Seep Into Me Slowly

[Chapter 14]

Tatiana got out while smirking, thinking her plan became a success. She got back to her room, picked up her paper and pencil before she skipped all the way to Silas' study. She opened the door grinning, until she reached there, balancing her mug of hot chocolate on the base of the window pane. She settled in next to him, Silas watching her dutifully with hock eyes. She stared up at him "What? If you don't want me, I'll go.." She said then proceeded to get up when he nudged her down.

"I didn't know you draw?" He asked eyeing the sketch paper in her hands. She tucked a loose strand of hair that managed to escape from her ponytail behind her ear, before answering "It's not full on drawing. I like to sketch" She offered nonchalantly "I didn't know you read books?" She mirrored his position, her turn to interrogate him. He smiled at the gesture and answered "I like to read books" With a slight shrug of the shoulder. They both stared at each other endlessly before erupting into fits of laughter and giggles. Having heard the other first time openly laugh, they couldn't help but admire the other.

Silas admired her beautiful laugh, the way her nose scrunches up when she does so. The way her hair sways from shoulder to other in her neat ponytail. Her cheeks became more prominent whenever she laughed, which made him want to tackle her to the ground with fits of tickling, although he pushed the idea down. On the other hand, Tatiana couldn't help but adore the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, narrowing into cute little unrecognizable slits. His lips would tug upwards and his already huge chest would broaden up more. His hair would often fall into his eyes, and she thought more than once about brushing them back for him, maybe run her fingers through his shiny onyx hair, but she pressed the idea down.

They finished their hot chocolate and lapped in the silence, each turned to their respective hobbies. Him training his eyes back to his awaiting book, while she pinned herself determined to sketch something out. They each worked silently, side by side. Minutes turned to hours and the same position they've been in wouldn't work anymore. Throughout time, they shifted more times than countable, eventually ending in a weird intimate position.

He was laying on the loveseat, back against the wood, a book in his hand, while she laid her head on his lap, continuing with her drawing. He had one hand in her hair, the ponytail long gone, the rubber band on his wrist. He ran his fingers through her silky hair, liking the feeling of softness while scratching her skull for her. He was much better at being able to concentrate on the book now, that he had her in his lap. She breathed calmly, clearly enjoying the treatment she's receiving, and it wasn't long before she fell asleep innocently.

He closed down his book, leaving a bookmark where he left off, and set it aside before carrying her in his arms to her room. She didn't stir thankfully, and he brought her down gently onto the bed. After that, he contemplated laying down with her but he didn't want to overwhelm her. She didn't ask for him to do so, besides there was no storm tonight to cause her to need him. He sighed after covering her with the blankets and retreating back into his own room. He laid down on bed, bringing his hands behind his head. He couldn't seem to drift to sleep. His mind preferred to stay awake and fantasize about the beauty laying a few doors away from him.

He tried shifting positions, twisting and turning, but to no avail. His mind was awake and it refused to surrender to the palms of sleep. It was in the dead of the night when he felt the door to his room open a bit, before a figure he was too familiar with stood there clutching the handle. "Did I wake you up?" She asked in a little voice, he shook his head no.

"What happened?" He asked worriedly, she pursed her lips and looked down in embarrassment "I couldn't sleep" She muttered lowly.

He smiled and opened his arms wide for her "Come here". Upon hearing these magical words she skipped all the way to the bed laid there where he made space for her. He engulfed her in his arms, she nestled into his safe embrace. "Another nightmare?" He asked. She nodded confirming. He didn't want to ask what they were about or what caused them, because he tried to in the past and it was evident to him that she wasn't ready to talk about it. He sensed something traumatic happening, just not sure what to pinpoint it as. Anyway, he wouldn't press her for information, leaving her to share at her own pace.

"Si?" She called out to him from his chest. He hummed to let her know that he was awake, listening. "Remember when you asked me what my nightmares are about?" She started and he nodded comprehensively. She took that as her sign to follow through "Well, I think I'm ready to tell you, not everything, but some things, that's a start right?" She looked up at him from her lashes, he nodded while tightening his hold on her "I'll listen and I'll be patient. I'll listen to everything you say intently and I'll be patient for everything you don't" He assured and her heart melted at the sweetness.

"So, do you know why I had to get married in the first place?" she started while gulping down the nightmarish memories. They seemed far far away, she didn't want to go back and relive them, but it was necessary for her to do so in order to move on. She needed to be completely honest with him. What if, what if he didn't want her after she told him everything? What if he felt disgusted with her as the rest of society? She gulped the intrusive thoughts down. She needed to do this no matter what the outcome was.