An end to sweet dreams

Jos squeezed her eyes tightly shut as the familiar, cold hands caressed her stomach. She bit into her bottom lip to suppress a scream.

"I could give you that thing you want most." A wicked smile curved his lips as he pulled her tighter against him and nuzzled her neck. "Imagine what powerful children you and I could have." He loosened his hold on her and turned her to face him. "I'll even let you choose the face you stare back at." He lifted her chin, noting her eyes were still tightly closed. He lowered his lips to her giving her a teasing kiss causing her eyes to pop open.

A trembling gasp escaped her lips. She jerked her head away and rested it against his chest knowing well enough he wouldn't release her if he didn't want to. "Why? Why do you keep doing this?"

He ran his hand slowly up her spine and into the back of her hair. He let his appearance shift back to his own features. He knotted his fingers into her hair and gently tugged her head back. "Currently?" A smile curved his handsome face. "I simply thought I could find something you wanted enough to help us… more willingly." He rubbed the back of her neck with the pad of his thumb as he continued to hold her hair tightly. "Something motivating for the both of us…" His lips lowered toward her again even slower this time.

Jos jerked back as she pushed hard against his grip. A whimper echoed through the darkness as the pull against her hair faded.

"Jos? Are you alright?" Arei asked as he settled on the edge of the bed. She'd been whimpering and kicking around in the bed when he'd walked in. He gently stroked her arm as he tried to carefully wake her.

Her eyes shot open at the torturous sound of his voice. Her eyes widened as she came face to face with him. Her hands instantly went up to block him. "No!" She called out. {There will never come a time when I'm this desperate for a child!} She backed up against the headboard but kept her gaze averted.

Arei reached out and placed a hand over the hands that were fumbling with the covers. "Kitten-"

She quickly cut him off. "Don't call me that!" An involuntary trimmer of revulsion ran through her.

His brows furrowed. He struggled to mask his hurt as he sat up straighter and put more distance between them. "Jos, I only want to talk to you… We should talk about this…"

Jos shook her head rapidly, squeezing her eyes tighter shut. "NO! There is nothing to talk about. I want nothing from you! I'll fulfill my agreements as much as possible... as quickly as possible, but I'll never willing give myself to you. I don't want any part of you!" She held her arm out. "Just stay away from me."

"Agreements? " Arei's features fell. Devastation was written all over his face. Tears welled up in his eyes. "Jos, you… you don't mean that. Let's just talk…"

She shook her head again as she drew her legs up against her chest and clutched them tighter. "NO!"

He reached out for her unable to restrain the urge to comfort her trembling body. "Look at me, kitten-"

"I told you to stop!" Tears flowed down her cheeks from her tightly shut eyes as she struggled to make herself smaller. "Find another way to torture me… any other way… Please…"

He jerked his hand back as if he'd been burned. {Torture? My touch is torture to her now? My very presence is torture?} His brows were deeply knotted as he forced himself up from the bed. "I'm not ready to end things, especially like this…" He walked toward the door as more whimpered sobs from the bed gritted across every nerve of his body. "I love you, Jos. That will never change… If you decide you'd like to talk, I'll be staying in Tampa for the next few days." With that, he stepped out of the room. He ripped his button-up shirt off with a loud yell of hurt and anger. Buttons clinked and scattered everywhere as he made his way down the hall.

Chary poked her head out of her bedroom door. "I… take it, it didn't go well?"

"I'll be in Tampa until Wednesday. You know where to send her if she changes her mind." He flung the shirt to the ground as he grabbed the saddlebags and all but kicked open the front door.

Chary stared in shock as her brother disappeared in a fit of speed and rage. She swallowed hard as she stared at the open front door. Her eyes were not pulled from it until the door at the other end of the hall burst open. Jos's wide shocked eyes stared at the enormous white button-up.

"He was here? It was really him?!" Jos cried out as she came running down the hall.

Chary's mouth dropped open as she watched in surprise while Jos scooped up the discarded shirt and ran out of the house as well. Chary turned back into the room. "What the hell was that all about?"

Scylla stared back up at Chary in equal confusion. "I have no idea…" Her gaze moved back to the bedroom door as a loud cry broke the silence of the townhouse. "Um… I… I think it's time to tell Jos what we did…"

Chary nodded as she turned back to the door and glanced down the now empty hall. "Well, fuck… I'd hoped this would have gone a bit better… but I guess that's what we get for meddling…" She grabbed her robe and headed toward the opened front door. Jos was crumpled into a heap on the cold sand. She clung to the button-up shirt as if her life depended on it. "Nope… should have kept my big ass out of this one…" She walked over slowly and rested her hand on Jos's trembling shoulder. "Um… You want to go inside and… um… talk?"

