Eve

Chapter 12

Eve felt himself curl beneath the warm blankets, finding the perfect position that didn't cause him any discomfort from the many bruises that covered his skin. He could feel a warm hand press against his forehead, the caring gesture touching his battered soul.

"Eve," he heard Adam say, the smell of smoke and pine lingering around him, "Wake up. You need to take some pills and at least eat something." Eve remained quiet, unable to say a word. How could he feel hungry? He had his heart broken in the worst way possible, the pain of Evan's rough hands pulsing at the memory. He could feel the tears prick the edges of his eyes, one of them escaping between his closed lids but was quickly wiped away by Adam's calloused but gentle fingers. "Don't cry," Adam murmured softly, "He's not worth your tears."

He's not worth it, Eve thought, echoing Adam's words as his eyes fluttered open, Adam's face coming in full view. The young man looked tired, his dark hair in dissary, shadows lingering beneath his tired eyes. He had exchanged his shirt with a clean blue one, bringing out the olive tone of his skin and the soft blue eyes.

"Here," Adam said, placing a plate close to Eve's nose, the smell of sausage causing his stomach to growl. Reluctantly he sat up and took the sausage biscuit in his hands, easing the morsel towards his lips, slowly chewing it as the muscle in his jaw screamed in protest. He could feel Adam watching him, ready to catch him should he fall.

Eve curled his lip in anger, "Stop looking at me. I don't need you feeling sorry for me." He watched Adam frown but the young man said nothing and simply placed a pair of white pills on the counter with a tall glass of water, their purpose rather quite clear.

"The bathroom is down the hall," Adam said before leaving the room, causing a strange and yet a painful sensation slicing through his chest. He shouldn't have lashed out to Adam, but the pity in his eyes provided no comfort to his public humiliation.

He was my first kiss, Eve thought, slumping against the bed in defeat, his eyes peering at the white ceiling above. A ceiling he wasn't familiar with. He glanced around, the features of the large room being rather unrecognizable. The walls were stark white, save for the Green Day posters and a few Guns n Roses and black furniture pressed up against them.

A normal teenage room except for the lack of any family pictures. Eve frowned. Now that he thought about it, Adam never really mentioned about his mother or father. Did he live alone? Did he have any siblings?

He swung his legs over the bed, finally noticing his change of clothing. Gone were the clothes his cousin had given him, replaced by a large blue shirt that clearly belonged to Adam as well as a pair of black boxers. His cheeks flushed when he noticed how clean his skin was, save for the bruises that darkened his pale skin. With careful steps, he tried to ignore the soreness in his body as he made his way towards the bathroom to relieve himself.

Once he was done he patted towards the stairs, the noise of dishes clashing guiding his way towards what he could only assume was Adam. However, when he arrived Adam wasn't there but a tall man that seemed to be engrossed in washing dishes, his concentration completely taken by the water that washed away the filth from the ceramic plates.

"Excuse me?" Eve whispered, his fingers clenching the kitchen counter. The man said nothing, his serious expression never changing.

"He's deaf," Adam murmured from behind, his warm breath hitting his ear. Eve jumped at the sound of his baritone voice, urging his head to turn and face his rescuer.

"Erm, what?" Eve blanked.

Adam nodded towards the tall young man, "My brother, Abel is deaf. He was born that way."

Eve blinked and glanced at the man who was looking at the two with a soft smile on his face and giving a two fingered wave before returning to the dishes. Now that he noticed, he could see the similarities and differences between the two siblings. The tall one was more slender and a bit on the older side, with his dark hair cropped close to his head. Eve bit his lip. So Adam lived with a deaf brother, but what about his parents? He didn't see any pictures of Adam's parents. Not wanting to touch a sensitive topic he merely spoke about what he truly came for.

"I'm sorry for lashing out," Eve murmured, shuffling his bare feet against the wooden floor as he stared at the wooden designs, unable to look at Adam in the eye.

"It's fine," Adam murmured, resting a hand on Eve's shoulder, "You were just frustrated." Eve blinked up at Adam, his eyes meeting blue ones that were filled with concern, and just for the tiniest second he felt as if the close distance between them felt familiar. Almost as if somewhere in the back of his mind he could conjure a fuzzy image that Eve couldn't clear. He could feel a headache spreading from the back of his head so he left the thought alone.

"I should go home," Eve murmured as he took steps towards the door.

"Wait!" A hand quickly reached out, grabbing his elbow. Eve glanced back his wide eyes meeting Adam's equally surprised ones. The dark haired male blushed and nervously rubbed the back of his neck, "Eh. I mean, you can stay if you want."

Eve's brows furrowed, but turned his head when he heard a small cough. He turned, seeing Adam's brother with a smile on his features. The man merely nodded his head as if urging for Eve to agree.

A soft smile touched his lips, his eyes sliding over towards Adam who was still flushing with embarrassment, "Alright," Eve whispered, "But I'll need some of my stuff and a call to my mom."

Adam grinned, "Great."