In the deep darkness of the night, Gabe heard soft sobbing from Alex's bedroom. He debated investigating, but didn't want to enter the bedchamber of a single female at night, especially one who could blast him.
He heard the bedroom door open and Alex's soft footfalls. She slid into the recliner and it creaked open. When the weeping resumed, he called her name quietly.
"Fire truck, you're awake. Sorry." Alex sniffed and rubbed her nose. "Nightmare is all. Thought I'd sleep on the recliner. That okay?"
"This is your dwelling."
"I guess."
"May I ask why you invoke emergency vehicles when you are angry or startled?" Gabe asked with caution.
Alex smiled a ghost of a smile. "Starts with 'F' and ends with 'uck' : fire truck."
Gabe nodded, but his expression betrayed his confusion.
"I'll show you the singing video about it on YouTube. Good night."
Alex's breathing evened out into that of sleep. Soon, she twitched, then thrashed, then gasped awake.
"Are you all right?" Gabe asked.
"What? Who?" Alex jumped up from the recliner and stood in defensive pose, fists up, dripping white fire.
Gabe sighed. "Please don't blast me. You asked me to spend the night on the couch."
Alex dropped her fists, the power stopped and she held her head. "Sorry, these nightmares confuse me."
Gabe sat up and patted the couch next to him. "Sit. Here. Please? Since you're distressed."
Alex slid onto the couch next to him. "Dang, you're cold." She adjusted the afghan so that it was over both of them.
"That's why my kind sleeps in a clan bed," Gabe said. "We don't maintain body heat while sleeping."
"You should have told me," she scolded. "I wouldn't have asked you to spend the night on the couch."
Actually, I asked you to spend the night with me. You chose the couch.
She blushed and was glad that Gabe couldn't see it. "I mean, I would have told you to spend it with your brothers."
"I know what you meant."
No, no you didn't, tall, leathery and handsome.
"You're nicer than human men. It's why I like you." Alex took a deep breath. "I don't think I can stay awake. Can I trust you to behave yourself? You did before, but you were sedated."
"You can trust me."
"Good, because you know what awaits you if I can't." Alex laid her head on Gabe's shoulder. She was asleep in a minute.
******
A/N
Rile learns his dance moves from video games like this. He'll show them off in future chapters.
Dedicated to
@kv_wilson and her amazing Spiritborne Trilogy
@KaleWhaleHannah