Fire & Songs

9- 𝕎𝕖 𝕔𝕒𝕟'𝕥 𝕓𝕖 𝕗𝕣𝕚𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕤

Peter is standing in front of Theoden's house. The sky is dark, and the street is quiet. The Half-Fae's family lives in Altala's suburbs, where all the enormous houses have large lawns, and the cars are squeaky clean and expensive. He knows this place well, although he doesn't live here. He came many times before and even slept in Theoden's room. He knows the Half-Fae's parents well — they're really lovely people — and he thinks they like him well enough.

From where Peter stands, he can see that the lights are on in Theoden's room. Tiredly, he presses on the man's name for the fourth time in the past five minutes. He still isn't answering, his call going to voicemail after a few beeps.

He sighs as he looks down at his phone's screen. His reflection is pitiful. His eyes look sad and tired and even his horns, which he has always found majestic, look closer to antlers than actual Tiefling horns.

He doesn't want to postpone this discussion anymore. He has reached his limit, and he is exhausted. He thinks he has finally touched the depths after drowning for weeks. Now, he'd like to breathe. He'd like to push himself off the ground, far from the abyss, and return to the gleaming surface. Peter wants to live. He wants to be able to smile without suffocating. He wants to be happy. To be free.

So, he needs to talk to Theoden. Tonight. He has tried to do so after his conversation with Saifa the other day. He then has tried to speak to Theoden all week, but the other has done everything he could to avoid him. One time, he even sent his friend to ask him to stop trying to talk to the Half-Fae. That day, Peter thought that perhaps for the time in his life, he would punch someone, giving in to his most violent pulsions, just so because this fae-girl had dared come to him with a disdain look on her face and ordered him to stop following Theoden like he was some kind of crazy stalker.

Peter is starting to feel seriously angry. Theoden is being selfish, and he is forcing him to bear with it. But he is drained. So, so profoundly tired. It's like he has aged ten years over the past few months. He can feel the weariness deep within his bones, all the way to the depths of his heart and soul. And no matter how Anouk and Aiman — and more recently Saifa, surprisingly — have managed to make everything feel lighter at times, Peter just needs to be by himself to remember how agonising Theoden's neglect is.

In the past, Theoden has compared Peter to a puppy. All kind and happy when his master comes home. However, now, Peter truly feels like a dog. Like a kicked puppy who is clinging to a disinterested master, hoping to have his attention. The thing is, Peter is not a dog or a puppy but a being with feelings. A grown Tiefling with emotions. And his feelings are getting hurt by the Half-Fae's attitude, and there's no reason for him to keep enduring it.

Therefore, when Peter tries to call Theoden for the fifth time and still doesn't get any answer, he walks to the front door and rings the bell. He waits patiently for a few minutes until it is Theoden's mother who slowly opens the door. Upon seeing Peter, she smiles brightly at him, her black curly hair tied in a tight bun above her head. Her mortal features glowed slightly under the streetlight, and Peter gently smiled back at her.

"Peter, what a pleasure, dear!" She exclaims, opening the door wide. "What are you doing here at this time?"

"Good evening, Miss Brown. Sorry to bother you at this late hour, but is Theoden here?" He asks politely and pleasantly, as kindly as he can muster.

The older woman nods, "he is in his room. Do you want me to call him?"

He shakes his head quickly. He is sure if Theoden knows he is here, he will find another excuse not to see him.

"No, it's okay. I'll go see him myself if you're okay with it."

"Yes, of course! Come on in!"

He thanks her softly before making his way upstairs to the Half-Fae's room. The door is closed. He knocks.