It was warm. As the fog of deep sleep finally dissipated from her mind, her first thought was of the comforting heat that cocooned her from head to toe. Her head ached like a Saturday morning hangover—a pulsing pain that throbbed in time with her heartbeat. Slowly, she recalled there was no drinking involved but she wasn't any happier for it. The image of the Missing Persons flyer flashed behind her eyelids, lurking there like a nightmare she couldn't shake.

Lilah forced her eyes open despite how badly she wanted to just drift back off to sleep. Sebastian was still fast asleep beside her. One of his hands was clasped in hers, nestled between them with their fingers laced, his other arm secured around her waist to hold her to his chest. Their legs were tangled together, knees hooked over each other as though they'd been desperate to keep as close as possible even while they slept. She hid her face in his chest, unable to look at his face without the memories flooding back into her head. She had kissed him. She hadn't meant it to be anything more than an expression of her gratitude, but he'd reciprocated instantly as though he'd been waiting for the moment to arise. She couldn't remember the last time she had been kissed like that.

It wasn't the domineering kiss she had come to expect— where teeth ripped at her lips and tongues suffocated her until she was permitted to breathe. No fingers gripped her throat or yanked her head back by her hair until strands were torn out from the root. No evidence was left behind, no mockingly sweet brushing of lips across fresh bruises and split skin to chill her from the inside. At first, she hadn't believed she was being kissed at all. Sebastian kissed her with purpose, but he didn't take more than she offered. She'd been overwhelmed by the careful way his lips sought out hers. He kissed her as he touched her: gently and sheltering in a way that made her heart cry out for more.

But was it too soon? Too fast?

Lilah groaned, squeezing her eyes shut against the fluttering in her chest. She almost made a complete fool of herself. If Sebastian hadn't stopped her, how far had she been willing to take it? His kindness had been intoxicating. Her body immediately craved all the softness that he could offer and in that moment she'd been prepared to give him anything to get it.

"Are you okay?" The whispered words warmed the crown of her head. His voice rumbled from deep in his chest, still thick with sleep.

Lilah wanted to reassure him but she couldn't find the words. She had spilled some of her darkest secrets to him just hours ago, slept in his arms as if she belonged there from the beginning, and almost used him solely for her comfort. She felt ashamed, even as she felt so at peace being tangled up with him on her (admittedly much-too-small) bed.

He sighed softly when she didn't answer, almost as though he had expected as much. His arm shifted from her waist and panic jolted through her veins. She gripped his hand tighter, the other hand flying to his hoodie and digging her nails in as though she'd drift off into space without him tethering her to his body.

"Relax." His hand didn't leave her completely. It travelled up her back, to her neck, until he was able to run his fingers through her hair. "Can I see your face?"

He waited for her to nod before tilting her head up and brushing her bangs away. His eyes were half-lidded, still partially asleep but he frowned when she raised her eyes to meet his. Sebastian brushed his thumb across her cheek, sweeping away the tears she hadn't even noticed spilling from her eyes.

"It's okay," he said, wrapping his arm back around her. His hand left her hold and he shifted both of their bodies so that she lay on top of him, both of his arms holding her around the waist. Lilah rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes and focusing on the way her body rose and fell with his breathing.

If she opened her mouth, she feared she'd say something she'd regret. Maybe she was just a coward. She wanted to talk to him about the kiss, but she wasn't sure how she'd feel if he told her it was all a mistake—even less so if he told her it wasn't. Nothing made sense when he was concerned. Her thoughts were constantly contradicting themselves, pushing and pulling her in every direction at once, especially now. She wanted to remain just as they were, locked away from the outside world where nothing could touch them and she could be as selfish as she wanted with the kindness he gave her. No sooner would that thought cross her mind than another would follow: she wanted him to tell her honestly how little he thought of her. She wanted him to toss her away, be disgusted by her, remind her that she was "damaged goods" and move on with his life without her weighing him down.

But...that wasn't really her voice screaming in her mind. She'd had to remind herself of that so many times since coming to the Valley, but it felt like a lesson in futility. No matter how much she tried to tell herself that sinister voice was wrong, the tempest of dark words swirled about her skull with no window to escape— shredding her rationality to unmendable ribbons until the only option she had was to give in and accept them as the truth.

It wasn't until Sebastian tilted her chin to meet his face again that the voice finally silenced. Not a whisper remained as she took in her reflection on the surface of his eyes. His face was so close, she could feel the heat radiating from his skin crackling in the air between them. His aquiline nose was just a brush away, deep brown eyes pouring into her from their locked gaze. The memory of his lips filled her mind—warm and slightly chapped as they had molded so sweetly to hers. Her shaking hands cupped his face as if possessed. Her thumb gently traced the line of his lower lip, eyes focusing on the way his lips parted at her touch.

