Chapter 23: The Morning After [bonus]

Chapter 23: Chapter 23: The Morning After [bonus]

Daniel woke slowly. The first thing he noticed was the warmth. It was pleasant. Comfortable. The kind of warmth that made him want to burrow deeper into sleep and never come out. He was dreaming, he realized. A good dream. A perverted dream. The kind of dream he usually had when he was alone in his bed back home, with the door locked and the lights off.

Then he noticed the weight.

Something was pressed against him. Something soft. Something warm. He opened his eyes and looked down.

Lyra was cuddled against his side.

Her head was resting on his shoulder. Her arm was draped across his chest. Her leg was tangled with his. She was breathing slowly, peacefully, her face relaxed in sleep. She looked... content.

Daniel’s brain short-circuited.

Okay, he thought. Okay. This is happening. This is fine. This is totally fine. Just... think of something else. Something boring. Something that won’t make this awkward.

Minecraft.

He pictured it. Blocky trees. Square pigs. Creepers blowing up.

Free Fire.

He pictured that too. Guns. Explosions. Victory royales.

Novels.

Hot novels.

Hot novels with—

No, no, no. Bad brain. Bad.

Grandma’s soup.

He tried to picture it. Warm broth. Fresh vegetables. Steam rising from a bowl.

Wait. He didn’t have a grandma. She died before he was born.

Oh, that’s great. Not the die part. The part where he could think of sad thoughts.

He focused on that. Death. Sadness. Funerals. His own mortality. Anything to keep his body from reacting to the girl pressed against him.

It worked. Mostly.

"Umm," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "Lyra? You might catch a cold. You should probably get back on the bed."

Lyra stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. She blinked, confused for a moment. Then she realized where she was. Her head was on his shoulder. Her arm was around his chest. Her body was pressed against his.

She jolted upright like she had been electrocuted.

"I’m sorry!" she gasped, scrambling backward. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to. I just... I was cold. And you were warm. And I... I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry. Please don’t..."

Daniel held up a hand. "Lyra. It’s fine."

She stopped. Looked at him. Her face was bright red.

"It’s fine?" she repeated.

"Yeah. It’s fine." He smiled. "Really. I just didn’t want you to get sick. That’s all."

Lyra stared at him for a moment. Then she nodded slowly, pulling her knees up to her chest. She looked small. Embarrassed. Daniel felt a pang of sympathy.

"Hey," he said. "Don’t worry about it. Seriously. We’re partners now, right? Partners share warmth."

Lyra’s lips twitched. "That’s... not how partners work."

"It’s how this partner works."

She shook her head, but she was smiling now. The tension had broken.

Daniel stretched, his joints popping. "Okay. Here’s the plan for today. First, I need to bathe, brush my teeth, and eat something. Then, I’m going to teach you the art of scamming."

Lyra frowned. "Scamming?"

"I mean haggling. Bargaining. Whatever you call it around here."

She tilted her head. "What’s there to teach? You just... ask for a lower price."

Daniel grinned. "Oh, you sweet summer child."

"I’m not a child."

"You’re naive. That’s worse." He stood up, brushing dust off his clothes. "Remember the innkeeper? How I got the room for one copper?"

Lyra nodded. Then her expression shifted. "I don’t want to do that type of thing. It will make the other person feel bad."

"The innkeeper deserved it. He was an asshole."

"That’s true," Lyra admitted. "I liked that part. But still. I don’t want to be mean to people who don’t deserve it."

Daniel walked over to her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. "Lyra. Lyra. Lyra. Naive little Lyra."

She frowned. "I’m not little."

"In life, you have to be smart. You have to play your cards right." He leaned in closer. "Otherwise, you’re going to be the one being scammed. And trust me, there are plenty of people out there who will happily take advantage of a pretty, blind girl who can’t see them coming."

Lyra’s frown deepened. "I’m not blind anymore."

"Exactly. So now you have no excuse."

She opened her mouth to argue, but Daniel was already walking toward the washroom. He grabbed the door handle, then paused. He looked back at her.

"By the way," he said. "I’m going to bathe now. Don’t come in."

Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Why would I come in?"

"No reason."

He stepped into the washroom and closed the door. Then, without any shame whatsoever, he stripped off all his clothes. No underwear. Nothing. He just dropped everything to the floor and stepped into the small tub.

Lyra, meanwhile, sat on the bed, completely oblivious. She had been blind her whole life. The concept of modesty in situations like this was different for her. She didn’t think anything of it. She just sat there, waiting.

Daniel washed quickly. The water was cold, but it was better than nothing. He scrubbed the dirt and blood from his skin, washed his hair as best he could, and then stepped out. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist.

Then he looked at his clothes.

They were filthy. Covered in sand, sweat, and dried blood. They smelled terrible. There was no way he was putting them back on.

He opened the door and poked his head out.

"Hey, Lyra?"

She looked up. "Yes?"

"Do you have any clothes I can wear?"

She blinked. Then a slow, teasing smile spread across her face. "Only if you like wearing short skirts, gowns, or tight leggings."

Daniel stared at her. "I will stick with the towel."

"Suit yourself."

She stood up and walked past him into the washroom. Daniel watched her go, then sighed. He sat on the bed, the towel wrapped around his waist, and stared at the wall.

The washroom door opened a crack.

"Daniel?"

"Yeah?"

"I’m fine. I want to do things myself from now on. On my own."

Daniel’s face twitched. He forced a smile, even though she couldn’t see it.

"Okay. That’s fine. No problem. No problem at all."

The door closed.

Daniel sat there. The towel was his only covering. His clothes were ruined. Lyra was naked in the next room. The door was right there. All he had to do was look.

A war raged in his mind.

One voice: Go take a little peek. Just a glance. She won’t know. She can’t see you. What’s the harm?

The other voice: Don’t do it. You’re better than that. She trusts you. She just pledged her life to you. Don’t be a creep.

Daniel clenched his fists. "Damn it," he muttered. "If I had a phone, I could solve this issue with no issue."

He was about to give in. He was about to listen to the evil voice. He was about to do something incredibly stupid.

Then the door opened.

Lyra stepped out, dressed in a new outfit. A simple dress, pale blue, that hugged her figure in all the right places. Her hair was brushed. Her face was clean. Her eyes, now seeing, were bright and clear.

She looked beautiful. More beautiful than ever.

Daniel stared. His mouth fell open.

Lyra noticed. Her cheeks turned pink. She looked down at herself, then back at him.

"So," she said. "Are we going to the library now?"

Daniel blinked. "No."

"No?"

"You have to pass my test first."

Lyra frowned. "What test?"

Daniel stood up, adjusting his towel. "First, we’re going to get me some clothes. And you’re going to be the one doing the haggling. If you can buy me an outfit for less than fifty percent of the original price, I’ll read you any novel you want. Out loud. As long as you want."

Lyra’s eyes lit up.

"But if you fail," Daniel continued, "you read it yourself."

Lyra’s expression shifted. Determined. Focused.

"Deal," she said.

Daniel grinned. "Then let’s go."