DANAI

The sun streaming in through the blinds caused Danai to stir. It touched her skin, warming her face, neck, and one arm that had slipped out from underneath the blanket and sheets. She groaned, then tried to turn when she felt a weight keeping her in that spot. Nai nearly screamed when she opened her eyes, but kept the sound down as she remembered where she was and why. That memory had her pulling the sheets up over her face. 

Everitt’s arm was around her waist as he slept, as though it had been tossed there like an afterthought, and his mouth was practically in her hair. She could feel his breath on her as he slept. Danai tried to move, at least to turn over, when his thumb grazed her naked breast. She bit down the moan that threatened to leave her lips, and decided to hold his hand steady as she moved. They were under the covers, naked, together, and she had somehow forgotten that until then. Nai realised then that they’d slept naked every night, as her horny stupor had been keeping her from taking in the details of her heat.

This was the first time she was waking up in Everitt’s house without her body’s primal needs possessing her mind and overshadowing her reason. Sure, she’d been aware of what was going on and more in control of herself at certain points, but she was almost always ready ‘to go’ with him. That did things to her brain, like her thoughts were revolving around her need for release. There were bottles of water on the bedside table in front of her, as well as some towels. Some more towels were on the floor, soiled, and she decided not to investigate any further for the time being. Somehow, she hadn’t taken in the plain white walls, or the basic abstract prints on them sooner. He’d really decorated the place like it was newly on the market and being staged for sale.

After what felt like an hour, she managed to turn around and face the man in bed next to her. Everitt was still asleep, completely unaware that she was watching him do so. His expression was as relaxed as Nai had ever seen it, and his mouth had fallen open while he laid there. He looked... Beautiful. Peaceful. Danai reached up to touch his lips, carefully brushing the soft lines with the tips of her fingers. She stopped when he started stirring, but kept staring at them. 

She wanted to kiss him.

Danai looked around a bit more, hoping to find a clock, and was relieved when she spotted one on the wall in front of the bed. It was just past 10am, on who-knew-what day, and already too late for her to try to go into work. While part of her felt panicked, considering the only day she’d missed in the past few years had been due to her flight being cancelled, she also wanted to stay there and not think about the job for once. Nai made a mental note to find her phone later and figure out what her plan was.

She got up slowly, then looked around the room for something to put on so that she wouldn’t have to walk to the bathroom naked. As she tried to slip out from under the sheets, she glanced underneath them and felt her face flush. Just lifting them a little would give her a full, uncensored view of Everitt, naked as the day he was born. He laid there, breathing deeply and completely defenceless, so different from the man the commanding alpha that had... They’d been going at it for however long, she and Everitt, and looking at him just brought back memories of how he made her cry and-.

“Stop it...” Nai whispered to herself, realising her mind was going in circles. Her free hand went to cover her mouth as she tried to regulate her heartbeat. Eventually, she spotted a grey t-shirt on the floor by his desk. Nai glanced over at Everitt, making sure he was still asleep, before she slipped out from under the sheets and tiptoed over to the piece of clothing. She bent over carefully, then scooped it up.

It smelled like Ev, she noticed, as she slid it over her torso. Unfortunately, unlike some of the movies she watched growing up, it didn’t fit her like some huge, cute garbage bag, going way past her thighs. The shirt was oversized on her, but her legs weren’t model-thin, and her thighs kept the top from going too far past her ass. It was just a few inches lower than that, and if she bent over she’d most definitely be exposed. She walked carefully around the room in search of something else she could wear, something that hadn’t been thrown God-knows-where, that hadn’t been soiled by her slick or Everitt’s... 

“If you needed clothes, you could have-”

“HOLY SHIT!” Danai jumped, yelping as she clutched her imaginary pearls. Her heart nearly bursted out of her chest as the last thing she expected was for Everitt to be awake, watching her, especially since he’d been sleeping mere moments earlier.

Nai looked over at him, trying to catch her breath. “When did you-?”

“After you got out of bed,” he told her, and the way his eyes raked over her body let her know that he’d beared witness to her walking around the room. Naked.

She couldn’t look at him, the thought of being stared at in her most vulnerable state just unbearable. Danai stared into the cool wooden floor instead, hugging her arms around her body while she heard the bed springs squeaking and Everitt rustling around under the covers. The floor gave way underneath the weight of his feet, and her gaze finally came up when she heard his steps coming towards her. 

“I should brush my-. Oh,” her mouth fell open in surprise when he put a fresh shirt, pants, underwear, and a bra, nicely folded in a pile, into her hands.

After Danai stood there, quietly, staring at the undergarments, Everitt cleared his throat. “I had them washed while you were sleeping a couple days ago. You were bound to head home eventually, and I wanted you to have some of your own stuff to wear.” He ran a hand through his hair, “I put your outfit in a bag, though, cause the washing instructions looked a bit complex.”

Nai shook her head, “it’s more than enough. Thank you.”

Even though she’d already seen him naked--more than she’d seen him clothed in recent days--Nai still felt like she had to look away when the sheet he’d wrapped around his waist started to fall, revealing the hairs above his...

Everitt smiled when their eyes met, a smile that she saw in his eyes and every part of his face somehow. The man kept surprising her with his care and consideration, and her heart thumped at the thought of everything he’d been doing for her. She thought that this connection, these feelings, could not just be in her own head. There was no way, because who spent a heat with someone, took care of them, brought them food, did their laundry, and learned about their favourite things if they didn’t see them as more than a co-worker or friend?

