Perception

Part 79

Sang POV

Feathery brushes against my lips wake me. Fully awake but with eyes still closed, I enjoy Kota's spicy scent, and the light brush of his fingers through my hair. Since my head is angled backwards on the back of the couch, I don't seem to have any drool that leaked out as I slept. 

"Sweetie, did you want to wake up?" he whispers against my lips.

I find myself incredibly thankful that I brushed my teeth before sitting down. I can still taste the mint in my mouth. My lips pull up in a smile, and I inhale deeply noting the mingling scents of cinnamon and apples, and meatloaf. My eyes fly open in alarm, and I use my hand to push Kota away while I sit up. Even in my panic, I knew better than to fly forward with him sitting there.

"The food!" I say loudly before scrambling up. Kota wraps his arm around me, before I make it off the couch, and kisses me senseless. Pulling away, he smiles before nuzzling my hair. 

"It's okay, I took it out when the timers went off. I also drained and mashed the potatoes. All we have to do is bake the green bean stuff for about a half hour, then everything is done," he murmurs into the side of my head. I didn't hear the timers!

"Oh, thank goodness. That's the second time I fell asleep on the job today," I mutter, and sink back onto Kota's lap where his hands steer me. His abdomen and chest shake a little as he silently laughs.

"Don't worry about it, sweetie. You were just following doctor's orders. I spoke with Doc and Nate. Nate'll be staying for dinner too now that they know how much food you've made. Gabe, Silas, and Vic might show up too," Kota adjusts his glasses and smiles at me.

"Almost all of us. Too bad North has to work," I tell him sadly.

"Don't worry, sweetie. Now that Hendricks and the others are all rounded up and waiting to be arraigned, we're officially done at Ashley Waters. We'll have way more time for all of us to come out here--probably showing up at different times with our days freed up. Hendricks' facing two separate arraignments now. Doc is pressing charges, and it's likely the prosecutors will go for attempted murder on top of assault with a deadly weapon," Kota trails off as a strong shiver makes its way down my spine.

The miniscule hairs all across my body stand on end, and my face starts to tingle. I inhale slowly, deeply, and hold it for eight seconds before releasing it just as slowly. It's not really a panic attack; it's the realization that beneath all the fear and worry I'm pretty mad that they didn't keep their promise of no one getting hurt. Logically I know that such a promise was unreasonable.

I'm not going to start our lives away from that hellish school holding a grudge, I tell myself firmly, but I worry that I'll have trouble believing any claims of 'perfectly safe' missions from now on. Anxiety starts to build, and is pushed away when Kota presses his mouth to mine. Using his lips, he pulls my lower lip I've been abusing with my teeth from my grip. I had been biting it so tightly that it stung when I released it. I gasp at the twin sensations of the pain from my stinging lip and pleasure from Kota's kiss. Kota's hands reach into my hair as he positions me where he wants me and deepens our kiss. 

I snap back to the present and focus on our mouths. Everything else fades away as we spend an unknown amount of time playing with each other's lips and tongues, exploring the other's mouths while smoothing our hands over shoulders, arms, backs, and heads. While there were the butterflies that I associate with a more intimate form of excitement, what we are doing is soothing, and almost playful. Kota lifted me out of my black thoughts with his presence and steady care. Pulling back, I feel my love for this boy filling me from toes to top, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's shining from every pore on my body.