Oasis: Zarah and Royalty

8: Being a friend

I double pat him on his back, letting him know it's time to let me go. He pulls away and he carefully takes a good look at me from head to toe. His eyes lingering on my bare feet for a moment before looking back up at me. I know it's doing a lot to him to not feel revolted, but he seems to still be in control. I shake my head and give him a warm look and finally looks behind me, taking note of Vixan and his brow pulls together suspiciously.

"Who's the Targaryen looking gladiator over here?" He asks with a grim, eyeing Vixan from head to toe just like he did me earlier.

I turn to Vixan, "Um Ray this is Vixan, he's a friend of mine. Vixan, meet Raymond, my very good friend." I say, introducing them formally to each other.

"Nice to meet you." Ray says and stretches his hand out for a shake, but Vixan just stares at it silently without shaking it.

Raymond withdraws his hand and gives me a delusional look, probably because he know me well and knows how's picky I can be about making friends. It took me a long time to finally consider Raymond my friend, so introducing Vixan to him just after one day may sound crazy especially with his level of attitude. I'm utterly grateful that he doesn't make any objections to what I say before letting us into his apartment.

His apartment is just like I last remembered it, warm, neat and welcoming. This was my safe haven when Michael and I broke up, Raymond didn't think I was emotionally capable of being alone in my place and he was right. So he moved a few of my things over and I stayed with him during that period. Although I wasn't in my own house, it felt like I was home.

He begins to speak as soon as we enter the house in a worried tone of voice, "You were all over the news yesterday's and even this morning, you're the only suspect for the death of your parents, which is total bullshit because you're no killer." he say a complete certainty in his tone. "If you were, Michael would have died a long time ago."

He's completely right there.

I walk towards him and take his hands, giving them a tender squeeze, "You're right, I am innocent. Someone killed my parents and I'm being framed for their death, but thanks you for believing in my innocence Ray, that really means a lot to me."

He smiles brightly at me, "You're welcome Ms. AJ, I'm almost done making spaghetti, I'm having it with boiled egg and sausage, I made extra so I won't have to bother about cooking before work tomorrow, but screw that. You should go shower while I serve it, I've got a few women's clothes since your last visit." He takes my hand, trying to lead me towards the bedroom.

"Thanks, I will do just that, I just need one more thing from you."

"Anything.." He instantly replies, pausing in his movement.

"Your copies of Doctor Martin's book on alternate universe, I need to read it." I reply.

I remember that I read the book while growing up, but I can't really remember anything in those book anymore and I'd like to know a little more about Doctor Martin's discoveries since Oasis is no longer a fiction like I thought it was.

Ray turns to me, his eyes narrows at me suspiciously, "Don't tell me Yemi has gotten into your head with his crazy theories as well."

I laugh and shakes my head, trying to not give him the impression of that being the case. "No it's more than that," I begin to say then suddenly losing the next words to say because I don't want to say words that will throw him off guard. "I want to know what he discovered, it will keep me busy in the mean time."

"Sure why not," he replies, letting go of my hand, "I'll go get them once I'm done cooking."

"Thank you so much Ray." I say before walking away to the bedroom but when he clears his throat, I stop.

"What am I going to do with him?" He asks, his voice awkward nudging his head towards the door.

I turn to Vixan, still standing at the door and looking around, but in no rush to sit down and I realise I didn't come alone.

"He's harmless, don't worry." I assure him then turning to Vixan I say, "You sit down while I go bathe and change once I'm done, you will too. Okay?"

Vixan doesn't respond although his eyes are locked in mine intently and I shiver on the inside, but bring myself to say, "please behave okay?" before leaving for the room.

.

After 30 minutes of staying in the bathroom, I finish bathing, I turn off the shower, finally feeling clean from the inside out after almost washing off my sins in the shower and I tie the towel around my body before making my way out of the bathroom to the bedroom. I gasp out and almost pass out in surprise when I see Vixan in the bedroom, sitting at the corner of the room close to the window.

My eyes are wide, "Don't do that!" I snap, cluntching hard on my chest to help steady my heart.

He raises a brow to me, "Do what, I haven't done anything, I'm just sitting here." There is a tease at the end of his voice and my cheeks heat up and I don't know if it's for anger or embarrassment.

Smooth you are, I'd give you that.

"Don't get smart with me. I told you you'd get your turn when I'm done. You're not supposed to be here Vixan," I scold, stepping further into the room. "you could have given me a heart attack?"

"Humans and their unending infirmities," he mumbled loud enough for me to hear, before getting up and walking towards me. "I brought them for you." He says, stretching his hands to me and in them I see the two book I had requested for from Ray. "I don't know what you hope to learn from them." He adds cluelessly.

"I hope this helps me understand your universe more and this man for a reason knew of its existence." I walk up to him and collect them before going and keeping them on the lampstand close to the bed.

"I'm here, you could have just asked me the questions." He says, sounding a little pained.

Since when did just asking work with you? I don't dare ask him that though so instead I ask. "Did Ray give them to you or did you bully your way to collect it?"

"I told him I'll take it to Ms. AJ and he fell obligated and said okay." He casually answer, but I know he didn't casually ask Raymond for the books the way he makes it sound.

