Sky woke to warmth—beneath her, around her, and pressed close beside her.
For the first time in a long time, the cold didn't reach her bones. She was swaddled in Ayana's quilt, the scent of sandalwood still lingering faintly in the sheets, and the soft rhythm of breathing at her back. For a moment, she simply breathed with it.
Then memory returned.
The night.
The touch.
The trembling ache of surrender.
And Ayana's voice—gentle, grounding, calling her back to herself.
Sky blinked slowly, adjusting to the golden light seeping through the curtains. Her body felt weightless, like she'd let go of something heavy in the dark and hadn't picked it back up. Her muscles ached in a pleasant, unfamiliar way. It was strange, how safety could soften even pain.
She turned over slowly.
Ayana was still asleep, one arm tucked under the pillow, the other resting across Sky's hip. Her face was relaxed, lips slightly parted, her hair a quiet storm around her.
Sky studied her—really looked.
She noticed the faint scar near her collarbone, the one Ayana had never spoken about. She noticed how peaceful she looked when her walls weren't up. And she noticed the way her hand still rested on Sky like a promise, even in sleep.
Sky's heart thudded, soft and nervous.
She reached out, letting her fingers trail lightly down Ayana's forearm. She hadn't thought her body could memorize someone so quickly.
Ayana stirred and blinked open her eyes. "Hey."
Sky flushed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"You didn't." Ayana smiled sleepily. "I was already almost there. I just didn't want to leave the dream yet."
"What were you dreaming?" Sky asked.
Ayana reached up to tuck a strand of Sky's hair behind her ear. "That you stayed."
Sky swallowed. "I did."
"I know." Ayana's smile faded into something more serious. "But you've stayed before. And then you disappeared. That part always wakes me up."
Sky looked down at the quilt. "Last night felt… too good. And that scares me."
Ayana nodded. "Me too."
There was a long pause.
The kind that felt like it needed a bridge built across it, but both people were too afraid to move.
Sky broke the silence. "What happens now?"
Ayana sat up slowly, the sheet slipping slightly down her back. "Whatever we decide. Together."
Sky's voice was soft. "Is that allowed? I mean… with you being my professor?"
Ayana sighed, rubbing her face. "Technically, no. Ethically, it's complicated. But emotionally… I'd rather be honest than careful."
Sky's lips twitched. "That sounds like something you'd write on a mug."
Ayana grinned. "Don't tempt me."
Then her smile faded into something gentler. "I don't want you to feel like you have to figure everything out at once. We don't have to name this. We don't even have to explain it. But I want to keep showing up for it. For you."
Sky leaned into her shoulder. "I want that too. I just don't know how not to run when things start to matter."
Ayana kissed the top of her head. "Then we'll figure it out one morning at a time."