TW: None

Title: ~Protection~

I felt arms wrap around my neck, and a soft warmth against my back. Though the light was dim, I already knew exactly who it was. “What’s the matter, Xephos?”

Busy with my work, I couldn’t turn to see his expression. All I could feel was his breath tickling my ear. “Nothing... It’s just late, and you haven’t come to bed.”

“Is it?” I said a bit absentmindedly as I was concentrating intently, “I’m a bit tied up here. I’ll come up when I’m done.”

He sighed not so discreetly, and nudged his cheek against mine, “That’s what you always say...”

Reaching up with my free hand, I held his head against me softly, “I’ll just be a bit longer. Go on without me.”

He nuzzled against my hand, and squeezed me tighter, “But I want you beside me... You pay so much attention to your work, but you never pay attention to me.”

“Xephos...”

Snaking his way around, he separated me from my science distraction by sitting on the edge of the desk. Gazing into my eyes, he gave me a half hearted smile, “Is science still the most precious thing to you?”

I could finally see his face and that beautiful stare that seemed to pass right through me. The same stare that ran through me when we first met... well, when he first fell into my life. “Of course not...”

Slowly, he laid his hands on both sides of my face, and gave me a sweet smile this time, “ All you’ve ever known is this, haven’t you? Living in this empty castle; conducting your lonely experiments. It hurts my heart... but it wasn’t my intention to find you here, or was it my intention to fall in love.”

Putting my hands over his, I smiled too, “I know.”

“And I am painfully aware that I came from nowhere, and I know that I demand your attention all the time, but I’m just trying to protect you. I never want to see the dark, colorless, devoid of feeling person that was once you.”

He was shaking a bit as I laid my palm on his face, “I know... I know all too well.”

“Then please...” He said, burning through me once again, “Just come to bed with me.”

After a short pause, and a simple smile, I nodded, “Alright. I‘ll go to sleep with you.”