Lara was torn. Part of her was practically begging Zavien to take off his shirt, while the other part was reminding her to steer clear of temptation. She was already close enough to feel his body heat as she applied the face mask, and it was making her head spin.
She had to admit, though, that the three-in-one product he used was doing wonders for him. But she’d only admit that to herself.
“Still time to back out,” he teased, puffing out his chest and smirking.
She paused, studying the playful glint in his eyes, wondering if he was just messing with her.
He’d been sleeping on her couch for a few days now, and they’d managed to avoid any awkward situations. Nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Sure, there were the usual accidental touches and brushes, but no kisses, no groping, and definitely no nudity.
Much to her disappointment. Or relief. She was still figuring that out.
“Well,” she started, drawing a frowning face on his cheek with the green mask. “Delia is always a bit naked when she comes over,” she said, covering her artwork and moving on to the other half of his face. “But she’s also a bit crazy.”
“That explains why you two are friends,” he said.
Lara thought about that. Her first reaction was anger (he had a knack for provoking that in her), but after a moment, she realized he was probably right.
“Yeah, I guess it does,” she agreed.
Zavien was surprisingly cooperative about the face mask, even though he kept talking and messing up its setting. Not that he needed any help with his skin. She was convinced he could smear tar on his face, rinse it off with sewage, and still have skin that looked fresh and dewy.
In a gesture of goodwill, she let him apply the mask on her. She was well-behaved, staying still and quiet as he spread the blue goop on her face. She didn’t even complain much when he put a huge glob on her forehead that dripped onto her eye.
His patience ran out when she tried to take a selfie of them.
“No way,” he said, moving out of the shot.
She pouted. “Zavien! It’s just for me, no one else will see it!” she lied. She planned to show it to as many people as she could.
“No, Lara,” he said firmly.
“Well, it’s a shame that you and Pablo will have to find somewhere else to stay,” she said, pretending to be disappointed. “It’s in the rules, after all.”
He stared at her, probably thinking she was bluffing.
“Tradition,” she added, just to make her point.
With a sigh of resignation, he moved back into the frame.
She giggled in triumph and gave a small smile for the camera, careful not to disturb her mask. Despite his grumbling, the picture turned out pretty cute. Maybe she would keep it for herself after all.
Hearing his name and Zavien’s protest, Pablo came out from behind the couch to look at them. After one glance, he snorted in disgust and ran back to his bed.
“You scared my dog,” Zavien accused.
She turned to tease him, but found there wasn’t much space to move. He was still close, his chest brushing against her shoulder, his warmth making her feel dizzy. His eyes were fixed on her face, covered in blue goop.
She thought she saw a hint of a smile under his mask, but she had applied it thickly around his mouth to keep him quiet, so she couldn’t be sure.
What surprised her was what wasn’t there. He didn’t look annoyed or bored (no more than usual, anyway). He didn’t seem resentful about being dragged into her sleepover antics. He didn’t seem unhappy at all, even though his mask was starting to droop off his chin and onto his shirt because of her heavy-handed application.
“You’re staring again,” he said softly, his voice vibrating from his chest to her shoulder and down her spine.
“Green suits you,” she murmured, attempting to tease him despite her own disarray.
His lips were now undeniably curved into a smile, but she found it difficult to muster the energy to scold him about it. Especially when he was leaning in closer, his arm casually draped across her back.
She let out a surprised gasp when his lips met hers, but it wasn’t the kiss that startled her. A large blob of green and blue goo dripped from his face onto her pants.
With a small yelp and perhaps a bit too much force, she pushed him back, her hand flat against his chest. His surprise was evident, even beneath the layers of goop.
“The masks!” she exclaimed in distress.
He studied her for a moment longer, his gaze intense. Then, he let out a groan and collapsed back onto her couch.
“Don’t be so melodramatic,” she scolded.
“The masks,” he echoed in disbelief. “That’s what you’re worried about? The masks?”
“Well, they’re not going to be effective if we squish them together and smear them around!” she retorted, huffing.
He was staring at the ceiling, shaking his head. His chin was a swirl of blue and green, with little peaks jutting out.
“They’re ruined now,” she lamented. She pouted as she leaned over him.
Seeing him so flustered was a rare sight. She found it amusing that she seemed to be one of the few who could ruffle his feathers.
“I don’t think this is the right sleepover activity for you,” she told him solemnly.
A soft chuckle escaped him, causing a gentle tremor in his body and hers as she remained half sprawled on top of him, studying his face. No longer worried about her own mask, she smiled down at him.
“Sorry to let you down,” he replied, though he didn’t seem particularly apologetic. She wasn’t really sorry either.
“It’s fine,” she reassured him. “We’ll just have to discover your thing.”
She grinned at the apprehension that was clearly visible beneath his green mask. Then, she grabbed his wrist and pulled him up from the couch, leading him toward the bathroom to clean up.
As much as his flawless skin annoyed her, she found pleasure in gently revealing it with a soft washcloth. And if having clean faces meant a bit more kissing, then that was just the icing on the cake.
