As the World Falls Down

Chapter 5

Quiet Affections Turn

It was around 4:30 AM when they pulled her from the hospital, the doctors giving the okay as long as she got some rest. It was a welcomed relief in all honesty, none of them wanting her to remain there. It was Dwayne that had carried her form the building, her head lulled to the side in sleep. It didn't take much to have her released, deciding merely to take her with them back to the cave. There, they'd be able to let her sleep properly where they could keep an eye on her, deciding that they'd take it in shifts.

"Take her on yours," David instructed, moving to his own bike. "I don't want her falling off."

He knew that Dwayne's bike was larger, having a decent secondary seat on the back. He just didn't want her to accidentally fall off, given the fact that she was dead asleep at this point. In fact, as Dwayne situated himself on the bike he took off his jacket, using it to the Allegra to him. The sight was almost laughable if it weren't for how crappy they knew she felt at the moment. Still, just like David, Dwayne didn't want her falling off.

"Got her," Dwayne said, nodding his head as he kicked up the stand on his bike.

"Let's go, boys!"

With that, they were off, bikes rumbling against the ground as they headed for the cave. Every now and then, David would look back, making sure that Allegra hadn't managed to fall off. She was still dead asleep, head slumped against Dwayne's back. David almost wished it was him that she was leaning against, but at the moment, her safety was his biggest concern. Still, he couldn't help, but to think about her warm skin against his chilled flesh. He thought back to earlier when he'd taken her hand, a blanket of warmth covering it. It was a soothing sensation that had put him at ease. He was a bit surprised when she had reached for him, leaving him no choice, but to go to her. It was something that he wasn't really used to. It wasn't that he didn't like it, quite the opposite in fact. It was something that he'd been craving for years. It made him wonder if she'd still be as willing if she knew what he truly was. The thought alone made him cringe. He didn't want to imagine having her flinch away from him, fear on her face that was directed toward him. He didn't think he could handle something like that.

Dismounting his bike, David pushed those thought back. He had other things to worry about, realizing that the sun was getting ready to rise.

"I'll take her from here," David said, carefully taking her from Dwayne. "Make sure the bikes are taken care of."

Allegra groaned faintly as David took her, holding her to him. He cradled her head against his chest, her own chest rising and falling with every breath that she took. Even when tired, he still thought that she was beautiful. What was nice was the fact that she didn't appear to be as pale as she had been earlier. Still, she looked drained and he didn't like seeing her like that.

Hopping down below the decrepit walkway, David made his way into the cave, Dwayne lighting a couple of the trash cans as they went. Not that they really needed them, but they knew it would help when she finally woke up.

Once they were fully inside, David made his way over to the four poster bed at the back of the cave, carefully easing Allegra's body down onto it. This time, she didn't move, her eyes fluttering beneath her lids as she dreamt. He could honestly say that this time around, no one would likely be getting a decent sleep.

Sighing, David brushed a bit of hair from her face, sitting along the edge of the bed. He was tempted to lay down alongside her, yearning to hold her in his arms as he slept. He didn't want her to freak out when she woke up though. At the same time, he didn't really think that she'd care. Taking that into consideration, David shrugged his coat off, draping it over his 'throne'. After that, he began the task of removing his boots, fingers maneuvering the laces from their place. Once he had them undone, he kicked them off, letting them fall to the ground as he crawled across the bed. He cushioned himself behind her, laying his arm behind his head as he carefully placed the other over her waist, his hand skimming the skin of her arm. He almost couldn't believe how soft her skin was, the hairs standing slightly on end.

Without realizing it, David found himself drawing closer to her, his nose burying itself into the crook of her neck. Her hair brushed his cheek, the feeling like silk as he curled himself against her. His body was drawn to the heat, relishing in it.

Across the way, he could hear Paul scuffling around, the blonde lighting up a blunt as he lounged about the old fountain. At this point, Marko had already curled up on the couch, legs splaying out on the cushions. Dwayne had merely managed to stretch out on a mat, not minding the hard ground beneath him.

As David laid there, he could feel sleep pulling at him, the rise of the sun drawing the consciousness from their bodies. Their kind weren't meant to be a part of the 'waking' hours of the sun. The hours of the day zapped away at their energy, keeping them submerged in a world of sleep. It wasn't an easy task, staying away during the day for them. The moment the sun was down though, they were allowed to roam free. With that in mind, David let sleep take hold of him, the last thoughts running through his head being the warmth that Allegra's body was providing this cold skin.

