Perspiration /pers-pir-ation/
n. the process of sweating

"IT WAS VERY nice meeting you, Valerio," Avelina stated as she stepped out of the car. He made sure to close the door behind her before giving her a smile that showed off his pearly whites.

"Same to you. Goodnight, Miss Santos."

Avelina smiled at his words before walking up to the mansion. There was a guard outside that she never seen perched there before. He gave her a curt nod as he opened the door and allowed her inside. She presumed that Adrik may have upgraded his security due to the breach of his safety.

The first thing she did from the moment she entered the house, was head straight to Adrik's room. Worry had occupied her thoughts the entire time she rode back from the wedding. She wanted to be sure that Adrik was feeling okay.

When she made it to his door, Avelina couldn't help but sigh. The door was closed and her mind went on an entire chant about how she should follow Adrik's rules. The particular rule she was thinking of was the one that stated she must knock. With a balled-up fist, she lightly tapped her knuckles against the wood quite a few times.

After a few seconds, she could hear a faint groaning. The sound left her to frown. When tumbling could be heard on the other side of the door, she couldn't brush aside her concern as she found herself barging into the room.

The tumbling she had heard must've been a result of Adrik falling because he was on the ground with his hand holding his side where he had been stabbed. Avelina quickly placed herself at his side with her eyes instinctively flashing to the source of his physical pain.

He looked over at her before his eyes fell on the dress she wore, "you changed."

"Yes, the other dress was ruined," she told him.

Adrik's wound was covered up with gauze, but the bleeding was almost seeping through the bandage. Biting down on her lip, her finger grazed it.

"You resemble a witch. Black clothing is definitely not for you," Adrik told her, before allowing his hand hover above her bare cleavage, "Although, I do like this part."

"Let me help you up," she spoke softly, completely ignoring his words. She placed his arm over her shoulder and helped him stand. He was far too heavy and far too tall. Avelina always considered herself a really tall girl, but she was nothing compared to Adrik.

She walked him only two steps before completely losing her strength. As he collapsed on the bed, she seemed to fall right with him. Her body landed on his with a thud leaving him to let out another groan.

"Oh, I am so sorry," she said, concern written all over her face.

The second her eyes met his, she wished they hadn't. His eyes were so intense and seemed to lock her in. Those gray orbs that were promising her that they would never let go. They withheld so much safety and comfort. Like a puddle someone would want to splash in, laugh in, and stay in-it was home.

Not to mention, his warmth provided something she hadn't had in so long. The way it seemed to hug her and pull her in tighter so easily struck her heart in the most electrifying way. There were even tingles that developed all over her skin like love bites.

His lips were so close to her own. She knew she was nearing a very dangerous zone, but she wanted to stay in that moment. For once, she wished she had the power to freeze time. She wanted to stay, she wanted to hold him and look at him for forever.

"Adrik, I am so sorry," she whispered, "for this, too."

He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but she held his cheek and pressed her lips to his.

Her lips met his as they embraced each other. The way their lips fit together like a harmony and melted against one another with ease made Avelina never want to stop.

Adrik was quick to respond to the kiss, his mouth parting and allowing Avelina to maneuver her tongue against his own. His hand wandered down to her thigh where he gripped it and placed it on the other side of him. She was straddling his waist while her lips stuck to his like the missing piece to a puzzle.

There were so many words leaking from her lips with each caress. She craved so much of him that she finally allowed herself to let go. Every emotion poured out of her-every emotion that he couldn't detect from her words or her face managed to pummel onto his lips.

Slowly, she pulled away. Her eyes were still closed and her lips still parted. The only thing that occupied her mind was how much she needed that. Her thoughts ran away and gave her a moment to just breathe.

She could feel the pad of his thumb caress her cheekbone which eased her back into reality. Her eyelids finally pulled back so she could gaze into the eyes that belonged to Adrik Zolotov.

A warmth spread throughout her body that led to the standing hair on the back of her neck. It was like they were giving her a standing ovation. Almost as if she had done something so great for once.

He leaned in toward Avelina with his eyes cast down to her lips. It didn't take long for his eyes to flash right back into her own. He then did something she hadn't expected, he pecked her lips. With his eyes shut, she could only look at him as he leaned back in once more and gave her lips another soft touch. A smile seemed to make its way onto her face.

When he finished, his finger gently grazed her bottom lip.

She moved to get off of him, but his grip on her leg had tightened as he pulled her right back to where she was. When her eyes met his once more, she saw the promise that circled his orbs-the promise to never let go.

"Adrik this-"

"Come here," he said softly.

She was stuck in this trance as he lightly fisted her hair and brought her face closer to his. Once again, they were kissing. He controlled her mind, her heart, her soul, her body. His lips were touching every place her skin had to offer. This burning sensation of lust was creeping up her body and she began to feel relentless.

When he let out this groan of approval, she never felt more appreciated. She found herself wanting to hear more of them.

His tongue slipped into her mouth like he was thirsty and she was the only thing that could quench it. Her fingers found its way into his hair as her heart seemed to beat so loudly in her chest that it felt like it was going to explode.

His hand moved up to the strap of her dress where he began to slide it down her arm. Her finger was wandering down his shirtless body while never breaking away from the kiss. Even when he abandoned the strap and headed straight to the bottom of the dress where he lifted it over her hips.

His hand collided with her behind as he gripped her skin so firmly. She took initiative and began to grind against him. He let out another low groan giving Avelina the satisfaction that she craved so much.

Accidentally, as her hand swept down his body, she applied too much pressure to his wound. He flinched back in pain with a grimace on his face.

"I'm sorry," she spoke again, breathless from the heated kiss. Her body froze as she bit down onto her lip. Her mind began to process what just happened and she didn't know how else to react.

