Exactly two minutes later, Winter found herself and Cameron standing in front of her favorite place...
Dunston River...
A memory of a couple days ago flashed across her vision... when she tried to come here to erase her boredom... thinking that Cam wouldn’t be here, but there he was...
Waiting by her favorite game...
This was before she found out he was a vampire, though...
And that... well... he had supernatural powers...
She snapped out of her thought process when they stepped inside... the sounds of the arcade music combined with the people yelling over them filling her ears...
This would’ve been overwhelming to anyone who just came in here after being in a silent, winter night... but to Winter... this felt like home...
Her childhood in one room...
That friend she had before... well... before she died... was really her sister... Amelia... They just called each other friends because they were closer than sisters...
A lot of people talked about how sisters would get into fights and be jealous of one another... but Winter and Amelia never got into them... So they swore to each other that they would refer to each other as friends... because in their eyes... friends were closer than sisters... they confided in each other more than sisters... because, well...
Winter and Amelia were fraternal twins...
Everything about them... other than their looks... were the same... Their interests... their thought processes... almost all the time they would know what the other was thinking...
Until Amelia went in her episode... spiraling down into depression and leaving Winter alone in this cold world...
Amelia did have some problems at home... because, well... It was really hard to explain...
Winter’s parents weren’t bad people... or what... she considered parents...
Her mom was her birth mother but her dad was more of a... stepdad...
And a couple years before... Amelia was living with Winter’s real dad...
He wasn’t the best person to live with... Slightly abusive to put it lightly...
And... well... Amelia thought that she could confide in others at school...
Turned out... she couldn’t...
And that’s why she was gone now...
A year later, her stepdad... gone...
A year later... today... her mom...
Though, she didn’t know if her mom was still alive... and she wanted to find out...
If she could somehow get away from Cameron...
“Oi,” he said, snapping her out of her thought process. “I’m talking to you, Winter.”
“Sorry,” she said, smiling slightly despite her heart cracking, “just thinking about how hard I can slap you later.”
He look stunned for a moment. “Why? What did I do this time?”
“I don’t know... just feeling the itch in my hand... It needs to feel some face....”
“Or some... ass?”
She gave him a look.
He was trying not to laugh. “Hey, I tried. You got to give me credit for that one.”
She narrowed her eyes.
He finally let out a soft chuckle, looking up into the arcade... which by the way... they were still standing right in the middle of the entrance...
“I’m surprised you haven’t been trampled yet,” she said, looking over his shoulder to see people weaving around them.
“‘We,’” he corrected. “I’m holding you.”
“True.”
“Anyway...” he said, “I’m just waiting.”
“For what?”
He was silent.
“Um...” she said, “should I be... scared...?”
Silence.
“Cam?”
“Shhh...” he breathed.
She blinked, surprised at the sudden passive-aggressive sound he made, but listened.
In a second, the lights turned out, making Winter yelp.
He held her tighter at the sound... as if to sooth her...
“Three seconds...” he whispered, “ready, Winter...?”
“For what?”
“That was a rhetorical question,” he stated.
Before she could respond, he launched into a sprint, shadows of people and arcade cabinets turning into blurs for less than a millisecond, then they stopped...
“One second...” he whispered.
Exactly a second later... the lights flicked on...
What...?
But they were standing at the end of the building, by the “employees only” door while all the people in the room looked around blankly as all the sounds of the games started playing again.
“What...?” Winter started.
“Shh,” he hissed, stepping backwards silently before pushing open the “employees only” room with his back.
Her stomach turned when the doors closed in front of him, and he turned then, stepping toward the back of the lounge...
“Why are we sneaking in here...?” she questioned in a whisper. “Are we going to the fridge and stealing someone’s sandwich?”
He gave her an amused look, chuckling under his breath.
“No,” he said, using his full voice and almost making her jump.
“No?” she said, speaking fully now. “Why do we need to be in the employees lounge?”
“Because it’s the only way.”
“To what..?”
“To get to the room.”
Her veins started burning at his vague answers. “What room?”
He smiled down at her, but said nothing.
“Also...” she said, “what was with the sneaking? You looked more suspicious walking backwards into this room that you could’ve just... stepping in casually... and... why did the lights go out?”
“To answer your first question,” he said, “I didn’t look suspicious because no one could see us.”
She gave him a confused look.
“I turned us invisible,” he explained. “Vampire thing.”
“Ohhh...” she said sarcastically, “say no more.”
“You’ll learn this world eventually,” he said, smiling. “But your second question, the lights go out every two hours for three seconds.”
