Dedicated to my dearest Lia, who is a brilliant Blaise and an absolute sweetheart.
Note: This is my first attempt at anything resembling fluff that's not also super angsty, so here goes nothing.
Every time he moved, her blond hair would tickle the soft skin of his side. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling. In fact, rare moments like these were the best parts to his day. She was near him, and he was happy.
The midday sun was streaming through the windows, making her aforementioned blond hair seem to glow. Blaise was still fast asleep in his arms, and every now and then, she would snuggle into his chest, a content smile on her face.
Ever so gently as not to wake her, Jeremy started to trace patterns of unplanned nothings on her bare back. Her skin was slightly warm to the touch, and smooth beneath his fingers.
A four-pointed star…
A little smiley face…
The outline of a gun…
A spirally maze that went around and around and off to nowhere…
His light touch brushed upon the groups of freckles scattered along her shoulder blades, playing connect the dots. He followed the path down her spine, stopping at the base, and going up again.
With a quiet moan, Blaise rolled over and onto her back. His little drawing game was over, but he wasn't disheartened.
Now he could see her face. She had on an expression so relaxed that he doubted it could even be made when awake.
A line of red on the bridge of her nose; remnants of the sunburn she'd gotten when they had stood outside in the unforgiving heat for four hours, assigned to supervise yet another high-end garden party…
The narrow cheekbones, the sharp jaw line…
Closed eyelids, covering up her brilliant blue eyes—eyes he'd gotten to know well over the past few months. Always filled with adventure; always up for a challenge…
Her perfect, pink lips, the corners turned up. Lips that often formed her trademark smirk, taunting and teasing him. Lips that he had kissed countless, countless times…
"Jeremy…"
A single word, sleepily muttered under her breath.
Her hand searched for his, and he took it without hesitation. The smile on his face was sweet, but tinged with evident melancholy.
As nice as that moment was, it made him sad how Blaise would only ever be so innocently affectionate with him when she wasn't conscious of her actions. If she knew what she was doing, something as cuddly as this would have most likely horrified her.
Blaise Corso—the wild card that you could never really get used to. And like her name suggested, he was playing with fire. If you fed the flames too much, they'll crackle and spark… and one day, eventually, you're going to get burned.
But not today. Today, he planned on enjoying the fire's warmth. And maybe, some time in the future, the flames would accept him to be of no harm, and finally be safe to touch.
He intertwined his fingers with hers, and gently kissed her slightly calloused knuckles.
She was near him, and he was happy.
