In all my sixteen years, not once had I ever ran so fast. My legs were moving at such a speed that when I managed to get back to the clock tower, I collided with my window immediately, and upon stopping, my legs had turned to jelly. I don't even like jelly. The clip Boris and I had put in place to keep the window open was still there. After moving it, I slid inside and headed straight for my bed, burying myself within the covers.

I kissed Boris.

Boris, who I had literally just fought with— yelled at him for wanting to kiss me, and yet didn't even bother put up a fight when he actually had the cheek to kiss me. Kiss me I repeat. Holy shit, I kissed Boris.

I kissed Boris. For a second. Me and Boris. We kissed.

Albeit it lasted a second. But I kissed Boris. That's so weird. I haven't even known the bloke for a week and he's already managed to wrap his tail around me. 

I pulled the blankets that hid me from the Heart Country, snuggling deeper into them. God, I'm pathetic. So pathetic. Pathetic pathetic pathetic. I'm getting so distraught by a stranger. Boris and I have known eachother for a week. He's not my friend-- he's barely just become an acquaintance. 

But I kissed him. And I'm angry at myself for letting that happen and even angrier because I'm sitting here, dwelling on it, hoping to ignore the fact that I wanted it to last longer.

"So you're home, then?"

I hadn't even heard Julius open the door. 

Peeping my head out from the top, I nodded meekly. He noticed the bandage, and I sit up properly when he swoops over to inspect it. Julius narrowed his eyes, and before he could ask, I told him everything. "Boris gave me a hickey-- thank you for not commenting on that, by the way -- then the twins got pissed and basically to save a bunch of random faceless strangers I jumped in front of Dum's axe and almost got my arm sliced off."

"...You what?"

"I--"

"Alex, you did what?"

I hid back under the covers. Julius is scary when he's angry, and I'm about to get struck by his full blown wrath. 

"Please stop lecturing me!" I whine between his 'How could you be so irresponsible!' and the 'You were almost killed, you dumb idiot!' ."Julius I get it! Holy shit, I get it! I did a dumb thing!" 

He furrows his eyebrows, exasperated. "You obviously don't. You're idiotic reckless behaviour almost got you killed!"

Smiling meekly, I dumbly said "But I haven't been killed...?" Not yet, anyway.

After watching him narrow his eyes, I immediately hid back under the covers. 

Dum hadn't killed me, but Julius just might.