"Lilah…?" His strained whisper settled between them as though their very existence would shatter if he was too loud. He watched her as she lightly traced his features with her fingers; His eyebrows, his cheeks, his nose, back down to the Cupid's Bow of his upper lip.

"Is this...okay?" She asked. She watched his Adam's Apple bob as he swallowed, his eyes trained on her face.

"I'm not going to complain about you touching me," Sebastian murmured, a light tinge of pink dusting across his nose. Lilah smiled, small enough that she wondered if it showed on her face but it still filled her with warmth just as his body did beneath her.

"No? That's not what you said earlier." She teased and lightly tugged on his hoodie for emphasis. She tested the waters, hoping that they could at least joke about what had happened and lighten the weight pressing on her chest. She was relieved when his face flushed completely from neck to hairline and he sputtered.

"That—That's not how it was at all and you know it..."

"I know, Bas." She pressed a chaste kiss beside his lips. "Thank you. I mean it. I got so caught up in the way you make me feel, I wanted to just forget about everything else."

"And...How do I make you feel?"

"Like a person," Lilah answered seriously, "like I'm someone worthy of being happy. My mind has been all over the place since this morning—I feel like I'm going crazy—but when you look at me, it's like...I don't know how to say it."

"Like your brain shuts up and you can process everything that's going on?" he offered. Lilah considered it for a moment, rolling the idea around until she nodded.

"I think that's it exactly."

"Then, I know what you mean." Sebastian paused, hands slowly roaming along the length of her spine. "It's pretty normal for your thoughts to get mixed up in a situation like this, you know? You've been here all this time without anyone to talk to about what you escaped from. Then, all of a sudden you felt like you had to spill everything at once...it makes sense that you might get confused. I've been there."

"You have?"

"Yeah. But, you're not alone anymore. If you feel like it's all too much to handle, then I'll be here. You can come to me no matter what."

Lilah bit her lip.

"So, we're really okay?" She asked hesitantly. Sebastian frowned.

"Of course we're okay. Why wouldn't we be?" He searched her face when she didn't answer. "Do you think I'm upset?"

"I don't know." Lilah sighed and focused on playing with the drawstring of his hoodie, twisting it through her fingers to distract her from the storm reviving in her mind. "Maybe it's just me being confused, like you said. I feel like...maybe I was using you just to feel better."

"Do you regret what happened?" His voice was impassive, not giving her any inclination to his own feelings on the matter.

"No," Lilah answered before her brain could catch up. "I wanted to kiss you. I was— I am happy. But, at the same time I don't want to make you some rebound. I like you too much to do that."

"Then you weren't using me," He said matter-of-factly. "You wouldn't care about how it'd effect me if you were...probably."

"Probably?!" Lilah pushed up from him in mock offense, hands planted firmly on his chest and legs on either side of his hips.

"Well, it's not like I'm an expert at that kind of thing." He grinned.

"Not at pep talks either."

Sebastian shrugged.

"I thought I was doing pretty well up until now, but I got kind of distracted."

"Did you?" Lilah narrowed her eyes but didn't pull away as Sebastian's hands left her back and covered both of hers.

"By how much you like me, apparently? Yeah."

Heat erupted from her chest, scorching through her veins until every part of her was doused in flame from the top of her head to her toes. She pulled her eyes away from his face, suddenly very curious about where Lumos had been hiding all this time. She scanned the cabin for any hint of his dark fur until she saw the tip of his tail twitching from behind the tv stand. She felt Sebastian's body rumble with laughter beneath her but made a point not to look at him.

"Are you embarrassed?"

"No," Lilah muttered. Hesitantly, she glanced down. He still smiled at her, one eyebrow cocked as he waited for her to continue. "I do like you. I have for a while...since the day you came to check this place out when I thought Emery broke in."

Sebastian's smile faded, his expression morphing into something unreadable.

"That night makes a lot more sense now." He sat up, suddenly gravely serious. When their eyes locked, she felt that jolt of electricity course through her like it had at the dance— sudden and overwhelming shocks that ripped the breath from her lungs and set her hair on end. "Lilah, I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that you never have to be afraid of that guy again."

"You don't have to—"

"I mean it. It sounds cringily over-dramatic now that I've said it out loud, but I swear that I mean every word." He squeezed her hands, the thundering of his heart hammering against her palm as he rested his forehead against hers. "He will never touch you again."

Lilah's heart lodged in her throat and she wasn't sure she'd be able to talk without getting emotional, though she felt like she had cried on him enough for a lifetime. She closed her eyes and nodded softly, arms sliding around his neck.