“Why don’t they ever fix it?” she questioned. “And how long have you been here for...?”
“They don’t fix it because they can’t. They’ve tried, but... It just keeps on coming back.”
“Weird...” she murmured.
“Nope, not weird at all.”
Her brows drew together as he stopped in front of a bare white wall...
He explained, “Magical beings in this world, well... they just... how do I explain it...?” She watched him ponder for a moment. “Well... some beings just put a spell onto this building so magical beings can get into this room without being traced...” then he added, “easily.”
“What room? This room...?” She looked around. “Wow... that poor guy needs to stop making so many sandwiches... They must be so good... Do I get to try it?”
Cam laughed softly. “Nope.”
She stuck out her lower lip, faking a pout.
“And to answer your question before your sarcasm,” he touched the wall in three places... almost in an invisible upside-down triangle... “this room.”
She watched the wall curiously for a moment, seeing nothing happen...
But she almost jumped when the paint melted... to little thin lines until they moved to the sides like worms... forming a door from where the wall rested...
“What...?” she whispered.
But Cameron shoved the door open seconds later, exposing a staircase spiraling down into darkness...
But it wasn’t complete darkness...
At the bottom... black shadows lined the walls... but... the two bottom steps that she could see had a soft glow in them...
Before she could develop a single coherent thought, Cam started stepping down into the darkness, making Winter clutch his shirt when the door creaked and slammed closed behind him...
Just like the horror movies...
Creaky door... murderous vampire... dark room...
Yep... he was going to kill her...
She looked behind him, wondering if she could get the door open if she tried...
Could she escape... or was it too late...?
“Relax...” he whispered, making her muscles ease when they should’ve stiffened, “you’re tensing.”
“Are you going to kill me?” she whispered.
She should’ve screamed it... as a cry for help...
Who would’ve heard her, though?
Vampires outside who would probably want to join in on the fun?
“No...” he responded, “quite the opposite.”
What the hell did that mean?
Almost five seconds later, he made it to the last step, setting her feet-first, onto the ground.
“If you try to run,” he threatened before letting go of her waist, “there’s nowhere to go, alright?”
Why did he say those threatening words in an assuring tone?
Odd combination.
But she shook her head. “Why are you threatening me if you’re not going to kill me?”
“Because I know you’ll most probably try to kill me and run. Just know that I can’t die... I ate a full bloody breakfast this morning... literally. And,” he added with a little smile, “I won’t be too happy if you try to stab me.”
She gave him a concerned look. “Stab you? With what?”
He smiled, nodding to the room in front of them as an indication.
She looked up, eyes widening at the sight of the room. “What the...?”
The walls were lined with clear glass and symbols on the thin transparency were translucent, making them stand out... They looked really curvy and somewhat... pointy?
If that was somehow possible...
But it was what was behind the glass that interested her...
Shiny metal... glowing with the blue torches...
Knives... daggers... swords... bows and arrows... every weapon imaginable... even ones that she hadn’t seen before... All of them dipped in a beautiful silver...
“Cameron...” she whispered, turning to him with brows pinched together, “why are we here if you’re not going to kill me?”
He smiled, tilting his head to the side curiously. “You don’t understand what this place is, do you?”
Her grey eyes reflected confusion in them...
He stepped over to her, smiling softly until he was inches from her, tipping her chin up. “This is a weapons room, Winter...” he said, searching her gaze curiously when she didn’t pull away from his touch.
“I can clearly tell that—”
“You didn’t let me finish,” he said, chuckling when her eyes reflected him with confusion. “It’s also a training room, just look at the floors.”
She aimed her gaze to the ground, seeing that she and him were standing on rubber padding bound into the walls with some sort of half-painted rope.
She looked to him then, gaze still looking confused, but there was also a little flicker of concern. “Why did you bring me here?”
“To teach you how to fight,” he responded. “Why else would I bring you here? To use you as a freaking dummy?”
“That’s one reason...” she stated. “But... why...?”
“You’re saying you don’t want to fight?”
“No!” she said, shaking her head. “Of course I want to... especially now that someone’s trying to kill me, but what I don’t understand is... why you... why you?Why now?”
“I’ll go easy on you, Winter,” he stated with brows raised. “I’m not cruel and won’t make you do two hundred pushups in one day.”
“No, no, no!” she said, shaking her head. “Why? Why? Are you actually planning on letting me go?”
“Oh, hell, no,” he stated faster than he meant. “No, Winter. I meant it when I said you’re mine now. I just thought you wanted this so you could protect yourself. I never said I’m letting you go once you know how to fight.”
She was silent, just opened her mouth to respond but shut it again.
