Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 4: Moonlight

Dazed and distracted, can't you tell?

~~Ariadne~~

She really hated that she'd gotten upset in front of Ominis like that. She was angry at herself for being so damn weak and pathetic. The question of if she wanted to be here had hit right to her core though, and Ominis had the amazing ability to get under her skin.

How annoying.

After calming Marie down enough to get her off her back about her wrist, she made her way to the bedroom to try and get some sleep. Her wrist was still aching, and she rubbed it occasionally when it seemed to throb angrily. She had wrenched her hand out of his pretty hard in her anger, and she'd paid the price. It wasn't Ominis' fault, other than him holding her like that. Then again she'd been jabbing him in the chest as well.

She sighed as she started to get ready for bed, unclasping her corset and taking the strings out before hanging it up, starting to slip her thick skirts off to do the same.

She heard the doorknob turn and gasped, darting behind the door of the closet in her undressed state.

In came Ominis, who looked upset and worried about something, his pale eyes filled with a strange mixture of emotions.

She did find it interesting how expressive he was, as if he didn't know how to hide his emotions well. It certainly made her life easier. She blushed softly and looked away when he took his shirt off, hiding a bit more against the door but inhaling softly when it creaked gently.

His head darted up, and he immediately looked in her direction. His sense of hearing was so good, curse it!

"Ariadne?" He asked, his tone wary.

"Yes." She said softly, her own voice uneasy in her nervousness. "I was just getting ready for bed."

"Oh." He said, turning his head away from her. "I'll go change in another room, then."

"Don't be ridiculous." Ariadne scoffed. "We're married, Ominis, it hardly matters."

He paused and looked confused. "I thought you wanted me to leave you alone."

She blushed brightly as he had apparently assumed the wrong thing. "I-I didn't mean doing anything like that!" She said, flustered and annoyed. Ugh, and it got even worse when he smiled a little at her tone! Insufferable man! "I just meant that it doesn't matter if we get dressed in the same room or not."

"Are you sure it doesn't matter? Did your modesty go along with the soft tone?" He asked, sounding altogether too amused for her liking.

"Ugh, I said it doesn't matter, so it doesn't!" She snapped in her flustered state, and wrenched at her skirts' ties forgetting about her hurt wrist. It bent wrong and she yelped out in pain, biting her lip in frustration.

She heard him walking over and closed her eyes in denial, not wanting him to see her like this. She felt too raw, too vulnerable right now. He seemed to be able to see right through her despite his lack of sight, and it annoyed and scared her.

"You sounded like you were in pain." He said accusingly, but his voice was softer.

"Why do you care?" She said defensively, rubbing her wrist gently.

He heard the soft sound of the rubbing and reached out, resting his hand over hers on her wrist.

She inhaled softly at the touch, shocked that he'd even heard that, and winced with a painful whimper when he held her wrist.

"Did... did I do this?" He asked softly.

She looked up and was shocked to see a pained expression on his face, as if he was lost and confused. She'd never seen an expression like that on someone before. "No." She said in a softer tone. "I pulled my hand too quickly, I think."