Aesop's POV
(Warning expletives)
Aesop reluctantly left Joseph's room in the small hours of the morning knowing that both of them would refuse to leave each other's arms if he stayed all night. It was a half hearted exit fuelled by dozens of 'five more minutes' and longing kisses.
The walk back had always been disquieting with the dark corridors which bathed in a deafening silence. Aesop couldn't describe the feeling exactly but there had always been an eerie feel of being watched, especially when he snuck around in the shadows alone. The insulation had never been very effective in the manor so there was a constant chill, one that felt like tips of icicles working their way down Aesop's shoulder blades (especially now it was winter, he wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly had freeze burn on his back).
Aesop knew he was anxious- he'd always pinned this feeling down to his own paranoia but tonight he couldn't for the life of him make the same excuse. He was being watched. Trying to hear noises that could expose this unknown pursuer over the clack of his own footsteps against the tiles and the general calamity of the manor creaking and wavering was near impossible. However, Aesop didn't wait to listen harder and picked up his pace to get back to commonality, where the feeling of oncoming dread might fade.
The feeling of eyes on him became more and more intense until Aesop came to feel that the eyes were literally on him- inside of him- picking apart the thoughts and memories in him that he wanted nobody near, ever. His breath hitched upward into hyperventilation and he grabbed at his throat, hurrying forward toward his door. The embalmer fell through the wood, slamming it closed behind him so hard the hinges shook. Finally, the feeling dispersed and he let go of a shaky breath, the heat of it rising from behind his mask. What the hell... my anxiety hasn't been that bad since I got to the manor, even then it's never been like that, Aesop thought to himself as he steadied out his breathing at the door.
When Aesop opened his eyes again he yelped in surprised and pushed his body flat against the door for perching on the edge of his bed was Eli without anything covering his eyes. It was a sight Aesop had seen before but it was still abnormal. Eli had striking eyes, sapphire blue but not like Joseph's. Joseph's were like the colour of tropical water and soft around the edges. The sort of eyes that were disarming and charming, Aesop knew that personally from when he first took a proper look at Joseph up close. However Eli's were sharp and hard. They pierced into Aesop even when he wasn't trying to look intimidating. They were beautiful but the sort of eyes that made you take a step back 'just in case'.
"Eli.." Aesop began with a shaky laugh "You scared me, why are you-"
"Where were you?" Eli interrupted.
Aesop frowned, his tone was harsh, venomous like a poison tipped sword. This wasn't normal. You would never find anyone as trusting or as kind as Eli Clark, not in ten lifetimes but for some reason he was acting as if he were faced with a threat. Aesop was not a threat to him, they were best friends ever since they first entered the manor. Something must have possessed Aesop to do it but for the first time he lied to his best friend,
"I went to see the timetable for tomorrow's matches. I wanted to see if there was any on." Aesop explained, an eyebrow arched curiously at Eli.
He answered quickly, harshly, his voice flaring with indignation,
"For the last four hours?! Liar!" He yelled
Aesop gave a weak laugh, he'd been caught out. One foot was already in a quicksand grave. Avoid it, Aesop thought, Change the subject,
"How long have you been here, Eli? Are you having those nightmares again?" He asked, his tone empathetic and warm.
"Don't try and mess with me, Aesop!" Eli yelled, the anger bubbling inside him and ready to blow over, "I know everything!"
Aesop's eyes widened, he knew what Eli was talking about but his face didn't crack. He wasn't going to crumble easily. Avoid it, avoid it, His head told him hysterically, Deny any accusations and calm him down. Aesop took a small step forward, holding a hand out to Eli which resulted in an agitated growl from the seer. Aesop hesitated. He paused where he was and looked at Eli like he was just overtired,
"Come on, Eli. You're being loud, it's going to wake the others. Let me take you back to your room. I think you're still confused from your nightmare." Aesop smiled softly and ushered Eli to take his hand so he could take him away.
Aesop had summoned the impassivity of a god, he wasn't the greatest of actors however in that moment his feigned ignorance would be convincing if it weren't for Eli having solid evidence scorched in his mind.
