HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 83

Chapter Eighty Three

Moonlight filtered in past my curtains, making the room feel bright as day for me as I lay with my hands tucked under the pillow, staring up at the ceiling and just... thinking. It was three in the morning and all I'd managed to accomplish was a headache from trying to make myself sleep.

Directly beside me was a warm lump cocooned in blankets. Echo's head was the only thing outside of the bundle of bedding, tangled black hair splashing darkness across the pristine white pillowcases. I'd been listening to his breathing to calm my restlessness, and after a time I turned my head to focus on the back of his head. I could just make out the side of his slender neck and his small ear under that nest of inky hair.

I sighed heavily through my nose and carefully sat up, trying not to wake him.

I rubbed my face with both hands, stressed, and just looked around his room. I was sure that my short temper, restlessness, and generally agitated mood was an unfortunate result of the nearly full moon hanging in the sky outside, although people constantly picking at my decisions wasn't helping matters. I understood that they were worried and I also understood why. This was my choice, though, and I was tired of people questioning it.

I'm not getting any sleep tonight, I don't think, I silently told myself, resigned. A walk might make me feel a little better.

I took one last look at Echo and felt my boiling insides cool off a little. I leaned close to him and smoothed his hair back, bringing my lips down against his temple and kissing him gently. I nosed his cheek and inhaled his scent, sweet and spicy with a tinge of sour iron.

"I love you," I whispered into his ear, brushing it with my lips. "So fucking much... I really do, Echo. You accepted me for who I am without judging me... you saw me instead of my legs and made me feel... normal. Like, I'm no different than any other guy. You never talk about my body as if its different, and I love that about you. You're worthy in every single way..."

I kissed him one last time before carefully getting out of bed and stretching, bare arms high over my head. My spine popped and crackled pleasantly and I chuffed through my nose in blatant satisfaction before heading over to my own room and throwing on some jeans, a black beater tank, and one of my baggiest black hoodies. I wasn't planning on being seen, so I pulled the hood up over my head and slid my horns through the holes on the top.

Once my shoes were on and everything was fastened properly, I walked over to my bedroom window and slid it open, peering down at the ground eight stories below. I took a breath and focused, willing myself to become like iron, and then I silently vaulted over the sill and sailed down towards the ground below. Wind rushed through my ears and I arched, arms up.

The ground swung up disorientingly fast, and then, with a judder, I landed hoof-first, smashing into the concrete sidewalk so hard that it cracked. I stood up and lifted my shoe, wincing at the damage, but it wasn't really noticeable and I doubted anyone would care so I shoved my hands in my pockets and walked towards the forest, being sure to keep out of sight.

I was tempted to walk towards the campus instead, but doing so meant I'd have to go past the parking lot and I didn't want Raph or Darryl to spot me on accident from the RV. I slouched while I walked, staring at the ground, feeling the air on my skin past the burning in my cheeks.

I stopped just at the edge of the woods and raised my eyes to the dark, creaking boughs of the trees. I couldn't figure out if I was wrong for being so mad at Raphael. I couldn't tell if my choices were immature, the way he made me feel they were... but still, I was capable of looking at this from both angles.