-Luka-
The hunt for a new CEO proved to be fruitless. For someone as distrustful as me, it was hard to find someone who could truly perform up to my expectations, despite the various accolades and accomplishments that each candidate had. To me, Claire was still the best choice.
"I seriously don't know why you're so fixed on me being the new boss, boss." She was currently mocking me while I had my head on the table, groaning at the candidate applications that I had to pore through personally. "I get that you don't think you're old enough, but what the hell? You built this vast network of resources, and practically permanently altered our country's economy, but you're not even 20. You literally have your whole life ahead of you."
"It's whatever. Prodigies exist everywhere. There was literal news of a 5-year old founding a new business, let alone me." I rolled my head to face her, cheek squished against the table. "My dear senior, why do you hate me?"
"Because you, my dear junior, love making my life harder than it should be!" She huffed in anger, taking out her phone. She looked at it for a while, took a deep breath, and placed it back into her pocket. "You should know of the repercussions that come with placing a Low Colour like me on the throne of your business, no? So why're you forcing it so much?"
She paused for a second, before continuing. "It's not like you haven't said it before, but you've been mentioning it more and more these days. It's...unlike you. And what's this about raising a bunny? A bunny with such sharp teeth that could leave tooth prints on your neck? Sorry boss, but did you build your business through sheer luck? Are you stupid? Why would you let a bunny bite you in the neck?"
She fiddled with her ponytail, her pale pink hair thick and fluffy. I yawned, before rolling my head to the other side again so that I wouldn't see her. "I didn't get a bunny. I got a boyfriend, a dog and a cat. No bunny."
I couldn't see her expression, but when a pen slammed menacingly down right in front of my face I immediately straightened up.
"Heh? Say that again, but louder." She snarled with a smile on her face. "I must be turning senile, because my fucking ears aren't working properly!"
I backed off as much as I could into my chair. "I got a lover, yes. I thought you'd figured it out from my daily outfits."
She reminded me of a brewing storm, as her eyes narrowed and she fumed like a volcano about to erupt. I could sense the magma of her anger threatening to burst through the surface as her smile cracked, and her face settled into one that spelled my impeding doom.
"Heh? That's why you've been pestering me to take on your stupid boss role for so long? Because you wanna retire, huh? And make me take over your slack, so you can enjoy your time with your little boyfie?"
"And before you misunderstand," she slammed her hand down on the table. "This isn't an attack on your gayness, or your lover. I'm a lesbian for fuck's sake. This is an attack on you trying to run away from your duties, you little shit-eating coward."
"I feel like you've been in a lot of contact with Blair." I cautiously said. Both these women had such colourful vocabulary it was scary. I was afraid for my life, now.
"Trust me, I have. Any last words before I stab a pen through your heart for flaunting your fucking love bite while the rest of us genuinely worried about you getting infected with tetanus?"
"Um...you're invited to the birthday party?"
__________
-Blaine-
I missed Luka, so, so much. He had become busier and busier, and I had to learn to fall asleep without him. The first night was torturous, but Matcha, Artemis and Orion were there.
My family was growing, that thought allowed my heart to settle, and when I woke up to Luka snoozing beside me, I couldn't help but give him a big kiss.
It was fall, so I could see the crunchy leaves and how the orange hue of the trees complimented that of the setting sun. I would take walks with the pets and occasionally now, without Luka because he wasn't free. But only either within Luka's yards and space, or the nearby park which nobody went to, because everyone in the neighbourhood were High Colours and busy.
One evening, when Luka finally came back, he gave me a bouquet of flowers.
"It's your birthday week, sweetheart." Luka kissed my forehead. "I'm sorry I haven't been around for a while, I wanted to get my things out of the way before I can enjoy myself with you."
I admired the flowers, silently giggling. "Thank you...they're beautiful."
He threw down his bag, before bringing me into his arms. "They reminded me of you."
I looked at the flowers. There were white and turquoise. What an odd, yet unique colour.
He placed his hand on my cheek, caressing my face gently. "Your eyes."
"Beautiful." He kissed my forehead.
I usually hated the colour of my eyes, because they weren't either my Father's, or Mother's. They were a weird mix of sea green and bright blue, which were usually just written off as a light, bluish green by most of my peers. But Luka always took the time to compliment me on the colour of my eyes, and that made me love my eyes too.
