Exposure

Chapter 12

Aesop frowned, wringing his hand around his bruised throat feverishly. He was scared, they'd been caught out. Does this mean I can't be with him anymore? Surely Eli won't tell everyone, he wouldn't do that to me, Aesop thought in an attempt to reassure himself in the overwhelming doubt. He felt nauseous all over. Eli had been watching when he had first started dating Joseph. One of the most private and intimate moments they'd shared was being broadcasted to someone he'd trusted to accept him with anything, that trust was on very thin ice.

"I-It's not like that." Aesop hoarsely whispered "They're stuck just like us! Joseph told me so- he was more worried sick than anyone when he hurt me. He was scared, we're both scared. We were being careful, I swear. Eli- I'm begging you- please don't tell anyone. I need Joseph, you don't understand." He said softly, his voice shaking like a leaf.
Eli just shook his head,
"Ace, come on. He's using you- lying. All of it is lies. You need to stop this now before he hurts you."

Aesop knew Eli was only trying to keep him safe. All the survivors had a kind of obsession (whether they admitted it or not) with keeping each other safe. They were all paranoid, night terrors were a regular occurrence. Aesop didn't know a single survivor that hadn't woken up screaming one night. Aesop, of course, knew where Eli was coming from. It was his view for the longest of times too that all hunters were heartless sadist monsters. Maybe some of them were but Joseph was the last person who could be considered heartless.

"Eli, you have you trust me. I know it's a shock- that I'm dating a hunter and..." Aesop sighed and rubbed his eyes "A male hunter at that but he's a good person. Trapped. Just like us." He explained with a weak smile. Eli seemed to have calmed down a tad or just taken a breath to let Aesop explain himself but after Aesop finished speaking a deadpan expression rose on his features and he stared at Aesop for a moment as if he'd grown a third eye,
"Aesop... you must be kidding, right?" He asked, his voice low and menacing "You think I'm angry because you're fucking gay? How did you not notice that I was practically all over you since you came to this damn manor?!" He asked, raising his voice again but this time without the same sort of fiery wrath in his tone.

Aesop had to stop and think for a second. Of course he was confused, his best friend just kind of, maybe confessed to him. Aesop had never seen this 'throwing' Eli said he did. He was never obvious that he liked him like Joseph was with the touching, but that could've been him being considerate, Eli was one of the few who knew the extent of Aesop's sensitivity to other's presence. Both of their anger had seemed to evaporated down to confusion that clouded them like smoke. Aesop could see the confusion in Eli's wide sapphire eyes like he couldn't really believe that had slipped out.

"You have feelings for me?" Aesop reiterated, his voice quieter and considerate "Then... are you just jealous?" He asked

Eli's eyes widened and he scowled, glaring daggers at Aesop,
"No!" He yelled boyishly, the seer couldn't have sounded more immature if he tried, "I mean yes, I have feelings that regular friends don't have but no way in hell am I jealous of some damned hunter! It's not fair, Aesop! I would look after you, he's using you! He's going to hurt you!" He shouted once again, his voice hitching and cracking in awkward places. That desperation took to his features as tears and he welled up, wiping furiously at his eyes,
"Why have I got to be the bad guy when I'm only trying to protect you?! W-Why won't you let me in? I tried so hard..." He whispered, his voice shaking like a flame "And some second rate bastard prances in and takes you away from me!"

Aesop's heart was aching, it was truly painful to see his best friend in this state. Eli's cheeks and eyes turned pink from the tears and his beautiful, striking eyes were scrunched and welled up. As always, the emotion was all in his eyes. Of course, his body played a staring role too with his fist clutched to his chest as if he was in pain and a blaming finger thrust to the wall in the general direction of the hunter's side but there novels of feeling could be found in those dark liquid eyes.

"Eli..." Aesop breathed.
That was all he could say, all that his brain to scrape together and throw out his mouth. His body was a step ahead anyway and leaned forward to hold the seer in his arms. Eli was normally a couple inches taller than Aesop but standing there now the boy had completely crumbled and broke down into raw, unfiltered tears in Aesop's shoulder. Unfortunately, Aesop couldn't take Eli's weight and the both of them sunk to their knees. Eli continued to sob into Aesop's shoulder and the latter continued to comfort with by holding him tight and whispering comforting words to him.

Aesop couldn't return Eli's feelings and he believed that was why he was in so much distress. He could see why too, when someone you cared about so much was put in a situation you thought was dangerous, how could you not be worried sick about them? Aesop had never seen his best friend cry (Apart from when he got injured by a hunter). It felt like Eli's whole being had dissolved in the salty tears that were beginning to seep through Aesop's clothes and onto his skin. He prayed that his was only temporary. He prayed that Eli would come to understand and accept his relationship and he would return to his usual kind hearted, bubbly self. He prayed that they could remain friends.

If they couldn't at least remain friends then the only person Aesop would truly have to trust completely was Joseph. The only person he'd have left was despised by all of the people he confided in and was forbidden to love.

"It'll be okay, Eli, everything will work out fine." Aesop whispered to the seer but the message seemed to be more for himself than it did for Eli.