Stein chuckled, smirking down at the blushing death scythe. "Acting coy doesn't suit you, Marie." He said lowly, lighting another cigarette and sitting back upright. "At least it seems I have found a way to stop your tears so you don't risk dehydrating yourself with them." He took a deep drag on the cigarette and then exhaled. Marie's blush deepened.
His right hand reached out to touch her left one, and Marie looked up to see an uncharacteristic look of sympathy on his face. "They're just dreams, Marie. No matter how terrifying, no matter how painful they seem to be, they are dreams; created by your subconscious." A quick inhale of smoke and an exhale as he spoke, "Remember that and you can control them. You need never fear them again."
She gave a weak nod, taking a deep breath. "I'll… I'll try to remember that, Franken." He nodded.
"Tomorrow morning I should be able to take the IV out. Do you feel up to drinking something for me?" Marie nodded and Stein left the room, returning with a glass of ice and a bottle of water in one hand, a blanket and a pillow in the other. Marie looked at him.
"I'm going to get the water ready for you, Marie, and then I am going to try to sleep. I'll be right here if you need anything." He explained, dropping the blanket and pillow to the floor. Marie smiled and nodded as he poured the water into the cup and pulled a straw out of his lab coat's pocket. He extinguished the cigarette in the half-finished jello, watching as the jello melted around the small flame at the end and put it out before adjusting the pillow on the floor and pulling the blanket over himself.
Marie watched as he slipped quickly into sleep, his body slowly relaxing even after it was apparent that he was completely asleep. She smiled and reached for her book, reading for a while.
'The brave knight, Reginald the Bold rode astride his magnificent steed, Fernando, as he approached the castle where the beautiful and voluptuous Princess Esmeralda was being held captive. Fernando pulled short and neighed as they approached the bridge that led to the castle where the gorgeous Princess was trapped. Reginald stood astride Fernando and commanded the steed to take him across, his voice deep and strong. With a snort Fernando bounded onto the rickety bridge and they began their crossing.'
Marie sighed and looked down at Stein and then at her bed. "Franken?" She called out softly, suddenly nervous of waking him.
His eyes darted beneath the lids, but he didn't wake.
"Franken?" She called a little louder, her right hand reach down to gently touch his shoulder.
His eyes flew open, and for a second she could see the confusion in them before he realized where he was. "Marie? Is everything alright?"
The death scythe blushed like crazy before voicing the thought she had just had. "You're going to get a cramp in your neck or back if you sleep on the floor, Franken. I have a queen size bed, you could sleep up here." She let out in a rush; her face burning.
"You have an IV in." He said after a moment.
"In my left hand. If you sleep on the right it won't be anywhere near you. You need actual rest, not just a nap on the floor beside a bed." Marie's voice had strengthened enough that she was proud of her tone this time.
Stein chuckled. "I told you playing coy didn't suit you." He said in a deeper, lower tone that sent shivers through her body, but he stood and walked to the left side of the bed, and slid his arms underneath her to help her move to the left side from the center of the bed.
Marie closed her eye as she felt his weight slide into the bed beside her. 'It's a shame that I had to nearly die for this to be a dream come true.' She thought to herself, her breathing slowing. She could feel the tension in Stein's body from where she lay though, and even in her state of bliss reminded herself that this was incredibly awkward for Stein. Resigning herself to it, Marie cautiously kept her distance from him; the inches between them may as well have been miles.
Stein lay motionless on the bed beside Marie, watching her wavelength sink through the stages of sleep until he was certain that she was completely asleep before allowing himself to drift off.
He woke to something grasping his left hand, Marie's breath coming in small gasps. He turned quickly, noting how rapidly her eye was moving beneath her lid. A quick glance at the clock confirmed how long they had been asleep; Marie was obviously deep in a REM cycle and dreaming again.
From the death grip she had on his hand, it was easily assumed that the dream was not a pleasant one.
