~Wednesday 6th March 2013~
Eden rolled over in bed, sighing as he stared at the ceiling. He couldn't quite manage to get back to sleep, even though it was five in the morning and his body was exhausted, his mind was alert and awake. His dream had bothered him more than he would care to admit, the images fusing into his brain, playing over and over, like a roll of film stuck on the same three frames.
Eden would have liked to think his sleeping pattern had gotten much better since he had gotten with Malcolm, but that wasn't true. It was when Eden had started sleeping in the same bed as Lex that he the restlessness had dispelled. He slept the best when in Malcolm's arms, yes, but he couldn't lie that even just being in the same bed as Lex calmed him enough to add a few extra hours. Not that particular morning, however.
Eden didn't often dream, and didn't dwell on them when he did. His dreams were cryptic, with a thousand different meaning for each second, he didn't want to base any stupid decisions of a scene played out in his unconscious state. That particular dream, he wished was no different, yet he couldn't lie to himself, something had just gotten stuck with him, a feeling deep within his chest that he couldn't shake.
"Stop fidgeting," the voice next to Eden murmured groggily, making the boy blush, he had been trying his best not to wake up his companion. Clearly he hadn't been trying hard enough.
"Go back to sleep," Eden whispered, looking at Lex through the darkness, "it's really early, you can still get a few hours if you-" Eden was cut off when Lex's arms wrapped around his waist, tugging him closer into the man's chest.
"You gonna tell me why you're not sleeping then? If it's so early?" Lex may have been human but he still had a superhuman ability to read people, Eden was lucky they were in the dark or the man could have probably inferred everything from his expressions.
"Can I ask you something?" Eden's hand travelled up and around Lex's neck, running his fingers through the man's hair, making him almost purr in appreciation. Maybe if he kept it up he could make Lex fall back to sleep before any of the serious questions had to be answered.
"Go for it," Lex mumbled, resting his head in the crook of Eden's neck. Maybe Malcolm had every right to be worried about Eden living with Lex, they were pretty close, closer than they probably should have been. Eden was entirely committed to Malcolm, he wouldn't ever ever cheat on the man, he lo- That just wasn't necessary to think about just yet.
"Do you believe in love at first sight?" Eden's voice was quiet, almost uncertain.
"Of course, why wouldn't someone? The thought of meeting your soul mate, your one true life companion, and just immediately loving every aspect of them, that sounds amazing. That's the real magic in the world," Eden felt a smile tug at the corners of his mouth, having never thought of it that way.
"Sounds nice, really nice, when you put it like that," Eden stared off into the darkness in the corner of the bedroom, watching the shadows curl and shift with the movement of the clouds out the window.
"Why do you ask?" Eden hesitated, chewing on his bottom lip, "is this about Malcolm?"
"Hailee said it was obvious I was in love with him, I just wasn't... I didn't believe it right away. I mean, how can you look at a person, without even knowing their name, and just decide that they're who you want to be with for the rest of your life? It feels impossible."
"We're creatures of habit, Edee, humans might be physically so much more evolved than all the other animals on this planet but our instincts have always remained the same. We don't realise it but we still look for the most eligible mate. The first thing you notice with a person is their appearance and, whether you admit it or not, that's what you base a lot of your decisions off. You didn't need to know Malcolm's name, or anything about him for that matter, if your internal primate had already made the choice of him being your mate."
"I suppose," Eden wasn't entirely convinced, or maybe he was just not ready to accept the points that Lex was making. Maybe it was more that there was another underlying issue Eden wasn't comfortable discussing just yet.
"Do you love Malcolm then?" and there was the question, the question that Eden honestly didn't know how to answer. He cared for Malcolm, he was aware of that, he wouldn't deny that. He just wasn't sure it was love. He had said he loved Isaac, but he wasn't sure that was true love, maybe it was just a strong affection. Eden didn't want to make the mistake of telling Malcolm he loved him if he wasn't sure it was entirely genuine. Even though he hoped it was.
"What's stopping you from admitting it, Edee? Not to him, everyone's afraid to say the words out loud but what's stopping you from accepting it in your own mind?"
"I think..." Eden searched for the correct words to get his point across, "when you say it out loud, you're just admitting to the other, you're making it known, that's not the hard part. It's when you accept it yourself that's the scary bit. When you accept that you love someone, it becomes real, everything becomes real, and when it's real, people can get hurt-" Eden paused for a moment, taking a deep breath, "people can get killed."
