Flower of the Flame

Chapter 5

I've been staring at the ceiling for what feels like hours. I have so many thoughts running through my head. That's the thing, I don't know what to think.

Why did he tell me that..

What did he mean..

How do I feel about it..

My thoughts are interrupted by the shaking of the cage on the bedside table. I pull myself off the bed and see Thumper desperately trying to get out, nibbling on the lock.

"Oh you poor baby. Here you go." I unlock the cage and grab him. So fluffy!

Thumper repeatedly wiggles his nose as I place him in my lap on the bed. His fur reminds me of the aura of midnight. Almost as precious as a newborn baby. I feel his heart beat at a steady pace, indicating his comfort in my arms. I feel a tug on Simon's shirt, his teeth are chewing away at the seam of the shirt. Naughty...

I tug the shirt away from him and he hurriedly climbs up onto my bare skin. He's very warm, I guess that's what he wanted. Warmth. His head rests on my chest and his ears lay back on his body. Awww!

Thumper is so cute and docile. I wish I had pets. The only thing I've ever had was a fish but he died rather quickly. It was one of the saddest funerals my 9 year old heart could handle.

I notice Thumper's eyes are closed. Good idea, sleep sounds great right about now. His body twitches slightly as I lay back on the bed. "Good night little buddy." I whisper as I close my eyes.

*Simon's POV*

Next time, make sure you have less people invited to the party. The more people, the bigger the mess. Red cups are found either strewn across the floor or in the most inconvenient places. How does one party make this big of a mess? Oh yeah, I'm definitely having smaller parties from now on.

Some of our on duty staff start to clean up alongside me. Classical music plays in the background on the stereo set in the corner of the living room. The melodies calm me when I'm stressed. Especially after what I said to Emil.

Why would you say that to her?! You know how shy she is! I couldn't help myself. She was looking beautiful already in her swimsuit, then she put on my shirt and I couldn't resist the urge to- No. Stop thinking of her that way!

I try to distract myself by making conversation with whoever is nearby. "So Harley, did you have a wonderful night? People weren't bossing you around, were they?" I scrub the kitchen counter.

"Well to put it gently sir, a pack of dogs couldn't have done a better job." His proper voice spoke with dissatisfaction.

"Oh no. You should have told me! I would have handled things." I look at the shine of the clean counter and smile.

Harley starts to replace the half empty bottles with brand new ones, placing the old ones on the side of the sink. He gestures towards them before he speaks.

"No need sir, it's my job of course. Would you like a glass?" He starts to take numerous glasses out.

I place the rag I was using in the sink, dishes almost filling up the area. I shake my head and plan to leave the dishes for tomorrow. Why worry about it now?

"Tell Dianna the dishes are mine. Oh, and make sure Marley doesn't drink too much. You know how he gets." I wink.

He nods. "May I ask about the lady that is in your quarters, sir?" I could hear the caution in his voice as he filled the glasses.

I turned to face him "Um...she's someone from school."

He refused to look at me "Someone special? A courting, perhaps?"

"No. A friend almost...I mean we've known each other since middle school. She moved here from Virginia. I didn't talk to her much back then but, I could tell she was..." I stop.

I could hear the warmness in my voice as I spoke of her. I stare at the glasses Harley puts on a tray. I try to distract myself from my wandering thoughts. How do I feel about her?

"She was?" He inquires.

I pull my eyes away from the drink tray "She was um...special." I smiled.

Turning to the fridge, I start to take out a Sunkist. I search for a Cola as well. I think she likes those. As I turn to go upstairs, I hear Harley chuckle. I turn to him with a raised eyebrow.

"Special? Indeed, sir. Give the lady my best wishes." His older eyes shine with humor.

I nod and start up the stairs but not before seeing him disappear behind closed doors. I continuously switch the drinks between my hands, the chilling water drips down the cans. I enter my room.

Emil is asleep on the bed and curled onto her right side with my shirt covering her body. The shorts I gave her droop slightly off of her torso. Her arms hold Thumper, who's face is buried in her chest. She's so...pretty.

I set the drinks down on the bedside table that holds Thumper's cage. I take off my shirt, throwing it in my clothes bin afterward. I chuckle as I look at Thumper and the position he's in. Pfft lucky.

I try to grab him without waking her up or touching something prohibited. No matter how tempted I am. I take one hand to unfold hers from around his body, while the other scoops up Thumper in one swift motion. I let out a breath that I didn't realize I was holding.

"You could have gotten me in a great deal of trouble, young man." I shake my hand at him as he's in my arms.

I place him back into the cage, letting him nibble my finger before he snuggles into the material on the cage floor to rest. Now here's the hard part. Finding a way to sleep in my bed, with Emil. A fortunate opportunity, but if I wasn't so aroused by her right now, it'd be easier. I stand for a second. Examining her resting body.

God, I want her. I want her more than anything. No, stop it! You want her as your friend. Okay, maybe a little more than I should. Gosh, has she always been so...precious? I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Okay, you can do this..

I lay on the right side of her, getting as close as I can. I want to wrap my arms around her but that may just make things worst for me. Instead, I remove a strand of hair from her face. Peaceful.

I'm so close to her now, I can almost feel heat radiating off of her. This is the closest I've ever gotten to her. The closest she's allowed me to get. I can't even describe the feeling she gives me. I've known her for quite a bit of time and somehow even now, she's managed to capture my attention.

I lean over towards her face, determined to give her a small kiss on her forehead. A small gesture to say goodnight. However, this does not happen. I start lose my balance as I lean over her and I grab onto her to balance myself. She abruptly wakes up. She gives me a shocked look as she stutters.

"W-What are you d-doing?!" Her voice quivering.

I look dumbfounded. I don't know how to respond. How do you tell someone you were trying to kiss them goodnight but instead it looks like you're trying to feel them up? Oh, that's right. You don't!

"I..er..um..I was-" My hands softly squeeze her chest as I try to emphasize why we are in this position.

Her eyes look down at my hands and she moans quietly. Uh oh. Instantly, I can feel pressure in my shorts. Without thinking, I lower my body onto hers and begin kissing her neck. I need her...

Her hands push on my chest but as I continue, they hold me in place. I grind myself against her. Her legs intertwine with mine, her gasps are audible now. One of my hands is squeezing hers, the other slipping under the oversized shirt to pleasure her. She moans again, this one is more of a squeak.

Stop. I can't. Stop. She feels amazing. Stop! I need this. Not like this. I stop kissing her neck and slowly take my hand off of her breast. I roll to the side on my back, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me..." I take a deep breath. What is she doing to me?