Omniscient
April 15th
His feet moved rapidly, breath panting heavily but he couldn't slow down. He wasn't one to run away from his problems because it only showed him to be weak, but he was outnumbered. An idiot would stay to see their fate flash before their eyes, and an idiot was far from what he was.
Standing in the middle of the dark alleyway, he patted his body down in attempts to find his Colt Python.
"Shit!" He cursed, seeing it laying in a puddle on the ground in the beginning half of the alleyway. Luckily for him, his fingerprints never made it onto the gun due to the black gloves he wore, but that didn't stop the weird feeling of defeat from coursing through his body. He'd prepared himself for death many times before, knowing it would happen one day, but he didn't expect for that day to be so soon. He wasn't scared, far from it actually, but the feeling of either being forced to surrender or becoming weakened at the hands of another man's weapon caused an unknown sensation to jolt through his body.
He could have hid, but there was no need anymore. He barely had time to think as he turned around, seeing the barrel of 3 guns being pointed in his direction from a distance.
The sound of the first gun rang through his ears, the feeling of the bullet puncturing his skin forcing a low grunt to leave from his mouth, his body dropping down onto the wet ground as rain poured over his head.
Multiple shots went off after the fact, though only 4 punctured his barely moving body due to him managing to dodge most of the bullets. Once all clips were empty, the only thing heard was the patter of the 3 bodies running out of the alley, leaving him to lay to his death.
The last thing he heard were the sounds of sirens as all strength in his body suddenly gave up on him. He collapsed right there in the middle of the alley, his eyes wide open to stare at the dark sky above him. Blood spilled from his body at a rapid pace, the metallic taste filling his mouth as the crimson colored substance spilled out of him.
"Crystal" Was the last thing he croaked out, before everything went blank.
Cepheus popped his eyes open, his chest heaving up and down as an after effect from the constant nightmare he been having. A replay of the night everything went down, a vivid, constant image engraved into his head showing the night he thought everything was over.
Staring up at the dark ceiling, he didn't even bother to take in his surroundings, knowing that he was the only occupant in the nearly pitch-black room aside from Cassia. She said nothing, but he could feel her stare on him even though he could barely make out anything except her body.
He hated this, hated being in this predicament, hated the constant nightmares, and ultimately hated the thoughts that continued to roam his head regarding the situation. Revenge. Something so bittersweet that Cepheus couldn't shake.
"You okay?" She asked softly while capping the small jar of his pills after counting them out. This was what her nights consisted of every single day, doing random things around his room as he slept because she worked the night shift. She could have went to her office and left him with a call button if she really wanted to, but she much rathered be in his presence even if he was sleeping.
It was weird to have him fast asleep, because Cepheus had terrible insomnia. He could stay up for days at a time and just not sleep, and that was usually how it was. But once Cassia began working the night shift, he somehow managed to get sleep every single night she was there. If she wasn't there, he didn't sleep. It wasn't even like he could control it, that's just how it was and he refused to question it or tell her.
"I'm straight." He mumbled, but she knew he was lying. She wouldn't press him though, but when it came to the point where he did want to tell her what was going on, she for sure would be there to listen to his every word.
Maneuvering through the room to double check everything was in order, Cassia could feel the eyes of Cepheus trailing all over her body, though she tried to ignore it. It wasn't easy, it wasn't easy because every single time his dark brown slits scanned over her, she felt a feeling that she'd never felt in the presence of anyone else. Almost as though it was a feeling of fullness that shouldn't ever be coming from another man, hell another person, who wasn't her husband.
"Why you so tense Dr. Amana?" Cassia froze, her eyes staying fixed on the window in front of her. She stared out at the dark sky, the only illumination of the night coming from the moon and different stars scattered along the face of the universe.
"You ever just stare out at the stars when it's night time, and think about how beautiful it is?" Cepheus raised an eyebrow, adjusting his body carefully as he sat up in the bed. The dim lights in the room were fitting for whatever conversation he was about to engage in with her, seeing as though this would be one of the first times they actually had a conversation that didn't revolve around the fact he was the patient and she was the doctor.