“And, no,” he stated jokingly, “this does not mean I’m now your punching bag. In fact, if you try any of these moves on me, there will be consequences.”
He watched her eyes while this conversation went on... and he noticed something... odd...
Her eyes darkened in sadness when she asked him if he was leaving her... though there was a mixture of excitement in there... as if she couldn’t decide what she was feeling...
But he saw the sadness... and he knew she was warming to him...
Not to a level he wanted... but it was a start...
“So...” she said at his silence, “what weapon do I get to use?”
He chuckled, stepping over to a bin resting in the corner. “My all-time least favorite.” He picked out a wooden sword, tossing it to her and she caught it like an instinct. “The kiddy sword.”
“I see why you don’t like it... Wooden... Vampire....”
“Why would vampires not like wood?” he questioned.
“You know,” she said, “in the movies... A wooden stake through the heart kills vampires... right? Is that not real in this world...? because everything else was real... Blood drinking... needing blood to survive... blah, blah... Also... how can you drink chai...? Doesn’t it make you throw up because it’s not blood?”
He stared for a moment.
“Okay, one,” he said, putting his finger up, “I’m pretty sure that a wooden stake through the heart would kill or seriously maim anyone.”
“True...” she said, nodding.
“Two,” he uttered, “I drink chai all the time... Eating something that’s not blood doesn’t make me sick... It literally just does nothing.”
“Really?” she questioned. “Nothing?”
“Yep... It doesn't taste like anything... I just like the caffeine.”
“But you said nothing really... gives you energy than... blood....”
“Caffeine does.”
“How does that work?”
“It’s caffeine, Winter....” He sounded slightly condescending. “An energy booster....”
“No—I know, but—you said that nothing gives you energy than blood.”
“Natural energy... Like... food and sun....”
“So how does caffeine give you energy?”
“It’s caffeine....” He sounded partially concerned for her health.
“It’s not blood....”
“No, Winter,” he said, “it’s... caffeine....”
“I know, but... how does it give you energy if it’s not blood?”
“Because it’s caffeine.”
“Also... are you allergic to garlic?” she stated, changing the subject. “Like... do you get a swollen throat or are repelled by it?” He watched in amusement when she kept on ranting. “If I smother myself in garlic... would I repel you?”
“I’m pretty sure that would repel anyone, Winter.” He looked as if he were trying not to laugh, but she didn’t seem to notice.
“I know, but...” she looked up to him, eyes glittering, “are you repelled by garlic?”
“If you’re asking if I’m allergic to it, I’m not.”
“No... I mean are... all vampires allergic to it?”
“No....” He went back to the concerned tone. “Are you feeling okay?”
“No, but...” she said, “in the movies... Vampires are repelled by garlic, nothing would kill them but a wooden stake to their heart... and they don’t eat anything other than blood....” She looked to him then. “Can you turn into a bat?”
“I’m not a shapeshifter, Winter....”
“No?” She was thinking for a moment. “Can you see in the dark?”
“That one, yes.”
“Are you nocturnal?”
“I can be in the sun, so no.”
“Do you sleep?”
“No.”
“So...” she said, “you’re awake at night.”
“Yes.”
“So... you are nocturnal.”
“I’m awake right now,” he said, “so I guess I’m both nocturnal and...” he struggled to find a word before saying, “non-nocturnal.”
“Diurnal,” she stated.
“Dia-what?”
“Diurnal,” she said again. “It’s the opposite of being nocturnal.”
“I said, non-nocturnal.”
“Yes...” she stated, “diurnal is the actual term.”
“Alrighty, Ms. Technical,” he stated sarcastically. “What are you, a dictionary?”
“No...” she said, “I’m a person.”
He gave her a duh look. “Look,” he stated, pointing up, “it says gullible on the ceiling.”
Her eyes moved up right as he pointed.
After his words her eyes dulled in boredom. “Haha,” she said sarcastically, “very funny.”
He was snickering, though, clearly holding back loud laughs. “I wasn’t really expecting you to look up....”
She rolled her eyes, wanting to tell him she looked up because he pointed... not because of his joke but she kept her mouth shut... deciding not to give him the satisfaction.
“Anyway...” he said, taking a deep breath to calm the laughter, “we came here to train. So train we shall.”
She looked to the kiddy sword in her hand, raising her brows. “I guess I can... wack someone with this?”
He chuckled, stepping over to her. “No, Winter.” He was behind her now, breath tickling her ear as his arms reached around her, grasping her hands.
Her heart hammered against her chest as his heat bled into her back.
