Chapter 22

Reyna's eyes opened slowly, she took a deep breath and turned in her bed, her hand falling on something firm, she blinked several times and pushed herself up onto her elbows. A figure lay sleeping next to her, his chest rising and falling with each slow breath, her sleepy eyes found his face inches away from hers, Damien

"Stercore" she muttered scrambling backwards and falling off the bed with a loud thud

"Huh.. What?" Damien sat up looking around for the source of the noise, his tired golden brown eyes finding Reyna on the floor looking up at him shock on her face, he stood instantly offering a hand "You alright?"

Reyna's mind ran for a moment, trying to figure out how they ended up sleeping on her bed together "Why are you still here?" she asked, standing by herself, ignoring the hand

Damien confusingly looked back at the bed and then to her "Oh um yer, you fell asleep last night during paperwork at your desk" he explained innocently "You didn't look comfortable so I put you in your bed"

Reyna stared at him for a long moment "You carried me to bed?" she asked, her perfect dark eyebrows rising

Damien tried not to smile, he chose instead to shuffle his feet awkwardly "Yep" he dropped his gaze

"And why were you also in my bed?" she questioned, pushing some loose hair from her face and tucking it behind her ear

He shrugged "I was tired" he smirked slightly to see how flustered she was, he couldn't resist teasing her a little more "Y'know you drool right, just a little bit there" he tapped the edge of his mouth

"What?" she said wide eyed her hand going instantly to the corner of her mouth, trying to wipe away whatever was there

Damien burst out laughing as he watched her, he held a hand to his bandaged side as his injuries flared from so much laughing, he saw Reyna's face become serious when she realised he was just messing with her

"Damien" she said looking at him, his laughter quietened slightly "I am going to kill you" she lunged towards him, shoving him onto the bed

"Whoa whoa whoa!" he said blocking her and rolling backwards to the other side of her double bed, landing perfectly on his feet, wincing slightly at the pain "You wouldn't beat an already injured guy, would ya?" a wide smile plastered on his face

She glared back "I might make an exception"

"Oh c'mon Reyna you were cute while you were sleeping" he continued to tease her

Reyna grabbed one of her pillows and chucked it at his face, she smiled when it collided with his jaw

"You should smile more often" Damien said after he recovered "Looks good" he complimented

There was another long silence as Reyna composed herself looking at the clock and realised the time

"Crap… you need to go" she said grabbing her cape "People are going to wonder where you are and if they find you here…" she trailed off

She faced her mirror and quickly began to redo her side plait, she caught a glimpse of Damien standing behind her

"Damien… go, please" she said turning to him "And try not to let anyone see you, I will sort out the rest of the quest"

Damien nodded slowly "Yer of course" he moved towards the door and peered outside "I will see you later then" he ducked out of the door and closed it softly

He paused for a moment on the other side of her door, listening as he heard her sigh, he leant his head against the wood for a second longer before stepping back and making his way down the corridor. It was only when he left the building did he realise that he was still shirtless and shoeless, a couple of girls stopped in their tracks when they saw him, both smiling at him as he passed.

"Damien?"

He spun hoping that it was Reyna, but his smile dropped a little when he saw Toni with her arms crossed over her chest, she didn't look impressed

"Oh hey" he said, knowing he was in trouble

"I've been looking everywhere for you" she said walking up to him "Where have you been?"

Damien took in her features "You're mad aren't you"

"I was worried that you had done something stupid, like sneak out of the medical facility while still badly injured" she punched his arm, then looked a little guilty "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine" he nodded, giving her a half smile

"Where have you been?" she asked again

"Just getting some fresh air" he lied "I was coming back"

His golden eyes wandered to the window he had climbed through last night, he wondered if Reyna was still in there, his silent question was answered when he saw her standing there reaching to close the window. She spotted him watching her, then saw who he was with and her face seemed to drop slightly, Damien caught his breath as she turned away and closed the window. He dropped his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck, he'd upset Reyna, maybe he had overstepped when he had stayed in her room last night, he was hoping he could fix it with her on this quest, where she didn't have to be Praetor, just a friend.

"Damien?"

His eyes moved back to Toni who had obviously still been talking when his mind had wandered

"Sorry" he replied

Toni sighed tilting her head "C'mon lets go check your stitches" she caught his arm and turned him, pulling him back towards the medic building

Damien cast a glance back towards Reyna's window, but the Praetor was no longer there

"You sure you are okay?" Toni asked "You seem distracted, are you suffering from dizzy spells"

Damien shook his head and gave her a small smile "Nahh, I'm fine just… re-evaluating some things I guess"

Stercore – Shit