Celestial Bodies: Of Runts and Lycans

Chapter 40: Trust

Xavier's POV

My hands move in a series of delicate movements within the frame of space in front of me. Celeste watches, her hands raised and ready as my statement comes to an end. "Now you," I instruct. She tries, her hands moving in directions similar to mine but not quite matching. She also skips a few movements, making her sentence much different to the one I had repeated back to her. A laugh escapes my lips as I take her hands in mine, stopping her before she went any further in her sentence. "Stop, stop."

"What? What did I say?" She pouts, leaning into me briefly before pulling back. I press my lips to her bottom lip, pressing again to her nose and forehead before pulling back.

"A lot of nothing, don't worry. Try again. Watch me." I took my movements slower this time, stopping halfway through. She copies the slowed down movements, getting them mostly correct. I sign the second half of the statement. She repeats it. I smile widely.

"What does it mean?"

"It means," I start slowly. I scoot myself closer to her, beginning to repeat the motions in the same slow manner. "I am so incredibly happy to be here, with you." She blushes, scooting a few inches away from me on the blanket. "Hey," I scrunch my nose at her action. "Where do you think you're going?" I pull her back to me by her arm. She trips over herself and falls fully into my hold. I quickly wrap my arms around her, not letting her try to move away again. "You're mine," I mumble into her shoulder, pressing a momentary kiss to her neck.

She pushes me back, tucking her hair behind her ear, settling back into a seated spot on the blanket. It was probably one of the last okay-weather days of the year. We both had on long sleeves. She wore a beautiful red sweater with a skirt and leggings in complementary colors. That green necklace she had bought in the human town hung around her neck. My eyes kept darting to it. She stared out over the cliff into the expanse of trees beyond the pond. You could still hear the waterfall this time of year but soon the snow on the mountains would freeze its water path. The pond will freeze over slightly, no source to keep the water stirring, but not frozen enough to skate on. Though I remember asking my mother about skating here as a kid every year, as if one year the ice levels would thicken enough. She would eventually laugh me off before taking me to the seasonal rink in the human town nearby.

Celeste shivered as a gust of wind blew through the air. I took the scarf she had discarded upon arrival and wrapped it back around her neck, taking the green gem of her necklace and making sure it was visible beneath the warm black fabric. "Hot chocolate?" I picked up the thermos and she nodded eagerly, taking it from my hold. She had drank most of it by this point and I was happy to let her have the rest.

In the distance, I could see wolves running in the forest every here and there. It must be later than I thought it was if that's where the patrol is at. I looked up to the sky, my eyebrows furrowing as I notice the position of the sun in the sky.

"You okay?" My eyes found hers again and all was lost. All was good.

"Yeah." I leaned back, my hands supporting me in my position. "Everything is perfect."

And it is. Celeste has practically moved into my room at this point. She only goes to her room to switch out occasional closet picks, though I've given her half of mine, and to take the occasional mid day nap. I start and end every day with her in my arms. I do wake earlier than her, having returned to my routine of training with Jacob and/or Jared before the day fully starts. Then I go back to her. Sometimes I make her breakfast, bring it to her in bed. Other times, I find her in the kitchen already. She'll give me a bright smile, telling me what she's making. Sometimes she'll hand me a bowl of berries and tell me to wash and cut them. I'm happy to oblige. I'm happy with her.