“First off,” he said with sarcasm, but in a low whisper as if attempting to not scare her, “you’re tensing, relax. Second,” he grasped her thigh, making heat jolt up her leg, “dominant leg goes in the front, other goes in the back, alright? Which one is this?”
“Wh... what...?”
“This leg,” he tapped her left, clearly not fazed by how she was reacting of how close he was, “is it your dominant?”
“No,” she whispered.
“Then it goes in back,” he said. “Move it back.”
She slid her leg behind her, the heat of his hand still melting in it and turning her muscles to goo...
“Do you usually stand this close when you’re training someone?” she wondered a little breathlessly.
“No...” he stated, breath heating her neck, “because I’ve never taught anyone how to fight. But I’m teaching you some secret moves, so the answer to your question is, yes, Winter. I get to stand this close.”
She was silent.
He chuckled at this. “Are you uncomfortable? Be honest.”
“Just keep going....”
Was she uncomfortable? No. Should she be? Hell, yes.
She was breathing shallowly because the heat from him was deepening into her skin... and little butterflies were fluttering under her skin everywhere he touched...
She wasn’t sure if she liked it...
Also... why did he care...?
“Alright,” he said, “if you say so....” He moved his hands to her hips. “Your hips should be strong, alright?”
“Strong?”
“Yes,” he stated, “meaning if I hit them with any force, they won’t buckle.”
“I’m pretty sure they’ll buckle if you hit them hard enough... I’m human....”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” he stated, making her brows draw together.
“I’m not human?”
He chuckled in amusement. “You can make it so they won’t buckle. And today, of all days. Isn’t that great?”
“Tell me.”
“Wow,” he stated at her stern tone, “love the enthusiasm. Alright,” he tapped her hips, “your dominant leg’s hip should be up, and your other hip’s down.”
She gave him a concerned look. “What?”
“Think of it like a diagonal line...” he explained. “It’s horizontal, of course, across your hips.” He drew in imaginary line in the space in front of where he was explaining, making under his finger burn slightly. “You see right now how your hips are straight?”
She nodded.
“They should be slightly tilted, alright? Like when you’re relaxing....” He put his hand on her right hip, pushing it a little up. “If your body’s stiff, your fighting’s stiff, alright? You need to ease up and make every move smooth, okay?”
A nod. “Alright.”
She relaxed a little, watching her hips tilt slightly like he said...
“See?” he stated. “And your shoulders are doing the same, see?”
She nodded.
“I know you’re relaxing right now, and that’s a first.”
She gave him a look and he chuckled.
“But,” he said, “we’re going to now put half your weight onto each leg. Try it.”
She looked at him quizzically.
“Okay...” he shook his head in defeat, “let’s try an exercise... It’ll also help you jump off high things.” He touched her legs again, sending the same jolt through her nerves. “Move your weight onto one foot, and onto the other... repeatably....”
“How?”
“Just rock onto one foot, and then onto the other... Try it.”
She started rocking, the feeling of his hands now easing her muscles instead of tensing them.
“Do this for one minute,” he said. “I’ll stop you when time’s up.”
She just rocked for a bit... the silence of the room not feeling awkward somehow...
“Alright...” he said, “annnnd stop.”
She listened.
“Alright,” he said again, “that should’ve implanted in your muscles.”
“How?” she questioned. “That’s not how human biology works, Cam. My muscles don’t have brains.”
“I know, but it doesn’t matter to you.”
“What...?”
But he waved her question away. “You should be ready to start practicing now, alright?”
A nod.
“Let me teach you how this works...” he whispered then, grasping a hold of her wrist that held the kid sword. “When you have a weapon,” he stated, holding her wrist face up, “you’ll know how to fight with it. No matter what weapon it is.”
“How?”
“I was about to explain that, Snowflake,” he responded, making her shoot him a glare. “Every weapon has a heart...” he stated, “every weapon you fight with... once you hold it, it’s heart beats with yours... it’s blood flowing through your veins, and you’ll know how to use it.”
“I’ll have metal flowing through my veins?” she questioned.
“Let me finish, Snowflake,” he stated, slightly annoyed. “And it was a metaphor. Anyway... you’ll just know, alright? Yes, you’ll have your weapon of choice... but if you happen to find yourself in a situation where you don’t have it, you’ll find out how to use it just by holding it.”
“What if it’s an iron wrench...?”
“Hardware tools don’t have magic in them.”
“Well you didn’t specify MAGIC tools,” she snapped.
“Can you just...” he said, “shut up... for two seconds?”
She rolled her eyes, feeling a smile creep up despite his harsh words.
