His eyes would always be the first thing I noticed about him.
It was as if with every glance, every flicker of emotion that passed through them struck me in the chest like a drum. The world kept turning, there were no people frozen in time nor emptiness around us. The world merely became the background for something much more important. We could be in the middle of a battleground and the danger around us would never take precedence over the electricity that passed between us with a single look. Ben Franklin was an amateur compared to us.
Us. What was us? An unstable, unpredictable clash of two storms that had no intent on backing down. Storms, that would never give an inch but desired eighty plus. Storms that sparked lightning by simply entering the same room. I had to believe that everyone must feel this way, though it became hard to convince myself of such a fact once I realized how strange it would be if Alec were to strike such a response in all of those he encountered.
His eyes had returned to the colour of a ripe cherry and the intensity of the way he observed me made me drop my head. Butterflies raced across my chest and a flash of regret passed through my bones as I watched his shoes take a step back from the bed.
It was only moments ago that we had been in his car…Weren't we talking about something? Wasn't I mad at him?
Before I could pursue that thought, he set a pile of folded clothing on my lap.
"Change. Now." Alec ordered, an errant harshness in his tone. I flinched, refusing to look him dead on. He gave a small sigh as he took in my sensitivity, his own mind processing a better tactic. "Please." He added in a husky voice.
I nodded slowly and shifted the night clothes onto the bed. Following his orders, I moved past him to a floor length mirror and reached behind my back to try and unknot my shirt. I watched in the mirror as Alec's eyes darted around the room and anywhere that I wasn't before he coughed, "I will be right outside." I hadn't considered the taboo before I started, but I couldn't help the small smile that spread on my face at his expense until I realized my own problem.
"Wait. I err…I need help." The single string that tied neatly at the back of my waist had been double knotted by Heidi. While I was grateful for the extra insurance that no club goers would have been able to pull the string and let the shirt fall off of me, I couldn't help but scrunch my nose at a second, possibly suspicious, Heidi involved circumstance that happened to take place while I was with Alec. Although, who would have expected I'd be alone with Alec only a few hours later as I changed into his clothes and disrobed in his room. God, what was with me today?
He nodded and started towards me. I dropped my gaze down, pulling my hair over my shoulder so he could have better access to the knot. His shoes entered my field of vision and involuntarily, I met his eyes in the mirror. I patiently let out a breath I'd just barely taken in, as if to prepare myself for the pressure of his touch. His fingers hardly grazed the middle of my back but it still provoked a small gasp which I tried to turn into a sneeze. He muttered a gentle blessing for it before I felt the strings fall from their bond to hang down at my sides.
I held the top against my chest and studied him in the mirror as he retrieved the unfamiliar shirt from the bed. He handed it to me, averting his gaze the entire time. "I will be…"
"I'll call." I assured him and his eyes snapped to me, before unconsciously noticing my bare shoulder and likely the rest of my exposed back. Instead of feeling ashamed or embarrassed, as I would have expected of myself, I gave a genuine and full bodied laugh. Alec's eyes widened, realising he'd been caught.
He mumbled an adorably innocent apology before swiftly exiting the room. Wait, did I just find him adorable? And innocent?
I changed and found myself observing the walls around me. I'd never been in this room. It was smaller than the other bedchambers (a term the others sometimes used) I'd visited. I ran through them in my mind as I weighed the differences and similarities.
One wall, similar to my own room, was essentially a full bookcase. Though, it held more than books; records, old bottles, and even a few toy train sets held their own cubicles amidst the novels. A velvety, forest green, half L shaped couch rested in front of the wall and a record player claimed the top of the end table. An unlit fireplace was built into the wall beside it.
Like Heidi's room, there seemed to be a neat divide between the seating section and the bedding side, though her room had significantly more open space separating the two. In this new room, taking only a few steps from the end of the L landed you at the foot of the a more modern, canopy bed.
