Arise

Chapter Three: Dead of Night

Bariş was running. His lungs burned for air and his heart was racing, but he had to keep going. The hedge maze walls seemed to climb all the way up to the storm clouds that rumbled above. Impossible to scale, but taunting him to try. He didn't have much time, he had to find his way out, she needed him. Bariş could hear her cries. Louder than the thunder, she called to him. He kept moving, determined to break free. Every dead-end a reminder: he was stuck, but SHE - she was TRAPPED.

"ZEYNEP!" he screamed at the walls while turning in circles, looking to the sky for answers.

There. He'd heard it again. That desperate cry. Bounding back the way he'd come, he took a sharp right and slammed into...the floor.

Bariş shook himself as he came to, face first in the carpet next to his bed. He rolled onto his back and glanced out the balcony doors to his right. The sky was raging. Dark clouds blocked out any hope of sun and poured down buckets of rain on the city. They landed at Heathrow Airport in the very early morning hours, some might say it was still the dead of night. He had offered Zeynep the option of staying at a hotel or staying in his London apartment. Blushing, she had softly stated she would feel most comfortable wherever he was. Bariş smiled at thought. He loved the idea of Zeynep in his home. Sharing his space. By the time they arrived at his flat, she had fallen asleep again. Gallantly he carried her in, held her close on the elevator ride up to his penthouse and tucked her into sleep in the guest room next to his master suite. He had quick shower and fallen into bed himself, completely exhausted.

A sound carried to him over the noise of the rain and he sat bolt upright to make sure he wasn't still dreaming. When he heard it again, he was already on his feet and moving towards the door. He reached Zeynep's room just as she cried out again, clearly in distress. He didn't hesitate to enter and inside he found her tossing and turning, gripping the sheets for dear life, while a nonsensical sobbed was ripped from her chest. He moved closer and was able to make out her words "Noooo! Let me go! Let me out!" the cry ripped from her soul. Bariş turn the lamp on the bedside table on and sat down next to her. He took her hand in his and placed it over his heart to steady her, "Zeynep," he called to her, "Zeynep, Meleğim, I am here with you, breathe." He reached out with his free hand and soothed it over her face, wiping away her tears, "Zeynep, open your eyes, free yourself. Come back to me now." Slowly she calmed under his touch and woke up to a rumble of thunder.

"Bariş?" Zeynep whispered desperately, looking up at him like she couldn't quite trust her own eyes. She fisted her hand in his shirt and pulled him closer. "Are you really here? Am I? Where are we?" She glanced around anxiously and jumped when lightning tore through the sky, practically crawling into his lap. Her eyes still wet from tears and her breathing labored, he wrapped his arms around her and ran his hand over her hair. "Focus, Zeynep. Look into my eyes. Breathe with me." She turned to face him and seemed to really see him for the first time. She glanced down at his mouth and mimicked his inhale and exhale.

Slowly she released her grip on his shirt and slid her hands up to his shoulders. As she relaxed into the exercise, her eyes studied his face and her thumbs began to unconsciously run over his collar bones, semi-exposed in the open neck t-shirt he had worn to bed. Not wanting to wake her when they arrived, he had simply removed her blazer, shirt and heels and left her to sleep in her camisole and slacks. Now, with her pressed so intimately against him, chest to chest, nose to nose, matching him breath for breath, there had never been so very little between them. Life, work, family, the world. It all fell away as he focused completely on the woman in his arms. He brushed the hair from her shoulders with the back of his fingers and trailed them down her arm, fascinated at the shiver his touch seemed to illicit from her.

"Are you cold?" he asked, already knowing the answer, he titled his head to the side and studied her dilated eyes. "No." she shook her head in swift denial, "I'm quite warm, are you cold?" She asked concerned, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and pressing herself more fully against him. Offering to share the warmth of her body with him. The corner of his mouth twitched up as he fought the full grin tugging at his lips, "Not anymore,." he replied and she gifted him with a smile.