Aaron returned to my lips, placing one hand on my cheek whilst his other hand slid down the length of my body and squeezed my waist. In response, I tugged his hair hard.

"Avalon." Aaron moaned into my neck and that's the moment when I pulled away.

________________________________

"Lexi?" Aaron called, my voice curious. He had just spent the last five minutes helping a very drunk Danny vomit upstairs, so seeing Lexi's form by the snack table was a sight for sore eyes. Well, the back of her head, given that it was what he could see right now.

"Lexi?" He called again, but this time with a tinge more of concern, due to the fact that her back was still to him. Had he done something to upset her? She had been smiling at him a mere 20 minutes ago: a sight that he had saved to memory.

"Yes?" Her voice finally arose after a moment of silence but, strangely, she still didn't turn to him. Perhaps, what was stranger was the fact that her voice was off; forced almost.

"Are you okay?" He enquired, hands tensing to his side for reasons he wasn't even privy to. She was keeping something from him and the thought scared him entirely.

Another beat of silence passed.

"More than okay. I'm super!" She finally said, coming off as forced again and he knew something was up, making him move closer, so much so that he could smell her lavender scent.

"Well, you sound happy." He spoke warily, trying to keep the paranoia at bay. It would be best to not jump to conclusions but it was hard not to when she was not acting herself. A part of him urged him to turn her around himself, but he wouldn't do that. He wanted to hear whatever it was by her own willing; as though she'd want to entrust him with something. Besides, it wasn't like she could run anywhere anyway, not with him in her way.

Lexi laughing loudly pulled him out of his thoughts.

"I guess, it's because I'm having such a good time!" She lied again and Aaron briefly wondered why. What could she possibly try to hide from him? It made him think of how little he knew of her. He so badly wanted to eradicate the darkness and the secrets between them but, for that, he'd have to deal with this head-on.

"Turn around, Lexi." He spoke bluntly, letting her know that he was getting impatient now. He didn't miss the way her shoulders tensed at his words, making his curiosity and concern grow all the more.

It would only continue to grow as the silence passed before she turned around slowly, body stiff.

Dread.

How else could he begin to describe how he felt in that very moment that he saw the crimson stain running down her mouth, her doe eyes wide with nerves. It broke his heart; the urge to make her better insatiable. So, he gave into that urge, stepping towards her, but she put up a palm, stopping him in his actions.

"Please, Aaron." She pleaded. For what, he didn't know, but he didn't care either. Not when she was in pain in front of him and she didn't even call for his aid. It made his temper rise as he ran a hand through his hair roughly.

"Please what?! Can you tell me what's fucking going on!" He didn't care that he was showing all his emotions on his sleeve; he was running on pure impulse now. Well, he didn't care up until the moment when she recoiled at his temper, making him soften immediately with regret. The last thing he would want is to scare Lexi. Anyone but her.

He gathered his wits in that moment, knowing that the priority would be to help her with the pain, so he did just that, grabbing her small hand in his and pulling her into the sitting room.

He had played in this room many a time enough with Danny as children to know where everything is and he didn't hesitate as he opened a far drawer, rummaging through it.

"What are you doing?!" Lexi spoke casually and it irritated him slightly. Did she not think of him as close enough to at least let him know what was going on.

"Shut up." He muttered, not able to control his immature tongue and then he found it: the first aid box. He could still recall how many times they had used it as children on Danny; he was a clumsy child.

"How did you know that was there?" Lexi spoke as she sat down on the armchair and Aaron couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had mentioned to her that it was Danny's house but, of course, she wasn't listening.

"Danny's been my friend for more than 10 years. I think I'd know a fair deal about the whereabouts of emergency items in his house." He answered in response before kneeling down besides the armchair. He ignored her mesmerising scent, choosing instead to open the first aid box on the table in front of him, He grabbed a hygiene wipe packet out, ripping open the package and leant towards her face to clean the blood. Her face seemed so small next to his hand, making his heart clench all the more. She was his to protect, how could he ever let her get hurt?

"Do you want to tell me how this happened?" He finally let out the thought that had been plaguing his mind as soon as he saw her at the snack table.

"No." She murmured, doe eyes gazing into his and he couldn't help but dampen at her refusal, sighing deeply. Why wouldn't she share how it happened? He had thought they were close enough for that, but perhaps he was wrong. Or maybe the reason was something else entirely. He tried to think but only one reason popped up and he couldn't help it as stood up rigidly, the anger growing yet again.

"This wasn't done my someone, right?" As he said it, he felt his rage rise until all he could see was red. If someone had hurt his Lexi, he would make sure that they'd never even look in her direction again. How dare they think to hurt her? He couldn't even bear the thought.

"Who was it?" He urged when she didn't speak as he tried to think of all the faces he had seen at the party.

To engrossed in his thoughts, he didn't even notice that Lexi had moved closer to him until her warm hand took hold of his, making his gaze snap to her.

"It was no one." She reassured him with a calm voice, stroking the palm of his hand lightly with her index finger. He hated to admit that it actually worked to calm down the rage slightly and he sighed in frustration, instinctively holding tightly to her index finger. At least they way, she wouldn't be able to slip out of his grasp.

"Even if it was someone, would you tell me?" He asked even though he knew the answer. The thought of the person getting away with hurting her made him scowl but Lexi laughing calmed hin down yet again as she tightened her hold on his hand.

