmm... Well, see you after breakfast, then."

My hand is on the door handle but before I leave, Simon gives me a quick goodbye kiss. "See you later."

Breakfast sucks. August starts eyeing me suspiciously from the moment I walk into the room and makes me sit beside him. "So, why weren't you at dinner last night?"

I was losing my virginity to my boyfriend. "I was, um... Sick. Didn't feel good." I fake a cough in the direction of his food and he curls his lip in disgust. I try not to smirk at his displeasure. "Still don't feel great."

"Yeah, okay." He says awkwardly. It gets increasingly difficult to hide my amusement when August stiffens and pokes his food without eating it, clearly disgusted and afraid of getting sick. He's overreacting but it's hilarious.

He's so uncomfortable that he doesn't talk to me for the rest of breakfast and I quickly get back to my dorm, where Simon sits waiting for me on my bed. He's fidgeting with the hem of his hoodie and looks up when he sees me. "Hey."

My restraint finally snaps and I burst into laughter, thinking of August's reaction. He frowns and I close the door behind me and sit with him. "So listen, listen... August asked me why I wasn't at dinner yesterday, so I told him I wasn't feeling right. And then I fake coughed in his food and you should've seen his face. He was so disgusted, he barely ate!"

Simon snorts. "Wow... He deserved that. Speaking of not eating, my bottle is empty."

I stop laughing. "Oh. But you said earlier you had enough. Are you hungry? Is there anything you could eat? I can get you somethi-"

"No, Wille, it's okay. I'll be fine. Now, what about sneaking out and going to the lake, hmm?"

"Yeah... Let's go. But if you need anything, just tell me, okay?"

He smiles and takes my hand, pulling me to the window and opening it. "Of course. Let's just go to the lake now."

I nod but he lets go of my hand, walking back to grab his bag, coat and beanie. He's covered up like always when we climb out the window, the sky still a steely gray. When we reach the lake, I lean against one of the trees. Simon stands near me, shuffling his feet awkwardly.

"I'm cold." I say randomly.

He steps a little closer. "I could help with that. Come here." He holds his arms open, inviting me into a hug. I smile and he pulls me close to him, wrapping his arms around me. I can't resist leaning into him and I rest my head on his shoulder, but he pulls me off and brings my face to his to kiss me.

I feel a lot warmer after the kiss. He's smirking a little when he steps away, as if he knows what he's doing to me. "Feel warmer yet?"

I grin. "Hmm, no. Still cold. I need more hugs."

"Oh, you're such an idiot." He chuckles and pulls me into him again, his lips impossibly close to mine. He smiles at me. "Do you think... The fish in the lake are watching us with popcorn?"

I laugh, imagining a couple fish with 3D glasses watching us like a movie while chewing small grains of sand instead of popcorn. "Totally."

He gives me a small kiss, almost like he's teasing me. For some reason, it makes both of us giggle, and he steps away from the hug. I reach out for something to grab and my palm drags harshly against a tree trunk. I wince, the rough material hurts more than I expected.

I pull my hand away and Simon notices before I do. His eyes are fixated on my hand, his pupils dilated, almost as if he's hungry. He clenches and unclenches his fists. My hand got scratched a lot worse than I'd expect from tree bark, and it's bleeding a tiny bit.

I think back to the last time I was bleeding, when I bit my lip. He's acting the exact same as that time. Either he has a phobia of wounds or... No, he's not a vampire. Even if he acts like one. He's not.

"I..." Simon looks like he's fighting back the urge to do something. To do what? "I, uh... I have to go... Home." He shakes his head as if to clear it, forcing his gaze away from my hand. "See you Monday." And he scurries away to the bus stop.

The brief time I wasn't confused and slightly worried about Simon's odd behavior is coming to an end. I think I'm getting suspicious again.