"Would you two just stop it for once?" Yurick groaned. He slammed shut his book: 'Powerful Magic.' The two had been arguing for the past hour. Over what, no one really remembered.
"There's no way in hell." Lowell said. He sat on his own bed, with Syrenne spread out beside him. She was sober, and she had barely drank at all during the week.
" I can! I have and I will." Chided Syrenne.
"Then why did you even ask?"
"I didn't bloody ask; I stated."
"You asked."
She laughed aloud, and nudged him. "Shut up, Lowell!"
"I wasn't even talking."
"Shut it! You know, I don't remember it being any of your business." She teased.
"Bullshit. I deserve to know! I put your drunken arse to bed."
"That's totally on you."
"I have every right to know! Unless... you're jealous."
"Ugh" She hesitated for a little too long. "Why would I be jealous of you?"
"Not me." He shoved her. "Of the ladies."
Syrenne glared daggers, but was desperately trying not to laugh. She brushed his arm off of her shoulder and scooted over, only to have Lowell drape his arm over her again. He laughed, and then they were quiet. Yurick-who sat stiffly on his own bed in Ariela's tavern-breathed it in. It was truly beautiful when they stopped. He counted the seconds, and joyfully re-opened his novel.
"You're jealous." It was Lowell.
"I'm not."
"Guys!" Yurick yelled. "Everyone shut up! Go to bed, Syrenne. Lowell-you can go sleep with her, for all I care."
He cleared his throat.
"Get out. This is a boy's room."
"You're still here," Syrenne muttered. "Fine, I'm off. Night, boys." And she left, blowing a mocking kiss to Yurick.
Yurick awoke to a woman's screams. They were muffled, as his head was buried under blankets and the door was closed. He heard Lowell inhale sharply, and groan.
"You heard that?"
Not wanting to get up, Yurick groaned. "No. Then again, I wasn't listening."
Suddenly, he could hear a cry, like a shout of pain. Yurick heard it too.
"You think someone should check it out?" Lowell wondered.
"Probably. But I'm not getting up." Yurick said.
"Right then. I'm up."
From under his armour of blankets (because Yurick tended to get cold) he could hear Lowell push away his own blankets and stand. He could almost hear him stretching, too.
Lowell's eyes were still adjusting, and the upstairs hallway was cold. He shivered, but he found it ironic. An ice Mage, cold.
This time, when he heard it, it was more of a shout.
"Stop!"
It was Syrenne's voice. Hysteric and fragile.
"Please, stop! No!"
He panicked, thinking of nothing other than the worst, given his history with the opposite sex, and flung open the door. Shockingly, There was no one in the room but he and Syrenne, (seeing as Mirania was staying at the castle) who was asleep.
Her entire body was clenched into a ball around her pillow, with her blanket kicked almost completely off. She was shaking.
"Please!"
Lowell's immediate response was to wake her up, but he decided against it, knowing how she would react. Feeling guilty, he swiftly crossed the room and sat beside her, the bed shifting underneath him. She had her back to him. She cried out, but he had not awaken her.
He turned onto his side, then wrapped his right arm around her sweaty, trembling body. His other hand gently moved to her hair and combed through it, undoing the knots.
"No..."
"Shhh." He snuggled closer to her, laying his chin on her shoulder. Her ragged breaths seemed to slow. Her tense muscles loosened with every stroke of his hand.
Lowell wanted to stay there all night.
She was so vulnerable, despite whatever show she put on for the group. Big, strong Syrenne, crying in her sleep. She shivered, and he pulled the blanket back up over the both of them.
"... Lowell..."
He smiled. Then, the bed shifted. So did Syrenne. She turned over and pressed herself against him, folding her arms up by his chest. Her warm breath tickled his neck as she moved to fit her head by his shoulder. He was almost shocked by the gesture-Syrenne didn't let anyone hold her, let alone in her sleep.
"I'm here." Lowell whispered. He enveloped her in his arms and enjoyed the warmth of another body. He felt nothing but love for her, even if he would never admit it.
"I... Lowell..." She mumbled, and sighed into him.
Lowell fell asleep.
Syrenne woke up early. That's what her sober brain liked to do-especially when she'd rather sleep in. Especially when-
The bed moved, even though she did not. It sighed. It bloody sighed.
"Shit!"
She violently kicked off the blankets and sat up, hitting a sleeping Lowell between the legs in the process. He shot backwards, toppling off the bed.
"Augh! ... Good morning, Jesus!" He sat-hunched around himself and rubbing the back of his head.
"Care to explain yourself?" She demanded, covering her chest with her hands. Lowell hadn't even thought about what she was wearing, and he realized how much of a pervert he seemed like. At least she had on a bra! He flushed with embarrassment.
"I... You... Nightmare? Oh, never mind."
Lowell stood (though still in pain) and attempted to sit on the bed again. Syrenne glared, but she didn't oppose. She bent over to retrieve the blanket.
"You were screaming." He added.
She just groaned and closed her eyes. She covered her face with her pillow.
"Another bloody nightmare." She growled. Then, more softly, "I'm sorry if I woke you up."
"It's fine. I was worried about you."
Syrenne couldn't believe what exactly she was doing, but she motioned for him to shuffle closer and draped the blanket over the both of them. Then, she relaxed into him. She could tell by the tenseness in his muscles that he was taken aback. At first, he was hesitant. Eventually though, he held her closer. They cuddled in silence, never going past any of Syrenne's strict boundaries. Lowell was mesmerized.
"You know, I never thought I'd trust a man."