Alrighty guys things start to really get going in this one, their relationship is kicking off and Zelda gets her first challenge of their relationship.

The talk with Leila took considerably longer than I had thought, but by the end of it all of my questions regarding vampires had been answered. The questions she couldn't answer, Vlad could.

Unfortunately, thanks to the attempt to either kill or kidnap me, I would be staying for longer than my planned week or two. While I liked the thought of having more time with my sister and Maximus, I wasn't thrilled about the reason behind it. Still, it was better than Vlad's enemies capturing me, so I would do my best to grin and bare it.

Vlad has ordered Maximus to go with me tomorrow to get anything I would need from my house, which was a relief. I wasn't comfortable with being on a plane with anyone else for those many hours, with the person being him I may actually enjoy the flight.

Shaking myself from my thoughts, I wheeled toward my room. I didn't have an escort since it was the only room I could remember the path to. When I finally pulled up to my door, I felt just how exhausted I was. My arms ached from all the moving I'd done today and I was ready to fall asleep in my chair. It wouldn't be the first time I had done that, but I was determined to make it to the bed before crashing.

Before I could get the door, Maximus came out from his room. While I was happy to see him again, I didn't have the energy to stay awake for much longer. Was it too soon to ask him to share a bed with me? Would I be okay with it if he did?

My exhaustion must have been plain to see because he smiled in understanding, "You look exhausted, how about we move our previous plans to tomorrow?" Relief and gratitude mixed in me as I nodded.

"Thanks, I appreciate it a lot." I grabbed his hand when he came close enough and tugged to get him down to my level.

Once the distance closed to only a foot, I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face into his chest. This was going to be my new favorite place in no time. His arms curled behind me, the feeling more reassuring than trapping as it usually felt.

When I felt myself drifting off against his front, I forced myself to pull back. "As much as I enjoy this, I'm literally falling asleep on you." He stepped back with another smile of understanding.

"It's fine, we have all of tomorrow on the plane ride to your home and then the trip back. You need your rest. Good night." He dropped a kiss to my head before going back into his room. The spot he kissed tingled as I lugged myself into my room.

I didn't even bother changing, choosing instead to shuck my shirt and sleep in my bra and pants, before clumsily transferring to the bed. When my head hit the pillow I was asleep within two minutes, a new record for me.

_

It was only two hours later when I snapped out of a nightmare, my mouth open in a silent scream. I briefly felt thankful I hadn't made a sound, but that disappeared under the torrent of sickening disgust and terror.

I was hoping that my new relationship would dial back the nightmares, but apparently not. I lurched out of bed when I felt the panic getting worse, barely making it into my chair in my haste to move. I rolled to the light and slammed it on, feeling a mild relief when the shadows of the room disappeared.

I knew that it wouldn't completely disappear until I had moved around a bit, but with Maximus's advanced hearing it was entirely possible that I would wake him if I did that. Frustration built as tears pooled in my eyes, what should I do? I wasn't going to go back to sleep like this, but I didn't want to wake up Maximus…

Biting my lip, I glanced at the door again. Maybe Maximus wouldn't mind me waking him up, if he was even asleep at all. Leila had said they didn't get much sleep, but with my luck this would be when he chose to nap.

Maybe I could go to his room, if he was awake he would hear me opening my door and probably come out like he had last night. If he was asleep he wouldn't and that way I wouldn't have to worry about waking him up or not. If he turned out to be asleep I would come back in here and look up cute animal videos or something to try to calm down…

Nodding to myself, I powered through my door until I sat in front of his room. I waited for a second, only to feel disappointed when his door didn't open. I turned to go back to my room only to jump when I heard the door opening behind me.

Maximus's hair was in disarray, but his eyes were sharp with alertness. "Zelda, is everything alright?" Even his voice had a rumble to it, apparently I had woken him. Feeling both relief that I wasn't alone and remorse that I had woken him, I chewed my lip.

I didn't get the chance to apologize or explain, his eyes softened with understanding before he reached forward to pull my lip from between my teeth. It was only then I noticed I was bleeding. His hand stroked my cheek, the feeling making me lean into him like a cat before his voice snapped me back to the present.

"Another nightmare?" His tone held no judgement, but I still looked away in shame. He was going to think I'm psychotic at this rate. His hand gently turned my face back to him before he continued, "There's nothing to be ashamed of in having nightmares. I have many myself. Would you like to go to the kitchen again or maybe for a walk in the indoor gardens?"

Either option sounded great, but I knew we both needed to be up in a few hours if we wanted to get to North Carolina at a reasonable time. I probably wouldn't get anymore sleep tonight, but that didn't mean he couldn't.