Eli smacked Aesop's hand away and lurched forward, grabbing Aesop's collar and balling the fabric his fists,
"You can't avoid this, bastard." Eli spat, his voice low and grim, "I know all about you and your damn hunter."
Aesop's frowned deeply, his head turning away from Eli. He smacked his hand was struggled from Eli's grip,
"This isn't funny anymore, Eli! Let go!" He commanded, raising his voice as he rived away from him. But Eli's grip only hardened and he pushed him up against the wall, knocking the wind out of Aesop's chest and making him gasp and sputter for air that was already hard to get through the tight fabric around his neck. It would definitely leave a mark.
"What the fuck is wrong with you, Aesop!?" He screamed in his face, his eyes stabbing into Aesop like a knife "Don't you know who he is, what they do to us!? To you! He was the one that nearly killed you!"
Aesop had never heard Eli curse before. He was normally so passive but now...it was a terrifying sight. The raged confusion was only building in Eli's shining navy eyes, his demeanour was fierce and towering like a wild animal. Aesop had given up on trying to deny. It was down to fight or flight now. He yanked at Eli's wrist with both hands, trying to free himself of the iron grip. However, the panic and the shock of the whole situation had sapped Aesop's strength instead of fuelled it. Never in his life had he felt so powerless, to his best friend of all people!
"It isn't like that, he didn't mean it! You don't understand our situation, Eli!" He argued, insisted in fact. He was frantically trying to excuse himself like a rabbit caught in a bear trap. Every time he moved, trying to escape, he made it so much worse and the spikes clamped on harder.
"You admit it then?" Eli asked, his voice hitching in surprise as if he didn't truly believe what he saw through his owl was true. He then laughed hysterically, hiding his eyes behind his spare hand as if this was the most hilarious thing he'd heard in years. What an awful sound, Aesop thought for it was no longer his best friend standing in front of him. It was an obsessive beast intent on terrorising him for his choice in relationships.
"God, Ace!" He laughed that appalling laugh again "I wanted to believe that I was wrong! Do you know how sickening it watching you with that savage?! What is wrong with you?!" He yelled, the rage setting in again
Aesop gaped at Eli, stopping his struggling and just sat there aghast,
"You were watching me?" He whispered, his voice shivering in disgust.
Aesop felt exposed, sickened. He recoiled before suddenly thrashing violently and finally tearing away from Eli's grip.
"How dare you!" Aesop seethed, his teeth baring beneath his mask like an animal "Those were private! I didn't want you there, I never wanted you there!"
Eli grinned and shook his head, "Oh, Aesop. Have you really have lost it? That man is a monster! He terrorises us- your friends, your family! How can you be choosing him over us!?" Eli shouted, holding his fists to his chest like he was in pain.
He simply looked sad, now. Desperate. It looked as if he was obsessing over making Aesop understand.
"I only watched you once when you were acting weird!" Eli said, knowing he'd actually watched Aesop many times "It was months ago in their garden! All of this only happened because I'm worried about you! He's not safe. They're only here to hurt us! You can't be with him!" He insisted
Aesop frowned, wringing his hand around his bruised throat feverishly. He was scared, they'd been caught out. Does this mean I can't be with him anymore? Surely Eli won't tell everyone, he wouldn't do that to me, Aesop thought in an attempt to reassure himself in the overwhelming doubt. He felt nauseous all over. Eli had been watching when he had first started dating Joseph. One of the most private and intimate moments they'd shared was being broadcasted to someone he'd trusted to accept him with anything, that trust was on very thin ice.
"I-It's not like that." Aesop hoarsely whispered "They're stuck just like us! Joseph told me so- he was more worried sick than anyone when he hurt me. He was scared, we're both scared. We were being careful, I swear. Eli- I'm begging you- please don't tell anyone. I need Joseph, you don't understand." He said softly, his voice shaking like a leaf.
Eli just shook his head,
"Ace, come on. He's using you- lying. All of it is lies. You need to stop this now before he hurts you."
