I nudged open the bedroom door with my shoulder and set her down gently on the bed, the sheets cool against her skin. She blinked up at me, sleepy but soft, her eyes still glassy from everything that had just happened.
“You’re staying,” I whispered, like I needed to say it out loud to make it true.
She nodded once, slow and sure.
“Yeah,” she breathed, voice fragile but certain. “I’m staying.”
I pulled the blanket over her and climbed in beside her, the air between us warm and quiet. She moved closer, tucking herself against my chest, and I wrapped an arm around her, fitting her perfectly into the space that had been empty for far too long.
Her heartbeat thudded steadily against my ribs. Mine followed.
I brushed a kiss against her temple and whispered, “Sleep, Princess.”
And when she finally drifted off in my arms, the world outside could’ve fallen apart for all I cared. Nothing else mattered.
Not anymore.
—
Morning light spilt through the blinds in soft gold lines across the bed. The city was still quiet, the kind of quiet that only happens before the world wakes up.
And there she was, still asleep, wrapped up in the sheets like she belonged there. Her hair was a mess, fanned out over the pillow, her lips parted slightly as she breathed. My arm was pinned under her, her hand clutching onto me like I was something she didn’t want to lose again.
For a minute, I didn’t move. I just… watched.
Because she was here.Reallyhere.
Because after all the weeks of silence, the heartbreak, the guilt… I had her back.
Mine.
Completely, painfullymine.
Carefully, I slid my arm free and sat up, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before heading to my closet and pulling on a pair of sweatpants. The floor was cold under my feet as I searched for a clean shirt, running a hand through my hair. When I turned around, walking out of my closet, she was sitting up. Eyes half-open, rubbing at them with one hand while the other clutched the blanket to her chest, the blanket that had slipped off her shoulder, revealing the curve of her neck, the faint marks I’d left there.
It's early, Joshua, behave.
She blinked up at me, dazed and sleepy, and I swear my chest physically ached. She was fucking adorable, and that drove me up the wall because who the fuck was the Aurora from last night…? Not this one, that was for sure. She looked so damn innocent, and knowing what she was capable of, that made me weak as hell.
I walked over, soft steps against the floor, and held out the shirt.
“Arms up,” I said quietly.
She obeyed without thinking, still too tired to argue. Her small hands lifted, and I slipped the shirt over her head, helping her find the sleeves before tugging the hem down to cover her properly.
“There,” I murmured, smoothing the fabric along her waist. “Better.”
She blinked again, cheeks warm, mumbling something that sounded like a quiet ‘thank you.’
I reached out, brushing my thumb over her cheek before offering her my hand. “Come on,” I said softly. “Let’s get you something to eat.”
Her fingers slipped into mine, small and trusting. And as I helped her out of bed, leaving the bedroom and heading downstairs.
Honey’s paws were the first thing I heard, the tiny thuds against the floor, the soft mewling that grew louder the second Aurora’s feet hit the bottom of the stairs. The kitten bolted across the living room, tail flicking like lightning, and started hopping up and down in front of her legs. Aurora laughed quietly, scooping her up with both arms as if she’d done it a thousand times before.
“Missed me?” she whispered into the fur, voice still husky from sleep.
Honey’s purr was so loud it almost rattled. And God, I didn’t know which of them looked happier. The kitten or her.
