38 Bedtime story (2/2)

”Except the news?” He laughed looking down at her.

Joslyn couldn't help but stare at him when he looked at her.He was directly beside her in a pair of gym shorts and a tight, thin tee shirt. She could swear his eyes were actually sparkling through the lightly tented reading glasses he wore when he smiled at her.She blushed and looked away from him. ”I really should be going home tonight.”

His smile faded, ”Joslyn, look at you.You can barely sit here without being in pain, let along walk... or ride...” His voice softened. ”I know you don't what to hear this, but he's no good for you.”

She didn't turn back toward him, ”And what do you suggest? I stay here with you forever?”

He laughed, ”Well ideally, yes.”

She turned toward him ready to tell him off but a sharp pain shot through her head, ”Ugg…” She gripped both sides of her head with her hands.

Xavier grabbed her shoulders and guided her back onto the pillows. ”Let's not argue about this tonight, it's after 5am you should get some rest.”

Once her head stopped pounding, she glanced up at him.”What about you?”

He grabbed the remote and went back to flipping through channels before answering her, ”I'll leave once you fall asleep.Until then, let me keep you company.”

She didn't argue with him, instead, she turned her attention toward the TV.She was a bit surprised when her eyes struggled to focus on the picture. {How hard did I hit my head anyway? Well if he will leave once I fall asleep I just as well try to sleep.} She let her body sink deeper into the softness of the pillows and closed her eyes.

He chuckled lightly, ”Faking sleep just to get rid of me?”

She peeked up from a lashed vailed eye at him, ”No it just hurts my head to try focusing on the TV right now.”

”Oh ok.” He looked down at her with a sympathetic look, ”Here how about music instead.” He switched the TV over to the built-in music app and turned down the volume. ”Is this better?”

”If there's something on you want to watch it's fine.” She responded.

”No, it's ok. Besides this gives us a chance to talk a bit doesn't it?” He smiled down at her but she had already closed her eyes again. ”I could tell you about myself… my kind… If you like…”

”hmmm, that would be nice.Your voice is very soothing.” She purred, sleep heavy in her voice.

”Well, let's see… where should I start?” He asked really not expecting her to answer.

A soft near whisper came from her, ”The beginning, of course.”

”The beginning, well I'm really not sure where that would be; I'll do my best.” Xavier slid down farther into the bed.”Well, my father was a lot like my brother… You see vampire women can't give birth unless they are natural born vampires, but natural born vampires are very rare.Instead in the older days and occasionally even now a vampire would capture and **** a female, once they were sure the female was pregnant they would hold them captive until the child was born.”

”That's horrible.” Her soft voice came out somewhat muffled by the pillows she was snuggled into.

”You have no idea…” He said a sad expression turning down the corners of his full lips. ”You see the worst part was, most of the mothers didn't live through the birth especially the humans.” He felt her hand brush lightly against his arm. He glanced down at her and met sad aqua eyes.

”I'm sorry to hear that, was your mother one of the ones who died?”

Her voice was barely a whisper, but somehow it made him feel warm all over. He used the arm she had touched and slid it under her pillow carefully pulling her and it more snuggly against his side. ”Yes, she was but not during birth.” A tiny hand brushed against his side but when she hesitated he captured it and placed it on his chest. ”This is fine, right? It makes it easier to talk about such dark things when I know you are listening and comforting me.”

She glanced from her hand now resting on his chest to his bright green eyes staring intensely down at her. She thought about pulling it back but couldn't bring herself to do it when she could read the pain behind his gentle smile so easily.

He stroked her hand with his index finger, ”She was beautiful, a member of a well respected fey family.” He glanced down at her, ”That's why my eyes glow so much more than most vampires.” He smiled a little wider, ”I have her eye color, you know. Hers also illuminated like stars in the night sky.”

Jos stared up into them, ”They are beautiful. Did you get to spend much time with her before she passed?” His smile faded some as he seemed to look out through her. ”I was somewhere around 12 years old…” He smiled down at her, ”When you're as old as I am, the years sometimes run together… My father had her killed…” He used his index finger to trace small shapes onto the top of her hand he let his eyes follow the movements of his finger as he continued, ”He said she was raising me to be too weak and that weakness would not be tolerated within his walls.” His smile completely disappeared, ”Later that year Dante was born. Father raised him in his image. I left before he turned three… maybe if I had stuck around he wouldn't have turned out the way he did. I truly am sorry for all the trouble he has caused you.” When he glanced down at her this time her eyes were closed again and she was breathing in a light, steady rhythm. He lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed a light kiss to it.”You really are something else.” He set her hand down on his peck as he pulled her closer, he shifted the pillow out from between them so that her head rested snuggly against his chest. He lightly kissed the top of her head, ”I know I shouldn't but I can't help caring for you.” He chuckled lightly, ”Is it cheating to wait until I know you won't remember this to say it?” He stared up at the ceiling as he continued to talk to her sleeping form until the sun began to break through the curtain over the sliding doors of the bedroom. He placed another light kiss to her head before he shifted out from under her and quietly left the bedroom.

Joslyn peeked through one eye as he closed the door behind him. She had heard everything he had said. She tried lifting her head, but pain shot through her again. {How have things gotten so out of hand. Is it wrong to want him as a friend?He's so kind... but he obviously doesn't see me as a friend.The things he said after he thought I was asleep... the way he held me...They weren't in a sexual way like Russ, but it was still as more than a friend...} She sighed heavily, finding pain it that as well before finally gave up and slowly drifted off to sleep.