Bedtime

I lay next to Blake's warm body, we are back to back. He's reading in the light of the little lamp on his nightstand and I'm pretending to sleep.
I can't stop thinking about Mace and all the confusion he is causing me.

I need to tell Blake.
He said if Mace ever does something to tell him.
Therefor I must.

"Blake?"
I murmur.

"Hmm?"

"M-Mace, he did something"
I hear the book slam shut. He turns his body towards me quickly and grabs my shoulder, yanking me around to face him.

"What did he do? Did he touch you? he hurt you?"
The grip he has on my shoulder hurts.

"N-No, he was in my room..."

Blake blinks at me, waiting for me to go on.
"He was reading my book that grandmother gave me, he said 'Such venomous fangs they possess, cruelty is what they express' which is from one of the poems" I say quickly.

He just looks at me for a moment, before letting me go.
"Well that's strange, but it's not against the law to read your poetry. The only thing I have a problem with is he being in your room, I'll tell him to stay away from it" He kisses my forehead.
"Anything else?"

"Well..he just seems a little weird"

He chuckles lightly.
"Don't fret, I'm sure he's no harm"

I sigh and lean back into his chest, not quite satisfied with his assuredness.
"Blake, please tell me a story" I whisper closing my eyes. I want to forget Mace.

"Which one?"

"The with the flower, that grandmother used to tell"

"Well once there was a poor girl in a far away land, she lived in tiny house and didn't have much. All she had was a flower garden, she spent all her days tending to it. She loved watching it grow and bloom, she loved the colors.
One hot day, she was out watering them went a handsome rider on a beautiful white horse road by her.
He asked for some water for him and his horse, she obliged and gave them water.
For pay he gave her a small seed and told her it would bloom to be a grate flower.
She took it gladly and the rider went on his way.
She planted it and waited and waited and waited some more.
She began to doubt it would grow at all.
One winter morning she went outside and found the most beautiful flower she had ever seen.
It was bright blue with a glittering petals and a shimmering, silver stem.
It grew and grew and soon there were 12 of the beautiful flowers.
She picked 11 of them gave 10 of them to each person she loved.
It took her 3 days, but with the kindness and help of her friends, she found the rider. She gave him the flower and a kiss as a thank you for giving her the most precious thing she'd ever owned.
He fell in love with her gentle consideration and married her.
The end"

I smile up and him as he finishes, I know this is not a story he likes, but he has told it to me because I like it.

"What does that story mean?" He asks, as always.

"Nothing, because not every story has to have a meaning, some stories are just stories" I say what I have always said when he asked that question. Reaching up I kiss him lightly on his cheek.

I look at him for a minute.
I wonder if...

My lips press against his, like they did the other night, except this time, it's not an accident.
He pulls away in surprise.

"Sorry, did I do it wrong? I thought-"No babydoll, you didn't do it wrong, it's just, I don't think we should do that"

"Why? does it not feel good?"

"I-It feels very nice, that's not the point"

"Why can't I kiss you Blake?" I sit up so I'm half in his lap. My mouth is very close to his.

He's breathing shifts and he licks his lips.
"It's wrong Farrah"

If it's wrong, then why doesn't it feel bad?
I try one more time, hoping he won't get mad.
This time he doesn't pull away.

A hand rests on the middle of my back, softly moving in little circles.
After a long while, he pulls away, his eyes closed.

Gently, Blake pushes me off him and to the side.
"Go to sleep Farrah, please, just go to sleep"