Casper-ette

**Natalie POV**



"Trevor."

I stood up from bed. Trevor was staggering and speaking uncoherently. Mentally expressing gratitude, I was able to get the little princes to sleep after they begged me to see their Mother or Uncle for an hour. They were sound asleep, locked and tucked into their personal chamber, and wouldn't witness their beloved Uncle like this.

Trevor grinned, closing the distance between us. There was foulness dripping from his body and he reeked of bitter alcohol. Good thing there was water still in the tub from the prince's bath. I had yet to drain it.

I pointed to the door off to the side of Aileen's bed. He sniffed at the collar of his torn-up shirt and grimaced. "Clean."

He frowned, "back to only speaking one word to me? Come on now, at least let me enjoy this dream, love."

Dream? He was getting closer to me again. Careful not to touch the filth covering his clothing and arms, I boldly pushed him towards the bathing area. A large stack of papers fell from his left arm, scattering beside us.

"Oops. Guess my perfect hand-eye coordination doesn't work in dreamland." He laughed at the floor. "Well, I'll play along. Don't go anywhere ghosty. I'll bathe quickly."

As promised, he was going fast. Before he reached the door, his shirt was removed and tossed near a small basket. He laughed to himself at the fact he missed. I tried to keep my focus on anything but his sweaty hard chest. A flush crossed my cheeks when he reached for his trousers. I saw his belt fall to the ground along with his undergarments. Trevor tilted his head, wearing nothing but a grin.

"Like what you see, Cupcake?" He wiggled his butt at me, a firm and well-sculpted ass, to be fair. "Well, you can get a better looksie- once I get this crap off." He slapped his butt twice and went to clean himself.

Why was he coming up to Princess Aileen's room hammered like that anyway? He was obviously just as shocked to see me as I was him. He also didn't ask why I was here. That was weird too.

No, I promised I would apologize to him and not let others shape how I felt about him! Nothing about him seemed malicious, not in any interaction I had with him. I decided to shut off my overactive brain and let my instincts guide me for now.

Water creeped out from under the door frame. A tell-tale splish splash told me he was really trying to wash as fast as possible. The demon side of my brain was more than pleased with the pictures surfacing in my head. I had to stop myself from joining his bath.

Bet he wouldn't be rushing then.

The splashing stopped soon after it started. My heart rate accelerated. Nerves caused my body to shake no matter how hard I tried to steady myself.

Trevor emerged from the bathroom with only a towel wrapped around his waist. A white mark ran down the middle of his chest. Tiny droplets of water trailed down the scar. Near his belly button was a dark oval of scarred tissue where he had clearly been burned badly.

Fear vanished as instantly as it had appeared. The feeling was replaced with horror and sadness for what he had suffered. I knew firsthand how badly torture by fire hurt.

As I let myself look over all his marks, the muscles in his abs and stomach tightened. I didn't fight or second guess myself. My steps brought me right in front of the dripping man swaying gently on his feet. One of my fingers traced over his previous injuries. He sucked in a heavy breath at my touch. Softly, Trevor took my hand in his and sat us both on the bed.

It was obvious I could never fight him, but now it was transparent; I would never want to. The affection I felt staring at the man in front of me was proof enough.

Before I could say a word, he buried his face in my neck. "I'm sorry, Cupcake! I'm so sorry I couldn't protect you. Did it hurt?" I sucked in a gulp of air at the sensation of his lips on my neck.

He was apologizing to me? He was upset he couldn't protect me? Those words sounded like an actual member of the DSS. He wasn't acting; his concern was genuine.

"You weren't there, and I didn't get hurt. I wasn't the one he was after." Everything dissolved inside my jumbled mind. Trevor and my old feelings for him swam to the surface. My heart told me to trust him. The scared part of my brain, frozen in the past, melted with him by my side. "Ohhh!"

Trevor kissed up to my ear. "How, even in a dream, do you smell so good?" He bit the lobe of my ear lightly, "like the sweetest strawberries."

His wet hair brushed across the side of my face while he nipped at my neck. "I've wanted you for so long."

"Trevor, Princess Lydia, and you are engaged." I scooted away, only for him to cage me in his arms. "Don't."

"I guess you were watching over Princess Lydia and me, huh? But you misunderstood. I might propose to her in the future, but I told her I wasn't ready yet. I can't promise to love, date, or marry a woman when you won't leave every waking hour of my head. She did ask me to use her tonight, and I was planning to, but fuck; the idea of being with any other woman makes me disgusted and flaccid." He nuzzled the side of my neck and placed my hand on his manhood. "I only want you."