T

A strange feeling overwhelmed me as I laid there, a hint of light drawing me from my sleep. It was only slight though, unable to fully draw me from my sleep, which left me in a state of limbo as it were. I felt a strange weight up me, a lump pressing my arm to my side. A small bout of air met the back of my neck, the feel finally managing to pull me into a state of consciousness.

Opening my eyes I blink, trying my hardest to focus my vision. I was almost confused, taking in the area around me. Then, I remembered, David agreeing to bring me back with them if the doctors allowed me to leave. I was still confused though as I laid there, groaning as I made to bring my hand to my face, realizing the weight that held it in place. Looking down, I found an arm laying across me, brows furrowing in confusion. This caused me to look over my shoulder, eyes widening ever so slightly as I realized who the arm was attached to.

"David…?" I murmured, twisting a bit in an attempt to get a better look at him.

His eyes were closed, breath rolling lightly passed his lips as he slept. He looked so peaceful laying there, something that I wasn't used to seeing. In this state he looked younger, less worn than he did during the time that we spent together. It was an odd thing to see. I liked seeing him like this though, relaxed and at peace. Reaching my other hand out, I brushed it against his cheek, my fingers moving to play with the tips of his hair. It was so pale, but at the same time, it seemed to fit him. I liked being able to see him like this, up close.

Strangely, my body seemed cooler laying against his, pulling the heat from my tired form. It was a nice feeling, not being over heated like I had been yesterday. After a moment, David moved, pulling me closer as he shoved his face into my shoulder. It made me laugh, a groan escaping him. A moment later, he managed to crack his eyes open, eyeing my groggily.

"Allegra?" he groaned, burying his face against me again.

"David," I laughed, a smile on my face despite my fatigue. "I didn't realize you were one to cuddle."

"Shut up…" he muttered, fingers curling into my side. "You're warm."

I felt his lips press against my neck as he laid there, my body going still momentarily. I felt the bluntness of his teeth scrape against the skin for a moment, heat rushing to my cheeks as he toyed with the delicate skin of my neck.

"David…" I groaned out, closing my eyes.

I could feel him moving as he slid on top of me, his right hand coming to rest on my hip as he used the other one to keep himself steady. Opening my eyes, I found him looking down at my, a look of fatigue clouding his eyes. This thumb pressed against my hip, his knees on either side of my legs keeping me from moving.

"What are you…," I started, pausing as he drew his hand upward and running his knuckles against my cheek.

I wasn't really sure what was going on as we watched each other, my chest rising and falling at a quicker pace as I soaked up his attentions. I wasn't used to this, but I'd be damned if I passed it up. Still, it left me to wonder why it took him until now to make any real sort of move. It didn't help since it was obvious how tired he was. Just think what it would be like if he weren't tired right now.

"Shhhh…" David whispered, letting his finger tips trace over the corner of my eyes and lips.

I felt my lips pucker slightly as his thumb brushed across them, leaning into his touch. It made me wonder how sane I currently was. Then again, maybe Aaron had a point. Thinking back to the conversation from yesterday, I drew back, the reality of things finally kicking in. I shouldn't be doing this. God, I shouldn't be doing this. Quickly, I pushed him away, watching as he fell back to the bed with a look of confusion on his face. I caught a trace of hurt in his eyes as he stared at him, his attentions becoming more coherent now that we'd parted.

"What's wrong?" he asked, brows furrowing.

"Nothing, I just…" I started, but stopped, shaking my head.

I couldn't explain myself, not to him of all people.

"I… I can't do this," I told him, pushing myself up off the bed.

I went to walk away, only to feel him grab hold of my wrist, tugging me back down to him. Without much effort, he managed to wrap his arms around me from behind, pinning me against him. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let me.

"What is wrong with you?" he asked, keeping a hold on me.

I didn't answer right away, wiggling in his hold.

"David, please," I sighed, closing my eyes.

"Look at me," he said, easing up a bit. "Allegra," he breathed out, his voice coaxing me into submission after a moment.

Biting my lip, I turned, feeling like an idiot. I think it was the lack of energy. Maybe it was just the lack of sanity, but for a moment, I thought that I saw clarity in his eyes.

