Beasts Bounding Through Time

“Of course I’m real. Why wouldn’t Sylvie have friends?” I huffed at the intruders comment.

“I didn't mean to offend-” Jaska began before Sylvie cut him off.

“You” She pointed a finger at me, “Need to remember where you stand with me” she turned to Jaska and linked her arm with his, “Come on, you don't need to deal with this.”

“It was nice meeting you Ville,” Jaska nodded to me in an act of curtsy.

I watched as Sylvie towed him out of the front door, into the fresh snow outside. I watched them until they finally disappeared into the night. It took me a moment to grasp onto the situation enough to understand what had just happened. She was rash towards me, but I didn’t understand why. Jaska’s comment was odd to me, so I questioned it, maybe in an unpleasant tone, but I still didn’t think it was anything to get upset about.

I sighed and retreated back into my room and sat down on the mattress, the creaking of the springs broke the silence as it strained against my weight. My stomach boiled at the thought of her warming herself up against the side of him out in the snow, I could hear her laughing at his witty jokes in my mind. I flexed my hands, I'd had balled them into such a tight fist that I spotted marks from where my nails had dug in, and grabbed a cigarette to calm my nerves.

I wasn't one to act like this, my Mamma had brought me up with manners and to be a gentleman, but she had brought me to this. I felt excluded, even though we would spend time in the same room together, she had completely closed the doors on me; slammed them right in my face. And this distance that she kept from her fellow man made her all the more alluring; she was mysterious. And to find a lady like that in this day and age was rare.

I took a steady drag on the cigarette between my fingers and picked up my guitar, and for once in a very long time when my fingers ran across the strings a melody that felt right could be heard.

I felt the bed sheets move across my skin, I knew it was her. I was unsure how to react so I just lay motion less. She pulled the sheets over herself and inched closer, I could feel how cold she was without her touching me. She lay still for a few moments,I wasn't sure why. I thought maybe she was frightened, I was too. My heart was pounding, I could hear it. My stomach was in knots.

She shuffled a little closer. I could feel the lace of her dress drift past my stomach as she moved. She let out a hum, and she buried her head into my neck like cat in need of affection. She was freezing, I could smell winter on her skin, it was beautiful; snow and pine needles.

Her arm wound its way around my stomach, lingering, before settling down on my ribcage; fingers dancing across my skin. I let out a sigh and buried my nose into her hair, making the most of this moment. I was scared that this could all just float away.

“Sorry” I whispered. “I needed you a little more than I thought I did”

She moaned and rubbed her nose into my neck, “Heat me up?” she said breathlessly.

I swallowed hard, before turning on my side to face her, as I moved she pressed her body up against my own; in search for warmth. I wrapped my arms around her silently and pulled her in as tightly as I could. Trying my best to feed my warmth into her. Some time passed before she uttered another word to me.

“I'm not going to apologise for who I am, but I hope you can understand within time” she spoke softly, her lips brushing against my neck. “I need this”

That was all she said that night, I don't think she would have said anything more even if I asked but in some way I understood.