(Published October 13, 2024)
A sudden chilly breeze whipped past me, tossing my hair to the side and raising goosebumps on my neck. I jumped when I heard a strange thump and grunt following the breeze. Turning as best I could in my seated position, I scanned the graveyard behind me and saw nothing. An involuntary shiver ran through me at the stillness that now seemed eerie. Maybe the graveyard wasn't such a great place to be at two a.m. after all. I scanned the dark grounds again before turning back to my mother's headstone.
The flowers I had brought the night before were already in a sorry state of wilting. I wouldn't have brought them at all, if it hadn't been her birthday. Long ago, I had taken to bringing unique or pretty rocks to set at the stone instead. My usual gift didn't seem fitting for such a day, though, so I had picked some wild flowers instead. Stupid me.
Sighing, I ran a hand over my face. My cheeks were dry tonight, unlike the night before. I knew my eyes had to look horrible from the lack of sleep, though. I really ought to go home and try to sleep. I just couldn't seem to bring myself to. Anytime I tried, I'd just lay there and my brain would run wild with thoughts, which was always dangerous. I didn't like thinking too much.
The strange breeze returned, softer this time, and pulled my thoughts in a different direction. For some reason, the graveyard was extra creepy tonight. I glanced around again and froze as I saw a dark figure walking slowly through the headstones towards me. Nobody else was ever in the graveyard in the wee hours, so I didn't know what to do. Did I stay and not move, or should I run? I chose to stay, since I doubted I could outrun anyone at this point. I'd been sitting too long and my limbs were likely stiff.
The figure slowed to a stop as he approached me. I knew it was a he from his build, even though he was concealed beneath a dark hoodie and black sweatpants. I pretended not to notice him, focusing instead on the chip at the base of my mom's headstone where a landscaper had gotten too close with a tool of destruction. He stayed still, standing there like a statue, until I finally looked over at him.
"It's rather dangerous, sitting in the dark all alone, don't you think?"
His deep voice seemed to flow with the night air in a surprisingly soothing manner. I squinted a little at him, wishing I could get a better view so I at least knew who he was before he killed me or whatever he was planning.
"I've never had any problems before," I replied lamely.
"That's because I've taken care of them for you."
My eyebrows dropped at his comment. "What do you mean by that?"
"Do you not realize how many twisted humans prowl the cemeteries at night in this city?" He let out a deep chuckle.
"Uh, none from what I've seen. Just you and me." And he was definitely creepy, if not twisted.
The movement of his hood hinted that he was shaking his head at me. "Ms. Rossi, you do amuse me."
He knew my name. Great. "So, do you always hang around in cemeteries and eavesdrop on private conversations, then?"
"It's not much of a conversation when the recipient is dead."
"It's cheaper than therapy. And that's not an answer."
"Typically, no. But your conversations are interesting, so it's become a hobby, I guess."
I stood and brushed off my pants before turning to him. He pretty much towered over me. A dark, shadowy figure that should terrify me. And maybe he would've, if he hadn't had such a charming voice and vocabulary.
"Look, sir, you're pretty smooth for a creepy stalker, so I'm hoping you'll allow me the privilege of walking away unharmed. It'd be a shame if you killed your nightly amusement, ya know." I held my breath as I waited for an answer.
"I'm not going to kill you, love. You don't have to fear me."
My heart stuttered when it heard that four letter word roll off of his tongue, and I squinted again in attempt to see his face. A low chuckle sounded again as his hands slowly left his pockets and reached up to remove his hood. Dark, wavy hair framed a pale face that nearly shone in the moonlight. I bit the inside of my cheek, making sure I got a good look at his features in case I had to report him to the police. Not that I wanted to report him. Especially now that I got a good look at his handsome face.
"My name is Felix."
"It suits you," I replied softly. "How long have you been listening in?"
"A month. You don't sleep much."
"There's not much of a point."
"What makes you say that?"
He gestured to the aisle between the headstones, and I suddenly found myself walking the graveyard casually with Felix the not so creepy stalker.
"I never feel rested afterwards. I never have good dreams. It's hard enough getting to sleep on a good day, so I don't even bother trying on the bad ones."
"What do you do all night?"
"I like to draw. Or come here. Or hike. Things are prettier in the moonlight." I glanced over at him. "Why are you up so late?"
"I don't sleep, either."
Ah, a fellow insomniac. "Why not?"
He chuckled again. "It's hard to explain. Tell me about your life."
"I'm a single orphan with no family nearby who can't sleep and talks to headstones because she has no friends. Long story short."
"Convenient."
Maybe running away wasn't such a bad option after all. "What's your tale of woe?"
"I am a single orphan who was adopted by a very powerful family that I need to escape from sometimes, yet I also have no friends to go to. Long story short." He grinned as he mimicked my explanation.
"Mmm."
"You don't believe me?"
I glanced up at him to see him watching my expressions, likely reading the skepticism there from his story. I shrugged.
"Well, if I had met you in the daylight anywhere else, I would call you a liar. You don't seem like the type to be single and friendless."
"Why is that?"
"You're tall, smooth, and would be considered very good looking by society."
"What about you?" He halted, turning to look me in the eye. "What would I be considered to you?"
I gazed back, slightly mesmerized by his good looks. The only thing that was odd, besides the stunning perfectness, was how the moonlight played with his eye color. The irises almost looked like they had a hint of red to them, making me wonder what shade of brown they were in the sunlight. Tearing my gaze away, I tried to refocus my brain enough to come up with a witty response. A shiver ran through me at the loss of his gaze, though I wasn't cold at all. It was a surprisingly warm night out.