“Winter,” he said, “I’ll teach you how to wield non-magic items... A... shoe for example.”
“A shoe?”
“Shhh,” he hissed, making her chuckle. “Quiet or I’ll tape your mouth shut. You do know that I’m trying to help? I can stop right now if you want me to.”
“No,” she said.
“Alright, then shush.” He continued, “Our type of magic and fighting will make every possible thing a weapon... And every possible situation, you’ll be able to fight... In any condition.”
“‘Our?’” she echoed.
He sighed when she spoke again, but still responded. “Yes, the angels way of fighting.”
“I can fight like an angel?”
“Yes, you can.”
“Teach me.”
He smiled. “Alright, but know you won’t be able to escape me if you tried.”
“I know,” she said, “but I still want to protect myself when others attack me... like that rogue vampire....”
He smiled, sliding his hands around her wrists. “Alright, here’s how it goes.”
46Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj27uY7gCXO
*****
Neither Winter nor Cameron knew what time it was... but they knew they had been sparring for hours.
They were currently at a standstill, staring at each other while panting slightly.
Cameron took off his shirt a while ago, so he was bare chested currently, sweat dripping down his toned pecs and abs from the heat that consumed the room...
Winter had to avoid staring at him... because she’d never seen someone so pale be so muscley...
It was quite odd, to be honest...
He definitely spend hours lifting weights and exercising...
That or he just fought people a lot...
It would make sense either way... both require strength and such...
At one point in time, she watched one of the beads of sweat slide down his chest and abs... disappearing under the V that led into his jeans...
She had to look away when she started burning inside...
Something she had never experienced before... especially with a boy...
It felt like the sun was blasting, raining down on them with its heat, but they both knew it was just the exercise making them sweat...
Winter had taken off her jacket at the same time Cam slid off his shirt. She was stuck in a baggy T-shirt that she rolled up the sleeves to make it a make-shift tank-top...
She changed her kiddy sword out to a full-blown dagger...
At one point in time... after learning some moves and doing what Cameron said, “implanting them into her muscles,” he showed her a wide range of weapons, telling her to eye each one carefully and pick one that called to her.
She did as he said, questioning before what he meant by call out, but pushed the thought away...
Would it whisper to her when she looked at it? Would it look like a giant spotlight was cast upon it?
No... actually that wasn’t what happened...
She locked eyes on this dagger that had some weird symbols carved into it with something black... like charcoal... the blade glistened silver in the lighting of the room... even though the lights were torches...
It was like it absorbed the soft glow from the fire... and reflected angelic light...
And the moment she saw it... she knew...
She didn’t really know how... she just did...
This was her weapon...
Cam taught her how to fight with it... How to pierce, wave, and slice objects...
He did it again by being very close... sliding his hands around her while he pressed to her back... holding her wrists as he guided her arms to wave the blade around...
She could hear the blade cutting in the air... the soft swooshes as her arms waved the dagger around...
Eventually... Cameron let go and stepped back, watching her as she continued to do what he guided...
She could feel the magic running through her veins... just like he said...
Every weapon has a heart... every weapon you fight with... once you hold it, it’s heart beats with yours... it’s blood flowing through your veins, and you’ll know how to use it.
He was right...
She just knew...
They sparred for a little, Cameron teaching her moves like sliding under him when he reached for her, dodging attacks with her arms, and eventually they moved to jumping off of small blocks... how to land...
Then they moved to bigger blocks, taller... and she learned how to land with those...
Then they moved to the beams in the ceiling... and she had to jump off those despite it being thirty feet above the ground...
Cameron knew she was scared, so he promised he would catch her...
She didn’t believe him...
So he did the reasonable thing and tied a harness to her and the ceiling, explaining before she jumped that she was as light as she wanted to be...
Just relax your body, and imagine you’re a feather...
Breathe. Nothing can hurt you, Winter. You’re a feather floating to the ground.
She did as he said and attempted to imagine she was a feather, jumping off the beams and shoving the hollow feeling in her gut away...
The first time she jumped, she screamed... She didn’t really realize it, though...
Cameron had to tell her people would think he was torturing her, though...
But she only giggled, making him smile...
But she tried it again... and again...
And around the fourth or fifth time, she started falling like he told her to.
Legs down, body straight, feeling the air slide across her skin while she fell...
Until the tenth time, he took off the harness, assuring her that he’d catch her now...
And he did...
But around the twentieth time... she started landing on her own...
At first it hurt like hell... like the ground sent shockwaves of electricity through her ankles... and Cameron told her to bend her knees when she landed... to imagine that she was a sponge, absorbing the force when she hit the floor.
