——
ELLIE stirs awake, a hazy glow shining behind her eyelids.
She turns over and huddles into something cold but nice. Its arms wrap around her tightly. She feels tired again, on the verge of falling asleep.
"Ellie, it's 9:30 am." He whispers to her, slightly pulling her out of her slumber. "You said class started at 10:30."
Ellie grumbles, and even though she doesn't want to wake up, she knows she has to. It takes her a few minutes to sit up, but when she does, Demetri can't help but chuckle at her appearance; her hair stands up all over the place and her pajamas are crooked.
Ellie turns her head and glares tiredly at him. "Whats so funny?" Her voice is thick with sleep.
Demetri tries to flatten his smile out, but it keeps coming back the more he looks at her. "Nothing." He says, but his voice sounds like he wants to laugh.
Ellie glares at him for a moment before crawling out of his arms and out of her bed, ignoring Demetris protests.
She stretches her arms over her head and the sound of her crackling joints fills the quiet space.
"Would you like me to come with you?" Demetri asks, he watches Ellie stumble about her room, searching for her things to get ready.
"To class?" She asks, grabbing her towel.
"Yes— Well, not to class, I will wait outside. But I could accompany you on the way there." Demetri suggests. "And perhaps we could go out to lunch when you're done?" He had thought, or planned, about what he could do with Ellie as she slept, he wants to get to know her even more and he figured this could be a good way to do so.
Hes never really had to get to know anyone before, so this excites him. He can now understand why humans are so obsessive over dates.
He'll just have to pretend to eat while she sits across from him, but he doesn't presume that will be too difficult.
She nods, not looking at him. "Sounds good. I'm gonna take a shower, you'll be fine here, right?" She asks, now glancing over her shoulder at him in her bed.
He nods and smiles. "I will be fine."
Ellie hurries into her bathroom after that, and when she sees herself in the mirror, she understands why Demetri had laughed — she looks like a homeless man who just wrestled a stray cat for food.
She brushes her teeth and then starts the shower, as she waits for the water to heat up, she strips out of her clothes. By the time shes done, so is the water.
She steps into the shower and is immediately pelted by the stream, but its nice and relaxes her tired muscles.
As she washes away her tiredness, she replays the previous night in her mind and can't stop smiling. It was perfect to her.
They had watched Greys Anatomy and at one point he pulled her into him and held her while the show played, it was the first time a boy had held Ellie in such a way.
Then they paused the show and talked, just talked, about each other and random things.
Ellie opened up to him because it just felt easy, she told him about her relationship with her mom, her dad and Bella, and he listened intently, often asking questions that furthered the process of getting to know each other.
It's strange to her how quickly she grew close with him. It feels like she has known him for a long time already, she assumes it's just the supernatural of it all.
He told her about himself, too, like about his brother Felix and a little about his job in Italy, though he couldn't say too much about that, only little things about his bosses.
"Caius is the angry one," He'd said with a deep laugh, "very irritable. Marcus... doesn't really care. Hes mellow. And Aro, well, Aro is very nice but if need be can be quite stern."
Ellie had laughed but was also wondering if she would ever meet these bosses, if she would one day become apart of the Volturi.
He also told her a little about his life, though hazy, he remembered little things like he was born in Greece but left it for Italy and his job.
They also kissed. A lot. And then Ellie eventually fell asleep with Greys Anatomy playing in the background until Demetri realized she had fallen asleep, so he turned it off.
Ellies large smile stays as she steps out of the shower and dries herself off, but it falters once she realizes she has no clothes — just her towel. Her eyes widen in realization.
Normally, she'd just dress in her room, but a man is currently in her there. She curses under her breath and her heart begins to thud rapidly.
After a few minutes of panicking, she comes to the conclusion that either way, he'll see her naked so she should just get it over with.
She wraps the towel tightly around her body and then wraps her arms around her chest for even more security. She stares at the door for a moment before yanking it open, she quickly tucks her arm back around her chest.
Demetri lifts his head to look at her, his eyebrows raise up the second his eyes land on her. "Cute outfit." He comments with a sly smirk.
Ellie blushes, her cheeks turning a light shade of red. "Shut up." She grumbles and then searches hurriedly for an outfit in her closet. Demetri chuckles and she can feel his eyes burning into her.
When she gathers her clothes, she disappears back into the bathroom, but not before catching a glimpse of Demetri smiling widely with dimples popping out on his cheeks.
She drops her towel and then puts her clothes on, after, she drags her hair brush through her wet and tangled hair. When done, she leaves the bathroom and drops her pajamas and towel into her laundry basket.
