Her breath came fast and shallow. Her cheeks were flushed from exertion. A strand of violet hair had escaped her ponytail and fell across her forehead.
"This isn't training," she said quietly.
"Then what is it?"
"I don't know."
"That's a first."
"Shut up."
She kissed me.
Not the aggressive demanding kisses from yesterday. This was softer. Almost hesitant. Like she was testing something she didn't fully understand.
The drain stirred automatically. I felt her Essentia at the edge of my awareness, warm and familiar now. Vanilla and frost with fire underneath. The taste I'd come to associate specifically with Noel.
I kept the drain closed. Barely. It took more effort than it should have.
She pulled back after a long moment. Her eyes searched my face for something.
"That wasn't in the training plan."
"Probably not."
