The Wanderer - 225

[A/N: Hey guys, I have been away from home for a couple of days and had hardly any time to write and no WiFi. Still, I managed to write two rather difficult chapters that will have a great impact on the story and another chapter that was just fun. Enjoy!]

Chapter 225 – Peck

[2009 – October]

Waking up exactly five minutes before the alarm was supposed to go off, my mind turned on like clockwork, feeling a soft and familiar weight atop my chest.

I knew that it was Jean without having to open my eyes, the sound of her breathing and the frequency of her heartbeat having been etched into my memory. Raising my head a bit with my eyes still closed, her flaming locks brushed against my cheek as I took a deep breath of her flowery scent.

My head falling back into the soft pillow, I couldn't help but turn to my left, my eyes opening while my right hand moved to softly caress Jean's back as if by instinct.

Curled up into a little ball, her head buried in my side, her hands tightly clutching my shirt even in her sleep, Laura was laying just next to me, her breathing soft and peaceful.

I wasn't quite sure how this came to be before I remembered that after we had returned from the city last night, both she and Jean had been a bit hungry and we had a quick midnight snack after all of us had taken a shower and put on our sleepwear.

Midway through satiating her hunger though, Laura had fallen asleep while having sat on the kitchen counter next to Jean, her head resting on my Firefly's shoulder.

I had then taken the little she-wolf into my arms and had aimed to take her to her room but Jean had instead told me to not bother with this and just let her sleep with us, which I had evidently agreed on.

It was quiet in the bedroom this early in the morning, the opened window letting in a slightly cold yet lively breeze of fresh air, flickering rays of sunlight drawing wide bright lines across the large room.

Jean's lithe form was almost bathing in the warm morning rays even while still hidden beneath the blanket, her flaming locks looking especially beautiful at this moment while her eyelashes caused a few delicate shadows to fall on her soft cheeks.

Laura on the other hand was mostly shielded from the morning sun by Jean, her curled-up form seemingly seeking only my warmth while avoiding the bright rays.

The quiet sounds of their breathing and the slow beating of their hearts were the only things that filled the silence of this morning, giving me a strange but powerful sense of peace.

Through my Extrasensory Perception that went beyond my five senses, I could feel their presence gently entangled with my own as if melding into it. There was no feeling of hesitation or disharmony, almost as if this was the most natural thing, as if they simply couldn't be guarded against me.

Even while they were asleep, I could sense the blind trust that the two of them had in me, their desire to be with me equally overwhelming.

Instinctively, I couldn't help but wrap my presence around them protectively. And almost immediately, I could feel the effect of what I had done as a soft sigh escaped Jean's lips while every bit of tension left Laura's curled-up form and she just melted into my side.

I wasn't sure that there existed words to explain how natural and peaceful this moment felt to me, and I almost managed to forget how complicated my relationship with Laura was since I was with Jean already, whom I loved beyond any standard of measurement.

As for Laura? I knew without a shadow of a doubt that we were more than friends even if we weren't lovers. I was still careful in keeping myself in check though, even though it was getting harder as the lines that kept us from being more intimate seemed to blur at times.

Strangely though, while this seemed to be a slippery slope despite my mental fortitude and caution, things were slowly changing between Laura, Jean, and me.

I wasn't sure what it was exactly but there was this faint sense of harmony and belonging when all of us were together, similar to what I was feeling right now – a beautiful sense of peace.

Ultimately, I had no idea where this would lead to but I was willing to find out under the premise that neither Jean nor Laura would be hurt in the process. Naturally, this wasn't an easy thing to ensure in any case but I was determined to try anyway while letting things flow as naturally as possible.

After all, how could I be deserving of their affection and concern if I didn't even have the intention to protect them?

Like I had told Laura before, I wasn't a prophet and couldn't see the future. But I believed in the 'Cycle' and knew that my intentions mattered as they would eventually guide me down a path that was either filled with regret or one that was free of it.

And no matter what would come of this, I didn't want to look back at this moment with regret in the future, and neither did I want the two of them to do so.

Admittedly, this was a very selfish thought but not one that could be dismissed so easily. Or at least, I couldn't.

Either way, turning back wasn't an option, so I could only forge ahead as the future unraveled itself bit by bit while trying my best to not lose sight of what was important to me.

Suddenly the alarm went off and pulled me out of my thoughts as I felt Jean and Laura stirring in their sleep, their consciousness returning from the land of dreams.

…

Her eyelids fluttering open, Jean felt comfortable all over as she felt Elijah's warmth seep into her while she lay buried in his chest.

His warm palm had sneaked under the oversized shirt of his that she was wearing and was caressing her back, his fingers gently running up and down her spine, brushing over her soft skin as she quietly moaned and sighed in incredible comfort.

With him having opened his mind to her, she had no problem feeling his limitless love for her and the underlying desire, which burned quietly and promised untold intimacy. Being a telepath, those thoughts and emotions felt as real to Jean as the strong heartbeat that she could feel beneath her slender palm.

They also awakened her own desires even if she was still a bit sleepy, causing her to have some naughty ideas pop into her mind about snaking her way down Elijah's body and giving him a little morning 'surprise'.

Still, it took her less than a second to feel another mental presence in their bedroom beside Elijah's, Arya's, and her own.

Turning her head, Jean saw Laura, her eyes half-lidded as she stretched like a lazy cat before snuggling up against Elijah's side again, looking incredibly gorgeous and sensual while she did so, her whole presence giving off an overwhelming sense of comfort.

Though the dark-haired she-wolf froze up a bit as her eyes met Jean's, a 'caught'-look on her face as her eyes opened fully and she truly took in her surroundings, realizing for the first time where she was.

Jean couldn't help but laugh lightly when she saw Laura like this, the usually confident girl seeming a bit lost and almost panicky, her happy and relaxed presence becoming a bit unstable as she seemed ready to withdraw.

The safety of Elijah's embrace giving her seemingly unlimited courage and confidence, Jean acted more out of instinct than with conscious thought as she moved forward and left a little peck on Laura's cheek, her own cheeks taking on a fierce blush while she laid back down on Elijah's chest.

Jean wasn't sure why she had done that herself but something in her heart had clenched painfully when she had felt Laura's presence faltering in fear of rejection.

“Morning.”, Jean whispered quietly, looking at the dark-haired girl with somewhat shy eyes.

Laura stilled for a moment, eyes wide in astonishment before her green irises lit up with soft affection, a watery look in them as an incredibly rare true smile bloomed on her lips like an opening flower.

Jean could sense it clearly, in that moment, Laura's mind opened up to her in a subconscious act of utter trust, her emotions pouring out like a glittering rainbow as she rested her head on Elijah's shoulder and replied quietly yet melodiously: "Morning Jean."

Her breath got caught in her throat as Jean felt the other girl's emotions as clearly as she could feel Elijah's, her eyes widening as she 'experienced' the exact moment that Laura truly and irrevocably fell in love with her.

Overwhelmed, Jean didn't know how to react to this sudden development as she looked shyly at the gorgeous dark-haired girl when her love leaned down and kissed her good morning, the tender touch of his lips helping her calm her tumbling heart a bit, before he addressed the two of them, his arm that was wrapped around her waist under her shirt pulling her even deeper into his embrace.

“We should get ready if we don't want to be late for school.”