My Midnight Boy

Chapter Seven

Teaching Aelfric how to use the oven was like teaching a duck how to read, impossible, frustrating and at times quite humorous. Although by the end of it I was beginning to run out ingredients and space in the bin. He had trouble listening to the timer, especially when he decided he wanted to kiss me. He stopped for nothing else, not even breath, which at times was a bit of a complication.

But finally, he let me go and finally he cooked something of merit. He'd seemed pensive all day and also slightly rushed, the evening before his kisses had been sweet and gentle but now they had an almost hurried edge to them, like he was trying to fit in as many as he could.

He was very proud however of his lasagne and I ate it for his sake, even though I had always hated lasagne. We ate in the living room, slouched together on the sofa, but even then he had seemed rushed, collecting up the plates in a frenzy and whisking them into the kitchen.

He stood in the doorway for a long moment, watching me but saying nothing. He seemed to be waiting but I wasn't sure what for.

"Do you really want to be with me?" He asked suddenly lunging down to kneel in front of me. "Forever?" 

I went with my gut. "Yes." 

"Would you want to live with me?" 

"Yes." 

"In the forest?" 

"Yes." 

"with my clan?" 

"Yes." 

"even if it meant you lost your humanity?" 

Something rose in my throat but I was far in this now, there was no turning away no turning my back on him now. I was his as he was mine we were bound in this together. And that could only work if I said yes. I didn’t want to loose what ever it was that we had. "Yes." 

"There are people who would kill you for the information I’m about to disclose to you. Can you deal with such peril?" 

"Yes." 

"Even in the face of torture and pain?" 

I swallowed nervously. "Yes." 

He smiled glumly and patted my leg. "You wont be alone. I have to leave soon, I have things to sort out. But we will be together again in a short while I promise you Hayley Luffkin." He rocked forward on his knees and plated a soft kiss on the side of my mouth. I smiled beneath his lips not focusing on his words. 

"Do you hear me Hayley? I have to go." 

My response was a small whisper. "I hear you, but I don’t want to." 

"I'm sorry My luff."  He smiled trying to lighten the situation, he could of done all manner of parlour tricks but I wouldn’t of smiled.

"That’s a bad pun." I muttered.

"I know give me a break I’m only Elven." he smirked having coined most of those phrases from the TV last night whilst I was curled against his arm unawares of his affection, or even mine. 

"You cant go, you haven’t told me what people will kill me for yet." I smirked this time. 

"Yes, well for me to do that I will have to use glamour on you. And that will be painful." 

"Glamour?" 

"Its like magic. In this case it will make your mind go blank as i tell you and you will forget it all after I’m gone. But when I return I will undo the glamour and you will remember all of this. I cant risk your safety whilst I’m gone. But at the same time I want to leave you with a promise" I jerked back shocked by his calm demeanour whilst confessing such bad thoughts. 

"So your saying I wont remember all this? All that’s happened?" I asked half panicking. 

He cocked his head to the side raising his brow slightly in a very soft manor "I have to Hayley. Its for your own protection." 

He gripped both sides of my neck and before I could stop him pulled my face closer to his, he forced my chin up so that I couldn’t look away form his face. He kissed me softly closing his eyes, but I couldn't look away from him. I couldn't enjoy our first real kiss knowing it would be our last for a very long while.

Hot, anguished tears welled in my eyes and I tried in vain to blink them away. But whoever came up with that idea was an idiot, it never works. It only makes them spill all the sooner.

I brushed them away, ashamed of how weak I looked. He opened his eyes and pulled away, then he sighed.

“My Hayley.” He whispered and pressed his forehead against mine. I could feel his cool breath on my lips. “I love you.” He murmured. “And I'm sorry.”

He didn't give me time to respond.

Everything darkened in swirling black mists so that his face was all that met my eyes. My vision was filled with his perfection and I couldn’t turn away. It all shut down. Everything was blank. There was a heavy clotted feeling in my stomach. I could see his mouth move and hear his words but could not comprehend their meaning. I was to far gone. The swirled slide until I was vertical but his mouth still moved he hadn’t blinked once. 

When his words left the pain came a searing droning buzz in my skull erasing everything I had once known. I screamed in torment thrashing against his gaze. I couldn’t close my eyes. If I did I would give over to the pain, drown in it. If I closed my eyes everything would end.

I begged him to say the words again if they would only stop the pain but he did was jab the side of his fist into the soft part of my neck. Everything...was gone. it was all black as it faded from my mind.

The darkness was cold, I was alone, dazed and alone. My head pounded. How could I be unconscious and yet think with such clarity? The pain kept me alive. I clung to it, every throb meant I was breathing, my heart was beating, I was living so long as the pain stayed.

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EDITED :D

Larf you all from Wombatty you crazy people :')