Aesop knew Eli was only trying to keep him safe. All the survivors had a kind of obsession (whether they admitted it or not) with keeping each other safe. They were all paranoid, night terrors were a regular occurrence. Aesop didn't know a single survivor that hadn't woken up screaming one night. Aesop, of course, knew where Eli was coming from. It was his view for the longest of times too that all hunters were heartless sadist monsters. Maybe some of them were but Joseph was the last person who could be considered heartless.
"Eli, you have you trust me. I know it's a shock- that I'm dating a hunter and..." Aesop sighed and rubbed his eyes "A male hunter at that but he's a good person. Trapped. Just like us." He explained with a weak smile. Eli seemed to have calmed down a tad or just taken a breath to let Aesop explain himself but after Aesop finished speaking a deadpan expression rose on his features and he stared at Aesop for a moment as if he'd grown a third eye,
"Aesop... you must be kidding, right?" He asked, his voice low and menacing "You think I'm angry because you're fucking gay? How did you not notice that I was practically all over you since you came to this damn manor?!" He asked, raising his voice again but this time without the same sort of fiery wrath in his tone.
Aesop had to stop and think for a second. Of course he was confused, his best friend just kind of, maybe confessed to him. Aesop had never seen this 'throwing' Eli said he did. He was never obvious that he liked him like Joseph was with the touching, but that could've been him being considerate, Eli was one of the few who knew the extent of Aesop's sensitivity to other's presence. Both of their anger had seemed to evaporated down to confusion that clouded them like smoke. Aesop could see the confusion in Eli's wide sapphire eyes like he couldn't really believe that had slipped out.
"You have feelings for me?" Aesop reiterated, his voice quieter and considerate "Then... are you just jealous?" He asked
Eli's eyes widened and he scowled, glaring daggers at Aesop,
"No!" He yelled boyishly, the seer couldn't have sounded more immature if he tried, "I mean yes, I have feelings that regular friends don't have but no way in hell am I jealous of some damned hunter! It's not fair, Aesop! I would look after you, he's using you! He's going to hurt you!" He shouted once again, his voice hitching and cracking in awkward places. That desperation took to his features as tears and he welled up, wiping furiously at his eyes,
"Why have I got to be the bad guy when I'm only trying to protect you?! W-Why won't you let me in? I tried so hard..." He whispered, his voice shaking like a flame "And some second rate bastard prances in and takes you away from me!"
Aesop's heart was aching, it was truly painful to see his best friend in this state. Eli's cheeks and eyes turned pink from the tears and his beautiful, striking eyes were scrunched and welled up. As always, the emotion was all in his eyes. Of course, his body played a staring role too with his fist clutched to his chest as if he was in pain and a blaming finger thrust to the wall in the general direction of the hunter's side but there novels of feeling could be found in those dark liquid eyes.
"Eli..." Aesop breathed.
That was all he could say, all that his brain to scrape together and throw out his mouth. His body was a step ahead anyway and leaned forward to hold the seer in his arms. Eli was normally a couple inches taller than Aesop but standing there now the boy had completely crumbled and broke down into raw, unfiltered tears in Aesop's shoulder. Unfortunately, Aesop couldn't take Eli's weight and the both of them sunk to their knees. Eli continued to sob into Aesop's shoulder and the latter continued to comfort with by holding him tight and whispering comforting words to him.
Aesop couldn't return Eli's feelings and he believed that was why he was in so much distress. He could see why too, when someone you cared about so much was put in a situation you thought was dangerous, how could you not be worried sick about them? Aesop had never seen his best friend cry (Apart from when he got injured by a hunter). It felt like Eli's whole being had dissolved in the salty tears that were beginning to seep through Aesop's clothes and onto his skin. He prayed that his was only temporary. He prayed that Eli would come to understand and accept his relationship and he would return to his usual kind hearted, bubbly self. He prayed that they could remain friends.
If they couldn't at least remain friends then the only person Aesop would truly have to trust completely was Joseph. The only person he'd have left was despised by all of the people he confided in and was forbidden to love.
"It'll be okay, Eli, everything will work out fine." Aesop whispered to the seer but the message seemed to be more for himself than it did for Eli.