"You're afraid of losing him like Archie?" Eden nodded silently, knowing Lex would be able to feel the movement, "you can't live in fear, Edee, living in fear just isn't living. It's surviving, and that isn't enough. I'm not saying call Malcolm right now and profess everything, I'm just suggesting that maybe you should stop worrying about someone else taking him away from you because, in staying quiet about your feelings, you might actually be pushing him away yourself," honestly, five in the morning might have been the best time to talk, Lex was making a lot of sense.
"Don't piss him off, please," Eden whispered to Lex as they walked up the driveway to Leon's house, "he's got a temper and you know he doesn't like you," Lex merely chuckled, wrapping an arm around Eden's waist, his grip tight enough that the boy couldn't shake it.
"Things are getting good with me and Wyatt, he's just as possessive, y'know? I wouldn't screw that up just for a little fling with you. Malcolm should just chill out, I'm not interested."
"Your hand on my ass might tell him otherwise," Eden knocked on the door, "it's your fault if he hits you, honestly, and he'll hit you hard. You're playing with fire," Lex wore a mischievous smirk, placing a light kiss on the top of Eden's hair, making the boy roll his eyes. The door swung open thankfully after Lex had returned to his previous position, revealing Slate, who shook his head as he sighed.
"Well, this is gonna be interesting," Slate murmured, stepping to the side to allow Eden and Lex to enter Leon's house, "Mal's in a bad mood already, I'd advise keeping your distance, for your own sake," Slate warned Lex as Eden walked in front, frowning only at the mention of Malcolm's dark mood.
"I'm not afraid of him, and Eden invited me here as a friend, I don't intend to blow him or anything, it's all just joking around," Eden knew Lex wasn't exactly comfortable around Malcolm's friends yet, and he had a particular issue with Reivon and Slate.
"Just friendly advice," Slate said dryly, probably hoping quietly that Malcolm would actually lose it in front of Lex, although Eden wouldn't be pleased if he did.
As the three entered the kitchen, a smile wove its way onto Eden's lips at the sight of Malcolm perched on the kitchen counter drinking coffee. Despite the scowl on the man's face, Malcolm looked like he usually did; bright eyes, hard stare, intent expression. It almost made Eden want to giggle like a little girl knowing that man was all his. Reivon, Leon and Arian were also in the kitchen, the latter stood watching something cook on the stove whilst the two others were wrestling with two young boys, around three or four, trying their best to feed them.
Eden stepped around the island, moving to stand between Malcolm's legs, finally catching the man's attention. As their eyes met, Malcolm's face lit up but a smile didn't manage to break through, the happiness only remaining in his eyes whilst he leant forward to cover the boy's lips with his own. Eden trailed his hands up Malcolm's thighs whilst the man cupped his cheeks, both of their grips tight, as though they were hanging onto one another for dear life.
"I missed you, doll," Eden whispered, peppering gentle kisses to Malcolm's jaw, smiling when the man's beard tickled his lips.
"Missed you too, bunny," Malcolm murmured, pulling Eden into a tight hug, one that sent a flare of concern through the boy.
"Slate said you were in a bad mood, did something happen?" Eden saw what little light remained in Malcolm's eyes dim, a grim expression darkening his face.
"Kit's missing," Eden's eyes widened a little, "she's been gone since last night, Slate's had his pack searching the forest but they can't find a scent. I-I don't know what to do anymore," Eden didn't like when Malcolm's voice cracked, it made his heart hurt.
"I'm sure we'll find her, doll, she'll be out there playing with fairies or something," Eden cupped Malcolm's cheeks, forcing the man to hold their eye contact, "she's gonna be OK, Mal, alright, we'll find her."
"Um, I might be able to help," Eden turned around, looking toward Lex lingering in the kitchen doorway, pressing his back into Malcolm's chest, smiling when the man wrapped his arms around the boy's waist, "I can track, I learnt from my uncle. He's a hunter," instantly, Malcolm's grip tightened on Eden and the tension in the room skyrocketed. Silence fell heavily in the small space, even the two boys having stopped giggling and babbling, all eyes on Lex, Slate's low growling cutting in from behind the human.
