19. Roommate Gossip
19
Roommate Gossip
Ren
I eased open the door to my dorm room, holding my breath as I tried to slip inside without a sound. The hinges let out the tiniest creak, and I froze, heart pounding. The protection runes in my clothes were still glowing faintly from Dorian's touch, and I could feel traces of his magic clinging to my skin like invisible kisses. Even my own magic felt different, deeper somehow, as if our intimate connection had altered it on a fundamental level.
Grim was still trailing silver silk behind him, each strand catching the early morning light.
Please, please don't let Luca wake up...
But as I tiptoed in, there was a rustle and a click. Light flooded the room.
“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in!” Luca's grin was positively wicked as Thistle zoomed excited circles around my head, trailing sparkles in fairy dust. Even his plants seemed to be leaning forward eagerly, their leaves rustling with curiosity.
Thistle zoomed around the room, making vague kissing sounds.
Heat rushed to my cheeks. I must’ve looked a mess with my hair mussed, clothes askew, cheeks flushed. The textbook definition of a walk of shame. But I couldn’t keep the dopey smile off my face.
“Shush!” I hissed, gently putting Grimm in his terrarium before tossing my jacket at Luca.
He caught it easily, waggling his eyebrows. “Somebody got lucky last night! Spill it, Ren. I want all the juicy details.”
I collapsed on my bed, burying my burning face in my pillow to muffle a giddy laugh. I still felt like I was floating, dizzy with the memory of Dorian's hands on me, his lips trailing fire across my skin.
“He just... knows exactly what I need,” I confessed, my voice dropping to a whisper. “The way he touches me, like I'm something precious. And his magic, Luca, It's incredible. When our powers connect, it's like nothing I've ever felt before. Like starlight and honey and...” I trailed off, blushing furiously.
Luca leaned forward, fascinated. “And? Come on, don't leave me hanging!” Luca tossed my jacket back to me and leaned forward, propping his chin on his hands. “I'm your best friend, Ren. It's my sacred duty to extract every last scandalous detail.”
I peeked at him from behind my pillow, unable to contain my grin. Luca was right. He'd been my rock ever since day one.
“Okay, okay,” I relented, sitting up and hugging my pillow to my chest. My cheeks were still warm, but the giddy elation bubbling in my chest wouldn't let me stay quiet. “We had dinner at his place. Dorian cooked for me, Luca. Root vegetable tarts, roasted pears with honey…”
“Ooh, fancy! So what was on the menu? Aside from you, obviously.” Luca waggled his eyebrows suggestively.
I threw my pillow at him. “You're terrible!” But I couldn't stop grinning like an idiot. “We talked for hours. He told me about his parents and where he grew up. Did you know he was from Ireland?”
“Really? But he doesn’t have an accent!”
“He says he’s lived here so long its kind of worn off.”
“Ooh, did he flirt with you in Gaelic?” Luca asked, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. “I bet he did. Those Irish lads are smooth as butter.”
I ducked my head, feeling my cheeks heat up even more, if that was possible. “Well... he did call me something. Mo stóirín, I think it was.”
Luca's jaw dropped. He clutched at his heart dramatically. “Mo stóirín? Ren, do you have any idea what that means?”
I shook my head. “No, but I loved the way it sounded, rolling off his tongue...”
“It means 'my little treasure'! Ren, he called you his little treasure!” Luca looked like he might explode with excitement. “That is the most romantic thing I've ever heard. I can't even handle it!”
I flopped back on my bed, hugging myself and grinning so hard it hurt. “He really said that? About me?”
“Yes, you adorable idiot! He is head over heels for you!” Luca insisted.
“I can hardly believe it,” I admitted, my voice soft with wonder. “It feels too good to be true. Like at any moment, I'll wake up and this will all have been a dream.”
Luca's expression gentled. He scooted to the edge of his bed, reaching out to squeeze my shoulder. “It's not a dream, Ren. This is real. Dorian is crazy about you, and you deserve every bit of happiness.”
I smiled at him gratefully, blinking back the sudden prickle of tears. “Thanks, Luca. I don't know what I'd do without you.”
“Well, you wouldn’t have all these amazing plants to come back to every night. That’s for sure,” he teased, but his eyes were warm. “Now, don't think you're off the hook! I still want details, mister. Did you two... you know?” He made a lewd gesture with his hands.
I swatted at him, laughing. “No! Well, we didn’t go all the way.”
Luca let out a gleeful cackle, clapping his hands. “I knew it! Look at you, getting frisky with the professor. Scandal!”
“Shh! Keep your voice down!” I glanced at the door, paranoid someone might overhear. “It's not like that. What Dorian and I have... it's special. It means something. When we're together, our magic just... fits. Like two pieces of the same spell finally coming together. Even the mark on my forehead feels different now. It's warmer, less like a brand and more like...” I touched it gently, feeling the lingering warmth of Dorian's magic. “More like something that could be transformed into something beautiful.”
“Ooh, magical boyfriend energy,” Luca teased, but his eyes were soft with understanding. “No wonder the plants in here have been going crazy since you got back. They can feel how happy you are.”
I glanced around, noticing for the first time that all of Luca's plants had bloomed overnight, their flowers turning to face me as if drawn to the residual magic still clinging to my skin.
Luca reached out and ruffled my hair affectionately. “I can see how happy he makes you. And that's all I want for my best friend.”
I smiled. Luca always knew just what to say. With him by my side and Dorian in my heart, I felt like I could take on anything.
Even the looming mystery of the sacrificial mark on my forehead didn't seem quite as daunting. I absently reached up to trace the raised lines, shivering at the tingle of latent magic.
“Hey,” Luca said gently, catching my hand. “Stop worrying about that for now, okay? You've got Dorian to help you figure it out. He won't let anything bad happen to you.”
“You're right,” I said with a small smile. “Dorian promised we'd get to the bottom of it together. We're going to attempt summoning the spirit connected to the mark during our next private lesson.”
Luca's eyes widened. “Whoa, really? That's hardcore! But if anyone can pull it off, it's you two.” He grinned and punched my shoulder lightly. “My brilliant necromancer bestie and his dreamy professor beau, unraveling ancient mysteries and kicking ghostly ass! You’re on your own little gothic romance adventure. I love that for you, bestie.”
I laughed, his silly dramatics chasing away the lingering fear clinging to my shoulders.
I shook my head with a smile. A yawn caught me by surprise and I stretched, suddenly aware of the fatigue settling into my bones. It had been a long, wonderful, emotionally charged night.
“All right, that's enough gossip for now,” Luca declared, flicking off the light. “Beauty sleep awaits! I expect more details once you’ve had your nap, though, mister.”
“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, already burrowing under my blankets. “G'night, Luca. And... thanks.”
“Anytime, Ren. Sweet dreams of your silver fox professor,” he singsonged.
I was too sleepy to even dignify that with a response. As I curled on my side, hugging my pillow, I found my thoughts drifting to Dorian, as they so often did these days. The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled. How his arms felt wrapped around me. The gentle timbre of his voice murmuring sweet nothings in my ear...
I fell asleep with a smile on my face, my dreams filled with soft laughter, warm caresses, and eyes the color of emeralds. For the first time in a long while, I wasn't afraid of the mark on my forehead or the mysteries it held.