Hey everyone! We're going to push things a little this chapter, so enjoy!
Chapter Eighteen: Ticking Clock
See you in a bit!
Ludus read the text message again as he finished his work for the day. He'd been worrying about Maya since he woke that morning, after a fitful night of sleep to boot. What if she fell again? What if she couldn't get to her phone? What if she needed help? Yes, she'd asked Lisette for help yesterday, but he highly doubted she'd do that again today.
Thoughts along those lines had been circling Ludus's head for hours. Whenever she took just a little too long to respond to his messages, his blood pressure went up astronomically until he heard from her again. He was stressing himself out, he knew, but he couldn't help it. Caolila flagged him down on his way home the day before and told him about her conversation with Wayne and Maya, which only made Ludus worry more. If Maya was in enough pain yesterday to reach out to more than one person, then she was more hurt than he thought she was.
His day was busy, at least. Ludus was nearly overrun with business, not that he was complaining too much. On the contrary, normally he welcomed days like this, but today all Ludus wanted was to finish up so he could go check on Maya.
God, if she knew how much he was obsessing over it, she'd think he was crazy.
Was he crazy?
Tototara seemed to think so, but not exactly the kind of crazy Ludus was leaning towards. She was watching him for the better part of the morning, taking note whenever he checked his phone (which was an embarrassingly high number of times). Eventually, she couldn't bite back her comments anymore.
"Who are you talking to?"
"Maya," he answered absently, typing out a response to a horribly unfunny joke she'd sent him. "She hurt her foot the other night. I'm just checking up on her."
"For the hundredth time since you woke up." Tototara grinned wickedly, carefully folding her laundry. It was towel day today. "And probably not the last before you go to bed tonight."
Ludus didn't miss the heavy implications in her tone. He frowned, glancing over his shoulder.
"What's that supposed to mean, Nana?" Ludus quirked a brow, eying his Grandmother suspiciously. He didn't like the mischievous lilt in her voice as she hummed; it was never a good thing for whoever was on the receiving end.
"I think you know exactly what I mean," Tototara tutted, "you're just afraid to admit it."
"I'm really not in the mood for riddles today," Ludus sighed, "can we skip to the part where you tell me what I'm doing wrong?"
Tototara rolled her eyes, dropping another folded towel onto her growing pile.
"It's hardly a riddle, Ludus," she shook her head. "You're absolutely smitten with that girl."
"I am not!" Ludus exclaimed in sudden shock, upset by how much he sounded like Shalk. He shook it off just as quickly, drawing his focus back to cleaning his work bench. "Maya is a very good friend. She's like family."
"Pish," Tototara spat. "You've been miserable all day, and I'd bet my right hand I know exactly why."
"I'm just tired, Nana," Ludus insisted, unsettled by how on the mark she was. Not much slipped by Tototara, no matter how innocent she seemed. "I didn't sleep well, and I've been busy. That's all."
"Busy deluding yourself maybe," Tototara muttered, although Ludus didn't quite catch it.
She was right, after all. He had been in a terrible mood all day. He was distracted, sore, and tired, and the only thing he wanted to do was leave- something he never felt about work. Ludus didn't have the luxury of indulging himself though, he had responsibilities to take care of. He had a job.
A job that he hated at the moment, but a job.
"You're swinging to the left."
Ludus completely missed the chunk of wood he'd been about to split, his ax veering to the left side. It was only a small log, one he wanted to use for his next furniture project, but he shouldn't have missed. He shot a poisonous glare at it.
"Your shoulder hurting today?" Tototara pushed. Having finished the laundry, now she was just watching. Ludus did his best to ignore her calculating stare.
"No more than usual," he shrugged, but that wasn't entirely true. He hadn't slept well as he said, and a lot of his work for the day had been physically demanding. His good muscles were screaming at him, so his bad shoulder was practically on fire. Before he'd realised what was happening, Tototara was at his work bench.
"Why don't you head over to the farm?" she prodded, taking the ax from his sweating hands. "I'll talk to Caolila about her order, she doesn't need it today anyway. You take a break and go hang out with your friend."
Ludus wanted to argue, but he couldn't deny that that's what he wanted too. He wasn't in the mood for work, or company, or doing much of anything. All he wanted to do was go over to Maya's, sit down, and be with her. Just for a little while. Just to make sure she was alright.
"Yeah, okay," he agreed, trying to ignore Tototara's knowing smirk. Why did he care what she thought anyway? She was his Nana, and he valued her opinion of course, but his relationship with Maya was his business and no one else's.
