“I thought you had work tonight?” I smirk and pointedly raise my eyebrow at her penguin print pyjama pants. She has her hair up in a messy bun, a baggy sweatshirt covering her torso and fuzzy socks on her feet.
She fakes a half-assed cough, “I’m sick.”
“No, you’re Pinocchio,” I laugh and rise from my position on the couch. Although her outfit is insanely adorable, it also looks really comfy and reminds me that I should change.
Her hand on my arm stops me as I move past her. “I was just going to put a movie on, you can join if you like?”
Mmm. “Depends which movie?” I’m full of shit, the movie could literally-fucking-be Pinocchio and I wouldn’t give a damn. There is nothing that she can put on that I wouldn’t want to watch with her.
“Ghostbusters?”
“Okay, just let me change first.” She continues about, setting her pillows and blankets up on the floor. I quickly rush down the hall trying to escape the mental image of fucking her on her living room floor.
The raging hard on makes it uncomfortable to change clothes but I manage it. I throw on my track pants and a clean shirt to be modest. Even on the cold nights, my pyjamas consist of boxer shorts and that’s it. But for Natasha’s sake, I cover up especially since she’s insisting things go back to normal. She doesn’t realize yet that we’re so far past normal that I can’t even see it from where we are now.
I’m strolling into the lounge room to re-join Natasha when a sound startles me. Immediately I dive for Natasha, and we fall to the floor. A loose strand of hair falls over her forehead and tangles against her eyelashes. My heart beats wildly in my chest as I hold her tightly.
Slowly lifting my hand, I slip the strand free and tuck it behind her ear. The movement, ever so innocent, feels like the most intimate thing I’ve ever done with a woman.
“I think it was just from outside…” Tash whispers.
Our eyes are locked and I’ve almost forgotten about the resounding bang. “Oh, yeah. We should probably check it out.”
I slowly lift off of her. In any normal situation, I would probably feel some hint of embarrassment but all that’s burning inside of me is the desire to be inside of her.
We shake ourselves off before moving towards the window overlooking the street. My eyes sweep up and down but nothing looks out of place. Maybe a few more people out on the street than normal.
“Oh, shit,” she gasps.
“What? What is it?” I scan wildly for what the hell she could be looking at.
“The Ollivander Building.” With her words, my eyes swing down to the very end of the street. The Ollivander is an old apartment building a few blocks down.
“Fuck,” I can’t help my surprise at the building alight with flames. The windows on the fifth floor are shattered and I highly suspect that was what the noise was.
I squint to see a fire engine on the other side of the building, and it looks like the police have just pulled up. We watch in horror as they evacuate the buildings surrounding the fire. More cops arrive to calm down the panic from the crowds.
A knock of the apartment door has Natasha jumping out of her skin.
“I’ll get it,” I whisper, still not being able to tear my eyes from the blaze.
I wrench the door open to find the apartment manager. I haven’t met him before but Natasha has pointed him out a time or two. “Hey.”
“I’m going around warning all the tenants that the police have asked for everyone to stay indoors. The fire won’t, in any way, affect us, and they’re trying to keep the streets clear for emergency services only. As soon as they clear out, you’ll be able to resume your normal activities.” He nods curtly before moving on to knock on Mrs. Adelman’s door.
I roll my eyes at the slimy weasel. I bet he would’ve hung around longer if it were Natasha that had answered the door. Even the notion makes me growl with annoyance.
“What’s wrong? Who was it?” Natasha asks with her back turned, still pressing up against the living room window.
“Apparently the cops have requested that we stay indoors for the time being. To keep the streets clear.” My voice twiddles down as I catch sight of the flashing lights from outside. I’m across the room but I’m suddenly very distracted by the sight of her. I find myself very aware of her movements. Her arms wrap around her waist as she draws her body in, making her seem even tinier. I’m curious to know if she actually realizes she’s doing it, is she cold? Is she scared?
I hear another reverberating blast. It’s so loud. I wince, not only from the shock but also because it means the fire is still going. The longer it blazes, the more people are likely to get hurt, or worse.
Natasha visibly shivers. I can sense her fear from across the room. She turns away from the road. I try to catch her eye, but she’s spellbound. I want to help her but I don’t know what to do. I take a couple of steps closer. She’s shaken by the horrible events playing out down the street, and the universe is practically screaming for me to take her in my arms and hold her.
I watch her, waiting...
When her eyes flicker up to meet mine, my decision is made. I walk forward to comfort her the best I can.