"Wait," he breathed out. "This has to do with your dad, doesn't it?" he asked, his grip loosening as he sat there with me.

It say that I was shocked was an understatement. I mean, how did he know? I hadn't truly gotten around to mentioning my insecurities, at least not to him. How could I tell the guy that I was apparently attracted to that I wasn't sure if I could be with him because I had daddy issues to put it bluntly.

"How did you…" I started, swallowing the lump in my throat.

"Forget about that," he said, shaking his head.

He managed to turn me around the rest of the way, his hands gripping my shoulders.

I knew that there was something that he wanted to say, I could see it in his eyes, those icy blues staring back at me as questions stirred behind them.

"I…" he was cut off as a bird flew by us, startling me.

Out of reflex, I grabbed onto him, burying myself against him as his hand swatted the thing away. Looking back at each other the corners of our mouths twitched, laughter erupting a moment later.

I felt so stupid as I set there, hands still clinging to the front of his shirt, the material soft against my hands. I let my eyes wander, skimming over his arms. The skin was pale, but toned, muscle peaking through without much effort. Those muscles melded with his neck and shoulders, tapering off as they rose to his jaw. Once again, I found myself silent as I observed him, lips parting slightly. His hand reached up, fingers brushing my cheek as he pushed a strand of hair behind my ear.

This time, I ignored the nagging feeling in my head as his finger tip traced along the line of my lips, a hand on the back of my neck pulling me closer.

"David," I whispered, heart pounding in my chest.

He responded by pressing his lips to mine, inhaling deeply as he did. My eyes closed at the contact, not pulling away. My hands made their way into his hair, threading through the blonde strands and gripping lightly at the back of his head.

I think that the reason why things really scared me was due to the fact that I actually cared. Things with Mark had been stale from the start, just like any of the guys that I'd met in high school. No one had made me actually feel anything really. It had been like a show we were putting on. I wanted more than just that though. I wanted to feel something.

With David and the others, I felt cared for; wanted. These guys didn't want to just use me and leave me like the others. They actually wanted to be around me for me.

"David," I whispered, letting my hand brush against his pale cheek.

He pulled back, looking down at me. There was a hint of a smile on his face and maybe a smidge of relief? It made me wonder if he'd been unsure about things as well.

"I…" he paused, holding my face in his hands as he pressed his forehead to mine.

He was so close. I wanted to feel his lips against mine again, despite previous reservations. Why did he have to be so…

My stomach growling interrupted my thoughts, a curse coming from him as a result. I could feel the heat rushing to my cheeks in embarrassment as he pulled back, narrowing his eyes in thought.

"Come on," he said, slowly rising from the bed and grabbing my hand.

"Where are we going?" I asked, following behind him as he led me down a hall by the hand.

I found myself tripping and running into the back of him, a tired chuckle escaping him. It made me wonder exactly how long he had stayed up.

Giving my hand a small tug, he pulled me into another room, pulling a lighter from his pocket and lighting an old candle. I had to squint my eyes at the sudden brightness of the flame, blinking away the spots in my eyes. David chuckled as he watched, running a hand over his tired face and stretching his cheeks.

"How long were you up for?" I asked, watching as he rummaged around a bit.

"Long enough," he yawned.

After a moment, he seemed to find what he was looking for, standing back up and making his way over to me.

"It's not much, but…" he breathed out, offering me a little reseal-able bag.

I gave him a curious look as I took it from his hand, looking it over. Dragging it into the light, I realized that it was a bag of jerky. Peeling it open, I inhaled, drawing in the smell of beef. It'd been a while since I'd had any, but it always tasted just as good.

"We normally just go out for food, so there's not normally much of anything laying around," he explained, his back pressed against the wall.

His eyes were closed as he stood there, his head slowly starting to lull to the side as he fought to stay awake. I knew that all I was doing was tormenting him with staying awake, stepping forward and gripping his hand lightly in mine.

"Why don't we head back?" I suggested. "Don't want you falling over," I joked.

David narrowed his eyes at me slightly as he stepped closer to me, before catching the flame of the candle and extinguishing it.

"Shit!" I hissed, grabbing for him at the sudden lack of light.

