“What are we watching?” I asked, heading to the kitchen for a drink, very aware of his eyes following me.
“Blair Witch,” he replied, his voice slightly rougher than usual.
“Perfect,” I said, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge.
I heard the door to Percy’s room open, followed by Aiden’s. They filed into the living room as I returned from the kitchen. Percy took the armchair, his dark eyes sweeping over me briefly before focusing determinedly on the screen. Aiden sprawled across one end of the couch, leaving space beside him.
Eris was the last to join us, emerging from his room wearing nothing but gray joggers that hung low on his hips. His broad chest and muscular arms were on full display, and I couldn’t help but stare for a moment. The man was built like a brick wall. A few scattered tattoos decorated his skin—Celtic designs I was pretty sure.
“Starting without me?” he asked, running a hand through his copper hair.
“Just setting up,” Draco replied. He hesitated a moment, looking at the seating options.
The couch was large enough for three people, maybe four if we squeezed. Aiden had claimed one end, Eris was settling into the other, leaving the middle open. Draco glanced at me, then at the space between his shield brothers.
“Where do you want to sit?”
It was a simple question, but it felt loaded. Where I chose to sit would say something about how comfortable I was with them, how much I trusted this tentative peace we’d established.
A week ago, I might have taken the floor just to maintain distance. But things were different now. We weren’t friends, exactly, but we weren’t enemies either.
I decided, moving to the couch and settling between Aiden and Eris. Draco nodded and took the loveseat adjacent to us, close enough that I could still feel his presence.
As the movie started, I became acutely aware of my precarious position. On my right, Eris’s bare arm brushed against mine, his skin radiating heat like a furnace. On my left, Aiden’s thigh pressed against mine, the contact sending little sparks up my leg. Through the bond, I could feel their awareness of me too even though they tried to hide it.
“You good?” Eris asked quietly as the opening credits rolled.
I nodded, trying to focus on the screen.
Twenty minutes into the film, I found myself relaxing. The movie was genuinely scary. During a particularly tense scene, I unconsciously leaned closer to Eris, who responded by draping his arm along the back of the couch behind me.
“Scared?” he teased, his voice low enough that only I could hear.
“Hell yeah I am. This shit is worse than the bane.”
“You’ve fought more of them than most,” Draco said, his hazel eyes finding mine in the dim light. “How many incursions did you handle in New York?”
I considered it. “Fifty-seven confirmed. Some of them were assists since there were other shield teams nearby.”
“Fifty-seven?” Aiden’s eyebrows shot up. “In three years? That’s?—“
“A lot. Yeah, I know. The Assembly kept me busy.”
“No wonder your combat skills are so refined,” Percy said, the closest thing to a compliment he’d ever given me.
I shrugged, uncomfortable with the attention. “I did what I had to do. We all do.”
Eris’s hand moved from the back of the couch to my shoulder, squeezing gently. “Still. Fifty-seven incursions solo is impressive as fuck.”
“Not entirely solo,” I corrected. “I had Assembly backup for the larger ones.”
“Still,” Draco echoed.
Halfway through the movie, I found myself yawning non stop. The day was catching up with me, and the warmth of being nestled between Eris and Aiden was making me drowsy. I fought to keep my eyes open, determined to see it through, even though I’d seen it before.
I must have lost the battle, because the next thing I knew, the credits were rolling and someone was gently shaking my shoulder.
“Jupiter,” Draco’s voice, near my ear. “Movie’s over.”
