The shrieked nearly made Ash deaf and he leapt forward, quickly placing his hand on Serena's mouth and shutting her. However, Ash never would have thought that Serena would start protesting to get away from him. In all these days Serena was getting closer and closer to him, both physically and mentally. She was frank with him, sometimes flirtatious, which always gets on his nerves. And now she was trying to get away from him, it raised many doubts in his mind. But when Ash noticed tears dribbling down her eyes, he stopped his effort and let her go. His eyes lowered and his body relaxed dramatically fast.
The sudden change caused Serena to unbalance and she fell down, on her back. Her head smacked against the ground and snapped her back into the reality. Her eyes opened truly for the first time that night and she noticed Ash standing over her, eyes hidden inside his long hairs. She looked around and saw the glass of water on the floor. Water had scattered everywhere, it wasn't blood. There wasn't the body of Delia lying there any longer. Everything just disappeared with a gush. Without saying another word, Ash knelt down next to her and held her shoulders, pulling her up and burying her against his chest. Her face heat up on the sudden closeness and affection Ash was showing her and her eyes widened in surprise. Her rapid breathing started to lower down and her constant hiccups nearly stopped. The heat her face was radiating started to dry up her tears. Relaxing against him, she let her head rest against his chest with a sigh and she closed her eyes. However, that unfortunate scene didn't leave her mind yet.
After what seemed like eternity but were merely some minutes, Ash stood up, forcing Serena to stand up as well. He pulled her away from him and held her by shoulder. Still recovering from her traumatic event, Serena barely responded to him and let him do his work. Ash led her to the very near chair and made her sit down. Ash then walked away and came back with a glass filled with water. He moved it towards Serena. She noticed him and reached out for it as well. She held it with her both hands and looked down into it. An image of her other self appeared in it and she found the water changing into blood. Unfortunately, she was still to shaken up and nearly dropped the glass. Ash reacted immediately and grabbed the glass from bottom, placing another hand on Serena's hands. He tucked his foot in a chair's leg and pulled it closer, sitting on it. He sat down on it, close to her, and helped her drink the water. She looked down in the glass again and saw it was just water. Ash slowly moved the glass towards her mouth and made her drink it. She drunk the water, her eyes never left his. When Serena drunk all the water Ash took the glass and placed it on the table. Turning back to Serena, Ash held both her hands into his and brought them up, causing Serena to look up at him again.
He warmly kissed her hands and then placed his chin on them, looking at her. "Feeling better?" Ash asked, nearly in a whisper. Serena only nodded in response. "Good because now I want you to go back to your bed and sleep, alright?" Ash said. Serena nodded again. It felt weird that Ash was easily dropping the subject. But honestly, Ash was doing this because when he looked in her eyes for the first time tonight, he noticed fear. Fear of what, he did not know. Quiet oddly, it felt familiar. But he failed to recognize it. He knew Serena was hurt, a lot. He did not want to pressurize her into talking when she was barely capable of staying in consciousness. He would never take such a risk with her. He stood up and pulled her up as well. He yanked her closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder, not only supporting her but comforting her as well. Serena didn't protest yet again. She was too vulnerable to do anything. However, instinctively, she placed her hand on his chest along with her head as Ash guided her to her room. He quietly opened the door and walked inside. He didn't bother to close the door thinking he would leave the room immediately after tucking Serena in bed. However, it proved to be wrong after a while.
Ash made her sit straight on the bed and then forced her in bed. He held her legs and placed them up as well, then covered her in the blanket. All the while, he was sitting next to her. He placed his hand on her head and softly caressed it down her cheek, earning a curious and loving glance from the girl as her eyes shimmered beautifully at him.
"Sleep well, Serena," Ash said and then stood up, started walking away. However, his departure only made Serena scared and she quickly grabbed his hand, not letting him get away.
"D-Don't go…please," Serena whispered very slowly. Ash arched his head back and looked down at her. Serena closed her eyes and sniffed, barely controlling her tears any longer. Asking for his comfort only made her feel pathetic, something she would never ask to be, not for Ash at least. But it was all she needed right now.
