. . .
Andros Kozlov
I looked down at my hands.
There were nail wounds on my palms which were bleeding.
Hedeon pressed his thumb on the scanner and the partition slid open. "You're a free bird.""
"Shut up." I didn't feel rested, at all. This wasn't helping. I didn't want to say that to anyone. It didn't matter, either. I could be tired as long as no one was getting hurt. I wasn't a kind man. But there was no fucking point in bashing my own workers' heads in.
"Dahlia visited you when you were sleepwalking."
I paused. "She did?"
"Yes. Talk to her. And, something is going on with Alexandre."
"What?"
"Dahlia asked him how many people he has been with."
"That set him off?"
"He's thinking too much. Dahlia is curious about our past. We can't stop her from asking questions."
I nodded, wearing my T-shirt. My bones felt heavy. I was too tired.
"Where is Dahlia?"
"Alexandre and Dahlia are having lunch together in his room. You can talk to her afterward."
"I don't think I should. They need their time together."
"Ignoring her is not an option, Andros."
I shrugged. I didn't know how to talk to her. To make her see me as more than what I did when I wasn't in control of my body. I didn't know how to even look at her now.
"I'll talk to her."
"Will you?"
"Stop being condescending."
"Just talk to her. You know you'll feel better."
. . .
I stared at the ceiling, leaning back into my chair. I couldn't focus on work. I didn't give a fuck about it anymore. We didn't even really need to work. We had all the money we could ever need. It was just something to occupy our minds with.
Now, we had something else to occupy our minds with.
It was about five. Alexandre was probably cooking dinner. Dahlia must be there. I could go and talk to her. Maybe apologize. Hedeon told me she threw up.
But I couldn't promise anything like that would never happen again. It could. It probably would.
There was a knock on the door.
"Who is there?"
"It's Batman."
"Come in, Dahlia."
Dahlia walked in, dressed in a giant t-shirt and shorts. Her hair was up in a bun and glasses were set on her nose. Dahlia usually wore contacts. Her classes made her look cute.
She slowly approached me. She had an ice cream tub in her hands with two spoons.
"Hey."
"Hey, baby. You got me ice cream?"
"I got us ice cream." She set it on the table. "Where do I sit?"
I tapped my thigh. "Here's your throne."
She smiled and sat down. "You're cheesy."
"Only because you smile when I'm cheesy." I took the spoons from her hands and opened the tub.
She set her head against my shoulder. "I missed you. I haven't seen you since..."
"Yeah. I was...occupied. I missed you too, Dahlia." I held the tub so that she could dig her spoon into the ice cream.
We ate in silence. I knew Dahlia had what happened on her mind, just as I did.
"Andros..."
"Hm?"
"I don't like you in chains."
"I...I don't like the chains either, baby."
She looked up at me, those big dark eyes looking right at my fucking soul.
"Sleepwalking Andros listens to me."
"Good to know he has two brain cells to rub together."
"Does it hurt?"
"What?"
"There were red marks on your body. And, there are wounds on your palms. Can I put something on them?"
She blinked up at me.
I stared. "Darling...I don't think I deserve to be tended to after what happened."
"Don't worry, I'll scream at sleepwalking Andros. I promise."
I chuckled. "You're fucking adorable. I just want to eat you up." I kissed her neck, right where the spot that made her squirm was.
"Can I?" She asked, not to be ignored.
"Yes, baby."
. . .
She pressed an ice pack on the brises the chains had left on me. "I think if I get off your lap I'll be able to do this better."
"No." I snuggled my face into her neck, breathing in her lavender scent. I felt calm now. I was tried still. I was really tired. I wanted to sleep like this, with her on me.
She set the ice pack down and wrapped her arms around me. "Andros."
"Baby."
She pulled back, looking up at me. "Is it getting worse?"
"The sleepwalking?"
"Yes."
"It is."
"Why do you think that is?"
"The chains." I didn't want to talk about this. But I didn't want to shut her out, either.
"I'm going to propose something," she said. "I need you to hear me out."
"Okay." I undid her bun, letting the strand of her hair fall over her narrow shoulders.
"I think he likes me."
"Who?"
"You, when you're sleepwalking. I think...if we sleep in the same bad, sleepwalking Andros won't go on a rampage."
"Too risky. No."
"Please?"
"Baby, you're asking me to endanger you. That can't happen."
"What if one of Hedeon, Lucian, and Alexandre are in the room? We can try it out. Maybe it will work. You know it can."
"Too risky."
"Please? I want to help you. Maybe this way you won't have to hurt yourself like this."
"No."
She sighed and tried to get off my lap.
"Where do you think you going?"
"You don't listen to me."
"I'm trying to keep you safe, Dahlia. I will not listen to you only when you're trying to put yourself in danger. I don't..." My jaw clenched. "I don't fucking trust myself with you even when I am awake. I'd rather be dead than expose you to me when I'm sleepwalking."
Her breath hitched. "Well," she said, her voice shaking. "I trust you with myself. Does that count at all?"
"Baby."
She squirmed off my lap. "I get you're trying to keep me safe. But I don't like this."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize. That's not what I want."
"What do you want? Anything except what you asked for. I'll give it to you."
She folded her arms against her chest, looking adorably angry. "Okay. When you're down there in your cell, I want to be there. Outside. Don't look at me like that. Then, if you do not show my aggression while sleepwalking with me there for like, I don't know, a week, we will try out what I suggested."
I considered it. There was no way in hell I could break the partition. That thing could not be broken.
"Okay," I said. "I will set up a camera. I will monitor my actions when I wake up. If they're not violent with you around, we will try out what you suggested."
She smiled, her anger melting away. "Awesome!"
I stared at her. She wanted to help me. I liked it a bit too much. I took hold of her hands and pressed a kiss on her lips.
"You..." I sighed. "I don't know what I'd to deserve you."
"You're nice to me." She cupped my face. "That's all I need."
. . .