Sweet Dreams
Sonny woke up from an uneasy sleep…the
same troubled sleep that had claimed him hours earlier. Had he been dreaming?
If he had, he couldn't remember any of it, but an aching void filled his soul as
he struggled towards consciousness. Sonny shook his head, clearing the last
mists of it away as he pushed himself upright. For a moment, he didn't
recognize his surroundings, then as the memory of insisting on staying with
Alexis overnight came back, another more pressing thought pushed them aside.
What had woken him up?
A soft sound from upstairs caught at him and the last of his drowsiness fell
away.
Alexis. He was here to protect Alexis.
Before he could think further, his body was reacting. One moment he was on the
couch, the next he was up and moving silently but swiftly up the stairs. Sonny
paused in the doorway. Upstairs everything was dark and still. Sonny found his
way down the hall, pausing in the doorway. Alexis' room was draped in dark blue-black
shadows, lit only by scattered beams of moonlight that streamed through the
filmy sheer curtains and illuminated the restless figure in the bed in hazy
light.
Another murmur escaped her lips. That must have been what had awakened him.
Somehow, he'd heard it and something in him must have sensed her distress.
Sonny stepped into the room, telling himself he only wanted to make sure she
was really still just asleep and not in a bad way physically. Whatever the
reason, an indefinable urge drew him to her. He watched her as she tossed and
turned in the throes of her dreams. Whether they were nightmares or otherwise,
he couldn't tell, but whatever it was, it disturbed her.
For some reason, Sonny still didn't move. Instead, he watched the moonlight
sweep delicately across her smooth cheekbones. Alexis shifted; and Sonny felt
his gaze drop and linger on the soft fullness of her lips. They parted gently
as a tiny whisper-soft moan escaped. The sound melted inside him, leaving Sonny
a little light-headed. He shook his head and the sensation vanished. This was
crazy; she was fine. What was he doing still standing there? He should go. It
was just a dream.
Alexis' body jerked upright.
"Oh my God."
The sound of her voice, soft and breathless, froze him in his tracks but sent
Sonny's pulse pounding.
She blinked and shook her head, trying to shake off the daze left from the
sensations that had just been coursing through her body. Alexis tried to catch
her breath. She couldn't believe what had just happened; her lips still tingled
from the touch, the taste of Sonny's mouth on hers. Just breathless moments
before, his arms had held her tight against his body while his mouth had
devoured hers. And her reaction...God...she had wanted him so much...her hands
had eagerly explored the feel of his body pressing up next to hers, she had all
but ripped his shirt from his body, aching to feel the touch of his warm flesh
next to hers. The dangerous promise of his body entwined with hers had only
caused her to tremble with anticipation and an unfamiliar need. Without a word
spoken between them, she found herself surrendering...
And then she had come awake. It had only been a dream. But it had been so
intense. So real. What shocked her most was her reaction; she had wanted
Sonny's kisses, had moaned and gasped in a soft haze of heated pleasure as his
lips trailed a searing path down her throat then had returned upwards to claim
and plunder her lips once more; his kisses drawing her deep into a passion she
hadn't known she could feel. Her face felt flushed and hot and now, awake, she
felt... there was an burning emptiness inside her; her heart was hammering
inside her chest...and she felt…she didn't know how she felt.
Her head snapped to the side suddenly as she realized she wasn't alone. Oh
my God. This time the words echoed in her brain. Sonny. What was he doing
standing there? Her eyes widened as she registered the sight before her.
Sonny's shirt was partially undone, baring an enticing expanse of his bare,
muscled chest. She forced her eyes away from that sight to see his eyes burning
down into hers, his hair falling loose from it's usual control, one dark lock
curling softly above his brow. She'd never seen him look so…open...vulnerable.
Was that the word? Sonny was one of the most closed off people she knew. Only
those nearest to him ever saw any sort of vulnerableness, and even those times
were far and few between. Alexis
mentally shook herself. What was she doing looking at him like that? In
confusion, her mind darted about, looking for anything else to focus on.
"Are you all right?" Sonny moved closer, then sat on the edge of the
bed. In a sudden panic, she wondered what had brought him into her bedroom to
begin with.
