September, 2017, Present Time.
My eyes are tired and stuck together with sleep and my limbs are achy. I groan and try sitting up, but my shoulder cries out and I know it's gone stiff because of the position I'm in. My body feels cold because of the leather fabric I'm laid on. I rub at my eyes and look around.
I'm still in Aro's room, but it's much darker than before. 'It's called night time, idiot.' Richard snarls and I mentally flip him off. 'Idiiiiott.' Sandee giggles and I almost yell at her but I'm too tired for that shit.
I've fallen asleep on the sofa I was sitting on. And where's that book I was reading? I look over the edge of the sofa and there it is, still open miraculously even after it's fallen out of my hand.
I pick it back up and study the cover. Little Women, is written across the front. I've heard of it, a long time ago with my grandmother. She loved old classics. She and I would sit in front of the fire, reading together. But that was before she and Mam had that huge argument at Christmas.
By the time she had dragged her lazy ass to the phone, Gran was dead.
'Stop being sentimental and keep reading the damn thing.' Richard sighs and I flip back to the page I was on. The words are little blurs on the page and I grunt in frustration. "Where the fuck are the lights?" I stumble around, searching for a plug socket.
Aro didn't have the lights on last night either. What did he use then? I go over to his desk and grab a hold of one of the small drawers, tugging it. It's locked, of course.
What's he think I'm gonna do? Steal one of his fancy feathered pens? Or his pencil sharpener? I'm not a little five year old. "For fuck's sake." I try the other one which is also locked. I kick out at it then, frustrated and stuck in the dark.
Unless....
I look at the door. I could always make myself a late night snack to pass the time. I stumble over to the door, feeling my way in the dark until my hand reaches a door handle. It's one of those smooth, round wooden ones and I almost shout in excitement.
I pull the door open and come to face to face with an angry looking, Aro. "Fuck!" I jump back from the surprise and he merely blinks. "And where do you think you're going?" He demands, his voice cold and quiet.
He steps into the room and I automatically step backwards to keep out of his way. Out of his line of sight. "I wanted to read, but there are no lights. So I thought I'd get something to eat." I shrug, trying to stay calm.
"Hmm." He replies, and if there was any sign of love and excitement for me earlier, it's now vanished because of this meeting he went to.
Speaking of the meeting...."And what time do you call this?" I outburst. He looks up at me and blinks with surprise. "Excuse me?" His voice contains an element of anger mixed with mild amusement.
"You said you'd be back later and I woke up in all bloody darkness! What time is it? You've been gone hours!" I exclaim and he takes a seat at his desk. "Did you miss me? Is that it?" He sounds hopeful but I quickly push that idea out of his head.
"No. I just wish you'd told me where the lights were. I've been stumbling about like a drunk!" I add and he ignores me, opening the drawers of his desk with a key, that comes from the inside pocket of his suit jacket.
"If I had one of those, I'd be able to find some source of light and keep reading but no, you had to make things difficult for me." I continue, stretching it out as long as I can.
"Well if I had the trust to give everyone a key so they could come and go as they please, then the world would be a much safer place." He snarks. "But unfortunately, I cannot do that. So you will have to accept it." He concludes, pulling out some candles.
He sets them down on the table and slots them into the holders. He pulls out a match and strikes it, and a bright flame appears, illuminating his angry looking face.
He lights the candles and the room is much brighter and I can make out the outline of everything.
"Thank you." I flounce back over to the sofa, and pick up my book. The words are much more clear now. "So, you going to tell me about this meeting?" I ask and look up at his face for any sign of anger.
His jaw clenches and I flinch. "What would you like to know?" He starts pulling out some paper and his feathery pen. "What's that pen called?" I point at it in his hand, and he glances at it, almost smiling.
"A quill. We've been using them since...the early 1500s." He announces. "That's like Tudor times." I realise and he nods. "Do you like history?" He enquires and I nod. "Yeah. I got an A in it at GCSE." I announce proudly.
"GCSE?" He looks confused. "General Certificate of Secondary Education." I explain. "So you were at secondary school?" He begins to catch on and I feel relieved. "Yeah, it's 'high school' in America, but in the UK, we call it 'Comprehensive.'" I elaborate and he smiles.
That smile makes me feel all warm and tingy and I have a sudden urge to throw myself against him and wrap my arms around his neck. I can feel my face heating up and I'm pretty sure he can see the red blush spreading across my cheeks.
