Figment of Dreams
Tree house kisses are always up to no good

I entered the bar and it was so crowded and loud that I could barely see where I was going. I was just being dragged along with the current of bodies who were on their way to the bar. I was wearing light jeans with a white shirt and sneakers, nothing too fancy. I had covered my bruise though. So I was wearing more make-up than usual. Miro passed by and was already shit faced and nearly spilled his entire drink on me. I spotted my white-haired god immediately on the far end high table, entertaining and entire bunch of his friends and faculty colleagues. I needed a drink first so I went to the bar and bumped into Dexar.

‘Hey…’ he said sheepishly and steadied me because I was being pushed from all sides. This was not helping my anxiety. He quickly placed my body before his so he was protecting me from the other partygoers. ‘Thanks…’ I said gratefully. ‘What you drinking?’ he said in my ear, his deep voice booming over the loud music. I pointed towards one of the pink cocktails I liked and he ordered it for me. I was reaching for my purse but he put my hand down. ‘It’s on me. Don’t worry about it.’ I protested but Sebastian cut me off. He drank from my cocktail like it was his and winked at me. ‘Love.’ He greeted me by kissing my cheek as if we didn’t had sex about five hours ago and gave the cocktail back. ‘You alright here?’ he was acting very casual. I needed to get used to this. Because Rainers were all so very casual about sex it was crazy. They acted like it was just a shaking of hands.

‘Little crowded but I’ll manage.’ The guy next to me went by with such force that nearly half my drink spilled on my white shirt. Dexar angrily shoved him back. The guy was ready to fight but when he spotted both Dexar and Seb, a Paramore, he backed off quickly. Come to think of it, of the five Paramore’s I know I had kissed four of them. And had sex with two… and a half… Malin would have been proud.

Dexar pointed towards the toilets to let us know he would be leaving us here and went on his way. As soon as he was gone Sebastian grabbed my hand and pulled me against his chest. ‘Let’s get out of here love.’ He whispered in my ear and bit my earlobe teasingly. ‘I’ve been thinking about this morning all day. And have been wanking a few of them out.’

I playfully slapped him on the chest. ‘I’m the state championship swimmer, but want to know a secret, little bird? I have never fucked in the pool before. Until today that is.’ I rolled my eyes at him. We were in a very public place so this was giving me some extra anxiety. Kai and I weren’t together anymore, but I didn’t want him to see me with his arch nemesis. Dosch wouldn’t be here but I still felt something for the dangerous bastard. And Ash… remained an enigma. Wanting me one minute and acting like my teacher in the next. Sebastian was incredibly sexy though, in that unusual way. And he was great in bed. Really great.

Dexar was back and eyed the two of us suspiciously. Sipping from his beer with his brows raised. I had stepped back from him. I glanced at Ash who had spotted me and was motioning for me to come over. So I excused myself, getting disappointing glances from both of them

I went towards Ash and he was shitfaced. At least he won’t be noticing my bruise in this state. There’s that. ‘Sweet cheeks!’ He rasped and grabbed me so hard I grunted. He slapped me against his chest and hugged me tight. That hurt my ribs. ‘Auch Ash, careful.’ I muttered against his black shirt. ‘This one-’ he talked to his group. ‘Is the revelation of the year for me. She’s the best.’ He planted a long kiss on the top of my head and hugged me again. He was very touchy feely lately. I waved at the others, awkwardly from underneath his arm. One of his guests said. ‘But aren’t you her professor?’ which got him a very hard stare from Ash. ‘I’m her friend.’ He stated casually. As if anyone believed that after this display.

I needed to save him from this situation. ‘Ash, let’s go outside for a second. You need fresh air.’ I rubbed his back and pleadingly looked at him. He frowned down at me. Pupils dilated. ‘You look different tonight.’ Oh god, I hope he doesn’t notice my bruises. He needed some air though. I grabbed his hand and pulled him behind me through the crowd. He could barely walk straight. I saw Oak giving us concerned glances and I didn’t see Sebastian anywhere.

Behind the bar was this playground thing, for the children who visited campus. I took him there and sat him down on the wooden picnic table. I handed him a bottle of water which he gulped down in one huge sip. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and wobbled a little. ‘You are so drunk!’ I squealed. Finding it truly funny. He glanced at me and bopped my nose. ‘Don’t laugh at me sweetheart.’ He waggled of the table and started sprinting for the tree house. He was already climbing the ladder before I got there to protest. He was going to fall out and break his neck. That tiny tree house would not hold his weight.

‘Come on sweet cheeks, follow me!’ He drawled with a thick tongue and was already inside the house by the time I got there. ‘Ash don’t be ridiculous.’