"I'm fine." Why is he sitting on my bed? This can't be happening. Her
eyes widened as she watched him reach out for her. His hand pressed itself to
her face.
"You're flushed. A fever, maybe? You're sure you're okay?" His hand
pressed gently against her forehead, then trailed softly down her cheek as if he
was reluctant to relinquish the touch. "Stress wears you down, y'know?
Can't have you getting sick on top of everything else."
It feels nice. Alexis thought, her mind still reeling from the clash
between the dream and the present reality, causing her thoughts to jumble one
over the other. I never thought about how his touch would feel. His hand
was cool and comforting against her heated skin. She had to fight the natural
inclination to close her eyes and lean into it, just for a second. His hand
is strong, soft…Mmm... very nice…Stop that! She snapped at herself.
"I'm fine." No I'm not…can I claim temporary insanity? Please?
"I'm fine, Sonny," she managed to get out. Now she was repeating
herself. Get a grip, Alexis. "Really."
He was still looking at her speculatively. "Maybe you want something to
drink? I can go and get you something..."
"A drink might help" And not water either…not in the state she was
in…she needed something strong enough to kick some sense into her. "No,
wait…" she said hurriedly, as he made a motion to get up. There was no way
she was going to be able to have a coherent thought, let alone a conversation
with Sonny in here. "I'll come with you. I mean downstairs. I'm awake now,
anyway." Anything to get him out of her bedroom...or more importantly,
out of her bed.
***
"You want to tell me about the dream?" He asked, as they came
downstairs and headed for the couch. Sonny sat down easily on the couch,
stretching one arm out along the back and crossing his legs.
"Not really." Alexis sat herself carefully on the far end of the
couch, as far away from Sonny as she could be without seeming to be obvious.
She tried not to notice the fact that he had made no move to button his shirt.
Sonny found his gaze kept returning to her face. Okay, so she didn't want to
talk about it. So he wouldn't push her. Much. Well, maybe just a little. Alexis
had the strangest look in her eyes and he couldn't quite pinpoint what was
bothering her. Sonny didn't want to push her; he'd always respected Alexis and the
fact that she never pushed him either. Well, she pushed every now and then, but
at least she knew when to quit. That's what friends did. She'd tell him what
she thought, but then she accepted his decisions. Theirs was a friendship built
on trust and mutual friendship. Long in coming, hard fought for, but accepted
nonetheless. Sonny didn't know when he'd ever had a woman as a friend before
this. But Alexis was his friend, his
closest friend at this time of his life.
Maybe he'd back off – for now. But when she was ready to talk, he'd be
there to listen.
Alexis could feel him studying her, but couldn't read his gaze. She dropped her
own eyes, afraid he'd be able to read hers all too easily. "I won't keep
you up long. I'm sorry I woke you up in the first place."
"Quit apologizing, Alexis. I promised to take care of you, remember? That
even means from the boogeymen and bad dreams. "
"But no -- just because you agreed to play bodyguard, doesn't mean you're
supposed to baby-sit me too. You need some rest. I'm sure you have plenty of
business to take of, come tomorrow, so you shouldn't have to be wasting your
time taking care of a grown woman. I mena, you'll really regret it when you
wake up in the morning, and find nothing but a half carton of Chinese take-out
in the fridge. We both know how you are about cooking, but I didn't plan for a
master chef to take up residence at my front door. If you want anything
sounding remotely nutritious, you're going to have to send Johnny out with a
pretty lengthy shopping lists. Then again, I supposed he only has to go across
the hall…" Alexis knew she was babbling again, knew also, that it was because
she was responding to him, woman to his all too apparent maleness. It wasn't a
sensation she was used to. Could he see
it? Sonny was usually pretty good at reading people. In his line of work, he
had to be. But that was a dangerous thought she didn't know if she wanted the
answer to. So she changed the subject for her own peace of mind. "Didn't
you say something about a drink?"
Sonny walked over to the bar cart and fixed them both a drink. Alexis took hers
gratefully, downing it in a single gulp. Sonny watched that oddity with a
lifted eyebrow. He said nothing as she held out the empty glass to him. He
refilled it and handed it back to her. This time, their fingers met as she took
the glass from him. He didn't release it at first, but lingered a moment,
enjoying the unexpected pleasure the contact gave him.
