Pit! Patter!
Came the sound of small footsteps walking down the corridor. With an upright posture, the pale figure reeked mostly of nobility maturity that you would only find on adult. The girl in red clothing fluttering about around her as she walked and black waist long hair held up by a jade pin, made slow but sure steps in the empty corridor seemingly unafraid. On normal days, a small strip of clothing matching her dress would be wrapped over her eyes but not today. The little girl had always had problems with her eyesight. Seeing on most days and sometimes naught. Her most trusted doctor had said that her vision would never return to full strength and of late it hadn't seemed true much to the relief of the small girl. From seeing blurs of color to just about clear enough to navigate and making out features on people.
On most days, I was watching on the sidelines but here I was. Walking the same steps and in the small body of a girl around 6 or 7 years of age, and not able to control my body. In other words, it felt like I was merely the conscious of the little girl.
The air was filled with the smell of moist soil, as if it had freshly drizzled, but she figured it was merely because of the melting layer of snow from the previous night. Stepping into the path she had normally stepped on many days, she stood about a frown on her face as she looked around as if looking for someone. Standing there for a while and at a loss with a pitiful expression on her face, she turned back to the corridors seemingly hesitant. She didn't know how much time had passed but when she turned back she had a determined expression. Taking long strides, as much as her small legs could allow, she went back onto the path, following it to the tinted glass door at the end of it where the smell was strongest. She couldn't help but think it was weird but didn't pay mind to it.
Aunt must be watering plants early today, she thought with a giddy smile her steps even more rushed than before but as she got closer to the door, her feet seemed to be lagging. Gravity was truly, a very strange phenomenon.
And then the badgering dread begins at the pit of her stomach. The girl might have not registered it but I could. It was clear her natural instincts, like any another creature, was alert and alarming the person to evade the danger. But the girl curious and wary for her aunt badgered on. The girl, probably because was still young, didn't register the scent as well as I did as I was older. Blood, I thought as a numbing and paralyzing fear struck my body and for a moment I waited for consciousness to reign me back to reality. I have never gotten as close as ten feet near the doors or close enough to discern the scent but unfortunately not this time. The girl badgers on!!!
As she nears the doors, she is finally able to discern the wet patch of dark liquid on the dark wooden deck and she freezes wondering if she should go back and get her brother to bring her back here. In a rare moment of childishness, she decides that the brat would probably make fun of her and decides to go in by herself, ignoring the voice at the back of her head to turn away and ran as far as she can. Just as she was about to reach for the door knob, another small figure shows up.
"Diana!? Come here, quickly."
On hearing the familiar voice she turned around to finally see the face belonging to her friend. Numerous times she had touched his face but it had to be much better if she actually actually saw him face to face but alas the figure hid itself in the bushes. She could see his outline but not as clearly as she saw them. His eyes. They had caught her attention at first glance. The blue orbs. Round and bright in abundance of the colour of frost she'd vaguely seen on the past few days of light snow, and yet they looked so cold that they did not match the warm voice with underlying tones of worry and concern that she probably couldn't discern as he beckoned for her, still hiding in the bushes.
"It's okay. It's me. Just come to me okay," his voice came again, hushed and more concerned for the said girl who nodded making her hair fly wildly.
Giving the glass door a wary glance, she shot out of the verandah like a small arrow flying into the arms of the boy with orbs as icy as frost itself....
"Diana!?" Came the voice as I sat up abruptly almost knocking into him his hands rubbing my back gently until I stopped coughing and panting heavily as the feeling of drowning passed and I finally fell into his embrace. "It's fine now. You're okay. I'm right here."
He cooed softly when cold sweat trickled down my forehead mixing with my tears that one couldn't even tell what was on my face anymore as I tried to relate as much as I could unconsciously as he held me closely in his arms till I stopped trembling and he gave me a glass of water seemingly deciding I wouldn't choke on it.
"I need a shower," I mumbled wrapping my arms around myself unconsciously as shivering slightly when I realized my pajamas were damp. And to think I got my lightest pair.
