HORNS (BoyXBoy)

Chapter 82

Chapter Eighty Two

I was getting tired of this shit... the tension, I mean.

I knew why everybody around me constantly poked their noses into my business. It was because I wasn't a happy individual and they worried about me, and I was okay with that. What I wasn't okay with was the same sort of entitled nosiness into things that did make me happy.

It took every ounce of self control I had not chew Raph out for his earlier behavior as the four of us sat there on my couches with literally nothing to fill the silence. The tension was so thick you could have cut it with a knife, and the dimness of the room didn't really help the atmosphere.

"So," Darryl finally said after ten minutes of straight-up silence, fidgeting with his dog tags and looking between Echo, Raph, and myself with a pleasant demeanor--as if we hadn't just been having an unpleasant talk that was--in my own opinion--still absolutely none of Raphael's mother fucking business. "Anyone... want to watch some movies?"

"Nah, I'm not in the mood," Raph grunted, refusing to look at any of us, hat dragged low over his face as he sat with his ankles crossed and his arms folded over his chest. He waved a dismissive hand. "Do whatever you want... I'll probably head down to the RV to sleep soon."

Darryl looked flustered, Echo's eyes fell even further, and my entire face twitched irritably; I bit my tongue and tapped my finger on my arm, rapidly, trying to avoid exploding on him. The more I thought back over his earlier exchanges with Echo, the angrier I got--I was literally fuming.

And I knew both guys could tell since my scent gave it away.

"Okay," Darryl said after a time, jerkily nodding. "I'll put a movie in and--"

"Actually, I'm gonna go get some sleep," Raph grumped, flicking his cowboy hat up and rising like a panther, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets as he swaggered for the front door. "I'll be back up when Jak comes to get you tomorrow, Horst."

"Raph, wait," Darryl called, jumping up with a frown, but my brother didn't stop, simply opened the door and silently slipped out, defiantly closing it behind him with a click. The ex marine sighed through his nose and ran black claws through his close-cropped blonde hair. "I don't understand him. He was so excited to see you when we were driving here."

"He's just pissed that Echo and I started dating," I finally growled, refusing to look at him when he turned; I stared straight ahead with my cheeks and ears boiling. "Let him go. He's acting like a fucking dick for no reason. Truth is, I can sleep with whoever the fuck I want, whenever the fuck I want, however the fuck I want, and he can't do or say shit since I'm not a kid anymore."

"True, but you're not that kind of person," Darryl said simply; when I made a face he floundered with his hands and nervously added, "although I see your point, so... so..."

"I'm tired of holding myself back and second guessing shit," I stiffly informed him, finally meeting his eyes with my brows furrowed. "Echo isn't going to hurt me. I'm not stupid, I chose this for myself... I chose him, specifically because he makes me happy even when I'm feeling super messed up. I like our dynamic, I like being able to teach him, and most of all, I love him."

"I know," Darryl placatingly agreed, "but--"

"There's no 'but'!" I snapped, wrapping an arm around my oddly silent boyfriend. "I'm happy with this! That's the only thing that matters here--not the what-ifs, not the possibilities, none of it. What matters is the here and now, and in the here and now, this is something Raph's gonna have to get used to because I'm not changing my mind on it. Echo is mine. Period."