"N-Not an SN one," Lex blurted out swiftly, holding his hands up in surrender, "I swear," Eden had never seen Lex look so terrified, he usually didn't have a reason to, "he hunts deer and stuff, doesn't even use real bullets. He tranqs them, marks them and lets them go. He's never hurt anyone before in his life, he's sixty-seven, for God sake, he's got a hip replacement, he can barely break into a jog. He couldn't chase down any of your kind," with Slate still looking wary behind the boy, blocking his exit, Reivon rose from his seat and walked to stand in front of Lex, getting awfully close.
"You have one chance, human, one chance, to tell the fucking truth, alright?" Reivon seethed in a low voice, his red eyes almost glowing with the flames that burned behind them, "and if I find out your lying, I'll rip you pieces right here, right now, before our little angel can even draw in a breath to scream," Eden opened his mouth to speak but Malcolm covered it when his hand, shaking his head.
"Don't interrupt, he's not himself," Malcolm whispered in a near inaudible voice, his lips grazing against Eden's ear as though he was merely kissing it, "dangerous."
"O-OK," Lex stuttered, his hands visibly shaking, maybe a few tears welling in his eyes. Eden wished he had the courage to speak but heeded Malcolm's warning, remaining quiet and simply praying for the situation to be resolved in a clean manner.
"Are you, or have you ever had any affiliation, with hunters?" Reivon spoke slowly, his tone pointed and his words crisp, lined with rage.
"No, I swear, I'm not," Lex sounded almost as though he was pleading, his skin paling to the point of him almost looking ghost-like. Silence reigned once again, like crushing weight stealing every breath and thought, until Reivon nodded slowly, returning to his seat and lifting one of the little boy's onto his lap. Eden broke free from Malcolm's grip, darting over and pulling Lex into a tight hug, rubbing his back, trying to comfort the man before he started to cry. He didn't want Lex feeling embarrassed about breaking down in front of everyone.
"You didn't have to fucking do that, Rei," Eden snapped viciously, glaring at the vampire who was acting more nonchalant as the seconds ticked by, "I've met his uncle, you moron, he's no hunter. There was no need to fucking traumatise him. He just wanted to help."
"You seem very protective, angel," Reivon remarked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.
"He has a boyfriend, alright?" Eden was sick of the accusations, sick of constantly feeling like Malcolm's friends suspect him of adultery, it left a bad taste in his mouth at the mere thought, "he's just a friend, OK? Stop-" Eden didn't realise he was crying until he heard his voice crack. Instantly, Malcolm was at his side, rubbing his back, consoling him.
"Why can't you all just understand I'm not cheating? I'm not some man-whore who's using Mal for money or anything. I-I..." Eden turned his attention from the guilty-looking vampire to Malcolm, numbness flowing through him as the nerves washed away, "I love you," Eden's voice was so small he wasn't even sure he had actually spoken those three final words aloud. Malcolm's frown lessened, shock filling his eyes as his lips parted ever so slightly.
"I love you too, Eden," Malcolm whispered, caressing the boy's cheek, love and affection masking all other emotions. The two shared a short kiss, unable to really give in to their desires in the crowded room. Eden's fluttering heart calmed when Malcolm held him against his chest, extending his hand to Lex for the man to shake.
"So you can track?"
It didn't take long for Slate to call back his wolves, having them stay at Leon's whilst the rest of them followed Lex through the woods. They all seemed to split off into pairs; Reivon and Slate, Leon and Arian, Eden and Malcolm, then finally Lex in the front. Eden didn't mind, Lex seemed to have picked up on something to guide him, and he was happy to have some time with Malcolm.
"I got you something," Eden looked up from the forest floor, his eyes widening a little when he saw Malcolm holding a gold ring, "I'm not proposing, bunny," Malcolm chuckled, "it's for protection, against Elliot. Ari and I enchanted it to deafen you from his song. You can't wear it all the time, the exposure to the magic might bring negative side effects, but keep it on you, just in case," Eden smiled, slipping the ring into his back pocket and pressing a swift kiss to Malcolm's cheek.
"You're too good to me, doll, I don't deserve you," Malcolm simpered, a subtle change in the colour of his cheeks almost going unnoticed by Eden.
