9- Solaris

I don't dream which is sad, I like dreaming, but I wake up with something soft sitting very close to my face, smelling so nice I almost bite into it but the second I want to, I smell something even better coming from outside.

I wake up at that moment, hearing Calisa let out small meows to get my attention. I'm sorry that I can't touch her but my legs are moving on their own. It hurts to walk because I feel sort of… Strange, but I don't stop walking until I'm in the kitchen. My eyes aren't open yet and I'm moving just by smell so it isn't surprising when I ram into someone.

Frowning, I try to move away and get to the source that can grant me possible superpowers so I can dream again but before I move, someone is holding my cheeks and keeping me still. Their hands are cold and chilling, making me open my eyes so I can shoo them away but the second I do, I don't.

The person in front of me is breathless, their skin glowing like pearls with their eyes staring at me like he's been charmed, his lips curling into a bewitching smile as he says, "You were so exhausted you refused to wake up. I was a tad bit worried I broke you. I'm glad I didn't. I would have been so bored without you."

Why does he always speak like he's trying to flirt with me? It's uncomfortable. I know he's a bazillion years older. Don't like it. "You talk a lot. Where's food?"

He chuckles and lets go of me. "Ah, that is probably why you woke up." Then his eyes turn to look at what's behind me, his gaze softening. "Calisa seems upset. You should go sit and check on her. I'll bring your food to you."

I nod, because I don't even have it in me to argue. Walking back, I hear Calisa whimper beneath my feet and I pick her, cuddling her into my body before sitting at the counter. Looking down at the puffy black cloud, I rub at her belly. She lays on her back, purring as I do so and it's cute.

Can I fit her head in my mouth? I should be able to. My mouth is quite wide.

"I began breeding her kind in the sixties because I had hoped to understand how cats worked," The smell of food hits my nose and I'm looking up at the table. He sets a bowl first and then other things follow. I see mashed potatoes, jasmine rice, butternut squash, green beans almondine, garlic bread, French baguette, sweet potato fries, and quinoa. I'm in heaven. "Ragdolls are naturally known as being affectionate. Calisa is the first in her line to be feisty, except with you of course. This is Bouef bourguignon, a french—"

I'm picking the bowl of mashed potatoes and pouring spoons of the stew on it. I don't hear his voice briefly and I enjoy the silence as I begin eating. The second the food touches my tongue, I feel my eyes roll to the back of my head. My feet begin kicking in the air as I wolf down the food.

I hear him sigh and briefly, look at him. He's standing at the edge of the island, a few inches away from me with his hands folded. "Five hours of astute preparation and you would be done with all of this in a few minutes. How cruel."

Ah, I can't afford to upset the cook. I don't know what I'm eating but I don't want it stopping so I swallow and say, "Do you want me going… Slower?"

He grins. "No. I quite enjoy your brutality. It pleases me to see you enjoy my creation. Go on."

Shrugging, I continue. I feel him watching me as I eat, not once looking away but I don't care. I eat everything my hand reaches, only pausing when I feel a sudden burn on my lips. I freeze as I immediately suck on my lower lip, trying to soothe the pain as a metallic taste fills my mouth.

I know it's blood and I'm about to swallow it down cause I'm ruining the flavors in my mouth before my jaw is grabbed upward and pinched, keeping my mouth open as he leans down, whispering, "Don't be greedy, Miss Mont. That's my breakfast too."

His tongue goes into my mouth, sucking and licking every bit of blood inside it. I can't seem to move or think as I notice the way his eyes won't stop staring at me, expecting some sort of reaction and when I don't give it, he's smirking then all of a sudden, digging his fangs into the cut on my lip.

My body responds immediately, a sudden sliver of shock shooting up my spine as I arch my body towards it while gasping and opening my mouth wider. My eyes are wide and I'm suddenly awake, remembering everything that happened yesterday as goosebumps come to my skin.

He doesn't seem to care that I'm reacting now. Blood trails down to my chin and he lets it slide till he reaches my neck. Still holding my jaws open, he leans down and slowly, let's his tongue glide up my neck. It's cold, and it's making my brain short-circuit at how… Soft and gentle he's being, small pants leaving my lips as he moves closer to my chin, nibbling it playfully before stopping at my lips.

This time, he only lets his tongue brush it's surface before he pulls away, saying in his usual polite and reserved tone, "Ah, your blood always tastes better after you eat. I understand now why humans always care for their cows before feeding on them. I used to think it was a waste of an effort. How silly I was."

I hear what it says but it goes out my other ear as I realize the place between my legs is tingling again. I remember what he had done before, how I'd morphed into an entirely different person in his arms, and how much I liked it.

I move my tongue on my cut, wincing as I feel the sting again before looking at him. "Can you heal it?"

He's moving away to a stool at the other side of the island and when he sits, he crosses his legs and places his hands on his knees. It is the first time I notice how he's styled his hair. It's parted to the side with most of the hair covering his left eye while the rest is tucked behind his right ear. And his choice of clothes… He looks regal, like he put a lot of effort into looking more gorgeous than usual.

"I can," He answers, still smiling. "But I quite enjoy leaving my mark on you. Call it… instinct." Then his red eyes glower. "Though I do find it problematic when I see other people's. Will you tell me while you have bruises over your body? I know mine. They are around your wrists. There's one on your left shoulder, on your arms, and back." Then he smiles and I know right away it's not a kind one. "Would you tell me who it is?"

I turn back to my food, picking up my garlic bread and taking a bite of it. "No."

I see a flash of disgust on his face but it vanishes the second it comes as he's smiling again. "I knew you'd say that, so I decided to pay your principal a visit." I look at him now. "Turns out that you have your own little… Secrets. I smelled the blood on you yesterday but I never bothered to ask. Smashed a boy's face so badly you broke his nose and had him suffering head trauma. As surprising as it is that no one has punished you for it, what is more surprising is how the Academy accepted you after knowing about your… Tendency to— What's the word? Result to mercilessness when things don't go your way."

I stare at him. I don't blink, I don't say a word. He continues, "Broke the legs of your middle school classmates with a baseball bat. Injected hydrogen chloride into someone's head while they slept. Locked another in a room filled with rats. Ripped out a person's throat." He chuckles. "The list goes on." Then he tilts his head. "And the bizarre thing is even now, you are still calm. Your heart is still so… Still. Peaceful. No sign of regret, or disgust. Nothing. Why did you hurt them?"

"I can't remember." I say, and I don't. Things like that, they're none of my business but I don't like talking about them. People always act strange when they do and I don't like it. He's not acting like them though. He's sounding cuckoo in the head.

"What did your parents do when they found out?"

"I can't remember." My head's blank and I don't like it. I hear it briefly, a static in my head. My hand reaches for my temple and I keep it there, the pressure pushing it back into my head.

"I've informed the school that you wouldn't be attending for a while." He says and I'm looking at him again. The smile is gone and his face looks more stoic, calm. "I'll like us to spend our time… Smoothing out the deal we made yesterday. That sort of thing but for now, I think you should sleep. Calisa will escort you back to your room."

At the sound of her name, the black cat jumps meows and stretches on my lap, cuddling into me more. I look at him. "No school?"

A kind look comes to his face. "For a little while, yes. You should go to sleep. We have a busy day ahead of us and you'll need your energy for it."

"Are we going to have sex?"

The look on his face breaks a little and he laughs. He's pretty when he does that, but I'm being serious. "Go to bed, Miss Mont. We'll talk when you wake up." I shrug there, and stand up, lifting Calisa into my body. When we get to my bed, we lay down and soon enough, I'm dreaming of nice things. Very nice things and I fall asleep smiling.