All That's Left

Chapter 21 | Vania

Two years ago

I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling in the dark, my mind racing with the events of the day. The room was quiet, save for the occasional creak as the house settled. I turned over, trying to find a comfortable position, but sleep was avoiding me. 

Just as I was about to give up and turn on the light, I heard a soft rustling sound, and I sat up, my heart jumping. When I saw Dorian opening and climbing through my bedroom window. Dorian moved with practices ease, careful not to make a noise.

"Hey," he whispered as he closed the window behind him. "I know I'm supposed to use the front door, but I didn't want to wake your dad. He fell asleep in the living room watching TV."

"Dorian," I whispered back, feeling a wave of relief and comfort wash over me. "You didn't have to come."

He kicked of his shoes and climbed into the bed beside me, his familiar presence immediately soothing my frayed nerves.

Dorian wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close. "Of course I did. I needed to make sure you were okay."

I nestled into his embrace, the warmth of his body grounding me and taking away the coldness of my bedroom. "I'm...okay," I said. "We filed a restraining order against Lucas. The officers said he'll be arrested if he doesn't take his medication. They're going to be doing regular check-ups on him to make sure he's taking them."

"Good," Dorian murmured. "He shouldn't be allowed near you."

I looked up at him, our faces close in the dim light. "How are you? Did you get in a lot of trouble?"

His face looked better than it did earlier today when it was still covered in blood, but it was still bad. 

Dorian sighed. "I also got a restraining order and a warning. I'm not allowed near Lucas either. But my parents understand why I did it, so they're not that mad."

I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry you got dragged into this."

He shook his head. "Don't be sorry, Van. I'm not.  I would do it again if it meant keeping you safe."

"Still," I said, my voice breaking slightly. "I hate that you got hurt because of me."

Dorian tightened his hold on me. "Hey, none of this is your fault. Lucas is the one to blame, and I'm the only one responsible for my actions. And like I said, I'd rather get hurt a hundred times than see you in danger."

I blinked back tears, warmth spreading through me at his words. "Thank you, Dorian. For everything."

"Always, Van," he said softly. "You know I'll always be here for you."

We lay there in silence for a while, the weight of the day's events settling over us. Despite the turmoil, there was a sense of peace in being together, knowing we always had each other's back, come hell or high water. 

"Dorian?" I whispered after a while.

"Yeah?"

"I don't know what I would do without you."

"You'll never have to found out," he replied, his voice full of certainty. "I'll always be here."

I closed my eyes, letting his words wash over me. In his arms, I felt safe, and for the first time that night, I allowed myself to relax. 

After a few moment of silence, Dorian spoke again. "I broke up with Cali."

My eyes shot open. "What? Why?"

"She heard what happened and called me, angry that I was getting into all this trouble because of you," he explained. "I told her form the start that this is how things would be, and she couldn't understand that."

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, feeling a fresh wave of guilt.

"It's not your fault," Dorian said firmly. "I told her that you are a big part of ,y life, Van, and if she couldn't accept that, then it wouldn't work out. She didn't understand."

I tilted my head up, meeting his eyes, searching for any hint of anger or regret, but all I saw was determination. "Do you think everyone is right?" I asked softly. "That we're too close to allow each other a romantic relationship?"

Dorian was silent for a moment, deep in thought over my question. "I think people are only right about it maybe not being fair to everyone else. But what we have is special, Vania. We understand each other in a way no one else can. We're perfect."

"You really believe that?"

"With all my heart," he said softly, raising a hand to brush my hair out of my face. Dorian placed a soft kiss on my forehead, and settled his chin on my head, snuggling into me. In his arms, I felt a sense of completeness,  a bond that went beyond friendship or romance. It was a connection that was uniquely ours, and in that movement, I knew that no matter what the future held, we would always have each other.

I drifted off to sleep, comforted by the steady rhythm of his breathing and the knowledge that, no matter what, I had my best friend and other half by my side.

━━━━━━ ❖ ━━━━━━

The morning light filtered through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the room. I stirred, feeling the warmth and steady rhythm of Dorian's breathing beside me. His arms were still wrapped around me, and for a moment, I simply relished the comfort and safety of his embrace. I lay there, savoring the peacefulness, until I heard footsteps approaching.

Still groggy from sleep, Dad stepped into my room, rubbing his eyes. He paused, scanning the two of us in bed as I slowly sat up, careful not to disturb Dorian, and stretching. "Morning, Dad."

Dad's eyes softened as he looked at us. "You two want breakfast?" he asked, his voice a bit raspy from just waking up. 

I smiled. Dad had never had a problem with Dorian and me sleeping in the same bed. We had been doing it since we were in cribs, after all. It was a bond he understood, even if he never voiced it outright. 

"Sure, Dad. That sounds great," I replied.

Dorian stirred beside me, blinking his eyes open. "Morning, Mr. Stanton," he mumbled, still half-asleep. 

"Morning, Dorian," my dad said with a small smile. "I'll go get started on that breakfast. You kids take your time." As Dad left the room, I looked down at Dorian, who was now fully awake. "Morning," I said softly. "You sleep okay?" I asked as he brushed a strand of hair out of his face. 

"Yeah," he said with a yawn. "Better than I have in days."

We lay there for a few more moment, enjoying the tranquility of the morning. It was a stark contrast to the chaos of the previous day, and I was grateful for the normalcy, however fleeting it might be.

Eventually, we both got up and out of bed, heading downstairs, where the smell of pancakes and bacon filled the air.

Dad was bustling around the kitchen, flipping pancakes.

"Smells amazing, Mr. Stanton," Dorian said, taking a seat at the table. I sat down next to him as my usual morning energy started to return. "Yeah, Dad. Smell amazing." Dad turned and smiled at us.

"Of course it does, I'm the one that's making it," he joked and we smiled. "Breakfast will be ready in just a minute."