Well, except perhaps Maya.
"I'll see you later," she waved, sending him off with a smile that was far too innocent to be just that.
.
Ludus was still bothered as he crossed the bridge that left Lulukoko.
His Nana had a way with words, that's for sure. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Maya, and the implications Tototara had left him with.
How did she always manage to get in his head like that? Was it a grandmother thing? Ludus didn't know, but he cursed whatever the reason was.
Did he like Maya? It was… possible, he supposed, but he couldn't. Maya was his friend, nothing more. Besides, what did it matter if he liked her? She surely didn't like him, not like that. Why would she? She was so kind and beautiful; she could have anyone she wanted. Why would she ever pick him?
Ludus kicked a rock clear of his path as he walked, thinking hard.
She was beautiful… her smiling face flashed across his mind, making him blush. Ludus wasn't completely blind, he knew an attractive woman when he saw one. Maya was by far the most attractive woman he'd ever seen; he loved the way her auburn curls bounced around her face, the way her bright, grey eyes blinked up at him while they talked, the way her cheeks pinked when she was embarrassed or laughing. Just thinking about her made his heart stutter.
Maya could have absolutely anyone she wanted. She'd never want someone like him.
So, it didn't matter if he liked her or not. It wasn't going to happen, and the sooner everyone accepted that, then the sooner Ludus could clear his head.
He slowed as he reached the crossroads, his eyes catching on one of the dips in the trail he'd lifted Maya over the other night. Ludus stared at it, reminded again of how her body had felt in his arms. His throat tightened, remembering how soft she was.
He'd give anything to hold her like that again. Would she let him? Maybe. Ludus was actually inclined to think that she would, given how physical their friendship already was. She might not even bat an eye.
The thought gave him hope; hope for what, he wasn't quite sure, but it did lift his mood. He pulled his phone out again, checking to make sure Maya hadn't messaged him in his short walk over here. She hadn't, but he scrolled up through their messages anyway to make sure he didn't miss a reason that he shouldn't come over early. As he did, Ludus caught sight of the text she'd sent yesterday.
Is that a threat or a promise?
Colour sprouted to his cheeks again, even though he'd long since replied. Ludus wasn't sure why that particular text struck him like it did, but his heart was doing somersaults all over again. Was she flirting, or was it simply a joke? He hadn't had the courage to ask at the time, but maybe-
"What am I doing?" Ludus groaned, grinding his fists into his temples. "I don't like Maya. I don't like Maya. I don't-"
His mantra was interrupted by a set of fast-moving footsteps, thundering up the path just ahead of him. Someone was leaving Maya's farm, not noticing Ludus, and he felt a pit form in his stomach when he realised who it was.
Wayne was stumbling his way to Westown, fitting his hat back on top of his blond head of hair as he went.
Ludus's stomach dropped.
He'd never felt jealous before. It was a totally foreign feeling to him, but he couldn't deny that's what he felt towards Wayne. He didn't know exactly when he realised it, but at some point, the knowledge had manifested in his heart. He really hated that.
Ludus wasn't used to this fire, this burning itch beneath his skin that made him anxious and fidgety. What was worse, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it- nothing he would ever do about it. His feelings were his problem, not anyone else's.
Even still, he couldn't deny that whenever Maya spent time with the mailman, it left Ludus feeling empty and alone.
He hated it. He hated feeling this way. He was still ashamed of the way he'd behaved the day of the Starlight Gala, despite Wayne's insistence that they were cool. Ludus still felt like an immature schoolboy, annoyed that the girl he was crushing on swapped pudding cups with someone else in the playground.
The girl he was crushing on…
Ludus watched as Wayne paused, brushing some dirt off of his coat. Wayne was a perfectly nice guy, his friend no less, and if there was anything going on with them, Ludus knew Wayne would be an outstanding partner. So why did it have to hurt so much when he saw them together?
Ludus was starting to think he knew the answer to that question- that, and many other questions he'd had over the last few months.
"Catch you tomorrow, ladies!"
Wayne picked up his pace again, never looking back in quite the right direction to see Ludus. He disappeared onto the Westown road, but not before he'd said something that caught the handyman's attention, placing an immediate pause on the sinking feeling in his stomach. 'Ladies'? Plural?
Not long after Wayne vanished, Lisette appeared. She was waving behind her, presumably to Maya, as she made her way back to Westown at a much slower pace than the mailman had. Maybe he was late for work, or had another engagement, but Ludus couldn't possibly care less.
