The Balavans

Chapter 7: Over

One month later

I curled up with Dominic on our bed, his head on my chest and soft snores coming from his mouth. I'd just woken up to a bad feeling accompanied to a nightmare, the feeling being something I hadn't felt in over a month. I held my boyfriend closer and tried to warm him up since the heater thermostat had broken and we never knew what it was on. Also, his natural coolness made him prone to colds, so I wanted him as warm as possible.

I had a thin layer of flames laying in my palm, nothing that would burn him, just enough so that when I ran my hand over his arm or back he would warm up to the touch. He shivered in his sleep and curled closer to me, hand clutching my shirt tightly. I pressed a kiss to his cool skin and left a small mark from the heat of my skin.

I shook my head and carefully pulled him closer to as much of him would be touching me, hoping my natural heat would keep him from getting sick. We were under three blankets and added to my heat, we should have been fine, but his internal ice was halfway cancelling that, making him freezing.

I rolled over to my side and pulled him tighter into my arms, a small whimper falling from his lips as he seemed to be locked in some kind of nightmare. "Bear, wake up sweetie, it's alright," I whispered softly and his shivers intensified as the terror seemed to grow.

"Nic, sweetheart, hey, it's me, Pax, okay? Wake up Bear," I said a little more urgently, not wanting to be on the receiving side of what happened if he got too scared. He gasped and shot up, immediately shivering as the cool air hit his skin.

"Love?" I asked softly, sitting up but keeping my distance. "P-Pax?" he whispered and I carefully reached out and placed my palm on his cheek. "I'm right here, Bear, c'mon," I said softly and he let himself be pulled into my arms again, seeking warmth as he hid his face in my chest.

"Same thing?" I asked quietly and he nodded, a shudder racketing his frame. He'd been dreaming of me in the hospital that day after they'd managed to save me from Cox, but instead of making it, I'd died. I had to reassure him every morning I was safe, I was right here, and I wasn't going anywhere, and it just made my anger at Cox - and in turn Malachi - grow.

They were ruining my love's life, he's been barely sleeping, he'd been having nightmares, and now his magic was sometimes uncontrollable. He had been distancing himself from me a couple weeks ago, terrified of hurting me, but I put a stop to that immediately. I needed him just as much as he needed me, and pulling away from me was hurting both of us.

I kissed his forehead and whispered, "I'm not going anywhere, alright love? They'd be hard pressed to even get me too far away for too long. You're stuck with me." He smiled against my chest, his hand loosening ever so slightly as he sighed, still sleepy. It was only four in the morning, and we had gone to bed about 1 am after getting lost in a couple episodes of Dr. Who.

"Go to sleep love, I'm here, I'm not going anywhere," I said softly, subtly turning my fire up under my skin so he would have his own personal heater under the blankets. He sighed, finally relaxing as I ran my fingers through his hair, kissing his forehead. "I love you, Pax," he whispered sleepily and I smiled, replying softly, "I love you too, Nic."

A couple seconds later he managed to fall asleep again and I closed my eyes, hoping to force myself to follow him but I couldn't. After the first week back, after constant nightmares and anxiety attacks, I'd been forcing myself to stay awake until it became a habit. I couldn't sleep without either passing out from pure exhaustion or practically overdosing on sleeping pills. My heat wouldn't let them work with the correct dose.

I'd slept two days ago, which meant it would be another day or two before I could get myself tired out enough to sleep for longer than an hour. Just now, I'd only gotten about 45 minutes of sleep before my nightmares started, then Dominic's started and it woke me even more. This insomnia was going to be the death of me.