~Monday 30th July 2018~
30/07/18 - Five hours.
Early morning, sun rising. Older again, 25 maybe? Wearing an animal skin, no idea what era, some time long ago. Sat at the top of a waterfall, joined by Lucifer. Neither spoke for a moment, just held hands. Conversation ensued: "Syon told me about him," I spoke first, never looking away from the sun, sounded sad, "I can't be him for you." "He isn't what I want, I've come to terms with it, Caius. He died a long time ago, I have made peace, I know you're not him." Lucifer sounded sad too. "Break this stupid spell then, Lu, stop putting yourself through this. Sever the deal and I'll believe you." "I can't." I sighed. "I hate when you lie, it paints you in an ugly colour." "I can't risk losing you, Cai-" "Shut up, save your breath, I know exactly what you're going to say. Death is a part of life, Lucifer, and I refuse to be with you because of a part of myself I don't believe in." I removed the ring on my finger (I'm sure I've seen that ring before), giving it to Lucifer. "Cai, what are you doing?" Lucifer sounds scared, makes my heart hurt. "I will love you always, Lu," I whispered, before falling forward off the cliff.
Dove drew in a shaky breath, wiping away the tears that had stained his cheeks, leaning his head back against the wall. He had never had a dream like that. He had died in his dreams before, but never like that. He had never taken his own life. Really, the life that was lost wasn't his own, yet he still felt it all. Lucifer's voice echoing through his head, the wind rushing around his face, his body hitting the ground.
It was the impact that had woken him, and he had only just managed to stifle the scream that clawed at his throat. He didn't need to worry Eryll, it would only cause questions to be asked that he didn't have the answers for. Instead, he continued with his ritual, trying his best to stop his hands shaking whilst he wrote down what little he remembered. He certainly wouldn't be sad to have that memory lost in the recesses of his mind.
It was six in the morning, with the sun just beginning to peak over the horizon, that pretty orange glow illuminating Dove's room through his half-drawn curtains. There was no point trying to go back to sleep, Dove knew it would be a fruitless endeavour with his mind so awake. He had worked on fewer hours of sleep, at least that time the penthouse was quiet and Eryll didn't seem to have any company over.
Pulling on a hoodie, Dove exited his room, taking a moment to glance into Eryll's since the door was always left ajar. He looked to be sleeping peacefully, although the covers were askew over his naked form. With his gaze remaining on the upper half of Eryll's body, Dove crept into the room silently, having to squint in the darkness. Eryll's room was always far darker than his own since it didn't directly face the rising sun.
Once Dove had shifted the covers enough that barely any of Eryll's skin was showing, he noticed something glint in the darkness. Frowning, Dove leant a little closer, holding his breath and praying to God Eryll didn't wake up. Returning to his previous posture, Dove concluded maybe he should have gone back to sleep, he was certainly still fatigued enough to be seeing things.
Sammael caught Dove's attention, meowing loudly and stretching as he unfurled himself from under Eryll's arm. Dove scooped up the cat, scolding him quietly for almost waking the man, and carrying him from the room. Lingering in the doorway, Dove took one last look toward the slumbering man, content with the knowledge that he most definitely was sleep deprived. Eryll did not adorn horns, nor a tail, that would be just preposterous.
"You hungry, Sammy?" Dove placed the cat down on the counter, collecting the meat that Eryll kept for him from the fridge, "steak for breakfast, you are spoilt," Dove murmured cheerfully, placing the dish down on the counter. He watched Sammael eat whilst he made a cup of tea, an absent smile curving his lips, distracted only by his phone ringing in his pocket.
"Fal? Why on earth are you up so early?" Dove joked, leaving his phone on the counter on speaker whilst he finished making his tea.
"Since you left, I got the wonderful job of having to wake everyone up for school. You get to live in a penthouse with a billionaire, I get an alarm at six in the morning, I think I drew the short straw," Dove giggled, collecting the blanket from the couch and unlocking the balcony door. He often liked to sit out there in the mornings to watch the sunrise, it was a sight like no other.
"Six in the morning honestly isn't that bad, you'll get used to it," leaving the door open a crack, Dove settled himself down on the outdoor couch, leaning against the arm and stretching out his legs across the seat, "Sammy, get away from the edge," Dove patted his lap, thankful that the cat so obediently listened and curled up on his legs.