Relief and shame washed through him at the same time; he felt like an absolute idiot. Maya was hanging out with both Wayne and Lisette.
This time, he knew exactly why his spirits lifted at that thought.
Suddenly, he couldn't wait to get to Maya's farm. Maybe it was the relief, or maybe it was something else, but he didn't care. Pushing his growing realisations aside, Ludus continued on his way to the farm. He was almost at the shipping bin, about to take his phone out and text Maya that he was here, when he was startled by an excited cry.
"Ludus!"
He turned to see Maya, still limping a little, hurrying out to greet him.
"Hey!" he chastised, catching her as she all but stumbled into him. Maya grinned sheepishly, righting herself. Ludus was hesitant to let her go with how unsteady she was on her feet, but she seemed to have found her balance at least for now. He let his arms drop. "You seem to be feeling better."
"Much better," Maya agreed, bouncing excitedly. Ludus's heart ached. Was she this happy just to see him? "Come to the garden with me, I have to show you something!"
He did as he was told, following Maya to her growing garden, hovering close to her all the while. The last thing he wanted was for her to slip and hurt herself again.
Maya brought him over to her little strawberry patch, where some blossoms still clung to the bush and a few speckles of red poked through the green. Maya crouched next to the smallest plant, looking up at him with the biggest smile on her face.
"I didn't think this one was going to grow anything at all," she admitted, reaching under the leaves. Ludus bent down next to her, watching her hands. "But look!"
Maya pushed the greenery away, and sure enough Ludus spotted a massive, bright red strawberry. There was only one, but it was impressive. Ludus brought his gaze back to her, sporting his own grin.
"It looks beautiful, My," he complimented her as they stood, feeling a spark of joy for the first time all day. "You could enter contests with that one."
"I know!" Maya exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around Ludus in a sudden hug. He hugged her back reflexively, his heart thundering in his chest. "I can't believe I grew that!"
She squeezed his torso, practically vibrating with excitement. Ludus watched her, his smile fixed and permanent on his face. She was so happy- he pulled her tightly against his side, letting her warmth and the feeling of having her in his arms again recharge him.
Who was he trying to kid anymore? Maya attracted Ludus to her like a magnet; he felt compelled to be near her, drawn to be close to her, whenever he could. If she called, he'd come. If she needed him, he'd be there. Ludus had feelings for Maya, and he couldn't deny that to himself any longer.
As for what that meant, well, he wasn't quite ready to face that question yet.
"Do you want to come inside?" Maya offered, tilting her head back to look up at him. Ludus realised they'd been standing there for some time, Maya admiring her handiwork and Ludus admiring her. His cheeks pinked. "I promise I'll sit down for a while."
She kept her arm around his waist, and Ludus had never been more grateful for anything else in his life. He nodded, adjusted his tool kit on his shoulder, and carefully helped Maya limp her way back to the house.
"I made lemonade for Lisette and Wayne today," Maya told him, hobbling over to the counter. Ludus let her go at last, immediately feeling the heat leave his body. "Uncle Frank's orchard produced a ton of fruit this year so he gave me some of his extras and I've been experimenting with my mom's recipe. I'll grab you a glass too. I think it turned out really well this time."
"I thought you said you were going to sit down," Ludus complained, reaching over her head and plucking the glasses from her hand. She planted her hands on her hips, frowning at him. "I can get this. You rest."
"I've been resting all day, sorta," Maya grumbled, but she did as he said. Her house was a little more cluttered than normal today- Frank was getting rid of his old couch, so he offered it to Maya. She'd had to do some rearranging, but it was now tucked snugly in the corner of the room. It was a welcome addition to her little living room, but it did make maneuvering around the small space a bit more difficult.
Maya stepped aside so Ludus could pour the drinks, but she didn't sit down.
"Why do I have trouble believing that?" Ludus smiled, shaking his head and dropping his tool kit at the same time. He suppressed a groan, rotating his shoulder as pain shot through it. He'd definitely have a hard time sleeping on that side tonight.
"You okay?" Maya furrowed her brows, her hand appearing at his back. Ludus nodded, continuing to roll his muscles to distract himself from the feeling of her palm on his skin.
"I'm fine," he promised, trying his best not to wince. He'd been fully expecting to deal with a bit of pain after the work he'd done today. "Just sore."
