CHAPTER TWELVE: Good Morning To You Too

(Author's note: Some may have noticed that the dates on the chapters don't always match their release date. The dates are when I began writing the chapter. Just in case anyone thought that it was weird.)

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[©Lynnifer Ice – December 8, 2022]

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      I opened my eyes to a dark room, my head still feeling the fuzziness from effects of the alcohol. My bladder felt like it was going to explode. I sat up, ready to swing my legs over the edge of the bed, but they ran into something. Feeling drowsy, I reached my hand out and began to feel what it was that blocked my path. It felt warm, soft yet firm, definitely covered by fabric of some kind. It couldn't be a pillow…

      "Stop trying to feel me up unless you're asking for trouble," Xinith groaned, grabbing my wrist and pulling it away from him.

      Wait… What? Am I imagining things? If I didn't know better, I'd think that demon is sharing a bed with me.

      "THAT demon? I have a name, Alex, and yes I'm in bed with you. Now, go back to sleep," Xinith huffed.

      "No…," I half-moaned in complaint, "I need to pee. Shoo away," I yawned, trying to climb over him to get out of bed.

      "Oh for hell's sake," Xinith groaned in annoyance, swiftly scooping me up in his arms and carrying me out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the bathroom, ignoring my protests of him touching me. He set me down in the middle of the bathroom, turned the light on and closed the door just til it was open a crack. "Don't fall over in there like you did before. I'll… wait here by the door."

      Before? I've already fallen in here tonight? How many times? It is still the middle of the night, isn't it?

      I groaned in annoyance before prepping myself, only to let out a sigh of relief moments later. Soon after, the sound of the toilet flushing and the turning on of the sink, filled my ears. My legs felt a bit wobbly as I scrubbed my hands so I leaned against the sink for support. In the corner of my eye, I spotted something blue. I looked over my shoulder as I rinsed my hands, only to find the clothes I had worn out tonight were on the bathroom floor.

      Wait, hold on… If my clothes are there, then am I…?

      I looked at my reflection in the mirror in a panic. I was relieved to see I wasn't nude but found I was wearing a t-shirt that wasn't mine and a different pair of panties than earlier. I turned off the sink and quickly dried my hands before swinging the door open a bit too quickly for it to bounce off the wall a bit. My eyes probably looked crazed as I stared at Xinith whom had kept his promise and waited there.

      "Why am I wearing different clothes? Did you change me? Oh my god, did we…?" I was too scared to finish my question, noticing that he was only wearing a pair of boxers.

      "No, we didn't fuck," Xinith rolled his eyes with a sigh before reaching in and turning off the bathroom light. "You're wearing different clothes because I bathed you; you reeked of other men," he gave a short explanation before scooping me back up in his arms despite my protests by hitting his arm and chest, "Reserve any other questions for the morning. It's barely 4am; you went to sleep half past two. You're probably still tired and guess what? So am I," he nagged as he passed back through the hall and into the bedroom and put me back down on what I hoped was my bed.

      "You aren't planning on sleeping next to me again, are you? Go sleep… in your own bed," I half slurred, feeling excessively tired again.

      "This IS my bed. Now shut up and go back to sleep before I make you," Xinith raised his voice just a little before sliding into bed next to me, pulling the covers up over me first and then himself.

      "No, I-…," I yawned, wanting to argue as I fought my eyes to stay open.

      "Good NIGHT, Alex. We'll discuss this in the morning," he effectively cut me off before my body gave in to sleep.

      ~***~

      An earthy aroma wafted through the room and filled my nostrils. A pleasant but sleepy smile graced my lips. However, it quickly disappeared as I felt a throbbing pain in my temple. I groaned in annoyance, draping my wrist and the back of my right hand over my eyes.

      I regret my decision to accept that first drink last night. I apparently got drunk enough that now I'm paying for it with a hangover, and my stomach is not feeling the greatest. Yet, I crave the delicious-smelling brew of coffee. Coffee, yes, I definitely need it...and some pain relief medicine.

      "Of all life forms I could have been destined with, the fates paired me with you," Xinith said slowly with a hint of agitation in his tone.

      "Good morning to you too, asshole," I spat back, moving my arm and squinting my eyes open, catching his figure in the doorway. As I opened my eyes more, my jaw nearly dropped, seeing only a towel wrapped around his lower half to his knees with his hair still damp and a steaming mug of coffee in his left hand.