I figured that heterochromia was pretty rare, because when I told that to my classmate Eros he stared at my eyes for a full minute before gasping in wonder. "Damn, you really do have different colours in your eyes."
"Shit, Blainey," He said afterwards. "You just keep getting more and more special, huh?"
"Anyways, what's with the flowers? Did you do something wrong?" I questioned Luka, and he laughed. "No. I just want to celebrate your birthday for this whole week. Go out to dinner with me?"
"Now?"
"Mhm. The car is ready, and the restaurant is too. Wanna go get ready?"
"O-Oh..! Okay!" I set down the flowers gently, before heading upstairs to change.
I threw on a blouse and a pair of slacks, before attempting to style my hair slightly, and putting a little makeup on.
I put a little bit of highlighter on my eyes, and brought out a lip balm. The balm was a colour balm, but also had medical properties to heal my lips from biting it so much. I also applied some perfume that I bought when I went out with Eli.
Luka was already downstairs, playing with Orion while Artemis lazed beside. He had changed his clothes and wore something more casual as well.
"Luka." I called out softly. "I'm ready. But who's going to take care of Artemis? And Orion?"
He smiled. "They're going with us. The restaurant doesn't usually allow pets, but I got them to make an exception."
"Isn't that abuse of authority..." I felt bad. Because of me, whatever restaurant we were going to had to bend their rules and allow us in, just because Luka asked to.
"Come here, Blaine." I was beckoned over, and hugged tightly as Orion crawled onto my lap. I petted him, and leaned my head against Luka's chest. "Luka, please. I don't like what you're doing."
"Mm, I know. But I paid for the entire restaurant to be rented out for today, and I have someone to check that all the servers there are okay with pets, and being paid their bonuses for tonight. Does that sound okay?"
"Oh." I never should have doubted him. Leaving a kiss on his cheek, I smiled. "Thank you. But...wait."
My mind whirred for a second, before i jolted. "What?! A whole restaurant?! You booked out a whole— A whole restaurant?!!"
"I knew you'd react like this, sweetheart." Luka chuckled, brushing my cheek. "But I want to give you the best of everything. Let me spoil you. It's your birthday week."
"Ugh..I don't know..." While I simultaneously felt bad for others, I couldn't help but feel grateful.
"Before you mention it, I called, like, a few months prior. Just a little after I found out when your birthday was. I wanted to minimise the trouble that the restaurant would face. And since it isn't a holiday or anything, they could reschedule anyone that booked for another slot." Luka gave me a small kiss, watching Orion flip onto his back. "So don't feel bad, okay?"
"Mmh..why would you call so early..?"
Luka blushed. "I like the food there, so I'm one of their regulars. They kind of know I visit them once every few months, so they hold some slots open for me every month. So, I picked the date closest to your birthday. I guess it's also one of the reasons why I wanted to celebrate your birthday for a week, cuz' if I can't celebrate it on the actual date then it seems weird, don't you think?"
"Ah..." Hearing about it now did make it sound logical.
"So everything worked out well." He glanced up at me, as if seeking praise. He was so much like Orion, hehe.
"Mm. It did. I love you, Luka. Thank you."
"Mmh... Love you too. I kind of wanna cancel now. You're in my lap, too. Isn't this perfect, hm?"
"Oh, you!"
When we got to the restaurant, it really was only us there. The manager personally came to greet us, and took our coats. I looked around at the place while Luka exchanged pleasantries with him, and we were soon led to a transparent elevator with a view of the city. We were then left alone to either lounge around for a while, or go straight upstairs.
"T-This...this is a little overkill, isn't it..?"
I still had a little bit of a stutter sometimes, which mostly only occurred when I was feeling too much at once.
"Why do you think I called months in advance? This place is known for their food and the view, and usually only High Colours come here. They're really in demand." Luka whispered back to me. "To be fair, I could always get a table whenever I want here, but I didn't wanna abuse my authority, as you said. And I'm worried that you might still be afraid of people."
I was. I was still deathly afraid. But the evening walks in the park were a way for me to overcome that fear. Even if there were usually only one or two people, they still made me freeze up and shudder.
"Let me spoil you." Luka kissed the back of my hand. "I want this to be a birthday you'll never forget."