This was a real bed, unlike Heidi's daybed, and it had the kind of comforter that made adults want to close their eyes and fall back onto, just for that sigh of peaceful relief. My more immature self, immediately deemed it an ideal bed for pretending you were on a trampoline during an intense pillow fight. Though, I suppose using it for sleep, its intended purpose, would be nice as well.
There was another big difference. The other rooms barely included windows, presumably sticking to the original castle design. However, this room had been given a modern upgrade because the middle part of one wall was hidden behind solid velvet drapes. They began at the top, just below the ceiling and cascaded down the wall, tickling the floor. The design suggested that the window behind it covered the entire wall, but the dark of the night gave me no further clues to confirm the possibility.
Before I could investigate further, Alec knocked. I granted him entry and gave him a small smile as I stood awkwardly in the middle of the room.
He froze upon seeing my new attire. His gaze trailed over the oversized shirt and as I began to play with the ends of the fabric, it caused his focus to snap down to my bare thighs. I frowned, unsure of what he could be looking at. The shorts were a reasonable length, just a few inches longer than the shirt that hung loosely off of my shoulders. I realized my naivety only a moment later.
Catching himself staring, he moved to the bedside table and undid the V necklace that always rested on his chest. I was surprised he'd ever take it off, but it also revealed the main question I'd failed to consider while playing investigator.
"This is your room." I stated and he nodded, sort of amused by my wonderment.
"Yes." He set the crest down respectfully and stepped towards me, watching as I still surveyed his room. Alec seemed slightly hesitant to be giving me full reign in it, so I made sure not to actually touch anything. Rooms were intimate things for people and I wanted to respect that for him.
I tried to hide my still growing curiosity at the intricacies in the room, delivering a tease to help ease any worries he had about my presence. "And I thought my room was extravagant." It was. My Victorian style room was a little girl's dream and nearly twice the size of Alec's. I preferred his.
He chuckled at my comment and my fears of intrusion became irrelevant. "You may sit, if you like." He nodded his head to the couch and, feeling on the verge of awkward, I did so with a quiet,
"Thanks." So good, so far. With high hopes for a positive conversation, I inquired, "where did the clothes come from?"
"Heidi chose them." Of course she did.
"Does she have something to do with the eviction from my room?"
"She is redecorating it, personalising it." He leaned against the end of his bed, where I'd been sitting several minutes ago. "Don't tell her I told you. She wanted it to be a surprise."
"I thought that was already done…you know, after I destroyed it." He smirked, furthering my embarrassment from my first night. Though, two could play at that game. "Which was partly your fault."
"I am not the one that broke a 200 year old vase."
Defending myself, I revealed, "that vase deserved it."
A genuine smile began to show on his face and I found one growing on mine as a result. He pointed out, "it's an inanimate object?"
"Yeah, a pointless one." He chuckled under his breath at my high-spirited behaviour.
I gestured to his bed, feeling more comfortable as we settled into the natural rhythm of a calmer, happier version of our arguments. The quick, high-energy, back and forth we usually entertained in a negative context translated into a genuine, balanced, and witty conversation during a positive interaction. But good things must be tested if they are to endure. "Are vampires able to sleep at all?" I knew they didn't have to, but with all the beds they must have had the ability to.
"We do not."
"Then, why do you have a bed?" I had asked Heidi and Demetri the same question and they offered up different reasons as to why they appreciated the access to one. Though they did have one thing in common. The realization hit me only seconds after he raised an eyebrow at my question.
My eyes widened before I looked away. "Oh." I felt a slight tug at my heart, which I forced back like a vial of cough syrup. I'd never even considered Alec partaking in such activities when the others would joke about being the vampires without mates. But it made complete sense. After all, he was some hundred years old. He'd probably met loads of women. And why would I care. It's not like I was interested in him that way. It was a silly notion.
He seemed to realise where my mind had gone and quickly fought to dismiss the theory. "It helps me think. Sometimes." Though his new theory was somewhat half baked, the embarrassment flooding off of him was enough to make me giggle and it may have been the first real laugh I'd ever shared with Alec.