      Hot damn…

      "Hmm," Xinith hummed as he sipped his coffee while leaning on the door frame with his eyes locked on me. "Yes, I am quite attractive, aren't I? Do you need a closer inspection?" He chuckled softly before walking further into the room, heading toward me.

      "I thought I told you before that my thoughts are private!" I shouted, feeling my cheeks burn as they surely turned a deep shade of red.

      "You did, yes," he confirmed before sitting on the edge of the bed at the same time that I sat up, "…-and I don't care."

      "Why you-!" I tried to refute before changing the subject, "Get off my bed!" I shouted, grabbing the pillow behind me and raising it above my head.

      "Tsk tsk, such a slow learner," Xinith chided as he leaned over me and placed his mug on the nightstand before withdrawing just enough that he was inches away from my face. "My dear," an amused smirk emerged on his lips, "This isn't YOUR bed; it's MY bed."

      I stilled, frozen in place, as a chill ran down my spine. A million different possible scenarios played in my head of the night before. I couldn't remember anything that happened after I began eating. Fearing the worst-case scenario, my eyes turned wild. Without a second thought, I swung the pillow in my grasp, colliding it against the side of Xinith's head; he did not even attempt to evade my attack which only left me with more questions.

      "YOU FUCKING PERVERT! HOW DARE YOU!!! I can't believe you would actually do that to a woman, to me! You're DESPICABLE! A DAMN OUTRIGHT MONSTER!" I cried out, subconsciously feeling hot and angry tears swell up in the corners of my eyes before they streamed down my cheeks. I kept hitting him with my pillow as if somehow that would improve the situation.

      "Demon, is the preferred term," Xinith corrected me with a stone face despite the pillow landing against him time and time again. When I didn't stop my mini fit of fury, he sighed and snatched the pillow away from me, chucking it over his shoulder. When I began to hit his chest with my fists, not even putting all my strength into it, he gently wrapped his hands around my wrists. When my tears refused to seize, he frowned, "Why are you crying? What could you possibly be so upset about first thing in the morning?"

      "You- You outlandish beast!" I wailed with a hiccup, my brows furrowing, "Can't you put two and two together?! You're the one that-…!" I hiccuped again through tears, wanting to rip myself away from him.

      "What are you talking about? What could I have possibly-," Xinith began to question before he stopped himself, most likely finally comprehending the problem. He sighed, letting go of my hands as he cupped my face against my physical protest and wiped my eyes with his thumbs, "Alex, it's not what you're thinking. I didn't TOUCH you like that. I would NEVER do THAT to you or anyone else for that matter."

      "Liar…," my bottom lip trembled with doubt as I tried to pull away from him but failed to do so. My gaze never left his eyes as my next sentence came out quieter than intended, "I fucking hate you…"

      "You don't mean that," Xinith retorted without delay, "I know you don't fucking mean that! Dammit, listen to me!!! I swear nothing intimate happened between us last night!" If I had been in my right mind, I might have noticed that for the first time, Xinith looked hurt, if only for just a moment.

      "I don't believe you, and I DO mean that," I gritted my teeth, my mind not willing to rationalize. At the same time, it was still clouded from the effects of alcohol that had transformed into a blistering hangover as my uncontrollable angry tears continued to fall.

      "Fuck… I didn't mean to yell," Xinith's stone gaze softened into concern as he wiped more of my tears away with his thumbs, "Please, stop crying, Alex. I promise I didn't do anything other than carry you, bathe you, dry you off,  and change your clothes. I would never get intimate with you without your consent, and certainly not while you're intoxicated."

      "…-but I'm in YOUR bed which means I slept with you!" I threw back, doubts still clouding my mind.

      "No, you slept BESIDE me, not with me. How many times do I have to explain to you that we didn't have sex?" Xinith sighed in aggravation, clearly struggling to keep his patience.

      "Why wasn't I sleeping in my bed then?" I hiccuped as my tears unhurriedly came to a halt, the doubt withering away by the minute.

      "Why?" Xinith repeated as he let go of my face, dropping his hands to his lap, "I TRIED to put you in your bed the first time, but you were so drunk that you clung to me like a koala and refused to release me. What other choice did I have?"

      -End of Chapter Twelve-