🌙 s i x t e e n
♚
He meant what he said with every fiber of his being. He wanted so badly to take her but Aiyana is someone whom he wanted to keep for the rest of his wretched life. And if he wanted to do that, he would have to make her love him first. He could still remember the night when she'd given him consent to court her, that consent, the one thing he didn't do and ask for when he'd hastily took her like she was some property he could own.
"Make me happy. Make me stay. Don't prove to me that I'm wrong about me not capable of loving you, prove to me that you're right about you being truly capable of loving me. Prove to me that you love me. Make me love you Aidoneus."
He'll make her love him. He had signed his death certificate when he did. How ironic was it when he should be the one sending everyone to their doom. But here he was, digging his own grave for a woman. And now death was truly after him. Who could have wanted him away from his Aiyana? He only wanted for her to love him. He'd kill them all before they could do so much as touch a single strand in her hair. The thought about his potential murderer was enough to make his arousal deflate. He pulled her closer, letting out a groan and kissing her neck once.
"Aidoneus, I-I'm not mad." He wanted to laugh. She thought he was thinking that she was mad that he hadn't take her right then and there? Aiyana wanted him, Aidoneus wasn't stupid. But he was afraid it was only because of lust. He'll own her heart then he'll own her body and if it takes years to do that then he was willing to wait. "If y-you'll wait for me then I'll wait for you too. Please look at me." Her little plea tugged his heart and when he looked at her her eyes were sad.
"Love? Why are you sad?" He cupped her cheek, caressing the soft skin. She closed her eyes for a moment and when she opened them there were tears in her eyes. Aidoneus panicked again. Was she upset? Why? His cluelessness didn't help him as of the moment. "Hey. Baby shhh. Was it something I did? Why are you sad love? Is it because of me?"
"I'm sad for you." He could feel she was trying hard not to cry. But her answer confused him.
"Why?" He didn't want to hear her answer but it felt like he needed to.
Her hands went to grasp his face. "You think I don't see it? You keep on pleasing me. You keep on making me happy thinking if I'm any of those, thinking that if I'm pleased or happy, I'd hate you less for taking me away. What you don't understand is you keep on making me sad. You keep saying all these pretty things to me and I know you mean it, I could feel it. B-but do you know why I'm sad Aidoneus?" A single tear had fallen off her eye and he reached out to wipe it away hating that it was because of him. He's the reason why she was sad.
Aidoneus shook his head, afraid of her answer. "I'm sad because you were too busy making me feel happy, making me feel cherished, making me feel as comfortable as possible, you were too busy making me feel loved to the point where you had forgotten to love yourself."
He averted his eyes and sit up, not liking the truth in her beautiful blue orbs. Aiyana wasn't wrong but she wasn't right too. He never loved himself to begin with, what's there to forget?
Aiyana followed his actions and sit up across him taking his face in her hands. "Aidoneus look at me please." He did and what she said next almost had his heart failing. "I'm falling for you."
He wanted to shout in joy, jump in happiness but he never did any of those. Now he was filled with questions. His brows furrowed in confusion and if he could see himself he could see how his eyes held so much sadness in them Aiyana desperately wanted to wipe it away. How could she fall for him? He had stripped her off her freedom by kidnapping her. Was she playing games with him? Perhaps she's saying these things because he's the only one she could see, it's not like she has a choice. "I know what you're thinking. I know it doesn't sound true at all. I mean I should hate you right? You basically kidnapped me and here I am saying I'm falling for you? It sounds funny right? And don't you dare think I'm falling for you by default. Just because you surrounded me with yourself doesn't mean I couldn't choose. I could've chosen anyone before Aidoneus, I could've fallen for anyone before but they could never make me feel the way you make me feel. And my whole point is, I'm falling for you but I'm not going to love you completely if you don't love yourself first."
