Figment of Dreams
Tests

My Telvice pinged and I glanced up from behind my test tubes. It was already smoking up a storm and I would never ever get this right. Not even if I had twenty years on Terra instead of the five months I’ve been practicing poisons for. I had been at it for two full hours now.

My life had been spiraling lately, I could finally admit it to myself. My relationship with Kai was basically done and I’ve made some questionable decisions regarding the other men in my life. It was all one big mess, so the one thing I needed to focus on was my grades. I wasn’t becoming a Razz Moros by not making it out of my first year of college now, would I?

Dosch: Carina, what r u up to?

I stared at it for a while. Contemplating what I should answer. We hooked up in that bathroom stall and in his car later that night in a lust-filled frenzy like I had never felt before but I had not seen him since. But boy did I think about it. A lot. My stomach did a low flip recalling the events of that night. For some weird reason, he had been absent from campus for the last two weeks. Making it all the more difficult to really read what his intentions were with me. For that entire period, I have been thinking all kinds of thoughts about it. Was he done with me now that he got what he wanted? Would he want to be in a relationship? Would I want that with someone like him? What would my friends say? Kai? Do I want to hook up with him again and could I be just a friend with benefit to someone? A million thoughts and a million ways I was feeling about this dangerous Rainer. It was driving me nuts. Yet, I felt a certain burden fall from my shoulders when he finally texted me. I had forgotten he had my number, to be honest. So when the Telvice pinged again I flinched out of the dark hole that was in my mind right now.

Dosch: …?

Lux: Just doing some studying -_-

Dosch: you need help?;)

Lux: I’m good, thanks

Dosch: Auch, Carina.

Dosch: Tell it like it is why don’t you😉

Lux: I’m just frustrated

Dosch: with me or your study?;)

Lux: maybe both😉

Dosch: aaah

Dosch: well

Dosch: I can offer you some stress relief if you want it

Lux: I’m sure you would

Dosch: what are you studying?

Lux: your favorite subject

Dosch:..you?;)

Dosch: Poison?

Dosch: and you don’t want my help???

Lux: well… it’s late

Dosch: I’m ready though, where are you at?

Lux: Dosch… I’m not sure we’ll be studying anything if we are together now

Dosch: Oh is that so Carina….😉

Lux: you know what I mean Dosch. Don’t act dumb

Dosch: you in the poison lab?

Lux: maybe😉

Dosch: omw

Lux: Dosch, stop it. You are not.

Dosch: am

I rolled my eyes and dropped the Telvice on my desk with a deep sigh. If he was really coming over he would not be distracting me. I need to be strong today.

I had almost forgotten all about him, deep in thought and because he was taking a really long time. It had been almost one hour since his last text so I had figured he was all talk and wasn’t really joining. Just as I was adding the last ingredient to my test tube with some very careful administrations of my not-so-steady hand the door of the classroom flew open dramatically. I flinched, put in two drops too many and the entire thing was starting to hiss and smoke up a storm. I yelped and quickly took three large steps back. It was turning a bright yellow and I was slowly getting concerned I was this close to bombing the poison lab.

‘Just in time I see.’ He chuckled and strutted over to me in a few long strides. He quickly grabbed something from another desk and threw it over the tube. Halting the explosion midway. He was in a more casual attire than I had ever seen him. All black, of course, but in jogging pants and t-shirt combo with a black jacket. His short hair a little wet, from a recent shower. He smelled nice.

‘I was handling it but you startled me!’ I shrieked.

He laughed again. ‘It was yellow, you were definitely not handling it, Carina.’ He flicked his eyes over my face and body in a quick second but I had caught him checking me out. I had to focus not to flush in his presence. I mean, we had been doing some really kinky stuff a short time ago and here I was flushing like a virgin bride on her wedding day over a quick glance?

‘On what chapter are you? The one from two weeks ago?’ He reached for my notebook and flicked through the pages. I cleared my throat. ‘No, still from one month ago. I can’t get the basilisk one down for anything.’

‘Ah, the basilisk. My specialty.’ He waved to the seat next to him and sat himself down with a sigh. ‘I will walk you through it.’

