Fear Of The Dark

I stared, thoroughly un-amused, at Sarah's back as she left the house with Zack. How they were keeping their relationship quiet from the guys defeated me since it was so bloody obvious. Then again, I did live with five men who always seemed intent on being the alpha male amongst the group, and therefore not really applying their brains to much else.

But back to right now I was less than happy about being left with four guys by myself, one of whom I wasn't talking to and hadn't since he'd called me beautiful. You would think that would have made us closer than ever but it didn't. If anything it pushed us further apart; we were so awkward around each other all that came out of our mouths were arguments and snide remarks, alongside the dirty looks.

"If you don't like us you can always go sulk in your room," I heard Brian say. I span round and glared at him, a retort on the very end of my tongue but Rose stepped in first.

"Master Haner, really, that was very much uncalled for," she admonished him. He said nothing in response but turned and headed into the morning room. I'd noticed how the guys tended not to argue with her all that much; she was a very stern woman and came across as very scary. I certainly had no intentions of getting on her wrong side.

After that I disappeared to the library, somewhere I'd become very accustomed with over the few weeks I had been living here, even though quite a few of the times I'd been in here had been spent crying. Once I had got myself comfy within the confines of this room, with a book, I lost all sense of time.

I read well past the return of Zack and Sarah from wherever they had been, a fact I only knew because both of them on separate occasions had stuck their heads round the door and spoken to me. I barely remembered those conversations though since I had firmly kept my eyes on the book and my mind had barely strayed from it.

That was until, gone was the time the clock struck midnight, I heard angry barks and growls, even through the glass and, I also took notice of, the heavy rain. Curious I set my book down on the small table beside the armchair I sat in and moved over to the window I frequently sat in. Down in the light cast through the lamplight, and only barely visible through the rain I saw two dogs rolling round, clawing and biting at each other as they growled.

I hurried out of the room and down to the entrance where Sarah was coming out of the morning room with the exact same look of confusion. We looked at each other before moving over to the door and stepping out. Johnny, Matt and Jimmy were standing watching as these two shaggy - on account of the heavy rain - dogs fought with each other.

It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out who it was and I hurried down the steps, out into the pouring rain, just to break it up, ignoring the other guys. I'd barely taken a few steps into the rain when I was cold and soaked almost right through but I didn't care. And neither, it seemed, did Sarah.

But before either of us could speak, they turned back into human form and stopped, the pair of them panting; Zack standing doubled over, spitting blood at the floor and clutching his chest, whilst Brian sat on the wet road, blood also dripping down his face from his nose. He didn't look to be in as much pain as Zack though; understandable since Brian wasn't the one already recovering from broken ribs.

"What the fuck do you guys think you were doing?!" I yelled at them both, standing where I was and throwing my arms out.

"Erm, we are guys. Sort of a 'boys will be boys' thing," Jimmy offered and I span round and scowled at him, only for him to fall silent and step back.

"It's called Alpha Male. The need to be the leader of the pack," Brian spat at the floor, as he climbed to his feet and hovered over me. My scowl only deepened as did his own.

"I would have expected you to use your brains or at least be a bit more considerate," Sarah now frowned. Ha ha. They're in for it now. I watched as she stepped up to Zack and considered him for a minute. "Chest hurt?"

"Y- yes," he gasped.

"Good," she said before she reached out and poked it, followed instantly by that deep growl I was so used to hearing now. "Don't you dare growl at me Mr Baker, I told you to rest your ribs so it's your own damn fault." She then turned to me as I tried pushing the rain water off my face; it was a dumb thing to do however, on account of the fact the rain didn't seem to intend on letting up anytime soon. "You see to him; Zack's a bit more needy right now."

I rolled my eyes and turned to Brian. I opened my mouth but he seemed to take the words straight from my mouth. "In, you'll catch a cold staying out in the rain," he said, throwing his arm out to point at the door where Matt and Jimmy were helping Zack up the steps whilst Johnny had disappeared, obviously to go get stuff to clean up the guys injuries.

I stalked off, muttering profanities, and thankful once I was out of the rain I could wipe my face without it being a futile effort. I walked straight through into the morning room from which a maid scurried out of, and waited for Brian. He had barely closed the door when I angrily shoved him down into a chair.

I ripped a piece of cloth from what had been set out, and dipped it in the bowl of water beside me. Without saying anything to him I gently touched the skin around his nose, wiping away the dried blood. For a while he sat seething and wincing in pain whilst I washed his face.

