Of Monsters and Humanity: The Genesis

Chapter 49 - Xander

Eighteen days before....

Gods, I wish I could sleep like that.

She looked so peaceful laying there under me, like she had no issues in the world. Though the world had been so cruel to her, and I only just recently learned how real it was. It was different reading from an online article from years in the past, but hearing the experiences from her mouth made me regret every word I ever said to and about her.

I continued to hum her favorite song for a while until the softness of her hair and her body and her warmth and her soul all act like a punch in the face, and I was completely knocked out.

The stark, bright morning light crawled over my face.

Heat. Why was it so hot?

I moved my body and opened my eyes quickly, only to look down in horror.

Terra was lying atop me, her head rested on my chest and her leg rested on my stomach. Her arms were wrapped around my neck, and her hair was sprawled out all over my neck and shoulders.

She was so fucking warm and soft. I've felt it before, but with her entire body and weight on top of me like this.... It was almost too much to handle.

I laid completely paralyzed. I hadn't experienced real affection like this in so long. How do I handle this? What should I do?

As I thought, I realized that if she woke up anytime soon, she might have been disgusted to see that she was clinging to me like this.

Though, a selfish thought made me raise my hand and gently stroke down her cheek. Her eyes were closed, and her face was so soft and supple. Like a baby.

With a heavy heart, I slipped from her grasp and made my way downstairs before she could tell the difference.

When I got downstairs, I didn't feel compelled to sit in my room until she woke up. She had a rough night, and me voluntarily staying away from her might not have make things better. She wanted me to stay with her overnight, for whatever reason. Maybe she needed me as much as I needed her.

I stood in the kitchen for a few moments, thinking, and then opened the fridge door.

"Hungry?" a SWAT officer next to me asked, his face blank.

"What do you eat for breakfast?" I asked him, looking through drawers and shelves in the fridge. All was food but I wasn't sure how to cook or what any tasted like individually.

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Food?" I asked without looking at him as I pulled a bottle of ketchup out and looking at all of the labels.

"You're asking me what I eat for breakfast?" he asked.

I sighed and placed the ketchup back in the fridge so I could look at a carton of almond milk. Why would you even drink almond milk? I smirked and imagined Terra drinking it, since she probably didn't believe in animal cruelty.

"Cereal?" he questioned as if asking for my approval. "Eggs? Toast? Like that?"

"Bacon," I added, remembering the classics listed to me before. Terra probably didn't eat bacon, but it might have been funny to try to make some if I found any.

"Why do you want human breakfast food?"

"I don't. Terra probably will when she wakes up."

I looked up from the carton of almond milk to see him looking at me as if I just said something horrifyingly disgusting. I looked back down. "Have something to say?"