Innocence (BoyxBoy)

Chapter Two

Have you ever taken a puppy home that’s had a history of many abusive owners and is on the brink of death because of the abuse? Me neither. But that’s what Talmai’s new obsession, Pili, reminded me off. He could barely stand on his own two legs and any form of ‘luxury’ like food or a bath had him shrinking back in fear. Pili had yet to say a word, which was beginning to frustrate Talmai, but at least he’d stopped screaming.

They were both on my bed while I read a book from my chair, looking up at them occasionally. Talmai had spent the last hour trying to get Pili to talk and was close to getting angry with him. He sighed in annoyance and glanced out the window.

“Pili and Talmai should go outside,” he declared, looking at me. “Will Anubis come too?” I closed my book and set it down, standing up and letting them follow me down the halls and out into the garden. I took shelter in the shade of a large tree and watched the two imps roam around the garden. Sometimes Talmai would run ahead before realising that Pili couldn’t catch up, before kindly returning to his side and accompanying him through the well-kept garden.

I watched intently as Talmai stopped to look at one of the roses before he shook his head and continued exploring the flowers. The two imps disappeared from my sight momentarily before Talmai came running out of the bushes with Pili limping slowly behind him.

“Anubis!” Talmai called, stopping in front of me and crouching down as he shoved the spiky flower towards me. “Pili found it! What is it?”

“It’s a thistle,” I explained, leaning away from it. “They’re weeds. They shouldn’t be in the garden.” Talmai frowned and stared at the purple flower, twirling it in his dainty fingers.

“Talmai thinks it’s pretty,” he mumbled, holding it up to the light of the sun. He looked up and smiled as Pili finally joined us, sitting tiredly in the grass. Talmai sat too, and began to chat animatedly with Pili, who let a weak smile spread onto his face. At least he was getting better.

Sort of.

We’d tried what we could to get him to speak, but we still had no results. Pili had almost been here for a week, so it couldn’t have been shock; he’d be over it by now. Pursing my lips, I leaned towards the purple imp, reaching under his wild midnight purple hair and cupping his neck, watching as he flinched away in terror.

“As I thought,” I murmured to myself, pulling Pili into my lap with ease and ignoring him as he squirmed and opened his mouth in protest. Talmai frowned and raked us with an icy glare, folding his arms over his chest stubbornly. I brushed Pili’s shoulder-length hair to the side with my hand, clicking my tongue irritably at the markings on the back of his neck.