"Nah not really, I mean not these days. When I was younger I did with my momma, never really understood why people just laid and stared up at the stars though. Seemed pointless to me." Cepheus shrugged, his focus never coming off of Cassia who remained in her standing position. She looked so fascinated, a small twinkle sparkling in the corner of her eyes as she stared above.
"I wouldn't call it pointless...but it allows you to see and appreciate the inner beauty within in a sense. When you look at the stars from here, they just look like bright dots in the sky. But personally, I like to watch them because of the different shapes they can make. All coming together to make all types of beautiful shapes and signals, further showing that each of them have their own beauty. I mean they would have to in order to come together and create such gorgeous figures and stuff." Cassia smiled to herself, finally turning to be met with the eyes of Cepheus. "I used to always look out at the stars with Yannis."
Yannis, this being the second time Cepheus has heard this name since meeting Cassia for the first time. Glancing down at the bandages on his body, he ran his right hand over the one that covered his torso. Cassia watched his hand, seeing that it was time to take off the bandages since he was up. The wounds weren't bleeding anymore, so keeping the material on him was pointless.
"Who is Yannis?" Cepheus finally asked after a small moment of silence. Inhaling a sharp breath, Cassia released it with a shaky sigh as her small hands ran up the bare tattooed chest of Cepheus. His body relaxed at her touch, feeling a comforting sense of peace and certainty.
"My- he's my husband." She spoke just above a whisper, her eyes refusing to come into contact with those of Cepheus. Not because she was intimidated or scared, but because the name of her husband rolling off of her tongue while she stood with a man who she could feel herself becoming attracted to, wasn't an ideal situation. She felt a sense of guilt, though she hadn't yet done anything, she knew the thoughts that continued swarming her mind were wrong.
"So what happened, the nigga don't like going out to look at them stars with you no more?" Cassia sighed, her face dropping in a frown as her attention remained on peeling off the dry bandage that covered his torso.
"A lot has happened...a lot of good and bad in our marriage. But things have changed drastically between us, it's like nothing's the same and the spark just isn't there anymore. It's there, but it's not there-."
"He cry when you was walking down the aisle?" Cassia shifted her weight onto her right foot as her eyes finally found his. He was staring at her blankly, though she couldn't help the feeling her body radiated just from looking into his eyes.
"I- n- no he didn't." She spoke softly, earning a low chuckle from Cepheus. A bitch, he thought.
"That should have been your first red flag then. I don't know nothing bout dude except for what I told you the other day, but I know he got to be a bitch just from you saying that. You deserve better momma." Raising an eyebrow, Cassia reached behind her to dispose the bandage, beginning to prep Cepheus' stomach area to keep it from gaining any infections.
"How does that make him a...a b word? Would you cry if I was your soon to be wife walking down the aisle?" Running his tongue over his plump lips slowly, Cepheus lowered his eyes slightly. His right wrist snapping up to grab ahold of Cassia's, stopping her mid-action which forced her to hesitantly look at him again.
"If you was my soon to be wife, I wouldn't be crying cause that ain't me, but I would make sure you felt appreciated and ain't ever had to question yourself or vent to the next dude." Blinking a couple times, Cassia released a small breath.
"What do you mean when you say that's not you?"
Doing a small wince from the pressure Cassia applied on his wound, Cepheus allowed his eyes to roam her body. She was tense, tense because of the thoughts that filled her mind...thoughts that she again, shouldn't be having.
"Loosen up your body, I ain't nobody for you to be intimidated by baby-."
"Please call me Dr. Amana or Cassia, the term baby is inappropriate." Chuckling to himself once more, Cepheus raised his body to sit straight. His day of release was nearing and he couldn't be anymore anxious for it, more than ready to find ways to knock down the patient/doctor barrier that she insisted on putting up.
