"Are you still thinking?" Selina's soft voice rang out to his ears. Her voice was slightly muffled against his chest.
It was already late at night and the condo had grown quiet now.
At this hour, Lily was already asleep in her room. Gray and Selina, on the other hand, were in his room now, lying side by side on the bed. The lights were off, leaving only the bedside lamp as their source of light.
Selina was right next to him, her head resting on his chest. One of Gray's arms was wrapped around her back, his palm resting comfortably at her waist. Her fingers traced idle patterns over his shirt, slow and absentminded.
Gray stared up at the ceiling and just sighed with the question.
He had learned more about Alistair after talking to Selina. That's when he found out that the man was running for the governor position in the upcoming election. So right now, he was carefully looking for Allies.
Gray exhaled slowly.
"A little," Gray admitted after some time.
Selina turned slightly so she could look up at him. Even in the dim light, he could see her eyes studying his face.
"About him?" she asked.
"Yes."
Selina hummed quietly, then rested her cheek back against him. "I figured."
"He's running for governor, you said," Gray said.
"Hmm," she hummed.
"I figure that's why he's trying to get close to me," Gray continued. "That means he's trying to build connections and secure support."
"Yup. That's why I told you to be careful around him. Either way, he didn't have any issues, so I can't say that much yet."
"Yeah, I'll do that," Gray sighed and nodded.
"That's all I wanted to hear." Selina's fingers tightened slightly against his shirt.
Gray chuckled at it. He smiled as he pulled her closer to his body. They were hugging each other for a while when suddenly, Selina moved again. She pouted and turned her head upward to meet his gaze again.
"Can I ask you something else?" she said.
"You've already asked me a lot tonight." Gray smiled.
"This one's lighter. I think." She smiled back, just a little.
"Go ahead."
Selina hesitated for a second, then asked, "How's Mara?"
"Huh?" Gray blinked, surprised. "Mara?"
"Yes," Selina said. "It feels like it's been a long time since I last saw her."
"Right… It has been a while. Things have been hectic at work." Gray thought about it before responding.
"I really like her, you know." Selina nodded and smiled at him.
"You do?" Gray chuckled softly.
"I do," Selina said seriously. "I really like her genuinely. She's sharp but kind. And she doesn't talk down to people, you know."
"Yeah, that sounds like her," Gray said.
"She always felt easy to be around. I actually miss seeing her." Selina rested her chin on his chest.
"She'd probably be happy to hear that." Gray smiled.
"And she works so hard!" Selina continued. "Sometimes I worry she doesn't give herself enough space to rest."
"You're not wrong." Gray's expression softened at that. The thought of Mara actually put him at ease. She was a great friend and a great secretary who did her job well. He couldn't ask for more.
"It seems like you trust her a lot." Selina glanced at him.
"I do," Gray said. "She's earned it."
Selina smiled warmly at that. "That makes me glad."
"Why?" Gray asked.
"Because I really like her!" Selina exclaimed out loud before putting on a smile on her face.
"You know, tomorrow," Selina said, "tell her I said hello."
"I will," Gray replied. "She'll be surprised that you say that."
Selina smiled against him. "Good."
They stayed like that for a while after.
Selina slowly settled back down against his chest, her body fitting easily against his. Gray adjusted his arm around her, pulling the blanket higher so it covered them both properly. The room was quiet again.
After awhile, Gray's breathing gradually slowed. Selina's fingers continued tracing small, lazy lines over his shirt.
That small act caused something within him to wake up. Gray would find himself smiling. He tightened his hold on her a little to catch her attention. With it, Selina lightly chuckled. She licked her reddish lips to moisten them a little.
After a second, she moved closer to him, her leg brushing against his. Gray lowered his gaze without thinking, only to realize Selina was already looking up at him.
Their eyes met in the dim light, close enough that he could see the faint reflection of the lamp in her pupils.
She did not look away, and neither did he.
Selina's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to say something, then stopped. Gray smiled at it. He found it as a perfect opportunity to leaned and close the gap between the two of them.
In a second their lips met. Selina tilted her head in response, meeting him halfway. Their lips touched gently.
Selina, even though she was not vocal with her feelings, greatly missed Gray. It has been so long since they last spent time together like this.
"You know, I missed you," Selina breathed out.
Gray's lips stopped moving. He parted away for a second as he caressed Selina's face. "Really? You missed me?" he caressed her head before placing a kiss on her lips again.
"Of course," she pouted, but continued to kiss Gray either way. The movement of their mouths became intense for a moment. They were caressing each other's bodies, their feelings of longing for one another slowly became evident.
"Really? More than you miss my little buddy?" he raised his brows and playfully grinned. He could already feel his hardness down there.
Selina chuckled. "You're still horny even if we're about to sleep!" she exclaimed.
"Well, what can I do if it miss you?" he shrugged his shoulders.
Selina just playfully shook her head. However, after a moment, she pushed Gray away and smiled gently.
"Oh well, what can I do if my boyfriend misses me?" she muttered before sitting up, and moving on top of Gray.