"I believe you."

She wasn't sure who leaned in first or if they both moved at once, but their lips connected and Sebastian pulled her body closer against him. There wasn't any hesitance in the way he kissed her, so full of heat and promise that it left her light-headed. His lips were fervent but unhurried, taking the time to feel her before tilting his head for a better angle. She let herself get swept away, parting her lips in invitation and tangling her fingers in his hair. His hands were adorably well behaved, one cupping her jaw and the other secure at the small of her back. His tongue dipped between her lips and mingled with hers, carefully teasing and tasting wherever he reached.

Lilah carefully let her hands roam down his chest. She went slowly, unsure if he would try and stop her or protest, but he did neither. She slipped beneath his hoodie and shirt, palms smoothing over his lean stomach and he sighed into their kiss as the undefined muscles there contracted under her touch.

They pulled back for air, lips still softly plucking against each other as they caught their breath. A devious thought to push him down onto his back wormed its way into her mind and she smiled...then the front door slammed open.

"Are you kidding me?!" Sam shouted, his face flushed as he stormed into the cabin.

"I'm sorry, guys! I tried to stop him!" Abigail hurried in after him, her own face and ears pink and she looked anywhere but her friends on the bed.

Lilah went to move off of Sebastian but thought better of it when she felt him beneath her as she shifted. His face was just as mortified as she imagined hers was, Sam and Abigail didn't need to see the whole picture. He glanced at her in silent gratitude when she settled back on his lap, then his lip curled and he glared over at the other man.

"What're you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" Sam looked as though he'd just been slapped in the face. "We've been killing ourselves looking for you after you wander off to Who-Knows-Where, only to find out that you've been here putting the moves on Lilah?"

"He obviously wasn't here the whole time," Abigail snapped, doing her best at damage control but Lilah could see her struggling.

"I ran into him on my way home," Lilah piped up. "I'm sorry I didn't come get you guys immediately, but we got to talking and—"

"Oh, yeah! Looked like it was a riveting conversation!" Sam scowled.

Abigail winced and cast an apologetic look her way.

"We were all exhausted anyway, Sam. Lilah would have had to bring him all over town to tell us since she doesn't have a phone. As long as he's back, it's all fine, isn't it?"

Sam still frowned but his shoulders deflated. He looked between Sebastian and Lilah, pink coming back to his cheeks and he shifted on his feet.

"At least...close the curtains next time," he grumbled, motioning towards the window at the foot of Lilah's bed.

Lilah groaned in embarrassment. The window would have given anyone outside a clear view of everything going on. She glanced up at Sebastian, heart pounding as she realized she really did hope there was a next time. As though he felt her eyes on him, Sebastian looked back at her. He smiled, small and reassuring, and carefully lifted her off of his lap so he could stand.

"Oh great," Sam groused, "you guys are going to be one of the gross ones, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Sebastian grumbled. "I still need to tell my mom that I'm back. Then we can go to the Saloon and I'll tell you whatever you want to know."

"You're buying," Sam demanded, straightening his jacket and turning for the door. Sebastian rolled his eyes but didn't argue, only watched as he walked away. But he didn't leave, only stood in the doorframe and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Can I have a fucking minute?" Sebastian bristled.

"Got it!" Abigail scurried over and grabbed Sam by the arm, pulling him outside and closing the door behind them.

Lilah watched them leave and sighed.

"I feel kind of bad," she admitted.

"Don't. He'll get over it." Sebastian offered his hand to her, helping her to her feet when she took it. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, Bas." She hugged him, heart somersaulting in her chest as he squeezed her to him. "Thank you for everything."

"You don't have to thank me." His eyes cut warily to the window, watching for a few moments before he seemed to deem it safe enough to lightly kiss her once more. "I'll see you later."

"Good luck."

Sebastian snorted and released her. Lilah walked with him to the door so she could lock it appropriately after he'd gone. She didn't need any more surprises bursting in on her. He pulled it open and arched an eyebrow. Sam and Abigail scrambled back away from the doorway with a yelp, shifting on their feet guiltily.

"I don't want to know." Sebastian shook his head and pushed Sam forward, leading him towards the bike waiting for them out by the shower. Abigail leaned against the door frame, watching them both mount Sebastian's bike as they bickered quietly. The engine roared to life and they sped toward the mountain path, leaving Lilah and Abigail behind to watch the dust settle long after they were gone.

As soon as the rumble of the motorcycle could no longer be heard, Abigail tilted her head, catching Lilah's attention and sporting a grin that'd make a Cheshire Cat envious.

"Sooooo, spill it. How was he?" She asked.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Lilah smiled innocently.

Abigail screamed in frustration.