SWNOVELS Chapter 45: Music
It's nothing short of ugly, and I wonder if Heloix will let me put the new furniture in the slave's quarters and return the old in here. What's in there is pretty old and ratty, and this will be a nice improvement, even if it's a bit of an eyesore.
With one final glance, I turn and head towards my bedroom, eager to throw on some pajamas and spend some time with Heloix. There is one last barstool to unpack, and I debate it for a moment before heading over and ripping off the bubble wrap. Both of the old ones have already been removed, and if we decide to sit at the island at any time tonight, it will be nice to have them both unpacked and ready.
The wrapping comes off pretty smoothly, ripping quickly underneath my hands. Dropping down to my knees, I pull the last bit of packaging off and lift the stool to remove it altogether. It's easy work, but as I move to stand back up my hand brushes against a small piece of paper wedged where the bottom of the seat meets the legs.
Crouching down, I eyeball the folded-up paper, noticing that it doesn't seem to be part of the packaging.
My curiosity is peaked as I reach out and grab the corner with my fingers, giving it a hard yank to dislodge it. Turning it over, my hands freeze as I notice my name is written on it, the handwriting neat and feminine.
I don't hesitate to unfold it, my heart beating rapidly at the secretive nature of the note. Before I have the chance to read over the words Heloix comes walking back in, forcing me to shove the paper into my front pocket in panic.
"What're you doing?" He asks, voice curious as he walks up behind me.
I shrug, popping back up on my feet. A part of me wants to show him what I've found, but another part of me worries that he will take it away and keep the contents a secret. What else would be written on a hidden note to me if not something Heloix doesn't want me to know about?
Spinning around, I face Heloix with a large smile. "I just wanted to unwrap this last bit here."
He looks at me cautiously, clearly not believing my words, but doesn't push me on it. Instead, he wraps his arm around my waist and lifts me into the air, making me laugh as he carries me into the bedroom.
"I thought I told you to get changed." He comments, forcing a squeal out of me as he tosses me on the bed.
I scurry up off the mattress, landing on my feet at the foot of the bed.
"I'm changing now!" I shout, rushing to my dresser to grab one of Heloix's shirts.
He watches me as I change, a slight smirk on his face as I undress. A light blush covers my cheeks as I slip out of my clothes, careful not to let the note fall out of my pocket as I slide down my pants.
The removal of my clothing is successful, and I gently set them down on the dresser before slipping on Heloix's shirt. It falls a couple of inches above my knees, and a quiet grumble falls from his chest as I turn around and face the bed.
"My Beast likes this." He comments, eyes flickering as he looks me up and down.
Gasping, I hold a hand over my heart and feign hurt. "But does Heloix?"
With a chuckle he stands, walking to meet me in two long strides. I have to crane my head back to remain eye contact with him, his height forcing my neck to fold in half. He has to make a similar motion on his end, dropping his head forward to look down at me.
I'm sure to everybody else it looks comical, such a giant Beast mated to a tiny human, but I quite like it. His size makes me feel secure, and the knowledge that he is bigger than the other Beasts serves to turn me on.
"My little minx." He mutters, bending down so he can grab into my thighs and lift me into his arms.
I sigh in relief as he raises me, my neck finally straightening out as I wrap my legs around his waist and arms around his neck.
"Will you tell me what you got from the city now?" I ask, trying and failing to keep the excitement out of my voice.
Heloix nods, lips spreading into a wide grin. "Yes."
He quickly turns and walks us out of the bedroom, my eyes zeroing in on the package that sits on the coffee table. I dig my heels into his back in excitement as we approach, my attention momentarily distracted by the shiny disc that sits next to it.
It's the one that he showed me when we drove back from our trip, his claim that it will play the old human music filtering through my mind. Glee rushes through me as I realize that his package must be related to the disc and that he has hopefully found a way to create the music.
Heloix sets me gently on my feet, and I drop to my knees next to the table before carefully pulling the object out of the package.
It appears to be a large black box with tiny buttons and a flap on the top. Beasts don't often listen to music, and this object is entirely foreign to me. Turning it in my hands, I hold it to my ear and give it a slight shake, trying to hear if there are any loose bits inside.
"Hey now!" Heloix shouts, snatching the object from my hands. "This took me forever to find, don't go breaking it."