He was silent the whole time. He wanted to say something but everything, every senses failed him. "P-please don't cry. Aidoneus?" He could feel her coming closer and wrapping her arms around his waist. He could feel his cheeks getting wet and her embrace getting tighter. "I'd wait for you too. Love yourself first then love me hmm? It should be me after you. No one else. Just me. Your Aiyana."
Time was forgotten, everything seemed to stop. The moonlight witnessing the confession, the stars connecting fates, the night a blanket of comfort for his dark soul. And she was there. His everything and so much more. Gazing up at him with adoration, with affection, he was afraid he was still dreaming. He was looking at her still. The winter trying to protect his flower. Perhaps he was not as broken and as evil as he'd thought if someone like his sweet Aiyana deemed him worthy of falling in love with. If this girl is falling for him then she probably saw all the cracks in him but he hoped she also saw the bond that made all those cracks clung together, the one thing that makes him whole; his love for her.
His arms push her gently a little then his lips was on hers and he could feel her kissing him back. It was a kiss of promise. A promise that he would do what she said, a promise that he would love her, put her above anything else even if it meant putting his life in line for her. When the kiss ended he placed her on his lap and embraced her, his chin resting on top of her head as he closed his eyes, letting and feeling the moment sink into his entire system. "I don't deserve this."
Her reply only made him tighten his hold on her. "Of course you don't. You deserve far more than this."
He loves her. He loves her so much. But he didn't say it yet. He has to follow what his queen had told him to do. But how could he love himself when all of that love had been snatched by the sweet girl sitting on his lap?
He didn't believe he should love himself first. Can't she be the first? She was the first person he had truly loved, he didn't even love himself. But if his Aiyana wanted him to see his own worth, then he'll do it, no matter how hard it was. Aidoneus should know. The hardest part about his life wasn't bearing the burden of death on his shoulders, it was finding a reason to love himself.
He loves her so much it goes beyond words and perhaps with that same love he could learn to love himself too. He was still human and sometimes if someone doesn't know how to love one's self, he'll learn it through loving others first.
How could you love someone if you can't even love yourself? For Aidoneus the answer was it doesn't matter whom you love first, either yourself or others, what matters is that you'll learn to do it. And he would do it, for his sweet girl but more importantly for himself.
"Don't you think it's too soon love?" He asked some time later. They had fallen back to bed, her small form cradled in his.
"Too soon? What is?" He could feel her breath on his naked chest and he suppressed a shiver. She has so much power on him and she doesn't even have any idea about it.
"You falling for me. I didn't think I did anything. I haven't done anything big to make y--"
"That's because you don't have to do anything. Also, this stays between us," she put a hand on her mouth to make it look like she was whispering a big secret, "you have been my crush for the entirety of my college life." The confession made him smile so wide he was afraid it would split his face into two.
"I'm your crush huh?" His voice was smug and prideful.
"I shouldn't have said that." She sounded regretful and he chuckled at her tone.
"Too late love. But weren't you afraid of me? Weren't you afraid of the rumors about me?" He was curious about this. She's such a sweet girl, how could she like him?
"Oddly, I was not. You sounded like John Wick to me and I loved him so much." She said, her voice now sounded dreamy.
But now he was confused. Who was this John Wick she speaks of?
"Who's this John Wick?" Jealousy was dripping from his tone and he didn't like being jealous. Aiyana was his and this John Wick is going to know that.
She laughed and the sound was music to his ears, "No one. Just a dog avenger. I love him. Oh my God, you're pouting."
"What?" Was he?
"Aidoneus is pouting." Her giggles filled the room. "It's a movie." Thank God. He was ready to hunt this John Wick down. "Are you jealous of John Wick the greatest dog avenger of all time?" She teased, she was stifling her laughs. His love was enjoying his jealousy over a fictional man.
"You know I once saved Spots too. I avenged him after he was taken from me."
"Spots was taken from you?" She sounded serious now. "Who would do that?"
"Those who doesn't like me." And there were a lot of them.
"Poor Spots. But he's such a good dog, who would do that?" Oh love, you don't have any idea how good of a dog he is. He suppressed a smile.
