The Winds of Autumn Ch. 06

Warning: This is a slow burn novel that doesn't have much sex in it, especially at the beginning. Though there are temptations at the beginning, the actual sexual themes don't really get going until later on in the story. It's a bit different from one of my normal stories. If you are wanting really raunchy sexy, this probably isn't your story. This is much more of a love novel.

Chapter 6

After the moon completed its job for the night, providing the world a guiding light for Daniel to help Emma through her difficult reliving of the past, it made its way out so the sun could take over, leading to new beginnings.

As the honorable man opened his eyes, a subtle smile came over his face when he noticed his adorable roommate sleeping peacefully, like an angel. Though they had shared a bed, and nothing sexual occurred, never before had he felt so close to her.

He had already cherished every moment they spent together since he stumbled upon her during the downpour of an ugly night. Now, knowing what brought her down such an ugly path, he saw her in a new light, and valued her more than words could ever describe.

Eager to take care of Emma, he slowly slid out of bed, hoping not to disturb her well-deserved slumber. After the emotions she shared during their fateful night, he wanted nothing more than to help her recover from the traumas of her unfortunate past.

As her eyes slowly opened, Emma immediately looked around, confused that she was in bed alone. However, once her nose was greeted by the delicious smell of bacon and eggs, she noticed Daniel cooking diligently in the kitchen.

After a good stretch, she quickly pulled herself out of bed, eager to greet her warm-hearted roommate. She walked up to him with a subtle smile before saying, "Good morning, Daniel."

"Good morning, Emma," the man responded before increasing his work rate with the food sizzling in his pan. "I hope you're hungry. Breakfast will be ready in just a moment."

Red in the face, Emma began twiddling her fingers. "You know... you don't have to keep doing this for me..."

"Doing what for you? Making breakfast?"

"Yeah... You've done it every day this week..."

This actually wasn't their first morning together after sharing a bed. The event from that fateful night had happened a week prior. Still, even though Daniel agreed to sleep with Emma to comfort her during her emotional time of need, they ended up sleeping together every night since.

In their minds, they had moral reasons for sharing a bed. Emma didn't like the idea of Daniel sleeping on the floor, and Daniel figured he was still providing Emma some sort of comfort by not abandoning her.

Secretly though, the real reason they kept sleeping together... although they didn't want to admit it... was simply because they wanted to. And just like Daniel enjoyed sleeping in the same bed as Emma, he also enjoyed making her breakfast, which he needed to clarify with her.

"There's no need to feel guilty," he expressed, pulling out plates so he could serve her the delicious but basic meal he whipped up. "It's actually kind of fun to cook... And I like the idea of making you breakfast..."

"Just one more question," the young woman started as she stared at the ground, too nervous to make eye-contact. "Are you sure you're not just waking up early... because you're uncomfortable sleeping in the same bed as me...?"

A blush came over the man's face, and his arm started to shake as he handed her the plate. "That's not the reason I'm waking up early... I'm actually sleeping just fine... being right next to you..."

There was an awkward silence as Daniel attempted to find the words to further explain how he felt. Deep down inside, he didn't want to stop sharing a bed with her, unless it made her uncomfortable. However, he also didn't want to come off too eager, in case she found his behavior creepy.

Putting him at ease, Emma took the plate from him while smiling. "Well, I actually really appreciate you making me breakfast every morning... even though you don't have to," she explained as her cheeks grew red with embarrassment. "And... I've been sleeping much better... being so close to you..."

They both started to chuckle nervously, before brushing the awkwardness off so they could enjoy their breakfast. Now, sitting at the coffee table, it was time to address the next path they would be traversing together.

"I'm sorry if this is an odd question, but do you think it's going to feel strange spending Christmas with me?" Daniel asked while pouring two cups of coffee.

Emma's face grew red again as she started thinking about spending such a special holiday with the man she had grown so close to. However, it wasn't Christmas events like parties or gifts that had her feeling so warm inside. All she wanted was to continue spending all of her days doing normal activities with Daniel, such as hanging out, watching television, and going on walks together.

