The Traps of Black Swan

The wooden deck was a place Aaron had shown to his Little Cupcake and told her that the place wasn't haunted but it was false rumors to avoid people entering the place and dirty the area.

Later days they had numerous times visited the place and he would teach her school works sitting on the deck without any disturbance which they had faced in the cafe.

On his eighteenth birthday, Little Ava wanted to buy him a gift but he had asked her to prepare something by herself. He was free before the fixed time of their meet and he reached the deck without knowing he was being followed. Then he was attacked and lost his consciousness. When he woke up, he was on the flight next to his grandfather.

He couldn't imagine how long she must have waited for him and what might have happened later that she forgot all his memories leaving her like a shell making everything shallow.

Lost in the thoughts, he didn't watch the sunset and Aarvi had dozed off leaning on him. Like always, he could only sigh knowing her short time sleep in the night. He didn't want to trouble her with the sleeping pills again that worsens her nightmare so he could only take care of her during the day.

He shifted her to carry her up in his arms but Aarvi mumbled snuggling to his embrace, "Little more time..."

Since he had no plans to visit the hospital, he sent a message with a menu for dinner accompanying her silently for another twenty minutes before she yawned after waking up from her cat nap.

She had expected to see the darkness but her lips curved to a delighted smile catching the sight of candles and small table arrangements next to them. "Candlelight dinner?" She asked to check the time if she slept too long.

Aaron hummed and both turned hearing footsteps. The three men in waiter uniforms were bringing dinner for them.

Aarvi watched each dish and spoke after they left, "I think I should start sleeping here and there at sunset and you would arrange dinner at my place." She beamed.

Aaron helped her sit as he asked, "Are you asking me to prepare a surprise daily?"

Aarvi couldn't believe he was really thinking of it, "No! I didn't know Doctor Rivas is so romantic." Crawling on four limbs, she kissed his cheek and added, "I will learn from you." And again, she pressed her lips against his cheek giving a loud smacking kiss before giggling happily.

Aaron: "..." How should he react to it? He loves her mischief side too much, but he needed to control himself else he might eat her instead of dinner. 'Think straight. Think straight.' He reminded himself.

Aarvi saw his calm bewitching look under candle light and teased, "Are you waiting for another kiss?" She asked after seeing him not eat.

But the next movement, 'Ahh...' She shrieked when his arm wrapped around her waist pulling her on his lap.

Satisfied by her widened eyes going mute, "Better, now eat..."

She couldn't believe she was blushing sitting on his lap feeling her cheeks burn, "I am not a little kid. Let me sit and eat."

However, Aaron enjoyed feeding her and seeing her flushed without letting her off from his lap.

That's how, both had dinner by the lake in the candle light with light talk and teases forgetting the worries, troubles before they routed to the Avron mansion.

....

In the middle of the night, at the Avron mansion,

Aaron had lots of pending work so he completed some in the study room and was returning to his room when he heard Laze purring loudly. Laze never makes loud noises unless Aarvi is having a problem so he didn't think before running inside.

He noticed the duvet and bed sheet crumpled leaving traces of her struggle while dreaming her darkest days. He saw her curled up on the floor holding her head, trembling uncontrollably trying to suppress her cries.

Is it new to him? No, he had seen her in that state numerous times. It's just that the frequency has decreased compared to the last two year.

However the heart ache he felt hadn't changed. He felt like somebody stabbed his heart with a dagger and twisted it to give him more pain. Her position is when she gets the nightmare of many pounding her continuously.

Sitting on the floor, he pulled her into his embrace. He tried to sound coherent rubbing her back to calm her, "It's over... Aarvi, it's all over... You are strong now... I am right here..." Aaron's soothing voice tried to remind her subconscious mind that it is a nightmare and it's not happening.

It didn't seem to work so Aaron moved her hands to wrap around him to make her feel his presence next to her.

Ensnared in the nightmare is worse than waking up in the middle of the night. Her subconscious mind is so hurt that when her therapist and he had tried to speak about it, she would start feeling all the pain and faint for a day or more.

Aaron didn't want to force her to speak about the past nor he could see her in so much pain. He couldn't understand where she gets so much courage to sleep in the night even after knowing she will be haunted by her past in the dreams.

If it was somebody else in her place, they wouldn't dare to close their eyes and feel the pain all over again.

The worst part of the ensnared dreams is that she feels the same amount of pain and loses all her energy. Aarvi didn't wake up from her sleep and her expression turned a lot more gentle from the agony and stopped crying.

Aaron noticed the difference this time. He had found her in a cold warehouse where they had tortured her. Hence she ends up on the cold floor feeling the same pain. He always tried to wake up or coax her to forget the dream, now she slept sooner in his arms.

So to get her out of her dream is to make her feel his presence. But the problem is she wouldn't agree so easily to sleep with him. It wasn't because she can't share the bed with him, it was because she wants to fight alone.

With an aim to coax her the next day, he pulled her to his embrace and slept on her bed foreseeing the big battle the next day.

---

In the morning,

Aarvi stretched her limbs lazily and realized she was sleeping in Aaron's embrace. 'Am I dreaming?' She thought and poked his nose gently.

After discerning it as real, her first reaction was to cheek the duvet color to make sure she was in her room and didn't crawl to his room. In fact, she had heard hurtful past events could cause one to sleep walk so she confirmed if she contracted any sleepwalking disease.

'Uff it's black.' She thought after seeing the duvet.

She pinched his nose blocking his nostrils to stop him breathing so that he could wake up and justify his actions.

A lazy groggy voice sounded after he yawned, blocking mouth with his back hand. "Is this how you wake up your husband?"

'Husband?' Aarvi grounded her teeth and pushed him off the bed. "This is how I wake..."

'Thump'

Her eyes widened round as saucers, pursed her lips tighter when her lips landed on his, falling down with him.

She had forgotten she was in his arms and he was at the edge of the bed, wouldn't pushing him result in falling down with him? Now she wanted to cry for the accidental kiss.

Aaron was using every possible self-control to be nonreactive. He is a common man with all senses working properly and the woman he loves had her lips on his while her every curve was pressing his toned muscles.

'Why only accidentally kisses are fated to me?' He thought distracting his mind to other things to avoid his body reacting to her.

Flushed red, feeling embarrassed, Aarvi wanted to check if her breath was stinking. She didn't think of a kiss but what he would think of her smelly mouth hence she didn't dare to breathe.

Gazing his emotionless eyes, motionless muscle on his face, she couldn't believe he stays so calm even when she is lying on him or even for the accidental kiss. 'He is epitome of composition.'

Even though she gets to see his many other expressions, she really wanted to see how he would react to a lip kiss or being seduced by her. In simple words she wanted to see how he would react when his brain loses control over him.

Today's plan - Meeting Esme to learn the art of seduction.

Aarvi lifted her head to run into the bathroom and brush her teeth first, 'wouldn't it be embarrassing if her mouth smells awful.' She rolled down and got up to run without uttering a word.

While he distracted himself, he noticed her confused instead of flustered. He had expected her to get angry and chide him but surprised seeing her leave with a hint of grumpiness.

"Aaaron..." Aarvi screamed when her hand was pulled aside and her back bounced on the bed.. Her eyes widened when Aaron pinned her back on bed seeing her get up.