"I know." It was quiet for a moment they could hear themselves breathing calmly next to each other, basking in each others' presence and warmth, and then, "Aiyana love..." He could feel her looking at him, urging him to continue. He sighed, he wanted to be certain, his heart was still unbelieving and his mind still reeling from her little confession, maybe not little considering how greatly it affected him. "What I said earlier, I haven't done anything special to make you fall for me. How are y---"
"You're wrong. You did things, like really great things for me. And it's not just about taking me here, it's letting me feel freedom."
"I make you feel free?" He asked, not sure if he was hearing her right.
"You do. Quite the irony right?" She giggled and the sound was enough to make his heart lurch forward. "You keep on putting me above you, me before you, my happiness over your own. For the first time in my life I felt like I could make my own choices. And that night under the rain, that was the best night of my life." He could feel her smiling and he felt himself smile at the memory too.
"That was the best night of my life too love."
"Really?" She looked up at him and he couldn't help but look at her, her face was smiling.
"Really. You stole my first kiss." She gasped, not believing what he said. The look on her face was pure shock as if he just revealed his deepest secrets.
"You're kidding. I mean, look at you. How? What? Why?" He kissed her nose and chuckled.
"You should've came into my life sooner. That way you could've stolen my first kiss earlier."
"You're mine too." Her cheeks were red and Aidoneus felt pride swell within his chest. He's her first kiss too. "I didn't let Delian kiss me when he'd tried to--" Now his face was hard. That motherfucker. He tightened his hold on her. "I kicked his uhm dick, literally. It was so hard, the kick I mean, I was sure his future grandkids' grandkids felt it. But I guess he has no future now." He laughed. His voice filled the quiet room.
"I'm so fucking proud of you." He kissed her lips repeatedly and she let out giggles. "You're a badass baby."
"Speaking of badass, I think his ass was in a bad shape that night too. I kicked his butt too and then ran away." His laugh filled the room once more. Aiyana didn't even have to try to make him feel happy. But he was glad she fought for herself. And the thought of the bastard being kicked in his ass and dick by his sweet girl makes him laugh. He just knows know how to make himself happy if he's having a bad day, he just have to think of his sweet Aiyana kicking Bauer's dick and ass.
"I'm going to really make fun of him before I kill him."
"You're going to kill him?"
"I should've killed that bastard before he got away. That day when someone called me and I went home late that same night, I lied love. I'm sorry. I wasn't needed at the office. Someone called to inform me that Delian got away before my men could get to him. He's still hiding from me. I had to go and take matters into my own hands. I-I did really mean things to my men who lost him. I was pissed and tired when I got home but then I saw you on the glass balcony, waiting for me." He explained. He had to catch Delian soon. And when he does, the bastard is going to pray he lived carrying a pussy. Aidoneus is going to cut his dick off and shove it down his throat for even thinking about getting into Aiyana's pants.
Aiyana was silent. He didn't know if she's comfortable talking about him killing someone but when she said her next words he knew that she was, either that or she chose not to say anything about it. "You still look beautiful even if you're pissed and worn out."
Offering a gentle smile he spoke, "Thank you love." She smiled back and like the smitten man that he was he kept on staring at his girl.
A loud blaring ended the moment. Sighing, he kissed her forehead and got up picking his phone. "Speak." He said into the other line. "Lord, we found the other shooter." It was Charon who spoke.
He kept his posture calm but his voice held venom as he spat, "Where is he?"
"I'm calling from Italy Lord. Should I deliver his body to your house?"
"Don't touch him. I'll deal with him." How the man got away so fast, he didn't know. But how kind was he to deliver himself in the country where his home resides?
"Of course Lord. We're keeping him at the main Underground my Lord."
"Good. I'll be there." He cut the phone call and looked at Aiyana who was staring at him the whole time. "It's time to go home love."
