They shared a night of intimacy, passion, familiarity, and most of all love, that lasted until the sun's first rays lighted the world. It was an experience they never felt before, the sensation and beauty of true eternal love. They lay there in each other's arms. AJ was staring at the ceiling, while Toni, whose head and hand was lying on his well-toned chest, had her eyes closed. But she was awake.
"AJ?" she said softly.
"Hmm?"
"It wouldn't have been the same with someone else. I'm glad my first time was with you."
"Me, too. I love you," he replied as he affectionately played with her hair.
"I love you more."
"I don't think that's possible."
She looked up at him and smiled. He smiled back and pulled her in for a long, lingering kiss. She broke it a while after.
"I don't know about you, but I don't think I can go for another round," she laughed. AJ just smiled at her.
"You're right. We should really get some sleep as long as the sun is up."
"Mmmhmm, *yawn* I'm tired. Good night, er, you know what I mean…" she said sleepily as she made herself comfortable on his chest.
"Sweet dreams, love."
She immediately fell into a peaceful sleep, while AJ sighed and continued to stare thoughtfully at the ceiling. 'I love her so much. She's the one I want to spend the rest of eternity with. I can't hurt her again. But how can I make her understand that I don't have a choice? My life isn't mine to control anymore. I can't tell her that without breaking her heart. God, please help me.'
No answers came to him so he just gave up and tried to fall asleep. But those thoughts kept disturbing his mind. He reached out to his nightstand carefully so he wouldn't wake her and pulled out the drawer. He took out a bottle of sleeping pills that no one knew about. It didn't matter since he was dead anyway. He had often suffered from insomnia ever since he became Desmondontidae leader. He would stay up all night and day planning their strategy and trying to figure out the Daemoniacus' next move. If he were alive, he would've looked dead by now. He twisted off the top and took four. Two just didn't do it anymore.
Fifteen minutes later, he could feel his eyelids getting heavy. That stuff really worked. Moments afterwards, sleep overcame him, his mind drifting from pleasant dreams that would never come true to realistic nightmares that he was actually living. Nightmares that plagued his mind whether he was awake or asleep. There was no escape.
He woke up a few minutes after nightfall. Toni was still asleep, but she was lying on her side, her back facing him. He looked at her lovingly and removed a lock of her cerise hair from her beautifully pallid face and kissed her tenderly on her cheek. She stirred a little but did not wake. He carefully and quietly got up, got dressed, then walked out the door.
He could hear his mother in the kitchen fixing herself dinner. Tonight she would eat alone unless Toni stayed with her as she did so many nights before. He walked in more stealthily than he would have liked.
"Hi, Mom."
She jumped and let out a surprised little gasp. She turned around and was relieved to see that it was just AJ.
"Oh my goodness, AJ."
"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."
"No, it's ok. I guess I'm just not used to you being around."
That comment stung his heart. She still didn't forgive him about leaving. She didn't seem to notice.
"So what's up?"
He looked at the ground and spoke hesitantly.
"Umm, I-I-I have to go…out."
She paled and looked at him shocked.
"Where?"
"Oh no, nothing like before. I just have to step out for a minute. I promise I won't take off again."
"Cross your heart, hope to die, stick a needle through your eye?"
"Stake my heart, I'm already dead, spray holy water in my eye instead."
She smiled.
"I guess a vampire's oath is better than none."
"I swear you don't have anything to worry about."
"Ok. Remember that I love you."
"How can I forget? I love you, too. Bye."
"Bye."
He walked out the door and disappeared into the dark of night.
Toni rolled onto her other side and groaned, expecting her hand to land on the sexy rock-hard bod of her main man. Instead she got the cold sheets and mattress. "Hmm?" She opened one eye and saw no one lying beside her. Alarmed, she shot out of bed, put on a robe, and flew down the stairs and into the kitchen. Denise looked up from her meal and giggled.
"Well, well, well, looks like you two had more fun last night than I thought!"
"What?" Toni looked down at what she was wearing and blushed. "Umm, yeah…where's AJ?" she quickly added trying to change the subject.
"He left," she answered calmly. Toni's eyes grew wide.
"He WHAT?! AGAIN?!"
"Toni, calm down! He said he'd be back this time!"
"He said that last time, too!"
"Yeah, but this time he said he'd be back today."
"And you believed him?!"
"He promised, ok?"
"Ok. I'll take his word for it. But if he lied, I'm going to personally wring his neck!"