He coughed quickly noticing this and I found myself missing the sound of his laughter. Ever the professional, he sought to continue briefing me on how Heidi's plan was to unfold.
"You are to sleep here tonight." It was my turn to raise my eyebrows and for him to stumble once more over his words to untangle himself past the incidentally suggestive statement. "Jane's room would have been an option, except that she's a habit of leaving it in a terribly disastrous state." His nose crinkled in distaste of his sister's messy style.
I envied their sibling relationship. I'd always been alone and I was generally fine with that. I usually had my dad or someone else to turn to. But, the twins had something more, something deeper and exquisitely profound. Maybe it was just a 'twin thing'. A bond that was made even stronger through their endurance of time and all the challenges and pain it had given them. All the loss of hope and youth taken from them, as time does. Still, their immortality provided them with a gift worth all the rest. They would forever have each other to stand by and to share with. They would never be alone, again. I hated being alone.
Cross-checking what I knew about sibling relationships in general, I inferred, "I suppose she accuses you of being too clean?"
He crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. He did this with such petulance that it exposed his humanity. "I happen to enjoy being able to see my floor."
I couldn't hide the grin on my face, and his eyebrows lifted as he examined my response. "It's not what I expected," I admitted. "Your room."
"What did you expect?"
I gave the question a thought, before answering. "I don't know…Hamlet skulls?"
Alec gave a soft laugh and tilted his head, giving credit where credit was due. In this case, "untidy as she is, Jane had an 'interior design' phase a decade or so ago. She allowed me to choose a colour, but the rest is all her. And Heidi, her conspirator."
I watched him as he talked about Jane's brief passion and the result of her dedication. He had turned away from me, now looking around his room and appreciating it in the context of his sister. His eyes sparkled with a light that never woke without his twin's presence. I found myself never wanting to see that light go out, to be a lighthouse for the nights when the dark seemed emptiest. Was this what it was to never be alone? For even when the twins were apart, the memory of one still sparked the best in the other. "Eventually, her interests changed. But, she has a talent for it."
I nodded subtly and silently in agreement with him. And as he admired the room, I took the moment to admire him.
I'm not sure when I stopped being terrified of his very nature and started leaving the door to my mind unlocked for him to open at anytime. I couldn't tell you what caused the exact beat at which my heart diverted from its' fast paced fearful rhythm into an intoxicated flurry of action. Although, I cannot say with certainty that fear was not a part of this transition; Only that I was no longer afraid of him.
Somehow it had gotten to the point where I had no second thoughts about asking him to basically help me undress; A point where I didn't question why his room was the one I was to sleep in. It had to be the same period of time where I started wanting to spend more time with him, even if we were taunting each other. Where I started to seek out excuses for picking small fights because it left me reeling and full of energy. Or perhaps it was after that, when I started glancing at doors with the hope that he would enter the room and experienced a strange disappointment when he did not.
The same dangers were still present — his vampirism left him constantly craving the blood in my veins, the la tua cantante thing made it even harder for him to not give in to this craving, and as a result, my death could always be seconds away without anyone ever realising it.
But if you asked me right now if I thought he wanted to kill me…I would hesitate to answer.
"Alec?" He turned back to me, his hair falling into place. Ebony locks favoured the right side of his head, as he'd run his hand down the middle out of mere habit. The gentle curl framed his face and I swear to you, it was the business formal of bed head.
"I don't want to fight with you anymore."
He was quiet for a long time.
Finally, he swallowed, as if unsure of how to begin his next sentence. As if wanting to make it perfect, for fear of muddying the translation of his thoughts. "I would like to apologise for how I have treated you these last few weeks…and tonight as well." I struggled to keep my mouth closed and to not let my jaw drop out of the sheer implausibility of the statement. He was looking patiently into my eyes and I wanted to give him no reason to stop. "It took the few days that I was…away to clear my head and I am sorry that it has taken me so long."
"Where did you go?" He gave me an exasperated look and I zipped my lips guiltily. He took a breath before continuing.