"No, no, no, no, no…" Stein could barely make out the word. "He's coming…" Stein stopped suddenly, his left hand inches away from her shoulder.
"You're a liar… he'll save me no matter what…"Tears slipped from her eye. "I'm a deathscythe damnit!"
The flash around her right hand warned him, and he pushed himself off the bed and to the floor, fully expecting her hand to transform into a hammer; Stein could even see the warping of her soul that he associated with her transformations.
Marie screamed instead, her back arching as the scream ripped from her throat, tears flowing down her cheek. Her hand didn't transform, and Stein darted to hold her left hand down as she started to use it to desperately claw at her right hand. The IV line snagged, and with a motion born of years of practice Stein quickly removed it.
"Marie." Stein grabbed her other hand, not realizing that he was essentially straddling her. Her eye flew open, but Marie was still locked in the pain of the nightmare, and Stein could easily see that she wasn't seeing him.
Her voice chilled him to the bone as she looked over his shoulder. "What have you done to me you bitch?!" She screamed and arched her back up, straining to escape his grasp, her hips grinding against him and Stein gritted his teeth, painfully aware now of the position they were in.
"Marie, wake up!" She just struggled underneath him, hissing obscenities, all of them aimed at Laryn. In desperation Stein moved to push his lips against hers, maintaining the kiss even as Marie fought against him.
The obscenities that she had been uttering against his lips turned to sobs. He released her hands, sliding off of her to pull her into his arms as he stretched out on the bed.
"Marie, it was just a dream." He whispered, holding her close to his chest, ignoring an ache somewhat lower.
She sobbed, her entire body shaking with the force of them.
"Tell me what it was, Marie." He said gently.
The blonde deathscythe replied with only one word.
"Pain." Her voice cracked at the end of the word dissolving into tears again.
Stein gently tilted her head back, pressing his lips to hers again, muffling the sobs. His eyes widened when she flung an arm around his neck, desperation marking her movement as she pushed herself against his body, her body shaking still from the sobs she was trying to keep from coming out.
Stein wrapped his arms around her back, deepening the kiss before breaking it. "I will always be there to save you, Marie." Another sob wracked her body and she kissed him, her tears a salty offset to the taste of the kiss.
Something primal ran through Stein's veins, and he tightened his hold on the blonde, one hand sliding down to rest in the small of her back, pushing her towards him slightly. Marie's slight gasp brought him back to himself and he pulled away from her; his breath already coming slightly faster.
"Marie, I'm sor-" Her mouth pressed against his and she arched her back to press her body flush against his. He took that as assent and leaned into the kiss, his hand sliding down her back to grab her rear and pull her against himself.
Some part of him wondered at his actions. 'This is Marie. You live with her.' It shouted at him. 'This is going to be a mistake! You've went without this, don't do this to her!' He silenced the voice by rubbing a circle in Marie's lower back, her slight moan into his mouth driving the voice quiet.
Stein rolled slightly, pushing her back against the bed, moving to straddle her body with his. He could see the flush on her face as she kept her eye closed, and he trailed his tongue up the side of her throat as she shuddered beneath him. He gently kissed earlobe before whispering in it. "You can open your eyes. It's not a dream."
She opened her eye to stare into his green ones. He smirked and she could see the emotion that was reflected in her own for a moment before he kissed her again and her eye slipped back closed; memorizing the feel of his body against hers, how his lips fit against hers.
A cold hand slid underneath the shirt she was wearing, brushing against her breast before withdrawing. Then his weight was gone from her and Marie opened her eye hesitantly only to find him standing at the side of the bed, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"Marie, this is something that can't be undone." He said quietly, concern painted across his features.
"I've wanted this since we were in Shibusen together, Franken." She said honestly, her hand reaching out to him, almost pleadingly.
"Help me forget the pain of my nightmare, Franken." She whispered quietly.
A/N: ^_^ I'm… proud of that :) I hope you liked the teaser. More to come in the next chapter :D
I don't own Soul Eater.