I rinsed out the rag in the water, turning it a dirty orangey-red before ringing it out and tilting his head back. Then even more gently, I made a start at wiping the blood from his nose. "Ouch!" Brian suddenly cried, his hands flying up to cover his nose as he growled in pain.

"Stop moving," I simply growled back, pulling them away and beginning again but he only shouted out again and covered his nose again. "Will you stop fucking moving?!"

"I wouldn't move if you were a bit more gentle about it!" He yelled back, standing up.

"I am being gentle, your nose is just extra sensitive 'cause you went and got it broken!"

"I wouldn't have got it broken if it weren't for you?"

"Oh, and please explain how I caused all this since I was in the library since Sarah and Zack left?" I yelled standing right up to him.

"Funnily enough, we were talking about you actually!"

"You didn't have to talk about me and get your stupid nose broken."

"This stupid nose saved your ass thank you very much!"

"Well if you want your nose saving I suggest you sit still," I retorted through gritted teeth.

"Your hands are cold too," he complained.

"Begging your pardon Brian, but the last time I looked it was fucking raining!" I yelled pointing towards the window. "What do you want me to do? Stick my hands in the fire?"

I made to put them into the flames that were licking at the wood in the fireplace, but Brian was quick and grabbed my wrists. "No, Kirsty don't do that," he sighed, pulling me away from said fireplace and releasing me. "I'll try to be still."

I considered him for a moment as he sank back down into the chair and watched me. "And I'll be more gentle," I said much quieter and less angry than what I had been talking to him. "But it really is because it's extra sensitive. There's nothing I can do about that short of just leaving it."

He nodded and waited for me to wet the rag, before I took his chin in my hand and set to work again. Sure enough he would wince and growl, clutching onto the material of my dress but every time he did I would stop and let the pain subside before starting again. In all honesty I was so cold I was shivering and I was surprised I wasn't pressing too hard on his face.

"Do you realise how pretty you are with your hair down?" He randomly asked, and I moved my eyes down to his as all thought processes completely stopped.

"You think I'm pretty?" I asked stupidly in a quiet voice as I met his gaze with my own. All the while the little voice at the back of my mind began screaming at me 'of course he thinks that, he called you beautiful the other day for fucks sake.'

"I think you're a lot of things, Kirsty," he replied just as quietly.

"Like?" I enquired, abandoning what I was supposed to be doing because my mind was far too intrigued.

"You're funny. You're beautiful. You're stubborn. You're kind. You're loving. You care. You're not as brattish as I used to think you were. You're smart. You're strong," he answered, the words tripping right off his tongue. "This list goes on."

"You called me beautiful," I whispered stupidly yet again - and yet again the little voice yelling at me 'you already knew that!' - as we leaned towards each other without really realising it.

"You're the most beautiful person I know," he practically breathed against my lips seconds before they met in a kiss that we both knew was long overdue. I was so deeply into this kiss I barely felt him moving from his sitting position to standing. I did however, feel his hand rest on the back of my neck, holding me firmly against him. I returned the gesture by snaking my arms around his neck and tangling my fingers in his mess of long-but-soaking-wet hair.

"That's why you disappeared when I told Maurice I'd marry him," I grinned up at him once we'd pulled away, but kept our arms firmly around each other.

"That's why you spent so much time crying about it," he retorted, before kissing me softly once more. "I love you," he whispered, drawing me even closer to his body.

"I love you too."

Just then his head snapped round to look towards the door, before recoiling and sitting back down just as the door opened and I saw Sarah come in. Since she wasn't looking I was able to compose myself before she noticed. I glanced at Brian who smiled at me and I felt my heart lift. That was until Sarah prodded at his nose and he flinched away from her, whining.

"Yeah, he broke it," I informed her. "He only just let me wash it for him."

"I think we know who the leader is this time," Sarah retorted, as she pursed her lips and deliberately poked his nose rather forcefully. I stepped forward defensively, frowning slightly at her as I drew Brian's head closer to my waist and cradled it.

"Oi, I don't go round poking Zack, so don't poke Brian," I informed her, but my serious tone was all but lost when Brian poked his tongue out at Sarah much like a ten year old would, and I laughed out.

"Just go put some dry clothes on and get warm," Brian shook his head with an amused smile up at me all the while Sarah studied his nose, turning his head this way and that to get a better look.

"I might just do that," I smiled back before taking my leave and heading to my room to do exactly as Brian asked with a smile - which then transferred itself to a grin once I was in my room away from where everybody could see me.