Page 97 of A Soul to Touch

The sound of a whine startled Mayumi awake, her eyes snapping open before they immediately drooped.

He’s whimpering again.

This wasn’t the first time she’d accidentally been woken by Faunus having a bad dream. Although his cries were light and quiet, the sound of them woke her when he squeezed her a little too tight at the same time.

Currently, her forehead was pressed against the cushion of his pectoral muscles squeezing together. He was on his side with his arms around her.

His lemongrass and lime scent made it so hard to keep her eyes open. It always lulled her, always pulled her under.

Her mind was usually sharp, even when having sex. For him to have this power over her was alarming, but she’d come to justaccept it. It’s not like he could help how she reacted to his scent, or his heat, or that damn gravelly voice that always had her insides flipping.

Yowling quivered out of him, and his claws clutched in before releasing her.

I never knew Duskwalkers could have nightmares,she thought as she slowly lifted to sit, hoping not to wake him.Or that they could even dream.

She stared down at Faunus, whose body gave violent twitches. It was no surprise that she’d woken, especially since this time seemed to be a lot worse than others.

Her groggy, dozy gaze flittered to the dying fire.

She eventually turned back to Faunus and tilted her head while leaning over him, balancing her weight on one arm.

What’s bothering you, Faunus?

He’d given her absolutely no insight as to why he was wary of a few things. He didn’t like short knives, nor fire, nor the bath. He was particular about sniffing her food to make sure it wasn’t poisonous, and he didn’t like her being buried beneath anything – other than his own body.

Mayumi brushed the backs of her fingers over the side of his jawbone, hoping it might ease him. The arms around her tightened like he felt her touch, almost tugging her closer before they settled.

Should I wake him?

She decided against it. He deserved his rest, especially since he was always so attentive towards her and her body at night.

I really like him.This Duskwalker was worming his way into her stone heart even though it had been impossible for any man before him.

Faunus didn’t crowd her, but he was always present. He was so damn lazy that if she didn’t give him a task, he’d just layaround her home while watching her. He seemed content to just... do this.

And he was funny, in a weird way. He was playful and teasing, but he was also solemn in other moments. He was serious when he needed or chose to be. Passionate, possessive, and domineering, but would also allow her to take control if she really wanted.

He was a bunch of conflicting aspects, like he wanted to be everything all at once. Gentle and rough, caring and nonchalant, lazy but hardworking.

I never know how he’s going to react,she thought with a silent, singular laugh.It makes him fun.

She was so used to people being predictable and having ulterior motives. It’d never been hard to guess theirs, but she still hadn’t unravelled his true reasons for being here.

She just... she was hoping he didn’t plan to disappear.I want you to stay.

She took in the ethereal, unholy, yet bewitching features of his bony face. Despite his glowing orbs, his large but empty eye sockets were dark, like they were filled with constant shadows. The arch of his feline brow bone, the dents of his cheeks. His fangs always took her attention, so sharp and menacing, and she often felt the desire to kiss the side of the longer ones.

I want to learn more about you.Sometimes he was willing to share everything, and then other times, he was vague.

His stories felt like there were parts that were redacted, information hidden.

What are you hiding?

Mayumi lifted her hand higher, brushing up his snout and then over the side of the crack in his face – being extremely gentle so as not to hurt him at all. It was always sensitive, but she knew that sometimes, if you tickled near a wound, it could feel nice rather than painful.

Red orbs sparked to life.

The moment she felt the sharp edges of the crevice on his face, Mayumi was shoved to her back. A large hand gripped her throat tightly andsqueezed,cutting off her ability to speak and breathe. Her gasp was rendered into a curt choke.

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