diamond //sweet pea//

//six//

Saturday morning arrived with heavy drops of rain and brutal winds. It was the winds specifically that woke Dallas up from arguably the most restful sleep she had gotten in years. Despite this, she had still woken up too early, something she decided was now wired into her. A survival tactic.

When she first opened her eyes she realized she was no longer on the couch. That had been the last place she remembered being. Instead, her bare legs were wrapped up in a sheet, a t-shirt that didn't belong to her engulfed her frame. The room was silent except for the faint sound of breathing, breathing that didn't come from her. She tossed over to her side and found Sweets next to her, wrapped in the same sheet. His naked chest rose and fell with a calming pattern. A shadow of a smile laced her lips, peace settling into her veins. All previous thoughts of pain and fear were erased as she watched him.

Dallas could hear the rain pounding against the roof, the chill from outside blocked by Sweet Pea's own body heat that radiated through the bed. She buried herself deeper into the mattress, still unable to tear her eyes away from him. Her fingers, with chipped purple polish, reached out and carefully settled on his tattoo. They trailed up his neck and onto his jawline, lingering for just a moment too long. His dark eyes opened and a smile crossed his mouth when he saw Dallas's hair in a messy mop.

"Good morning," she whispered, the early morning betraying her voice. A strong hand gripped the back of her thigh and hitched her leg over his waist, pulling her in. The heat between them made her cheeks flush a soft pink. The gap between them closed, Dallas's hand lazily tangled in his raven hair. They ended the kiss but Sweets' arms encircled her body and held her against him, sleep still lingering heavy over the pair.

While the two laid oblivious to the world around them, Dallas's phone sat with dozens of messages and calls. Malachai was growing impatient with worry, a troublesome combination. However, Dallas's inbox was not the only one becoming increasingly full.

"Sweets?" Dallas asked, her head resting on his chest.

"Hmm?" he mumbled into her hair.

"What does this all mean?"

The question was bound to be asked. She had slept over in his bed after all. She had kissed him, he had kissed her back. She had confessed her fears, and he was going to keep her safe from them. It was all too good to be true, it was too good for the life Dallas had been given. The silence that followed her question wasn't comforting, it made her anxious and stupid.

She slowly pulled away from the warmth of his chest and sat up, a dazed look on her flushed face. She sighed, embarrassment hitting her hard in the chest.

"I shouldn't have come," she muttered, words from last night finding their way back into her mouth.

"Dal, wait," Sweet Pea said, getting up himself.

He followed the distraught girl out of bed and to the spot where she was picking up her discarded clothes. She ignored him, tearing off the t-shirt of his.

"Dallas," he said again, placing a hand on her shoulder. She yanked away, sad eyes burning holes through him.

"What!" she yelled starting to stumble into her leggings. He wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her off guard. Dallas gasped at the suddenness of the movement. She searched his face for any emotion, any indication of what was going on.

"I like you," he finally settled on. Her anger started to melt away as she found a softness in his eyes. "I like you a lot, I thought I made that clear last night," he admitted brushing hair out of her eyes and tucking it behind her ear. A hand trailed down her spine causing her body to shake with anticipation.