But the second time she tried it... she did it perfectly, making him smile.
She bent her knees, absorbing the force of landing and stood, feeling unfazed at all...
And they went back to sparring with her new dagger, Cameron using a wooden stick to dodge the attacks of her weapon.
And after that... here they were... at a standstill, Winter holding her weapon in her hand while Cameron held his wooden stick.
Both of them panting from all the learning and fighting they did today.
He smiled then, chest rising and falling faster than she’d ever seen it. “Done, Snowflake? We have been doing this for a while.”
“I don’t honestly know,” she said, smiling. “This is kind of fun.”
“You think my training is fun?”
Was it just her... or did she see his eyes spark?
“I guess... now that I can beat you.”
“Ahh...” he tipped his head to the side, “I’m purposely not teaching you certain things because I know you’ll try to escape.”
“Why are you teaching me these things?” she questioned. “I thought you said you would ‘protect’ me.”
“I did.”
“This makes no sense.”
“I know it seems it doesn’t,” he stated, standing up now. “But it will.”
“You keep on saying that...” she said, doing the same, “but I don’t know how long this will take. Why can’t you just explain it to me?”
He gave her an amused once-over. “I guarantee you, if I tell you right now, you’ll flip.”
“Why?”
“Because I know you,” he stated, stepping over to the bucket where the kiddy swords were and slid the wooden stick into it.
“How long have you been stalking me?” she questioned, watching him stand back up.
But he faced the wall, and she was unable to see his expression when he shook his head. “You don’t want to know the answer to that. Trust me.”
He heard her silence, and he turned then, blue eyes searching hers when she stared at him quizzically.
“What’s up?” he wondered.
“I...” she whispered, pointing to him.
“What?” he said, touching his sculpted jaw. “Do I have something on my face?”
“No...” she murmured, “I just saw something....”
“Is someone here?” He looked to the staircase.
“No...” she shook her head, “just... come here... I’ll show you.”
He stepped over to her, raising his brows when she slid her dagger into her mini weapon belt, clipping it shut to assure him that she wouldn’t stab him.
And he stood in front of her now, watching her grey eyes reflect him curiously.
“Turn around,” she said, spinning her finger in a circle as an indication.
He did as she said, turning around until his back faced her.
“What... are these...?” she wondered, sliding her finger down a ragged bump lashed vertically down his back and pulled away when he winced.
“They’re scars,” he answered, turning around quickly.
Did it hurt when she touched them...?
“From what?”
He shook his head, stepping away from her and leaned a shoulder against a glass cabinet.
She just watched him, eyes darkening in concern and her brows pinched together.
“Why are there... so many...?” she whispered, lowering her tone as if she were trying not to scare him.
He sighed, dragging a hand down his face...
He always did that when he was avoiding telling her something... or when he was experiencing an emotion he didn’t like, and was hiding his face, hoping to not show it.
“They’re...” he said, “whip marks....”
She froze at his words, body consumed in ice.
Silence filled the room when she searched her thoughts for words, wondering if she should question him or drop it.
He was staring at the wall, clearly avoiding eye-contact... but she could still see the icy blue darken to midnight...
“What...?” she said then, unable to utter complete sentences. “Who...?”
He sighed, shaking his head. “My father... and... it was just a form of punishment, alright? Can we please drop it?”
“Can I touch it...?” she said before she could stop herself.
He gave her a concerned look.
“Sorry...” she said quickly, feeling a sudden guilt consume her. “Too far... I know....”
“No...” he said then, clearly forcing a smile, “it’s okay. Come here.”
She looked to him then, stepping carefully over to him.
She attempted to watch his stance... trying to see if he would tense...
But he didn’t...
When she was in arms reach, he caught her wrists, pulling her against him and making a small yelp come from her throat.
Moments later he had his arms around her, rubbing her back gently as he kissed the top of her head. “Go ahead... It’s alright.”
“Do they hurt...?”
“No, it’s alright...” he said softly, “but, there’s a catch.”
She looked at him curiously.
“I get to touch yours, too,” he said, smiling now.
Something inside her burned. “Which ones...?”
Was it just him? Or did she sound shy?
“Your arms and back,” he stated. “What else? There’s nothing else, is there?”
She blinked. “Well... no....”
“You sound unsure.”
“I know....”
“Alright... So...” he watched her for a moment, “it’s a deal?”
A nod.
“Cool,” he uttered, tilting his head to the side at her blank stare. “You first, Snowflake. Go ahead.”