Though only knowing each other for going on 1 month now, it wasn't hard to read and understand her. Every single time her breath got taken away once he opened his mouth did not go unnoticed by Cepheus, except it enabled him to keep going and play into her mind games. He was well aware on how he had a way with his words, but with her he shifted his approach.
She interested him, he knew she had another side to her that she didn't allow to show due to the setting and circumstances that they were under. Every time he looked in her eyes, she didn't hesitate to peel away and divert her attention elsewhere. Either that or steadily flashing her ring and reminding him of her marital status that he couldn't care less about.
"Like I said, I ain't nobody for you to be intimidated by baby. I know I ain't ya man, I don't want to be him. I'm just tryna help you out." Nodding to herself, Cassia took a couple steps away from him. She could feel her eyes begin to water up due to the overwhelming emotions she began to feel all at once.
"Please excuse me." She spoke just above a whisper before rushing out of the room, going straight towards her office. Working the night shift allowed for the hallways to be dim and quiet, the only voices she heard were the ones in her head that scolded her for the things running through her mind.
This is wrong
You are married
This man isn't good for you, what about Yannis
Storming into her office, she slammed the door shut before sinking her body down into a stance which kept her in a crouched position. Her dramatics were at a high because she couldn't figure out, or rather interpret everything her mind told her.
She was married, married for 5 years to the absolute love of her life. He wasn't perfect, no, he was far from it actually. But she liked to give him the benefit of the doubt, especially because she was the only female that he had ever been with in his life. He didn't know the lengths of what pleasing a woman took and Cassia accepted that because she refused to judge her husband.
Yet here was someone else, another man who she knew sought interest in her. The way he looked at her with a glare of possession and want, the way he touched her as if he longed for her, the way he showed determination while barely doing anything...all of it had her head gone. In just under a month, that's all it took for one person to alter every single moral and confidence that she once held.
Putting her weight on her knees, Cassia crawled over to where her purse laid right next to her desk. Grabbing it, she fished through to pull her phone out. Knowing she needed to speak to the only person who would be able to help her out in this moment.
"Hello?" The soft voice of Jamila answered the phone, giving Cassia a sense of peace from hearing her best friend. Finally standing to her feet, she stared at her reflection through the mirror that sat on the wall directly across from her. Luckily, she wore no makeup, but the redness from her tears decorated her being enough.
"Jamila I need help." She spoke calmly, though in her chest she could feel what seemed like a tightening.
Her emotions and feelings were dramatic and extra, but she felt overwhelmed and this always happened when the emotion took other her. She was an over thinker, and had terrible anxiety, even from the slightest interactions.
"Please don't tell me it's about work bae-."
"Stop calling him that please, he's not anything like that but I- every time I'm around him I get this feeling...." Cassia began to pace the quiet room, her thumb nail fit between her teeth as she nibbled on it slowly.
"Elaborate..."
"I start to get these thoughts, and it may sound weird or dramatic over the phone which is why I would rather talk in person. If you're not busy do you think you can come to the hospital please?" Cassia knew she was testing the waters because it was 2:34 in the morning and Jamila started her shift at 7:00. But nonetheless, she knew her best friend would show up if it meant helping her get through her shift and have a better night.
"I'm on my way, just drink some water and splash your face. At the end of the day, you can't be leaving out on your patients because you can't get your emotions together. And before you say anything, I know how you get Cassia." Nodding to herself, she gave Jamila a small thank you before hanging up.
Placing the phone down, she took a deep breath before running her hand through her bone straight hair.
"Get it together Cassia." She whispered to herself, her small hand latching onto the door knob to twist it open again. Feeling the small gust of the hallway, she nodded to herself slightly before starting on her way back down the hallway. Each painful step that she took, she coached herself on how to go about this.
Nothing had even happened for her emotions to be the way that they were, what started as a patient/doctor relationship was slowly but surely taking a turn into something else. She held enough self control to not do too much, but a blind man could see that this wasn't her ideal, nor was it her normal situation.
