So This Is Love? {NYSM: J. Daniel Atlas}

Chapter 20

As the movie began rolling its last credits, Jack got up out of the recliner and stretched.

He glanced over at Daniel who was absentmindedly staring at the screen and yawned.

At the noise, Daniel jerked back to his senses and peered up at him.

"I'm off to bed," Jack whispered.

"Get Henley up or she'll wake up sore and cranky again," Daniel hissed.

Jack made a face.

"Why don't you wake her?" He said darkly, "She knows you better!"

"And she also won't hesitate to murder me in my sleep if I wake her while she'll most likely take pity on a young mortal such as yourself," Daniel replied smugly as he stood up and crouched in front of the tv to take the disk out.

Jack made a small noise of indignation but slowly stuck out his foot and nudged Henley.

She shifted and moaned before smacking her lips and drifting off again.

"Daniel," Jack whined.

"Just do it!" Daniel snapped.

Jack groaned and poked Henley in the ribs.

She shot awake with a small shriek.

"Who in Helheim touched me?" She snarled.

Her eyes flashed in the dark room and landed on Daniel.

"You!"

"Him," Daniel said matter a factly as he pointed at Jack.

Henley fixed her furious gaze upon the younger man who glared at Daniel.

"Thanks for that, man," he snarled.

"You're very welcome," Daniel smiled back without a trace of sincerity.

"Yeah, real help you are," Jack growled before he leapt over the couch and raced towards his room with Henley in pursuit.

Daniel chuckled darkly to himself before letting his gaze rest over the scene before him.

Popcorn kernels lay scattered around the floor and cushions from where Jack and Amber had tried to have a fight before being stopped by an irate Merritt.

The man aforementioned was actually asleep (or so it seemed) on the couch with his feet stretched all the way to the end. His dark fedora lay across his eyes and his chest gently rose and fell with every breath.

Waking him would be as smart as kicking a sleeping dragon.

Therefore Daniel steered clear from him and picked up the bits of popcorn and carefully put them in his empty bowl. His nose wrinkled as he picked up the tiny bits. A shiver ran up his spine as he unknowingly picked up a wet kernel. Shuddering, he dropped it in the bowl and stood. He turned on his heel about to head towards the kitchen, the popcorn bowl full of kernels in his hands.

On the couch in front of him was the sleeping form of Amber Journey. Her brown hair had fanned out behind her head and was streaming down the side of the couch where she had laid her head. She lay on her left side, her right arm resting on her hip whilst her other acted as a pillow beneath her head.

Daniel realized he had been staring and coughed awkwardly. Shame rose within him but he quickly squelched the feeling with irritation.

He would have to wake her. She had to go back to her room and be locked within it. They couldn't have her run off in the middle of the night.

Slowly, he stretched out a hand then retracted it.

She had moved. Hadn't she? Was she feigning sleep?

Amber shifted slightly and hummed to herself as she slumbered on.

Unbeknownst to her, Daniel stood above her, his heart hammering. Internally, he fought with himself over whether or not to wake her. He stretched out a pale hand again and clutched the bowl of popcorn tighter against himself with his other hand.

His finger met the soft cotton of her shirt and pressed. He felt her arm through the shirt and his breathing stopped as he heard her make a noise.

But Amber merely muttered to herself in her sleep and twitched.

Daniel sighed, furious at himself. He put his full hand on her shoulder and jostled it.

"Amb-"

He never got a chance to finish because just then several things happened.

Amber's eyes shot open and her left hand flew up and caught onto Daniel's. Her other hand used the couch for leverage and pushed her upwards.

The popcorn bowl went flying as Daniel fell onto the couch with Amber on top of him.

He tried to speak but realized he couldn't when he noticed pressure on his windpipe.

Pressure which came from Amber's forearm that was lying horizontally across his throat.

Amber stares bleary eyed down at him in utter confusion.

"Atlas?"

"Get off!" Daniel croaked back trying to push her away.

His hands found her waist and attempted to force her away but she stayed put still trying to clear her sleep clouded thoughts.

Merritt jerked awake and sat up. His had fell across his brown and he pulled it upwards to peek out at them and laughed.

"Whoa whoa whoa, kids! Get a room," he laughed as he sat up, "And let me leave the room."

Amber practically flew off Daniel, scarlet faced and boiling over with excuses.

"W-we weren't-I-I've never! I would never! Do you even know him?"

Daniel's retorts joined hers.

"She was choking me! Are you blind along with deaf McKinney? I don't even like her so why would i-"

Merritt held up his hands still laughing.

"I don't want to hear your excuses,"
He chuckled, "In fact, I'll just go to bed so you can finish whatever you were doing."

Both people gaped at him as he walked chortling from the room. As soon as his door shut, they turned towards each other fingers jabbing.

"What were you doing?"

"Why were you on top of me?"

"YOU ATTACKED ME!"

Daniel snorted.

"Attacked? I woke you up!"

"YOU HIT ME!"

"YOU TACKLED ME!"

Amber turned a deeper shade of red. Her face burned with embarrassment and she could feel her palms beginning to sweat.

"I was asleep, Atlas, I wasn't prepared for-"

"A tap on the arm?"

"A unprovoked attack," she snapped back.

"Unprovoked!" Daniel laughed mirthlessly, "You have done so much to set me off, Journey!"

"You deserve it! If you forgot you were the one who kidnapped me!"

"Since you've been here you have done nothing but bother and aggravate me! You've destroyed my room, vandalized the flat, and done everything you can to irritate me!"

"I have not!" Amber replied hotly, "I merely rearranged your room and the flat! However I won't deny trying to annoy you."

Daniel huffed and looked away.

"Look, I don't want to argue anymore," Amber sighed running a hand through her hair, "I'm going to bed."

Daniel didn't reply, and settled to watch her retreating back through narrowed eyes.

Her bedroom door slammed shut with and with a heavy sigh, he went to his room.