DOS





July 19, 1981


Aurora stirred, a sharp pain immediately shooting up her neck as she opened her eyes and saw she'd fallen asleep in the hospital's chair. She sat up in place and stretched her aching limbs, satisfied when she felt a soft pop in her shoulder. Then she looked around the room, noticing her surroundings.


Her dad was still comatose and her mother was asleep in a chair beside his bed, her head on the side of bed with his hand held tightly by her own. Drew wasn't there because he'd gone home hours ago and Judy was beside Aurora doing schoolwork.


"Your boy went to the cafeteria to get us lunch." Judy said, flipping the page of her textbook before her lips curled up into a smirk, "don't know him, huh?" She teased, referencing to their last conversation where Aurora denied having anything to do with Arne. Aurora went red with embarrassment and grabbed a pillow, tossing it at her.


"Shut up." Aurora mumbled, embarrassed. She looked down and saw her hand and arm in a bandage from the incident.


"You shouldn't have cut your palm so deep, now you're stuck with the bandage for another month." Judy said, her eyes on Aurora.


"I don't mind, anything to save David. He's just an innocent boy." Aurora replied.


"Hey, Debbie came by earlier and left that basket and vase of flowers over by dad's bed. She said the flowers were for him but that the basket was for you, something about her remembering your favorite cookies were chocolate chip." Judy said as she pointed towards the small table beside her father's bed.


Aurora got up and quietly walked over to the basket with the intention of grabbing a cookie when she saw it was empty. She frowned, her shoulders slumping and she turned around and glared at Judy.


"It's empty." She stated and Judy shrugged.


"Drew ate them." Judy said and Aurora sighed, annoyed but not surprised.


Aurora opened her mouth to reply but the sound of nearby footsteps interrupted her and she turned, locking eyes with Arne who stood at the doorway.


"Hey." She said softly, nervously crossing her arms against her chest.


"Hey, you're up." He said, placing the bag of food and tray of drinks down, a genuine smile on his face that made Aurora want to melt in place.


"Have you slept like at all?" Aurora asked, frowning when she noticed the dark bags under his eyes. Arne waved it off, shoving hai hands into his pants pockets.


"Yeah but not nearly enough as I'd like. You're one to talk thought, you look like you haven't slept in ages and you're paler than usual." Arne said, concern lacing his tone. Aurora shrugged.


"Can't really get much sleep in my line of work and it doesn't help that these chairs aren't as comfortable as one would like." Aurora said and Arne rubbed the back of his neck nervously.


"Well you can sleep in my bed. I'll take the couch and my house is only five minutes away so it's much closer to the hospital in case of an emergency." Arne offered and Aurora hesitated.


"I don't know-" she drawled, unsure.


"You should go." Aurora heard her mother's tired voice call from her father's bed. She was just waking up, rubbing her neck as she did so and she sent Aurora a tired smile.


"You heard what the doctor said, he won't be up for a few more days at least. You should go, get some rest and we'll see you later or tomorrow morning okay? I'll take Judy home later tonight and we'll meet here in the morning if you don't home. Just take a break baby, you've been working too hard, pushing yourself too much. Remember what that does to us." Lorraine told her and Aurora walked over to her mother and bent down, kissing her forehead.


"Love you." Aurora mumbled and waved goodbye to her littler sister who only winked and moved her eyebrows towards Arne, silently suggesting crude things. Aurora ignored her.


"Here Ms.Warren." Arne said, handing Lorraine a small business card, "if you need anything we'll be at the kennel."


Aurora scrunched her eyebrows together at Arne's words but didn't question it.


She waved goodbye and tiredly followed after Arne who smiled at her but force her to speak to him. They walked through the hospital halls until finally, they reached the elevator and took it to the garage where Aurora figured Arne had parked the truck.


As she waited for the elevator to go down, she pressed her head against the wall and leaned her body, resting. The elevator dinged and before she she could peel her eyes open, she felt her body being lifted into a pair of arms bridal style.


"Arne!" Aurora screamed, surprised but in a small cheerful mood, lightly smacking his chest. She giggled at bit at the grin he sent her and tried her hardest not to blush. She felt her heart do various backflips and the sparks practically now lived on her skin, shooting up her arms and back.


"I can walk you know." She finally said but wrapped her arms around his neck for stability. Or maybe it was just and excuse to get closer to him, she didn't know.


"You seemed sleepy and tired, besides after what your mom said I'm not taking any chances in letting you faint then you'd have to spend the night in a hospital bed and I just got you to agree to spend the night in mine." Arne said cockily and Aurora gasped, smacking his chest lightly but slightly firm.


"Don't say it like that! You make it seem like I'm whoring myself out to you!" Aurora accused and Arne snickered, laughing which only annoyed Aurora more.