‘You really don’t need to be bothered, Dosch. I’m sure you have better things to do on a Thursday night.’ Like running a drug cartel or a nightclub.

‘Not at all. I’m in need of some normalcy right now.’ That was a rare admittance of something personal. It took me aback for a quick second.

‘Are you okay, Dosch?’ My voice was soft as I sat down next to him. I suddenly saw the tiredness in his eyes, in the sunken hollows beneath his cheeks. I watched him play with the instruments for a while, head down, acting like he didn’t hear me. He looked so young again. Sometimes I forgot he was only twenty years old. I mean, he had been absent but I hadn’t really thought about there being something wrong. I was feeling guilty all of a sudden. I had not reached out at all and maybe he had wanted that. Needed that.

He placed the new tube in front of me. ‘Ready?’ Completely ignoring the question but he saw it still sat on my face. ‘I’m good, Carina. Don’t worry.’ He joked it off but I saw it behind his eyes. There was a hurt there, some deep-rooted pain that I had spotted before. It was now more present.

‘It’s okay if you aren’t.’ I whispered. ‘You can talk to me, okay.’ I added once more. Reached for the tube and opened the textbook on the first page of the basilisk recipe again. To give him some reprieve from my gaze and to gather his thoughts. He just stared at me, I could feel his eyes on the side of my face. He gently reached for a strand of hair and put it back behind my ear, making my skin pebble in goosebumps. His hand stayed next to my shoulder and his eyes were on me too. It felt like he was sitting closer somehow, our thighs touching.

‘You are special, Carina.’ He whispered back at me even though we were alone here in this classroom it felt like we should be more private with our words. ‘I have a confession.’ He drawled.

That made me turn to him but I shouldn’t have. By the look on his face and the way this handsome Rainer was looking at me, I turned to jelly on the spot. His hand traveled up again, resting on the back of my head, slowly stroking me and almost making me purr like a cat. ‘W-what’s that?’ I stuttered and he chuckled. ‘I wanted to see you tonight.’

That made me blush for real. ‘Why?’ I added feebly while grabbing the arm that was massaging my head into oblivion, trying to distract him or me, at this point, I couldn’t think anymore. I also didn’t pull his arm down, my hand was now just resting against his wrist, leaning into it more of my own volition. Electricity bubbled again. Marking us with this electrifying pull once more, was unfathomable to me.

‘You don’t even realize, do you?’ he whispered and leaned in more. Our lips now almost touching. This was not going as I had planned.

My Telvice pinged and we both flinched back. His arm had dropped and my heartbeat had sky-rocketed. I glanced at the Telvice and had to blink a few times.

Ash: I’m sorry about practice the other day.

Ash: How is your back?

This guy. Even though it was kind of him to check up on me, it still felt weird hearing from him again. Dosch's mood had shifted and he had seen the text and who it was from.

‘Your other boyfriend keeping you up too, huh Carina?’ he dryly added but I could hear the venom-laced tone of voice.

‘I don’t have a boyfriend anymore.’ I said out loud for the first time, even though Kai and I hadn’t spoken the words into the universe yet. I knew it was done.

‘You could have fooled me.’ He played with the tube and added a few pink drops of the beetroot into it slowly. His entire stance had changed. He was now as stiff as a board. I could almost see the fumes coming out of his ears.

‘Jealous?’ I asked.

’Is he fucking you too?’ he added, trying to sound casual but he couldn’t hide it. He was jealous. Damn jealous and nearly fuming with it.

‘None of your business.’ I snapped. And we were back to the old us in a quick second. ‘But no.’

I saw him visibly being relieved but he thought I hadn’t noticed that.

‘Good.’ He spat back.

‘Why is that good Dosch? Why?’

He chuckled. ‘You know what. I think I’m done here for tonight.’ He rose from his seat.

‘Yeah, just walk away.’ I angrily sighed. ‘Like you always do!’

‘You don’t know me.’ He said, tone ice cold now. Eyes hard.

‘I think I know you pretty well.’ I replied. Tears now stinging my eyes.

‘Are you coming?’ He snapped. ‘It’s too late for you to be here all alone.’ Ignoring my last comeback like a pro again.

