This place really was sucking the life from me the longer I stayed here, it seemed it was the same for Charlotte, who heavily planted her head against the cold steel table and huffed, pushing her "dinner" away from her. As I watched her blonde bun fall lifelessly against the table, I couldn't help but relate to whatever negative feelings were running through her.

"Same," I murmured flatly.

It was practically the same, boring routine every day: wake up, have breakfast, time to do what I want, lunch, the occasional time on the surface, more free time, supper, free time, lights out. It was rigid and depressing. Jail sounded more exciting.

Leandra slyly slid Charlotte's barely touched tray to herself and held a finger up to her lips when I was about to ask what she was doing, before chowing down. I furrowed my brows at her incredulously and she merely shrugged. After a few more mouthfuls, topped off with me still staring at her, wondering how the hell she managed to eat another tray of food, which I was convinced was literally flavoured cardboard, she put her fork down.

"When I came here, my body looked pretty good," she stood and pointed to her bum with both hands, "now where is my ass?"

I leaned in for closer inspection, it was looking a little... flatter than usual, but I still wished mine looked half as good. Hers was cute and plump, even if she thought it was small. Mine was just... there.

"Maybe it's just the sweatpants?" I suggested sheepishly and by the grimace on her face, my suggestion was of no use.

"I wish!" she exclaimed, retaking her seat across from me. "I'm clearly losing weight here, and not in the right place."

"If it makes you feel any better, I think your small butt is cute," I heard Jayden's voice say from behind me. I didn't even hear him enter.

"It doesn't," she answered flatly.

"How about if I said it looked better than your itty-bitty titties?" He added, taking a seat beside her, the corners of his mouth growing into a larger smile by the second.

Leandra gave him a look as to say 'really?' and gave him the finger, to which he responded to, like any other person would in his situation, by taking the finger in his mouth and sucking it on it lewdly and letting it go with an obscene popping noise. Leandra snatched back her now wet finger with a scream and a look of horror as if someone had kicked her dog. She wiped it frantically on Jayden's sweater. His obnoxious laughter filled the room and I couldn't even respond. He really just... did that.

And all Leandra could say, or yell, was, "why?"

"I was bored and that seemed funny," he said through breaths as his laughter continued.

Charlotte was now sat upright and he expression matched Leandra's disgusted one, and probably my own.

"Let me talk to the General. I have a pretty good reason as to why he'd listen," he gasped and sprung to his feet, and I could practically see the lightbulb above his head, "we should have a movie marathon! Snacks, a room to ourselves, actual fun."

"Fine. The films better not suck-" Leandra shudders, the memory coming back of Jayden's atrocious act.

"Can't suck worse than your tiny ass."

"Wha-? You take that back!"

"No regrets," he sung, taking his yoghurt cup with him on the way out, "eat up, so you can grow your butt. You can count on me guys," he winked and clicked his tongue, and then disappeared.

Leandra copied Charlotte's previous and rested her head on the table. Charlotte's hand shot out to Leandra's, "we can do squats together. Gotta be better than doing nothing."

"When we're out of here, we're all getting nutritionists and I'll be nothing but glad to start doing Alexander's work again."

Everything going back to normal would be great.

*
I stared my reflection in the mirror, more so, my hair. It was horrible. Just dry and crunchy. My black curls were a mess. All thanks to this base, which seemed to have never heard of any sort of conditioner and the only oil I could find was coconut oil from the kitchen.

Edges? Who were they? Never heard of them.

I rolled my eyes and stuck my hair back into its usual bun, which was the only way I could attempt to look decent while underground.

I figured I'd get a quick nap in before the movie marathon we were having. I didn't want to sleep during it. But just as I was about to crawl into bed, the door buzzed.

"Is the do not disturb sign an alert for you to come to my room?" I joked, leaning on the doorframe and throwing a smirk at a very bashful looking Alexander.

He itched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile on his face, his cheeks lightly dusted with pink, "sorry. I just wanted to spend some alone time with you before our leisure time. Were you busy? I can come back later."

I chuckled, "You're so cute. I was going to nap, but we can chill. Maybe spoon a little!" I leaned forward, nudged him a couple times and wiggled my brows.

He seemed to loosen up and smiled as I stepped aside and let him in.

I got into bed first, and Alexander followed. We lay facing each other, instead of spooning.

"I was thinking, when we get out of here, we finally share rooms. I mean, we are married. On our wedding night, we went to separate rooms!" He laughed slightly at the memory.

I nodded, liking the sound of that. I liked sleeping with him, in the least sexual sounding way possible. I just felt so at peace sleeping while he was there beside me. Once everything finally returned to normal, I felt everything would hit me like a lead-pipe and I didn't want to be alone. Having Alexander would reassure me everything was okay. I hoped he felt the same about me too. I hoped my presence reassured him.

He continued smiling, and it was genuinely the happiest he looked since he'd been back. His smile was contagious and soon I was doing the same, glad he was okay, even for a moment. He deserved it.

"So can I tell you something?" He suddenly asked, his smile disappearing.

"Yeah of course."

"Promise not to interrupt?"

I was weary but agreed none the less. I wanted to hear whatever it was he had to say. He'd been telling what's on his mind a lot recently, and I liked it. He was more open with me.

"I had a lot of time to think while I was... down there, and I thought a lot about you. I wish I didn't just have you stolen like I did, I wish I would've gotten to know you beforehand. What happened to Selena, wouldn't have happened. Maybe there wouldn't even be a war right now. I feel like an ass having put you at the end of my list... but I don't regret it. Even though my father let me choose who I'd marry, I never thought I'd come to love the girl. Yet, I have grown to love you so much. I know I have a lot of issues, both mental and because I'm a vampire, but you've accepted that. I just... I just want to say thank you and I love you." He cleared his throat and shifted slightly, "okay. I'm done. You can speak now."

Although I couldn't fight the smile forcing its way on to my face, I couldn't even find the proper words to reply. That wasn't what I expected him to say at all but I was glad he did.

I leant up for a kiss,"I love you too."

Everything aside, it sounded like he was saying goodbye and that he was letting everything off his chest before he left.

"Promise you won't go to him," I begged.

"Don't worry, I promise," he responded, almost whispering, brushing his nose gently against mine.

I found my eyes drawn to his pink lips and how much I wanted to kiss them again as they moved. I don't know what he said as they moved, but when I finally brought my eyes back up to meet his, they were filled with something I couldn't quite decipher before he leaned in for another kiss.

Our breathing grew heavy and short and the room seemed to heat up around me, even Alexander's body which was pressed against mine was warmer than usual.

My heart increased as the kiss deepened, and all I could focus on was his hand running up and down my side, and just how soft his lips were as they were against mine.

Soon enough Alexander had untangled the mess they were in with my legs and had climbed on top of me, his lips then leading to focus on my neck.

================================================================

Y'all know what's about to go down ;)

You thought I was gonna write a sex scene, not my ass! I don't even like reading them lmaoo

I'm screaming. I know some of y'all wanted this, (and I did too) but I just didn't want to write it, even what I wrote made me cringe. I don't know how you guys be like 14 and reading stories full of it. I'm 19 and I want to hide in a hole if I even see the word "penis" in a serious situation 😖😂

But whatever, I was like "grow some balls and write it!" So I did- well, as much as I could bear too. Probably not very good, but it's my first time writing about the... lead up to the hanky panky.