Halo

Chapter 21: Echo

I stared blankly at Ash. He laughed nervously. "Another sex demon?"

"I didn't know he was here, baby, I swear," he held up his hands. "He's with Con, though, so we can go lay in the pool and make out a little bit. Then we'll try to walk around a little and if I can, we'll go to dinner and a movie. If not, I'll make Fifteen and Con carry me upstairs so we can get to my bed. If I can walk..." he smirked. "If I can't," he shrugged. "I'll stuff down the pain."

I sighed and got off the couch. "There are seriously people out there that don't know that I'm God. Why do I feel like we can use that to our advantage?"

"Because we can use that to our advantage."

"How?"

"Because I'm known for some very bad things so it wouldn't surprise anyone that I'd have a woman at my hip all hours of the day. They don't know why I'm protecting you. All they know is that I'm protecting you."

"So I'm...just an object?" Well that was a pleasant thought. Note the sarcasm.

"No, no, no, angel," he stroked my hair. "My sweet girl, no."

"I am."

"You aren't, baby."

"I have to be if it'll protect me," I grumbled. Ash hummed and kissed me. I kissed back.

"You don't have to be anything you don't want, my angel."

"I want to be yours," I kissed him. He held me. "Do you need anything, baby?"

"A bath," he muttered. "Dip in the pool." Pause. "You." Pause. "In case that was unclear, I meant in cuddling and in my bed without your-"

"It was clear, Ash," I rubbed my face. "Let's get you up two flights of stairs. I don't want to risk that the sun burn your cuts and burns and stuff, babe."

"So considerate, angel," he kissed my chin. "Are we skinny dipping, baby doll?" I shrugged.

"You can. I'm putting that bathing suit we wrecked over to good use," I concluded.

"I'm skinny dipping unless it's gonna make you uncomfortable, my sweet angel," he brushed his nose against my jaw. I climbed out of his lap and offered him my hands. He hauled himself off the couch with the assistance of me. He kept one of his sheets around his thin hips and draped his arms around my waist. "I love you, my love."

"I love you, too, Ash. Do you need painkillers before you try to take the stairs, baby?" We could put him on a floaty-thingy until they started to wear off. He shook his head, though.

"Just take a break in my room so you can change."

"Yes, sir," I braced an arm tight around his waist as we neared the stairs. Ash gripped my shoulder, fingernails breaking my skin. I didn't really notice. He groaned after the first step. I gulped. Waited. "You okay?"

"I'm good, baby. Don't stop." He said this through his teeth. I hauled him up the second step. He groaned again. Longer this time than the last. I kept going. He didn't stop groaning.

"Almost there, Ash. We're almost there," I said at every step. Eventually it wasn't a lie. He was tensing up every muscle in his body, and I wished I could take his pain. "This was such a bad idea, baby."

"No, no, it's good. I'm good," he panted. I took him into his room and set him down on the bed. "Get changed, angel. I'll be good by the time you're done."

"I don't know where I put it," I whispered.

"Nightstand, angel," he breathed. I found it on top of his nightstand and slid on the bottoms. No doubt in my mind that Asher was watching. "That's a little egocentric of you to think that."