I grabbed his hand tight, suddenly feeling emotional. Truth to be told, I'd never celebrated my birthday before, and my birthday was just another day where I would be abused and...and...
It would feel harder than usual, as if Father wanted to be extra vicious because I was born into this world on that date. I could swear that on the day of my supposed birthday, my parents would take delight in tormenting me even more.
I grabbed Luka's clothes, watching as my hands trembled from fear. God, why was I so sensitive? It wasn't like I was suffering anymore. I shouldn't be like this...especially on such an occasion.
I felt warmth.
"You're overthinking again, aren't you?" Luka's voice was lower than usual, as his arms brought my body close to his, hugging me loosely. "Can you just think about us tonight, please?"
"...Mm."
I snuggled near him, and he moved so that I could watch the view as the elevator sped upwards. I did have a mild case of claustrophobia, where confined spaces would make my heart rate speed up, cause me to feel anxious and make me claw at myself.
But Luka was here. Luka would protect me. I closed my eyes, before taking a deep breath and opening them again. Everything seemed so much more vibrant, now. The city lights glittered with a beautiful sheen, and I watched as more and more of the evening sky was made clearer as the elevator went up.
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open.
I was still immersed in the warm hug and soft city lights, but moved slightly to show Luka I was okay.
"Mmh..Come on, now. Let's get dinner." I whispered.
"Right...dinner." Luka left a fleeting kiss on my forehead, before holding my hand and leading me out.
__________
The next day rolled by, and Luka got me a book that I had been eyeing for the longest time, after I had come back from school and him from work.
It was by one of my favourite authors, and he had even gotten her to sign it...!
I kissed him silly afterwards.
On the third day, I got presents from the twins.
"Wow, we're hurt, Blainey. Why wouldn't you tell us when your birthday was, hm? You're so mean. Maybe a kiss would make me feel better." Evan was really flirty. It was probably the case with everybody, but I got the brunt of it because I sat next to his twin.
"Hey, asshole. He's got a boyfriend already." Eros quipped back, and the two had started to bicker again. I laughed while they fought and opened my presents.
On the fourth day, Luka got Orion to deliver my gift to me. Orion held a letter in his mouth, and he trotted over proudly, tail wagging like a little helicopter.
When I opened the letter, there were only 3 words written on it.
"Anything you wish."
Did that mean Luka would give me anything I wished for? But didn't he do that on the usual already?
I frowned, thinking hard. Something that I wished for...
When Luka came home, he held a heart-shaped box filled with chocolates and candies and everything that I liked.
We stayed up till 12am, and he gave me a breathtaking kiss.
"Happy birthday, Blaine."
__________
On my birthday, Luka was home. Luckily, my birthday coincided with the weekend, so we simply cuddled and talked in bed in the morning. He trailed small kisses down my cheek, hands rested on my waist and gently kneading.
"Blaine, thought about your wish?"
I giggled. "No. But I'm curious, why a free wish? You always grant me everything I want or need anyways."
"Mmh. How about you answer a question of mine first?"
I nodded, curious.
"I love that you depend on me. If you wanted to, I could spoil you for the rest of our lives. But you don't want that, do you? Tell me, precious. Tell me what you want to do."
I thought for a while. I liked math, I liked art. I could do coding, but Blair mentioned that I could become a mechanic because of my interest in functioning parts and how they complemented each others. I could also become a model, I think Eli mentioned it once.
There were so many things I could do.
"I know that I don't want to rely on you for everything, not just when it comes to our finances. I think...I think I want to explore a little and see what jobs I can get so that one day you can be proud of me too."
Luka's eyes softened. "I'm already so proud of you, you know?"
I giggled. "Yeah, I know."
"Anyways," He continued to speak. "I just wanted to hear your thoughts because while I said I'd spoil you, if you'd like to be independent then I shouldn't give you everything you want. It sounds bad, but I don't know how else to phrase it. Do you get it?"
"Um...yeah, I do, kind of." I blinked. "So you're saying that note that Orion passed me is my final wish? Before you cut off my eternal wish supply?"
He laughed. "That's one way you can put it."
"Mm. I get it now. And I have a wish."
"Say it, and it's yours."
"I...could we move to a smaller house?"
