“Mhm.”
Flustered, he ran a hand through his hair. “Come on, stop it. It doesn’t smell that good.”
“Yes, it does,” I argued. “You’re oblivious to your own scent. It’s neutral to you. But to me...” I paused to inhale another drag. “It’s really wonderful.”
A deep blush erupted on Viol’s cheeks. He cleared his throat and yanked his gaze away from me, then crossed the room to sit on the edge of his bed.
It was only after I’d finished huffing my fill that I examined the rest of Viol’s room. The space was a bit untidy—clothes were tossed across the top of his dresser, a belt strewn on the floor—but it wasn’t the mess that surprised me.
His room was oddly empty. It lacked any distinguishing features. The walls were painted a dark warm gray, and his curtains were black, but that was the extent of his personalization. The only thing that stood out was a large, deep wooden chest at the foot of his bed.
At first I wondered if he’d cleaned up in case he had someone over, but that didn’t make sense since he would’ve tidied the haphazard clothes. Then did it always look like this? Why was it so bare? Where were all the—
“Yo, Poppy.”
I turned to Viol. “Huh?”
“You said something about a sleepover, right?” he mumbled. He sounded unsure, like he’d never said that word before in his life. “You’ll need a change of clothes if you’re staying overnight.”
My hand flew to my mouth. “Ah, yeah. I’m sorry, I didn’t even think about that. All of my stuff is back at the hotel.” I bit my lip. “Actually, there’s something important I forgot in my suitcase.”
“Is it urgent? I can send someone to fetch it tomorrow morning.”
I rubbed my arm, thinking it over. The item was significant, but it could wait. “No, it’s not urgent. Thank you. But what about clothes?”
“Want me to ask Alaric? I’m sure his clothes would fit you.” Viol made a move to hop off the bed, then stopped. “On second thought, never mind. I don’t want you to smell like fucking baby powder.”
That teased a small laugh out of me. But then I understood his meaning. If Viol didn’t want me to smell like someone or something else, did that mean he enjoyedmyscent, too?
As I rolled that thought around in my mind, Viol strode to his dresser. He pulled out an oversized black t-shirt and a pair of dark plaid boxer briefs.
“Is this good?” he asked gruffly. “I know it’s not your style, but...”
My heart rate accelerated. Viol wanted me to wear his clothes?
“No, it’s great,” I insisted, reaching for them. “I’ll take whatever you give me.”
Viol swallowed, then grunted and quickly handed me the clothes. “Bathroom’s... well, you know where it is. Or you can change here. I don’t care either way.”
He said that, but he immediately turned around to offer me privacy. I smiled at his generosity. Everything he did was to make my life easier.
If only he could take that step in other areas...
I quietly shuffled out of my day clothes and slipped into Viol’s borrowed items. The fabric was soft and dry against my skin, and the fabric smelled overwhelmingly of him. I closed my eyes and sucked it into my lungs. The intimacy pulled me into a memory—a solitary safe place when I had none.
I gazed down at the novel image of myself draped in Viol’s clothes. They were so comfortable, like an extension of the embrace we’d shared on the beach. I wanted to burrow into them. Den in them.
“You good?” Viol asked roughly.
“Oh, yes, sorry.”
When he turned around, his eyes were still shut. He slowly peeked one open.
I chuckled. “You’ve already seen me naked before, remember?”
His brows furrowed. “That was different.”
I thought fondly back to the time he helped me wash in the river. At the time, we’d only just met, but even then I felt like I’d known Viol forever. The ease of being by his side was irreplaceable; a feeling I’d never shared with another person except him.