Hearing him refer to me as Ms. AJ feels weird but good all at the same time and I realise that though I know his name he may not know mine.

"You can call me Zarah." I flash him a quick smile and add, "and thanks for bringing them then."

"You're welcome Zarah." He replies nicely, holding my gaze captive with his. His eyes begins to spark and I see a shade of emerald green in them and I wonder what this colour now means and why I feel so drawn to it.aṣ

Pull it together Zarah. The voice in my head sings loudly.

I look away from him and clear my throat awkwardly, "I'm done bathing, you can go takes a bath and change out of your armour. I'm pretty sure you're freaking Raymond out even though he isn't saying much about it."

I walk to the wardrobe and open it and glancing at the few clothes there I decide to go with the red cotton top and black trouser hanging at the side of the wardrobe and I pick it out.

I turn and I find that Vixan hasn't moved from his position like I thought he has. "What are you waiting for?" I almost exclaim in impatience.

"He doesn't like me," Vixan speaks up immediately and I can tell the 'he' he's talking about is Raymond.

We'll he's not the only one, I don't like you either. I mumble under my breath.

I frown a little, feeling distracted and I toss the gown on the bed. "Oh, what makes you say that?"

He steps closer to me, but I back away instantly, and I don't know the reason why I just did that, but I'm in nothing but a towel that's barely holding everything together; and he is Vixan, a very fine specimen of a man, and after everything we been through today a part of me is drawn to him which feel absolutely insane, so I do not think that my mind can take having him close just yet.

He must have noticed it as well cause he also steps back and sighs exasperatedly. "Because unlike yours, I can read his mind and he thinks something terrible is happening to you, but you're scared to tell him because I'm around."

"Something terrible is happening to me and I wish I could tell him," how do I explain to Raymond that you were sent from Oasis with orders to kill me and instead of killing me like you're supposed to, you saved my life twice and now you're doing everything possible to keep me safe, because you needs me alive to not feel obliged to your Lord back on Oasis. How do I tell my dear friend that I'm developing feelings for you, a man I only met yesterday under terrible circumstances and who was supposed to kill me and whom I still barely know? A man that can hurt me if he so wishes, a man that might be the very death of me?

"But I can't! He knows me well, he literally can read me like a book."

"How can he read you like a book when I can't?" He asks, sounding a little intrigued and interested with the fact that Ray can read me like a book.

I roll my eyes, "It called being friends, and can you stay out of his head when we go out to dinner?" I walk to the dressing mirror and I take a seat, not having so much strength in me to keep standing anymore. I need food. "It would feel so awkward knowing that you know what he's thinking."

"I don't have to do as you tell me, you don't rule over me." He barks back harshly, he must have taken offense at what I say.

I raise my hand up in surrender, "I am not commanding you Vixan, I'm merely asking you to stay out of his head, he's a great guy and the only friend I have, so I'm begging you to stay out."

He runs his palm over his face, "I don't know if I can do as you ask, it's not as simple as you think." Vixan says, his voice returning to normal. "it's like asking me to open my ears but not hear anything. We were not created stupid."

I groans at his words, "We aren't either...." I assimilate everything he says and I understand him better now, "But you would try if your friend needs you to." I reply, I don't know why I just said that or why I'm so cool even with my voice. Maybe you lose all the strength for word battle after a whole day of running and not eating.

Clearly Vixan and I aren't friends, I introduced him to Ray as a friend to save face, but I know he isn't my friend, so to refer to myself now as his friend when Raymond isn't here comes as a surprise even to me.

Well I've done a lot of things to surprise myself today, still being alive is one of them.

He seems lost for words to reply me with and so am I so instead I change the subject.

I get up and walk to the bed, picking up the clothes I had tossed on it earlier before, "I should change in the bathroom first then you can take those off before I get back." I tell him before entering back to the bathroom, his eyes following me every step of the way.

I wish I could talk to his conscience, Vixan is changing and it's nice, but at the same time it is scary and nerve wrecking and I need to talk to him and ask him a few questions.

I put the clothes on and I return to the bedroom where I meet Vixan in only a white trouser, his armour laying on the floor beside him. He doesn't seem to notice my presence in the room as he tries to remove the belt holder he has around him and my eyes trail over his broad shoulders down to his slightly muscled chest and his ripped abdomen. I gasps, struggling for breath then I realised that I had stopped breathing immediately I saw him many seconds ago.

What the hell are you doing? Look away before he notices your presence. My inner voice yell at me, but I can't bring myself to look away.

He immediately looks up at me and catches my eyes on him and his eyes glitters. My cheeks heats up, as I feel a little embarrassed and this time I force myself to look away, "You can go in now." I say with a shallow voice. "You do know how to use the shower right?" I enquiry, trying to know if I should help him turn it on.

"I'm human too Zarah, I know how things works." He replies warmly, a small smile playing at the end of his lips.

I find myself smiling back at him like an i***t, "Okay good," I step away from the door as he walk past it. "I'll go ask Ray to help me with some of his clothes so you can wear. You're bigger but they'll suffice for now. I'll leave them on the bed, when you finish dressing up, you're welcome to join us in the parlor."

"Okay I will, thank you." He says genuinely and I nod silently, before leaving the room.

Maybe this won't go as horrible as I have already anticipated after all.