Morning After

"M-mmm~ Where am I?" James yawned as his tired eyes began fluttering open.

For some reason he didn't remember falling asleep the night before and he felt more comfortable at this moment than he had in a very long time.

"...what the fuck?" James breathed out as his eyes finally opened enough for him to see where he was.

Currently within an inch from James' face was Noel who was still sleeping soundly in his arms.

Not only that but even his body seemed to be in hers like some sort of intricate net of cuddling, 'How did I end up here and why does she look so adorable when she sleeps I just want to kiss her all over? Wait what?' James thought in confusion at his own thoughts.

He had unconsciously started thinking of Noel in a very romantic manner out of nowhere. It was very confusing but then James realized something else.

'That pain in my heart. It feels like some of that hole has been filled?' James thought to himself as he surveyed his own body.

While doing this James also looked at his dantian realizing that all of the Qi in his system had become almost pitch black!

There was still some discoloration in there but when he thought about making it darker and absorbing more Qi his body became itchy and he felt like he could feel the aura of someone else in the distance.

It was like his body was telling him there was more for him to do before he could continue on his cultivation path.

Since James was stuck in place until Noel decided to wake up he began thinking about how he should treat Noel from now on considering the way she had been treating him and the situation he found himself in now.

For some reason when he looked at her, there was an extreme fondness that built up in his chest making him want to treat her like a queen and protect her forever.

When he imagined her treating him the same way the aching feeling in his heart eased making him decide to see this new relationship all the way through.

*Yawn~!*

"It's far too early I should just sleep here forever~" Noel suddenly said as her body began shaking awake.

When she yawned she slightly moved her body hugging James even closer and forcing his face deeper into her cleavage, not that he minded.

'This- why do I feel so safe?' James questioned as he felt himself falling back into the depths of comfort where he fell asleep in Noel's grasp once more.

*KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

James was shaken awake once more by the banging on a door. He shot up quickly and was surprised to see that he wasn't being held down by Noel anymore.

In fact, Noel was nowhere to be seen in the room.

'How could I fall back asleep?!' James questioned himself as he stood up and got changed before walking into the main room of the house.

When he entered the main room it was at the same time that Noel opened the front door of the house revealing Cara who had a strange expression.

"What are you doing here?~" Noel questioned Cara when she saw the strange look on her face. Even though Patriarch Colton had agreed to let Cara visit James it seems Noel wasn't going to let it happen easily anymore.

However, Cara wasn't taking that and quickly sped past Noel at her highest speed shooting across the room toward a dazed James.

"WHAT THE- HEY COME BACK!" Noel shouted in anger when she saw Cara ignore her.

By the time Noel was about to attack Cara it was already far too late. Before James could even let a word out Cara's fast-moving body struck his own making him fall to the ground with Cara on top of him.

When James fell over he came face to face with Cara who had a look he had never seen before. She was sweating profusely and seemed to be breathing really hard but the most shocking thing of all was her pitch-black eyes.

Cara's eyes were normally the opposite of this color causing James to become confused, "Cara, what's wrong?!" James asked as Cara suddenly shoved her face into his chest rubbing her cheek against it quickly as she huddled her body as close as possible.

Cara refused to answer him as she continued this while Noel had a look of fury on her face as she turned to the two. A black aura began encompassing her entire body making the room feel a lot more suffocating than before.

However, when this threatening aura came out Cara released a black aura of her own and this one was more than three times more powerful pushing back Noel's much to her surprise, "It has infected you that much more?" Noel said in shock as she looked at Cara whose eyes were turning back to normal the more she rubbed against James.

With Noel restrained, Cara continued doing her thing until clarity started coming back to her eyes. However, it wasn't until her eyes turned back completely white that she stood up, "S-sorry I don't know what came over me but I needed to be here and be near you." Cara started to say trying to explain herself.

"Don't worry it's fine it isn't like I didn't get anything either." James said awkwardly scratching his head.

Cara thought he was talking about being close to her which was indeed part of it but Noel realized the true meaning behind his words, "You broke through?!" Noel said in shock as she scanned James' body.

While his realm wasn't consolidated yet James had truly broken through after the outburst of both Cara and Noel with their auras.

In addition, when Cara was close to him and rubbing her face against him another part of his heart seemed to fill and that itching feeling went away making him suddenly break through.