"I think it'll be great, because I'm happy everyday I spend with you," the shy woman admitted before turning away, embarrassed. Then, hoping to stop herself from sounding too needy, she further explained, "We don't have to do anything special..."

Secretly, Daniel appreciated how needy the young woman first seemed in that moment. He never wanted to see her in a state where she had to rely on anyone but herself, but after noticing how nervous she looked when admitting she wanted to spend Christmas with him, he couldn't help but notice how stunningly adorable she was.

Understanding that Emma was already uncomfortable, Daniel did his best not to take advantage of her while she was still in such a vulnerable state. Changing the subject, he asked if she minded tagging along as he ran a few errands that day. Once she agreed though, he couldn't stop himself from appreciating how vital she had become in his life in such a short period of time.

I don't know why I can't bring myself to tell you this, but... I'm really glad I met you, he said silently while staring at the young woman, eating her breakfast. We've only known each other for a short time... but... I'm really glad you're in my life.

Staring down at her food, Emma was also unable to contain her thoughts of appreciation for the man who had taken her in. I don't know why I can't say this out loud, but... I'm so glad I met you... And it's not because you've given me a place to sleep, and it's not because you saved me when I was breaking down...

Without a word, they both looked up into each other's eyes, and silently spoke...

I'm glad I met you because... I really enjoy being with you.

***

Yet another quiet evening together for the man and woman. Daniel was starting to grow comfortable cooking food. He even dared to venture beyond breakfast, hoping to impress the normal chef of the house.

Though Emma still hadn't grown comfortable accepting favors all the time, she couldn't help but experience a warmness in her heart as she accepted a bowl of stew from her honorable roommate. However, the guilt inside of her from having one of her chores taken away forced her to address the subject.

"You've cooked every meal for me today," the young woman expressed as she drooled over her warm soup. Then, looking at the man, who appeared so proud of his work, she asked, "Do you not like my cooking anymore or something?"

"Oh, it's not that," Daniel urged as he placed his own bowl on the table they were sharing. "You're still a much better cook than I am. I just wanted to do this for you."

"I hope you don't feel obligated to cook for me. I can't imagine you were making yourself nice meals like this before I moved in."

"You're right," the man explained, shrugging his shoulders. But then, without even thinking his words through, he continued, "Maybe I just enjoy taking care of you more than taking care of myself."

An awkward silence filled the air as Emma was left with the generous words still repeating in her mind. As a blush returned to her cheeks, she realized how weird she was making things by staying quiet.

"Oh, that's very nice of you!" she said, suddenly panicking as she tried to calm her fluttering heart. "I really enjoy taking care of you too! Once we're done eating, I should totally get the dishes!"

"No, that won't be necessary," Daniel expressed, shaking his head. "There are a few things in the dishwasher already. I can just add these bowls before I start it."

"Well, it should be pretty simple then," Emma said while nervously chuckling. Feeling guilty that she was falling way behind on her normal chores, she desperately wanted to earn her stay. "Just relax after we get done, and I'll take care of everything!"

While eating together, the young woman continued to make suggestions on what she could do. She even offered to clean the entire kitchen, although that was something she normally did in the mornings. However, Daniel had been keeping things tidy since he started cooking, so he tried to convince her to relax for the evening.

Unfortunately, there was nothing the noble man could say that would keep Emma from at least attempting to clean something. As soon as she noticed they were both finished, she got up to her feet and attempted to rush their bowls to the kitchen.

Noticing Emma's sudden drive to clean, Daniel realized that she must have felt guilty about him cooking so much. In an attempt to stop her, so they could talk about these matters instead of keeping a silent score, he got up to his feet and stuck his arm out.

Emma didn't notice until it was too late, so she ran into his arm after failing to come to a stop.

Daniel realized that Emma was on the verge of tripping, and with the bowls in her hands, he didn't want her to cut herself. Reacting out of instinct, he grabbed a hold of her with both his arms, almost embracing her in a hug. He held her tightly until he knew for sure that she had found her balance.