Luka's arms shifted around me. "Of course, sweetheart. But we've discussed this before, haven't we? And I've agreed too. I'm not counting that as your last wish."
"Ah...then, um...I don't know..."
"Mm. Take your time. There's no expiration date on your wish, after all."
"Hehe..." I laughed again. He was always so sweet with his words.
"Anyhow, today's your first day being 18. Are you excited?"
"Mmh...not really? My chest feels a little bit tight, I guess." Whether it was anxiety and trauma, or joy and anticipation, I wouldn't know.
"Is it a good kind of tight?" I didn't understand how he was so perceptive.
"I don't know..."
"Well, let's hope I can make it better, hm?" He kissed my cheek. "I ordered in for breakfast today. From your favourite place."
"Really?!" My favourite place to order breakfast from made the best waffles. Sorry Luka.
"Mhm. It'll be arriving in 20 minutes. So we should probably get up now."
"Okay!!"
__________
I spent the day cuddling with Luka, and we put on a few shows to watch together.
He'd give me kisses every now and then, just small, brief ones that left me wanting more.
Then in the afternoon, I was assaulted by a panic attack when he'd left to make lunch.
Was it because my body was used to pain? So much so that once the pain, that had been as natural as breathing, was gone, my body would seize up and ruin my day?
I couldn't—didn't want to scream out for Luka, but I knew he'd want me to. But I didn't want to. I wanted to stop these attacks by myself.
"Ugh..." I gritted my teeth hard, and gripped at my arms strong enough to tear the skin. My heart was going a mile a minute, and I felt so anxious that I couldn't even speak, let alone shout for Luka.
Stop, stop, stop—
I ducked from nothing, hanging my head low. My hands unwittingly pulled at my hair, clawing at my scalp. It hurt, but it kept me sane. It kept me here.
Don't make me go back.
I slipped down from the couch and sank down onto the floor, dragging a blanket down with me, but since Matcha was on it, it was dragged down too. Pulling it into my grasp helped me breathe better, at the familiar feeling of comfort, and stopped me from pulling at my hair or scratching at myself.
My mind was assaulted by brief flashes of—of what? Ugh...
"N-No..! Stop—! Fa—"
Psychogenic pain assaulted my senses, and I let out a small, strained whimper. My lip was probably bleeding from how hard I was biting at it. Luka couldn't hear me. I wouldn't let him. Not again...
Why would this happen now? Stop—
"No—! Stop, please, it hurts—!"
"Breathe. Slowly. Follow my pace."
One, two...
Orion came bounding down from upstairs, but I couldn't hear him over the rush of fear drowning out any other sound in my ears, and Artemis followed him down. Before I knew it, Artemis had started making biscuits on my foot, purring softly. Orion had yipped and licked my ear, calming me down and distracting me.
They kept me grounded. Kept my mind from wandering back to my previous home.
"Stop..I-I can't—please..!"
Stop thinking!
I blinked away the angry, exasperated tears that had forced themselves out of my eyes, and cradled my own body, back and forth. Matcha laid in front of me, its pale green body taking up much of my peripheral.
I willed myself to breathe slowly. Deep breaths, one, two...
"Blaine?"
I couldn't even turn my head before Luka had already hugged me. "Did it happen again, precious?"
I nodded silently into the crook of his neck, nails digging into Matcha.
Don't touch me, my mind screamed. I'm disgusting.
"It's okay, darling. Just breathe nice and slow for me. That's it." Luka paused for a while. "I'm sorry if I'm invading your space right now." He backed away immediately.
"Is it alright if I touch you?"
It was as if my consciousness wanted me to destroy every step of the progress I'd so painstakingly built. But I couldn't let that happen—I couldn't disappoint Luka again.
My body trembled. Even if I felt repulsed from Luka's touch, I forced myself not to push him away.
I nodded shakily.
Closing my eyes, I willed myself to focus on other things. Warm floor, gentle lavender scent. Fluffy, soft Matcha. Artemis's tail.
"Wanna get up onto the couch, hm?" I shook my head. The floor was nice and warm.
"Alright. Could you let me see your arm?" Luka slowly and carefully peeled away the blanket, revealing nail marks scratched into my skin, but no blood.
No blood—anymore. Not like last time. That was a start. That was an improvement.