"Last call, Alexis." Whatever was bothering her, no amount of liquor was
going to help her. "And take it easy, this time. I wouldn't want to have
to carry you back up those stairs."
"Do I monitor your alcoholic intake?" Alexis answered sharply. Carry
her up the stairs? That was an image she didn't even want to begin to contemplate.
The first strains of the theme from Gone with the Wind echoed in her head and
visions of Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara danced briefly through her mind. Scarlett
I'm not." She thought to herself, mentally rolling her eyes. Agitated,
she didn't notice his reluctance to move his fingers from hers. But she heeded
his gentle scolding and sipped at this one. "Doesn't it wipe away the
pain? Make you forget everything for a while?"
Sonny paused before he answered her. "Only for a very little while."
"That's about all I need it for."
Sonny pondered that cryptic remark for a moment. "And in the morning,
you're Alexis Davis again, control freak and lawyer extraordinaire?"
"I could say the same about you. And isn't that what you do, Sonny?"
Alexis didn't look at him, but stared down into her glass, seemingly studying
the swirling amber brown liquid. "You hide what you're feeling from every
one, why is it surprising that I do the same? We're both controlling people,
right? And people like us don't let anybody past the gates. We don't let anyone
close enough to see our pain."
"I don't hide what I'm feeling from you." Sonny said. "I stopped
doing that a long time ago. When it comes to you, I stopped hiding what I feel
a long time ago. I'm-- I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but I'm
more myself around you than I am around almost anybody else. because I trust
you...." he paused. When he spoke again, his voice dropped to an intimate
tone. "What are you trying to hide from me?"
Sonny felt her eyes raise up to meet his. He found himself wanting to lose
himself in the dark velvety brown eyes of the woman sitting across from him.
The ache he'd felt earlier when he'd awaken came back at him in full force. He
was tired of hurting, tired of pain. All he wanted to do was just wanted to
wipe away the pain. Hers or his, it didn't matter. What harm would there be,
for them to lose themselves in each other for just a little while?
The change in his voice brought her eyes up to meet his. Oh my God, why is
he looking at me like that..." Even as the thought rippled though her
mind, leaving tremors in her flesh like aftershocks, she knew exactly why. Her
heart pounded crazily in her chest. He couldn't....we...we can't... Unconsciously,
her tongue ran across her lips.
But, as he thought it through, Sonny realized with a shock, he wanted more than
that from her. He couldn't disrespect her to even think of using her like that.
And he didn't want to. He was weary to the depths of his soul from all the
turbulence in his life. Looking into her eyes, he suddenly saw Alexis in a new
light. She was cool, calming waters. He could rest in her, find the peace that
had been so elusive for so long in his life. Sonny watched his hand as he
reached out and brushed the hair back from her face. The shock of his flesh
meeting hers, traveled up his arm in a sudden, totally unexpected, sharp
current of desire. He let his hand cup the fine curve of her cheek.
This time, he wasn't checking for fever, unless it was his own. Sonny let his
hand rest gently against her face. As he gazed at her, he saw Alexis's eyes
soften and realized with surprise and fascination, that she was feeling
everything he was. Her tongue crept out and moistened her lips, and it only
made him want to kiss her. How could have he been so blind for so long?
His touch sent a wave of unexpected emotion sweeping through Alexis. It
threatened to drown all reason, taking away all the thoughts of should and
should not and all the why nots... a part of her suddenly wanted to reach out
and let her fingers drift into the softly curling blackness of his hair. Don't
be ridiculous, she told herself. It's just the late hour and the drink
and the dream that's making me feel this way. But then, how is it that all
of a sudden, after all the time she's known him, after all the time they've
spent together, why is it now that she was all too aware of him being a
man, and she a woman? And how was it that she was all too aware of the fact
that he was looking at her as though he were just realizing the same? She
couldn't drop her eyes from his. He was looking at her with the same gaze that
had been in his eyes in her dream.
