Instinct [TEMPORARILY ON HOLD]

I Can Open Your Eyes

A/N: *Quick disclaimer*: I am not a doctor/scientist/expert on the subject of DNA mutations. I did some minor Googling, and for the sake of this wattpad book, let's just all go with it :) If I were to ever publish this, I'd ask professionals' opinion on the matter, but for now, let's just roll. Hope you guys will enjoy! xx

***

Alexander and I laid sprawled out on my bed, staring at the ceiling.

After a quick shower and coffee, I rejoined the world of the living, and found Xander lounging on my bed with Demo. Demo - still feeling sheepish after his earlier loads of affection - scurried off the bed when he saw me emerge, and parked himself right next to it instead. His big eyes were staring up at me, and I gave him a quick smile and pat on the head, before taking my spot next to Xander.

For a long while, neither of us said anything - the only sound in the room was our breathing, and Demo's occasional snore for attention from the floor.

Finally - after what felt like an eternity - Xander broke the quiet. "I have a question for you too." He said, clearing his throat. "Well, actually I have quite a lot, but I'm going to start with an easy one."

While he was speaking he got up to a sitting position, and turned around to face me. I joined him, leaning my torso against the headboard, my feet sprawled out next to him.

I couldn't help but notice how close our bodies were, the heat radiating from his extended arm that he was leaning on. "Shoot." I replied, reaching for my now cold coffee and pulling it onto my lap.

"About what happened in front of the house a bit ago..." Xander started, keeping his eyes on the duvet in front of him, instead of focusing on me.

I nodded, urging him to go on.

"You were... scared. I could tell." He said matter-of-factly, raising his gaze to meet mine. I remained silent. There was no point in denying what he already knew. While I was still hazy on the details of what he could and could not do, I knew that he could hear my heartbeat - and if nothing else, that was going a mile a second.

Xander cleared his throat again. "And don't get me wrong, you had every right to be! I have... no idea what has gotten into me! I've never-"

I cut him off, raising my hand between us. "There's no need to explain yourself. Yes, sure, it came out of nowhere. You-" I pointed at him. "-came out of nowhere. And yes, for a moment, you scared the wits out of me." I smiled over at him, lowering my hand. "But then, I realized that it was just you. And you wouldn't hurt me."

"You don't know that." Xander replied, shaking his head. "You don't know what I could have-"

"But you didn't." I said simply, cutting him off again. "It may seem crazy, especially since we've only known each other for a very limited time here. But... even when I was nothing to you just a random girl from the coffee shop who wouldn't tell you her name, you still stood up for me. Without any questions, without hesitation, and - most importantly - against the odds."

The connection between us was palpable. It felt as if there was an invisible wire binding us together. I knew him, even if I didn't - not really.

"I know you wouldn't do anything to harm me." I said again, for emphasis.

"Not intentionally, no. But what happened there... I had no control over what I did. Hell, I can barely remember." Xander shook his head, his forehead crunching with the unpleasant thoughts. "I could've really hurt you, Sophia."

I rolled my eyes. That way of thinking never appealed to me. Being afraid... it was no way of going through life. "Yes, yes." I waved him off. "You could've hurt me. Or, if you weren't there, I could have slipped on the icy pavement, and busted my head in. Or one of my veins could have unexpectedly clogged, blocking the circulation and killing me."