"If you are cold then you have to cuddle into me." He mumbled, determined to keep my small body on top of his large one.

"That is... evil and slightly genius." I admitted while throwing my head back and laughing "I can’t even be mad at you for that."

My finger roamed to his chest as I moved on to my stomach. He watched as I traced his tattoos. The darkness meant that I could see nothing, but I knew the black lines from memory.

Even though I was tired, and I could feel sleep taking over, I could not drift off. There was something I had to do first.

Something that I could blame on the symptoms of sleepiness if it went wrong.

To make sure he was not sleeping, I quietly called out "Stone?"

"Ella." He replied.

Whatever I wanted to say got lost in the air. I closed my mouth and rested my head back on the large chest.

He spoke instead and he asked me "Why do you act oblivious to us?"

I knew what he meant. He meant oblivious to him and his touch. To his stares and actions overall.

"Who says I’m acting?" I deadpanned.

Stone grumbled "I know you."

I quietly admitted to the shadow of the man underneath me "I’m scared of getting hurt."

"Ella." He said deeply and lowly, his voice full of determination "I would never dream of hurting you."

I believed him wholeheartedly.

A sense of relief washed over me when I opened my mouth. I was expecting to find it hard to admit something so massive to him, but it was surprisingly easy how the words poured out of me.

"What if I told you that I really liked you?" I uttered into the darkness.

The deep voice spoke back "I would say it is about time."

"I think I liked you from the start." I said aloud but more to myself.

Then I felt it. The overpowering sense of enlightenment. I had been running from the realisation for too long. I did not want to develop a connection and I did not want to grow attached.

It was too late. Far too late.

It was pitch black in the room, but I swore I could see him smiling and maybe I was imagining it, but it was the truest and most handsome smile I had seen.

I had fallen down the rabbit hole and there was no return.

Alice in Wonderland. I did remember reading it. In the book, Alice lists six impossible things before breakfast. I recalled the information as I planned to also list six impossible things of my own.

I listed the most preposterous statements.