Clara opened her eyes slowly. She squinted at the room around her. "Where am I?" Her throat felt like sand paper and it made her let out a small cough.
Beep.
"Oh no not the beep again, I'm going crazy with that!" She turned to investigate the sound and was met by jet black hair and then a flash of onyx eyes.
"Good morning Darling." Cyra squeezed Clara's hand.
Clara coughed again. The burning in her throat made it too unpleasant to talk.
"Here my love, have some water" Cyra supported her back and tilted a clear glass to Clara's cracked, pale lips. When the cold water glazed her lips she found herself guzzling it down with furiousity.
"More" she panted. Cyra dashed to the kitchen and returned in an instant with more water and assisted Clara once more. She drank it at a normal pace this time but finished it in one go.
"Where am I?" Clara scanned the room.
"You're in my bedroom."
Clara blushed. "This is your bed?" She dipped into further. It's very comfortable. And big. What do you need such a big bed for anyway, it's so wasteful?"
"Oh how I missed this atmosphere. Things are too boring when you are unconscious" Cyra smiled.
"I thought I remembered being in the kitchen on the island? And you leaving to see Ricky? That's his name by the way, the guy from the warehouse. Did you see him, was he there?" Clara probed.
Cyra took the empty glass from her and placed it on the counter, then replaced it with his hand. "You were in the kitchen, the doctor gave you blood and when that was complete, I carried you to my room so you could be more comfortable."
"And the clothes?" Clara asked shyly. "Did you dress me… and bathe me?" Her checks were blood red.
"No. Actually, that was Natalia. She took care of you when I was… away"
"What happened when you got there? At the warehouse." Clara asked, less patient than the first time.
Cyra squeezed Clara's hand. She noticed there was dry blood on it.
"Cyra. He didn't have a choice but to hurt me, I knew his name, his place of work, even his nephew. He had to protect his family and everything else." Clara explained.
"He didn't just hurt you Clara! He killed you. You stopped breathing. You were dead for half a minute! Do you think I give a flying fuck about his intentions?"
"Cyra. What happened at the warehouse." This was no longer a question but an accusation.
"You won't forgive me if I told you." Cyra whispered.
"Cyra."
"He's dead." Cyra stared at the floor. "He was trying to hurt you."
"Cyra."
"I had to do it. I can't- I can't let anything happen to you. I had to…" Cyra's voice cracked and he stopped abruptly.
Clara was taken back by his vulnerability. She wanted to rush off the bed and hold him.
"Hey, no, look at me. I know, okay? He would have come for me.You saved me. I'm just... I'm just in shock." Clara stroked Cyra's forearm.
"But not scared?"
"Of you? Pffft, never." Clara squeezed his arm. "You're my hero."
Cyra stroked her cheek softly. Little light-sparkles danced about. "Am I corrupting you? You just said that killing someone is ok." He glided his hand over to her forehead. "How hard did to you bump your head?" Cyra joked, breaking the tension.
"Maybe you are." Clara shrugged. "Try not to murder revenge anyone else please."
"Only if they are really asking for it"
"Cyra."
"Like if they took your parking space." He grinned.
"Cyra."
"Or didnt hold the elevator door for you."
"Cyra!"
"I'm kidding! I know I know. Murder bad." Cyra put his hands behind the back of his head and reclined.
"Cyra, what is wrong with me? What did the doctor say?" Clara asked, impatiently once again. She attempted to sit up straighter but winced at a pain in her side. Cyra adjusted her pillow for her.
"Well, you have a broken rib, you lost a lot of blood, your pancreas is swollen and you may need me to hold your hand for the rest of your life or you will short circuit." Cyra rushed the last part.
"Wait what? Say that last bit again, I have to hold your hand? That's a joke right?"
Cyra went back to holding Clara's hand but she pulled it away.
"No joke, unfortunately my little lightning bug."
"Don't call me that, are you going to explain or are you going to make me waste all my energy fighting with you? Ugh I'm starving." Clara crossed her arms.
"You're adorably cute when you're grumpy. Are you always grouchy when you're hungry, lightening bug?" Cyra smiled tauntingly.
"I will murder you!" Clara put a warning finger to Cyra. "And make it look like an accident!" Cyra bit the tip of her slim finger and smiled devilishly. Clara's cheeks went red. Light crackled in his mouth like pop rock candy. "You're definitely a lightening bug."
She used her other hand to flick a spark at his forehead. She giggled at Cyra's surprised face.