"That's if you find him," she joked.
"That's not funny." Toni stormed up the stairs.
"Oh my. He better watch out for this one!" she laughed to herself. Then she started thinking. "Wait. What if he IS lying?! After she wrings his neck, I'll chop off his fingers! Oh, now she got me all upset!" Denise threw the dishes in the sink then plopped down on the chair and pouted.
The 'minute' he needed to step out for turned into five hours! Denise was worried, sitting on the couch biting her nails. It was way past her bed time but she couldn't sleep. Toni was standing next to her fuming mad, impatiently tapping her foot against the floor. 'I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill him.' She glanced at her watch. 'Yep, I'm definitely gonna kill him.'
Suddenly, they heard the knob turn and the door opened. AJ casually strolled in.
"Hi."
Toni went up to him and punched him in the arm.
"Ow! What was that f---"
Then she pushed him against the closed door.
"Toni! What's gotten into you?!" he asked surprised and a tad bit afraid of her actions.
"What do you mean what's gotten into ME?! What's gotten into YOU?! You left AGAIN! After you promised me that you wouldn't! What's wrong with you?!"
"Toni, I---let me explain!"
"No, I'm sick of your excuses that you 'had to'! Didn't last night mean anything to you?!"
"Of course it did! How could you---"
"How could I?! How could I ?! How could YOU?! You just walked out on me! I expected to wake up and see you by my side like you promised! Like I would be by yours forever!"
"I didn't just walk out on you! I told my mom when and where---"
"No you just told her that you 'had to step out for a minute'! Last time you stepped out you disappeared for three fuckin' weeks! We didn't know if we were ever going to see you again this time!"
"Oh my God! Toni, I'm back! See! This is me, AJ, standing here! God, you're paranoid!"
"I am NOT paranoid! I'm sorry if I love you so much that that that I don't want to let you go and that I don't want to spend the rest of eternity alone because I'm scared! I'm so scared that I won't feel the same way about anyone else the way I feel when I'm with you!" She began to cry. "I thought we'd spend the rest of our lives together! A-a-and look!" She stuck out her arm. "You didn't even notice the tattoo I got! I got it because I thought it would bring us closer somehow! I'm so stupid!"
He pulled her into his arms and rocked her back and forth. "Shh, don't cry. I'm sorry I hurt you again. You know, you're awfully sexy when you're beating the crap out of me," he said hoping that she'd laugh. She just continued to sob.
"I'm such an idiot!"
"No, no you're not. That's a very sweet thought and I love your tattoo. And for the record, I want to spend my eternity with you, too. I love you more than anything else in the world. Well, except for my mom, of course." He glanced over at Denise who was crying as well. "Oh can you please stop crying, you two! You're gonna make me cry and that's not very manly!" He handed them both tissues.
"I'm sorry," stated Denise blowing her nose. "That was just so beautiful!"
"It's the truth."
Toni looked up at him and smiled. His face seemed to glow. He was hauntingly gorgeous. "I love you."
"I love you, too."
They kissed while Denise watched, ready to cry again.
"Aww, Mom come here! I love you, too!"
He let go of Toni and hugged his mother.
"I love you, baby!"
They pulled apart. "Ok, is everyone all right now?" Denise and Toni nodded. "Good, cuz I don't think I can take anymore emotional outbursts right now!" He smirked devilishly. "Toni wore me out last night."
Toni's eyes widened and she slapped him hard on the arm.
"AJ!!! I can't believe you just said THAT! Right in front of YOUR MOTHER!!!"
"What?! It's not like she didn't know!" A thought entered his mind and he turned to Denise alarmed and blushing. "You DO know, right?"
She went up the stairs laughing. AJ turned to Toni.
"She DOES know, doesn't she?"
"Yes, she does. She knew something happened when I came downstairs in my robe."
"Oh, ok. Good. Phew!"
"AJ, will you love me when I'm old and pruney?"
" What?!"
"In 500 years, I'll be old and you'll still be the same! Will you still love me?"
"Of course I will! I'll love you until I'M old and wrinkly!"
"But that's NEVER gonna happen!"
"Then I'm NEVER gonna stop loving you!"
She laughed then kissed him on the cheek.
"Ok, now that that's settled…" She wrapped her arms around his neck and seductively whispered, "You wanna go upstairs?"
"You know, I'd love to, honey, but I've got work to do. See ya later!"
He removed her arms from his neck and ran up the stairs, leaving
her
baffled and alone in the living room.
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