Alexis looked at him and read the dawning
desire in his eyes. It scared her, so she tried to change the subject before
either of them said anything that would only make the situation worse. Or more
real. She said the first thing that came into her head. "Why were you in
my room when I woke up, Sonny?"
It was bad enough, coming awake out of the dream with the passion - drugged
memory of his lips on hers still coursing through her, to raise her shocked
gaze to find him standing there. That intense look of his that she had come to
know bearing down on her had been unnerving, as though the lines between
reality and fantasy had been blurred, and maybe for the briefest moment, she
had wondered how he would have reacted if she had reached out to him, had taken
both hands to grab onto the lapels of his shirt and had drawn him down, into
her bed and…and…
"Because you needed me, Alexis." Sonny's voice dropped to a rumble of
gentle thunder. She watched as he set his glass down on the table, then reached
out to take hers from her suddenly nerveless fingers. His eyes came back to
hers. "I think you still do."
"Alexis?" His dark eyes never left hers as he leaned closer. The
question he left unspoken hovered in the air between them. When she didn't
answer, or let her silence answer for her, he leaned even closer, and brushed
his lips feather-light against her own. They were soft, softer than he had imagined
they'd be, he thought, in the split second before reality took the place of
imagination. Sonny let his mouth caress hers softly, patiently, even though the
urge to taste her was threatening to overwhelm him. God, how he wanted this
woman. But he reined his own desires in; this wasn't about what he wanted,
or even what he needed. More importantly, he wanted Alexis to want and need him
too.
Alexis would have never thought of Sonny Corinthos as a gentle man. But that
first touch of his lips to hers shivered the dream into perfect reality...his
kiss was so light and tender that it literally stole the breath from her body.
Of their own volition, her lips parted under his. Slowly, their lips met and
melded in a tentative, yet sweet, first kiss.
She felt him pull back; to retreat a breath's distance. His lips were parted,
as was hers, but he was still so close that their breath mingled, soft and warm
and moist against one another's lips. Sonny was so close that she could see the
individual brown flecks of color in his sable-dark eyes as he looked directly
into hers. Her heart was thundering in her chest and her lips ached for his,
just as she sensed his were for hers, but even as she watched, Sonny held
himself very still. Still gazing into his eyes, Alexis realized that he was
waiting for her to make the next move. He wanted her, true; she could see that
in the tender gaze he offred her; but the final choice was hers. This from the
man who was driven by the same need for control that was heart and mind and soul
to her; Sonny was willingly giving over total control to her.
That gesture decided her. Alexis lifted a hand to his face, tracing over the
now-familiar features with a trace of wonderment and revelation. Her touch drew
him slowly to her and then she closed her eyes and offered her lips to him.
Sonny's kiss was hesitant, as he moved
forward to meet her halfway, moving oh so slowly, giving her all the time in
the world to pull away from him. When she didn't, he began kissed her again,
brushing his mouth against hers over and over as he slowly began to explore the
taste and texture of her mouth, then as she began to respond, he deepened the
kiss, allowing his tongue to delve lightly into her mouth, coaxing hers into an
equally hesitant response.
His fingers caressed the smooth curve of her cheek and slipped upwards into the
silky tangle of her hair, while his other arm drew her slowly closer into his
embrace. Alexis' hand came to rest on his forearms, traveled with infinite
slowness, enjoying the feel of him, continuing up with both hands coming at
last to rest on his shoulders. Her fingers tightened her hold on him as she
felt her body respond to his. Of its own accord, one hand slid upwards,
enjoying the feeling of the soft yet heavy silken texture of his hair as her
fingers slipped into it. Sonny felt her shift, felt her head tilt to one side,
allowing him greater access to her mouth as her body relaxed into his, and the kiss deepened in spite of either of
them. His arms tightened around her and she felt herself falling...Warning
bells went off in her head. This felt frighteningly right…She wanted him too
much…too soon…
Somehow, that thought gave her the strength to end the kiss.
"I'm not the one night stand kind of woman, Sonny." She warned him.
Alexis moved away from him carefully. Her voice was trembly and strong all at
once. Her eyes were bright and steady on his, asking, like anyone, everyone
did, just not to be hurt.
