Chapter 20: Solaris

We returned back to my house that same day after I picked some shells at the beach with him supervising me, of course. I made him a shell bracelet but I'm not sure if he liked it. He just took it with a silent nod and placed it into his pockets. I don't think Tony is listening to my words anymore because that's okay. I know I'm a handful sometimes.

He doesn't ask why I went into the water and truthfully, I don't know. It did feel familiar and It told me to come in, that he'd follow me. And there wasn't any point in denying that fact, was there? Tony likes following me everywhere.

It's our game now. I hide. He seeks. I have realized I like playing games with him though but that's s topic for another day. The moment we got home, he prepared dinner for me and took a lot of photos after. They were silly ones but I liked seeing them.

I haven't had my pictures taken in a while.

He says they are Polaroid pictures and they used to be everywhere before. Tony is also different now. He used to be a performer, or an observer. Now, he just does what he wants, no longer caring for my reactions, and that's okay.

I can get him back whenever I want.

I wake up to a thousand pictures of me littered everywhere but I don't mind it. Calisa is with me, and this time, I don't dream again. I remember the sand and the water. Timmy says it's called a beach, where we were. And I told him he looked creepy all covered but he said the sun isn't good for him. I suppose that's why his face looked like burnt toast and made my stomach hurt.

Not good. I don't like burning food.

I don't feel as sleepy as I used to anymore and I don't know how to feel about it. When I'm in the kitchen and sitting on the island, I try to remind myself to ask that when I paint with Corvus again. He might know what it is because I feel Tobias is lying. Though he's been lying all this time. He acts good and nice but he's not. Not really.

The only person that likes me is Calisa and she's the fluffiest poof ball.

"Here." He sets the food in front of me and takes his mittens off. He isn't looking at me anymore but I'm looking at him. His face is healed and it doesn't look like food anymore which is sad. He's not telling me what food he cooks today but I wait. I keep staring at him as he presses his phone, knowing that he sees me and knows I'm there but when he eventually raises his head, it's not to me but the door.

His eyes glow so brightly it reminds me of the sun, the redness in them poking like fire as he bares his fang, his voice sounding more accented than I remember, "Someone is here." Then he turns to me and I can see his veins showing all over his skin. This is his true nature. His rage and anger. He's always so rageful and so angry and being with me distracts him from all of that because he forgets sometimes.

"Who is it, Miss Mont?" He sounds like the hiss that comes from a snake that feels threatened, like sparks flying out of a burning wood. I blink, sensing his anger grow when he realizes I won't answer him though that is because I can't. I don't know who it is but that's not what he wants to hear.

We both hear the knock though none of us turns to the door. We do a staring competition and as always, I win because he lets out a sigh and rakes his hand through his hair. I see his claws out and something tells me that I shouldn't let him go to the foot but I don't bother to stop him as he does so and opens it.

"O-Oh shit. My Lord, I'm s-sorry— I—"

I don't hear the rest of his words because I'm at the door, sniffing the air before staring at Elias. Tommy is practically covering the entire entrance even though he has such a lithe presence but I have to bend over his arms so I'm standing in front of the other male, my eyes centering on the paper bag in his hand. "Is that mine?"

His words come out hastily, in a rush like it's hard for him to get them out. "Y-Yes, my mom— Well, you haven't been in school and—"

I don't hear the rest of the words as I snatch the bag and hold it up to my nose. A small moan leaves my lips as the banana scent hits it and I'm walking back into the house then to the living room and sitting on the couch. I'm taking out the Tupperware then removing its cover before turning back around, tilting my head. "Why aren't you coming in?"

Elias looks up at Timon, and he's fidgeting. I want to tell him to go away then but I'm always very respectful to the people that bring me food so I say, "Can you let him in, Timon?"

He tenses, I can sense it even though he's not looking at me but does what I asked for eventually. As he passes me to walk back into the kitchen, the air feels cold, and a shiver creeps up my spine though I ignore it as Elias walks in. He's wearing our uniform and it looks good on him. His shoes look good too. And so does his hair.

When he shuts the door, he joins me on a sofa away from me but I don't mind it as I take out the spoon from the bag and begin to eat at the pie. It's a banana cream pie, and it's bloody lovely. Melts in my mouth and makes me kick my feet in the air, which I'm doing now. I suppose I eat too fast because he says, "Ah, she wasn't sure— Well, we weren't sure you'd like it."

I stare at the male. His blond hair is like a bird's nest, almost mirroring mine but lacking the chaos. Like his is… ordered chaos, somehow. His eyes glisten like the water from before but theirs aren't as powerful. They're calm and serene, and soft. And I remember now that he's not friendly with me, or he isn't supposed to. "Did you poison me?"

His eyes almost bulge out of its sockets there. "No, no, of course not. You just haven't been in school in a while and I— Well, Mr Praetorian was worried and none of us have your number and your parents haven't been—"

"You did not eat the food I prepared." Tristan is walking towards me now and his hair is packed. I see the redness in his orbs, like a bloody moon, I've seen one of those before. When he's in front of me, he goes on his knees and stares at me. His mask is returned, and he's smiling at me as he says, "Why didn't you?"

"You didn't tell me what it is today," I'm not looking at him but the food I'm eating. I can sense him trying to set the Tupperware on fire with his eyes though he tries to look cordial and well behaved as he keeps smiling so kindly.

"I see. That is all my fault, I apologize," There's a breathy way he says this. Like he's caressing me into his arms, or brushing strands of hair from my face before he holds his hand out. "I have been sent for, little fox, but I do not wish to leave your presence without tasting you lest I get hungry and taste someone else. Would you be kind enough to let me feed from you?"

He's performing again, and maybe, perhaps, he has gotten his old self again. I give him my hand and he holds it, kissing the back of my palm before trailing it up to my wrist and turning it around to where my pulse is. He breathes it in at first then lets out a sigh/groan that has me pausing my eating because my body is reacting again.

I'd almost forgotten it. This feeling. What is it?

A shock reverberates through my body as his fangs pierce into my skin and I realize now that I'll never get used to the suddenness of it. I try to take my hand back but his grip is tight and gentle all at once. He takes his fangs out and moves away. My body feels warm as I watch the blood trail down the tiny holes he's made to my palm and when he brushes his tongue over it, the place in between me pulses.

I want to moan, or whimper but his eyes tell me not to dare him. He's angry, I can smell it and I know not to push him so I don't. All I do is let out small breaths as he licks the blood down to my thumb and pricks it on his fangs before sucking it.

My brain melts, and so does my arm. I'm melting like chocolate and he's sucking on me the way I would suck him if there's food on any part of his body. My eyes move down to his pants and I see the bulge. Can he put chocolate on his penis? And since he's cold, maybe it'd taste like cold ice-cream?

"You can be so spontaneously naughty, Miss Mont," He's chuckling as he says this, letting my thumb out of his mouth before he puts it on his face. It's cold, and smooth, like marble. And he's pretty, but a cold carved out pretty. Elias is made out of sunshine and autumn leaves.

He rises to his feet and kisses me on the top of my head before turning to Elias. He looks almost pale, like he is about to throw up or run but he says nothing as Tyler says, "Have a nice day, Mr…?"

"Keoghan." He says, breathless.

Tyler smiles. It's forced. It doesn't reach his eyes and briefly, it reminds me of staring at a painting. Frozen in a time that I can never be part of, and ridiculously passionate as he says, "Hmm. Have fun, but not too much." Then he walks out of the house, leaving me alone with someone that shouldn't be here but is anyway which I don't mind.

Food forgives all retribution.