"Well sit down," Maya insisted, pulling gently on his arm. She waited until he had both glasses in his hand, and then pulled out a dining room chair for him. Ludus dropped himself into the seat before she took her own, eying him suspiciously. "Did you do something to it?"
"No," Ludus assured her, chuckling at the look she gave him. It wasn't funny, or at least it shouldn't have been, but it was unbearably cute. "I swear. I was just busy today, that's all."
Maya didn't seem at all satisfied, but she kept mostly quiet. Ludus took a sip of the lemonade, and it really was good. He took a bigger gulp.
"Wayne was telling me about a new construction project in Westown today," Maya told him, reminding Ludus of the unreasonable jealousy he'd felt when he arrived. He quickly squashed the memory. "It sounds like it'll be really nice!"
"What are they planning on doing?" Ludus set his glass down, not sure what to do with his hands. Was he always this nervous around Maya? He didn't think so, but then again, he didn't think he liked her before. He started bouncing his knee discreetly beneath the table. "Are they finally getting rid of all the stairs?"
Maya laughed.
"I wish. No, they're fixing up the bell tower, I think. I want to help, but I don't have enough disposable income right now."
"You'll get there," Ludus comforted, leaning forward in his chair; the table had begun to shake with the frequency of his bouncing knee. He forced himself to stop. "You're still new at this. It's going to take some time. And besides," he eyed her, "you can't do much right now anyway with that ankle."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
Her innocent blinks didn't fool him for a second, but Ludus had to look away before he could challenge her on it. His cheeks were beginning to darken, staring at her like that.
"Is it feeling better today?"
"A little," Maya admitted, sipping her lemonade. "It's still swollen though. Makes it hard to get around any sense."
"Do you have anything on it?" Ludus glanced under the table, catching sight of Maya's swollen, throbbing ankle before she tucked it away under her skirts. He leveled her with a disapproving glare.
"Let me wrap it for you," he sighed, tutting. Reaching into his tool kit, Ludus produced a roll of gauze and medical tape- necessary components in his arsenal for all the pulled muscles he suffered at work. "Couch?"
Maya agreed, pushing her chair back and stumbling to her feet. She didn't make it far, a look of pain crossing over her face that she desperately tried to hide. She might've gotten away with it, if Ludus wasn't looking for exactly that reaction. Apparently, she'd been on her feet more than she'd let on.
"You're hopeless," he told her, tossing the gauze on the couch and rounding the table. He put one arm behind Maya's back and stooped, slipping the other behind her knees. "Hold onto me."
Maya barely had time to process what he was doing before she was swept off her feet and into Ludus's arms. She cried out in surprise, clinging to his neck as he carried her over to the couch. Heart hammering, she only managed to find her voice again once he'd already set her down gently on the cushions.
"You know," she laughed breathlessly, trying to hide the tremor in her throat. "When I first met you, I didn't think you'd be lifting me as much as you do."
Ludus shook his head in exasperation, grabbing the gauze and medical tape from beside her. He sat down on the other cushion, gingerly guiding her injured foot into his lap.
"If you'd be more careful, I wouldn't have to lift you."
"I never said I didn't want you to lift me," Maya teased, "just that I didn't expect it. Big difference."
Ludus chose to ignore that comment for the sake of his health; he was already too busy trying to quell the blush in his cheeks from carrying her. He held the gauze at the base of Maya's foot and began to slowly, methodically wrap.
"Tell me if it's too tight," he instructed, adding layers. Maya promised she would, letting out a gust of air from her lungs as he secured the loose ends, adjusted some of the strands, and ran his palms over her ankle soothingly. She was reminded suddenly of the last time he'd bandaged her, with the same gentle touch he used now. "Better?"
"Much better," she admitted sheepishly. Ludus rolled his eyes, reaching for his tool kit again to drop the excess bandage back in its place.
"I don't know what I'm going to do with you," he chuckled, "you're possibly the most stubborn person I've ever met."
Ludus dropped the gauze and sucked in a quick breath, fire radiating from his neck and back. He'd moved a bit too suddenly, jarring his taut muscles into a spasm.
"What's wrong?" Maya shuffled forward, leaning across the cushion to place her hand on his shoulder. Ludus took a deep breath, trying his best to relax his limbs.
"It's nothing," he insisted, leaning back on the couch. Maya eyed him skeptically, her palm still pressed flat against his shoulder. Ludus felt his heart skip, looking up at her like that. "I'm just a little sore, that's all."
