Invictus

Eleven

[nos compos mentis]

The crickets of night faded into the birds of morning as Tessa rolled over beneath the covers of Kaden's bed, humming a protest to having to awaken. She cuddled back up to Kaden's side, and her boyfriend pulled her to him on instinct. She could have stayed there forever; enveloped in Kaden's strong arms, feeling the warmth and serenity that seemed to permeate the room, knowing that nothing could harm her if she remained in this bliss.

The brush of Kaden's lips against her own was enough to draw Tessa out of her slumber, her sea-green eyes fluttering open to see Kaden's smiling down at her.

"Good morning, my love," The son of Venus grinned, pressing another sweet kiss to her lips.

Tessa smiled into the kiss, blinking the sleep out of her eyes. "Good morning," She met Kaden's gaze, and as if it had been quelled by her dreams, the memories of last night flooded back to her. Her cheeks burned, and she looked away.

"So that happened, didn't it?" She chuckled sheepishly, biting her lip.

Kaden let out a soft laugh, running a hand through his disheveled chestnut hair. "It did."

They both met one another's blushing gazes, and after a moment of silence, succumbed to laughter and smiles. Kaden leant forward through his laughter and brushed his lips across her forehead tenderly, and Tessa felt the universe fall into place in that morning combined.

"Do we have to get up?" She sighed, falling back to the rumpled pillows and sheets of Kaden's bed.

Kaden joined her, and the two rolled over to face one another. "We've got important stuff to do today, Tess."

"You're important to me," Tessa smirked. "So do you count?"

Kaden's cheeks turned red, and Tessa felt a smug sense of pride. How did he like having the tables turned on him when it came to flirting?

"You're such a dork," Her boyfriend laughed under his breath.

"But you love me anyway." Tessa sang, reaching forward to flick his bare chest.

"Can't argue with that," Kaden grinned, taking her hand and kissing the back of it.

Tessa smiled and rolled out of bed. She pulled on a t-shirt of Kaden's and stretched, sighing in content. "Remind me what we have to do today?"

"Oh, you know," Kaden said, getting out of bed, his hands in the pockets of his low-hanging sweatpants. "Figure out a way to save the world from another one that's led by our evil doppelgangers."

Tessa padded into Kaden's bathroom, dragging a brush through her tousled chocolate locks. She huffed a breath, frowning in the mirror. "Wonderful."

Kaden followed her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. He rested his head on her shoulder, pressing his lips to the soft skin beneath. A shiver ran down Tessa's spine, but she forced herself to turn around, poking him away.

"Enough with those, I already have enough," She taunted, pulling the collar of her shirt aside as evidence.

Kaden only smirked, and Tessa had the sudden urge to wipe that smug look off his perfect little face. But as he said, they had work to do.

And yet, as his lips found hers with nothing but happiness and serenity backing it, her defenses came tumbling down. They stayed that way for a while, their arms wrapped around one another while they whispered sweet nothings and kissed one another to their heart's content, and in that moment, Tessa knew that there was nothing that she couldn't do if Kaden was at her side. He was her strength, she was his sunshine, and together, united, they made for a force of nature unequivocal to anything. They were stronger than love itself, all it made up coursing through their veins.