Avelina's eyebrows pulled together as she found herself looking down at absolutely nothing. There was a constant replay of every mistake she had just made going on in her head over and over again.

"Avelina," he said. She looked into those gray eyes that seemed to make everything feel okay. She needed that-she needed everything to be okay.

"Adrik," she responded.

"Just for tonight. Please, I want you with me," he told her. It was almost as if he knew exactly what was going on in her head. She could feel herself surrendering to her heart as she nodded her head.

"Okay, but you smell like perspiration. You should go shower first," he told her.

"Well, it's not my fault you got stabbed and I had to get on the muddy ground to take care of you. That was stressful," Avelina told him before heading over to the shower. Although, she stopped before she could actually walk into his bathroom.

"Do you have any clothes I could borrow?" She asked innocently.

"Yes. Although, I prefer you to not wear clothes."

"Ha-ha, no," Avelina told him.

She had been washing his clothes for the past few months and grew accustomed to where he liked his things. Avelina also learned how to fold everything to exact precision, otherwise she would be faced with an upset Adrik.

She walked over to his dresser where she grabbed a t-shirt. His t-shirts were all the same-plain. She made it her mission to buy him something more colorful even if he would never wear it. It would make her happy to know there was at least something different in his dresser.

Walking into the restroom, she shut the door behind her and took a shower. After some time of her bathing and washing her hair, she was done.

Avelina grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body. Once she was done brushing her teeth with a spare toothbrush she kept in his room, she walked out.

The white shirt reached just above her knees providing a feeling of comfort. It even held this smell of purity and cleanliness to it that was engraved into Adrik's natural scent.

He was laying down with his arms propped up behind his head, just gazing at the ceiling. Avelina couldn't help but stare at him. It was hard not to.

"What are you doing?" She asked. He looked over at her before returning his attention to the ceiling. She took it upon herself to crawl into the bed right beside him and lie down on her back. Her eyes tried to find what had him so intrigued, but all she could see was a white ceiling.

He grabbed her waist and pulled her upper half over his chest. She responded by laughing as her head plopped down onto his hard body.

"I wish I was like you. You are so honest and there's a way you speak with so much intelligence. I tell you all the time that I'm so in awe with you. You're just so amazing, and I can't stop saying it. I don't care if it's autism that makes you behave that way because I can't imagine you ever being any different than the amazing person you are right now," she told him randomly.

"Then why is it so difficult for you to want me?"

"It isn't difficult. Adrik, honestly, stop saying that I don't want you. I wish you could just understand," she whispered the last part to herself.

"I do not understand because I am not normal enough for you, correct? No matter how hard I try, I will never understand," He asked with a raise of his brow.

"Wrong. What are you even talking about? You're not 'normal enough' for me? You 'will never understand'?" She asked. Her eyes narrowed as she sat up to look at him.

"Who cares about normal? Nothing is ever normal, Adrik. I'm your caregiver and we just made out on your bed. Also, we went to a wedding where you got stabbed and you even shot someone while everyone continued to party as if nothing was even happening," Avelina laughed. "I hate normal and I am sick and tired of it-it's boring. I love different because it's beautiful and it's colorful and it's magical. You aren't normal, but I'm not normal either, and that's okay. Normal will only be the period at the end of a sentence, but different is like the scramble of words written behind it. If you like normal, you would miss out on the story of adventure, diversity, and all the excitement that goes along with it. I'd be stupid not to love different.".

He began to wonder how someone so beautiful could hold a heart so open without someone tainting it. For some reason, Adrik wanted to protect it and to protect her. He realized that for once in his life, money, power, fear, and the boy he once was didn't matter. Not even autism mattered. Avelina saw him-the real him, and she still cared for him. She made him feel like he mattered.

When he didn't respond, she laughed before laying right back down on his chest being extra careful to not touch his wound.

Suddenly, he flipped them over leaving him above her. Her eyes widened in surprise before worry overtook her features. She didn't want Adrik to hurt himself. She tried to glance down at his wound but found that his huge biceps were blocking her view.

"Okay, Tarzan," Avelina chuckled.

"Who is Tarzan? I am Adrik," he told her. She laughed while moving a loose wavy strand of his hair that had escaped his bun and was dangling right above her face.

"It's from a movie. You know, Tarzan. The man with the long hair who was raised by apes?" She quizzed. He shook his head with a confused expression on his face.

"Forget it," she sighed. She made sure to add that to the list she was making just for Adrik-get him to watch Tarzan.

He grabbed her arms and wrapped them around his neck. She was surprised because she knew how much he didn't really like embraces.

Suddenly, Avelina could feel her lungs collapsing as he let all of his weight fall on her. He was far too heavy, and what made matters worse, was when he leaned over and turned off the lamp. The lamp served as the only source of light in his bedroom. Since he turned it off, it resulted in the room being pitch black.

"Get off," she squeezed out with a small giggle.

"No. You are like a teddy bear because you are so squishy," he laughed out. She couldn't help but join in on the laughter even though it was only furthering her pain.

"I'll bite you," she let out seeing as it was the first thing that appeared in her mind.

"Careful. I may like it," he told her honestly. Her cheeks coated a soft pink color, but she pretended to act like she didn't just hear him say that.

"Adrik," she groaned loudly. He laughed once more before finally lifting himself. Avelina dramatically inhaled the air as if she had suddenly come up for air after drowning in a swimming pool.

"Do you mind if I kiss you?" Adrik questioned. Thanks to her eyes adjusting to the darkness, she was able to look up at him. The strand of hair had fallen back out of place leaving her to grasp it and tuck it behind his ear.

"Well, we have the night, don't we?"

-
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