I frown as he gently sets it back down on the table, watching as he grimaces at the box.
"What is it?" I ask.
Heloix pokes at one of the buttons, frowning when nothing happens. "It's called a CD player."
He continues poking around, a triumphant shout falling from his lips as the flap on top pops open. Inside is a small round hole, and I quickly grab onto the disc and set it inside, smiling widely as it perfectly fits the space.
I gently close the lid, being careful not to break or crack anything, and stare at the CD player in confusion.
"How's it work?"
Heloix laughs, bringing up his hand to rub nervously at the back of his neck.
"That's a good question." He comments, reaching out and poking some more buttons on the top.
We continue prodding at the buttons with hope, both of our faces falling as the object stays silent. Bringing my hand to my chin, I hum quietly as I observe the music player, wondering what we are doing wrong. Heloix picks it up once more and brings it to his face to get a better look, bringing the bottom on display to me.
"Oh!" I shout, grabbing it from his hands and flipping it over. "It needs batteries."
Fiddling with the small compartment, I push on the latch until it comes undone, the back opening up to show a spot for four batteries.
"Do you have any?" I ask, glancing up at Heloix.
He seems to contemplate it for a moment, a slight frown on his lips, before standing abruptly and heading to the front door. He doesn't say anything as he exits, and I roll my eyes as the door slams shut behind him, slowly getting used to his rude behavior.
With him gone, I finally let myself think about the note I found, mind racing as I contemplate the possibilities of what could be in there. What's likely is that John put it there to mess with me, and I'll open it up to some corny insult.
I hesitate on going to the bedroom while Heloix is gone and reading it, but I worry that he will come back while I am doing so and see me. It wouldn't be the first time he's caught me trying to be sneaky, and if I'm honest with myself, he catches me more often than not.
With a deep sigh, I remain planted to the floor and wait for him to return, staring at the music player in interest. It'll be exciting to hear what the humans used to listen to before the Beasts came, and I'm hoping to get a glimpse of what life was like for them.
The door slams open with a loud band, and I turn to watch Heloix march in with large handfuls of batteries. I hold back a laugh as I take in the sheer amount he grabbed, his large hands barely able to hold on to them all.
"Where did you get these from?" I laugh, giggling as he plops them down on the table.
Heloix smirks. "Went down and made the guards give me all they had."
I hum at his actions, shaking my head slightly. I'm sure they weren't too happy about that, and make a mental note to make him return them tomorrow.
Flipping the device over once more, Heloix grabs a couple batteries and starts sizing them up to the holes, trying to find the correct one. The pile he brought contains a couple of different sizes, and thankfully it looks like there are enough of the small cylinder-shaped that match the indents in the player.
His massive fingers carefully slot the batteries into the correct position, making sure to match up the ends, before popping the back on and flipping the device back over.
"Do the honors." Heloix smiles, gesturing to the device.
I match his smile, excited, as I reach forward and poke the top button, the machine immediately whirring to life. There's cackling as it attempts to read the scratched disc, but I can hear the sounds of music underneath it. It takes a moment, but eventually it clears up enough that I can make out the words.
The musician is a man, and behind his voice are several instruments I do not recognize. It's unlike anything I've ever heard before, but I find myself nodding my head along to the beat.
Heloix watches me with a small smile, his gaze soft as he takes in my reaction.
"I like this," I comment, glancing up at him.
Heloix nods. "Me too."
Smirking, I poke Heloix's bicep. "Are we having fun yet?"
"Only after we find the bottom of every bottle." He responds, picking up on me copying the words the man sings.
We continue to tease one another as the songs change, and at some point his arms wrap around my torso and pull me into his lap. I happily lean against him, eyes closing as I try to put pictures to the words that are said. Most of the songs describe situations and feelings that I don't relate to, but I still try and place an image and story to them.
Heloix's arms tighten around me as the CD begins to repeat itself, his head dropping down to rest on top of mine.
"Are you happy?" He questions, hands flexing where they rest on my belly.
His words make me pause, and I frown as I contemplate his answer. Despite the improvement that still needs to be done, I find myself looking forward to each day and excited when I awake in the morning. It's a far cry from what my life was a year ago.
Heloix's body tenses up at my silence, and I gently bring my hands down to cover his.
"I am."
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The song is 'How You Remind Me' by Nickleback and I'm not proud of it