Suddenly realizing she was in Daniel's firm embrace, Emma's eyes grew big and her cheeks started to burn. For the brief moment that their bodies had clasped together, and they were chest to chest, she could feel her heart pounding while being so close to his.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" Daniel reacted, taking a step back as he let her petite frame out of his grasp. Then, experiencing a blush of his own, he quickly explained, "I shouldn't have tried to stop you... It was just a reaction. I apologize... You can do the dishes if you want."

Emma took a deep breath as he tried to gather herself. However, looking at how nervous Daniel was, she was smiling on the inside, knowing she wasn't the only one that was flustered.

"How about we just clean together?" she offered, giving him a cute smile. "You can start the dishwasher while I wipe down the counters."

Realizing that Emma wasn't offended by the way he grabbed her, Daniel couldn't help but smile as he noticed the adorable look on her face, as well as the kindness in her demeanor. "That sounds good to me."

Although Emma had played it off like she was calm, cool, and collected, there was a fire burning inside her. She didn't know what was wrong, but as she was cleaning, she suddenly became lost in her own thoughts, wondering why her heart was still beating so fast.

Am I still shaken up because I almost fell? she asked herself as she continued to wipe over the spots she had already cleaned. Then, as she was running out of space on the counter to clean, she began picturing that moment she almost fell, and remembered the feeling of being in Daniel's embrace. As her heart started to rush again, she asked herself, What is wrong with me...?

Noticing that Emma had zoned out, Daniel decided to grab her attention. "Hey, are you okay?"

Emma looked over and quickly put the rag behind her back. "Yeah, why?!"

"You've been cleaning the same spots over and over..."

"Oh... I guess I was just trying to be thorough... Are you already done with the dishes?"

"I started the dishwasher a while ago," Daniel explained, scratching his head. Then, with a smile, he expressed, "I think we're all done here."

"Oh... okay..." Emma said, staring at his face, before noticing a calming feeling surrounding her as she focused on his grin.

"Do you still want to watch a movie tonight?"

"Yeah, sure!"

As Emma followed Daniel to the couch, she started to wonder why she had become so flustered when thinking about the moment she was in his embrace. Then, as she experienced that same calmness again, she asked herself, Did I not want him to let me go or something?

Although the movie played in the background, and they sat next to each other like they always did, something felt different that night in the young woman's mind. She couldn't help but notice how warm she felt on the inside. And even though she was no longer wrapped up in his arms, she could still feel the safety of his embrace.

Not paying attention at all to the screen, she started to grow red all over again, unable to understand why she was so moved about such a simple moment. Then, as she noticed Daniel staring at her, her head popped back and her eyes grew big.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, with a curious look.

"No! Everything's okay!"

Daniel decided not to push her for an explanation, even though he noticed how preoccupied her mind was. He was still embarrassed from the way he caused her to trip, and was even nervous about the way he held her for so long.

While the movie continued, he suddenly noticed that he was the one lost in his own thoughts, unable to pay attention to what was in front of him. I really made a fool out of myself, didn't I? I bet she feels super awkward around me now.

The more he thought about it, the more embarrassed he became by his own actions. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid! And after everything she's been through, how could I do something to make her so uncomfortable?

Just as Daniel was starting to really beat himself up, he suddenly came to a stop when he noticed a pressure on his shoulder. Looking down, the frustration he had been experiencing suddenly ceased as he realized Emma had fallen asleep... with her head on his shoulder.

A smile slowly came over his face as his worries were put to rest. Then, feeling a sense of peace as he watched her sleep on his shoulder, just as he had watched her sleep beside him in bed that entire week, he concluded, Maybe she's not that uncomfortable around me.

Slowly, his heart rate increased as he felt more and more of her weight against him. He wanted to comfort her by putting his arm around her shoulders, but decided against it, hoping not to startle her.

Just like before, the movie played in the background, and yet, no one was paying any attention to it. Emma was fast asleep, and Daniel couldn't even hear the TV because he was at peace, watching the sweet woman resting so innocently.