"That sounds great, but we shouldn't. We have to be up in a few hours and I shouldn't have woken you in the first place. I'll just-" Feeling embarrassed for waking him up for nothing, I went to wheel around only for his hand on my arm to stop me.

Grey eyes bore into my own, not a hint of irritation or exasperation in them. "I need less sleep than you do and we can catch up on any rest we need on the trip over there. You need me now, so you have me. If you want I can sit next to your bed while you try to sleep again if you're that worried about getting more rest?"

The idea didn't panic me like I thought it would, but I refused to make him sit in an uncomfortable chair next to my bed just so I could sleep. I had to clear my throat twice before I could speak clearly, "Or we could share a bed?" It sounded hesitant even to my ears and I was already regretting offering it. I liked the thought of sharing a bed with him, but would he think it's weird? My mother always said she got uncomfortable seeing me maneuvering my legs while I had been in the hospital…

Maximus's eyes widened momentarily before a smile pulled at his lips. "That sounds much better, but only if you're sure." I didn't bother adding that it would only be sleep, after the lengthy discussion we had about my fear of sex I knew he wouldn't try anything.

I nodded, before a thought occurred to me, "Would you prefer your bed or mine?" Mine would be easier for me, but since I was asking the favor of him I would work with whatever he chose.

He must have come to the same conclusion, "Yours would be better, just give me a second to put a shirt on." It hadn't even registered that he was shirtless until he mentioned it. My nightmare must have shaken me more than I had thought. I was almost tempted to tell him it wasn't necessary but it would be better for the first time we tried this for him to be fully clothed.

And with that line of thought, I remembered that I was in only a bra. A flush immediately crawled up my cheeks, whether it was from seeing him shirtless or the knowledge that I could have just accidentally given quite a few people a show I wasn't sure. "That's fine, I should probably do the same…" It came out as a mumble but his low chuckle told me he heard it.

"I wouldn't mind if you preferred to sleep in your bra, but whatever makes you comfortable." With that he retreated into his room for the aforementioned shirt, only taking a few seconds before he reappeared at the door.

"Should I wait outside for you to get dressed?" His question was appreciated but considering he had already seen me in my bra, I didn't think making him wait outside was necessary.

"It's fine, I'm putting on more clothes not taking any off after all." His hand came down to slide around my shoulder, his touch banishing the old feeling of hands gripping me harshly. I leaned my head against his arm, "Thanks for this, I wasn't sure if you would think basically having a sleep over with me was weird or not."

Maximus gently closed the door behind us, before turning to me with a serious expression on his face. "I would prefer to have you fully clothed in my arms for a few hours than to have you naked beside me for a few seconds. You aren't ready for anything else and I like holding you, so don't worry about asking for this in the future. If you have no problem with it, I can guarantee I will enjoy it."

I felt a knot form at the back of my throat, forcing me to cough to clear it before I tried to speak again. "I'm glad, if earlier was any indication I probably won't have a problem with it, but if I do I'll let you know. Maybe we could do this more often if it goes well?"

He beamed down at me, obviously happy at the thought. It was nice that I wasn't the only one who took joy out of being curled together.

Reminding myself of the shirt I still needed to find and put on, I grimaced when I realised in my previous exhaustion I had thrown it on the ground. Being careful not to over balance myself, I snagged the shirt off the ground before straightening again.

My side twinged in pain at the stretch but I ignored it, choosing to focus on pulling the shirt over my head. When I was dressed again, I turned to see Maximus staring at me with the oddest expression. It was part pain and part anger. While I knew he wouldn't hurt me, his sudden mood shift made me wary. "What's wrong?"

His mouth twisted harshly before he replied, "Your scar…" He hesitated as he put his words together. It suddenly dawned on me that when I bent over I had unintentionally flashed the scar from Lance's final attack on me. Feeling my face burn with embarrassment, I went to tell him that it was fine if he had changed his mind about sleeping with me, only for him to continue speaking.

"The thought that someone could harm you in such a way makes rage boil in me, but I wish more than anything I could have been there to stop it." Shock speared through me, he wasn't disgusted. He was angry that Lance had hurt me and he was sad it happened in the first place. The knowledge twisted my heart in my chest, but I pushed past it to speak.

"There's nothing you can do about that, but I appreciate the thought." In an attempt to cut through the sudden tension in the air, I rolled toward the bed. That snapped Maximus out of his angry state as he moved to stand behind me. I hesitated before transferring, "There is no way to make this look smooth, so consider yourself warned."

