After The Fall - END

21. Delicate

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**

I've been crying for God knows how long. The sky is already dark, and the two suns have been replaced by a crescent moon and stars.

My eyelids feel heavy from all the crying, and there's no doubt they're both swollen. Thinking about how Xander treats me like a naughty child, spanking my ass, leaves me both confused and angry. These conflicting emotions are enough to make anyone cry. And by anyone, I mean me. My self-esteem is also plummeting.

I need to get back to my room, but I stop in my tracks when I realize I'm not staying at his house. This place is too humble to be his room. Instead of white walls, I see wooden panels surrounding me. The bed is also made of wood, and there's a small table and chairs. Not a hint of white, which I thought was Xander's favorite color.

I peek out of the curtained window to confirm my whereabouts. Yup, definitely not at Xander's house. There are a lot of warriors out there.

My feet hurry toward the door, and I want to escape before Xander returns—I don't want to see him. But when I open the wooden door, I'm faced with a massive blue wall of Zorion warrior armor. He's big, though not as big as Xander. I try to slip past this alien by squeezing through a small gap on the left, but he swiftly shifts and blocks my exit. I attempt the same maneuver on the right, but he thwarts me again.

I let out a heavy breath. "Can you step aside? I want to get out of here."

"No. The General instructed you to stay in your room."

Now Xander has even punished me by making me a prisoner here.

My fighting spirit has waned since earlier, and I'm too tired to argue with anyone. This warrior is clearly more afraid of Xander, obediently following his orders while ignoring me. So, I slam the door right in the warrior's face and stomp my way back to bed.

My stomach growled, but I ignored it, forcing my eyes to close until the dream came to me. However, hunger woke me up soon after. Additionally, the air temperature dropped drastically in the middle of the night. There were no blankets or fireplace in this room.

My teeth clashed against each other as the cold became unbearable. I curled into a fetal position, hoping to warm myself, but it was futile.

I once read a book that my mother gave me, which stated that humans need calories—enough to maintain body heat. Cleverly, I skipped lunch, and now dinner too.

The sound of the bedroom door open made my neck turn quickly toward it. I looked away when I saw Xander standing there and closed my eyes.

"You need to eat," Xander's voice reached me through my chattering teeth, but I ignored it. As he approached, I caught a curse escaping his mouth, but I didn't bother to understand what he said.

My remaining energy would be better spent warming up than listening to anything he uttered. Yet, in one moment, I was still in bed, and the next second, my body was pressed against something sturdy. I forced my eyes open again and found myself cradled across Xander's lap.

I couldn't bring myself to protest because the heat emanating from his body felt so good. I curled up against him, my cheek pressed against his chest, seeking every bit of warmth.

The series of sentences that came out of Xander's mouth didn't matter to me. All I needed was his body heat, and he held me against him firmly until my teeth stopped chattering.

I can feel his rough hand sweeping my arms and legs repeatedly, then stopping at my feet. He envelops them with his hand until they no longer feel cold. He does the same thing to my limp hand resting on my lap.

"Can you eat now?" Xander says gruffly above my head. I give a small nod, assuming he'll put me back on the bed and prepare to lose my personal heat. Instead, he places a spoon filled with soup in front of my mouth, which automatically opens. He then feeds me bread, and I eat it without protest. He continues until my stomach is full, and I finally say, "Enough."

"I want to sleep," I say with my eyes closed. My voice is still weak, but at least I have the strength to speak.

Without another word, Xander places the cutlery on the floor and moves to the middle of the bed, still holding me easily in his arms.

I can't bring myself to protest what he's doing as he lies down next to me. My head uses his left arm as a pillow, and his other hand pulls me close so our bodies are flush against each other. He proceeds to rub my back, making sure even the part of my body not attached to him stays warm.

"I forgot how delicate humans are," Xander says.

I mumble something in response, though I'm not entirely sure what I'm saying. Exhaustion overtakes me, but I hear him whispering before I give in and drift back to sleep. "Sleep, Cookie Monster."