Her glance, her tears, her condition melted Ash and he sighed deeply. Look like it's going to be a long night Ash thought and walked back to Serena. He sat on his side and held her shoulders. Pulling her up in sitting position, Ash quickly wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. Serena didn't hug him again. Her constant reminder of him leaving her was pretending her to reciprocate the action taken by him. But she did not feel bounded accepting it. She had always loved him and even if he would be the reason where she would be upset, or scared in the case, she would only turn to him for comfort. "It's okay, I won't leave you. You want me to stay tonight? I'll stay with you, alright?" Ash stated as her head rested against his chest. She sniffed and closed her eyes.
"Don't leave me, Ash," she whispered to him.
"I won't."
Ash was supposed to be comforting her, while Serena was supposed to calm down against him. It was happening as well. However, they were unknowingly having a moment as well. The window of the room once again opened, the cool wind blew harder this time. The sensational feeling that was running in her before ran in her again, but remembering that she closed the window before scared her as well. She clung onto him tightly nearly chocking Ash in process. Realizing why Serena was acting so weird, Ash let her go and cut her grip on him as well. The look she gave him wanted him to laugh right on the spot, but he would not deny that she looked adorable. The bow that was on her head made her look more like a annoying child, a cute little annoying child whom he would love to hold all day long.
Despite her showing protest, Ash got up and walked to the window. As he closed it he realized that it had not been locked before, causing it to open again. He locked it and then walked back to Serena. He noticed that in his absence she was holding the blanket tightly, lying on the bed. Before going back to her, he realized that the door was still open. He knew he had to stay with her tonight so he walked to it, closed it and walked back to Serena, who nearly cried thinking that Ash was abandoning her.
When Ash sat on the bed next to her, Serena quickly wrapped herself around his arm. "Don't leave me…please, Ash. I want you to stay with me tonight," she said. Her voice was muffling against his arm and the bed sheet. If she was his sibling instead of friend, he knew he would have laughed. But right now he was left awestruck.
"I…ah…" he tried to respond but could not. Curiosity squeaked inside him as well as he wondered what could have left her so shaken. All she did was see him, and then this happened. "What's wrong, Serena? What is happening to you?" Ash asked, concerned.
Serena did not respond. She could not. She held onto him tighter, if that was even possible. His closeness and affection was greatly affecting her. Warmth that he was radiating was addicting her. She wanted nothing more but be his, so she could have all it forever and not for just one night. In past, whenever she had gone through all these, she had no one to comfort her at all. All she could do was hold the pillow tight to her chest and cry silently, praying to god that she could sleep again. But again, no dream had been this intense before. She was drastically damaged. But now that she was with Ash, she felt a lot better, if not completely. Before, she was always used to think how it would feel when someone would hold you close? Never had she thought it feels this good. She had always fantasized of cuddling into that someone all night long. And her desire to win Ash did not help in the situation either. Soon, she gave up.
"I want to cuddle into you tonight, Ash," she spoke. No shame, no embarrassment, no hesitation. No there was nothing but her desire in the voice. However, Ash wasn't so lucky. He blushed, blushed harder. Hugging her, comforting her was different situation. But he had never slept with a girl before and just the mere thought of it was turning him redder than the skirt Serena was wearing before. He looked down at her in complete disbelief. She might be fooling with him again, right? But when he looked at her, he knew she was not. She looked so peaceful, her eyes closed and a soft smile as she hugged his arm. She looked totally irresistible to him. He knew he was going to regret it later. He just knew that.
"A-Are you sure Serena?" Ash said, praying that she would refuse. But all she did was confirming her statement, her desire. She was serious about it and he had no other choice but to give in. He pulled the blanket up and slid down under it. As soon as he got under, Serena quickly scooted close to him, out of his comfort zone and placed her head and hands under his chin. Ash blushed and flinched when her hot breath confront his neck and are above his chest. When he did not respond, Serena grabbed his hand and guided them towards her waist.
"Just hold me like that," she spoke softly and cuddled into him. Ash wanted to run away, right there, right now, but something made him stay stirred. Something was stopping him. Something was telling him to stay with her, to hold her, to never let her go. He briefly considered Gary's words from their last day of camp out.
She seems very nice girl to me and trust me Ash, she is the type of chick you never let go.