Maya scrunched her nose at him.
"Bullshit," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest pointedly. "You've been wincing ever since you got here. Turn around, show me where you're hurt."
"I'm fine, My," Ludus insisted, "really. You should lean back and relax for a while. Don't worry about me."
"Do you realise how hypocritical you sound right now?" Maya complained, pouting.
"Do you realise how cute you look when you're mad?"
She wasn't amused at his teasing, her only response being a quirked eyebrow. Eventually, Ludus sighed.
"I've got a bad shoulder," he admitted, rolling the shoulder in question. "Sometimes when I work too much or I don't sleep well, it acts up. It's not a big deal, it'll ease off in a few days."
"You should've told me," Maya shook her head vehemently, inching closer to him on the couch. Their knees were touching now, and Ludus was having trouble focusing on much else. "I'm sorry I made you help me home the other night. I-"
"You didn't make me do anything," Ludus interrupted, taking her hand in his. The gesture felt heavier now that he understood his own feelings, but he didn't want to stop. "I wanted to help. I'd never leave you high and dry like that. Besides," he winked, "you're one of my favourite things to lift."
"As you've proven," Maya considered him for a moment, thinking. After only a few seconds, she made up her mind. "Turn around, let me look at it."
"What?" Ludus laughed, sitting up again. "Why?"
"Because I might be able to help," she clarified, scooting forward until she was seated on the very edge of the couch cushion. "Come on, you've played doctor for me twice now. I want to return the favor."
"I just need some rest, honestly," he smiled encouragingly at her, "I already feel a lot better just sitting down."
"Ludus," Maya grunted, putting on her best scowl. "I swear to Goddess I will relax my ankle for the rest of today and all day tomorrow if you let me fix your shoulder."
They regarded each other silently for a long time, neither willing to budge an inch, until Maya pretended to stand up and Ludus was forced to relent.
"Fine," he let out a long breath, twisting until his back was facing her. It wasn't the ideal position for what Maya wanted to do, but she had a feeling this was the best she was going to get. With a crack of her knuckles, she brushed Ludus's hair aside and traced a line down his shoulder.
Ludus tensed. Truth be told, he was nervous. His feelings for Maya were new to him, and he didn't know what he wanted to do with them yet, and having her hands on him was both everything he wanted and everything he wanted to avoid. How he was planning to avoid it, he had no idea. It's not like they had a very hands-off friendship to begin with, not that he had a problem with that.
He waited with bated breath as Maya seemed to find what she was apparently looking for, replacing her finger with her palm.
"This might hurt a little bit at first, but just trust me ok?" She grinned, her voice reassuring. Ludus didn't need to think twice about trusting her, it was more himself he was worried about.
Maya had learned a great deal about therapeutic massage from her aunt, who'd been a professional in the trade. The muscles in Ludus's shoulder were, just as she suspected, knotted and hard. Gently at first, Maya began to work her palm along his skin, building pressure as the muscles beneath became more pliable.
Ludus took a sharp breath, a dull ache spreading through his back. The pain was bearable, much more so than the pain of actually using his arm, so he patiently let Maya work away.
"Jeez," she muttered eventually, chewing her bottom lip. "How long has it been like this?"
Ludus thought for a moment, the idea never occurring to him before.
"I guess it's been a while," he concluded eventually, the rigidity in his posture slacking. "The first time it happened was a few years ago, fixing the twins' roof."
"And let me guess," Maya sounded mildly irritated now, her palms digging harder into his back. Ludus winced a little. "You didn't do anything about it then either?"
He nodded to a frustrated huff from Maya.
"You need to start taking care of yourself," she chastised, shifting just enough to brush against Ludus's hip. He jolted a little, but as he did Maya grunted triumphantly.
"There," she breathed, "the hard part is done. This next part shouldn't hurt anymore. Tell me if it does."
When Maya pressed her palm into Ludus's skin this time, there was no ache. Her gentle fingers smoothed away the pain, the soft friction of skin on skin easing the stress from Ludus's entire body.
Damnit, he cursed, leaning into her touch in spite of himself, she's really good at this.
Maya continued to rub his shoulder, venturing out to cover both of them as well as his spine and neck. Ludus let his eyes close, relishing in her touch. He almost sighed in content, but he caught himself just in time.
"I wish you wouldn't push yourself so hard," Maya whispered sadly, encouraging him to relax as she massaged him. His muscles would ache tomorrow, and she was pretty confident his injury would never fully go away, but at least he'd have some relief for now. "You're always worried about me taking care of myself, but you don't think I worry about you too?"
