Page 36 of Heartflame

But as I pulled out my own materials, I wasn’t thinking about the assignment at all. I was thinking about that one week. Seven days to prove to Quill that what we had was worth fighting for. Seven days to make him see that this wasn’t just possession or attraction or a dragon’s territorial instinct. Seven days to make him understand that he was my mate, whether he was ready to accept it or not.

And the truth was, I had to figure out how to accept it myself still. And how to explain it to my grandfather once I was ready.

I spent the rest of the study session stealing glances at Quill when he wasn’t looking, trying to commit every detail to memory. The way he bit his lower lip when he was concentrating. The little furrow that appeared between his eyebrows when he was working through a difficult concept. The way his fingers moved across the page as he took notes with meticulous care.

One week. I had to make it count.

By the time we finished up at the library, it was getting late. The sun had already dipped below the horizon, casting the campus in twilight. Quill packed up his things methodically, and I did the same, waiting to see what he’d do next.

“I should get back to my dorm,” he said, not quite meeting my eyes. “Lysander will be wondering where I am.”

“I’ll walk you,” I offered, keeping my tone casual even though every fiber of my being wanted to insist on it.

He hesitated, clearly weighing whether to argue, then nodded. “Okay. But just to the dorm. That’s it.”

“That’s it,” I agreed, even though we both knew it was a lie. I had no intention of letting him out of my sight for any longer than absolutely necessary, especially if I only had a week.

We walked across campus in relative silence, the cool autumn air carrying the scent of approaching winter. I could feel the tension radiating off him in waves, could practically taste his uncertainty in the air between us. He wanted this. He wanted me. He just didn’t want to admit it.

When we reached his dorm, he stopped at the entrance and turned to face me. “Thank you,” he said quietly. “For... understanding. About needing time.”

“Always,” I said, and I meant it. For him, I would wait as long as it took. “Can I ask you one favor, though?”

He lifted an eyebrow. “What?”

“Can I…” I paused. “Can I kiss you?”

Just one kiss. That was all I was asking for. After three days of torture, of watching him pretend like nothing had happened between us, I needed that small confirmation that he felt it too. That this wasn’t just me spiraling into some mate-induced delusion.

He stared at me for what felt like an eternity, his red hair catching the last rays of fading twilight. I could see the war playing out behind his eyes. Part of him that wanted this, and it was battling against the part that was terrified of it.

“One kiss,” he said finally, his voice barely above a whisper. “That’s all.”

I closed the distance between us before he could change his mind, cupping his face gently in my hands. I kept it soft, kept it careful, letting him set the pace despite every instinct screaming at me to devour him right there on the steps of his dorm. His lips were warm and tasted faintly of the coffee he’d been drinking all afternoon. When he opened his mouth slightly, I deepened the kiss just enough to feel the warmth of him before pulling back.

One kiss. That was what he’d asked for. But as I looked at him, at the dazed expression on his face and the way his fingers had unconsciously gripped the front of my shirt, I knew one kiss would never be enough.

“Good night, Red,” I murmured against his lips.

He pulled back, his breathing a little ragged, his eyes still closed for a moment before they fluttered open.

“G-Goodnight, Aeron,” he replied.

He started to turn away. But he barely made it two steps before he turned back to me, his face flushed.

“I… I don’t want to go back to my dorm,” he said quickly, his voice shaking.

“Do you want to come with me?” I heard myself ask before a thought could get in its way.

“I’m not asking for sex,” he replied. “I just…” He sighed. “Can we just spend time together?”

“We just spent all afternoon in the library together.”

“You’re right,” he said, shaking his head. “It was stupid. I didn’t⁠—”

I grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at me. “And I’d love to spend more time with you,” I said gently. “If that’s what you want.”

He stared at me for a long moment before nodding. “Y-Yeah. I… I think I do.”