I let out a shaky sigh, and Artemis tried to lick at my arm. Luka stopped her, scratching her chin. "Sorry, little one. Can't let you do that." She was distracted enough from the scratching that she stopped making biscuits.
"Blaine," Luka pressed a kiss onto my forehead. "Let me go grab the medicine, okay? I'll be back in a second."
I tensed up the moment he kissed me, breathing harshly to calm my heart down. I started to tense just a little, in preparation for when Luka would have to touch me.
I was silent the entire time, and I felt bad. I leaned back against the couch seat and closed my eyes as he left, slightly trembling.
I counted the seconds slowly, one, two...
When Luka came back, I recovered some of my coherent thoughts, but didn't feel okay enough to speak just yet. He gave me a look, another gentler kiss, and gently placed a bandaid on my arm, after smearing some medicine over it.
"There you go. Do you still wanna watch TV?"
I blinked at him, my mind empty. I brushed my fingers along the bandaid, looking down at Orion in my lap.
It was over before I knew it.
How stupid of me to have doubted him.
My mind was blank, and I couldn't speak due to the waves of static crashing in my ears. I sighed, hating how volatile I was. It was supposed to be a happy day today. It was my birthday, for god's sake.
I felt a stinging, harsh jolt straight in my abdomen when I thought about the fact that it was my birthday. So even when they weren't here, my abusers still haunted me like ghosts.
I curled up tighter, even causing Orion to whimper and slip out of my lap.
Feeling a sudden wave of guilt, I opened my mouth to apologise to Orion, but I couldn't say a word.
Speak, for god's sake. Speak—
"Alright, that's a no, then. Anyways, I wanted to show you something too." Luka didn't ask much, but he picked Orion up and scratched at his head. "Just give me a second, okay? I'll be back before you know it."
He ran off again, and I closed my eyes once more.
One, two...
Just count..
Three, four...
..I'm okay. I think.
I took a final deep breath, and looked at my trembling hand. I wanted to pet Orion, as an apology. Instead, Artemis slinked over, and settled herself directly under my hand, giving a soft meow.
I started to stroke her back, and she purred.
Fifty one, fifty two...
"Is it okay if I sit beside you?" Luka brought his tablet when he came back, and he settled himself just next to me, on the floor. He dropped Orion onto his lap, and stayed close enough for me to still brush at Orion's fur.
The puppy yipped, which probably meant he didn't hold a grudge against me. Thank god.
Luka turned his tablet on, and fiddled with it for a while, before angling it so that I could see it too.
It was a blueprint of a house.
"So I chose a place that's not too far from the city, but also near to a few forest parks. I'll scope out more of the area, just to see, hm?" He started to speak, lowering his voice.
"You wanted a smaller place, but because of my stuff, it can't be "tiny house"-small. It's just large enough for us and the pets, and small enough to feel warm. Sounds good?"
He sat next to me, just enough for me to lean against his shoulder and breathe, but not too overly imposing in my space. I nodded, a small action against his shoulder while Orion climbed onto my lap.
I focused on his voice, feeling less resistant to his touch and proximity.
He laughed, a small, soft noise. "If the place was "tiny house" small, it'd fit you, hm? A tiny house for a tiny man."
I smiled, and laughed a little too. He could feel it, I knew.
The display on the tablet screen changed into the interior of the house.
"So I was thinking of this colour scheme..."
The sun set, and I had unwittingly fallen asleep.
When I awoke, I had been moved to the couch, and I was hugging Matcha, not Luka. Orion was napping on my stomach, and Artemis sprawled out on the floor.
I took a deep breath, and exhaled.
Getting up slowly, I picked up Orion and settled him onto the couch. He was such a deep sleeper, and he was growing fast. His size had nearly tripled from what he was when I first saw him, and Artemis, too, had grown more.
I smiled lightly to myself, and went off to find my beloved.
__________
I watched silently as he threw punches at the punching bag, fast, sharp, and precise.
Luka was in a tight fitting dri-fit, and had earpieces in, so he didn't hear me when I entered the gym.
I sat on the bench, looking at his protein drink with curiosity. Then I zoned out for a good few minutes, watching as my boyfriend practised his boxing, taking intermittent breaks.
Admiring his body felt surreal. For a moment, I questioned if my mind had truly gone insane in my father's basement and caused me to hallucinate the perfect lover for me because of the pain.