"No fair, little cheater! When did you even learn to do that?" Cyra laughed, holding her hand away from himself in defense.
Clara smiled. "I don't know, I just did it! It's easy when I'm with you."
Cyra leaned in and cupped her face in his hand. He put his forehead on hers and closed his eyes. After a moment of stillness his thumb traced her lips.
"Wha..what are you doing." Clara asked without moving away.
"I want to try something. Keep still." Cyra touched his nose to Clara's. Her breathing got heavier. "Keep still." Clara closed her eyes. Her heart was beating out of her chest. A soft warmth touched her lips. She parted her lips involuntarily. She could feel Cyra's warm breath and leaned into him slightly. His lips pressed onto hers and it made her light headed. A warm euphoric feeling filled Clara's body. Lightening flickered from her lips. Shockwaves went through Cyra and tingled through his body.
"Are you ok?" Cyra asked, brushing hair away from Clara's face.
"I was going to ask you that. Did I hurt you with my electricity?" Clara touched Cyra's lips to investigate. He smiled feverishly at her touch.
"Not at all. But I should test it out one more time just to be sure." Cyra half smiled and leaned into Clara. Her stomach did a flip and her heart beat faster again.
"Cyra." Clara whispered, reluctantly put a hand on his shoulder to stop him.
"Yes Darling" Cyra's eyes didn't leave her lips.
"I don't think this is the right time… with me almost dying and all. Our emotions are all over the place. I think we should wait and think about this when our heads are clear."
"Ah yes, near death experiences are seldom a good time to take advantage of emotions, especially with you in such state. You're supposed to be recovering, stop seducing me." Cyra teased.
Clara scoffed and they both laughed.
"I see you are feeling better Tecto" Natalia entered the room with a tray. She shooed Cyra away and placed the tray in front of Clara. He moved reluctantly to the other side of the bed. Garlic and lemon scented steam tickled her nose and her stomach growled.
"I made you soup and herbal tea." Her Slavic accent made even kind words sound aggressive.
"Thank you, it smells delicious! I'm so starving." Clara's mouth watered as she picked up a spoon.
"Of course you are. You slept for 2 days." Natalia remarked.
"Two days?" Clara looked around the room. "Oh that's right. My phone was broken. I need to talk to Emily. She'll be worried."
"I'll go see this Emily." Natalia stood.
Clara put her hand on her arm warmly. "Thank you, for the meal and for taking care of me and for offering to talk to Emily. I am forever in your debt. But I think I should go. She'll be even more nervous if you show up, she never met you and no offense, you are a little intimidating Natalia."
"No offense taken, that is compliment."
"Of course it is. I'll go now…" Clara started.
"Now hold on, the only person you are going to see is the grim reaper if you leave this bed." He pointed at the machine beeping. "Those numbers up there say you are low blood pressure, low iron and you will faint before you get out the driveway. I'll go. Emily knows some things I presume?"
Clara thought for a moment. "She knows I've been doing a project and hanging out with a boy. She knows we broke up and then I left abruptly so she might assume we got back together, but then again I said you had a temper so if she seen me like this she would probably call the police. After she kicked your ass."
"She knows we broke up? That's news to me. You didn't tell me that we were a couple and when did we break up?" Cyra smiled slighly.
"We aren't. But she thinks we were. Kinda. It's complicated."
"Too late! You already said it! We are a pair of old exes." Cyra proclaimed.
"Is he always this annoying or just when I'm around?" Clara asked Natalia.
"He's always annoying." Natalia rolled her eyes. "You can't go. You are stuck with her, remember?"
"Stuck?" Clara asked Natalia but she just shrugged. "What does she mean Cyra?"
"Oh right, that. Clara, Darling. The doctor said that when we are apart, your powers are too strong for the neurons in your brain and it starts to overpower you. When I hold your hand, I act as a type of conduit. You release some of your power through me. I was also fairly certain that you can not electrocute me either, as we just seen with that kiss."
"That is pretty interesting. So that's why I wasn't able to use my powers then, I was too far from you?"
"Precisely, or it could have been that we were apart for too long." Cyra added.
"So stay by my side forever and touch me periodically or else I die?"
"Sounds like heaven." Cyra smiled.
"Sounds like a nightmare." Clara pouted. "Go see Emily, I'll be fine. It took 2 days for me to get to critical levels. With that math it is safe to assume that I am safe from self imploding for at least 48 hours."
"Won't you give me another kiss goodbye?"
Clara flicked another small lightning ball at Cyra's face.
"Not a chance."