"You over exaggerate, I'm just making sure you're safe, bunny," Eden blushed, squeezing Malcolm's hand, just about avoiding tripping over a root sticking out at a particularly inconvenient angle, "I'm sorry about how the guys treated you, they're overprotective, sometimes they don't realise the effect they can have, they're just emoting rather than thinking."
"It's OK, I have a thick skin, I know they were only looking out for you. It's sweet really, how much they care for you, I'd love friends like that," Eden couldn't help shifting his gaze to Lex, observing the man as he crouched by a tree and abruptly changed course, taking a sharp left, touching trees as he passed them, "he wouldn't try anything, Mal, you know that, right? He's not like that."
"I know, I just can't help being jealous. Maybe it's a self-conscious thing, maybe it's something else, either way I'm not doing it on purpose. I don't want to lose you," Eden nodded, brushing his lips over the backs of Malcolm's knuckles, muttering quiet vows into the skin, hiding secrets in the groves and crevasses of his flesh, "so, who's his boyfriend?" Malcolm asked, lifting Eden with ease over a log that he wouldn't have actually had much trouble stepping over. Overprotective and a gentleman, the perfect match.
"I don't know much about him, other than his name is Wyatt and he's a paramedic. Lex is hoping it goes somewhere, I don't think they're actually official yet though, I may have embellished that part."
"Shit, Malcolm, I got something!" Lex called back, having jumped down over a little ledge that led down to a pretty stream, "fuck, keep Eden back!" Lex's warning was too late, with Eden having joined Malcolm at the ledge.
Tears immediately blurred Eden's eyes as he stumbled backwards, his trembling hand lifting to cover his open mouth in the hopes of muffling his sobs. Not that there was any point, he couldn't manage to draw in a breath so they remained silent. A pair of arms wrapped around Eden, pulling him into a cold chest just as the boy's knees buckled.
"Breathe, Eden," Reivon whispered in the boy's ear, the command causing an instant response from Eden. Malcolm hadn't moved, his body stiffened as he stared down at the river bank. Eden wished he hadn't looked, wished he had been a step behind, or that Lex had just spoken a few seconds earlier. He didn't want the memory, didn't want the image of the carnage left from the mutilated body of a six-year-old little girl burned into his brain.
Eden watched from afar, clutching onto Reivon's shirt, not even bothering an attempt to quell his tears, he had a feeling he would be crying for days after what he had witnessed. Arian dropped down over the ledge, stooping out of Eden's view, no one moving or speaking for almost ten minutes. Lex had stepped away, throwing up away from the scene, then had sat down on one of the rocks at the river bank and begun to cry.
Slate and Leon were stood near Malcolm, closer to one another than the witch, their hands clasped together. Every so often, Eden would notice Leon's shoulders shaking. He was crying too, and Slate looked to be comforting him, muttering things to him that Eden couldn't hear. When Arian finally climbed back out of the riverbank, Eden recognized the expression, having worn it for months himself.
"What happened?" Malcolm didn't sound like himself, Eden couldn't put his finger on the tone but he knew that wasn't the voice of the man he loved.
"Preliminary?" Malcolm nodded solemnly, although Eden wished he could opt out, he didn't want to hear any more, "she looks to have been dead a few hours, three or four maybe. If she went missing around eight last night then that means she was held for nearly twenty hours," Arian paused for a second, clearing his throat, wiping away a tear before it had the opportunity to wet his cheek, "she was tortured, heavily, and judging by the state of her vocal chords, she was able to scream the whole time. She... she was awake," Arian sniffled, allowing his tears to fall at the same rate as Eden's, never breaking the contact with his brother, "it looks like her eyes were cut out, or rather, torn out. She was electrocuted, multiple times over, probably as a form of resuscitation to prolong everything, I've seen it before with hunters. There's shallow lacerations covering eighty per cent of her body, heavy bruising- Mal, I don't think-"
"What else?" Malcolm barked, his voice a low growl, apathetic and almost chilling to Eden, who continued to cower in Reivon's arms.
"Mal, you don't wanna-"
"Arian," Malcolm interrupted, seething through gritted teeth, his bright eyes glowing like two flaming orbs. Arian sighed heavily, wiping his eyes before he finally met Malcolm's gaze, his own expression past miserable and having already hit grief.
"She was raped, Mal. More than once."