Chapter 42:

We ended up just sitting there for a while longer, simply taking a moment to relax together after everything, before he shifted my position slightly to where I was straddling his lap. Reaching behind himself, he grabbed his armor and swords with one hand before scooping me up with the other and standing with ease. "Xavier!" I couldn't help but to panic a little, I wasn't used to people picking me up, especially not so easily. My grip tightened around his neck as my legs locked around his waist, and he let out a soft chuckle. 

"You act like I would drop you, princess." 

"In my defense, it's not like I'm used to someone just picking me up, especially that easily, and I don't know if you've noticed, but you're not exactly small. It's kinda a long way down if you did drop me."

"Oh, don't worry, you're not the first person to tell me just how not small I am." I felt my whole face flush hot as he chuckled at my silence. 

I quickly decided that I needed to take a different approach as he started walking towards Bane's leg. "Your shoulder still isn't healed." 

"It's fine, princess. Like I told you earlier, it's practically healed. You're not bothering me in the slightest."

"Maybe, but I have two perfectly working legs that aren't even possibly going to hurt you." I already knew he wasn't going to be putting me down, at least until we got up onto Bane, but I still couldn't stop myself from teasing him. 

"It would hurt my pride, or does that not matter to you?" 

"I think you have more than enough of that to spare." I countered with a giggle as I lay my head against his shoulder. 

"You wound me, princess," he grinned at me as I just shook my head, but still couldn't help myself. Leaning up, I pressed a soft kiss to his lips. 

"Thank you for everything. Honestly, I really don't know what I would have done without you." 

"Honestly, I think you would have kicked your old man's ass back there. I'm still a little shocked that you hadn't climbed over the table to throttle him after all of that." 

"There was a rather large, rather pissed off, snarly dragon in my way, and I wasn't about to risk Bane's wrath if I accidentally stepped on his tail." He just chuckled at me as he started climbing up the slope of Bane's leg. The huge dragon hadn't even bothered to get up as Xavier walked up right up to his seat before gently setting me down. I let him get comfortable, watching as he pulled his armor back on, but strapped his swords back behind him rather than over his shoulders. When he looked up at me, I stepped over him to take my spot, and he reached up, unbuckling both of my swords, placing them behind us with his. I was more than happy to lean back into his hold as he wrapped his arm around my waist, before Bane finally decided to get to his feet. 

We started heading back towards the Academy before Bane veered off in a different direction. I glanced over my shoulder at Xavier, raising an eyebrow in question. "Where are we going?" I asked, and he ducked his head down so close to mine that his lips brushed the shell of my ear as he spoke, sending a shiver down my spine at the contact.

"That whole mess has me exhausted, so I know you have to be, and luckily for you, I know a place close to here with good food, a hot spring, and a soft bed." That sounded like absolute bliss after everything, but at the same time, I didn't have anything to help him pay for that.

"As good as that sounds, I don't have any money to help pay for that," I told him, and he just raised an eyebrow at me, eyeing me for a moment before responding. 

"And I didn't say a word about you paying for a thing. I don't care that you don't have any money yet. I've spent more than enough time on the front lines, and as an assistant that I don't need you to pay for anything, Ari. Don't think for a single second that you have to pay me back for it in any way, either, because you don't. Hell, it just sits there ninety percent of the time, considering the fact that I barely leave Alliance grounds between being at the Academy and between camps. So it's not going to hurt for me to spend a bit on you. Especially if it helps, even in the slightest." His thumb slowly stroked over my stomach, instantly drawing my attention to the small sparks of pleasure that small touch sent through my whole body, even through the thin material of my undershirt. He had that there's no point in arguing with me tone about him, so instead I just leaned into his hold as I smiled. For once, it was nice having someone who actually cared about me. 

Bane landed a few moments later outside of a small inn that sat in a field just outside of the city of Lucia. The inn looked tiny with its worn, mossy stone exterior, but the soft yellow light spilling through the windows cast a warm glow across the long grass of the swaying field as the sun slowly dipped below the horizon. I couldn't help but to smile as we climbed down and Xavier took my hand, pulling me inside just as Bane and Nova took their rightful places on our shoulders. 

The inside was far more welcoming. It was lit with several lanterns and thriving with people, all sitting at different tables, laughing and talking over food and drinks. Although, for it being outside of an outer Celestial city, not a single person in the place so much as batted an eye as we walked in. Still, I leaned a little further into Xavier's side when an older woman walked up and greeted us.

"How may I help you tonight?" She asked with a soft, sweet smile that showed deep smile lines in her worn cheeks and brightened her blue eyes as she looked between the two of us. We were both fully armed, and she hadn't even so much as taken a second glance at our swords or the two dragons on our shoulders.

"We would like a room for the night, and dinner if you have an open table, please," Xavier answered her in one of the more pleasant tones I've heard him use with anyone that wasn't me. 