"How about a warm bath instead?" He suggested and I nodded after a while and he kissed my forehead before stopping short. "I think you gave someone a bad scare. Do you wanna see them now or after the bath?"
"After. I can stay longer then," I explained simply and he nodded his lips twitching before he went into his bathroom and I tried to steady my breath confused about the nightmare of sorts.
I get nightmares but not that bad. And not to mention that had been a recurring dream from a while now and I shuddered lightly as he re-entered the room.
"Hey, don't think about it anymore. Come get undressed and get into the tub...or do you need me to stay with you?" He asked, probably out of politeness, but thinking on how distracted I was at the moment, I probably wouldn't realise I was drowning in the tub until the water reached my lungs.
"Please," I said but to my surprise, all he did was smile.
"Okay, get undressed. I'll be right back," he said leaving the room and I removed the damp pajamas as murmurs reached me through the opened door and I wrapped my body with a towel before looking at the mirror.
"I look like a drenched cat," I murmured catching him off guard and he smiled.
"No. I think you look more like a drenched kitten."
"What's the difference?"
"The kitten is cuter. Now get into the tub before you catch a cold," he said flicking my forehead and I followed his instructions and he surprised me once more by sitting on the floor beside me.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you."
"Why are you apologizing? It's not like we can control dreams," he said but at the moment I wished I could.
"What do you think happened to them?" I asked and he stared lazily at me before he drew forward suddenly and I blinked at him blankly shocked by his sudden closeness.
"Who knows. Maybe they survived. Don't you believe that?"
"But they are kids."
"Then they were doomed."
"But..."
"You want to believe they pulled through safe?"
"Yeah, but.."
"Relax, little kitten. Maybe fate toughened it out for them. And besides, maybe it's a harmless little dream," he answered with a shrug before leaning back, his back against the tub such that if I reached out I could outline his side profile. Maybe he was right. I was worrying a little too much. But he seemed to forget that harmless little dream, when you think about it, is a nightmare if I'd ever seen one.
"Yeah, fate," I murmured before reaching out to his cheeks to which he stiffened lightly before he relaxed with his eyes closed as I outlined his sharp features. "Do you believe in fate?"
"Do you?"
"I guess it depends."
"On whether or not, it's favourable to you?"
"Not really. Just on what happens for it to be deemed as the deed of fate," I said and he shifted once more his face close to mine. This time I didn't flinch as I stared back into those blue orbs.
"So what if I told we were friends when we were younger before we were separated? Would you believe me?"
"I would... but I definitely would have remembered you. No one in their right mind would forget a face like yours," I said reaching out to smoothen the worry lines made from confused expression. "I believe eyes are windows to the soul and I also believe your eyes are your best feature. I would definitely have noticed your eyes first. No one just forgets something like that."
I whispered and he gave me a look in between satisfaction and something close to awe as he looked immensely pleased before he kissed my forehead and pushed himself to his feet.
"The water is getting cold. Finish up," he said leaving me to finish my own business and I came to find that he'd set down warm clothes, but for some reason I couldn't help but notice they were vaguely familiar to the ones I'd once stuffed him in, not too long ago.
"When did you get matching sets?"
"They have always been there. You just didn't see them."
"Oh, okay let's go."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," I nodded and he opened the door for me placing a hand on my waist only to freeze as we went out to the living room.
Spread out in the room, were three familiar faces and another male sitting indifferently with his phone in hand. Similar silver coloured hair, brown eyes so dark that they seemed black with skin so fair and delicate looking that made the rest of the world incomparable, the male who was clearly Asian descent turned to us curiously. Glancing at him, I couldn't help but feel slightly melancholic. His aura was warm, not bubbly that's for sure, but his calm demeanour surely made you relax unconsciously. But my focus was not on him but rather Wilder who stood up as soon as we came and a slightly warm fluttering came about in my chest as I looked at his bright yet teary bloodshot eyes. A bad scare?! He looked like I had one foot in the grave, I thought casting a brief glare at the male currently glaring at his father and his fiancee. This was definitely strange.
