Coldsgrove

Promise

I wake up wrapped in warmth. Aiden's blanket covers my body with heat and I feel a small sheen of sweat that coats my forehead. I open my eyes slowly with groggy sleep glazing my vision, I sigh as I remember my dreamless, peaceful sleep. Tossing the covering onto the left side of the bed I stand with my bare feet on the cold floor and Aiden stands up from the chair.

"It's only 4 A.M. Audrey. Go back to sleep." Aiden says and I smile lazily at him and hold out my arms and he gives me a light hug of greeting, although he never left.

"Let me get some socks... Thank you," I hum happily to him and tiptoe to the drawer, but sink to my flat feet when I see my grandmother's picture surrounded by other family members on the dresser top. Suddenly, the air seems to be lacking oxygen and I have to take a deep breath that shakes my shoulders faintly. "We're going to visit her today," I tell him and he places his hand that must have been very warm at one time and murmurs reassurances to me.

"I'll be there with you cor meum. There's nothing to worry about, modern technology is highly advanced, the doctors will take care of her,"

"Promise." I wheeze out to him. "Promise that you'll be there some where?" I whisper the lack of oxygen stinging in my lungs.

"Amen dico vobis, si quid vis ut faciam," Aiden whispers back," I promise to you, I'll be anywhere you wish me to be," I nod in response. I only slightly acknowledge the want to know the language of Latin, to share it with him but that's irrelevant so it flies out of my mind just as fast as it came.

I open the drawer to find it empty. I shake my head, How delusional can you get? I think to my self, You're so stupid Audrey you don't live here anymore, this isn't your home anymore! I walk stiffly to my suit case and open it to dig around to find a pair of blue socks sitting dutifully in a corner as if they had been waiting for this moment.

Plucking the socks up numbly, I shuffle my feet to the bed and prop my right foot on my knee and slip a sock on and repeat this motion again until my feet are protected from the cold's grip. I sit up, Aiden sits next to me and pulls the blanket over my shoulders, I pull it tighter around me and he leans me over into him.

Silent tears trails their way down my cheeks and I wipe them away with a scowl. "I feel like all I'm doing is crying constantly," I grumble and he lays me back down.

"With good reason Audrey. Try to lie back down cor meum,"

"Will you sit with me?....Oh wait. Sorry I forgot, you don't have to. Forget what I said," I tell him, but he moves the blanket and slides in next to me anyway.

"You don't have to-,"

"I know. But I was thinking while you slept. Why should I not comfort her? Why hadn't I lain down with her when she asked? I'm making this right now for you cor meum." he says and I smile at him.

I find Aiden's hand and lace my fingers with his,"What does that mean? Cor meum?" I try to mimic his words but they come out flawed and choppy, Aiden smiles warmly at me with lovely boiling, brown eyes.

"It means my heart, because you have become my heart," Aiden whispers quietly as to not wake anyone but I don't see the danger I had been talking full volume not five minutes before.

I blush a deep red. "What are we?" I ask at a whisper almost afraid of the answer. I love him, I know that certainly. Though am I ready for his world? Am I ready for supernatural creatures surrounding me? Not to meantion the threat from the Slayers, they shot and almost killed Aiden what would stop them from finishing me off? Aiden would. He's said he would always protect me, didn't he? Of course he would, I mean he's never went back on his word with out good reason.