"Thank you." She said softly, taking the cup of tea he brought to bed.
Warren looked between her and the tea. He couldn't get over it. He'd never seen anything more amazing. His eyes were transfixed on every inch of her as she brought the cup to her lips, sipping slowly. Her body propped up halfway against the enormous headboard with spills of pillows lining up to support her back. Her eyes stopped that luminescent glow suddenly. Her real eye color, a golden blue now stared back at him. He missed the glow already.
When she set the tea on the nightstand she stared at it for a moment. She was quietly thinking about this whole thing; trying to piece together what she could remember from last night. She had so many questions still but she had no clue which ones to ask first. She took a deep breath, letting out some exhaustion. She swallowed hard, trying hard to start from somewhere, anywhere.
"What's your name?" His velvet voice woke her out of herself.
She lifted her head, finally looking at him. Her eyes began shimmering as she licked her lips. "Amelia."
Warren's eyes trailed down to her bare arms. The cuts and scars was more than enough to make him curious. Damn it he was so curious about this girl. It wasn't just him saving her, it was something else. He felt pulled to question further, even though his head was telling him otherwise. He ignored it and pushed on. He reached out again to take her hand. She was allowing him to, this was a good start. She was suddenly staring at the gesture. In her mind, a pool of emotions formed racing like plankton on the heels of a shark.
Amelia's eyes watered again but at this point, the feeling was gone. The light in her eyes began to flicker. The way he held her hand was so… She didn't have words for it. She let her eyes cry for a second more before she cleared her throat. "I need to…" She paused, his hand squeezed hers, and silently telling her it was OK to continue. But was it? She hadn't known OK for so long she had gotten so used to being afraid of everything.
Warren waited. He'd wait as long as it takes for her response. Nothing mattered. She was at the center and had his full attention. He started drawing circles on the inside of her palm, trying anything he could think of to get her to release her guard, maybe alleviate further tension.
Amelia was distracted; in all ways. She couldn't look at him, his hands were beginning to warm her body in ways the tea she drank couldn't, and she was having more difficulty getting out the words. How long would he wait for her to say something? She was probably scaring him. She was scaring herself too.
Warren leaned close to her ear when she closed her eyes. "Stay with me."
Amelia's eyes popped open, she could felt his warm, silky breath illicit a strange urge inside of her. "I-I, you w-want me to, mhm, stay?"
When Warren pulled back, her eyes, the smile returned to his face as he saw a pale yellow shining out from them. He brought her hand to his lips, kissing her knuckles, lulling her to a dream-like state. It was working all too well. Was she dreaming? She could feel her eyes change to a soft blue. She could feel the ocean; see the serenity of the moment dance like it could go forever. The placidity latching onto her memory like it belonged there. An eternity just upon her reaches. She could grab it, could she?
"Yes, I want you to stay." He said, with a certainty that awoke something new, a much different sensation within her.
She was so distracted by the new sensations she didn't realize just how close he face was. She blinked slowly to the fair scent of him. She moved away only slightly, clearing her throat regaining her nerves. She couldn't lose sanity now.
"W-Why?" She breathed out. That was all she could get out before her breathing sped up to an alarming rate. Her cerulean eyes opened a little wider as he moved closer closing the gap between them.
"Because…" his fingers rose to trace the sharp turns and curves of her scars, "I know how it feels…to wanna be somewhere else. Fighting your own battles because you were born different. I know it. I've known it all my life."
Amelia took a deep heave, her eyes confused. The glow in them died slowly. She let go of the intense feelings finally. She looked at him now with different eyes. Human starting at another human. Her eyes glowing in a brown-gold-like blaze. She heard a faint sound from his corner that almost creaked out.
And then it made sense. "I don't understand. How do you know about this?"
"What I meant to say was—" The piercing sound of the phone rang, killing whatever anticipation she had.
Warren collapsed on the end of the bed leafing his fingers through his hair in frustration. He knew who it was and didn't care to answer.
"I'm sorry, uh; I should let you get that." She said quickly which made him look up at her.
Warren ran his hands over his face as the phone continued ringing. If it kept ringing it would go directing to voice mail. Not what he needed now. He excused himself and leaped over the bed and dodged for the phone clicking it on.
As he put the receiver against his ear, there was a dial tone. He looked at it, shrugged and turned around. Amelia was trying to get up again. He could see she was struggling with it heavily. He came over and knelt down beside her. She stopped and froze.
"I think you should lie down for now. You're in a lot of pain. Please don't try to sit up."
Amelia covered her eyes, she'd forgotten he already saw what she can do but she didn't want him to see it. She was scared still. She didn't want to be here. But there was one thing that bothered her about last night. She needed to know something.
"Can you ask you something?"
Warren didn't make a sound. He just moved to take her hand away from her eyes.
"The nearest hospital was 40 miles from where I was. How did you get me there so quickly?"
Warren sighed, his fingers lacing together with hers trying to find the right answer for that. There was only one: the truth. He took a deep breath, collecting himself. It was now.
"I wasn't lying when I said I've known those battles all my life. I need to show you something." He stood up and backed away slowly.
As he stepped back it was then when Amelia noticed just how massive the room was. The place looked more like a middle class sized house than a loft. She turned her attention back to Warren as he began stripping himself of the burly jacket and flung it on the dresser. It was then she noticed his feet, the tips of something poking out.
She watched as gigantic feathers began sprouting its head from Warren's back until the tips reached against the wall. Amelia's hand instantly went to her mouth, covering a gasp as his wings pulled into his back, closing together like a swan. He was...a mutant?
Warren came to kneel down again, his face sheepishly bowed down. He was really worried what her reaction was going to be. He worried with anyone finding out. But she said nothing. It was quiet for a few moments until she suddenly, calmly reached for his hand, squeezing it gently as she attempted to look him in the eye.
"I don't think I've seen anything more beautiful before." With her free hand she made him face her. Her eyes glowing a carnation shade. "I thought I was alone."
Warren grinned as he rose up, curling her body from the bed in his arms. "Now you don't have to be."
She smiled for the first time, gliding her fingers through his wings, feeling the suppleness of its texture. They felt so malleable. Amazing, she was stunned with how it felt between her fingers.
"So that's how you saved me." She leaned toward his ear, closing off everything else. "I think I did have an angel after all."
ns 15.158.61.16da2