"Hey, I meant it in an innocent manner, you're the one with the dirty mind here." Arne said and Aurora felt her cheeks go hot from embarrassment but Arne teased her no more as he stopped, opening the truck door and gently dropped her into the passengers seat.


He shut the door and as he walked around to the other side, Aurora sunk into her seat and tried to absorb every detail in his truck.


"You know," Arne began to say as he slid into the truck, turning the engine on and beginning to reverse out of the parking space, "I'm surprised your mom pushed you to come home with me and that you actually agreed." He said, sparing her a glance before he drove out of the hospitals parking garage.


Aurora bit her tongue to prevent herself from scolding him for the innuendo and instead chose to look out the window, avoiding his gaze. She could feel the heat of his stare every once in a while, sending shivers down her spine.


Finally, she cleared her throat.


"I'm surprised she suggested it at all and pushed me to come. It must mean she sees you as a trustworthy and respectful guy." Aurora replied, looking over at him and rolling her eyes at the smirk that made it's way into Arne's soft lips. Lips she wanted to kiss. Aurora looked away, cheeks red so she hide the side of her face with her flaming red hair.


"And you don't?" Arne asked, not missing her suggestion.


Aurora watched she scenery pass, admiring the small town of Brookfield all while refusing to look back at Arne.


"I didn't say that but......." She drawled, playing with her fingers on her lap, "I think there's more to you. You seem nice, sweet and innocent on the outside but I think there's a different you, one you're hiding. Like the devil in disguise, coming off as an angel."


"So you're saying I'm bad?" Arne asked in a teasing tone. Aurora shook her head, curls bouncing and glanced over at him.


"No, I just think you're hiding parts of yourself that you don't want others to see." Aurora said and she heard Arne chuckle.


"You're one to talk." He replied easily, turing the truck to the right.


"You have to no idea." Aurora mumbled before her eyes analyzed Arne.


The way his slender fingers wrapped around the steering wheel and each time he turned the wheel a vein popped out. She also noticed that when he 'secretly' peeked over at her his jaw would clench and eyes would harden, it made her mouth go dry.


Finally, after a 8 minute drive that felt like an eternity, they arrived at the Brookfield Kennel.


"So, I never did ask why you brought me to a kennel or dog shelter of all places." Aurora casually said as she slid out of the truck.


"I currently live on the second floor and Debbie and I work on the bottom floor, where the kennel is.


"Oh." Aurora mumbled, hurt by the mention of Debbie but quickly glossing over her mood change by rushing up the stairs after Arne.


"Mi casa es su casa." Arne said in a bad Spanish accent as he unlocked the door and swung it open for her, letting her go in first.


Aurora walked in, appreciating the way Arne had decorated his apartment but frowning at all the boxes scattered around on the floor and stacked in corners. Some where labeled, indicating he'd just moved in.


"Need help unpacking?" Aurora asked with a yawn, sleepily leaning against the wall.


"Actually, packing. I was supposed to move out ages ago but I—stuff came up." Arne replied quickly, dropping his car keys onto the kitchen table.


Aurora respected his privacy and didn't press him for any more details. Instead she walked around his apartment, admiring his small but well kept kitchen, his furnished loving room and finally, his soft comfortable sofa.


She sighed in contentment as she sunk into the sofa and closed her eyes, kicking her flats off. One second she was trying to blissfully fall asleep and the next she was giggling and upside down.


"Arne! Put me down and let me sleep!" She scolded playfully before she felt the blood rushing to her head, making her dizzy. She ignored the butterflies in her stomach and gasped in surprise when he suddenly dropped her gracefully onto the bed.


He stood by the edge, towering over her and she looked up at him with her big doe like eyes. She saw Arne gulp and she clenched her thighs, fighting every urge to grab him by the neck and drag him into bed with her.


Arne was a heartbreaker and he didn't even know it. For a year, she crushed on him and he'd unknowingly shattered her heart. But right now, in this moment, she didn't care.


All she wanted was to wrap her legs around his waist and dig her nails into his back, dragging them down and visibly marking him as hers. But he wasn't. He was Debbie's and she was anything but never a homewrecker. And Debbie was a sweet girl, so it would harm her morals even more.


Debbie had been one of the only people to show her kindness in highschool. Asking her to sit with her at lunch, offering to tutor her and even going as far as asking her out to go shopping. Aurora always politely declined her offers, afraid Debbie would betray her in some cliché mean girl way but her kindness never stopped.


