Authors: Sarah Brocious
He tossed his phone on the counter and went to let Turk in. The dog was all over him and he had to push him down to prevent from being mauled. He roughed the dog’s fur and fed him as well.
He then went for a glass when he heard the water draining from the tub upstairs. He filled it with ice and water and went for his secret ingredient. He made a face at the scent when he opened a bottle. His crazy immortal senses made the smell a bit overwhelming, and a lot memory inducing. He had forced this down many a time. She was going to hate it but it worked. It always worked for him.
Raina eventually made it down the stairs. Her hair was damp and she smelled lovely. She was clad in comfy sweats.
“I see we are staying in today,” he teased, eyeing her attire.
She made a face. “Wild horses couldn’t pull me away from the house today!” She rubbed her temples. “And I am all about comfort today…so accept the sweats,” she laughed. She glanced down at the well-worn pants, and one of Nolan/s Tshirts…the one he had worn the infamous night. Her mouth pulled down in a frown, as she looked down on the Tshirt. She tugged at it, and was tempted to lift the collar to her nose…just in case a bit of his scent remained!
Thanatos recognized the shirt, and noted her reaction. He decided she would need pulled from her mood before she started crying and worsening the headache. Teasing was his go too angle.
He moved toward her drawing her into the circle of his arms. He pressed her face to his chest gently. "You know, there is a surefire cure to headaches. You want to test it out?" He began laughing when he felt her stiffen. He set her from him and tilted her chin up. "You know I'm teasing. I value my life too much." He gave her a wink. "And you know it's not like that anymore Raina. I love you too much to ever hurt you in that way." He turned to the counter and lifted the glass he had just filled. He stuck a straw in it. He held it out ceremoniously. “Drink.” He tilted his head and whispered, "Trust me."
She looked at the glass suspiciously and reached for it tentatively. "What is it?" Her blue eyes skimmed the strange colored liquid. It had an amber tint to it. She stirred the straw around the ice and slowly lifted it to her lips taking a small pull through the straw. Her face immediately scrunched up and she was tempted to spit the drink out. "That's awful!" She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and coughed. “What is this? Are you trying to put me out of my misery by killing me?” She coughed again and sniffed the water, nearly gagging.
Thanatos laughed at her face. "It works Raina…promise. I told you to trust me. Now go sit on the recliner and sip your drink." His green eyes snapped with the order and he gently led her into the living room.
"Answer my question,’ she insisted. “What is this?" She sat down obediently and again stared at the strange amber liquid.
"Well, the thing you're holding is called a glass," He gave her a smirk when she rolled her eyes. "The contents inside consist of water, ice, and apple cider vinegar."
She made a face and took another sip. "You're sure this works?"
"I have been on the other end of Eleanor’s temper tantrums. Yes, I'm sure it works. It will not take it completely away but it will help. The bath, the resting…this will help too. I’m no Nolan with his magic fingers, so you will have to heal the old fashioned way." He leaned her back in the recliner and nudged the glass toward her. He smiled with assurance. "Drink," he commanded.
She obeyed readily, peeking up at him curiously as she did. "Why don't you sit? We'll talk."
He shook his head. "First I shower." He ran a hand through his disheveled hair. "I'm sure you have some extra men’s clothing here? Something maybe Nolan left behind from all of his stays?" He kept his gaze from the t-shirt she now wore, not wanting to open that can of worms.
Raina stared at her glass and gave a nod. "In the hall closet. Top shelf. I believe he left sweats and a shirt."
Thanatos patted her head as he passed. "I won't be but a moment," he promised.
Raina sucked on her straw trying to get down as much as she could without gagging. How much easier it would be if Nolan was here! She wondered if it was against the rules to call him just to hear his voice. That would help. She was sure it wouldn't one hundred percent cure her, but it would ease her mind.
She knew what else would ease her mind; knowing what Nolan and Thanatos were hiding from her! The "secret" was heavy in her thoughts. She didn't like secrets, never had. What could be so important to keep her in the dark? Why was she being left out? If the secret had to do with her then shouldn't she know too? She bit her lip and closed her eyes.
Turk laid his head on her lap and stared up at her with his puppy face. She patted his head and drank down the last of the disgusting concoction in her glass. She closed her eyes again and sighed.
When Thanatos came back down she was halfway between sleep and dreaming. She cracked her eye open and gave him a stare as he sat on the couch. She frowned, and fixed him with a real glare.
"What’s that for?" He leaned back against the couch back and folded his hands behind his head.
"You know what I'm going to ask." She shook her head at him.
He growled in his chest. “And I hope you know I won’t be answering.”
She ignored his response, and sat up a little. "What is it that you're keeping from me?"
He sighed and closed his eyes. "You know I hate keeping things from you. Ask me anything and I'll tell you…except for that." His green eyes opened to her. "It's something you don't need to know ever, Raina. I promise you I’d be the first one to tell you if I thought it was of any concern, but it's not. It would only cause you great grief and I won't be the one to put that on you."
"Well that sounds pretty important to me. It’s something that would cause me grief? Let me be the judge of that." Her mouth formed a pout.
"No," he said in an unwavering deep voice. "Drop it, Raina."
She didn't like to be ordered around like that but she could see by the set in his jaw that she was getting nothing out of him today.
"We do need to talk though,” he admitted. “Last night with Elenora showing up… that's serious business. I don't know what she's up to except maybe cause waves between you and Nolan. But there was some other reason she was there. We have to be careful Raina. I'm so glad you got to get out, but until I know the mind of Richard or Elenora we have to lay low."
Raina gave a nod. “Okay, I understand.”
He seemed pleased at her answer.
She cleared her throat and then smiled slowly when she knew she caught his attention.
“What?” he growled suspiciously.
