By Kayla Matt

Sari’s emerald eyes flutter open as pinpricks of sunlight appear on her face. She pushes a few locks of her dark blue hair out of her mouth while snuggling closer to the warm, slender body next to her. Her smooth legs entwine with the bare legs that feel like they are giving off waves of heat under the blanket. The gypsy drapes her arm over the other sleeping form, interlocking her fingers with the callused digits of her partner. A sigh of contentment rises from her lips as she nuzzles into the sweet-smelling hair on her pillow. Sari is beginning to fall asleep again when she feels a sudden pain in her fingers. A low growl rolls from her sleeping partner, who is slowly crushing the gypsy’s hand.

“Why are you in my bed again?” Nyx asks before letting go of Sari’s hand.

“I was lonely and we used to share beds when we were kids,” Sari mutters in the voice of a scolded child.

“We aren’t kids any more and you have a new playmate.  Where is Luke anyway?” Nyx asks, her violet eyes becoming narrow, drowsy slits. Her eyes grow wide when Sari pushes against her back. “More importantly, where are your clothes?”

“You’re naked too,” Sari points out with a little whimper. “At least I’m wearing undershorts, Nyxie. They might be Luke’s, but I’m wearing them.”

“This is my room,” Nyx growls, inching away from Sari. “I run very hot, so I sleep naked for comfort when I have the luxury. By luxury, I mean when I have a private room and the door is locked from the inside. You might want to explain that little mystery while I’m still deciding on if I should or shouldn’t launch your semi-clothed butt out the window.”

“Do you really think a simple door lock can stop me?” Sari playfully asks. She hooks a leg around Nyx’s waist when the half-elf starts to struggle. “You even think of launching me out the window then you’re coming with me.”

Nyx can feel the pressure from Sari’s immovable body and goes limp as a silent act of defeat. “You win, Sari. I promise not to embarrass you as long as you explain to me where Luke is and why you’re in here wearing his underwear.”

“Luke went out for a morning run,” Sari explains, refusing to pull away from Nyx, who is incredibly warm to the touch. “As for my clothes, they’re on the chair by the door. You’re so warm that wearing all of my sleeping clothes makes me wake up in a pool of sweat. Is it really so bad to wake up like this? It isn’t like I have parts that you haven’t seen before.”

“That isn’t the point!” Nyx exclaims, a magical wind whipping her black hair over Sari’s face. “My spine hurts from you hugging me so hard and having those . . . boulders crushed against my back. I thought those things were only supposed to cause back pain to the girl who has them.”

“My partner always told me that they were like pillows,” Sari interjects. She yelps when Nyx flips around, tiny flames rippling around the half-elf’s lips. “No need to use magic, Nyxie. I swear on Cessia’s coins that next time I will wake you up and switch positions. I’m built more like a spoonee than a spooner and you’re definitely built look a spooner.”

“There won’t be a next time, Sari. After today, you sleep with Luke or you sleep by yourself,” Nyx says with a hurt expression on her face. She nervously shifts under the covers and pulls the sheet up to her chin, fighting the urge to compare her body with Sari’s.

Sari pouts and inches closer to the mellowing half-elf. “Don’t be like that, Nyxie. A big bed like this is lonely, so I feel that I’m welcome in your bed until you have a man to share it with.”

“Then, we’ll be sharing a bed until we’re old maids,” Nyx laughs, immediately regretting the comment.

“How many times are we going to have this conversation?” Sari asks with a mischievous smirk. She slinks her hand toward Nyx, but the blanket magically pins her arm down. “You’re a woman who is beautiful, powerful, intelligent, and so many other positive attributes. The only reason you don’t have a man is because you never put time and effort into the game of love. It has nothing to do with your temper, your rough hands, your small breasts, or whatever else you might consider a negative.”

“My hands are rough because I’ve spent the last three days making you a magical dress,” Nyx argues. She adopts an expression of mock fury, which quickly melts away as she stares into Sari’s eyes. “Listen, Sari, I know I could get a guy if I put my mind to it, but I’ve yet to find one worth pursuing. I’m not lonely or depressed like you think I am. I might not be happy and . . . intimate like you and Luke, but I’m content with my life.”

“Don’t get me started on Luke and intimacy,” Sari suddenly declares, rolling onto her back and pulling the blankets over her. “We haven’t even kissed since the first day of the celebration and sleeping in bed with him is so uneventful. I have no idea what’s going through his head or why he’s pulling away from me. It’s so damn frustrating!”