When Darkness Dawns

Slipping

{Kota}

"Come on, man, do you honestly think you need any more books?" Nathan sighs, giving me a look of annoyance as we pull up to the library. It's about ten minutes away from the apartment complex we just moved into with the rest of our newly-joined team, the Blackbourne-Toma team.

I just give him a cheeky smirk before replying simply, "Yup." And then I practically jump out of the car, him and Corey following along behind me, though Corey doesn't look nearly as upset about the situation as Nathan. I'm pretty sure he only tagged along because he has nothing to do today, and I vaguely remember him mentioning this new book he found on computer coding. So, even though he's a complete expert and this would probably be like relearning the alphabet, he decided to come see if he could find it here since I wanted to come today anyways.

Nathan only came because he wanted food. Figures.

We walk up to the moderately sized, brick building, nothing special about the exterior in any sense of the word, as no one ever really comes here. At least, I've seen very few people in the last two weeks that we've moved back here for an assignment from the Academy.

Stepping in, I'm struck with that very same calming atmosphere that I love so much, as well as the smell of cinnamon and happiness. I find myself unconsciously smiling at the effect it has on me. I don't even notice my eyes are closed until I'm suddenly bumping into someone and tumbling to the floor.

My eyes snap open then, but all I can see in the quick time it takes me to fall to the floor is a head of blonde hair and I feel the pressure of a small body against me. My reflexes instantly kick in and I swing us around so that I'm the one landing on the floor and the person lands on top of me, their body now pressed completely against mine. It only takes a second for my brain to catch up to all that happened so quickly, and when I finally have enough sense, I'm able to really see the person that has landed on top of me.

And shit, if my breath wasn't already torn from me from the fall, it sure as hell has been torn from me now. And suddenly I feel like I'm falling again, but this time it isn't physical. This time I'm falling into the pools of green in her beautifully haunted eyes. I'm falling into the way they're open so wide as they gaze down at me. I'm falling into her adorable button nose and her perfectly sculpted cheeks. I'm falling into the sight of her plump lips, and I'm falling into the thought of what they'd feel like pressed against mine.

I feel myself slipping away, losing all the control I've collected over the years. And God, do I love the feeling of freedom that falling brings me.

Both of her legs are on either side of me, and she does nothing to move except prop herself up on her hands, so that both are now on either side of me as well. It feels like she's caging me in, and suddenly I begin to feel like Max, my dog. I almost chuckle at the thought of barking in front of her and rolling over like a dog, if only to get a treat.

She must recognize the spark of humor behind my eyes, because suddenly she smiles, and it feels like my whole world is crashing around me.

I can't help but latch my less-striking green gaze onto her more soulful one, getting lost in her neverending eyes. And we just stay like that, with her body so close to mine, not even a foot between us. I know I'm starting to, erm, grow at the feel of this gorgeous girl's body heat radiating and mingling with mine, but I don't move even the slightest muscle in fear that this moment will be over and it'll all be like it never happened. I don't know why, but even the thought of that happening kills me.

And then I feel us getting closer, closer, closer. So close that our breaths are mingling together, and I can smell the mint on hers and something else. I think it might be vanilla? Either way, I'm unable to process the events occurring until her face is so close to mine, our lips just a millimeter apart. She's so close, I can almost taste her. If I just lean a little further, I'll--