When Instinct Takes Over

My precious dream, all nuzzled comfortably under my neck, her dainty manicured fingertips tracing my sharp jawline; to have my sweet Amaris peacefully half-asleep, willing vulnerable in my arms, instinctively brought the territorial vindictive monster out of my once hollow existence.

All my years of pent-up aggression, accumulated from unwanted frustration due to the inability to fight for Amaris back then, had given birth to a ruthless directionless demon; whose new purpose is to do all things necessary to protect and defend my beloved dream, all lovingly curled up in my arms.

The first few rays of sunlight graced her beautiful face as her weary body lay cozy in my protective embrace, inhaling my natural scent while her brows furrowed with conflicting thoughts.

I know my sweet Amaris well enough that she couldn't understand why she was comfortable with me as Ansel when she clearly stated her reasons for refusal because of her ties with my past as Mithras. Her innocent heart was betrayed by my immature past, yet her cautious state unexpectedly finds immediate unexplainable comfort in my present matured self.

My desire to swiftly remedy her entangled conflicting thoughts was rudely subdued by the ringing of her phone. "Joel Sunny's Under The Influence? I've always known we had similar taste in music. Tsk tsk tsk, sweet Amaris has always been the perfect mix of class and fire, her sassy smart mouth always valued the harsh truth more than comforting lies. Simply one of the many innumerable things I love about my precious dream."

Amaris abruptly stood off from me, rubbing her temples due to sudden migraine, not realizing my sulking pout from not having her back in my arms.

Putting her phone on speaker, "Ms. Obsidian, have you already arrived at the airport?" said a familiar tenor gentleman on the other line.

Running her fingers through her silky chestnut hair, "Uhmm, yes. Did Gran-gran send you to pick me up?" then she looks at me with worried shifty emerald eyes.

Nipping at her bottom lip, panic slowly creeps her features when the unusually familiar voice advised her of his arrival at terminal 8, southwest of the airport, in about 22 minutes.

Nodding nervously, mumbling incoherently in circles, Amaris froze in a daze, lost in mind-numbing thoughts, the moment her phone call ended.

Seeing my love so conflicted pulled my heartstrings excruciatingly. Sprung to action on my feet and gently held her back into my loving embrace.

"Hey, Amaris... what's the matter? Care to share your worries with me? If not, I'll just hug you silently, hoping I could at least give you some sort of menial comfort." Turning her around to face me, I held her tighter as my fingers tenderly caressed her disheveled hair.

Burying herself further into my chest, etching every detail of my cologne into her memory, looking up to hold my gaze, she uttered, "Stop thinking so lowly of yourself. Menial? There's nothing menial about the comfort you're giving me right now. How dare you make me an unknowing addict to your sweet loving words? To your soothing warm embrace? To your divinely orchestrated appearance in my life? How dare you make me happy so effortlessly?"

My Adam's apple hitched as I continued to listen intently. She continued, "Why am I so comfortable with you? There's nothing wrong with you as a person. But still! Only one person had ever made me feel this...! Because of this, a huge part of me has no willpower to let you walk out of my life. Unlike what he did, I won't let myself miss the opportunity for happiness. I won't let you slip away!"

Her conflicted thoughts had transformed into trails of tears as she spoke between sobs. "I do apologize. I'm too much of a mess right now. And you're also going through things in your own life, so I don't want to be a burden. But I can't just part ways with you, knowing fully well that I want to be better to be worthy to stay in your life."

Wiping the sadness in the corners of her verdant eyes, placing an understanding chaste kiss on her forehead, my thoughts finally decided to make themselves known as I said, "How about we exchange contacts and remain in touch? If you're still up for it? I would very much like to take you in that offer to be each other's support; to heal by each other's side."

Her nimble hands firmly gripped the back of my shirt as she eagerly nodded while my left slowly stroked the back of her head as my right pulled her closer into a rather territorial embrace.

We finally exchanged contacts, explaining that her real name was Nikita Obsidian, as Amaris was just her alias.

Both grinning ear to ear, I held Nikita tightly before I suggested that we freshened up so as not to worry her arriving chauffeur.

Fingers intertwined, we held hands as I escorted us towards the nearest restrooms.

Once inside, splashing my face with cold water, fixing my outfit, and fiddling with loose strands of my hair, two agitated travelers, continued bickering about a girl that called their misogynistic asses out mid-flight.

Going inside one of the bathroom stalls, I tucked in my shirt and readjusted my pants.

"That chick seriously got on my nerves!" exclaimed the blue hooded guy.

"But you have to admit, she has a face for missionary." said the red-hooded pervert.

"And an ass for b-!" Both perverts immediately shut up the moment I loudly barged out of the bathroom stall.

Both are intimidated by my mere presence, it can't be helped though. Both perverts are a head and a half shorter than I am.

Washing my hands, both hooded perverts practically sprinted out of the restroom, as if they'd seen a murderous monster.

Scoffing under my breath, "Well, I do become a sadistic demon towards anyone who dares harm my precious dream."

The thought of having a fresh start with Nikita was immediately disrupted by her furious screaming outside the restroom.

Seeing those hooded perverts cornering my Nikita brought out the very thing they were terrified of.

One second, these hooded perverts were disrespectfully talking, cornering my sweet Nikita. A split second later, their bruised-up faces painted the airport tiles red.

