Ravela's Attempt at Sneaking Out

“What a goddamn twit.”

The sound of my voice woke me up. It was morning.

Direct morning light wasn’t pouring in—there was no sun here—but the light of the layer’s fixtures was leaking in through the grated skylight. My mouth was dry. My shoulder was warm.

I turned my head slightly and saw Ravela, curled up beside me, still asleep. Her hand was splayed gently against my chest like she'd claimed it in her sleep. Her lips were parted just barely, her breath slow and steady, and a few strands of her hair had fallen over her brow.

Every cell in my body screamed hallelujah but I stayed perfectly still.

The goddess's cuddling was gracing me with holy warmth, and the last thing I wanted was for her to wake up and realize what she’d done. If I was lucky, she’d scoot away in her sleep and I could treasure the memory without making it awkward.

I let my eyes shut again, heart hammering way too fast.

These moments… these were the moments that would finally put me in the grave.

As much as I hated the devs for the prologue, the actual events with the love interests were so heartwarming and cute; they’d make an old man have butterflies. If moments of that caliber were in my future… A guy could dream.

I suddenly felt her shift, snapping me out of my fantasies.

She sat up.

My breathing steadied. I didn’t move. I kept my eyes closed, controlling every twitch of my face with the focus of a monk.

Ravela didn’t say anything. She just sat there. Couldn’t feel her moving. Maybe she was still sleepy.

Then—barely a breath of contact—her lips brushed my forehead.

My heart stopped. She had kissed my forehead. Pretty much as good as blessing me for the day.

Then I heard the creak of the bed as she stood. Then came the rustling of clothing as it slid along a body. Buckles clicked. Fabric tightened. The smooth rustle of a coat being tugged into place.

I didn’t peek. I was an honorable fanboy. It would not do for me to tarnish sacred moments with petty sins.

The door opened.

Silence. I could relax and bask in my good fortune.

I heard her take a step, but then a “Tch” reached my ears.

She stomped back into the room and grabbed my shoulder.

“Hey,” she said sharply. “It’s morning.”

I blinked up at her, rubbing my eyes like I’d just woken up. “Mmmn. Morning, Ravela.”

Her hair was still slightly tousled, the one streak of white hair even more eye-catching than usual. Her coat was only halfway buckled. Her cheeks were just barely flushed. She looked both stunning and extremely annoyed.

“I’m heading out for the day,” she said with a briskness meant to create distance.

“Right. Got it. Thanks.”

She turned to leave, but I raised my voice just slightly.

“Hey, Ravela?”

She paused. “Yeah?”

“I don’t think you’re annoying.”

That hit her harder than it should have.

She visibly slumped like the words had weight. Her head swiveled, then she exhaled with a groan and turned back.

Red-faced, she sat down on my stomach with a heavy thump.

“Ooof—but I’ll take it, ma’am.”

“Stop that. Don’t enjoy it so much,” she muttered.

Then—after a moment—she leaned forward and kissed my forehead again.

I was so stunned I didn’t notice when she righted herself again.

“I’m going to keep an open mind,” she said. “And see what happens. But don’t get ahead of yourself. I’m only going to make an effort of being sweet with you in the mornings. That’s it. That’s the deal. If you sleep through it, it’s on you.”

I grinned. “I’ll take it.”

“And,” she added, eyes narrowing slightly, “I’m not telling anyone about your ambitions with the other two. Including the two in question.”

My breath caught. “Oh?”

“Yeah. Because if I decide you’re not worth the trouble and cut you lose, I don’t want to make it impossible for you to find happiness with someone else.”

What a kind sentiment. It made me look upon her with awe.

She stood up again, brushing her coat off like she was brushing me off. Her lips were trembling and a smile existed in flashes of moments. That was more than I needed to know that I was doing something right.

She glanced down at me one more time. “Sleep in if you want. You’re supposed to be recovering, right?”

Then she was gone.

And I lay there, one arm behind my head, staring up at the ceiling lamp like it had just blessed me. But we all knew that the lamp had nothing to do with it—if I was blessed, it was all Ravela.