The Atham Manor (Slow Updates)

Sex, Death, and Sleepovers

CW: LOTS of smut for an apology, yall im so sorry *cry*

I woke up in a dark room. For a moment, I paused, not remembering where I was, but then the memories of the following night came back, and I relaxed. I wasn't used to seeing Calvin's room in the complete dark and it must've still been nighttime if the lack of sunlight through the curtains were anything to go by.

Calvin's arm was still around me. It was how we'd fallen asleep last night after the sexcapade we'd gone on so both he and I were still naked, with his chest flush against my back and one of his arms acting as my pillow.

I shifted, and when he didn't stir, I turned around in his arms to really look at him.

Whether it was vampire physiology or just the fact that both Adaline and Robert Atham were gorgeous, Calvin was stunning like a prince from a fairytale. Even as timeless as his beauty was, now that it was completely rested, he didn't look like he belonged in the 21st century. Of course, this was just because he was born way before then, but I'm sure it had more to do with his lack of mannerisms while deep in vampiric slumber. When he talked, walked, and gestured, it was easy to forget how long he'd been alive and how his face should've been painted centuries ago and put up in some museum somewhere.

I pressed my face against his chest and pulled myself closer to him, relieved at the dull thudding of his heartbeat. He'd been so still that I'd begun to get worried, especially after what Alexios had confirmed about vampires. Their hearts don't usually just stop. And now I couldn't get it out of my head that Calvin might just die one day without warning.

The consistent rhythm of his heart almost lulled me back to sleep, but my brain had other ideas for me, and the thumping simply became the background noise to my insistent thoughts.

"I love you more than I dislike him. So do what makes you happy, and I'll love you through it."

Calvin and I hadn't really come to an agreement about Alexios Varelas. More than anything, Calvin wanted me to be happy. But why should my happiness come at the cost of his discomfort? Regarding our relationship, I had no stipulations put on me. The Atham brothers never requested anything from me at all. But the one thing that Calvin, Henry, and even Warren were originally uncomfortable with – no matter how much Warren preached it didn't matter now - was Alex.

And I'd pushed and forced them to just go along with it, under the guise that it would make me 'happy'. I didn't like that revelation, and I didn't like how it made me feel about myself. Relationships are full of compromise, but my boyfriends were willing to just give in to my whims and let me do what I wanted to – who I wanted to. There was no compromise there and it almost felt selfish of me to go along with it.

So I wouldn't.

The decision immediately made me feel both bitter and relieved. I probably wouldn't know why even if I'd been given a week to really unpack it. But I wouldn't give myself that long to decide. What mattered was that I felt more relieved than bitter.

Realizing I wasn't going to get any more sleep, I slipped out of his embrace. After successfully crawling off the humongous bed without waking him, I went into his bathroom and scrubbed my face with water before coming back to the bedroom and searching blindly through the dark for my clothes.

...That weren't here because we'd left them in his office.

Quietly sifting through his dresser presented me with a long grey shirt and a pair of boxer briefs. Just as I was pulling them on, Calvin's tired voice called out to me, "Xania, do you even know what time it is?"

"Sweet baby Jesus in a manger!" I reacted like the abused sister from Madea's Family Reunion, whirling on him in surprise.

Calvin was propped up on one elbow, rubbing his eye like a child would. "It's one in the morning."