For A Brief Moment

Chapter 20: In the dark

Cassie woke up in a puddle of sweat, her breathing heavy and quick, she looked around her, but she couldn't see through the unchanging darkness. She hummed to herself in fear, as she reached her hand above her, searching desperately for the switch until she heard it click. The room beamed with a bright light, her eyes squinting to adjust to it. Elijah moaned, covering his eyes as he lay on the floor. His chest was bare, and his tattoos were on full display. He pushed his back up from the floor, leaning against his hand, which gripped the then carpet below him. The alarm clock on the bedside table reading 2:12 am.

"What's up princess?" he groaned; his voice raspy and deep.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she panicked, pulling her knees to her chest. His eyes widened, looking at her.

"Hey, what's up," he groaned, more concern lacing his voice.

"It's just, I just," she stumbled over her words. Elijah thought back to a brief yet important conversation he had had with Greg days prior, and immediately realised.

"Shit, I'm sorry, I forgot you were scared of the dark," he apologised sitting fully up from the floor.

"It's not your fault, it's silly, I'm sorry, I woke you up," she explained, her hand reaching back up to the light.

"Hey," he spoke, causing her to tune back around to him, "You can sleep with it on if you want." She shook her head. It was a kind offer on Elijah's part, but the light was far too bright to sleep under.

"Elijah?" she questioned. "Why are you sleeping on the floor?"

"Uncle gets home from work soon, and he usually watches television for a bit, and I didn't want to stop him from doing that," he explained before looking at her face. He thought at that moment she wanted him gone, which was far from true. "Do you want me to leave?"

"No, no, please don't go," she pleaded, moving her knees away from her chest, her movements becoming more open. "I just, don't want you sleeping on the floor, it must be uncomfortable." If she wasn't tired, this would have probably played off more as flirting, but she was tired, and her concerns were genuine. She patted the part of the bed beside her, offering him a spot next to him.

"U sure princess I don't want to- "before he could finish, she responded.

"Elijah." All it took was for her to say his name and he pushed himself off the floor and onto the bed, his chest shining in the light. He desperately was waiting for that invitation since before he started reading to her, so he was pretty happy when he got it. 

"Can I?" he asked as he reached over to the light switch, she agreed silently, as he flicked it off. The room was once again enveloped in the dark as he climbed into the bed beside her, her body shuffling back to make room. Once the covers were over them, she placed her head on his chest, squeezing her eyes shut. In instinct, Elijah wrapped his arm around her, holding her close, protecting her from the monster that lurked in the darkness.

"Night," she whispered sleepy, her voice trailing off lightly at the end.

"Goodnight princess," he whispered back, his fingers dancing in her hair, soothing him into sleep minutes later.

The two slept safely, peacefully, and calmly together, wrapped in each other's embrace as the darkness besieged around them.