Burn

CHAPTER 14

Carter sniffled loudly and blinked up at her. "It isn't?"

"No." Margo huffed a sigh and ran a hand through his hair, pushing the ruffled strands from his face. "Carter, as long as you harbour any feelings for him, he'll be in danger. But that's not your fault. You can't help if you like him." She paused, gaze genuinely curious. "Do you like him?"

Carter hesitated, then nodded once, slowly.

Behind him, Ryu scoffed.

"Then we'll protect him," Margo continued, "just like we protected me. You're allowed to spend time with him. You're allowed to touch him. In fact," she added, head tilting thoughtfully, "it might be better if you hang around him a bit more. That way, we'll know if he's in danger."

Carter could hardly stand for the relief that was coursing through him. As he drew away from Margo, he offered a cautious, shaky smile. "I-I thought I had to avoid him. And you, too."

Margo's eyes turned sad and bleak, and when she spoke, it was with a firm, stubborn tone. "No, Carter. Do not isolate yourself. That's the worse thing you can do." She pulled Carter in for another hug, this one of a gentler, calming nature. Her voice was low and soothing, easing his frantic state with every passing second; Carter almost forgot to listen as she continued speaking, but Margo's words were so careful, and spoken so methodically, that they seemed to float through the still air around them. "If you isolate yourself, then all is lost."

There was some innate sense of importance trembling just beneath the surface of Margo's voice, and it drew Carter in like a moth to a flame, seeming to impress the words into the very structure of his brain.

"If you isolate yourself, they win."

For the remainder of the week, Carter kept as close an eye on Anthony as possible. Which, if Carter was being honest, wasn't saying much. He stuck close to Anthony in class, walked home with him for the first ten minutes before their respective paths separated, and looked for him every lunchtime in the cafeteria.

Ever since Margo's news, Carter found himself in a state of constant tension and guilt, unable to relax the rigid line of his shoulders until he'd caught sight of Anthony and confirmed his wellbeing.

Despite this, Carter tried his best to appear normal and calm in Anthony's company; the last thing he wanted was to scare him away with his newly acquired intensity. And, in all honesty, he'd thought he'd been doing a pretty good job, too. He laughed at Anthony's jokes, told ones of his own, and didn't mention the word 'demon' to him, even once.

But on Friday afternoon, as he was waiting for Anthony by his locker, those illusions were shattered.

"Why do you seem so anxious lately?" Anthony demanded as he slung his bag over his shoulder. He had a blunt, direct way of speaking that usually appealed to Carter, but today it only made his stomach writhe with nausea.

"W-What do you mean?" Carter stammered, attempting to school his face into neutrality.

But Anthony only huffed. "C'mon, Carter, I know something's up. You're all jumpy, like you keep waiting for someone to...I don't know, attack you."

It's not me I'm worried about, Carter thought, but he knew he couldn't voice the words. Telling Anthony he was in danger of a demon attack would only weird him out, and probably convince him Carter was crazy, too. And, despite everything, Carter really did enjoy his company.

They hadn't kissed since that day in class, but whatever their relationship was, Carter knew he didn't want to lose him.

"I guess I have been a bit on edge lately," Carter admitted finally. As Anthony shut his locker and began to walk down the hall, Carter fell into step beside him. "It's just school, I guess. There's a lot of homework to get through."

Anthony flashed him a sympathetic glance, gaze soft with compassion. It made Carter's stomach flip. "Look, I get it. We're practically on the cusp of the rest of our lives. You're bound to be stressed." They made their way out through the school gate, the afternoon sun beating down upon their backs. "I'm going out bowling tonight with a couple of friends. You should come."

Carter blinked stupidly. "Really? Are you sure?"

Anthony huffed again, rolling his eyes in fond exasperation. "Yes. I want you there."

He paused mid-step and turned to take Carter's hands into his own, squeezing lightly. "Please go with us?"

Ryu, who had been oddly silent throughout the whole exchange, suddenly gave a sudden groan of frustration. "Noo! I don't wanna hang out with this moron."

But Carter hesitated only a moment before he nodded, a slow, tentative smile flirting along the edge of his lips as he met Anthony's gaze.

"Okay."

"Strike!"

Anthony gave a whoop of delight and threw his hands into the air, his silhouette backlit by the colourful beams flashing enthusiastically behind him. Above, on a small plasma TV, a cartoon bowling pin danced enthusiastically across the screen, blowing a kiss through its chubby, badly rendered fingers.

"Ugh! He's just too good," Celia groaned, flipping her blond plait over one shoulder with a contemptuous toss of her head.

Beside her, Anthony's other friend, Greg, was scowling into the distance and rubbing frantically at his bare arms. "Next time," he muttered, "we're choosing the activity."

"Aw, come on guys," Anthony teased as he jogged back to the table. Sweat slicked his scruffy hair, making it appear even more haphazard than usual. "Don't be mad. Of course I was gonna play to my strengths." He turned to beam at Carter, who was sitting at the small metal table and bewilderedly eating from a container of hot chips. "Carter's happy for me, aren't you?"

Carter nodded, unable to speak for the chips stuffing his mouth. "Mmm-hmmph."

Anthony's grin broadened, eyes bright with laughter. "See? That was a definite yes."

"Sure," Celia drawled, quirking a pale brow. "Whatever makes you feel better, Ant."

Anthony's face flushed red as Carter broke into sudden laughter, while Celia leaned back, undeniably smug.

"I-I can't believe that's your nickname," Carter gasped, barely able to form words between his laughter.

"Hey, it suits him," Celia teased, leaning forward to ruffle Anthony's hair. "He looks like a scrawny, scruffy-haired ant."

"He does," Ryu interjected.

"Okay, knock it off," Anthony protested, batting Celia's hand away. His eyes narrowed at Carter's mirthful expression as he struggled to stifle his giggles. "Oh, shush. It's not that funny."

"S-Sorry," Carter chuckled, wiping tears from his eyes. "I just-"

He cut off as Anthony surged forward and crashed his lips against Carter's. Anthony wove his fingers into Carter's hair, tugging on the strands and eliciting a whimper.

When Anthony drew away, Carter could only stare, unblinking, his face flushed with heat.

"That shut you up," Anthony teased, winking. He moved to the bowling rack and plucked a silvery ball from the top level, offering it eagerly to Carter. "Your go."

Carter moved to the bowling alley, dazed and barely aware of the weight of the bowling ball in his hand. But as he began to line up his shot, he couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips, and the warmth spreading outward from his chest.

This, he thought contentedly, glancing over a shoulder. Anthony was talking animatedly to Celia and Greg, and Ryu was sitting on the tabletop cautiously inspecting the chips, and despite the chaos of the scene, the entire thing filled Carter further with that warm affection. This is what I'd do anything to protect.

A/N: Please feel free leave a comment and/or vote if you enjoyed!