"Just one room?" She asked, looking between Xavier and me, who just looked down at me with a raised eyebrow. 

"Yes, please," I answered her with a smile as Xavier grinned at me. 

"Of course, right this way, please." She turned and led us through the busy dining room before placing us at a booth on the far wall of the room. 

I took a seat, sinking into the soft cushions of the booth, making me smile a little wider as he sat across from me. Bane jumped down onto the back side of the table before Nova followed as we all settled in, and still the sweet older lady didn't even so much as bat an eye at the two dragons. 

"What would you take to drink? Ale? Whiskey? Lemonade?" She asked as we all settled in, and Xavier once more just looked to me. 

"I'll take the lemonade, please," I answered with a smile. 

"Make that two," Xavier added, and she gave us another smile as she walked away to get our drinks.

"You seem rather at ease here," I commented, taking in his relaxed posture. It was the first time I had actually seen him fully relax; his eyes weren't watching every move the people around us made, and it seemed like the tension of the day had just rolled off him the second we had walked in the door. 

"You saw how close we are to Lucia. This used to be where I came when I needed to get out of the actual city for a little while. Which was fairly often." 

"Fair enough, so you've been here quite a bit then?" He just nodded as he glanced around the place.

"It really hasn't changed much since then either, but I will tell you that the real reason I came here all the time was the hot spring. There honestly isn't anything more relaxing." A soft smile tipped his lips, causing my smile to widen once more. 

"I've never been in one before." 

He nodded. "I figured, but I will warn you. It's a mixed spring, so if you're not comfortable with that, I understand, but if you can tolerate it, then I highly suggest it." 

A mixed spring? Did that mean what I think it did?

'Yes, Ari. It means males and females bathe together there.' Nova answered me, and I felt my cheeks heat slightly. Normally, I wouldn't even entertain that idea, but I was rather curious about what it was like. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad. 'It's not nearly as bad as it seems. Most normal people aren't going to be paying any attention to you, but if they do, then you'll be with Xavier, and we both know he wouldn't let anyone mess with you.' And that was the other half of the problem. I would be with Xavier... naked... my cheeks heated even further just at the thought alone. The man without a shirt was a problem, a rather nice problem, but still a very distracting problem. Nova's giggling broke me out of my mind, and I looked at her. 'I already know you enjoy that problem.' I just sighed because we both already knew that she was entirely correct.

That happened to be the moment that the waitress came back with two large glasses of lemonade, saving me from at least some of my embarrassment. She set them on the table in front of us, along with a bowl filled with ice water for the dragons and a fresh basket filled with golden steaming rolls and butter. 

"Our specials tonight are beef stew, and steak or chicken with mashed potatoes and carrots." She told us as Xavier once more looked to me with a small nod. It all sounded good right now, but I ended up going with the chicken, and he got the steak along with a plate of both meats for Bane and Nova. 

The food was absolutely incredible, and I was full far too quickly, but Bane was more than happy to help me finish off what I couldn't. 

"Thank you," I told him as I took another sip of my lemonade, savoring the refreshing, sweet yet sour taste as I smiled at Xavier. 

"I told you it was good food." He grinned at me, taking a sip of his drink too. He, unlike me, had quickly cleaned his plate, but I did have to say that with the bite of steak he had insisted that I try, I couldn't blame him. The waitress came back to the table, accepting Xavier's payment and dropping off a key to our room. "Ready to go?" He asked, and I smiled with a nod. I was more than ready for some serious relaxation tonight. 

He took my hand once more as we left the dining area, and I happily laced my fingers through his as he showed me out of the back of the dining room and up a flight of stairs that held a hallway full of doors. He took a quick glance at the key before pulling us a little further down the hall and opening one of the doors. 

It was honestly larger than I was expecting. It was just a bedroom with an attached bathing chamber, but the room was spacious enough to have not only a huge, comfortable looking bed, but also a small table and chair set, and a small sitting area. He walked further into the room, lighting one of the lanterns hanging on the wall to allow light to bathe the room in the soft golden glow, and I smiled. It was honestly probably the nicest place I've ever stayed in. 

He then surprised me once more; rather than putting his things away like I was expecting, he just dropped his bag on the floor in front of the dresser and pulled his swords and armor off, laying them on top of the dresser. Seeing his obvious excitement instantly had me following his lead, dropping my bag and placing my blades with his. 

"I'm heading straight to the hot springs. You're welcome to come with me if you'd like." He told me as he crouched down to rummage through his bag for a moment before pulling a pair of sleep pants out. 

I smiled. I had already mostly made up my mind on that subject, but seeing him so obviously excited about it had me even more curious. "I'm absolutely coming with you. I couldn't possibly pass up an opportunity to see what has mister stone face so excited." I answered with a giggle as I poked him in the chest, earning a rare, genuine smile from him that had me pausing halfway through pulling my sleep dress out of my bag. It was so unfair just how damn gorgeous he was without even trying.