"I never said you were, Lexie." Sonny answered. The nickname he'd
given her in his heart, slipped out almost unconsciously. "And I never
intended for you to be." He reached out and took her hand in his, fingers
caressing hers.
Suddenly, Alexis couldn't breathe. Lexie? The diminutive slipped out of
his mouth and slid over her like a caress. He was too close. This was too soon.
Too unexpected. But he was looking at her with that look in his eyes. And the
truth of how he felt was there clear for her to see and she couldn't deny it,
as much as she wanted to. Here he was, Michael, 'Sonny' Corinthos. Mobster.
Friend. And now?…The man beneath the expensive designer suits and the cool
exterior that half of Port Charles vilified as the devil incarnate. But she
knew him in a way that few did and recognized in him the lost soul that spoke
to hers. And now he was looking at her with feelings she'd never thought she
would see directed at her and she was responding with feelings she'd never even
knew she had. Alexis felt her defenses shredding beneath that gaze.
She shrugged, seemingly carelessly, using humor as a shield. "I'm hardly
your type anyway, Sonny. Young, beautiful. Desirable. That's your type. And I
don't qualify."
She was surprised when his hand reached out to slide along her jaw line in a
swift caress, then his strong fingers were cupping her chin and turning her
towards him.
"You are beautiful. And desirable. You're strong, you're smart, you're
loyal. You're everything I want in a woman." He paused for a moment, as
thought the words he'd just spoken had surprised himself as much as they'd surprised
her. His voice softened even further with his next words. "You're
everything I need."
"It's really very nice of you to say, Sonny," Alexis said to him. His
words stunned her. He couldn't mean what he was saying. "But you don't
have to say that to be nice to me. Since I was a child, I always knew that
I…" she let her voice trail off as a memory surfaced in her mind.
"Knew what?" Sonny's voice had dropped to a husky softness. The sound
of it curled around her insides comfortingly and gave her the strength to tell
him the painful truth.
"…that I wasn't beautiful." Alexis answered softly. Her head dropped
slightly, her hair falling like a soft sable veil that momentarily hid her face
from his as she spoke a short phrase in Greek.
" 'Little nothing; little ugliness….' That's what they called me.
Because I was nothing to look at. All eyes and scrawny legs, no feminine
charms. Helena and Stavros wasted no time or any opportunity to remind me of
that fact."
Sonny stared at her, his eyes hooded, but inside the anger burned bright for
her. How could anyone tell a little girl that she was unpretty and not know
what effect it would have on the woman she would come to be? What an
unnecessary cruelty. He could only imagine the damage it had done to her. "You
are beautiful, Alexis. Inside, you are…"
Alexis laughed softly, but his ears, now carefully tuned to her, caught the
faintest thread of pain in it. "Beautiful on the inside, am I? And I'm
sure I have a wonderful personality as well. The kiss of death to anyone's
description."
"No, Alexis." The forcefulness in his voice surprised them both.
"You are just as beautiful outside as you are in." Without thinking,
Sonny moved so that he was himself face to face with her again. He was close
enough to breathe in the scent of her. Not the subtly expensive perfume that
she preferred, but the very essence of her being. He found himself thinking of
vanilla fields; sweet and rich and heady. The same sweet headiness that
prefaced her every word, that permeated every move her body made. The sweetness
he could see, even now, in her eyes.
He cupped her face in his hands and bent his lips to hers again. The kiss he
gave her that time was not quite as tender as the first. Sonny didn't intend
for it to be. This time, he wanted her to see how desirable she was. That she
was a beautiful woman; one that any man would want. One that he wanted.
Alexis was not the type of woman that any man with sense would want for a one
night stand. He knew he didn't and he didn't want to - he wouldn't - use her as
an excuse to wipe away his own pain.
Sonny slid both hands into her hair to hold her still, then began pressing tiny
kisses all along the contours of her mouth. He kissed her eyelids closed then
returned to her mouth. This time he moved his lips boldly over hers,
deliberately intent on igniting her desire, sending his tongue to dance
enticingly inside her mouth, demanding her response. He kissed her deeply, even
as he let his hands slide down to taste the sweet curves of her body as he
pulled her close against him.