Now, Aurora hadn't been completely alone in highschool, no, she had one rocking bestfriend who was the complete opposite of her. While Aurora was shy and reserved her bestfriend, Suki, was daring and had no filter. She spoke whatever was on her mind and wasn't afraid to punch someone for disrespecting her. But when it came to the paranormal, Suki tended to stay away. It'd taken Aurora two years to convince her to visit her at home and even now, Suki refused to go anywhere close to the artifact room. Not that Aurora blamed her, so the living room or her room was where they would usually hang out that or at Suki's.


Aurora looked away from Arne and crawled under the covers, silently watching him as he crossed the room to shut the blinds and shut out the light.


"I—uh, I'll be in the living room if you need anything, probably taking a nap on the sofa. Rest and if your parents call, I'll wake you." Arne said, refusing to make eye contact with Aurora before he left the room, leaving the door halfway open.


Aurora mumbled a thanks and laid back, staring at the ceiling. A million thoughts raced through her mind and she could feel heat hit her like a wave. Suddenly, she found herself craving a cold shower to try and wash away any dirty thoughts she had of Arne.


She sighed, shutting her eyes close before attempting to count sheep to fall asleep. She drifted off somewhere around 482.



Arne's back hit the couch as he aggressively ran his fingers through his hair. Aurora had been right about him being the devil in disguise because just seconds ago, there was nothing angelic or pure about the way he imagined pinning her down against the bed and kissing the living daylights out her. But Arne was respectful, hopeful and above all patient.


He was going to wait until he heard the words leave her heart shaped lips. Lips he wanted to kiss senseless until they were swollen and red.


Aurora had been a splinter in his back since his senior year. One he couldn't reach to pull out and get rid off. As much as he hated to say it, she'd unknowingly played a part in his breakup with Debbie and he'd avoided her for it. But that didn't stop him from admiring her from afar.


He'd been the one who'd given her the nickname Rose that'd caught on to everyone else. When he graduated he tried moving on but even when he was at home, he saw her. She'd been on television various times for her achievements from working with her parents. She was doing amazing things, things she'd been teased for in highschool that she now seemed proud of.


This Aurora was different from the young naive girl he'd known in highschool, she was fearless, daring and snarky. Always having a quick response and he ate that shit up, loving it.


He doubted she'd given him a second thought after highschool, because even a year after they'd graduated and run into eachother many times at the grocery store, she'd walk by as though she'd never seen him. And now, on devastating circumstances, she'd waltzed back into his life as though she didn't have any intention of staying but he'd be a fool to let her go now.


Debbie and Arne had stayed good friends, bestfriends a year after their breakup. He'd been devastated when Debbie had seen him with Aurora at prom and when the cute red head had walked away Debbie was screamed in his face and dumped him then and there. He didn't blame her afterwards, it wasn't anybody's fault they'd broken up.


It'd been coming for a long time now, he'd bring up the topic of moving away and leaving that dull town and she'd always shut down the ideas, giving basic halfhearted excuses. Arne had clung to her, they'd grown up together so she was familiar to him but the truth was, the sparks weren't there and neither was the tension. For any of the two involved.


So, Arne packed up all shit and decided he was going to leave himself. But one night when he turned on the television and seen that flaming red hair was all it took to convince him to stay. And damn did he want to stay.


It took him three accidental run it's to decide he wasn't going to be too chicken shit to ask her out but then he saw her with him, Drew. He didn't quite know their relationship or where they stood at all. They were friendly and he didn't miss the way Drew's eyes looked at Aurora with adoration.


Maybe that's why Aurora kept pulling away because she had a boyfriend or maybe because she thought he was still with Debbie. But boyfriend or not, Arne wasn't going to stop, screw being respectful, he had no morals when it came to her.


He was going to wait until she asked him to fuck her. Then, he'd live out every fantasy he'd imagined with her for the past two years.


He'd have her in his shower, bed, truck, sofa and hell; even against the kitchen counter but he was going to wait until she asked him.


He hadn't intentionally planned anything out but when Debbie told him over their shift at the Kennel that David was acting weird after they moved into their new house, he'd been the one to offer the services of the Warren clan not anybody else; him.


He didn't miss the accusing look Debbie sent him when he told the Glatzel's about them and he certainly didn't regret it, not even if it hurt Debbie a little bit. Five months, five months of convincing if what it took to get the Glatzel's on board with his idea. Patient, Arne was patient. He wanted to be selfish too, just this once and if it all blew up in his face in the end then he'd move away like he'd intentionally planned.


Arne sighed in frustration, standing up from off the couch and waking back into the room where Aurora was currently sleeping in, her red hair around her head like a flaming halo from hell.


He looked away from her and walked into the bathroom, turning on the water to it's coldest setting and stripping. Something told him this was going to be his longest shower yet.


NOT EDITED
POSTED 6-20-21


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