I couldn't even see my hands in front of me as he took hold of my shoulders from behind, pressing his lips to the blades softly. The feeling made a pleasant shiver go through me, leaving me biting my lip.

"David…" I whined, leaning against him as he let his arms slide down and wrap around me.

"You're so warm," he whispered, lips moving against my skin as he spoke.

"I'd be even warmer if we laid back down," I told him, tilting my head to the side for better access.

His lips brushed the skin, rising upwards to my ear as he let his tongue reach out, the wet appendage touching the shell of my ear. Again, I shivered, groaning slightly. I guess this was payback for me pulling him from his sleep. He obviously wasn't much of a morning person. Then again, I didn't even know what time it was. Was it morning or was it afternoon?

"You're going to have to wake up long enough to guide us back though because I can't see," I told him.

I felt him shift behind me, a squeal escaping me when he suddenly scooped me up into his arms. Out of reflex, I wrapped my arms around his neck, my body bouncing slightly with every step that he took.

"Fair warning," he started, shifting me slightly as we drew closer back to the main room. "Once I go back to sleep, there is no waking me back up," he told me.

I merely nodded my head, feeling embarrassed when I realized that he likely couldn't see it. I felt him come to a stop after a moment, his arms slowly setting me down on the bed. I let the bag of jerky rest on the edge as I crawled up onto the mattress, feeling the weight of David crawling up along side me. This time, he merely laid back, his eyes drifting closed. Within minutes, I watched his head lull to the side, his eyes flitting around beneath his lids. He'd fallen right to sleep.

After he'd fallen asleep, I found my eyes wandering as I chewed on a few pieces of jerky. From where I was, I could make out Marko's form over on the couch, his mouth hanging open slightly with his limbs all over the place. It made me wish that I had a camera, wanting to preserve the moment. Actually, I wouldn't mind catching one of David while he was sleeping. He'd probably come after me for it though, but it would be worth it in my opinion.

""Hm…" I breathed out, raising a hand to my mouth as I yawned.

Glancing back at David, I felt a small smile pull onto my face. His blonde hair was now a bit messier from running his hands thought it, the back having gone completely flat at this point. The tension in his jaw had released again and he was left looking relaxed. I couldn't help, but to draw closer as I nestled myself beside him, fatigue starting to pull at me again. Slowly, I curled myself against him, splaying my arm out over top of him. My fingers brushed his collarbone as I rested my head at the place between his chest and shoulder. I could feel a faint beat from his chest, the sound nearly nonexistent strangely enough. It made me wonder if perhaps he had a heart murmur or something. It was something that I'd have to ask about later.

Closing my eyes I yawned, groaning a bit as I griped the front of his shirt in my hand. I barely registered the fact that he hadn't even moved. True to his word, there was no waking him up, at least not until wee after the sun had ceased to be.

T

They weren't really sure who had woken up first, Dwayne or Marko. It'd likely been Dwayne, but it didn't really matter that much since he didn't really get up from his spot until about a hour after the sun had gone down. Marko had initially picked at him though, that he was wasting the precious night by spending the first part reading a tattered old book. Paul had been the unfortunate one to end up being woken up by Marko's precious little doves, one of them flying over head and incidentally dropping poo on his face. He'd gone wide eyed, running out of the room in disgust while threatening to roast the thing on a pool stick.

It was actually the laughter that had woken the lovely 'couple' up, Marko peering over them as David groaned, initially burying his head further against Allegra and the pillow. Marko couldn't help, but to snicker at the sight of the two. Allegra's head was pressed against David's chest, her leg tangled with one of his own, the former's face scrunching up at all the noise.

T

I inhaled deeply as I laid there, moaning lightly at the sound of laughter. The noise was grating, pulling me from my sleep. It made me want to smack someone, a slight headache still holding on from the prior day.

I felt around with my hand, searching, fingers momentarily skimming David's bare arm. After a moment, I gripped the item, before tossing it toward the obnoxious laughter. I was happy as the action momentarily silenced the noise. The bliss of silence was short lived though as the item was suddenly tossed back at my head, my body jolting up with a start as the thing bounced off. For a moment, I saw red, eyes narrowed at Marko in irritation. It was partially extinguished though when I felt David's hand wrap around my wrist, pulling me back to him and keeping me from attacking the curly haired blonde that was now laughing again.