Jos stared up at Chary, studying her worried expression. {It's really her… this… this is... real…} Jos nodded.

Chary waited for a few seconds but realized Jos didn't have the strength to pull herself up from the sand. She held a hand out to her. She tugged Jos to her feet and swallowed hard as she helped guide her back into the townhouse. "What's really going on?"

Jos swallowed hard her teary eyes searched Chary. "I… I can't tell you. It's hard to tell what he'll do if I did…"

Chary's brows furrowed. "He who? Jos, there is no man, god nor beast, that I fear. Name the name… tell me who or what is going on so I can help you… So, we can help you."

Jos swallowed hard as she stared down at the shirt in her hand. "He was here, right? Arei was really here?"

Chary nodded. "He was… I'm sorry… I told him you were here." She brushed the hair that clung to the trail of tears away from Jos's face. "Jos, I thought you were just upset about something he'd done… but it's obviously something much more than just a break-up."

Jos swallowed hard as she reluctantly nodded. "I… I promise I'll explain everything to you… but first…" Her eyes moved back toward the front door and then down to the shirt clutched in her hands. "I think I need to talk with him first…"

Chary nodded in understanding. She patted Jos's back as she stood from the couch and walked over to the bowl by the door. She took out a set of keys. She quickly scribbled out an address on a piece of paper on the bar and walked back to Jos. She held the items out to her. "I would suggest calling dad or Arei for a quicker commute, but honestly, the drive may help you clear your head and gather your thought more…"

Jos nodded. "Thank you." She sent Chary a weak smile. "I'll hurry back as quickly as I can."

Chary shook her head. "Don't worry about it. Take your time. We can always get dad to take us to Maine, and if we're a few days late then oh well. Tri will be alright… bitchy but alright." She said with a carefree shrug.

Jos nodded again. "Thank you so much."

"No problem." Chary arched her brow as Jos stood and began walking toward the door. "Um… are you going to wear that? And… um…" She stroked her chin in thought. "Maybe you should take an overnight bag… Ya know, just in case things go well."

Jos swallowed as she nodded. "Yeah… you're right…" Her mind worked hectically as she tried to figure out what she could and couldn't tell him when they saw each other again… what she wanted to tell him… A frown curved her lips as she pulled the zipper closed and tossed the strap of the bag over her shoulder. {Nothing has changed… My reasons for leaving are still there and are still valid… But I have to try to explain earlier… I have to try to explain all of it…} Jos looked over her reflection in the mirror one last time before she moved to turn, but something caught her attention. She tilted her head as she turned her full attention back to the mirror. A strange glimmer of movement caught her eye, and she leaned closer to see what it was.

Just then a hand reached through the mirror and caught her head. She let out a sharp gasp as it pulled her nearer. Her stomach hit hard against the edge of the counter. She tried to struggle against it but it was no use. Before she could even figure out what was going on she was back in the familiar, dark room. Her breaths came out as pants. "But… how…" She turned slowly around to face a mirror that reflected the room she'd just left instead of the room around her. Shock coiled through her as she whipped back around. She could feel the monster inside quickly awaken.

"There's no need for the dramatics. I just thought before you try to run off to your beloved, you should know exactly how reaching my powers can be… even from here." Hypnos studied her as he crossed his legs and leaned back in the black velvet chair. "I can pull you in here any time I want. All it takes is a good enough reflection… a blink that lasts a second too long… a yawn even."

Jos stared back at him, her eyes trying their best to avoid the peak of bare chest showing between the black silk of his robe. "What do you want? Did you not have enough fun earlier?" She couldn't decide which was more unnerving, always seeing him wear the face of her loved ones… or his actual appearances.

He narrowed his eyes as he pushed up from the chair and walked toward her. When she instinctively backed away from him, he only grinned. He lifted one hand and slammed it against the wall behind her, pinning her against it. "I told you. Do I need to make myself clearer? I can not, will not allow you to utter a single word about our agreements." He leaned closer to her, his lips hovering just above hers. "I really had hoped you'd considered my offer without me forcing the matter…" He shrugged. "But if you even hint of our agreement, I'll keep you as a prisoner here as well. Do you understand?" He tilted his head as he studied her. Her eyes were averted, not quite shut fully. She bit painfully into her lower lip. Her body trembled slightly. She pressed her hands and thighs tightly together. A smile curved his lips. "Actually, on second thought…" He stepped back and took one of her clenched fists in his hand and lead her to the chairs. He waited as she sat then leaned over the chair bracing his weight against each chair arm. "Why don't I just keep you here now... save myself the trouble of having to run interference later."