Most Wanted

Chapter 22

Varian sipped the last bit of punch. He sighed, glancing at the starry night sky. The blonde smiled at him. "Want me to grab you another glass?"

"You'd do that?"

"Just because I feel like it." Hugo winked.

"Well, then who am I to say no?" Varian smirked.

"I'll be back. I'll get a fresh glass." He got up and left and while Varian leaned against the rail to the balcony. The sound of a drunken man walking over caused him to stir from his thoughts. Varian simply turned his head the other way, hoping he'd be ignored.

"Heeey, I haven't seen you before," the man slurred drunkenly.

Inwardly, Varian cursed, but he didn't dare say it out loud. Instead, he instinctively put on a smile like he had done for Mazouwi at his parties. "Yes, I just moved here actually..." he fingered the rim of his empty glass. His elbows holding up his upper body weight on the rail.

The man leaned his face closer to his. Varian jumped back in surprise, trying not to blanch from the stench of the stranger's drunken breath. "Excuse me-"

"You're rather pretty for a guy-"

"Excuse me, sir. You're invading my space." Varian stepped back only to find that he was cornered. The man only closed in closer. "Stop," the nineteen year old demanded.

"Way too pretty-" the man touched Varian's cheek.

Flashes of Mazouwi instantly crossed Varian's vision. Panicked by the thought, his body reacted faster than his brain. Using the empty glass his hand, he smashed it into the drunk man's head. The harasser fell on the ground unconscious as Varian panted.

Hugo had just walked outside in time to see Varian smash the glass on the man's head. The people around grew silent and turned and stared at Varian. The teen stared at the unconscious body, breath only picking up.

"Hey, Varian. What happened?" Hugo rushed over to comfortingly help him step away.

Instead, he was met with Varian holding his hands out, asking him to stop. Hugo stood in his place as requested. "Varian?"

"Don't touch me..." Varian whispered in a trembling breath.

Instantly, Hugo realized what was going on. He set the glasses on bench. "Varian," he stepped closer, "let me help. I won't hurt you, you know that," the blonde whispered.

Some of the mist lifted from Varian's eyes. "Hugo..."

He could hear Varian's voice quivering, sounding like he was ready to cry. Hugo stepped closer and held out his hand. Varian account and he led him through the back inside and immediately in the halls to get Varian out of the place. Suddenly, Varian stopped walking, so Hugo turned back to him.

"He was... I... was he going to?-he touched my face..." Varian whispered.

Hugo pulled him into a protective hug. "It's over. It's ok. He's not here. Mazouwi isn't here either. It's just you and I. It's going to be ok."

A sob escaped Varian's throat. "I'm not ok... I thought I could be but... he's still here. He still haunts me..."

"These things take time, but you're not alone. It might not be ok yet, but it will later."

Varian clung to Hugo's tuxedo coat tighter and pushed his face further in the man's chest.