"It has been unfair of me to allow my frustrations to pass on to you." This was a top-notch apology. I couldn't help but question the legitimacy of it, but it was difficult to cast any ounce of doubt on his sincerity. Was it possible that time had lessened the integrity of apologies? "I will strive to respect your decisions and to contain my temper when I do not agree with them."He stopped talking, his eyes flickering over me for any sign of a negative reaction.
Still, I waited until I was sure he had finished. "I haven't exactly made it easy for you."
"No, you have not." He chuckled, running a hand through his hair with three shakes. "But, I hope that you can forgive me. And that one day you might consider me a friend."
I believe it was the most I had heard, or probably let, him talk continuously at any point since I'd met him. The guys had said he barely opened his mouth before I arrived, aside from the general greeting of the masters and the occasional snark or teasing gesture meant to rile up the guard members. All in jest, but never anything that revealed his personal thoughts or opinions on any one matter. He was a soldier, but there are days when soldiers do not fight.
I considered his proposition. Though it sounded more like a loose suggestion for a future event, I weighed the possibility of preparing for the opposite. We may have had all the time in the world, but I couldn't imagine spending one more day as anything but the future. "How does today, sound?"
He was taken aback, firmly questioning my methods. "Today?"
I stood from the couch and took the few steps to stand in from of him. I held out my hand and he stared at it. "Hello, Alec. It's nice to be your friend today." I forced, or rather strongly encouraged him to shake my hand. They were soft in spite of the marble-like structure of his body and I tried to ignore how they seemed to fit securely with mine.
The especially normal action made him seem out of place. "This is ridiculous," he grumbled, though he was not unwilling to entertain my motive in partaking in the physicalisation of the agreement we were making. It was unusual, yes, but the uniqueness held a fair bit of entertainment.
I shook my head avidly, pouting and critiquing his word choice. "Now you say…"
He rolled his eyes, but the corner of his mouth quirked upward and he replied with a plastered smile, "Hello Saffiya. You too." I shook my head and mouthed the words at him, as if they were pre-scripted in anything but my own mind. "It's nice to be your friend today."
I grinned, allowing our hands to fall, though still locked together. We stood still there for a moment and Alec stared down at my hand in his and his in mine. I released his hands as casually as I could. "And all it took was a handsome stranger in a club…" Alec growled lowly. "Too soon?"
"You truly are—"
"The most amazing friend in the whole world?" His eyes narrowed as I added onto my previous poke at his sensitive mood. I giggled, and it took him a second to catch up. His face shifted to give me a half-hearted glare at the quip, as if resigning himself to the fact that this would almost certainly be our new game. My giggles continued as I declared, "this is going to be so much fun."
He groaned in good humour, laying backwards onto his bed. I lifted myself to sit on the edge of it, resting my cheek on my shoulder to gaze down at him. His eyes were closed upon impact and if I didn't know any better, I'd have sworn he had fallen asleep before he moved again. Almost immediately, his hand found the ends of my hair and he twisted them around his fingers in a gentle tug. I was thrust back to the night he'd first done this and how comforting it had been. Now, it seemed that comfort was joined by the exact opposite, destabilising the heartbeat that had just started to rest.
"I owe you an apology as well. I said some kinda mean things too." He listened, though he seemed a bit more focused on the movements of his fingers in my hair. "Also, I think I hit you once."
Ruby eyes fluttered open and he interrupted me, as I had done to him. "And you threw your shoe at me."
I scoffed, "I stand by that. Anyways, I missed." I tapped a thoughtful finger to my chin, adding, "but I am sorry for saying you looked like a boy band wannabe."
"You said what?"
My voice raised half an octave as I tried to play it off, "Oh, did I never say that out loud before?" He fixed me with a playful glare and I fumbled to find the perfect witty response, which only increased the energy sparked by his taunt. It was only a matter of time before he jumped on my next move, or made his before I could recover. Which I didn't — recover, that is. At least, not in the way I meant to because I blurted out:
"You gave me a hickey!"
