Crimson & Honey

PaedynPlease. Please, please, please. I rest my head on her soft curls. The scent of honey clings to Adena. She always smells like honey. I wish that the hot liquid splattering my hands and body was honey, just like it was that night a few weeks ago—the night when I was stealing sticky buns for Adena to devour.

Next, I'm being engraved with the king's sword. Blood gushes everywhere, the crimson liquid spilling into every corner of my vision. Then I wake up—shaky, voice raw, and sweating. I don't realize that Kai is pulling me into his arms until sobs are racking my body and my tears are slipping down his bare chest.

Kai

I wake up to her screaming. Paedyn. She's thrashing in the sheets.

"Paedyn." My voice stills her rash movements. Her eyes fly open, and she stares into space for a moment. Moonlight shines on her through a crack between the curtains. She's pale, shaking, and sweating. Then tears slip down her face. I reach out and cradle her against my chest. Sobs rack her body, and I trace circles on the back of her neck, whispering, "Shh. It's okay. Everything is okay. That was a dream."

Paedyn

"Shh. It's okay. Everything is okay. That was a dream," Kai whispers to me. I sniffle and look up at him. His gray eyes are comforting, and soon enough, I drift back into a dreamless sleep.

Kai

She starts to do that little snore whenever she sleeps. I look down at her—her hair, her face, her lips. All of her is so perfect. She fits so perfectly in my arms. I tighten my hold on her.

I'm dreading work in the morning. I have to look for some criminals in the slums who vandalized the castle. I mean, really? The makeshift ink, made of plague-knows-what, came off the second the hydros came out.

I glance down at Paedyn. She's breathing deeply, and I try to match my own breaths with hers. Soon, my eyelids shut, and I fall asleep.

Paedyn

I wake to Kai getting up from bed. Our bed. I stare at his back, watching his muscles ripple as he stretches.

"Where are you going?" I whisper.

Kai looks over at me.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go find some delinquents who vandalized the castle yesterday with a mystery substance. I'll be right back, and I'll bring you a little gift when I'm home. You doing okay?"

I nod.

"Good," he murmurs as he presses his lips onto mine. He throws on a shirt and gently shuts the door.

Kai

Sweat glistens on my forehead as I hoist the last handcuffed teenager into the cart filled with hay. I always forget how polluted the air is in the slums. I nod to the Imperials to bring them to the castle for their week-long sentence in jail.

"I trust you will bring them straight to the castle. I'll be a little late, as I need to pick something up," I say.

—

I dismount my horse and tether it to a nearby post. I walk up to the lady running the flower stand next to the poppy fields where Pae and I went.

"Hello, can I just get a medium bouquet of your poppies?" I ask.

The lady, looking stunned, hurries to collect the poppies and put them together.

"Here you go, sir," she says.

I hand her four shillings before walking away.

—

"Gray, I'm back," I call out to her while knocking on the door.

I open it to find her staring at her father's diary, tears slipping down her cheeks. I slip away, placing the poppies on a hidden cabinet, then go back to her. I pull her into me until her tears stop.

"You know, I'm starting to think that you really care about me," she sniffles.

I chuckle softly while gently combing through her hair.

"Have you gotten up at all today? Eaten anything?" I ask.

She shakes her head.

"Hey, that's okay. Let's go together."

I gently lift her up and pull her into a hug. More tears slip down her face, wetting my shirt—which is fine with me, because I hate wearing shirts anyway.

"I got you something," I murmur.

Showing her the flowers, her eyes light up.

"You didn't have to," she says.

"But I did," I say back.

I press my lips against hers. Her hands guide themselves up to my hair, entangling in it. I move my hands lower to her back to pull her in more.

When she pulls away, I say, "Now, let's get you something to eat."

She giggles suddenly, a flush creeping up her neck and face. And it makes me smile.

Word Count - 746 words

Hey guys! I hope you enjoyed the story. There is more coming, I promise, I'm just working on it right now. If you have story suggestions, please please please comment them!