He had a surprisingly slim waist, with a strong upper body that exuded confidence and abdominal muscles that revealed themselves in slices of skin when his shirt would roll up due to his intense workout.
I swallowed. He was so unreal. I couldn't see his face as his back was turned to me, but I was enthralled by him as he maimed his punching bag in a flurry of emotions that revealed his raging state.
When he seemed to decide he was done with his workout, he turned, and saw me. As I made eye contact with him, I realised that his eyes were golden. But the moment I blinked and looked at him again, they were back to their natural blue.
He sauntered toward me, entire body reeking of sweat and heavy exercise. He grabbed the bottle next to me, took out his earpieces, and sat on the ground in front of me, panting the entire time.
I smiled. "Good exercise?"
"Good exercise." He agreed, taking a large swig of his drink. As his chest heaved up and down, I noticed his muscles, barely concealed by the shirt. I wanted to touch him, but he stopped me. "Sweetheart, I look and smell like shit right now. Just give me half an hour and I'll come back to hug you, okay?"
Staying true to his word, in that half hour he cleaned up his gym and went for a shower, before finding me sitting in bed and hugging me tight from behind.
"Feel better? Did the nap do any good?"
"Mm." I replied absentmindedly while flipping through a book on interior design. "I was too overwhelmed with my...yeah. The nap was good."
After a short pause, I spoke again.
"Sorry."
"It's okay." He sighed against my back. "I know it happens, but I was praying that it wouldn't happen today."
I laughed, finding it rather ironic. "Not everything can happen according to our wishes, even for High Colours like you, hm?"
He stifled a laugh. "Tell me about it."
After another short pause in which he turned me over and hugged me, he spoke again.
"You know, today...I actually had something planned for you. I wanted to give you a birthday party that you'd never forget. I wanted you to be able to celebrate it with my family. I know you've grown close to them."
I did. I was indeed close with Luka's family now.
"But because of what happened I cancelled it. I told everyone that something unexpected happened, so we couldn't hold it anymore." He led me to lean my head against his chest, hearing his heart pound stably.
"I really wanted to make it a perfect day for you, Blaine. I'm sorry I couldn't."
"Don't say that..." It wasn't even his fault, it was mine. "It's perfect to me."
"Mm." He hummed lowly. I closed my eyes, feeling the intricacy of the moment. Here we were, people whose paths should never have crossed in the first place, together because of a series of coincidences and luck.
I leaned my head back, resting on his shoulder. His body shifted, but I didn't mind enough to look.
"Even if it's not perfect, nothing will be. Our relationship isn't, either. But I'm willing to stay with you, to go through it with you."
I opened my eyes.
"Blaine, are you willing to stay with me too?"
There was a ring box in front of me, opened to display the beautiful diamond ring nestled comfortably inside.
My heart lurched, and I let out a gasp, before covering my mouth in shock.
My tears had already started to flow uncontrollably even as I tried to stop them, and I was reduced to a sniffling mess before I could even give an answer.
"You're insane." I whispered, heart pounding crazily with adrenaline. "You're absolutely insane."
Both he and I were in bed, in casual clothing and nothing special. And yet, Luka had chosen this moment to show the ring to me, to ask if I'd stay.
I couldn't speak, and instead could only sob into my hands, as Luka kissed my temple.
Luka was insane.
I stretched out a shaky hand to cradle the ring box, and his hand easily adjusted to accommodate mine so that his was behind mine.
"It's just a promise ring, for now." He whispered into my hair, after lovingly kissing my cheeks. "I'll get you a better one when I propose, I promise."
I sniffled against him, a mess of emotions. He laughed, holding me close with his free hand.
"You're so good to me..." I choked out. "I really..."
He pressed more kisses against my head, and I subconsciously followed his breathing to slow mine down and calm down.
It was only after I'd finally gotten my emotions somewhat in check that I looked up at him, and smiled as brightly as I could.
"Yes."
"I'll stay."
__________
2023 has been a rollercoaster. ive met so many new people, lost a few old ones, but in the end I think it was a good experience overall. here's to hoping the rest of the year from September goes smoothly!!
anyways i just ended another one of my friendships so I'm emo. so you guys'll be getting smut.
expect the horny to come next chapter.