"You don't need to worry about me," Ludus dismissed reflexively, trying not to groan. Maya's hands were warm on his skin, tender and careful. When had they switched rolls to her taking care of him?
"That should feel much better now." Maya announced, satisfied with her work. "Now you just need to let it rest for a while. Oh, hold on."
Maya scooted out from behind Ludus, who slumped back against the cushions until he realised that she was getting up. He grabbed her waist before she could, tugging her back onto the couch.
"Where do you think you're going?" He narrowed his eyes at her, nodding to her ankle. "I thought you promised to rest?"
Maya barely heard him, her heart thumping painfully loudly in her ears. When she tumbled back onto the couch, she'd landed squarely against Ludus's chest. She could feel the hardness of his torso pressing into her back, his hands keeping a delightful pressure on her waist. Colour sprouted to her cheeks, so she kept her head turned.
"I will, I promise," she swore, trying to keep the sudden nervousness out of her voice. "I'm just gonna grab something from the cupboard for you. I won't be two seconds."
Without waiting for an answer, she pulled herself free and clamoured to her feet. Limping her way to the bathroom, Maya did her best to calm herself. Ludus was being so affectionate with her, which was nothing new, but he was usually so much more… delicate about it. Grabbing her by the waist and pulling her down onto the couch with him definitely wasn't something he would've done even two days ago. Maya wondered what had changed.
And, whatever it was, she thanked it profusely.
"You do so much for everyone, Ludus," Maya continued, returning. She held a small tube of cream in her left hand, and a wired heating pad in her right. "Let someone else take care of you for once."
Ludus felt his heart leap into his throat at her words, but he couldn't make himself respond. Maya slipped behind him again, squirting a dollop of the cream into her palm.
"This is just an anti-inflammatory," she explained, beginning to rub it into his skin in small circles. "It'll keep your muscles relaxed, and the heat pad will promote healing. If you're not going to stay and rest for a while, at least let me give you an Advil."
He was suddenly so tired- he didn't remember the last time his shoulder wasn't in pain, or tense, or aching. Staying and relaxing for a while sounded like the best idea in the world.
"I'll stay," he agreed, turning back around when she was finished. "On one condition."
"Name it."
"You do the same."
Maya had been expecting that answer. She grinned and agreed, dropping the tube of cream on the floor to be picked up later, and reached behind her to plug in the heating pad. Ludus took over from there, tucking it behind his shoulder and leaning back into the couch cushions. Maya began to shuffle away to the other side of the couch, but Ludus stopped her again.
"Oh no you don't," he laughed, pulling her back into his arms. He held her snugly against his torso, ignoring her playful cries of protest. "There's a good chance I'm about to fall asleep, and there's no way I'm letting you waltz around on that ankle. I'm keeping you right here, where I can keep an eye on you."
"Why Ludus," Maya teased, sinking into his embrace a little more eagerly than she probably should've, "are you saying you don't trust me?"
"Not even a little bit."
They fell into an easy silence. Ludus was warm, comfortable, safe, and his limbs felt incredibly heavy. He didn't remember the last time he felt like this. It was all he could do to stay awake.
"Hey Maya?"
Ludus's words were slurred, like he was already half asleep. Maya smiled, tilting her head back to look at him.
"Yeah?"
"The other night," he yawned, adjusting his grip on her. Maya's stomach flipped. "When I left. I uh… I kissed you on the top of your head. Was that… was that okay?"
Maya blinked in surprise, unable to contain a soft giggle.
"It was fine," she assured him, letting her eyes close. As a matter of fact, it was a habit she hoped he would continue. "I don't mind at all."
"Okay," Ludus grunted awkwardly, "I just… wanted to make sure."
Maya was almost asleep, lulled by his warmth, when Ludus spoke again, startling her awake.
"Here," he picked up one of the throw pillows from the couch- it had fallen off at some point, either before he got there or after, he couldn't remember- and handed it to Maya. "Prop your foot up."
Maya did so without argument, leaning forward long enough to make herself comfortable, and then falling back into him. Her weight on his chest felt better than he ever thought something could feel, and Ludus suddenly hoped Maya couldn't hear his rapid heartbeat.
He wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but he knew he wasn't far off. Her soft breaths came to him as if through a thick fog, and before he knew it, Ludus's world was going dark, easing him into a deep, deep sleep.
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