"Don't tell me your boss has a kid you're looking after," Dove laughed quietly, sipping his tea and bunching the blanket up over his bare feet more. It may have been summer, but the mornings still remained chilly enough to require a blanket. At least until the sun was at its apex anyway.
"No, Sammael is his cat. Eryll is gay, and single, I never asked though. Maybe he does."
"Single, eh? Has he fucked you yet then?" Dove didn't need to see his brother's face to know it adorned that wicked smirk, it was evident enough in his voice.
"No, Fal, he's my boss. It wouldn't be very professional and I would like to keep my job, thank you."
"Yeah yeah, you say that now. I bet you in a month you'll be sucking his cock on the regular."
"Fal!" Dove hissed, glancing over his shoulder to ensure Eryll hadn't awoken yet, "you're on speaker, idiot, can you talk a little quieter please?"
"Dove, you're employed as his personal assistant. That's just code for live-in prostitute, haven't you watched porn before? You're living in one of the most common storylines," Falcon chuckled lowly when Dove didn't respond, "yeah, you keep that in mind, little brother. Anyway, I didn't call to tease you, I want to know how everything is going. What is Eryll like? He better be good to you," Dove chewed on his bottom lip for a moment, debating whether to tell Falcon the truth or not, "Dove?"
"I don't think he's a good person," Dove admitted in a small voice, staring vacantly out at the other skyscrapers surrounding the building Eryll lived in.
"What do you mean?" the humour in Falcon's tone had seeped away, leaving only concern, as Dove had assumed his revelation would cause.
"I get a bad vibe from him, like my gut is telling me to run away as fast as I can."
"So quit," Falcon clearly had gotten no less blunt in his advice since Dove had left, "come back home. You shouldn't be working for someone who has that kind of effect on you. You've always been able to read people really well, Dove, your gut is probably right," Eryll's bad vibe was worth it to be away from home, Dove knew that, too bad he couldn't confide in his brother why.
"That's the problem though, I can't leave. I can't just work away from him."
"What are you talking about? Why not?"
"I'm stuck, Fal, caught here like a bird in a cage," Dove scoffed bitterly, following with a quiet sigh, "I don't have the key, so I can't get out."
"Stop being so fucking cryptic, Dove, you're worrying me," Falcon had begun to sound frustrated, and Dove knew the escalation after that would be to simply drive out there and confront him face to face. His brother was impulsive like that.
"Sorry," Dove mumbled, his brows furrowing briefly, "it doesn't matter-"
"Yes it does, Dove, if you're not comfortable around him then just tell me. I'll come out and get you."
"No, no, you don't need to do that," Dove blurted out swiftly, realising the hole he had dug himself into, "honestly, he doesn't make me uncomfortable or anything. He's really nice, I promise, Fal, he's really kind."
"OK," Falcon said slowly, although he didn't sound at all convinced, "as long as you're happy there. You'd tell me if anything changed though, right?"
"Of course, Fal, you'd be the first I'd call, you know that," Dove had always had a stronger relationship with his elder brother. He was close with all his siblings, and with his mother too, but with Falcon, something was different. There was some unspoken tie between the two that just held them closer. He was the first Dove would go to with any problem, and he was always there for the boy to confide in.
"Are you gonna be back for your birthday? Uncle Roy was asking at dinner last night and mom didn't know," a shiver ran down Dove's spine at the mere sound of his uncle's name, his lip catching between his teeth.
"I don't know, um, if I can get the time off then I suppose so but it depends. I don't exactly work a nine to five."
"You're also allowed vacation time, Dove, he can't force you to work twenty-four hours, seven days a week," Dove sighed, nausea welling within him at the thought of returning home, even be it for a few days, although he did feel some sense of comfort from Sammael nuzzling against his hand, purring as he usually did.
"You don't understand, Fal, Eryll's schedule is erratic. I'm sure he'd be happy to give me the time off but if something comes up and he needs me to be there then I don't have any say in the matter."
"Yeah, OK, if you say so," Falcon grumbled, his mood obviously darkened at the prospect of Dove not returning home anytime soon, "I'll tell mom later, she really misses you, it would make her really happy if you came home."
"I know, Fal, I miss you all too. It's not like I'm saying I'm never coming home, Eryll isn't holding me prisoner. I like being out here," Falcon chuckled briefly.