Her smile widened. "Well, I was just thinking; if we lay low how will you get to go on your date with Arabella?" She smiled brightly at the widening of his eyes. She giggled and gave a shrug. "You talk too loud on the phone. I could hear you all the way upstairs." She lifted an eyebrow at him. "Or maybe you just get louder when you're nervous and excited?" She bit her lip against the laugh that wanted to escape. “Arabella is very sweet…and very pretty…and very immortal!”
His cheeks flushed with color and he shook his head. "I will have to hold off," he answered.
Raina frowned. "No, you shouldn't do that. Yes you’re my protector, but, Thanatos, you're supposed to have a life. Now granted, you've had a longer life than is proper, but you’re a different person now than you were six months ago. You're, in a way, starting over and I can't be the one that stops the new you from developing. I can't live with the thought of preventing you from enjoying life." She sat up. “I want you to go out with her,” she insisted.
Thanatos sighed heavily.
She growled in frustration and went to him when she saw him hesitate. “Listen to me,” she said gently. “Please!” She sat down beside him, and tried to catch his eye. “You need this, and I need this for you!”
"Enough, Raina! I don't want to hear about it." He folded his arms stubbornly.
"Fine, let me put it another way then. This is your penance for not telling me the secret. I can be just as stubborn, Thanatos Clay. Don’t let the protector mode get in the way!” She poked his shoulder to no avail…crazy immortal strength. “I’m telling you, one evening without you is not going to be the death of me."
He growled deep in his chest and shook his head.
"No! No arguments. I will shut myself up in this house. I'll turn out all the lights if that's what it takes. I'll hideaway for one evening, and you will enjoy yourself." She set a hand on his shoulder and then gripped his chin when he wouldn’t look at her and forced his face toward hers. His green eyes gleamed dangerously, but she was not afraid of him. "That's an order. Are we clear?"
He said nothing, just glared back.
She patted his cheek. “Good, it’s settled then!” She gave a nod and returned to her recliner.
He did not look like a willing subject. "I said no," he said coolly.
"And I said yes." She crossed her arms. "I can stay with Melinda or Emily if you’re worried about me being alone. Richard would never try to hurt me with witnesses." She met his green glare straight on. "Even Nolan, in his protective craziness, would allow me time with my friends."
"I'm not going to compare protection styles, Raina. When Nolan was protecting you from me or Elenora he had the upper hand. He was stronger than we were. He could afford to allow you out of his sight for periods of time. But that all changed when Richard came into play. I don't have strength to protect you physically from him. I do have my smarts and being careful is all we have right now. That, and the flimsy contract that Elenora's already disregarding."
"I'm not scared of either," Raina insisted. "I don't want to hide and skulk about. I want you to go and have a good time with Arabella and for once not be worried about me."
He rolled his eyes. "I will never not be worried about you! That's close to impossible.” He ran a hand over his face in frustration. “I wish for one moment you could feel what it's like to be a protector. I can't think of anything else, Raina, not even myself. It’s what I am…it’s all I am at the moment. Maybe it would be different without this impending danger!” His face held true sorrow for an instant.
“So it’s my fault,” she said softly.
He snorted. “No, Raina, it’s not. I will never be sorry I was chosen as your protector. Watching over you is not a job…it’s a privilege.” He grinned at her. “I love you, my friend. I truly do.”
“And I love you…you green eyed devil. So please do this for me! I will take the blame if Nolan finds out! Me, he will forgive.”
Thanatos laughed at this. “You couldn’t do one thing that Nolan wouldn’t forgive,” he agreed. “But I won’t allow you to take the fall.” He gave a shrug. “I can put my life on hold for now. It’s okay, beautiful. I promise.”
Her brow knit together sadly, not liking his answer. "You can't tell me that you don't want to go spend an evening with her. I heard the excitement in your voice. You need to do this just as I needed to start doing human things again. You may have this urge and this need to be a protector but just as strongly I have that need and urge to be your friend and see you happy."
She saw him hesitate at this. She knew he was considering it.
"One evening Thanatos you know you want to."
He blew out of breath and looked at her with uncertainty. "You are sure?" He leaned forward in his seat. "Should I tell Nolan?"
"Absolutely not!" She shook her head vigorously. "I don't want him talking you out of this. I'm stepping in and being the friend that you need. I'm making this decision for you, Thanatos."
He grinned at her and shrugged his shoulders. "We will have to plan it out. I have to be one hundred percent sure that you’re going to be safe. Or I won't do it." He gave her a look that said he meant it.
Raina couldn't help the smile. She felt giddy and excited for her friend. She almost clapped her hands until she remembered the pain in her head and knew the sound would make it much worse. The apple cider vinegar was working now…. slightly. She got up instead and wrapped her arms about him in a hug.
He held her gently. “I will have to throttle you if anything happens,” he grunted.
“It won’t,” she laughed. She sat back. “So let’s discuss this plan!” She instantly regretted her exclamation, when it echoed in her own head. “Oh,” she groaned at the pain splitting her skull.
He shook his head, and gently lead her back onto the recliner. “When this has passed,” he promised, kissing her forehead, and reaching for a blanket. He tossed it over her. “Sleep,” he whispered.
The rest of the day was spent in quietness. Thanatos allowed her to rest and recuperate. Raina was more than content to snuggle with her fluffies and wait for the pain to recede.
They did discuss his date was when she decided she was well enough and actually ready to eat. They came up with a plan that suited both and Thanatos went to make the call to Arabella.
Raina felt such joy seeing his excitement and seeing his apprehension and knowing this was good for him.
She was going to go to Emily's and spend the evening with her friend. They would do their pizza wine and a movie as usual. More than likely they'd end up watching one or two of the Twilight movies. And she would be perfectly safe there.