His voice stopped me from gripping the chair sides, "I could lift you in, if it bothers you?" Briefly I remembered how nice it had been to be in his arms, he wouldn't have offered if he didn't want to…

"That would be nice, actually. I'm nervous enough already without adding looking like a fool to the list." He wasted no time in moving to stand in front of me, instead of reaching to pick me up he leaned down to kiss my forehead.

"You wouldn't look like a fool, even if you fell." He didn't say anything else, choosing to leave that statement for me to think on. His arm brushed under my knees before he lifted me against his chest. It felt odd to be in someone's arms, but as I rested my head against his chest I couldn't say I minded.

He stopped beside the bed, pulling the blankets out before placing me down. He tugged the sheets back over me before walking around to the other side of the bed. Instead of getting under the blankets, like I expected, he laid on top of the sheets before sliding until he was less than a foot away from me.

I only hesitated a minute before reaching down to maneuver my legs across the bed, rolling onto my side to face him as I watched his reaction. No disgust or discomfort showed, instead he intertwined our hands before letting them fall between us. His fingers stroked along my knuckles, the motion soothing any leftover nerves I had.

"Can you move closer?" I would, but it was easier for him to. My mother's previous words about how odd it looked for me to move my legs manually rang back through my mind. I had already moved them as much as I had the courage to for tonight. Maximus instantly moved to comply, breaking me out of my thoughts. His body easily shifted across the last foot of space until I could feel his breath on my face.

His arm curled over and around my hip, "Is this okay?" I cuddled into his chest in answer. His hand was resting on the middle of my back, not low enough to make me uncomfortable, and his thumb stroked back and forth as he waited. I could see myself getting used to this…

I closed the last few inches of space between us, wrapping my arm around his back and shifting to rest my head in the hollow of his shoulder. Just as I thought, I didn't feel even slightly nervous. Cuddling into his throat, a silly grin covered my face. I'm having a sleepover with my new boyfriend. I felt the last of the chill from my nightmare leave as Maximus rested his cheek against my head.

My previous fear from my nightmare felt like a distant memory as I started to drift off, a new all encompassing safety blanketing me. "Good night." My voice was barely a whisper against his throat, but I heard him answer before I slipped into sleep. "Sleep well, I'll be here if another nightmare strikes."

The feeling of fingers running through my hair roused me from the most peaceful sleep I've had in ages. Cracking an eye, I hummed in enjoyment when I met Maximus's gaze. I went to shift my arms only to stop when met with resistance. Looking down I bit back a laugh, apparently at some point while asleep we had tangled ourselves together to the point the only limb that was free was his arm that was currently combing through my hair.

"Well that was the best night of sleep I've gotten in awhile. How'd you sleep?" I was grinning at him, the unbridled happiness demanding an outlet which I was all too happy to give. I hadn't been this exuberant in years and I was glad to relish in it.

Maximus smiled back at me, dropping a kiss to my head before continuing. "Better than I have in decades. Usually I would have let you rest, you obviously needed it, but we have a plane to catch."

My drowsiness disappeared in an instant, panic replacing it as I remembered that detail. I tried to lurch up to a sitting position only for Maximus's arm around my waist to stop me. "No need to panic, I woke you up now so we would have time to get ready. We still have an hour."

Relief poured through me, I could take my time to get a shower in before we left. Sitting up slowly this time, Maximus moving his arm to allow it, I leaned against the head board and took in his sleep tousled hair. My fingers twitched to run through it, I had been too sleepy last night to really focus on anything else but now I was wide awake.

"Can I play with your hair?" The question flew out before I could stop it, my face burned as I clapped a hand over my mouth. Before I could take it back, Maximus shifted his head into my lap in answer. He smiled up at me, amused at my reaction and the sudden question.

I huffed at his amusement but ignored it in favor of the opportunity he gave me. My fingers carded through his hair, the strands silky against my fingers. I could faintly hear him hum lowly in enjoyment, the sound sending butterflies flying in my stomach.

We stayed like that for awhile before I sighed, "We should get ready before we do have to rush." Maximus agreed reluctantly, sitting up from his position in my lap.

"As much as I don't like it, I agree. I shall see you within the hour." He pulled me into a kiss that sent another batch of flutters to my stomach before leaving quickly, knowing we would get no where if he didn't. I sighed dreamily, taking a moment to bask in my new feelings before shifting toward my chair. I had to get a shower and get ready, day dreaming about my blonde templar had to wait until later.

See? Aren't they cute? Well read and review as always!