"What are you doing here?" He asked, suddenly snapping me out of my thoughts, deciding not to bother myself with the details as I turned to the grief stricken little brother.
But before they could get a chance to respond as their faces changed color in shame, "Uncle Howard, here she is. Will you take a look at her?"
A doctor? He could fare well as a model. Oh well, suits him, I thought as he stood up made his way towards us with a smile but as soon as he was merely 3 feet away Ryder held out a hand.
"Don't you dare get any ideas?"
The man was obviously caught off guard but after a seconds hesitation, he chuckled regarding me with a brighter light in his eye but didn't seem offended as he held his hands out showing he really meant no harm.
"Why would I get any ideas? I'm merely here for a friendly check up," he said brightly and yet it made Ryder frown even more before he turned to me.
"Babydoll, don't be fooled by his innocent looks. When you see him coming go the other way," he said and I could feel my lips twitch as he glared blatantly at the smiling male.
Did he think I would be easily infatuated by every handsome male I came across? Being around too many men has almost made me immune to such charms so much that I still wonder if there is something wrong with me if I linger too much in my thoughts wondering why I was seemingly bashful over small things.
"Now you're just wounding me little nephew," Howard said before looking back at me. "So you are the one who has the family in such disarray? Nice to meet you."
He said holding his hand out and I stared at it for a brief moment before looking back at him finding his calm face suddenly turning awkward and I snorted inwardly before taking his hand just as he was about to withdraw.
"Diana."
"Diana..? What is your last name?"
"Do you have any use for it?"
"Well..no."
"Then you don't need it," I deadpanned and I heard Ryder snicker beside me and Howard smiled.
"I can see why you like her," he said turning to Ryder. "Shall we get started?"
Though begrudgingly, Ryder nodded pointing back to his room and my gaze landed briefly on the couple who looked awkward for being disregarded as such as they gave a loving couple image with Gina, the future Mrs Stone sitting on the seat and Mr Stone standing behind her. Both looked slightly disheveled though they had just rolled out of bed. Though my conscience struck hard knowing it the middle of the night, I knew it couldn't be as easy as being worried for their son's girlfriend.
"Can't you do it out here?" Gina's meek voice rang and we stopped looking back at her. Silence meeting her she took it as a sign to continue. "Three men with a girl in a room..!? If anyone were to find out..."
Woman!? If anyone were to tell it, it would obviously be you, I thought disgruntled as I cast her an indifferent look watching this white lotus carefully. Though her personality had showed a different story so far, I had the idea that it had to match her wild appearance. More so, it proved she had been at that sham of a debutante ball given how she had been acting towards me.
"I apologize but I'm not a.. loose woman as you've been made to believe. You must have an interesting choice of acquaintances. Nevertheless, if you are still.. concerned you are always welcome to.. babysit," I said beaming up a smile at her watching her face stiffen before I turned away amused as she cast a wary glance at Ryder. I had the feeling her mere show of bravado when I first met her was dying out. She was increasingly afraid of offending Ryder.
"You are not offended?" Howard asked surprised as he came as he followed me into the study, I could go back to the room but I was well aware Ryder was not amused about having people intrude on his territory, and I gave this effeminate doctor a questioning glance. Did he expect me to bawl my eyes out?
"If I got offended by every offensive word coming my way, I'd turn out to be a pitiful petty and fickle woman," I answered as he opened the briefcase he'd brought with him in the room and he smiled gently as Wilder took the seat beside me and I let out a wry smile. Looked like I'd really scared him which is surprising given we'd only known each other for two weeks.
"You implied a lot of things in your statement," he said and I gave him a curious glance wondering what he was on about. "You warned her not to try to implicate you in any rumours behind your back. You also jabbed at her bad choice of friends. What did you call it? Petty and fickle. Then there was the fact that you jabbed at her age and ours respectfully. If she did take the bait, she was equating us to children."