He cut into her racing thoughts when he asked, “You wanted a toothbrush, right?”

Nai blinked, “Yeah, do you have any extra--Wait, have I not been brushing my teeth?” She touched her teeth with the tips of her fingers, then huffed into her hand. Nai was about to check her breath when she remembered that Everitt was standing right there.

He laughed, “I guess your heat affected your memory a little more than I thought.” He went over to the bathroom, and she followed a few steps behind, watching as Ev grabbed a purple manual brush from a tall ceramic container. He turned around and handed it to her, “You’ve been using this one.”

Danai gave him a sheepish smile, a little embarrassed by her fuzzy recollection. She played with the neck of the brush in her hands, unsure of what to say next. Nai had so many questions about her heat they’d spent together and what it all meant now. It felt like a little too much to get into considering they’d just gotten out of bed, and her brain was still starting up like the processor of a computer. Everitt was watching her; she could feel his thoughtful gaze and the assumption was confirmed when she looked up and met his eyes.

He put an arm around her waist, then touched her chin with his other hand. Everitt tipped her face up towards him, dipping his head down to give her a kiss. It was quick, like something they’d done a thousand times before, yet sweet, and it gave Danai butterflies all the same. Even after he kissed her, he stayed close, so close his lips were nearly touching hers when he spoke.

“You were usually half-asleep when you brushed your teeth. Well, you were half-asleep for your whole ‘routine thing’ if I’m being honest.” Everitt smiled, his finger tracing along Nai’s bottom lip. “I think it’s so ingrained that you just operate on autopilot now.” 

His eyes searched hers as she looked up at him. He whispered, “What do you remember?”

The question made her mind reel and her heart race. Images of them on several surfaces of the house— mating, laughing, talking, eating—came to mind. Her heat had been a dream, one that she could never have imagined being as wonderful as it was. Danai swallowed, her voice coming out much hoarser than she intended. “Us... Together. I just... Some of the details are fuzzy.”

She leaned into his touch when his hand moved to cup her cheek, continuing to watch him. Nai saw Everitt’s expression fall slightly, the easy smile on his face being replaced with a sad look in his eyes. She opened her mouth to ask what was wrong, but soon the look had been erased, and he smiled down at her once more.

Had something happened during her heat? Danai hated being out of control, which is exactly what a heat was. There was only so much that she could do to keep her wits about herself before her body, and her omega, took over. Being with Everitt made her feel safe, though, like he would take it all in stride and she would be okay afterwards. Still, the fact that she couldn’t recall everything had her in a slight panic. After all, she was the only person she could truly count on, and she felt she needed all the information.

Standing there with Everitt, though, she wondered if maybe she could depend on him. He had taken care of her this whole time, and even now he still was. She wanted to believe that it was fine, and she could just be there and enjoy whatever they were. 

Nai finally lifted her head, then nodded towards the sinks behind Everitt. “I’m gonna take care of my teeth.”

He didn’t say anything as she slipped past him, but she did hear him go back into his closet, and watched him in the mirror as he walked into the bathroom behind her while she turned off the running water. Everitt put his clothes on a rack near the shower, then came to the sink next to hers and brushed his teeth as well. Most of the time, she looked at the things on the counter; soap, lotion, deodorant, some scrubs. When she wasn’t doing that, and she gave into the urge to look at their reflections, their eyes met in the mirror. 

It felt like this was their routine, like they were a couple getting ready for the day together. It was during one of those times, after she averted her eyes from his heated stare, that she finally noticed her hair. It was in four large cornrows on her head, not perfect but definitely more than suitable to keep her hair protected. She knew she hadn’t done it, and figured she’d remember someone coming to Ev’s place braid her curls. Nai looked at Everitt straight-on this time, her eyes wide when she asked, “You did my hair?” 

For maybe the first time since she’d met the man, he looked boyish. Shy, like he was afraid of the critique he was expecting from her. Everitt nodded, “I hope you don’t mind, I just didn’t want it to get damaged or anything.”

The fact that he even knew how to take care of her hair, how sensitive and delicate the process could be, let alone how to braid it had Danai in awe. She could feel the walls around her heart coming down at an alarming rate and had no idea what to do about how she was feeling. 

“It’s... This is perfect, thank you. How did you even-”

“My cousins, their mom is Black. She’d let me watch while she did their hair. I’m a quick study,” he chuckled, and she laughed a little with him. She stared at him while he finished brushing his teeth, and eventually followed suit. Everitt came over and kissed her cheek before going into the shower.

She bit her lip, secretly watching him strip before he got under the running water. The glass doors didn’t leave much to the imagination, though, so she tried to focus on washing her face at the sink. Moisturiser and oil were applied as she wondered how to proceed for the rest of the day. Nai put on her bra and underwear, then the black crew neck and sweatpants Everitt had lent her. The outfit made her feel like she was on the set of Step Up 2, and she almost laughed out loud when the thought crossed her mind. 

The shower turned off, and she scurried out of the bathroom before she could watch Everitt come out naked. She found her phone on Everitt’s desk, stuffed it into one of her pockets, then tossed the toothbrush into the bag that was holding her original outfit.