PENUMBRA (how the flowers grow)

35. Thighs

Note: This chapter gets spicy (although I would not consider it rated E- definitely M), so read to your own comfort level. Happy reading, my friends.

Sabina wakes up in a cold sweat, heart pounding. Her face is slick with tears and she heaves a shaky breath as her hand gropes for Tuluvey in the dark. He's right there next to her, just as she hoped he would be. She shifts closer so she can rest her head on his chest and listen to his heartbeat.

He's okay.

She doesn't remember how it happened or if she ever knew in the first place, but in the dream, he was hurt. He was bleeding and his blood was on her hands and she can't remember if she was the one that did it or if they were fighting something and she failed to protect him.

He's okay.

Tuluvey's hand curls lazily into her hair. "Oh, come here, my darling. Everything's all right." His voice is scratchy with sleep, but he grips her tightly against him and she starts to calm.

"I'm sorry for waking you," she whispers. She knows Tuluvey smiles and so she smiles, too. "Sorry."

"Are you apologizing for apologizing to me?" Tuluvey teases. "Silly, all is well now. Close your eyes."

Sabina feels something wet and rough scrape her cheek and she thinks she's going crazy until it happens again. "What?"

Ag'druch's vibrant eyes stare back at her. The cat meows and rumbles a purr, kneading her paws into Sabina's back.

"How in the world did you get in here?"

"Is that Aggie?" Tuluvey sounds utterly baffled, but more awake now. "She wasn't here when we went to bed."

"The door is locked," Sabina says.

"What- how would- oh. Oh, I bet you Xaniphe got Jitho to pick the lock so they could prank us."

Plausible, too plausible. It could have been anyone, really.

"In the morning, I'm going to pretend I didn't notice."

Tuluvey chuckles. "If we do that, they're only going to kick it up a notch."

"Wouldn't they do that anyway?"

"...probably."

Sabina laughs and it definitely sounds like she's been crying. She buries her face into Tuluvey's chest and Ag'druch drapes herself on Sabina's side and licks the tears off her face.

"Sleep now, lovely. I'm here."

When she wakes up for the second time, this time to daylight, Ag'druch is nowhere to be found. She curls up against Tuluvey and traces words into his skin until he awakens with a soft yawn. He peppers kisses to her cheeks and neck, soft and lazy kisses that his half-asleep self only has some control over.

"Good morning," she says.

She sits up and bends to place a kiss on his cheek, an impulsive decision, which makes his eyes widen.

"Could I have another?"

Sabina looks away when her face heats up, but she obligingly presses a second kiss to his cheekbone. Her hair falls into his face and he grabs a fistful of it, smiling.

"Your hair is getting so long."

"Should I cut it?" Sabina asks.

"Only if you want to. I think it's wonderful."