I stirred awake slowly, the morning light soft and warm as it filtered through the curtains of my room. For a moment, everything felt surreal—like last night had been a dream.
But the slight ache of my body and the small, warm presence beside me were all the proof I needed.
I glanced over, and there was Ciara, still sound asleep, her normally sharp, piercing features softened by sleep. Her white hair spilled across the pillow, framing her face, and for once, she looked at peace.
The events of last night drifted back to me, a fresh blush creeping over my cheeks. I had never expected to go that far, at least not so soon. And yet… it had felt right.
Everything about Ciara, from her slightly arrogant smirk to her surprising tenderness, had felt right. Even now, I could feel the little bites and hickeys she had left on my skin, reminders of just how intense things had gotten.
I pulled the covers up a little, trying to hide the evidence even though she was the only one here to see.
As if sensing my thoughts, Ciara stirred beside me, a small, sleepy groan escaping her lips as she stretched lazily.
Her red eyes blinked open, still a little unfocused as she turned to me. I felt my heart skip a beat, a mix of excitement and embarrassment bubbling up.
"Morning, sunshine," I teased, my voice a little quieter than usual.
Ciara grumbled, her voice hoarse with sleep. "Too early for that much enthusiasm." She rubbed a hand over her face, only to stop mid-motion and glance down at me with a smirk. "How're you feeling? Survived your first night with a demon, huh?"
I rolled my eyes, though I couldn't hide the smile tugging at my lips. "Barely," I replied, trying to keep my tone light. "I'm pretty sure I'll be finding bite marks for a week."
Her smirk grew, and she sat up, the sheets pooling around her waist. "Hey, can't blame me. You were irresistible." She leaned in, pressing a soft kiss to my shoulder, and I felt my face heat up all over again. This morning felt like a dream, one I didn't want to wake up from.
After a few more sleepy exchanges, I forced myself to sit up, tugging the sheets around me. "We should probably… you know, eat or something. Recharge." I felt silly for how awkward I sounded, but Ciara just chuckled, clearly amused.
"Sure, but only because you're the one saying it. Left to me, I'd stay here a bit longer." She gave me a mischievous look that sent a thrill through me. "But I could eat."
After we managed to get out of bed and into some semblance of morning attire, we made our way to the kitchen.
The house was silent, which I found strange since my parents usually left some indication of their absence. But I couldn't focus on that right now, not with Ciara beside me.
I set about grabbing some bread, eggs, and other ingredients, all while trying to ignore the way Ciara's gaze seemed to linger on me, a sly smile playing on her lips.
"Stop staring," I muttered, trying to sound annoyed, though I couldn't hide my smile.
"Can't help it," she replied, leaning against the counter with an ease that made me feel like she belonged here. "I mean, here you are, making breakfast like a proper little housewife. Kind of adorable."
I shot her a glare, though it was ruined by the laugh that slipped out. "Oh, shut up."
But she wasn't done teasing. "What, no special breakfast-in-bed treatment? I thought that was customary after last night." She gave me a wink, and I swatted her shoulder playfully, trying to keep my face from heating up again.
"You're insufferable," I muttered, though secretly, I loved this playful side of her.
The breakfast itself was a bit of a mess. Between Ciara's attempts to "help" by stealing bites of bread and offering unhelpful advice, and my own distraction from her closeness, I was amazed we ended up with anything edible at all.
We eventually settled at the small table, with Ciara munching on a piece of toast she'd over-buttered, looking oddly proud of herself.
"So," she said between bites, "I'm guessing last night wasn't the grand disaster you feared, then?"
I nearly choked on my tea. "Who said I was afraid of anything?"
Her eyebrow arched, that familiar, infuriating smirk making another appearance. "Please. I know that look in your eyes, all wide and nervous. Cute, but you looked ready to bolt." She reached over, placing a hand on mine. "Glad you didn't."
Her words caught me off guard, and for a moment, I just stared at her. There was a warmth in her eyes that I wasn't used to seeing, a softness that made my heart skip a beat. "Yeah, me too," I replied, my voice softer than I intended.
We finished breakfast in a comfortable silence, though I couldn't help but glance at her every now and then, amazed that this was the same Ciara I'd heard so many stories about.
The heartbreaker, the demon princess with a rebellious streak… and here she was, looking at me like I was the only person in the world.
