Arcane Sequence: 1987 (WLW)

December 1st, 1987: The Morning After

This novella contains mature language.

Yua woke and buried herself deeper within the warmth at her side. Something familiar wafted into her nostrils and she smiled at the comfort of which it reminded her. Then, the happenings of yesterday flooded her memory and she snapped her eyes open.

Jaime...? She held Yua as she dozed peacefully in her bed. In her bed. When did...? Yua quickly remembered falling apart in Jaime's arms and instinctively held onto her tighter. Jaime grunted and grumbled in her sleep and Yua backed up a bit to find her nose flaring. Without thought, she poked it and Jaime let out a sleepy chuckle.

She ran the backs of her fingers along Jaime's throat and suppressed a laugh when she let out what she could only describe as a pur. Jaime crookedly smiled and dipped her head, placing a kiss along her forehead. She rubbed her lips there for a moment, then stilled and slowly pulled back.

Yua peered up at her and noticed she was awake and staring at her with wide eyes. As new a feeling this was, she hadn't wanted Jaime to stop, but now that she was gazing into her emerald eyes, she feared she saw too much. Jaime had a way of looking at her that was unnerving and settling altogether and she found herself unable to pull her eyes away.

"Uhh... Mornin'?" Jaime somewhat asked with several languid blinks.

"A question or an observation?" She asked as she looked over Jaime's sleepy face.

"Too early to tell. Can't think without--"

"Caffeine." Astute for anything to distract her from last night's memories, Yua reached up with one finger. "Just...give me a moment."

She ran one finger along Jaime's cheek, then let the rest of her fingers fall against her skin. Jaime had such a strong jaw, handsome and beautiful altogether. Yua peeked up and into her eyes, searching their lovely iris for some explanation as to why she felt so comfortable in her arms. Dangerously comfortable, perhaps.

Jaime glanced over her face and ran her hands up and down her back, her face growing softer by the moment. Yua leaned into the caress, surprised at her own happiness the soft touches gave her, and then stiffened when Jaime's hand grazed the back of her thigh and down to the hem of her skirt. Her hem. The hem that Ryan...

Yua shot out of her arms and stood beside the bed completely out of breath. She raked her fingers through her hair and looked anywhere aside from Jaime's concerned face.

"Sorry, I... Fuck, I didn't even think. Shouldn't have done that." Jaime stood and rubbed the back of her head, then pinched the bridge of her nose. "Sorry..."

"Don't be. I should be the one to apologize for my behavior last night and this morning." Yua turned toward the door, trying to think of something other than what may come next. Or rather, what she knew would come next. "I'll get some coffee started and--"

"Forget my morning coffee. What the hell happened last night? You were a mess, Yua."

She shivered when her name left Jaime's lips and turned back around. Why did she always do that? How did she say it so...so...

"Yua?" Jaime moved toward her.

"Stop right there." Yua put her hand up and took a step back from Jaime as she outstretched her hands. Jaime winced and hastily fisted her hands in the crooks of her arms as she crossed them. The hurt look on her face caused an ache in Yua's chest, but she needed to gather her bearings. She needed to get a rein on her emotions and her wits. "Just..." She shook her hands at her sides as she tried to think of something, anything other than last night or the strife covering Jaime's face. "I need to get changed."