Damn, Not Again!

Ch. 10

Despi'e my though'less commen', my nemesis remained silen', and I wondered how close I had come t' dodgin' the bulle'.

After a few more minu'es of silence and charged a'mosphere between us, I scoo'ed away from him again and curled up on my side, usin' my arm as a pillow and closin' my eyes.

They sprang open again some time la'er, when I fel' hea' behind and 'round me. The fire had died, and the air was colder, bu' I didn' really feel i'. All I fel' was a stiflin' hea', and I knew where i' was comin' from, I jus' didn' wan' t' accep' i'.

I hadn' moved, bu' somehow he mus' have known tha' I was awake. His arm tigh'ened 'round my wais' and my stomach flipped 'round in i's socke'.

Damn!

"Go back to sleep."

I needed t' ge' ou'. Claustrophobia seized my mind and adrenaline flooded my system and my hear' bea' like a jackhammer inside my ribcage. I know he fel' tha', 'cause I heard him sigh. He sounded annoyed.

"Stop squirming, you're not going anywhere. Not with that leg, anyway. Just relax, close your eyes, and go back to sleep." he said, in a low voice. I' rumbled in his ches' and through my back, drawin' my attention. Crazy as i' was, jus' listenin' t' the low growl of his voice slowed my hear'bea' and I didn' feel so constricted.

My Da used t' do this when I was young.

Excep' he used t' sing t' me until I fell asleep.

Damn.

The lack of comfor'in' rumble scared my still irrational mind and I cursed silen'ly as I rolled over in his arms and buried my face in his ches'.

"Wha--?!?"

"Jus'. Talk." I ground ou', no' movin' for the blush risin' t' my cheeks. For a momen', he was quie', and then he sighed, talkin'. I didn' hear wha' he said, and I didn' much care, either. All I wan'ed was the vibration tha' was slowly lullin' me t' sleep.

I was unconscious for several hours like tha'. And when I dreamed, i' was abou' my friends, and my Da, and my mum.

Wakin' up was a slow process, because I was surrounded by a comfortable warmth. I was usin' someone's ches' as a pillow, I knew tha' much, bu' I didn' particularly care who i' was, I was so comfor'able. I became more and more aware, despi'e my partiali'y t' sleep, and gained li''le tidbi's of situational knowledge as my brain en'ered a conscious sta'e. Someone's arms were wrapped 'round me, and one hand's fingers were lazily tracin' circles on my back.

My arms were above my head somewhere, and the res' of me was lyin' ou' straigh' on top of...well whoever i' was I was on top of.

Memories slowly returned and I sighed, because they were ge''in' more and more ominous. Whoever i' was tha' was playin' with my back stopped and I le' ou' a disappoin'ed grunt tha' promp'ed a chuckle.

Like ligh'nin' I was awake and ten fee' away, eyes wide open as I stared a' the person I'd jus' been usin' as a ma''ress and full body pillow.

Damn.

This sudden movemen' on my par' caused me t' gri; my teeth and gingerly si' down, bringin' my broken and splin'ed leg in fron' of me.

Meanwhile, my muscle-bound nemesis was crossin' his legs and lookin' abou' as smug as ye can look withou' blowin' up.

No' happenin', I thoug' t' myself. Yeh're still dreamin'.

Excep' I was in qui'e a bi' of pain.

Damn.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked me, and I could have scratched his eyes ou', if I didn' know tha' he would kill me for i'. I se''led for a scathin' look tha' he ignored.

"Fine." I answered, keepin' my distance. He stopped smilin' and my hear' leapt up inte my throa'. Oh god, I'd made him angry. I looked 'round for an escape and found none.

"You cried in your sleep." he said, and my hear' skipped seven or eigh' bea's before ge''in' back on track. I looked a' him and tried t' decipher his expression. Impossible t' do when I couldn' see his eyes. I tried t' look indifferen', bu' I know he saw through tha' instan'ly.

"So?" I challenged, se''in' my jaw and raisin' an eyebrow. He til'ed his head, as he was fond of doin'.

"Hm." he said, and I leaned back a li''le, unsure of wha' tha' was supposed t' mean. When he stood up, I watched him warily, ready t' figh' for my life if he tried anathin'. Bu' he only held ou' a hand and then shook i' impatien'ly when I simply stared a' i'.

Cautiously I placed my hand in his and then gri''ed my teeth as he pulled me t' my fee' and pu' one arm 'round my back, under both my arms.

"Wha'—"I star'ed, bu' then he stooped over a li''le and hooked his other arm behind my knees. I star'ed t' protes', bu' i' was cu' off as he stood uprigh' again, liftin' me off my fee'.

Damn.