He said noting down his notes and I could feel my lips twitch as I glanced at Ryder who was watching us nearby.
"I call it sophisticated pettiness," he concluded and I decided that I shouldn't mess with this one as I wondered why Wilder called this barely 25 year old uncle and I wondered if he was just playing doctor with me.
Then given the fact that his actions shot down the thought, I suddenly felt dumb for disregarding the notion of modern families and adoption systems. It was either that or they simply had good enough relations to call each other so intimately.
"Mr Howard is overthinking things," I said simply but did not elaborate. When he realized I was going to say any more he settled for a safer topic until Ryder admonished him for dragging the check up for too long and he wrapped up advising me to deal properly when it came to resting and Ryder showed him out. Well, between you and me, kicked him out is more appropriately put.
"Are you okay now?" Wilder asked pensively and I couldn't help but smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Whether he believed me or not, I didn't know but after a couple of minutes of chatting, he fell asleep with his head on my lap.
"He's already asleep?" I heard Ryder ask surprised a few moments after the door opened and I turned to him with a nod. Nodding too, he disappeared from my line of sight briefly, before coming back with a soft blanket to cover his brother and I eased myself from under his head and put a pillow in place. Making sure he was comfortable we both left the room. Probably great foresight on Ryder for having good taste in furniture that we couldn't worry about him sleeping uncomfortably.
"Tea?" He asked and I nodded absentmindedly taking a seat as he started brewing.
"You guys don't like tea. How is it you can brew it so well?"
"Circumstances."
"Circumstances? Grandma Stone?" I asked confused and he hummed in response. Since he was facing away from me I figured he agreed with my deduction as we fell into a comfortable silence and minutes later he placed some fragrant tea infront of me before getting coffee for himself and we got cozy in the huge leather couch.
"What? I know you've already fallen for this face but that look you're giving me makes me think you want to eat me," he said with a slight smirk and it took all I had not to disturb how comfortable I was just to smack it off his face with the pillow resting on my lap.
"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. What's it to you?" I asked nonchalantly rolling my eyes at him and in a swift motion he was already leaning close to me pinching my chin with his fingers.
For a moment, I froze caught off guard. Adding the fact that he really seemed unamused at rolling my eyes at him, a chill creeped up my spine.
"You don't have to send all those nonverbal cues. Call me and I will be there ready to be eaten," he said brushing his lips against mine and I bit my quivering lip as a rush of heat rose from below my navel. "Don't do that. It makes me want to devour you instead."
"You..!?" I trembled slightly as he brushed his thumb on my bottom lip and my eyes fluttered close as he relieved me of my cup successfully pinning me on the couch with our clothes as the only barrier between us, the pillow long discarded somewhere in the room. "Some times I really do wonder what you're trying to do?"
"You mean other than making you fall in love with me with my charms and good looks?"
"There is also that," I let out with a breathy sigh as he bumped his forehead with mine gently.
"You worry too much," he said and I squinted my eyes briefly.
"Maybe you're right. My main focus should be getting you to sleep with me," I said and he froze for a brief moment before giving me a wry smile and the expression faded replaced with a carefree one.
"Sure. You do that."
"You'll let me?"
"I can't stop you now, can I?"
"I suppose not," I said looking at him doubtfully for a brief moment before I nodded faintly.
I just said that I would focus on sleeping with him in an attempt to turn about this conversation. Who knew he would actually agreed? In all honesty, it could be said I was sex-greedy but leave alone the yaoi mangas Eve was interested in, I had no clue as to what I was doing. Thinking about it, with us messing around, it did stump me as to why he had a major aversion to having sex. Even if he did have a perfect control of his sexual urges it was too perfect to the point if I wasn't at all open minded I'd think he really did have someone to relieve himself with on the side. Was I overthinking it? Probably. Maybe I should ask those silly little bodyguards that are always following me around. They might have their use but I wasn't going to be the only one losing hair wondering if there is something wrong with him that I should prepare myself for. I wasn't one to involve others in my personal problems but if I could trust them with my life then they could help with this little detail. But what if they told my father? Sigh, seems like I'm really alone in this.