"I'm so sorry for that, I-."
"You was crying?" Glancing up, Cassia did a slow blink seeing the look on Cepheus' face. It was one that was slightly hard to interpret, but the glow of concern didn't go unnoticed.
Grabbing the fresh bandages along with the bowl of water she previously held, Cassia made her way back over to the area right next to the bed of Cepheus. His eyes stayed on her the whole way, taking in her entire appearance. It wasn't hard for him to know he threw her off course, it actually enabled him. Knowing that it took absolutely nothing but a couple words and a look or two.
"Look Mr. Emerson, I don't want to come off as being disrespectful or- or as though I'm looking too much into things. But whatever you're trying to do or whatever you have in mind...it needs to stop. At the end of the day, you are my patient sir and only my patient. That's all you are and that's all you will ever be. So please respect those boundaries and respect my wishes that you keep this professional." Furrowing his eyebrows, Cepheus let a deep chuckle escape his lips.
"I ain't cross any boundaries Dr. Amana, I just spoke to you as a patient would. However you take my words, that has nothing to do with me beautiful. You lacking self control isn't my problem." Squeezing her eyes shut, Cassia shook her head while placing everything down once more.
"I can't do this." She mumbled, her feet getting ready to leave out of the room until her wrist was latched onto by Cepheus. From his touch, she felt as though her knees were about to lock in at any moment.
"Look at me." His smooth voice placed her right back into her usual trance, her body moving ahead of her mind as she slowly turned her head to face him.
He yanked her arm slightly, forcing her to stumble her way over to him. Their bodies closer than they ever had been before, though Cassia was standing and Cepheus remained rested in his hospital bed. Running his thumb over the back of her hand, he stared deep into her mocha colored eyes as she couldn't peel away from his.
"Can you please just let me go." She spoke quietly, never turning her attention to him until his right hand gripped her chin in his hand. Sitting up by himself, Cepheus snaked his hand to the back of her neck to pull her head down towards his.
Time froze as soon as their lips connected, naturally moving sync as if this was meant to be. Cepheus was genuinely surprised when he felt her kiss him back with the same eagerness, his right hand sliding down from the back of her neck to grip onto the side of her waist.
He leaned back a little bit, exposing his chest and the lining of the boxers he wore to pull her body on top of his to straddle him. Cassia didn't know what she was doing, she knew this was wrong, but she couldn't stop herself from embarking in this.
"Wait wait-." He cut her off by pressing his lips back on hers, using the weight advantage he had to flip them over so that she was under him, while never breaking the kiss. It was far from friendly, his left hand grasping her neck tightly as his tongue found its way parting her lips to fly in her mouth.
Cassia had never in her life french kissed anyone, being that Yannis was the only person she ever engaged in any type of PDA with. So the feeling of Cepheus' tongue swirling around her mouth was indescribable, she didn't know how to explain what she was feeling in the moment, but it wasn't long until she finally regained full awareness before pushing Cepheus off of her as hard as she could.
"This was- this wasn't supposed to happen-."
"You sure?" Cepheus ran his tongue over his lips, the feeling of her lips on his lingering on his mouth. He could see the way she was physically shaking, looking as though she'd just seen a ghost from the way she looked at him.
Standing to his feet, he left her to sit in the bed alone since he didn't feel like dealing with whatever outburst she would have. He had no doubt in his mind that she would blame him for this, even after willingly engaging in the kiss herself.
"You have a girlfriend, and I- I'm married. You're also my patients, this is illegal." She spoke just above a whisper. Cepheus grabbed the keys to her office in his hand, slowly nodding his head while halfway listening to what she was saying. Leaning up against the frame of the door, he stared at her with his eyes hooded.
"Cry about it." He smirked while blowing her a mocking kiss, before turning on his heels to leave out of the room. Leaving Cassia to sit in her lonesome, a dumbfounded expression spread on her face.
~•~