Demetri watches Ellie with amazement, but she just sees it as him staring at her. She raises an eyebrow. "What?" She asks, suddenly anxious under his gaze, she runs a hand through her hair in case it is a mess.
He smoothly gets out of the bed and walks to her, not speaking. He smiles softly at her and then presses a kiss to her forehead. "Nothing." He finally speaks, and his voice is hushed.
Ellie peers up at him, her cheeks reddening once again and her mind starts feeling hazy. She exhales sharply and then turns away from him and leaves her room, he trails behind her.
"You have to stop doing that." She says, entering into the living room. She doesn't even bother keeping her voice quiet, she knows Annie has already left for her own classes.
"Doing what?" He questions.
"Dazzling me." She quips, grabbing her bag from off of the couch and swinging it over her shoulder.
Demetri chuckles deeply. "My apologies."
She pulls her shoes on and checks her phone to make sure shes still on time. It's now 9 am sharp. Ellie shoves her phone into her purse and grabs her keys from the coffee table.
"How long does class normally last?" Demetri asks while following behind her to the front door.
"About an hour." Ellie locks the door and steps into the hallway, Demetri pulls it shut. "You can wait in my car if you want."
"But I want to stay near you, just in case." Demetri says.
"So, you wanna be in class with me?" Ellie asks and then they stop in front of the elevator.
Demetri shakes his head. "Outside, maybe." He suggests.
Ellie looks at him for a moment and then shrugs. "Sure."
Demetri smiles. "Great."
The elevator opens and the pair steps inside, Ellie presses the floor she needs and the doors close.
"So, are you gonna have to leave soon?" Ellie asks, not looking at Demetri. She tries not to sound too clingy, but she doesn't know if she succeeded.
Demetri thinks for a second because really, he doesn't know — it all depends on what the army decides to do. He supposes he should meet with the other three soon, they need to talk.
"I'm not sure." He answers truthfully. "It is likely, though I'm not certain when it'll happen."
Ellie nods. "Okay." She pauses. "But you'll have to come back soon, after you leave." She adds.
Demetri's smile widens. "I'll be sure to make a trip back here before the end of the year." He assures.
"Good." Ellie smiles with him.
The elevator opens up to the garage and they exit. Ellie leads the way to her dirty car and unlocks it once they reach it, the horn echoes throughout the empty lot.
She pulls her door open and sits behind the steering wheel, she glances around to make sure it isn't too dirty and it isn't, not really. Demetri is quick to sit in the passenger seat.
Ellie buckles her seatbelt and starts the car, but with her hand on the gearshift, she glances Demetri up and down, noticing his lack of seatbelt. "Buckle up." She orders. She doesn't know how sturdy vampires are but one, it'd suck if they crashed and her vampire/lover flew through the windshield, and two, it'd also suck to get pulled over because of him not wearing one.
He looks at her and his eyebrow raises. "Pardon?"
"Your seatbelt." Ellie says before reaching across Demetri to grab it and pull it across his chest, "I don't want you to die or something." She says as she clicks it into place and pulls away from him.
"Oh, right." Demetri says, now watching her side profile in wonderment. He can smell her shampoo, it fills up the confined space of the car and mixes with her normal, sweet scent.
The car pulls out onto the street and Demetri is happy to see that the clouds are thick and should linger as they're out.
Ellie reaches for the radio but stops with her hand on the knob. "Do you mind?" She asks, briefly glancing over at Demetri, he shakes his head so she clicks it on, a pop song emits from the speakers and she settles back in her seat.
Demetri doesn't know the song that plays, but he can hear Ellie mumbling along to the lyrics and it makes his dead heart feel alive again.
They don't really talk during the drive, and neither of them minds it, it isn't uncomfortable by any means so why disrupt it?
Ellie pulls onto campus and parks, she grabs her purse and books and places them in her lap. She turns to Demetri. "Ready?"
"Of course." He assures.
They exit the car and Ellie leads Demetri to the building her lecture is being held in. They stop near the two large doors.
"Well, I'll see you in about an hour." She says and turns her head to look at Demetri, but hes already looking at her.
He nods. "I'll be waiting." He promises.
"Good." She quips and then steps towards him and plants a chaste kiss on his lips, she quickly pulls away after and hurries through the doors. She doesn't look back as she rushes into the building.
Demetri watches her walk away feeling elated. Its addicting. He only hopes the feeling lasts forever.
