Chapter 287: Just sleep
Brandon lay sprawled across the bed, his chest rising and falling with slow breaths.
His body ached everywhere because of the deep soreness that came with pushing his ether and muscles past their limits.
Naevora sat beside him on the bed, one leg folded under her and the other bent lazily at the knee.
Without a word, she pressed her fingers into his shoulders, kneading with care.
Brandon let out a low groan as her thumbs pressed into the knot of muscle under his shoulder blades.
"Ahh… damn, that's good," he muttered with half-closed eyes.
"You're… a lot gentler than I expected."
Naevora chuckled softly, her hands sliding lower across his back and her thumbs drew slow circles into the ridges of tense muscle.
"if I don't take care of you now, you'll be useless tomorrow."
He gave a faint laugh, then winced as her fingers dug deep into a sore spot near his ribs."Careful! That-ahh- hurts…"
Her hands moved to his arms, kneading the strain out of his forearms where his daggers had nearly slipped from his grip earlier.
Every press of her fingers drew a twitch from his muscles, his body betraying how badly it needed this.
For a few minutes, the only sounds in the room were the creak of the bed and Brandon's unsteady breaths as the pain gradually eased into something bearable.
When she finally pulled back, Brandon rolled onto his back with a heavy sigh, staring at the ceiling. "... Haa, that was good."
He turned to look at Naevora, who was sitting, wearing a tank top and high shorts showing her ample thighs.
With a smile, he asked "Can I get a massage from those thighs too?"
Hm? She glanced down at her thighs and smiled 'warmly' "Sure, why not? Since you worked hard... Consider it a reward."
---
"Wai- Waittt- that hurts."
Brandon's muffled groan vibrated against the soft warmth pressing on either side of his head.
His hands instinctively came up against Naevora's toned thighs as she locked him in place.
"Haaa-!" he gasped as her thighs tightened around him.
Naevora tilted her head, "Mm? Hurts, you say?"
Her thighs flexed just a little harder, making him grunt. "But weren't you the one saying that you like my thighs?"
Brandon tried to twist his head, but the crushing softness wouldn't allow him even that much freedom. "I- yeah- but not like this! Not when you're trying to crush my skull in half!"
Naevora chuckled and her grip loosened for a moment, just enough for him to catch his breath, before tightening again.
"You like them soft and warm when they're draped over you, hmm? But not when they squeeze?"
She leaned back on one hand, arching slightly so her thighs pressed against his ears.
He groaned again, "Naevora… for real- hngh... if you keep doing this, I'll actually pass out!"
Brandon flailed helplessly for a moment, his hands sliding from her thighs to her hips.
She finally eased up, her thighs slipping away from his head.
Brandon immediately rolled to the side with an exaggerated gasp, sucking in lungfuls of air like he had just escaped drowning.
"You're insane," he muttered hoarsely, glaring at her from the pillow.
Naevora, on the other hand, stretched lazily, crossing her arms behind her head "Mmm, you're just too weak. My thighs are a blessing; you should be grateful to even be between them."
"Grateful?!" Brandon groaned, throwing a pillow at her chest, which she effortlessly caught mid-air and smiled as she hugged it casually.
Brandon rolled his eyes, turning onto his side and flopping into the mattress with a sigh "…Good night."
Naevora blinked at him and, for a moment, she thought she misheard "Wait… You're going to spend the night in my bed?"
He nodded without hesitation, moving closer until his body brushed against hers "Let's sleep together…"
The boldness in his voice caught her off guard.
Her golden eyes widened slightly and a faint blush dusted her cheeks, almost unnoticeable in the dim light... but it was there.
"You…" She huffed, trying to regain her composure.
Rubbing her temple, she nodded "Alright …If you have any perverted thoughts, brat, I'll crush your skull."
Brandon just grinned, "I'll take the risk."
Before she could retort, he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
She stiffened, but his warmth seeped through, and before she realized it, her body relaxed against his body.
Brandon pulled the quilt up and over them, cocooning them both in its soft warmth.
He nestled against her side with a small, satisfied sigh.
Naevora lay on her back, staring at the ceiling for a few moments in silence.
Her lips curled into a faint, gentle smile.
"…Good night, Brandon."
---
The morning sunlight filtered faintly through the curtains, casting a soft, golden glow over the room.
Naevora stirred and her lashes fluttered as she blinked awake.
Her muscles felt relaxed and the weight of warmth pressed against her chest made her blink again.
Her eyes drifted down.
The boy was fast asleep, breathing evenly with his face buried into the valley of her cleavage like it's the most natural pillow in the world.
His lips brushed faintly against the curve of her breast every time he exhaled.
His arms were wrapped firmly around her body- no, not just around her body.
One hand rested boldly on the curve of her waist, while the other had slipped lower, firmly cupping the roundness of her ass.
Naevora froze and her lips parted slightly as a heat rose in her cheeks that she did not expect. "...You little brat."
She tried shifting just slightly, but his grip only tightened, his hand squeezing her without even realizing it.
His brow furrowed faintly, as if in protest of her moving away, and then he buried his face deeper into her chest with a soft sigh, rubbing his cheek against her softness.
A shiver ran through her body 'Why am I... flustered? I just need to push him away...'
Her eyes softened against her will.
She stared down at him, his messy dark hair, his youthful features so relaxed and peaceful.
She lifted a hand, hesitated, then gently brushed her fingers through his hair "...Idiot," she muttered.
Her gaze flicked again to his hand resting on her ass with his fingers spread possessively.
Her lips twitched "Brave in your sleep, aren't you? If you were awake, I'd crush you for this."
Still, she didn't move his hand.
Instead, she sighed, pulling the quilt up higher around them.
Slowly, she leaned back against the pillows, letting him remain pressed against her chest.
Naevora closed her eyes again with her cheeks tinged faintly pink 'Just for this morning... only this once.'