Embers (Scales 'N' Spells 4)

Really, there were a lot of reasons to kiss Nikki.

Gunter framed their thin face with both his palms and leaned in, capturing their sweet mouth with his own. Nikki jerked a little under his hands, but their arms latched around Gunter’s waist, happily leaning into him.

The dragon side of Gunter made a happy rumbling sound. Kissing Nikki was good. Do that more. Gunter was in perfect agreement on this. Kissing Nikki was so sweet, and the hot mingling of breath tingled along his nerves. This was different than those teasing kisses. Those had left Gunter wanting. This kiss was pure, selfish, and hungry. But it wasn’t enough, he wanted Nikki plastered right up against him. With the height difference between them, it frustrated Gunter.

He trailed his hands down a slender back, finding the back of Nikki’s thighs and wrapping his hands around them. With a single hoist, he lifted Nikki up effortlessly, erasing the height difference.

Nikki gasped, hands flying up to latch around Gunter’s neck, then smiled against his mouth. Gunter tasted the smile, feeling a wave of happiness that Nikki so obviously liked kissing him.

“Phew, I need a firehose for these two,” Cassie commented. “Gunter? Hey, Gunter, don’t pin poor Nikki to the nearest wall, okay? There’s no door here, remember?”

Damn. That was right, the door was kindling on the floor right now. Gunter drew back, leaving his forehead touching Nikki’s. “Come properly to my room this time.”

Nikki beamed from ear to ear as they whispered, “Okay.”

“And stay the night, no sneaking out this time,” Gunter demanded. He was thoroughly sick of the sneaking out.

“Wait, you knew?!”

“Of course I did. No more sneaking out; stay properly in the bed with me.”

Nikki’s joy couldn’t possibly be brighter. “No sneaking out, I promise. And you’ll keep kissing me?”

“Oh, trust me,” Gunter rumbled, his dragon rumbling to life inside him, “I’m not done kissing you.”

The next morning found Nikki curled up at Gunter’s side. Gunter was fast asleep on his back, still dead to the world, looking peaceful for once. Usually Gunter frowned a little—ever so slightly—as he concentrated on his books or his research. It was rare to see his face smoothed out. It made Gunter look so much younger.

Nikki loved this moment, basked in it, really. They were snuggled in against Gunter’s side, feeling the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the warmth pouring off his skin. It crystalized in their mind, the sensation of being welcomed into Gunter’s bed like this. Nikki could only hope it became more routine in the future. Surely, after the way Gunter had pinned them to the bed last night, kissing and kissing Nikki like he couldn’t get enough, it meant Nikki had finally gotten over that hurdle. Surely, Nikki and Gunter would now start dating properly?

The alarm went off next to Gunter’s bed. Gunter flailed awake, swore at it in some language Nikki couldn’t begin to identify, and slapped at it. Then he flopped back, dislodging Nikki again, only to blink up at them. “Oh. Hi. Morning?”

“Good morning,” Nikki murmured. For a split second, they weren’t sure of their welcome.

Gunter gave them a small, warm smile. “I much prefer you cuddled in with me rather than lurking at the edge of the bed. Just for the record.”

Nikki about collapsed in relief. “Me, too. Um, want me to get you something? You look really hungover.”

With a pained moan, Gunter drew a pillow over his face. “Please and thank you.”

“Right. Um, try to get in the shower? I’ll fetch something and be right back.”

Really, Nikki wanted to cuddle and bask in having Gunter, but it clearly wasn’t the right mood for it. Gunter wasn’t feeling well, they had to meet Dimitri soon, and there just wasn’t the time Nikki wanted.

Which sucked, but Nikki was (supposedly) an adult. They could deal. Gunter’s well-being too precedence anyway.

Rushing about to get a hangover cure together, showering, and getting clothes on took up all the time. It wasn’t the way they wanted this morning to go. Not only because they wanted to linger in the moment, but because they had a few concerns, too.

Gunter was in rough shape. Like, ragged, probably-shouldn’t-have-crawled-out-of-bed shape. They also weren’t entirely sure how much Gunter remembered of last night.

Nikki remembered every glorious second of being held in the dragon’s arms and being kissed absolutely senseless. Gunter had wound down eventually, and they’d ended up cuddled together on his bed, falling asleep that way. Nikki had mixed feelings about stopping where they had but were glad in the end they’d stopped there. Gunter had been very, very drunk, and anything farther than a steamy make out session wandered into dubious consent territory. Honestly, Nikki was happy Gunter had finally made a damn move. And while they would prefer it if Gunter remembered all that as well, it didn’t matter too much because Nikki fully intended to make out—and much more—again and again and again.