Though his moment is intruded when someone loudly clears their throat right next to him, but it doesn't surprise him because he could hear their approach and he instantly knows who it is—Jane, Felix and Alec.
He slowly turns his head and glares at them, they wait with smiles on each of their faces, though each smile varies with the person; Jane just looks vindictive, Alec looks happy, content, and Felix is obviously amused.
Demetri deadpans at them.
"What do you all need?" Demetri asks, ignoring the bickering.
"We have matters to discuss." Jane answers. "Remember the newborn army? The one we traveled all the way here for? They're still an issue."
He sighs and even though he doesn't want to talk with them right now, he can't really ignore his job. He leans against the wall of the building and looks back at the trio. "Okay. Did something else happen? Did you decide what to do?"
Jane tilts her head to the side and narrows her eyes at Demetri. "No, we did not decide what to do, we can't because of you."
"Because of me?" Demetri points to himself. "How so?"
"You are not here to make the final decision. We need to make one. You have to help us decide what to do." Jane says with a snappy and quick voice.
"Why do I have to help you three? You're old enough to decide for yourselves." Demetri says and Jane wishes she was able to use her gift on him right here and now, but there are humans milling about, coming in and out of the doors, so she can't.
"Because," She begins venomously, "I already know what I want to do, and I'm aware that you know what you wish to do, too, but these buffoons," Jane glares at Felix and Alec as she speaks, "cannot make up their tiny minds, so we need to help them choose. I want to go home."
Demetri sighs. "We can speak more tonight."
Jane takes a fast step towards him, she looks up at him and pushes her gift lightly into his mind, sending short spurts of her pain at him — not enough to make him drop to the ground in agony, but enough to get her anger across.
"Why must we keep waiting for you?" She asks and her voice is filled with a great irritation. "I want to leave this rainy, wet place!" Her voice echoes now, catching the attention of bystanders.
Alec steps behind his sister and places his fingers on her elbow gently. "Sister, we can discuss it tonight—let's feed and prepare until then, hm?"
Jane can tell by Alecs reaction that he wants her to calm down and stop, so she backs away from Demetri and shakes her head. "Fine. Tonight. But so help me, if we do not come to a conclusion, your brain will become nothing but mush, even if its impossible." Jane says before walking away, though she wanted to run out of there, just for the dramatics.
Alec watches her walk away and quickly follows behind with a wave and kind smile in Demetris direction.
Felix stares at Demetri with his eyebrows furrowed, like hes come across a question that he has to think deeply about. Demetri looks back at him with confusion. "What is it?" He asks.
"I just..." Felix trails off. "I don't get it."
Demetri rolls his eyes. "What don't you get, Felix? You're like a troll giving riddles underneath his bridge, spit it out."
Felix sighs. "I'm trying to figure out a way to ask my question without offending you."
"Just ask it." Demetri pushes.
"Okay." Felix says but then pauses before finally speaking again. "A human has really done this to you?"
One of Demetris eyebrows raises at Felixs question. "Done what, fratello?" The question doesn't even offend him like Felix presumed it would, it just confuses him.
"You truly haven't noticed?" Felix asks, Demetri shakes his head, and he looks obviously dumbfounded, so Felix starts to talk. "Before you met this human, you would not have been this absent on a mission."
Demetri opens his mouth to argue but he realizes that Felix is correct—before Ellie stumbled into his life, work was the only thing he had to care about, but it isn't anymore.
"I suppose you're right." Demetri says, which surprises Felix, he had expected Demetri to deny it or disagree with him completely. "But I can't help it. Work was all I did, all I wanted to do, truly, but now that shes here — I don't think I can care about anything else but her. I've never felt anything like it, Felix."
Felix then smiles; he can see that Demetri is actually happy, not just existing because he has to, he now has a purpose, and deep down, Felix strives to perhaps find his purpose soon.
"Thats good." Felix nods. "You deserve it, more than anyone, brother."
Now its Demetris turn to feel surprised, only because Felix has been so teasing of his relationship, he didn't expect him to say something so heartfelt about it.
Demetri smiles back at him through his surprise. "Thank you, Felix."
Felix nods. "I'll see you later tonight, yes? You're not going to get too caught up with your human, are you?"
Demetri chuckles — the teasing isn't completely gone, then.
"I'll be there." Demetri assures.
"Very well." Is all Felix says with a large smile, before walking away in the same direction as Jane and Alec.
Demetri watches him walk until he cannot see him any longer, and as he does, he feels lighter, thanks to having his closest companion accept what his life is now, despite the fact he'll definitely be teased for it in the near future.