Only You

Chp 11

I left afterwards with the boys and thought about what my old friend told me.

Is Astrid going to find her mate there? Why does she have to be so vague...?

I sighed heavily and stroked my horse's neck, gaining the attention of my mate.

"What happened in there?" He asked softly.
"Not much, but we should be prepared for the arrival of our heartbroken daughter in three weeks exactly. Her words, not mine." I muttered, leading the way back to the castles barn.

*Astrids POV*

I punched Damian's arm angrily as soon as we landed outside of Tsuki's house before storming inside.
"Ow!! What was that for!?" He whined, following me.
"Oh I don't know. Maybe it was because you had the audacity to do a loop and then pretended that you broke your wing!!" I hissed, pointing an accusatory finger at him.
He raised his hands in surrender with a sheepish grin -his signature look- before coming over to me and pulling me against his chest.

"C'mon Astrid, you can't be mad at me forever. It was just a joke, plus your reaction was priceless."
"I'm going to show you just how priceless it'll be when I clock that stupid grin off your face." I smirked, jabbing him in the side just below his ribs with my fingers to get out of his grip.
"Now that was just mean." He whimpered, holding that spot with his hand.
"I didn't even touch you that hard sheesh." I rolled my eyes at his overreaction and began making some lunch for when Tsuki and Skye get back.

Damian went to his room to take a nap after some more whining that his side hurt, but I stayed awake and cooked the food and tidied up a bit since I didn't really have anything else to do.

~~~~

Hours had passed since we'd arrived and it was starting to get dark, yet there was no sign of Tsuki or Skye.
Damian woke up about half an hour ago and ever since then, we've been making a mess while trying to make something new for desert, no recipes.

"You don't put the strawberries in until the cake is done!" I screeched at him as he dropped five whole strawberries into the mixing bowl.
"Well that would've been nice to know two minutes ago!" He complained, staring sadly at the bumps in the batter made by the strawberries.
"Maybe you should've asked." I grumbled, grabbing a fork to get them out. He glared at me playfully before throwing his hands in the air in surrender.
"Fine, you finish it."
I nearly laughed at his exasperated expression as he walked away and pulled the strawberries out one by one within seconds.

I slid the cake pan into the oven and grinned at my accomplishment as the front door opened.
"I'm sure we'll find something -or someone- soon, we probably have a while anyway." Tsuki spoke, she was clearly exhausted.
"Yeah. On a separate note, did you leave something in the oven?" Skye asked softly.
"Puh-leeze, I'm not that stupid."

Tsuki walked over and paused as she noticed me.
"You're back!" She squealed like a child, coming over and pulling me into a tight hug.
"Not for long if you strangle me." I muttered, patting her on the back slightly.
"What are you doing back so soon? Did you find what you were looking for?" She released me and I sucked in a much needed heavy breath.
"Yeah, I found a crystal necklace and enchanted it. Now we just need one more person and we'll be ready for the battle."

"We didn't find anyone, or anything for that matter so I guess we could take a break on the search, get some much needed rest and then start the search for someone else in a couple of days. Sound good?" Skye asked, finally using her voice after she noticed the mess that is the kitchen.
"Yeah, we could use some relaxation time anyway."
"Then let's get-" Tsuki paused as Damian came marching out of his room and literally tackled him to the floor with a hug.
"My little Damiannnnnn!"
"Ack!"
I bit my lip to stifle my laughter and go back to watching the timer while my cake was in the oven.

Sometimes I wonder what my life would've been if I hadn't gone to Alaska, but being here right now with Damian, his aunt and Skye I couldn't imagine not being a part of this crazy family- biologically or not.
That night as I lie awake on the bed I smile to myself. Sure I can have some mild insomnia, but at nights like this I'm glad I am. I realize things, just like I've realized exactly how far apart my breaths are when I'm calm and relaxing. I've realized I rather not be alone in this empty bedroom, and this realization led to the realization that sneaking into my best friends room to see if they're awake isn't always a great idea.

I shut Damian's bedroom door softly and turned around only to come to another realization; Damian sleeps shirtless.
I sighed heavily as heat crept up my cheeks and I turned to leave.
"Astrid?" Damian's groggy voice had me spinning around with an awkward smile.
"Couldn't sleep." I replied to his unspoken question.
He made a move to scoot over and nearly fell off the bed.
"You can lay with me." He pat beside him on the bed and laid on his side.
"You sure...?"
"Of course."

I hesitated a moment longer before slowly inching my way over and sitting beside him.
"We slept in the same bed before Astrid just relax." Damian insisted with a chuckle seconds before grabbing my shoulders gently and pulling me down.
"Goodnight Damian..." I mumbled, snuggling closer to his warmth.
"Night Astrid." I felt something firm slip around my waist as I drifted off to sleep,falling into dreams of the battle and -strangely enough- Damian.