ecstasy | corpse husband

chapter 25.

corpse leans closer to her, pointing ahead to the other side of the parking garage. "you see that sign up there?"

she nods, seeing it. It reads EXIT.

In the next instance, corpse is rearing back a few steps and then throwing his knife clean through the air with astonishing speed and precision. It cuts straight through the distance and impales the sign with ease, making it wobble. when elowen squints her eyes to look more closely, she swears the knife is in the dead center of the "X."

she imagines if that would have been a throat or an eyeball.

"you're awful cocky, aren't you?" she remarks over her shoulder, though she'd be lying if she said she wasn't a million times more interested in learning how to do what he just did. "teach me," she finds herself blurting.

he brushes her hair off her shoulder for no reason other than to see the way she sucks in a breath of air seemingly every time he touches her, her senses more acute to him as she awaits his instruction from behind her. he hums, a deep rumble of a sound in his chest. "now you're demanding my assistance?"

"you've proved your competence. I want to learn." It really could be life saving to have this skill. also, she hopes for more chances of him guiding her into the right positions.

corpse sighs slowly. "so demanding."

It would be insulting if she couldn't hear the slight smirk in his voice when he says that. she lowers her knife to her side and steps away. "I'm sure flare would be willing to teach me how to throw a knife just as good."

corpse clenches his jaw, disliking the way she's brought him up again, so arrogantly. It's as if they have something between them he is unaware of, and she feels the need to make it known. he wonders what she gets out of it? "I highly doubt he could do what I just did," he discerns.

"I guess we'll find out—"

"turn around and pay attention."

———

they spend a good deal of time practicing throwing knives. In the beginning, it is a lot of elowen playing fetch, needing to retrieve her blade over and over again to reset and try again. she catches on to the technical side of it quickly, meaning there aren't many more chances for corpse to have a reason to put his hands on her and guide her. mostly, he observes from a few steps behind her, his tone stern in directing her.

she regrets bringing up flare the way she did. the first time was merely innocent; she had been being honest about wanting flare's help over corpse's before he had shown her he really does know what he's doing. but she'd noticed how temperamental he'd gotten at the mention of his name, gripping her arm rather harshly, and used it to jab at him again.

It turned him moody.

despite this, she keeps improving as their training goes on with his help. but the next time she throws the knife, she misses abysmally, and corpse doesn't hide his sigh. "let's move on."

"am I that terrible?" she's asking while walking to retrieve her knife.

"no, I'm just bored." his eyes follow her across the parking garage until she's in front of him again. "you did fine. I'm a good teacher."

"or the other possibility—I'm a good student." she smiles sweetly at him. "just for you."

he finds it difficult not to kiss her in that moment. the thought is so out of left field, it startles him in its intensity. although, hasn't it been a desire of his for a while now? since meeting her, even? no matter how he's willed himself to suppress it.