She pressed herself to him, feeling his hand gently stroke her hair in long, soothing motions as she slipped her hands around his sides, making him suck in a breath at the feeling.
She lightly touched a scar, watching and feeling his muscles, making sure he wasn’t tensing.
He wasn’t...
So she slid her fingers along one, making him hold her a little tighter.
Why were her finger tips so soft? Why was she being so gentle?
“Are you okay?” she said softly.
“Yes, just keep going.”
Was that a reply or a demand...?
But she listened anyway, moving her fingers to another lash, sliding them down.
“Does this feel good...?” she wondered. “Or does it hurt?”
He shook his head, unable to respond.
“Cam...?”
“Keep... going...” he managed to say.
“For scars...” she said then, continuing to run her fingers along another one, “these are really soft....”
He was silent, just held her tighter.
“I like them...” she whispered as if embarrassed. “Not the reason why you got them, but... I like the way they feel... and... the way they look... They make you... you....”
He smiled into her hair, feeling her move to another one.
It was quiet for a couple minutes... Winter just touching his scars gently... Cameron holding onto her, but they were both silent despite their soft breathing echoing delicately through the room...
After a moment, he spoke, “Your turn?”
She nodded into his chest.
She let out a little gasp when his hand slipped under the hem of her shirt.
“Relax...” he said softly, “just your back like you're doing, I promise.”
She nodded.
He lightly touched a scar that was left from a rose bush when she fell off a bike for the first time.
She had a lot of scars on her back from her childhood... Mainly because she was pretty active when she was younger...
His fingers delicately traced the outside of the scars... making her bury her head into his chest when soft shivers ran through her...
How could shivers... be so warm...?
“How’s that feel...?” he wondered softly.
“Good...” she murmured into his chest.
He only smiled as a response.
This moment went on for about two minutes... both of them loving the feeling of the other...
Winter loving the chills passing through her while Cam mapped the scars on her back with a finger... and also enjoying the feeling of the soft scars on his back.
And Cameron felt the same way... but her scars were less rugged then his... softer, he would think...
But he still loved them... the feeling of them... and he knew, if he saw them... he would love the look of them...
Because scars weren’t a sign of you being ugly... they were a sign of growth... mental or physical...
When Winter fell off her bike, she learned how to be more careful of your surroundings because of it... and this scar was a sign of it.
And Cameron... his scars were made from someone being cruel and heartless... but it still made him... him...
These marks on his back showed what he went through as a child, what he learned... and it probably explained why he knew how to fight... and why he would never hurt Winter...
Because he knew how it felt to be hurt... and he would wish no one that pain...
Especially her.
“Can I kiss you...?” he said then, speaking softly as if he were growing tired.
He wasn’t... he was just enjoying this moment...
She nodded, though.
And he lightly pressed his mouth to her cheek bone, creating a path of kisses behind her ear, and moving up to her temple, and kissing her face, leaving nothing untouched.
And lastly, he left a gentle seal on her lips, hearing a soft moan come from her throat and he smiled.
But it didn’t stop there...
He moved his hands to rest on her hips, mouthing down her neck, purposely moving away from her veins and continuing down her arm...
Her moans grew a little louder when he moved to her neck again, going a little down to her chest...
But she pulled away when he reached her collarbone... looking at him worriedly.
He pressed his fingers to his mouth, feeling for his fangs but she shook her head, indicating that she didn’t pull away because of that.
Her stomach was turning... but at the same time her body was burning with him... and she wasn’t sure if she could handle it...
“What...?” he said.
“I can’t...” she responded softly, tears building in her eyes but she blinked them away. “I can’t....”
He searched her gaze for a minute, tilting his head to the side but his response send her blood rushing. “Alright.”
“Alright”? He was okay with it?
Why?
Maybe he saw the fear in her expression and dropped it...
She pulled away then and stepped away from him, looking down.
Why was he like this? Why was he so different...?
She looked to his feet, watching the rubber in his tennis shoes dance with the reflection of the torches...
And she looked up to his face, seeing him watching her with dark eyes...
But his face was carefully expressionless...
She looked back down to his feet then, her body humming with euphoria... and her thoughts rushing through her mind at light speed.
They’re... whip marks...
She stepped over to him then, faster than she meant and his eyes widened ever-so-slightly when she caught his arm and dragged him to the staircase.
He searched for words when she guided him up the stairs, wondering if he should dig in his heels and stop her...
But the burning curiosity got the best of him...
“Will the lights turn out soon?” she asked him when they reached the top.
He looked at his watch. “In about two minutes, why?”
“Good,” she responded. “Open the door.”
“Where are we going?”