"Question is; how?"
"Are you about to tell me you can't figure out how to do it?" He asked teasingly and I frowned.
"Given 99.99% of all my plans would probably end up with you filing a restraining order or me actually landing in jail, then yes. It is a bit of a tough cookie."
"We have to deal with your dark urges again, don't we?" He asked with a helpless smile and I grinned.
"Sexual urges is more like it and it's all your fault."
"I can concede. My good looks are really to blame."
"For the record, you'd look even better without clothes," I said winking at him as he pulled me up.
"Sure and that's the reason we have to actually get out of the house."
"Do we really?"
"Yes," he answered and I pouted my lips for a brief moment before I sighted the impression on his pants and I grinned. And here I'd been thinking he was displeased with my one track bedroom goal.
"You like me that much?"
"You're realizing that now!?" He said and I couldn't help but giggle as I pushed myself forward on my toes and hugged his neck.
"You are cute when you pout," I said and he snorted but nevertheless placed his hands on my waist. "Just tell me what's wrong. If there's something that you need from me, I'll try my best and live upto your expectations."
He froze looking at me inquisitively under hooded eyes and I squirmed wondering if I had said something wrong.
"Do you seriously think there is something wrong with you?"
"Well, logically, there probably is."
"You.." he trailed off and I could feel his fingers tremble slightly where they rested on my bare skin where the sweater had hitched up as he looked at me as he wanted to smack me to oblivion before the expression faded and I wondered if I was seeing things. "It's... nothing serious. I naturally want what's the best for you. Now let's go."
"Now? It's still dark."
"It's almost 6 in the morning. We aren't going to be doing much sleeping anymore," he said pulling me back to my room and he went to get me comfortable shoes.
I could tell when someone was clearly lying, I was perceptive of most people's emotions and thinking patterns, however when it came to him I felt more or less like an amateur psychiatrist eager with her first client. A cold aloof client. After laying out all possible meanings of his words, I still couldn't understand what he meant by the best for me. Maybe Ryder Stone should be a course. Then I could probably study and pass successfully, I thought rubbing my forehead feeling pitiful at my predicament. I wasn't planning to push his buttons or anything, but thinking about it, I tucked Project XXX under; Ongoing. I was just fine with what we had. But even so a new problem popped up. I really had to start thinking about the future.
"Will you be warm in that?" He asked shrugging on his jacket after helping me with my shoes, to which I almost cooed at his excessive gentleman behavior.
"Yes."
Honestly I was going to kick his ass if I heard that question one more. In addition to my boots, the comfy and warm sweat pants and the woolen sweater, he had almost added a huge jacket that would have definitely turned me into a round looking human before he settled with just wrapping a scarf around my neck when I told him I'd make sure to kill Grandma Stone's dream of a great grandchild from her eldest grandchild and he gave up the idea reluctantly. Seeing him pout disgruntled, I sidled up to him throwing myself to him and kissing him deeply. His heat enveloping mess his arms went around me, the passionate kiss had my toes curling and my blood boiling. Even so I found myself pulling away.
"What was that for?" He asked with twinkling eyes his eyes fixated on my lips and I couldn't help but smile.
"Nothing much but for sure, I'm definitely warm," I said winking at him and he chuckled keeping me in his embrace.
"Hmm, is that so?" He mumbled teasingly against my lips and it took us a while before we went downstairs.
To my surprise, I glimpsed the couple lounging in the living room and a flicker of emotion washed over me for a couple of seconds before Ryder tugged my hand towards him leading me towards the door where the cold morning wind smacked me right in the face.
"We are up for some dreary weather, aren't we?" I mumbled quietly and I sighted his lips thinning for a moment before he squeezed my hand and turned to press a kiss to my forehead.
The gesture though small comforted me