Jayden noticed the silence behind bins and
also find Arianna trying in stifle
“What’s so funny? I’m being completely serious here”
She roughed lightly, bating back her laughter. “I just did want to hug you while you were working.
She followed him inte the Eving room, watching as he methodically assembled the cat tres and arranged the herbs with the formed precision of shrone who’d spent years in mirefly,
nok at you bring all patient and detail extented,” the sail, geminely ingressed. “You’re gonna make such a good boyfriend”
“Look
Jayden’s h bands froze on the cat bed he was Buffing, his ears turning red
“Hate to break it to you, but this boyfriend is already spoken for,” he said, not trusting himself to look at her.
When he didn’t hear her usual quirk comeback, something coll twisted in his stomach. He glanced over his shoulder
Arianna was crouched on the flour, her face drained of all color, one hand pressed to her chest as she fought for breath.
Pure tergor slammed mto blou like a freight train.
“Tuck–Aruanno” He was beside her before he’d even processed moving, his hands shaking as he pulled her against him and fumbled for the emergency medication stashed under the coffee table. Come on, baby, stay with me. Take this,”
His heart was hammering so hard he could barely hear anything over the blood rushing in his ears. This was his worst nightmare–watching her slip away right in front of him, being helpless to stop.
The minutes crawled by like hours unther breathing finally evened out and some color crept hack into her cheeks
Only then did Jayden remember how to breathe,
“This is exactly why I told you to take st
take it easy,” he said, his voire coming out harsher than be meant it to Fear always made him angry–it was easier than admining how fucking terrified he was “I tell you your heart couldn’t handle the stress, and you just ignored me.”
Arianna managed a weak smile, still leaning against him. “I’m okay now. I promise listen next time.”
But Jayden was genuinely pissed off–not just at her, but at this whole goddamn situation. The past few days had been so perfect, so blissfully normal. that he’d almost let himself forget how fragile she was. How easily she could just stop breathing and never start again
Seeing her collapse like that had ripped open every wound from the past ten years, every nightmare about losing her that had kept him awake in medical school
When he stayed quiet, his jaw clenched tight with barely controlled emotion, Ariana looked around desperately for a way to break the tension
Her eyes landed on Orange, who was cautiously investigating his new cat tree.
“Drange!” she called, scooping up the confused kitten and holding him out toward Jayden like some kind of furry peace treaty. “Quick, help me apologize to the scary man!”
Orange, who had absolutely no clue what was happening, just wiggled in her grip and let out a tiny, bewildered mew,
The sight of her trying to use a kitten as her lawyer was so completely ridiculous that Jayden felt his anger crack and crumble.
“You’re unbelievable,” he said, shaking his head as he gently rescued Orange from her hands. The kitten immediately curled up against his chest, apparently deciding Jayden was safe. “Fine. You’re forgiven. But only because you have excellent legal representation”
Before he could launch into another lecture about taking care of herself, Arianna held up her right hard like she was in court.
“I solemnly swear on Orange’s tiny little life that I will not lift anything heavier than a coffee mug over again!”
“You better fucking mean that,” he muttered, but his voice had gone soft and fond mead of sharp
Taww neith. Wear Baders The Cruel Summer Took Everything
By evening, they’d finished setting up all
paws twitching as he dreamed.
While jayden cookrit. Ar laima planted herself on the floor next to trange’s sleeping form, alternating between adjaning his mat gently stroking his orange har
“He’s not going anywhere, you know,” Jayden said from the kitchen, watching her with barely encridedaminement. “You don’t have to keep na
Arianna looked up with eyes so full of pure joy it made his chest tight. “hit look at those little the beam! And his tiny ears! How in mathing perfect even real?”
“Very cute,” Jayden agreed, but he wasn’t looking at the cat. He was watching the way Arianna’s whole fare transformed when the gas happy–New someme had lit her up from the inside.
She caught him stating and her cheeks went plak, but she didn’t look away.
After dinner, Jayden was at the sink washing dishes when he felt arms slip red his waist from behind
His hands stilled on the plate he was scrubbing, his heart doing something complicated in his chest.
“Siner when are you the touchy feely type?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady even though every nerve in his hody had just caught fire
He felt her tense slightly behind him, like she was second guessing herself.
“We were just friends before,” she said quietly, ber voire muffled against his back. “Best friends, but still just friends”
Jayden set down the dish and pulled off his rubber gloves, his poke racing. He turned in her arms so he was facing hee, his hands settling on her waist like they belonged there.
His voice dropped to something rough and intimate. “So what are we now?