She shot him a look. “Open it.”
He threw his hands up innocently and tapped the door in three places, hearing little swooshes as the paint melted again and they stepped onto the employee’s lounge, Winter continuing to drag him to the door.
“Where are we going?” he questioned.
But she looked to him. “How much time?”
He looked to his watch again. “Thirty seconds.”
So she waited by the door, tapping her shoe impatiently.
The thirty seconds felt like hours... and she was surprised to find that Cam hadn’t questioned her again the whole time.
But the overhead lights flicked out, and he heard her soft chuckle before she kicked the door open and half-dragged, half-ran with him to the right until they met the girls bathroom, and she pulled him inside.
And right as she locked the deadbolt, the lights flicked on again.
Cam watched with raised brows as she checked all the stalls for feet or being locked, looking around for anyone but there wasn’t anyone...
So she looked to him then, taking a deep breath.
“Why are we here?” he asked then. “The room downstairs had more privacy than this, Winter.”
“Not really,” she said, rubbing her arms as if to sooth goosebumps prickling through her skin. “Anyone with magic had access to it... and it didn’t feel right showing you this with all those weapons in there....”
“Alright...” he said. “What did you want to show me, Sweetheart?”
She took a deep breath, exhaling a long, exasperated sigh. “This....”
He watched her curiously when she drew her shirt up to the bottom of her chest, exposing her navel and a small hem of a blue sports bra.
But he sucked in a breath, seeing a large scar lashed horizontally above her belly-button.
It still looked a little red... the scar rugged and pointy as if it was somewhat recent.
She was looking to the ground, grey eyes glistening ever-so-slightly with tears.
“Can I...” he said softly, gulping down all the questions he wanted to ask, “touch it?”
She nodded, keeping her gaze to the ground. “Just be gentle....”
He stepped over to her carefully, watching her stance but she didn’t wince...
Not even when he touched it... running his fingers along it...
Just sucked in a breath.
“It feels recent...” he breathed, rubbing his thumb along the ragged part, “there’s still a small scab....” He looked to her then. “What happened?”
She still avoided eye-contact. “When my father died... a year ago... I was with him... I don’t really remember what happened... but... I know at one point I was separated from him, and some weird person attacked me... It was a person... or... human-like being... though I don’t remember what they looked like or if it was even male or female... though I do remember some of that night...
“It was dark... and I was lying on the ground, barely conscious...” she kept her gaze to the ground, “someone was on top of me... and I could feel some kind of sharp pain right here.” She touched where the scar rested. “This person was trying to assault me while the knife was pressed to my stomach, thinking that if I felt it, I wouldn’t fight... but they were wrong....” She took another deep breath as Cam assessed the healed wound. “I hit them... and they weren’t too happy about that... but I managed to fight them off, and I ran....”
“You escaped...” he said, “right?”
“Not really...” she said softly, eyes burning with tears as the memory made her chest cave in. “It... caught me... and stabbed me there...” she touched her navel again, “and I fainted... The next day... I woke up in the hospital, and my mom was sitting next to me... crying... I asked her what was wrong... Because she was crying when I was okay... I didn’t think I was dying, but that’s when she told me... that dad was dead... And… the wound kept on reopening since then… I don’t know why, though….”
He watched her as she finished telling her story, seeing her eyes darken while her brows drew together in confusion. “I don’t know what’s worse...” she said, “losing your father... or dying yourself from being stabbed after someone tried to rape you....”
She hated that word... rape... it sounded so loud and ugly in the room...
She never wanted to hear it again...
“I just thought...” she said, wiping her eyes with a hand while he dropped her shirt, “that since you told me your story... I should tell you mine... and...” she wiped her eyes a little faster, “maybe you would understand why I’m not ready yet... That’s also why... I have trust issues... as you can tell....”
“Winter...” he whispered gently, watching a tear escape her hand, dripping off her chin, “can I hold your hand?”
She looked to his arm, sniffling.
But she pulled her hand out of his grasp, making his brows draw together.
But she did something unexpected...
She launched toward him and threw her arms around him, making a small gasp escape his mouth before he looked down to her, brows till drawn together.
“You okay...?” he whispered.
She nodded, nuzzling her face into the nape of his neck as he wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back to help her feel better.
“I don’t like it when your sad...” he said then, holding her face into the nape of his neck. “I want to make you feel better... Let’s go out... it’s nearly five anyway.”
“‘Out?’” she wondered, sniffling. “Like... a date...?”
“Yes,” he responded, “exactly.”
She nodded into his chest, smiling softly for the first time, and something inside him warmed. “Alright.”
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