I rolled my eyes. ‘I’m good.’

‘No, you are not staying here, Carina.’

‘Just go Dosch.’ I waved him off.

‘No.’

‘Dosch!’

‘Let’s go, Carina. I’m not asking again.’

‘Or? What are you going to do?’

‘Dragging your ass out of here, Lux.’ He growled. ‘I know about the fae following you a few weeks ago. I’m not letting you walk back alone!’

‘Fine.’ I slammed down my notes and it hurt my lower back again with how quickly I rose up from that crappy seat.

‘What’s wrong?’ he asked, voice now a lot softer. ‘Is it what Briareve was texting you about? Let me see.’

‘No. Fuck off, Dosch.’ He was reaching for my back, to raise my shirt but I slapped him off. ‘It’s fine.’ It wasn’t and was completely purple now with bruises, so I definitely did not want him to see that.

He got passed me in a quick Rainer second and lifted my shirt. ‘Shit.’ He growled. ‘That’s bad! How are you not in more pain right now?’ he glanced at my face. ‘You are. And you didn’t say anything!’ Great, he was pissed now. ‘You did not have this when we…-’ he did not finish the sentence but he was going to say when we fucked.

‘It’s just bruised.’ I said while he touched a tender part of the bruise and I yelped. It echoed in the empty room to drive it home a little further. He mumbled something about my beautiful back and killing before he reached for his Telvice. ‘You need medicine.’ He said.

‘I have a cream.’

‘Well, that isn’t strong enough. I got something.’

‘I’m human Dosch. Don’t forget that.’

‘I know, I won’t ever forget that.’ That’s a weird thing to say but he continued. ‘Let’s go. I can get you the thing from my friend River.’

‘Where is your friend at?’

‘At Dorm building three, east side.’

‘Okay.’

Together we walked in silence for a while and reached his friends' dorm in under ten minutes.

He opened the door in low-hanging grey jogging pants. Tattoos all over his tanned body, golden chains dangling from his neck, and the Scorpio tattoo on the side of it.

‘Boss.’ He addressed Dosch first and then looked at me. he was giving me one long sly look but quickly composed himself when he saw the anger seeping from Dosch’s face.

‘She’s off limits.’ He added before harshly stepping next to him through the doorframe, dragging me behind him with our hands locked.

‘You got the sapphire balm?’ Dosch was not playing around. He had me now pressed against this side, his arm protectively over my stomach. This was amusing to River, I could tell by the way his eyes crinkled. ‘I have it right here.’ River walked to me. ‘Turn around Chica.’ Dosch snatched the bottle out of Rivers hand. ‘I got it.’

‘Whatever you say, boss.’

‘Let’s go to his bathroom.’ Dosch added and dragged me with him again and closed the bathroom door behind him. I lifted my shirt and could glance at his face in the mirror. Mad flashbacks come up on the last time we were positioned like this. He had taken me from behind like this in a bathroom. Both of us were thinking the exact same thing. ‘Well, that beautiful back looked different a while ago.’ He tried to make a joke out of it but it came out more sexual than he had intended.

He gently put the ice-cold cream on my back and I gasped loudly.

‘I have the condoms in the second drawer.’ River yelled from behind the closed door. Dosch growled at that and reached higher with the cream making me gasp again.

’Carina, stop making those noises. You are making me hard as fuck right now.’ Dosch dryly stated and continued massaging.

I gasped once more. The cream was really strangely doing weird things to me. it felt extremely cold but also painful at the same time. ‘W-what’s…’ I had to suppress another one. ‘I-in that thing, d-Dosch?’

He chuckled. ‘You like the pain don’t you?’ he whispered. ‘Kinky, I love that.’ He kissed my neck.

I moaned. ‘Stop!’ I turned around and grabbed the tube. My eyes were all wide, lips and chest flushed. He took one look at me and his entire stance changed. Pupils dilating, lips being licked. ‘If River wasn’t here…’

I halted him midway. ‘I need to go back, now!’

‘Okay, Carina. I’ll walk you back.’ The cream burning down my back now.