Still, Felix hadn't missed the shiver. He tugged off his hoodie in one fluid motion, holding it out for me in such a way that I could simply slip into it. I hesitated a moment, since no one had ever offered me their jacket before. Due to that fact, I couldn't very well refuse him, could I? Stepping a little closer, I let him help me into the dark hoodie. It was too big for me, engulfing me like a blanket would. The strange thing was that it was freezing cold on the inside! I shivered again at it's chilled fabric. His large hands were gently repositioning the garment on my shoulders, and he softly rubbed his palms up and down my arms as if to help warm me up. I gave him a small smile, trying not to be surprised by his body.
He was now left in a black t-shirt that was rather baggy on him, which I had not expected. Even though it hid his torso, his arms hinted at what it probably looked like. Well sculpted muscles filled out his pale, smooth arms that were stark against the dark fabric. I typically wasn't turned on by muscled men, but there was something about his perfectness that had me enraptured.
"Well, at this point, I'd consider you a gentleman," I finally responded to his question, managing to direct my thoughts into a safer direction.
He quirked an eyebrow. "A good looking gentleman?"
"Hmm," I pretended to examine him very closely before nodding slowly and replying in my best old English accent. "Yes... Yes, I'd say you are indeed."
"That's a relief to hear." His smirk widened a little at that.
The row we had been walking finally came to an end and there was a well placed wooden bench there, overlooking the graveyard. I walked over to it and sank down on the slatted seat. He followed my example, settling down beside me with his hands resting on his own legs instead of tossing an arm across the back of the bench like most men did. My own hands were lost somewhere in the huge sleeves of the hoodie, which was warming up from my body heat and giving me a hint of Felix's unique and beautiful scent. I quickly squeezed my eyes shut, trying to shut my brain up. I did NOT need to fantasize over a strange man I had just met. That would be horribly unwise.
"Ms. Rossi, may I ask you a very inappropriate question?"
Well, that sounded strangely ominous. "You can call me Dahlia, if you want. And go ahead, but I can't promise I'll answer it."
His mouth quirked up again at that.
"Will you allow me to court you, Dahlia Rossi?"
"Court? As in, date?"
"No, not dating. Dating someone is more casual, as if I were trying you out to see if you are worth my time. Courting is far more serious. For example, I know you are worth my time and that I want you in my future."
I turned on the bench to face him and gave him a large frown. "Forward much?"
He simply grinned. "Is that a bad thing?"
"You don't even know me."
"I know you better than you think."
Oh yeah, the eavesdropping. "Creepy stalker."
That warm, low chuckle sounded again and made my heart skip a beat.
"I don't know you," I pointed out.
"It looks to me like we have plenty of sleepless nights ahead of us for you to learn about me."
"You're very persuasive, you know that?"
"I've had years of practice."
"That's a good question to begin with; how old are you?"
He hesitated a minute, shifting his jaw to the side as he pondered the question. Which shouldn't take any pondering at all, but I watched with fascinated curiosity.
"Thirty seven," He finally stated.
"You're almost a decade older than me," I exclaimed.
"In a way, yes," He laughed.
"What do you do for a job?"
"I'm a personal body guard."
"I probably should've guessed that." I pushed my hands out of the sleeves and folded them in my lap. "What's your favorite food?"
His smile suddenly had a strange twist to it and his eyes twinkled as if something about that question was funny. "Italian."
"That's a good choice."
I fell quiet, gazing out at the dim stars above us. He had somehow snuck a little closer during our conversation and his arm was brushing mine now. I felt strangely comfortable with him, even if he was a touch creepy. Maybe I was just desperate. Even so, what more could I lose? My mundane life didn't mean much to anyone, anyway. Taking a small leap, I let my head rest on his solid shoulder. He didn't seem to mind, not moving an inch. That's when I realized that he was freezing to the touch and probably wanted his sweater back.
"Don't you want your sweater back? You're as cold as ice," I spoke softly.
"No, I'm very comfortable," He assured me.
"You're strange."
He chuckled once again, and I smiled to myself. I liked him.
Not even a moment later, or so it felt like, my eyes shot open and were nearly blinded by sunlight streaming through my open bedroom window. I sat up, glancing around and trying to figure out what had happened. Did he drug me? Had I actually fallen asleep? Was it all a dream?
Glancing down at my body, I realized I was still swallowed by his huge black hoodie. I twisted the sleeve material in my hands as I ran over the night before in my head. It had been real. He was real. And he knew where I lived!
I slid off the bed, about to run to the hall to see if he had broken down my door or something, when a note on my bedside table caught my eye. Walking slowly over to it, I picked it up carefully as if it might bite me. It didn't, obviously. It was my own note paper, for crying out loud. The words scrawled on it were definitely not in my handwriting, though.
Dahlia,
I hope I didn't scare you off by bringing you home. You were just so soundly asleep that it didn't feel right to leave you in the graveyard. I'll meet you again tonight, if you're not too frightened of me.
Yours truly,
Felix
After reading the note a third time, a small smile slid onto my face. I was being courted! Or going courting, however it was supposed to be phrased. Tucking my chin down into the sweatshirt, I preformed a little spin of happiness across my bedroom towards the window. For the first time in a long time, I couldn't wait for the sun to set and night to arrive.
YOU ARE READING
Twilight Imagines
FanfictionA collection of short stories for all the Twilight lovers out there! I do not claim ownership of any of the Twilight characters or pictures in this story. I simply claim my own ideas.
