MATE AND HIS LOVER

#7 Sleep

I can't sleep. New places make me fidgety at night.

I get up and go to the kitchen. I know Helena has packed away some leftover lasagna from the dinner in the fridge.

I take them out and microwave them while wondering what if I were an assassin at this moment? I've come into the kitchen, opened the fridge and started the microwave... and everyone is still asleep.

I sigh. I'm not sure how safe I really am with them. I'll just have to take their word for it.

"Dinner wasn't enough?"

That made me jump. I turn around with my rapidly beating heart, ready to break my ribcage and fall out anytime.

Mathew laughs quietly. "Did I scare you?"

"No," I say and turn towards the microwave, checking mentally if I had a heart attack or not.

"Don't lie."

I don't know what to say. I already lied. Admitting it won't change anything. I keep my eyes on my second dinner revolving on the glass plate inside.

I hear him get a glass, pour water in it and drink.

The sound he's making is eerily clear.

He puts his glass down and I can feel him looking at me.

I breathe out in frustration, turn around to face him and ask, "What?"

He raises his eyebrow at this behaviour of mine. But I can't help it: When I can't sleep, I'm bitter about anything and everything, especially with all forms of living organisms.

"What's with the attitude?" he asks in a playful yet domineering voice.

I turn back to my food. "I'm sleepy," I say, a little pouting, like a child who got scolded by their parent.

"Then why aren't you asleep? Hungry?"

"No. I couldn't sleep, so I came to eat."

*ding*

My food is done. I take it out and plate it before grabbing a fork and setting everything on the counter.

I look at Mathew who is still looking at me.

"You want some?" I ask him out of courtesy. 

He doesn't say anything. Then after a few seconds, he grabs a fork and stands opposite me, behind the counter.

I take a slice away from the plate then he takes one.

Before I know it the plate is empty. I wish he'd made a plate for himself.

I wash the dishes in the sink and he leaves for his room.

I'm still not sleepy enough. Come on sleep! come to me! I want to watch TV but I don't want to wake everyone.

I sit on the couch in the living room and look around at the cabin. It's rustic and exquisite. I bring my head down on the headrest of the couch and relax.

A blanket falls into my lap, making me jump, again.

I look behind me and it's Mathew.

"Pull that over you if you're going to stay out here, it gets cold."

I nod and he returns to his and Helena's room.

The blanket is thick and soft. I wrap myself with it and realize it smells like him. I can't smell like werewolves do, but I can smell as good as any human. I've smelt his cologne before. The scent on the blanket is same as that.

The blanket warms me up slowly and I drift into sleep.

Morning arrives and we're leaving for home. I pack my things and finish some stuff that Helena told me to do.

Once home, without holding back, I ask Helena to cook something for me. She smiles and goes straight to the kitchen.

It was a good trip. I can't complain. And the most important thing is, I've returned alive.