Chained By The Witch

Rando #4

The silk sheets gently twist around my frame as I toss and turn in my bed. The night terrors have been getting worse as of late.

A shattered fragment of pale moonlight streams through my curtains, reaching out a hand and dusting the floor of my room.

Time has no meaning as I stare endlessly at the smooth ceiling far above my reach. I reach a hand up and act as if I can feel the coolness of it. Crashing back into reality I realize I can't sleep here anymore.

I really need to get a grip.

But, for now, I cross the threshold separating me from the gentle giant next door. The temperature difference startles me, cold air melting off my bones like wax and transforming into warmth pressing against my skin just as I hope someone soon will.

The figure beneath the sheets stirs, and I hold my breath, waiting to be scolded for doing this again. Yet, the doe-eyed look staring back at me holds only kindness and acceptance. A smile plays at the lips of a familiar face, the face of my lover.

"After all that hard work, you won't even sleep in the room I made for you?" Xander teases. My cheeks flush and I laugh uncomfortably.

"You didn't exactly make it with your own hands." I counter, trailing off. It's a bad argument, but true. He sighs and flips the switch on the base of his bedside lamp. It blinks to life and illuminates Xander's face. He rests his chin on his forearms and stares up at me sheepishly.

"C'mon." He feigns annoyance, but the glint in his eyes tells me he doesn't mind my intrusion as much as he says he does. "And here I thought you hated even being in the same room as me." Xander prods, I roll my eyes.

"As if you ever believed that." I retort, wanting nothing more than to get some sleep. I clench my jaw, waiting for the million dollar question to fall from his plush lips.

I wince as he says it, "What happened this time?"

The bed dips under the weight of my burdens. Sleeplessness tugs at the bags under my eyes and my eyelids droop.

The look on my face tells him without words, same as last time. Xander seems to understand and nods, simply pulling me into his chest and holding me. The light flicks off and my eyes slip shut soon after.