Fireflies.

My sleep was plagued by nightmares, the twisted pieces of reality that become dreams when your sick. Everything felt tight, and wrong. Out of proportioned and weird. I tossed and turned all night, the couch too soft and warm then too hard and cold that left me huddling into the blanket in the search for warmth.

I was vaguely aware of being lifted, carried by someone strong and safe. The gentle motion of being rocked in their arms, chased away the nightmares and I felt myself fall into the dreamless darkness I had begged for all night. Until they tried to put me back on some soft surface, that must have been my bed.

I remembered holding onto their shirt as they tried to pry my fingers off, I held on tighter, somehow I managed to stay in that limbo that surrounded sleep. Finally they gave in and they slid in beside me, I curled up against them. Grateful when their own hand snaked around my waist and held me closer. Their breathing was like the best lullaby in the world, and I fell asleep.

Finally free of fever and chills, I slept.

The usual dream stared after that, the one that offered the best sex of my life and a hell of a lot more. As much as the person who stared in it gave me mixed emotions, I loved the dream itself.

What I didn't expect was to wake up curled up beside the person who stared beside me in it. I rationalised it by telling myself I was still dreaming.

I didn't moved and neither did he, those eyes continued to watch me carefully. The usual after effects of the dream lingered in me, and the whole him being in my bed wasn't helping the whole not thinking about him thing.

His arm was still wound around my waist and his fingers causally brushed along my lower back, the movement almost causal. Like he did it all time.

I should mind, but I didn't.

I shoved the questions away for a moment, and let myself stay in that little bubble. The one that didn't see him as a complicate mess I had yet to figure out. The one that stirred many unsettling emotions, and raised even more terrifying questions about my self and my future.

I let myself pretend it was perfectly normal to be curled up, half naked in an Immortals arms. And at the moment it felt like the most natural thing in the world.

I closed my eyes again and curled in tighter against his chest, and his arm tightened its hold, pulling me in tighter. As If he too was savouring the moment.

After a while, I mumbled into his chest, "I still hate you, you know."

His only response was a low chuckle, the sound wrapping around me and making my lips curl up into a small smile.

"Although I still think I'm dreaming." I said after another moment.

"I turn up in your dreams?" He said, curiosity in his low voice.

I said nothing, and immediately silently smacked myself over the head.

He slid his hand up my waist and up over my arm until he reached my chin, where he pulled back slightly and tilted my chin up so I had to look at him. His eyes amused as he watched me waiting for an answer.

"You'd be surprised." I finally mumbled after a moment.

His only response was a slow smile, that was ringed in that same forbidden temptation that surrounded him. The dream sprang to mind and I was suddenly aware all over again just how close we were and just how almost naked I was. From the sudden flare of heat in his eyes, he realised it too.

He lowered his face to mine as he tilted my chin up higher, our lips a breath apart.

"What the fuck!" Came a voice I knew all to well.

Alex.

And like that all heat evaporated, and I was left with a pit of dread and a sinking feeling that made me feel sick all over. A sickness that had nothing to do with the transition.

Because as I hastily sat up, I realised just how bad this would look. Me, half naked, in bed with Eric. The king of darkness as we all called him. And Alex looking at me as if I'd grown two heads and wings.

Like it was bad that I was in bed with another guy, but the fact that it was Eric made the whole situation down right catastrophic.

I threw off the covers and got out of bed. Stumbling as my ankle got caught in the sheet. Which didn't help the situation, as I was just in my underwear and thin tank top. Ah hell.

"Alex let me explain." I begged.

"Fuck." He ran a hand through his hair, and looked away from me as if he couldn't even stand the sight of me.

"Nothing happened, Alex." I begged again, "Please look at me."

"No, I can't actually because I will be sick." He turned away from me and fixed his eyes on Eric, who remained in the bed lounging with the smallest of smiles playing along his lips as he regarded Alex with the same contempt a guest would put up with their hosts annoying dog. Alex's gaze was a mixture of loathing and fear, I had almost gotten use to Eric. Well as much as anyone could I guessed, but to hunters he was still widely feared.

