In Aid

15. Checkup

When I asked Aubyn to sleep with me, I never thought he would agree so easily. Of course, I had to promise him that I meant for us to sleep next to each other and not have sex with each other. And, yes, we were under separate blankets. He had agreed, saying something under his breath about giving Sang and Milan a night of privacy.

There was something about watching him brush his teeth next to me as we prepared for bed. I couldn't keep my eyes off him as he braided his hair. It felt very domestic sitting on the bed and waiting for him to turn the lights off and get under the covers.

"Are you sure you are not uncomfortable with me sleeping next to you?" he had asked me.

"Nope," I had responded.

I watched him fall asleep. He looked comfortable. I was oddly nervous with him laying next to me. It wasn't as if I had never slept beside another man before. However, even though we didn't plan on doing anything but sleep, it felt intimate.

It took me at least two hours longer than usual for me to fall asleep, but I was half awakened later by shuffling around the room. My eyelids were still heavy with sleep, but I managed to open them enough to see Aubyn dressed in his uniform.

"Where are you going?" I mumbled.

"Work. What time is your exam?"

"Three," I answered, a yawn following my words. "Isn't it too early for you to be working?"

"The earlier I go in, the earlier I come back. Don't make any trouble while I'm gone. Sang has a worse temper than I do. Go back to sleep."

I didn't need to be told twice. I was already being pulled back into unconsciousness, though I woke next to the sun shining through the balcony doors. I stretched and yawned, patting the empty space next to me. It was already cold. I vaguely recalled my conversation with Aubyn as he got ready for work.

With another yawn, I got up out of bed and made a sad attempt at fixing the sheets. I could already tell I was up earlier than usual without looking at the time. My mouth was dry, and I felt parched like I had slept with my mouth open and had been without water for days. When I grasped the door handle and turned it, it wouldn't budge. I tried twisting both ways, pulling and pushing the door, and it wouldn't budge.

I leaned my forehead against the door. It should not have come as a surprise that I was locked in. Aubyn had said that I had lost my privacy privileges and that doors were to stay unlocked unless he locked them himself. That meant he was most likely the one who locked me in the room, just like the first night I stayed with him when he said he couldn't just openly trust a stranger. It was clear I had lost his trust. I really had fucked up.

"Zedikai?"

I quickly pressed my ear against the door. That voice was too high to be Sang. "Milan?"

"Good morning."

"Good morning. Can you let me out?"

"I can, but should I? You said I shouldn't be nice to people I don't like."

I sighed and leaned my forehead against the door again. Was he being bratty again, or was he upset with me too? "Are you mad at me too because of what I did last night?"

"You mean coming home with God knows what in your system? Yes. I'm not a fan of people who take strange substances."

"You really don't get to judge me, you know, given your situation. You're an illiterate human child who is married to a bloodsucking alien."

"I'm the only one here who can let you out, you know. You should be nicer to me."

"Milan, open the door and let me out. I'm going to die of thirst."