"Marko!" David snapped, narrowing his own eyes as he slowly sat up beside me, removing his hand after a moments thought.

"Stay," he said firmly, pointing a finger at me as I folded my arms over my chest in frustration.

"I'll show you 'stay'," I muttered, a smile forming on his face at my words, his face leaning in close to mine.

"Don't tempt me," he said huskily, daring me to say anything else. "I have to take a piss."

"Ew," I said, my face scrunching up in disgust. "A little too much information, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry. Would you like to help?" he grinned, stepping back toward me and gripping my chin lightly in his hand.

"Careful, David," I warned, baring my teeth. "I bite."

David chuckled at my words, almost as though it were a joke. It actually caught me off guard, watching as he grinned, his teeth in full view. It wasn't until then that I noticed that he had abnormally sharp canine teeth, the enamel a bright white.

"Trust me, I bite harder," he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me.

I felt my face go red at his actions, the blush rising to the tips of my ears.

"But by all means, give it a go," he chuckled.

"Go take your piss," I grumbled, pushing him away from me.

After he'd left, I laid back on the bed, burying my face into one of the pillows. The fabric smelled like him, a sigh leaving my mouth as I groaned. Why did it have to smell like him? I mean, seriously? Why? Wasn't my embarrassment enough at the moment?

"Don't say it!" I hissed, hearing Paul trying to stifle a laugh. "Say one word and I'll strangle you!"

Paul went quiet for a few seconds which left me confused. I took that moment to look up, only to scream when I found him to be an inch from my face. As a result I fell from the bed, my back colliding with the floor and my head bouncing painfully.

"Son of a…" I groaned, kicking out when his face was in view, inevitably catching him in the jaw with the heel of my foot.

"Shit!" he yowled, falling back against the bed, his hand on his jaw.

"Freaking moron!" I yelled, slowly pushing myself up while pressing a hand to the back of my head.

Now, I really did have a headache, tears welling up in the corner of my eyes as a stabbing pain shot through me. I cursed quietly, leaning forward and pressing my forehead into the mattress. People wonder why I lash out at times. This is also why I believe men to be idiots.

T

The sun had already set when he felt the pull of the night pushing him to rise. He had been the first to wake, Dwayne following behind. Neither felt like truly rising though, David deciding to drift back off to sleep for a bit, Allegra curled in his arms. It was something that he wanted to prolong, her warmth too good to ignore, her smell relaxing him.

When he awoke next, it was due to Marko's obnoxious laughter, his voice emanating from a few feet away. He tried to ignore it, grunting as he pressed his nose into the crook of Allegra's neck. He could feel the woman twitch as she let out a groan of her own, a bout of annoyance obviously welling up within her. Pretending to still be asleep, he could feel her feeling around for something, her hand pausing for a moment. He heard the crinkle of plastic as she gripped the item, remembering the jerky that he'd given her that morning, before she then chucked the thing at Marko. He had to force himself not to laugh when he heard it hit its target, shutting the curly haired youth up. For a moment, he thought that it might be the end of it, before he picked up the movement of his muscles.

Allegra's body shot up as the bag came flying back at her, hitting her square in the head. It was at that moment that he chose to 'wake up', grabbing her wrist and pulling her against him in order to keep his blood brother from bodily harm, the blonde taking that moment to start laughing again.

"Marko!" David snapped, narrowing his eyes as he slowly sat up.

He sat there for a moment, a tingling rising inside of him. As he stood up, he turned back to Allegra, pointing a finger at her.

"Stay," he said firmly, watching as she crossed her arms over her chest in a frustrated manner.

"I'll show you 'stay'," she muttered, her comment easily reaching his ears.

He leaned back in, his face coming within a mere two inches, their noses nearly touching.

"Don't tempt me," he said, voice deliberately husky, a grin on his face as he dared her to speak further. "I have to take a piss."

The look on her face as a result was priceless.

"Ew."

Her face scrunched up in disgust.

"A little too much information, don't you think?"

"I'm sorry. Would you like to help?" he asked, stepping closer and gripping her chin in his hand lightly, his thumb stroking the skin.

"Careful, David," she warned, squaring her shoulders as she bared her teeth. "I bite."

David chuckled at her actions. To him, it was the funniest thing ever. If she knew what he truly was, she never would have mocked him. He took it in stride though, deciding to push things just a bit further.