"I will kill you." Alex was scary sure, I think I have a thing for scary guys. But he was murderously angry right now. But he looked like a little boy next to Eric's chilling gaze.

"Alex would you listen for a second." My voice coming out shaper than I intended it too.

He didn't like my tone either apparently, "Your serious? I catch you in bed with another guy and you get pissed?"

"We were talking and I fell asleep, its not as if we had sex." I exclaimed, because we didn't, unlike in my dream.

"And you expect me to believe that?" He hissed.

"I expect you to trust me!"

He just shook his head and mumbled something along the lines of, as if I'd trust you.

"What did you just say." I said in a voice that was eerily calm.

He ran a hand through his hair and glared at me. "As if anyone can trust you! Your so aloof, doing what you want, you never have any regard for anyone else but yourself. I've been looking for you for days and what, you couldn't even pick up the phone? Instead you were getting chummy with him, of all people! And he's not even a person!" He threw up his hands and gestured vaguely towards Eric.

I snapped.

"I was attacked by a vampire, and he." I now gusted to Eric. "Saved my life, which is more I can say you've ever done. I saved your life if you care to remember, buddy. And as for me 'missing' I was at the court with your mother. So cut the over protective boyfriend shit and get off your high fucking horse." I practically screamed, my breathing hard.

He narrowed his eyes, "me get off my high horse? Your kidding. You move through life and rise up through the ranks as if you’re the greatest gift to the universe and you whinge the entire time. Everyone loves you, or fears you and then you get involved with him and everyone thinks your so brave and strong because you've lived. But your just a whore, you sleep your way through the top first with me then with him. What, Hunters not good enough for you, you going dark side now?"

I punched him, a good punch too. One that cracked against his jaw.

"I'm the whore? I know your falling for that innocent little thing Luce, who do you think Jade is? She's Luke's little sister, Luke sent her on Luce after I asked him for more information on her and Eric. You've got her wrapped around your little finger, you could never handle the fact that I was better, that I was stronger. You wanted me to be your damsel in distress, that way you could feel strong and manly and all that crap. "

He spat on my floor, blood staining my white rug. As he fixed me with a gaze I had never seen in his eyes. Pain and hatred, it was like a switch had been flipped, and the love he once held was now gone. And he found me repulsive.

"Your right you are stronger, because you’re a freak. Your not human, the fact that you hang around him and Luke proves it, you've gone dark side. And Luce? Your right she's nothing like you, she's human. Not some fucked up, vamped out whore." He practically spat.

"I think its time to leave." Came Eric's cool voice.

"I don't listen to Vamps." Alex spat.

"I'm not a vampire." He said in that same eerie calm voice.

He scoffed and turned back to me, obviously calling his bluff.

Idiot.

Eric moved in a blur sliding out of bed and grabbing him by the throat and hurtling him through the room. Before he moved just as fast and managed to get to the wall before him. Grabbing him once more, he smashed Alex against the wall, so hard the dry wall cracked. In another movement she would have missed if she hadn't been watching so closely, he threw Alex out the door.

His back was still to me as I felt my throat tighten. Oh god what had just happened? I was so mad, a whore? How dare he! But he was right too I am a freak.

"You are not." Came his cool voice as he stood in front of me again.

I said nothing and looked away. To stressed out to barely take in the fact that I hadn't spoken aloud. Again I felt his fingers brush along my chin as he turned my face to face him.

"You’re an Immortal, something above human. You are incredible and it would be an insult to call you human."

I searched his eyes for any trace of a lie, like I had at the court. But his gaze never wavered, and I was again left asking myself why would he lie about this? And too much of it added up. I swallowed hard and looked down, the fear was still there. Oh god it was still there, but I couldn't hide from it anymore.

"I'm Immortal." I whispered.