"And be a snitch, no thanks ." She joked and then they were laughing in a way that warmed him. He couldn't help it as he looked down to her smiling form: her soft brown eyes, small pert nose and full lips. He was slowly becoming obsessed with her very existence and he couldn't help it as he leaned in, pressing his lips gently against hers.

It was a short kiss, but he melted into it, nonetheless. He tried to convey his feelings to her through it: his concern, his fondness, even his anger. His arms would have wound around her had she not pulled back and he smiled as she raised an eyebrow at him.

"You have some blood on your face." She spoke in a matter-of-fact tone and he stroked a finger across his lip, smiling slightly when he saw the blood.

"Oops?" Was all he could say and she laughed at his words, making his smile widen at the ethereal sound. Perhaps, he should make jokes more often.

"Here. Let me." She offered, lifting myself on to a short-legged table and reaching towards him. How small she looked standing there made him want to engulf her in a tight hug but instead he smirked, giving into his teasing nature.

"You have to stand on a table to reach my face?" He teased, a cheeky glint in his eyes, making her roll her eyes as she continued cleaning the stain albeit a bit harsher.

It made his smile widen as he looked down to his phone, texting Justin to let him know that he could leave without him. Right now, he was alone with Lexi and he wasn't going to give that up for anything. Just the thought of being in her presence made him smile.

"Why would you care if someone hurt me anyway?" Lexi spoke suddenly, breaking the silence and he raised an eyebrow in confusion. There was a strange tone to her voice that he couldn't quite understand.

"Why wouldn't I care?" He said the only thing that he thought was appropriate to say; the only answer he could think of, but he didn't know where the conversation was going at all.

Lexi scoffed loudly then, making the confusion grow all the more. Again, he had to think if he did anything wrong.

"I know you don't. You can stop with the pretence now." She responded bitterly, folding her arms across her chest and Aaron stopped in his tracks then, not knowing what to say just yet. He assessed her for a moment, wondering what had happened in the split second he had gone on his phone. It was clear she wasn't fond of his assessing gaze and she let out another scoff, moving to get off the table, but he held to her hand before he could. He needed this: to understand her better, he wanted to know.

"You know I care about you, Lexi. I've never given you a reason to believe otherwise." He answered more so in a bid to find out what she was thinking and she didn't hold back as she let out an emotionless laugh.

"Yeah, right." She retorted just as bitterly and now he was wondering why she was treating him this way.

"What's with you?" He tried to say it calmly so he could at least try to understand.

She only glared at him, folding her arms across her chest.

"What's with me? What's with you?" She wasn't answering him back properly, only being bitter and he couldn't help as he ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Me? I'm not the one that's randomly bitching!" He couldn't bite his tongue as she glared at him. They were just smiling at each other and now she was angry with him? Why?

"I'm not bitching! I'm just upset!" She snipped angrily and he couldn't help but feel the emotion take over him too as he laughed mockingly.

"Upset at what?" He asked, wanting to know.

"About the kiss, you idiot." She finally relented and he felt the anger growing yet again. Was she really that angry that he had kissed her? He didn't consider himself that bad.

"What about the kiss?" He edged out darkly, dreading what she'd say next. Whether it be regret, disgust or something like that, he wouldn't be able to take it.

"It was stupid, that's what!" She shouted back and the insult made his irritation grow. Call it his pride, but he couldn't take the critique and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" His voice was dark and lethal, almost demanding that she take it back, but he knew she wouldn't. She was as stubborn as she was beautiful.

"Yeah!" She answered, nodding my head roughly and he ignored his heart clenching as he smiled sourly.

"Anything else about the kiss you want me to know?!" He raised his voice slightly, making her flinch, but he didn't care to repress the anger anymore.

"Yeah! It was sloppy!" She spoke again and he the anger had already reached the top by this point as he edged closer to her.

"Yeah? What else?!" He shouted out, suppressing the urge to prove her wrong right then and there.

"And extremely amateur!" She continued like it was a list and he didn't relent, eyes burning into her.

"Yeah! And what else?!" He repeated, his voice boomed through the room with the volume but he didn't care.

She was glaring at him so intensely for reasons he didn't even know and it hurt him.

"Yeah! And guess what?! It was too short!" She finally edged out and his heart start thudding loudly at her words. Still, the anger wouldn't leave him and he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh was it now?!" He shouted yet again and she nodded back without hesitation.

"Yeah!" She replied angrily and suddenly he was not in control of his actions anymore. He could only see red as he pulled her towards him, smashing his lips to hers. She gasped at this, but he didn't care for the shock she felt. He had to prove her wrong with every criticism she had with their kiss. It was probably due to his ego, but he wanted to know that she was just as enraptured by their kisses as he was.

She probably was, seeing from the way she kissed him back, locking her arms effortlessly around his neck. It brought them closer but not close enough for his liking so he picked her up, making her squeak in surprise at this and he smirked at the sound. Everything she did was so intoxicating.

His lips found her jaw then, kissing in a way he had only imagined as she pulled tightly on his hair. He lay her down on the carpet before staring into her eyes: the very gaze that would make him go weak at the knees. Everything about her was perfection and he wished to devour it all.

His hand lifted instinctively, stroking against her cheek before moving down to her jaw and then collar bone. He couldn't help it as he looked down, mesmerised by her entire being. Her small and fragile being.

Before he could control it, he ducked his head near her ear, his voice raw and husky as he spoke.

"Let me show you that I care."

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