The boy's eyes widened at the reminder, and the childish glee on his face was replaced by a smirk. And suddenly we weren't just having a laugh and messing around. Suddenly, the air grew thick and his eyes once again glanced to my lips. Something was stuck in my throat and I couldn't release the breath held in my chest.
At the pace of molasses, his hand found its' way from the ends of my hair to my hand that supported my weight on the bed. Alec gave my wrist a tug, moving it out from under me and encouraging gravity to let me fall back on the bed as he countered the movements. His other hand found my other wrist and he pinned them both to the soft fabric of the comforter beneath us.
He hovered over me, effectively trapping me between him and the mattress. I frowned and tried to move my hands to no avail. Even despite his strong hold, he seemed to be supporting himself so as not to put any more weight than necessary on them. His chest barely brushed mine as I tried to twist out of his grip once more. Embarrassed, I looked anywhere but at him until I felt a rush tickle my skin at his touch. Alec's hand trailed across my forehead, brushing my hair out of my face.
Inside, I was a wreck. I couldn't even feel my heart and I was getting oxygen but there was no way I was breathing. All I could do was look up at him and wait for his next move. He was taking his sweet time in doing whatever it was.
Alec's gaze focused on my lips before his eyes trailed over my jaw and across my cheekbones. I blinked profusely before he caught my eyes with his, for what must have been the hundredth time that night. The vampire's thumb ran over the dip in my collarbone, exactly where he'd marked my skin previously. Two fingers tapped this spot on my neck before pressing lightly to feel my pulse, only an inch away, which was no doubt running a marathon of its own.
Alec's cheek brushed my jaw and his lips grazed my ear. I felt his breath tickle my skin and in a low voice, "I stand by that one."
Holy
"Fuck." I exhaled and my eyes widened as the unfamiliar curse word slipped from my lips. Alec seemed extremely satisfied with himself and in a single flash, he was laying on his back once more.
I sat up quickly, taking in short, deep breaths as my heart thundered in my chest. I pushed my hair out of my face, trying to walk myself through exactly what just happened.
"You're right. This will be fun." I turned to look at him over my shoulder, but he pretended not to notice. He was gazing up at the ceiling with an arm casually folded under his head and the only sign that anything had occurred was the small remnants of a satisfied smirk.
Without a second thought, I reached back for a pillow and smacked him with it. His jaw dropped and his head moved back and forth between me and the offending object. A bunch of giggles broke free from my chest at Alec's face.
"Whoops."
Alec's eyebrows narrowed at me in a familiar style, sizing me up as I laughed at his expense. He reached for another pillow and before I could react, I was struck with the match of my own weapon. As my hair tangled itself with only one hit, I immediately pushed it off of my face and I was sure it had a similar expression to the one I'd inspired on Alec's with my first attack. It was his turn to gloat, his laugh light and as carefree as he'd ever been. It seemed almost an impossible sight.
And to my delight, another attack from my pillow did nothing but increase the purity of it and I was sure that nothing else would ever sound as lovely to me as his laughter.
"Seriously though, when's your next album drop?"
~•~•~•~
A special thank you to everyone for the reviews, follows, and favourites. I get so excited to write because I'll be writing something and then think 'oof that's gonna bite' so please share those moments.
And yes, I forgot to state on the last chapter, but it was shorter because it was supposed to be in the same chapter as this one. Except, I accidentally posted it early on wattpad and I didn't want to tease the readers on there cause it'd be mean so I kept it up and did the same here to keep it even. I hope to have made up for it with the length (which is over the baseline for this story's chapters) and hopefully content of this one!
Happy Christmas to those who celebrate and Happy belated Hanukkah for those that celebrated. I'm not great at not writing during the holiday, so no idea if an update will come but you can guarantee I'll be writing it :)
Funny story: In my original plot draft, they'd kissed in chapter 10. Now, I mean, WHO knows when it'll happen - IF it'll happen?
Oh wait, I do. I know. ;)
All the feels,
Ro