Was he really started to be selfish. Was he really falling for her, the cute little annoying friend, who had a very brief and painful history? Or was he doing it out of Stockholm syndrome? Was he really that attached to Serena that he couldn't let her go any longer? Was he making right choice? Was Serena? He knew what she was doing was out of her need, but he did not know she would get that far. He doubted she was doing that because she was really close to him. Maybe she was attached to him, felt close to him, but she wasn't close to him. And if she would not be helped soon, she would lose to herself. What about her mother then? She would be dead worried by now. She hadn't touched her tablet ever since yesterday morning. He could still see it getting charged. It was nearly charged to full and Serena had not bothered to even touch it. He really wanted to help her but with her actions, he wondered if she was even going to let him go one day. He did not want to see her devastated. He cared for her, more than he had cared for anyone else. He wanted to see her smile. He could not bear seeing her failing to herself, to lose everything. He knew if he would take advantage of her now, which was Gary referring as her crush on him, his feelings for her, he knew she was going to regret it later. It would only further damage her. The thought was killing him.
"Why would you do that to me, Ash?"
Serena's voice suddenly ringed and snapped him out of his thoughts. Since she was snuggling into him so he could not see her, but from her sound it was obvious that she was hurt. He was confused and worried as well. Worried if he had done something wrong, but then confused since he knew he had done nothing.
"What are you talking about, Serena?" Ash asked abruptly. "What did I do?"
"Why would you leave me be? You…promised to be there for me, then why did you leave? How could you do that?" her voice was sincere, innocent, but it was filled with hurt. "Would you leave me for someone? Do I mean nothing to you? Am I just another girl in your life?"
Serena was bombarding him questions over and over again. But they weren't just normal question one could ask other in consciousness, especially to your friend. They all held the same answers, answers he did not want to know or give. However, it didn't stop him from raising his eyes on her. Just what the hell was she talking about? He thought harder, felt her breaths tickling him, hands resting on his shoulders and waist asking to be held closer. He briefly thought about her actions and soon pictured it up. She wasn't practically conscious anymore. She was talking about her dream; she was considering it as reality. Something really intense might have happened if she was devastated. But then realizing that she was talking about him leaving her; it made him concerned. Just as he thought, she was getting a little too dependent on him.
"But you know I would never do such thing to you," Ash said. Even though he knew he was trying to comfort Serena, he was practically lying. On time being, he would let her go. He could not hold her forever. She must know that she had to be independent. She had to leave him one day.
"…But you did…" he voice suddenly changed. It was heavier, painful and so sad that Ash forgot about his chain of thoughts for a while. "You left me…You called me pathetic…You said you did not want…to be with…me…" as she mumbled slowly, Ash started to realize that she was crying. Her constant breaths and were confirming his suspicion. "Please…don't leave me…" she added, tightly hugging him so that he would not leave her. "All I want is…to be with you…I don't want you to go…" Serena continued, constantly sniffing. Ash was growing more concern with her every word. She was serious about it, he knew that and it was a problem he needed to find a solution of soon or he would pay for it later. But for that he would need to know everything about Serena first. What he knew so far, he knew would not do the trick. He needed more information.
I need to talk to Gary!
But no matter how hard he tried, his affection for her was still as strong as it was before. He could not stop thinking about her. He wanted to see her happy, and here she was, crying her brains out because of him. Well, since it wasn't literally him in the dream so he was pretty much relived. It didn't help though. Feeling her crying against him was unbearable to him. He wanted to make her smile. Anything! He would anything. And then something got into his mind. And he knew he was going to regret it later.
Pulling Serena away from him and held her face. As his fingers rested on her cheeks, their eyes were locked into a long stance that nobody wanted to break. He caressed her cheeks, wiped the tears off. Forgive me Serena… Ash thought before he leaned forward, warmly pressing his lips against her forehead. The moment didn't live too long but it didn't end quickly either. As much as she was surprised, he was surprised from his stunt as well. He slowly pulled back, looking back into her eyes.
"I will stay with you, Serena. Please, don't cry and go to sleep now. I'll hold you close whole night if that's what you need," he spoke. His voice was sincere. She was melted into his kindness. He slowly pulled her closer and hugged her again. Her head pressed against his chest and she could feel his heart beating. It was sensual and kind of… she liked it. Serena knew when she decided to follow him and devote herself to him, she made a right choice. He was the guy she had always wanted and she was now more confident that she would get him.
Meanwhile, Ash was dead worried.
What the mess I've gotten myself into… Ash thought.