"You mean you like being around him?" Dove felt that familiar heat rush into his cheeks, "I know you, Dove, I can tell when you like someone, I can hear it in your voice," Dove took the phone off speaker, holding it up to his ear, really not wanting Eryll to hear any of that part of the conversation.
"Is it bad? I shouldn't tell him, should I?" Dove dropped his voice lower, glancing over his shoulder once again, seeing no sign of Eryll.
"It's not bad, Dove. If he's single and he feels the same way then you should go for it. I know it didn't work out between you and Atticus, I know more than you told me, you deserve someone who can take care of you. Not just in terms of money, but if you're saying he's really kind to you, then I wouldn't pass up this chance. You've found your Christian Grey," Dove laughed with his brother, concluding that mentioning how much Eryll did resemble Christian Grey's mentality was not the best idea.
"Yeah, I suppose you're right. I just don't want to fuck up our professional relationship if something doesn't work out."
"I doubt you would, a few fucks here and there with him isn't gonna change much," Dove giggled nervously, his blush deepening.
"Fal, he sucked me off last week when he was drunk and I still can't sit in the living room without thinking about it. How would I look him in the eye if we fucked?"
"It's not the lust that'll get you, Dove, it's the love," Falcon's voice sounded distant, Dove knew his brother hadn't played well with love in the past.
"Would you like something for breakfast?" Dove shrieked, almost tipping the dregs of his cold tea down Sammael when he heard Eryll's voice behind him, "sorry, I didn't mean to startle you," Eryll chuckled, his voice hoarse, like it usually was in the morning. Dove looked over his shoulder, seeing the man leaning in the doorway, adorning only a pair of low hanging sweatpants.
"It's fine," Dove forced a smile, which was easier than he had expected when his eyes met Eryll's, "um, yeah, if you're making."
"French toast?" Dove nodded, "OK," Eryll smiled politely, leaving Dove to hang up his phone call with his brother.
"For a tall man, you're very light-footed," Dove commented as he closed the balcony door, ensuring Sammael had followed him inside.
"I'll wear a bell next time," Eryll joked, not looking up from the stove, "shit, could you go get that for me?" he asked when the familiar ringtone of Eryll's phone echoed down the hallway, "it's on my bedside table," Eryll called after Dove darted down the hallway and into his bedroom. Sure enough, the man's phone was there on top of his bedside table but, of course, the call cut out the moment Dove picked up the device.
"It went off before I could answer, do you still want me to bring it to you?" Dove yelled, knowing Eryll would be able to hear him. That man had better hearing than he should have.
"Please," Dove's eyes happened to flicker down past the phone in his hands to the bedside table, seeing the top drawer wasn't shut completely and something was partially peeking out. Biting his bottom lip, Dove glanced over his shoulder, listening out for any signs that Eryll may have followed him down the hallway.
His intention had been simply to open the drawer enough to shift whatever had prevented it from closing completely, then shut it again. Not to snoop. But, of course, curiosity got the better of Dove the second his eyes landed on the magazines. There were five of them, four stacked nicely and one strewn crudely over the top, open to a particularly shocking page.
An ashen-skinned boy sat in some sort of throne, adorning a lustrous expression with his legs spread provocatively. However, that wasn't what caught Dove's attention. It was what little clothing the boy adorned that Dove's eyes stuck to. A sheer black robe laid limply over the boy's shoulders, flowing down so low that it grazed the floor at his feet, parted to reveal the matching pair of black panties.
Words like taboo and erotic stuck out almost as much as the photos themselves, piquing Dove's interest further than it had been before. He had never seen anything like that before. Had never even conceived the possibility that some men would have a fetish for their lovers in women's underwear. Eryll obviously did. And judging by the striking similarities the boy in the picture bared to Dove himself, Eryll had been fantasising about him more than an employer should have.
"Dove? Did you get lost?" Dove's eyes snapped to the door, thankfully not seeing Eryll there. No, he was still in the kitchen, Dove knew that by how his voice sounded. It wasn't close enough. In the heat of the moment, Dove stuffed the magazine up his shirt, collecting Eryll's phone and closing the drawer completely. He darted into his room, slipping the magazine under his pillow, realising his actions when he caught sight of Sammael watching him from the doorway.
"Don't you dare tell him," he whispered to the animal, "I'll give it back, I just want to look."