Why would he lie if he thought me to be dead? His face reflected honesty. I knew something was fishy about the situation. Not even the King was believing her tale. So, they weren't engaged?!

Trevor threw his head back and laughed without joy. "If only you were alive; neither one of us would ever be lonely again."

"I'm not-" Trevor kissed me hard, his lips moving urgently against mine. I tried to pull away, but he wound his fingers in my hair, holding me in place. Unlike this morning, it wasn't tender or slow. This was pure desperation like he was branding me with his lips. Everything around me disappeared as I poured my unspoken feelings back into the kiss.

Trevor yanked on my hair, causing me to gasp. Taking advantage of my parted lips, he shoved his tongue in my mouth. Trevor groaned deeply into our kiss. His hand tightened in my hair, almost to the point of pain. The other trailed down my curves until it reached my inner thigh. A whimper left my mouth. Trevor took the soft sound as encouragement and lifted my gown. Staring at my blushing face, he slipped a hand under the thin material. He caressed me so lightly there I almost thought I imagined it.

He tilted my head, plunging his tongue deeper as his fingers became more daring near my panty-covered slit. I moaned as he explored my mouth.

"Fuck, baby."

Before I could register what he was doing, I was pinned on the bed under him. When he leaned back to stare at me, I couldn't help but notice how glazed his eyes were.

"I never got to tell you when you were alive, but I love you. I've loved you for so many years. You only you…Sweetness"

My heart drummed wildly in my chest. He called me Sweetness!

Trevor's fingers slipped under my panties and rubbed at my weeping pussy. "You're wetter than I am!" He pushed a finger inside my tight channel. My face scrunched up in discomfort from the sudden intrusion. Immediately, he started licking and sucking at my neck to ease my pain. As my walls clenched around his digit, he withdrew before shoving it roughly back inside me. My hips lurched forward as he quickened his assault on my wet aching channel. The pleasure spiked through me, tearing a loud moan from my lips.

"Oh! You are so tight, Sweetness. How your body keeps wiggling, do you know how enticing it is? All I can think about is replacing my finger with my hard cock and pounding into your sweet pussy. Fuck!"

Without warning, he added a second finger. Pain shot through me, heightening my pleasure. His free hand went down to the little nub near where he was fingering. His thumb rolled and pressed the sensitive spot at the same time he plunged his fingers deeper inside me. Something intense started growing in my lower stomach. I felt myself clamp around his skilled fingers.

"Yes, baby cum for me. Let me feel you."

He bit hard on the hollow of my throat just as his fingers curled, and he pinched my clit. I covered my mouth with my hands and climaxed over Trevor's fingers.

"Yes, so God damn sexy!" He brought my hand under his towel and rubbed it against his straining cock. It throbbed in my hand as I followed the motions Trevor had started. It felt huge and rigid in my small hand. He wanted to put that inside me? No way it would fit! Something sticky slid from his tip down his large shaft. He made my hand jerk him faster.

"Good girl." He rasped in a sandpaper voice. The sound went straight to my core. "I'm going to make you mine now."

"Yes!" I was panting as my body rode out the last waves of my orgasm. Trevor watched me intently as he started tugging at his towel. Already I could feel myself getting aroused again by his words. I was his as he was mine.

"All mine." His own breath was labored close to my face. Once again, I smelt beer coming from his mouth. I saw the distant glazed expression on his face.

My brain finally decided to work again.

I started struggling away from him. Surprised, he blinked a few times, but the lost, dazed look never left his green eyes. "No."

Confusion spread across his features, placing his head on my shoulder. "At least dream you isn't scared of me anymore. I'd rather be rejected than feared by you. Or are you a ghost? Do they exist? I almost fucked Casper-ette!"

"I'm not a-" Trevor wasn't hearing me at all. He was lost in whatever haze he was trapped in. Something else besides alcohol had to be in his system.

"The clouds are back again. Are you showing me that you're in heaven? Is that why there's all this fluff around?" Trevor stuck his hand out and batted at nothing around my head. "Go away. I wanna see my Cupcake for the last time. Go back to the sky and annoy God. Shoo."

"I'm not dead," I stated simply. Gently, I cupped his cheeks. "And I'm not rejecting you. You're not in a right state of mind."

His head rocked back and forth as a frown fell on his face, remembering something. Tears slipped down his cheeks. "I hope in the next life we meet again. I'm soooo sorry. I love you." His voice cracked full of anguish.

