Deliverance [malexmale]

Chapter Four

I waited to see if Hannibal was going to answer for me, but he didn't. Now he was just standing there, completely rigid. I could see a war going on in those mismatched eyes of his. He wasn't raging anymore, wasn't tearing things apart anymore. He seemed to be steadily realizing who exactly I'd been killing... and why.

"Akin, I need to talk to Menoetius." Alone. He didn't say it, but Akin caught on right away. He looked hesitant, studying me warily for a moment before he turned and gave Hannibal a kiss on the cheek, touching his chest one more time before he left to go upstairs. Once we were sure he was safe in his room, we stared at each other.

My heart ached looking at him. I hated him for that. I hated how he made my knees go weak, how he made my heart hurt, my mind go fuzzy, my body react in disgusting ways.

No, it didn't matter how many times I told myself to hate Hannibal. Even thousands of years later, I still couldn't bring myself to truly, honestly hate Hannibal. Because damn it all to fucking Tartarus, I loved him. And I truly, honestly hated myself for that. If I hadn't fallen in love with him, we wouldn't be here. I would've made Iapetus proud. I would've fought and died honorably in the Titanomachy, not on my back like a fucking whore. I would've suffered in Tartarus the way any Titan suffered.

"I never asked you to do that," Hannibal said at last. I tensed.

"You didn't have to," I replied. Hannibal clenched his teeth, his fists rolling into tight balls and I waited for him to hit me again, but he didn't. That pissed me off. He unrolled his fists, taking a deep breath. He reached up to wipe his hands up and down his face before he stepped away from me, like he was afraid he would hit me.

"Menoetius, killing them isn't going to change anything. I already know that," he said in a low voice. I tensed at that.

"Yes, it will," I seethed, "It'll be easier to sleep knowing that bastards aren't crawling around out there. It'll be easier to sleep knowing they won't do it again, that they won't hurt you or anyone else ever again." Hannibal glared at me. I could tell he wanted to argue with me, but how could he when I was telling the truth?

"Menoetius, it doesn't matter. Things aren't the same as they were back then. You can't just run around killing people out of vengeance and not expect anyone to do anything about it. Those... Those people have families and friends. People who will come after you for what you've done. People who are going to suffer now that they're gone." His rant infuriated me and I snarled at him, grabbing him and slamming him into the wall, jamming my arm across his throat. He didn't even flinch, just stared at me.

"Shut up," I shouted in his face, then pushed my arm harder against his throat, but he didn't even make a choking sound, just hissed through gritted teeth, "Don't fucking tell me they deserved to live! Who cares if they had families?! Their families should be grateful that I got rid of their burdens! And let them come for me, I'll kill them too!" Hannibal's nostrils flared and he shoved me back across the hall so I hit the wall and I lunged for him, but he caught me and threw me into a wall. I snarled and launched off it, swinging at him, but he ducked and caught my arm, twisting it sharply behind my back and slamming me up against a wall. Breathing hard, I felt him push his weight on me to keep me still.

And I was only further angered as a small part of me slackened under his grip, desperate for him to get closer. I squeezed my eyes shut, breathing hard.

Get off me! Stop touching me!

"Get off me!" I snarled.

"No," Hannibal snapped, then ground me against the wall tightly, his body a hot mass pushing me into the wall so my cheek was smashed against it, "Not until you call off your stupid rampage. What you're doing will change nothing. Quit trying to act like some vigilante when we both know the real reason you're doing this."