Now his own body was responding to hers as the kiss melted from pleasure into
passion for him. Her lips were so sweet and trusting under his. Sonny kissed
her again and again unrelentingly, until he felt her body melting against him,
until her lips were meeting his own in mutual need and desire. Her arms came up
to hold him close, even as her body shifted to meld closer against his. He let
some of what he felt show.
His own response threatened to overwhelm him as his mouth covered hers again
and again, only beginning to fill an emptiness inside him that only urged him
onward, intensifying the kiss until Alexis was trembling in his arms. He knew
if he continued, both of them would succumb to the passion he'd unleashed in the
both of them. But a one-night stand was the last thing he wanted.
Slowly Sonny raised his head; his breathing ragged as he struggled to bring
himself back under control. She couldn't know how close he had come to losing
himself inside of her. His eyes said more than he knew, though, as they blazed
down into hers. And his voice was low and hoarse with the passion he'd held
back. "Can you see now, how I see you? How beautiful I find you?"
Alexis trailed her fingers over his lips. She knew how close the both of them
had come to the edge of not caring. "Thank you, Sonny."
"Don't thank me yet." Sonny answered.
Alexis shook her head. "I'm going upstairs and going back to bed."
Alexis drew a shaky breath. "Alone."
"Are you sure that's what you want?" He smiled at her, but there was
a serious tone in his voice that told her he wasn't teasing. Not really.
"No, I'm not. I'm not sure of anything right now. And neither are you.
Which is exactly why I'm going while I still can." Alexis shifted on the
couch. She really should get to bed...before one of them did something they'd
both regret in the morning. Regretfully, she shifted and turned away from him.
Sonny made no move to stop her.
"Oh, what the hell…" Surprising them both, she gave in to the fantasy
that had been haunting her since the dream had surfaced in her mind. Alexis
brought her hands up to curl them into Sonny's collar. Never taking her eyes
from his, she leaned over him, and pressed her mouth boldly against his own.
Sonny felt himself lose his breath as Alexis captured his lips with her own.
Her body pressed his back until he was lying on the couch, her warm body
fitting perfectly against his. He let his arms come up to hold her close. It
was with a sense of mingled shock and delight that he felt her lips part his
and then tasted the sweet caress of her tongue against his. He wondered now, if
he was the one that was dreaming.
Her kiss was sweet and deep and leisurely. She took her time, this time
satisfying herself with the taste and feel of him...knowing and accepting the
fact that there might never come another time…with him. This time, it was
Alexis that ended the kiss, drawing back at last, reluctantly but determined,
Alexis drew back.
Their eyes gazed deep into each other's, aware of the dawning wonder that
enveloped them both. She smiled at him and he smiled back, both sets of dimples
deepening.
"I'm sure of that." she said with a small smile. "But not
much else."
He knew exactly what she meant. It was too soon for them. There were others
involved, and issues to be dealt with. And in the morning, they'd probably
pretend as though this moment in time had never happened. Or at least try and
do a damned good job of it. They were both very good at that; building walls to
protect themselves, to protect their hearts. A lifetime of practice had given them
that. But both of them knew exactly what had happened tonight. Their friendship
had been turned topsy-turvy, spun free like the top car at the Ferris Wheel,
sitting at the first hill of the giant roller-coaster, poised to fly over the
top; and nothing would never be quite the same between them ever again.
Alexis smiled down at him as she stood. Sonny captured her hand for a moment,
his fingers caressing the back of her hand.
"Sweet dreams, Sonny." Alexis said, she let her fingers rest in his
for a moment longer, then freed herself gently. Sonny watched her as she headed
for the stairs. She paused, once at the foot of them; turning to lock those
velvet dark eyes onto his one last time. She said nothing, but then again, what
was there to say? Time was what they needed now. And after tonight, Sonny and
Alexis both knew they had all the time in the world. And one day, maybe, when
they were both free…
A flicker of a smile passed across her lips, and then she was gone, back up the
stairs without a second glance.
Sonny let his body relax into the cushions and smiled up into the darkness.
From this night on, his sleep would be sweet indeed.
"Sweet dreams, Lexie."
Sonny closed his eyes. And dreamed.
~*~END~*~