Showing his teeth, David let the image linger, smiling wide. Her eyes went to his mouth as a result.

"Trust me, I bite harder," he told her, wiggling his eyebrows in a suggestive manner, watching as her face slowly went red. "But by all means, give it a go," he chuckled.

"Go take a piss," she grumbled, pushing him back as she looked else where.

Having been pushed away, he finally took that time to step outside and relieve himself, taking in the slight chill of the night air.

The breeze that rolled off the waves was salty, nipping lightly at his senses. It almost seemed to leave a light layer of salt on his tongue. As a result, he was also reminded of his hunger, the blood lust pumping through his veins. A shiver ran through him as he thought about it, closing his eyes as he envisioned the ruby liquid that pumped through every human's veins. It was a dangerous temptation when hungry for any vampire, especially when in the company of humans. Not to mention, it didn't help having Allegra so close, even with nearly 100 years of practice under his belt. He knew that he could never bring himself to hurt her though. She was far too important for that.

"How long do you plan to stand out here?"

It was Dwayne, the Native coming to stand against the outside wall of the cave, the updraft sending his hair flying.

"Don't know," David shrugged. "Figured some fresh air might be a good idea."

Dwayne remained quiet for a moment as he stood there, enjoying the night air against his skin. It was something that he looked forward to every night.

"You really were worried," Dwayne voiced, pushing off the wall and coming to stand beside David, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Shut up," David muttered half heartedly, turning his eyes toward the sea.

"How long has it been?" Dwayne asked, squaring his shoulders back as he looked up at the sky.

The stars were shining down on them, the moon nearly gone. The place was quiet, despite the commotion going on inside the cave.

"Its been a while."

Dwayne turned toward him, narrowing his eyes at the half assed answer that he'd been given.

"50 years give or take," David finally shrugged.

Dwayne knew better though. He knew that David had a rather decent sense of time, merely deciding to ignore it so as not to dwell on it so much. So many things had happened in the time since his turning, personal and otherwise. So many people had come and gone with the decades, it was hard to keep up. Fitting in was an even bigger challenge. Never changing meant staying with the young generations, blending in as best they could. It also meant blending in with the naïve and ignorant as the years went by, but on occasion, interesting ideas would come about. The idea of equality was one of them.

"Do you ever wish you could walk in the light again?" David asked, taking in a steady inhale.

"Sometimes," Dwayne nodded. "It is what it is though."

"Hmm…" David sighed. "There's times when I wish I could still feel it. The warmth of the sun."

David went to continue when they heard a crash from inside, both men turning toward the noise. It only took them a few moments to get back inside, nearly tripping over Marko as they walked in.

The blonde was on the floor laughing, his face red as he held his sides. The reason behind it was currently rolling around on the floor, a head of light and dark hair mixing together as they went. Dwayne and David watched as Allegra and Paul struggled with one another, the girl's thighs wrapped around Paul's neck in a chokehold, one of her ankles tangled with his leg keeping him in place. They were actually a little shocked as they watched, realizing that she had been soaked with water at some point, a bit of her hair sticking to her face.

"Are you done!?" Allegra growled out, holding tight as Paul struggled.

"You wish," he laughed, tossing them over and flipping her onto her back with a grunt.

"Son of a …" she started, being cut off as Paul straddled her waist, her wrists being shoved about her head.

"You done yet?" Paul grinned, leaning down close to her face.

Laughter erupted from David as Allegra head butted him making him go cross eyed as he fell backwards. Shock was written on his face, before a grin formed, his fingers pressed lightly to his forehead.

"Damn, you're rough," Paul laughed, his words being followed by clapping.

T

I was a bit confused when I heard the clapping of hands, brows furrowing as I turned my head from my place on the ground. The applause was coming from David, a look of amusement on his face. Sometimes I felt like he was amused by everything, the grin nearly even present on his handsome face.

I felt my face heat up after a few moments, realizing how I must look at the moment. My hair was stuck to my face, bits and pieces sticking up all over the place due to the pitcher of water that had been dumped on me. It was even worse due to the fact that my shirt now clung to my front, quickly folding my arms over my chest upon realizing how tight it felt.

"It's his fault!" I exclaimed, pointing a finger toward Paul.

"You guys were great!" Marko laughed, wiping a tear from his eye.

