Because I Love You✔️

Chapter 118: The First Kiss

"Wait!" she said, then yelled, "hey, WAIT!"

Xaphile stopped walking, but didn't turn around.

"What's wrong with you?!" she called, head still swimming. "What's wrong?"

He started walking again.

And so she stumbled along after, half-shouting half-formed thoughts until she tripped and fell and landed hard on her knees. Her head ached something fierce, her knees hurt from where she'd tripped, she was suddenly so tired she felt like her head was floating-

"You're an idiot."

Ella blearily opened her eyes. Xaphile was kneeling in front of her, elbows braced on his knees. He was frowning, eyes narrowed and lips pursed, and he'd never looked cuter. Or was that just the bump to her head making her thoughts scrambled?

"Hi," she said again, staring at every line and contour of his face. No, it wasn't the bump, he was just nice to look at, that was all. Although, his cheeks still had that odd flush, and he seemed to be breathing heavier than usual.

"You hit your head," he rasped, reaching out and cupping the back of her skull. "Hard."

Ella let out a little sigh since his hand was blazing with heat.

Her eyes fell shut since having that heat there felt right, and comforting... but it ended almost as soon as it began. She opened her eyes when she heard feet crunching over pebbles. The heat left her and Xaphile was walking away yet again.

She stared after him, feeling blank until words fell out of her mouth without her consent.

"Did I do something wrong?"

He stopped walking. Turned. The blue-green of his eyes seemed to glow in the all-grey rainy world, seemed to make the world bleach out until all there was was his eyes, staring at her, glowing with fury and... and contrary to the set of his eyes, his voice was soft.

"I'm not angry with you, Ella," he murmured, long ear flicking; rain water flew from it.

She took a deep breath.

"Then why," she asked, "won't you come anywhere near me, Xaphile?"

He growled, lips twitched back to show off his sharp teeth.

"Don't say my name," he snapped.

"Xaphile, why-"

"Don't!"

Ella went still, mouth gaping open in absolute shock... and then she closed her mouth again. His clawed hands clenched tightly at his sides, shaking as lean fingers ground into his palms, rending gashes into his flesh, and as she watched a trail of bright red blood slicked out from between those fingers and fell in a patter to the stones beneath his feet.

"I am not," he said, voice shaking with barely-contained emotion, "angry with you."

"Then who are you angry with?"

He didn't reply, breath rushing out of his nose as his head tipped back, eyes closing. His shoulders seemed as taut as steel cable when he said, "Me."

Ella stared at him. His eyes opened.

"I'm... not okay right now, and for whatever reason, this fever I have," he said, voice still shaking with that suppressed emotion she couldn't fathom, "you only make it worse. It's... weird."

"Xaphile," she said, and he glared at her with such heat she nearly thought she'd catch fire.

"Don't say my name," he hissed, eyes blazing. "Just looking at you is shattering the little self control I have; can you at least try to make this easier on me by not calling for me in that voice?"