He stuck his head out and his man-bun came undone. ‘It’s cosy up here.’

‘That might be and all, but you are going to hurt yourself!’

The thing creaked ominously, emphasizing my words. ‘Ash, goddamn it!’ I angrily climbed up the thing and put my head through the gap. He was lounging on this dusty beanbag, staring at the night sky through the opening in the roof.

‘Come, join me.’ I sat down next to him and he dragged me down against his chest. I hugged him and looked up at the sky too. It was so beautiful here. I listened to his breathing for a while and liked the fact I felt instantly calmer when I was with him. Safer. A feeling I desperately need right now.

‘I love you.’ He said suddenly, as easily as if he had just ordered a beer. I know he was shitfaced and all but that shitfaced? It was like a thundercloud in a clear sky. What did he just say to me? I scooted up and leaned on my elbow to stare down at his face. His insanely handsome, perfect face. A five a clock shadow lining his flawless jawline. A small mustacho forming on his upper lip. He was staring straight at me. ‘I love you, sweetheart.’ He said again. Seemingly completely sober, not a lilt in his voice or the idea that he was just saying random things. It stayed silent. My mouth opening and closing like a fish on dry land. I looked like an idiot.

Then he started laughing. He was clearly still very drunk. It had clenched my heart together and other things. ‘Don’t joke with stuff like that!’ I uttered, slightly hurt. I hit his chest and felt tears blinking up.

‘I’m not joking.’ he said again, with a deep clear voice. But then he laughed some more. ’It’s your face! You are so… shocked!’ He tried to grab my chin to make me face him, but I flinched away. I just couldn’t hold it in anymore and started crying. Hard and uncontrollably. ‘I n-need to.. go.’ I said between tears. It was all too much.

‘Baby, what are you talking about? Are you okay? What is happening? I’m sorry alright!’

After Otto and Sebastian and Kai… this was just the final straw. I could barely see the ladder through my tears. ‘Don’t sweat it. It’s not you.’ I croaked, swiped away my tears and took a few deep breaths. He was scrambling up, wobbling but was suddenly blocking my exit. ’Talk to me sweet cheeks. Don’t leave like this! I meant everything I said, don’t be upset….-what is that-…shit!’ as I was trying to stress that I wasn’t crying about him, he had noticed my bruise. At first I didn’t know what he was staring at but then it hit me. I had wiped away some make-up while crying.

He was sober in a split second.

’What. The. Fuck. Is. THAT. Lux!’ he growled. Grabbed my face and let his thumb wander over my eye. ’Who the fuck hurt you?’ his voice was so menacing, so hard, so furious, his eyes completely black from anger. ‘Tell.. me… what… the… fuck… happened!’ he yelled again His face turning white from shock. He almost matched his hair color.

I shook him off, sat down against the wall and started bawling like a baby, with my head on my knees. I barely noticed but he was pacing around the tree house, breathing heavily. Than he was beside me, holding me close to his chest and rubbing my back. I kept on crying and crying. It had no end. He patiently waited. Telling me all kinds of sweet things. Holding me close. Keeping me safe. I just wanted to be this close to him always. He was my best friend.

Then I told him. He let me finish my story. But I saw his entire stance change. He was tensing up. Tears forming in his eyes. ‘SHOW ME!’ he screamed after a long silence. ‘Show me every bruise… I need to see…’ I started protesting, because he would get even more angry. ‘Show me!’ he yelled once more with a crack in his voice at the last word. There was no debating with an angry Ash and I knew it.

I quickly took of my clothes, everything besides my bra and panties. ‘FUCK!’ he shouted when he saw the bruises everywhere and slammed his fist straight through the wooden wall. It was massive oak. His knuckles were bleeding immediately. ‘He touched you.’ he said, hands still braced on the wall, his face down. Chest rising and falling. He was crumbling in front of me. He was losing it completely.

‘Y…yes…’ I hickuped.

He turned around and stalked for me. ‘I can’t have it. I need to…-’ He tried to reach for me, but he stopped himself midway. He put his hands in his mane instead, pulling. He was nearly plucking some strands out with the way he was tugging on it. ‘FUCK!’ he yelled again and kicked a trash can through the open window with such a force, it had probably hit Maddox in his head all the way on the other side of town.

The blood from his hand now coating his hair. I was shaking from the release of finally telling him. It had been eating at me all month. I collapsed on the ground again. A complete mess, an empty shell. Ash grabbed me up from the floor, went to the bean bag and held me tightly. It kind of hurt, but it wasn’t about me right now. He needed to hold me. So we stayed there the entire night, in silence, falling in and out of sleep together.