Eventually, when Emma woke up, she noticed Daniel looking down at her. She quickly pulled her head away, but before she could start to apologize, she noticed a significant wet spot on his shoulder.

After wiping her mouth, her eyes grew big at the realization of what had just happened. Not only had she fallen asleep on the shoulder of the man she trusted, but she had also unintentionally drooled all over him.

"I am so sorry!" she squealed, trying desperately to wipe off her spit with her hand. "I didn't realize I fell asleep! And your shirt... It was an accident!"

"Oh, I didn't even notice that," Daniel expressed with a little chuckle, finding the young women's antics adorable. Then, hoping to calm her, he pointed at the clock after realizing the time.

Still gathering herself, Emma looked over at the clock and tried to figure out Daniel's message. "Huh? It's midnight already?"

"Yes," Daniel said, smiling at the confused woman. "Merry Christmas."

Immediately, Emma's eyes grew wide as she suddenly realized the implications of the clock striking midnight. "Oh, I forgot it's Christmas! Um... Merry Christmas, Daniel!"

Hoping to fix things, in case Daniel was upset about his shirt, Emma attempted to divert his attention to something more important. "I know we didn't agree on getting each other presents or anything, but I decided to get you something."

Daniel raised an eyebrow as his cheeks went red. "Oh, you did?"

"Yeah, let me go grab it!" the young woman expressed before jumping to her feet and running over to her bag. Then, pulling out a bottle of alcohol with a ribbon tied to it, she handed the present over. "Merry Christmas! I know this isn't the fanciest whiskey in the world, but at least the bottle looks cool!"

Taking the bottle of whiskey into his hand, Daniel stared at it for a few seconds with a genuine grin on his face. It wasn't his love of alcohol that brought a smile to his face, nor was it that Emma had bought him a Christmas present. He was simply happy because he appreciated the somber moment with the woman who would become so important to him.

"Thanks... I, uh... I actually got you a present too."

After taking a seat, Emma's eyes grew big again as she watched Daniel get up to his feet to find her present. "Oh, you didn't have to do that..."

"I know I didn't have to," the man started as he pulled a box out of his work bag and handed it to the young woman. "I just saw it, and I wanted you to have it."

Emma was hesitant about receiving gifts, especially after Daniel had done so much for her. However, knowing that he had the best intentions in mind, she started to unwrap the box.

What could it be? she asked herself as she slowly started to open it. Her heart started to race due to the mystery, but once she saw what was inside, she was surrounded with a warm aura, like she had been wrapped up in the most comfortable blanket in the world.

Inside the box was a beautifully crafted picture frame. Her body began to shake as she took it into her hands, because she knew exactly how she wanted to use it.

"I noticed the frame with your parents' picture is in bad shape, probably due to the storm when you lost your tent," Daniel said, watching on as the young woman stared at the present in silence. "I just figured you should have something nicer... to commemorate them."

Several seconds passed, but Emma couldn't find the words to respond. All she could do was stare at the picture frame in silence, as her body continued to tremble.

Slowly, insecurities started to build inside the man's mind, making him wonder if he had gone too far. He didn't know if the old frame held significant value in itself. He also wondered if he had triggered bad memories by bringing up the photo, as well as that night she lost all her items.

Just as he was about to say something, Emma immediately sprung into action, throwing her arms around him before burying her head in his shoulder again. She could no longer hold back the tears, as the kindness of Daniel's gesture overwhelmed her.

Although she never had any doubts about the kind man's intentions, she had never felt more understood and accepted than she did now, after receiving this gift. Lifting her head up, she found his ear with her tearful eyes and whispered, "Thank you, Daniel," before burying herself into him once again, and accepting the arms of his caring embrace, just like she had wanted the entire night.

Now smiling from cheek to cheek, Daniel held on to the woman he had grown to care so much for, despite only knowing for a few months. And even though she was crying, nothing warmed his heart more than knowing he had filled her with overwhelming emotions of joy.

To be continued...