Crimson Eyes ~ Sequel to: The Valkyrie, An Obi-Wan Story (completed)

Chapter 39: The unraveling

I'm sorry for any upcoming emotional damage.

Hours passed and still Obi Wan hadn't returned. I'd changed into a nightdress in the meanwhile, removed all the make-up from my face and had even taken a bath to scrub off all the dirt from the sole of my feet. There I lay for hours on bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling with the knowledge of what I was about to tell him. Even though my mind was running through the upcoming conversation numerous times, it couldn't help but be pulled under by the exhaustion that tore on my limbs.

Soon I was dragged into the nightmare. The same dream with those numerous bloodied bodies on the floor, the same red liquid running between my fingers, the abandoned throne room of Eagle's Fall and the figure huddled over the corpse with its black wings hiding everything else from sight. The same flash accompanied by the roaring thunder shook me from the dream, jolting awake and eyes opening in an instant.

My breathing was fast as I balled my fists, pressing my eyes shut and cursing the gods under my breath for plaguing me with this dream. I was still half asleep when I felt a faint touch on my shoulder, fingers gliding down my arm until they rested on my waist.

A smile immediately formed on my lips as I pressed my body back against the other one lying next to me. The sleep kept me from feeling his warmth but I felt his presence. The arm wrapped around my waist as I nuzzled into the embrace, but soon found that simple touch to be insufficient.

So, I turned around, still half-awake when I sought the lips I so desperately wanted to kiss. Be it for distraction, or just for the feeling of them. They were cold to the touch when I finally found them but I let out a content sigh nonetheless. Even though they seemed reluctant at first, soon those arms wrapped tightly around my waist and pulled me closer against his body.

For a moment I forgot about what I had to do. I only wanted to enjoy the embrace, to feel more of the warmth that now felt strangely absent. Even his kisses seemed different than usual, more claiming, passionate and rough yet somehow faint. It was a change I could get used to. Content, I turned us around till I was on top of him, my fingers gliding underneath the single thin shirt he was wearing.

A low chuckle accompanied by a deep voice followed that had all the hairs rising on my skin. "Now, now, little dragon. Better be careful, before I'm going to do things I'm sure you're not ready for."

I practically jumped off of him instantly, falling off the bed and onto my back as I let out an undignified yelp. "Arthas!" I yelled furiously after I'd crawled even further backwards. "What are you - How dare you, -" I couldn't even complete my sentences due to the fury now coursing through me. My eyes had lit up with whirling flames without me even commanding them to.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Eventually I found the breath to finish a sentence as I jumped back onto my feet, seething.

Arthas merely chuckled as he sat up, the muscles of his biceps visibly straining, leaning against the headboard as he glanced at me with a grin. "As far as I know, you were the one who kissed me." He rearranged his hair into a neat mess and pulled his shirt back over his muscled torso. Gods, how did I end up in this situation?

"Yes, because I thought you were, -!"

"The jedi who didn't show up." Arthas's grin faded and turned dark, his eyes darting to the clock. "After 4 hours, to be exact. 4 hours in which you've been eating yourself up and having nightmares."

Where the hell was he? "You had no right to touch me." I ignored his jab as I balled my fists at my side, snarling. Before I even knew it flames were licking up the skin.

"All right, fine. I apologize." He put up his hands in surrender and swung his legs over the end of the bed, unfazed by the fire. "But you have to realise that your jedi isn't exactly treating you right, either."