You Changed Me

7. Four Months and Counting

"Where the fuck have you been," Dark said sternly, hands folded behind his back and chest puffed out. Anti frowned and growled.

"I was busy, had to rest before I could get back home," the word home tasted false in his mouth and he scowled, "No thanks to you, Astaroth nearly killed me and I had to jump away."

"And you stayed away for days?"

"Like I said, he nearly killed me," Anti scoffed, "You would do well to remember that you left me to Astaroth. You should be grateful I returned to you as healthy and alive as I have."

Darks face fell to a neutral state at those words, and suddenly Anti seemed small and insignificant in the other beings presence. He swallowed as Dark leaned forward ever so slightly, feeling as if the other man was towering over him. A red smoke seemed to fill the room, surrounding Anti in a suffocating way.

"You would do well to remember who is in charge here. I could destroy you as easily as a bug beneath my shoe and I would have no remorse. You are my pawn, and you will not talk back, boy."

Anti cringed, hurt. He and Dark had been friends once. Had been close. Ethan's face flashed through his mind and he suddenly felt a boost of confidence.

"So I'm a pawn now? That's good to know, your majesty" he said sarcastically before turning around and marching away to where his bed should be. He promptly retired to hiding in his musty sleeping-bag grumpily.

...

Ethan sat on his couch for hours, confused and hurting. He knew he should have expected it. The man had been an injured stranger in his home, and though Ethan believed they had become friends they barely knew each other. And the man probably had a home, a family to return to...

He finally sat up and rubbed his stinging eyes. He knew he should pack up Jacks bed, but he couldn't bring himself to. He felt like he'd lost something very important when Jack left. Almost the same as when his girlfriend had left him a few years ago... he swallowed and shook his head.

He and Jack weren't in a relationship. They weren't lovers. They could barely be considered friends going on how long they'd known each other and how much he knew of Jack... He didn't even think Jack was gay, or at least bi. So... why did it hurt so much?

He left the room and went to his own bedroom. He wasn't hungry anymore, he just wanted to sleep. He curled up onto his bed, pulling the covers over his head, and falling into a restless sleep.

...

"You aren't a pawn," Dark's voice broke the awkward silence that had settled over the pair as they walked. Anti huffed. The two were out hunting, and Dark had insisted he come with Anti, and the glitch had no excuse to not let their leader join him.

"I was angry and concerned-"

"You have quite the way of showing it."

"-I was worried about you. I am trying to apologize for calling you something you are not," Dark's voice was slow and deliberate. Just from that, he could tell how hard Dark was trying. He let his shoulders fall a bit.

"I'm sorry I took so long. I just... hadn't been able to leave yet," it was technically not a lie. He hadn't been able to leave, Ethan's grip on him and his emotions were strong and he hadn't known how to overcome it. He still felt the pull to go and see the blue haired man, but he wasn't about to let that information slip.