"Is something wrong?" He tries to contain his smile at my awkwardness. I clear my throat and lift the book so it covers my face. Once covered, I mouth all the swear words I know to contain myself.
'You're such an obvious person, Alex. You're blushing and he saw.' Richard laughs and I close my eyes in agony. 'Blusssshing.' Sandee giggles and I have to agree with both of them.
"Tell me about your meeting." I change the topic quickly and I hear Aro chuckle. "It was nothing important. There have been some...incidents with newborns that need to be attended to." He states casually and I lower my book to check his expression.
"Newborn babies? What are you gonna do with them?" I ask and he chuckles again, his eyes lighting up with amusement. "You're delightful." He compliments and I can feel his happy and playful mood flooding back.
"Newborns are vampires that are still dealing with the effects of the change." He explains and I feel embarrassed and stupid. "That makes much more sense." I mutter and he rises from his desk to my come to my side.
He sits beside me on the sofa and I almost stiffen from him being so close to me. He sits back, making himself right at home. 'Well, it's his room, you donkey.' Richard snarks but I ignore him. My eyes are doing that weird thing again where I can't stop looking at him.
His arm goes across the back of the sofa, behind my head and I internally freak out. "What are you reading?" He asks in his smooth voice and the words stop forming in my head. Everything is quiet and still and his attention is on me.
And now I'm sitting there with my mouth open like some goldfish. Oh so unattractive. "Um.." My fingers thumb through the pages, shakily, trying not to look at his face. "Little Women." I announce, and I almost die from how weak and feeble my voice sounds.
He smiles, loving every bit of my embarrassment. "I like that book, are you enjoying it?" He questions and I nod in response. "It's good. I guess. A little bit. Um." My face goes bright red and he smiles again.
"You do not seem yourself. You are usually fierce and angry." His fingers cup my chin and I flinch. He notices and his grip lessens. "Sweetheart," He leans in towards me and lays me down on the sofa.
On my back, staring up at him, I wish I had the strength to push him off. He climbs on top of me and holds onto my waist. We lock eyes and he doesn't seem to be backing down on that gaze of his. "Aro, I-"
"Ssh." He presses one finger against my lips. "Be quiet." He adds and it makes me feel anxious and uncomfortable.
He rubs his nose playfully against mine in order to prompt me but I stay still and keep my eyes on his. "Alex," He whispers, reaching down to my ear. "Let me kiss you."
"I...I'm not ready. The mood isn't right. I can't." I press my hand against his chest to push him away but his brick-like build is too firm to move by my weak hands.
"Aro, please. Get off me. If you want me to kiss you, you have to earn it." I repeat from earlier at dinner and he sighs. "I understand." He sits back and climbs off me.
I lay there not moving, not knowing what to say. "Are you angry with me?" He asks, nervously and I feel like I have a little power with that.
"No. Just...stop being so forward with everything. I'm not ready, I didn't even agree to come here in the first place. I was taken against my will and told I was going to be your 'one true love' or some other corny shit. I didn't choose you, Aro." I exclaim and he looks at me.
"I did not choose you either. We cannot choose who our mates are. I just want to try to make it work." He explains softly and I sigh at him.
"Well you can start by dropping the whole 'mating' stuff. We're not animals. Animals 'mate' with other animals. People don't do that stuff. These days, it's 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'." I explain and he nods slowly.
"So I am your....'boyfriend'?" He tests the word out and I almost laugh at him. "Yeah." I agree.
He looks at me. "And you are my boyfriend?" He checks and I nod. "Right again. See, it's much easier."
"Alright then. Will you, as my boyfriend, come to the throne room with me?" He offers, holding out his hand and I feel a little fondness for him. Ugh. That's so wrong. I don't want him.
But I do. But I don't. Fuck.
'Maybe you do, but maybe you don't.'
'Yes you dooooo.'
"Okay, let's go." I join him at his side and he opens the door and holds it for me. "After you, boyfriend." He states and I laugh at his confusion.
"Aro, you don't have to call me that all the time. My name's still Alex. You just introduce me as your boyfriend when we meet new people." I elaborate and he sighs. "It is all so confusing." He says to himself and I sigh.
All this over one word and he's practically come apart with confusion. 'I dread to think what will happen when you give him the gay sex talk.' Richard drawls and I wish I could hit him.
"Fuck you, Richard." I hiss. "If it comes to that then I'm off before you can blink."