Nikita still shaken up about the situation, encircled her arms tightly around my waist, and asked me a question, "Can you please never leave my side?"

Holding her head close to my heaving chest, knuckles stained with those perverts' blood, I placed a kiss on the top of her head as the airport security took the perverts while they asked questions to Nikita.

With all the commotion finally subdued, we didn't notice that a familiar face was talking to the airport security, on what seemed to be Nikita's behalf.

"Thank you for saving Ms. Nikita, Ansel. I'm so glad one of our own happened to be around to defend our client's beloved granddaughter. Anyways, what are you doing here at the airport? Does your grandmother know you're here?" Soren, one of my uncle's right-hand, was Nikita's chauffeur for the day.

"Ansel, you know him?" Teary-eyed Nikita pointed at Soren. God, even her tear-stricken face is beyond heavenly.

Clearing my throat, explaining, "Yes, Soren is my uncle's right-hand in his security business. Both of my uncles co-own a security business that usually caters to social elites. They would sometimes drag my ass to train with them; saying I'm wasting my physique if I don't know how to defend myself."

"And good thing we trained him so well! Though his absent mother selfishly doesn't even want to be associated with his kid. Ansel's an amazing kid! Don't let that heartless she-devil break you. She just hates not being in the spotlight." Soren ranted out to Nikita about my family drama.

"Good thing, you two met. Ms. Nikita's transferring to your school. So her grandmother asked us to have you keep her safe on our behalf. Your uncles were trying to call you to inform you of this issue. Just ride in the car with us so you and Ms. Obsidian get to know each other more. It'll help her new life here now that you're around to protect her." Soren explained to both of us the situation as he carried Nikita's belonging to the compartment of the car.

"I don't need to be told what I should do. I know would protect Nikita with my life, regardless of what you adults discussed." Determined eyes focused on Soren as I firmly reassured Nikita that I'd only learned about this agreement at the same moment as her.

"Besides I don't work for my uncles. I love them but I don't want to work in that line of business. I decide how to live my life. I won't let them dictate to me. As if I've said before, I will protect Nikita and stay by her side because I want to, not because they told me to. Is that understood, Soren?" Doing my best not to raise my voice, so as not to startle my sweet Nikita, still clinging on my waist.

"Yeah, I got it, Kid. Just don't get touchy with her around the others. You know how your uncles' line of business is strictly professional. Just going to say, right off the bat, she looks strangely familiar. I do mean this in a complimentary way, Ms. Obsidian. I never forget a pretty face. And you two look great together! This had to be said, not sorry for pointing out the obvious." Soren jovially chuckled towards the driver seat as I slowly guided Nikita, holding open the passenger door.

As we all settled in the car, Nikita quickly fell asleep in my arms in a matter of minutes.

Meeting Soren's gaze in the rearview mirror, he asked, "Is she....?"

Nodding as I nuzzled Nikita further into my arms, Soren spoke, "Heard from the bosses that the girl's parents are constantly threatening to divorce; not sure if I heard it correctly, but..." Soren paused then continued, "Check her wrists for me?"

Puzzled then in a state of panic, I carefully turned up her wrists and tears quickly blurred my vision.

Soren watching the entire time broke the silence. "One of her nightshift maids saw the bloodied bandages and alerted her grandmother about what happened to Ms. Obsidian. Poor kid was barely sane as it was. Her best friend recently conquered cancer and her parents constantly fought every night. I couldn't believe she had in her to do that to herself. Seeing as she's clinging on to you for dear life."

Lovingly stroking her fluffy hair, trying to keep calm and not lose my temper, Soren continued, "I heard that she's only expressive towards to her best friend. She usually kept everyone else around her at a great distance. One of her maids even called her the "Loving Marionette".

Capturing Soren's gaze in the rearview mirror, I asked, "Why call her a marionette? She's so full of life! She's so sweet and thoughtful! It doesn't make sense! What happened to her?"

Sighing as he shook his head, Soren added, "She's groomed as the perfect socialite. Courteous, graceful, and with a sought-after brain to boot. Every greedy bastard across the world wants her. Her grandmother is one of your uncles' VIP clientele; the top one to be exact. Ms. Obsidian is her grandmother's prized marionette. I do understand why her grandmother asked us to protect her. She has quite of notorious history of escaping security, not even our rival companies can keep tabs on her. She's that evasive."

Curiosity took over me as I asked, "Where do you think she runs off to?"

Chuckling, Soren explained, "Here's the kicker. She always ends up sashaying her way back from home as everyone scrambles to her potential whereabouts. But every single place all had one thing in common: Art."

Hearing that, a knowing smile spread across my face as my eyes lovingly watched over her, my fingers steering stray strands of her sleeping face.

"That's why your uncles were trying to contact you. To ask you to help out with this one. You're both intentional loners with a thing of Arts. And they're willing to pay you for it. Think of it this way, with that kind of money? You can save it up to go live your life your way! Don't you want that?" Soren explained as he turned the steering wheel to the left.

Gently rubbing her squishy cheek with my thumb, placing a kiss on her forehead.

Staring into busy city streets out the window, asking Soren as I get lost in my thoughts,

"If I do what they asked of me, will they leave us be?"