A Spam Book

Unused Chapter 26 Scene (DC)

This is after Scorpio and Cassiopeia leave the room, presumably to get dinner. Of course, I changed the original version so there's no dinner (because if you've read my other books, I literally have the Zodiacs participate in a dinner scene with an unlikable person every single time and I don't know why), but this scene that happens right after might... interest some of you? (But I ditched it because I didn't like how it just becomes awkward again.)

-x-x-x-

The door was left swinging open.

After a long, painstaking moment, Aries stretched out one arm and reached to open the door –

– there was a thudding of footsteps outside. Aries froze.

The closet doors swung open immediately, letting light fill the dark space and temporarily blinding Aries.

"Quickly, what are you doing? She thinks I'm here to get something I left," Scorpio huffed, grabbing Aries' wrists and tugging him out of the closet. However, as he moved to do so, Aries felt something soft tug at his ankle as he lifted the other foot to step forwards. With a yelp of shock, Aries found himself flat on the ground with one leg in the air, with the robes in the closet coiled around his ankle like a snake, and with Scorpio squashed underneath him.

"S-sorry! I..." Aries turned his face to try push himself back to his feet with his hands, only to find himself nose-to-nose with Scorpio and staring directly into his grey-green eyes.

Scorpio was completely silent as he stared back blankly.

"Sorry!" Aries cried out again, immediately opting to roll off Scorpio instead of get up. The robes continued to traitorously wrap around his ankle and he yelped as the robe around his leg finally slipped off its hanger – which had been the only thing that had been keeping him mostly-balanced – and he fell forward again, this time promptly clashing foreheads and faces with Scorpio with a loud crack.

"Scorpio! Are you alright?!" Cassiopeia called from down the corridor. "Did you drop something?"

"Mffph?" Scorpio mumbled. At least, that was what it sounded like to Aries, who was too close to Scorpio's face to see how he was reacting. He could most definitely feel the buzz of Scorpio's lips against his face as Scorpio attempted to speak, which most definitely meant he was too close – and oh, by the goddesses, Aries, get your face off him – but Aries was personally quite aware of how his own face was a furnace and Scorpio could most definitely feel the heat of his embarrassment radiating off him.

Aries wanted to scream. Instead, he chose the obviously more logical option – that was to whisper a hurried apology, somehow prop himself up with his hands and throw himself back into the closet with the robe still clinging to his leg. He slammed the door of the closet, silently sending his apologies to Scorpio for leaving him flat on the ground after having smashed his face into his.

It must've been just in time, too, because he heard Cassiopeia's voice again – this time a lot closer. "Scorpio! Are you alright, dearest? Did you fall?"

"...mmph."

"Are you sick? Do you have a fever?"

"N-no, 'm... fine. Just tripped." The waver in Scorpio's voice shot prongs through Aries' heart. Oh, no – just after we made up with each other... Why am I so stupid?!

"You must be exhausted, Scorpio! Alright, then – you can tell me all about it tomorrow. Let's go have dinner together, then you should go to bed. You need some sleep, alright?" The genuine worry in Cassiopeia's voice made Aries temporarily forget how she had just acted to the poor maid. "You're not hurt, are you?"

"No... let's just go."

This time, when they left, Scorpio did not return.

Aries winced and opened the closet door again. The door to Scorpio's bedroom was closed this time; with no sign that he was going to return.

Oh, goddesses, why? Why must you punish me like this? We just – why... I couldn't have... no, he hates me now... I shouldn't have rushed, I shouldn't have – why did this happen to me?