"What the hell did you guys do?" Dwayne asked, walking over and pulling me up onto my feet by my hand.

I stumbled for a moment, but managed to right myself, a chill running through me as the adrenalin started to fade. Damn it was cold in here, the hairs on my arms standing up on end.

"The asshole doused me with water!" I explained, making my way over to the bed so that I could grab a blanket to wrap around myself.

"You're the one that tripped me," Paul countered.

"Yeah, after, you made me crack my head on the damn floor!" I narrowed, glaring daggers at him as I slowly touched the back of my skull.

"Well, at least I know you can hold your own," David laughed, walking over to a dresser along the side of the wall.

"Of course I can," I scoffed, slightly offended that any one of them would think otherwise.

Again, David chuckled, closing the drawer that he'd opened. He made his way toward me, leaning against one of the wooden posts of the bed. He took a moment to look me over again, reaching out and playing with one of the wet strands of hair that hung low. He rolled it between his fingers a few times, the strands frizzing a bit, before letting it drop back against the side of my neck.

"Put this on," he said, offering me the shirt that he'd pulled out of the dresser, one of his own.

I took it gratefully, our fingers brushing as he handed me the piece of clothing.

"Um…" I started, looking between him and the others.

He seemed to get the message, drawing the curtains around the bed and turning, a faint chuckle passing through his lips.

After he'd turned around, I started peeling the wet material from my skin, my hair clinging to it as I pulled it over my head. Scrunching up my nose, I tossed the thing to the floor, grabbing the shirt that David had given to me in my hand. I paused for a moment, clutching it to my front as I ran my hand against the fabric. The shirt was soft, caressing my skin gently. Finally, I pulled it over my head with out too much trouble, my hands sliding through the arm holes. It was a short sleeved shirt, but at least it was dry, the article hanging loosely on my frame. It was different than David's normally form fitted one, but I was obviously smaller in size than he was. In fact, the only one that would even be close to my size would likely be Marko.

The moment the shirt was on, David came falling through the curtains that he'd drawn and onto his back, a grin plastered on his face when I jumped at the sudden intrusion. The bed had shifted from his weight, bouncing slightly, before leveling off. The sight before me though was a normal one at this point.

"What is it with you guys?" I asked, raising a brow in question.

The grin on his face never went away as he folded his arms behind his head. He was always so confident about things, acting like nothing could even really bring him down. His confidence was actually one of the things that I liked about him. He always held his head high, despite what everyone else thought about him or his brothers.

"It's a hobby of mine," he told me, giving me a wink.

I gave him a shove in response. He took that as an opportunity to grab my wrist, using the momentum to pull me down on top of him, his other hand pressing lightly against the base of my neck. I couldn't help, but to laugh as I set there, propped above him slightly with the use of my elbow. I should have seen it coming, but I still let it happen, feeling his thumb lightly brushing my neck with a touch of affection. It reminded me of this morning, taking be back to the feeling of his lips on mine. It was practically an instant connection the moment we met and I couldn't explain why. We just seemed drawn to one another for some strange reason.

Slowly, I let myself sink against him, placing my head against his firm chest, right above his heart.

"Do you have a heart murmur or something?" I asked, remembering my earlier thoughts from that morning.

"Not to my knowledge," he said with a shrug, obviously a little confused by my comment as he combed his fingers though my hair, the strands separating with every stroke.

I groaned internally, closing my eyes as I soaked in the feeling. It was relaxing, my muscles easing up. It was hard to believe how soft his touch was, fingers trialing lightly along my skin.

"That feels nice," I whispered, tilting my head to the side and closer to the palm of his hand.

"You know," David started, his thumb brushing lightly at the underside of my ear. "As much as I enjoy holding you like this, I'm getting kind of hungry," he chuckled.

I had to force myself not to frown as I sighed, pressing my nose into his shirt out of frustration. Why couldn't I just be allowed to enjoy this moment? This one freaking moment of intimate peace?

"Hey."

The moment I looked up at him our lips met in a searing kiss, his hand pressing firmly against the back of my neck as he held me to him. Nothing mattered in that moment except the feeling of his lips on mine.

Well, that was chapter 5. I really hope that everyone liked it? Please, let me know what you think and any ideas that you might have. I'd LOVE to hear your ideas. Once again, thanks everyone and happy reading!