He leaned forward and kissed the air before falling face-first onto the bed. I crawled over to help him back upright. The towel fell from his hips, exposing me to his nakedness. He didn't notice and kept talking while I retrieved the towel.

I attempted to tie the darned thing back around him three times, but he squirmed away every time. I had the sneaking suspicion he was hoping I would get annoyed and straddle him. Already I could see that mischievous smile spreading across his face. Bet he would flex his hips up at me so I could feel him down there again.

"I didn't know ghosts could blush. Thinking of something indecent, Cupcake? No one could blame you; no one in the afterlife can compete with my sexy assssssss."

"Lie down," I ordered him, giving up the towel completely.

He winked at me, "gonna take advantage of my drunken state. I'm fine-"

For the first time, I cut off his words. "Go to sleep."

"I'll never see you again. And I'd hate for you to miss out on the hot specimen in front of you and-"

I pulled the covers over his body; should have thought of that before. It was much easier than the little towel. "You don't have to pretend."

"It's easier." He laid back on the pillows curling around my arm. "I'm sorry for everything. That it took you dying… to stop fearing me."

My heart was breaking for Trevor. I was so damn stupid!

Letting him keep a grip on my arm, I leaned over and kissed the top of his head. "I'm sorry."

His eyes began fluttering. He was trying hard to stay awake. "A goodnight kiss?" Trevor murmured, half knocked out. I granted his wish and gently let my lips graze his. "I…will miss you, Cupcake."

"I won't leave you...my Tidal Wave Boy."

For a long while, I just stood by the bed, watching his features soften. I chucked at the light snore that followed. Careful not to wake him, I untangled my arm from his wet body. *I have no right to tell you, but I'm sorry and I love you, Tidal Wave Boy.*

All his words were repeated in my head, along with all his apologies. The man really did believe me to be dead. And he figured he was the one to blame? Trevor had never raised a hand to me. He certainly never came close to killing me, though I did act like it.

The heavy door crashed into the wall, causing the hinges to squeak in protest. A random jug was kicked near my feet. Standing with a knife clutched in her bandaged-up hand was Princess Aileen.

As the princess entered, I noticed her back was hunched. She was clearly biting her inner cheek, preventing any screams from escaping. I saw how much blood the woman had lost during the attack and could only imagine what her back would look like. I would openly commend her if not for the shiny knife under her white knuckles. Unlike before the banquet, the Princess wanted to show off her weapon. The unspoken threat, visible in her movements.

"I escorted the princes here." I defended myself and then motioned towards the unconscious Trevor. "He showed up intoxicated."

Aileen made her way over to me. Never moving her gaze away from mine, she bent over to pick up the discarded jug. Immediately I recognized the same odd mix of smells coming from inside the jug as on Trevor's breath.

"Not intoxicated; drugged." The princess sniffed and grimaced. "Flower Happiness… My brother must have been quite the handful. I ran around the castle naked when I mistakenly took it as a kid."

Still keeping me in her sight, she went to a closet. Before I could ask anything, she tossed random pillows and blankets onto her large bed. She also grabbed a purple bucket. The word 'waste' was spelled out in small diamonds. I almost rolled my eyes. 'Waste' of money. She rearranged a few pillows under Trevor's face, then tilted his head towards the edge. The overly decorated trash can went beside the bed. "Father said my kids came up here with you?"

I nodded.

"You have my gratitude." Aileen checked Trevor's cheeks and forehead. Using the sleeve of her dress, she wiped his sweat. Under her breath, I heard a faint mumble of the word idiot...several times.

I bowed to the princess, ready to take my leave. She held a hand up. "My Father was waiting for me in the infirmary. We talked for a while until I could convince him I was well enough to return to my chamber."

"Princess?" I questioned, unsure of where she was going.

"He mentioned you twice. Once about my children, then again about summoning you first thing in the morning."

That got my attention. "Why?"

"Don't know. When you awaken, have a bath drawn, you can borrow one of my dresses, then make your way to his private study."

His private study? Why? Was that good or bad?

"I don't feel like babysitting my brother tonight." She gave me a childish smile, dropping the mask. "I'm going to sleep with my kids tonight. Use the blankets to make a small bed on the floor or sleep next to Trevor."

The princess, who'd always stood so tall, limped her way to the princes' chambers. The lighthearted expression deteriorated as she turned her head to leave.

Aileen chuckled, glancing back at me, a slight twinkle in her eyes, "oh, and do cover-up that hickey, Cupcake."

Flushing from the princess' words, I crawled into bed with Trevor and wrapped my arms around him. I held his warm body as tightly and closely as I could. He relaxed in my embrace, content and happy.