Just as we finished, the sound of a car pulling up outside made me freeze. I glanced at Ciara, who looked equally surprised, though a bit more amused than anything.
"Expecting someone?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No," I replied, a bit too quickly. I stood up, peeking out the window, only to see my parents stepping out of the car. "Oh no… they're back."
Ciara chuckled, clearly finding the situation hilarious. "Relax. I'm sure they'll be thrilled to see us here together, especially after last night's escapades."
I shot her a horrified look. "Don't even joke about that. I'm not ready for that conversation."
She just shrugged, clearly enjoying my discomfort. "Well, ready or not, here they come."
As my parents walked through the door, I felt my heart drop into my stomach. This was not exactly how I'd pictured them returning especially not with the night Ciara and I had just shared fresh in my mind.
To make matters even worse, my little sister, Lily, bounded in behind them, all bright-eyed and full of energy.
"Hey, big sis! Hi, Ciara!" she chirped, flashing us both a toothy grin. Then her face scrunched up, eyes squinting as she zeroed in on me. "What's that on your neck?"
I felt my face go beet red as her eyes went wide. Lily tilted her head, looking far too inquisitive for a nine-year-old. "It looks like a bruise… or maybe a bite? Did you get hurt?"
My mother gasped, then, faster than I could blink, she was at Lily's side, clamping her hands over her eyes. "Lily, sweetie, maybe don't look too closely at your sister right now," she said, a bit too brightly.
Ciara stifled a laugh behind me, and I elbowed her discreetly, shooting her a "please don't make this worse" look. She just smirked, not even a little sorry.
"Oh, come on, Mom!" Lily whined, her voice muffled through my mother's hands. "I just want to see if Aeliana needs, like, a doctor or something!"
My father cleared his throat, giving Ciara and me a pointed look. "Maybe we could… all head to the kitchen?" His voice was even, but the way he shifted uncomfortably told me he was definitely trying to wrap his head around this situation.
My mother nodded eagerly, tugging Lily along with her. "Yes, let's go get some tea, shall we?"
Lily pouted but finally shrugged. "Fine, but only if there are cookies too."
As we all filed into the kitchen, I avoided my parents' eyes as best I could, already feeling the embarrassment prickle up my neck.
My mother released Lily and gave me a gentle but exasperated smile. "You know, Aeliana, I expected you to bring Ciara over, but I didn't expect… well…."
Ciara couldn't resist. "Don't worry," she cut in, that playful grin back on her face. "I made sure to take very good care of her."
I felt my face burn again, and I grabbed Ciara's arm, hissing under my breath. "You're not helping!"
She just winked. "Who, me? I'm just being honest."
Meanwhile, Lily had hopped up onto a stool, looking between all of us with a look of confused curiosity. "Why is everyone acting so weird? Did something happen?"
My father chuckled awkwardly, clearing his throat as he picked up the kettle. "Just… grown-up stuff, sweetheart."
Lily rolled her eyes. "You're always saying that! Grown-ups are so weird." She pouted again, crossing her arms. "And I still want to know what happened to Aeliana's neck."
My mother visibly flinched, and I noticed her casting a subtle glare at Ciara, though there was a hint of humor in it. "Lily, honey," she said, attempting a gentle tone, "sometimes people get… er, marks when they're, um, spending time together."
"Like play wrestling?" Lily asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wrestled with Jonah at school last week and got a bruise too!"
"Something like that," Ciara said, barely suppressing a laugh. "But our wrestling is… let's just say it's different from yours."
My parents both groaned at once, and I buried my face in my hands, feeling like I could die of embarrassment right there. I'd never live this down. Never.
At that, my mother quickly guided Lily back toward the living room, doing her best to dodge any further questions.
She glanced over her shoulder with a look that said, We are definitely talking about this later.
When they were out of earshot, my father, bless him, tried to stifle a chuckle before giving Ciara and me a resigned smile. "I suppose this means you two have been… getting along quite well, then."
Ciara met his gaze with complete confidence. "You could say that, sir. Very well."
I felt a mix of mortification and laughter bubbling up. Somehow, in the midst of the awkwardness, I could sense my parents' support, even if they'd have preferred a slower pace.
As flustered as I felt, a small smile crept onto my face as I looked at Ciara, grateful that I wasn't navigating all this alone.