♚
It was past midnight. They were on their way to his private jet when Aidoneus had insisted for Aiyana to eat first knowing she hasn't eaten anything all day and that was how they found themselves driving around Paris searching for a nearby McDonald's. He concluded his love's taste was unhealthy.
"Aren't you hungry? You haven't eaten anything too." She asked worriedly when they'd settle inside his car while her hand was holding two big Macs.
"I've eaten when you were passed out love. I wanted to wake you up but I was afraid your head will ache more so I let you rest. Are you sure a McDonald's is alright?" He fixed his uncertain gaze to the bags of food they'd bought from the drive thru momentarily before fixing his eyes back on the road.
"I am sure I'm alright with a McDonald's. Besides, you basically bought me the entire menu. Have you seen the look on the poor cashier? She was eyeing us as if we were crazy, I can't blame her, you bought everything including kiddie meals for me." He chuckled hearing her rant.
"You could eat the rest on the jet love."
"You're right." She hummed, agreeing to what he said before munching the unhealthy burger.
They went past the Eiffel Tower and he could see her glancing towards it. He immediately felt guilt about cutting their trip short, he could've brought her there. He remembered she was so excited upon seeing the tower. "I'm sorry we had to rush home love. I promise I'll bring you up there the next time." To this, she slowly turned around to face him, her expression excited but also shocked.
"There will be a next time?" He frowned at the sadness in her voice, seemingly not believing that he would take her again there.
"Of course there will be. We'll come here however many times you want. It's just I have to cut our trip short because of..." He faltered, not knowing what to tell her. He didn't want to lie. Lying only leads to more lies as you cover up the first lie. He could lie to people, he was an expert at that. But she was his everything and he found it really hard to lie to her even if need be for her own good. "I have to know who attacked us the other night love." He could feel her mind overworking, probably asking if he'll kill someone again but all she said was a simple, "It's alright. I understand. I really do." And she gifted him a smile. He couldn't be more thankful for her. He throw a smile at her direction and she went back to eating.
There were still many cars roaming around Paris even past midnight. Aidoneus' mind was too engrossed about the attack from last night when suddenly they heard two consecutive gunshots. He heard Aiyana scream, "Get down love." He gently shoved her head down and checked the rearview mirror. He couldn't see anyone so he looked back, taking his eyes off the road momentarily.
Two motorbikes were chasing them, both the riders wearing a helmet with a heavily tinted visor.
"Gios enós skýlou." He cursed out, his tone calm but his body was on overdrive.
Son of a bitch.
His men were somewhere, tailing them but it was up to him to lose those bastards and up to his men to capture them while he get Aiyana to safety.
The gunshots ceased. He looked back for a moment to see that the motorbikes were gone.
Still, he drove, the speedometer hitting past 120. He picked his earpiece from below the dashboard, wore it on his ear and called his men. "How many of you are tailing me?"
"3 cars my Lord, all have 3 men on them."
"Visual." He commanded, he's gonna kill them if they say they lost the men.
"Your 3'o'clock my Lord." Indeed, one of the men was there. Aidoneus hadn't even seen the man make his way towards them. The man was now on Aiyana's side and Aidoneus maneuvered the car sidewards, hitting the man, almost falling from his motorbike. Almost.
Gunshots rang behind him and he knew his men were shooting at the assailant. He could hear another series of gunshots followed by an explosion of something. Aidoneus realized what it was when his men called from the earpiece, "My Lord, the other biker shoot for our tires. Two of the cars were down but we managed to hit him."
"Is he dead?"
"I'm afraid not Lord."
Good. He'll be the one to kill him.
Aiyana was quiet the whole time and he began to worry. Fuck. He thought as he saw the bike from behind him, its driver pointing the gun their way. Aidoneus steered the car away but the move was too late. Their backseat window was hit, sending shards of glass inside the car. He heard Aiyana scream, "It's alright love. I'm going to get us out of here." He comforted. He'll fucking kill the man slowly.
"Lord, two of our men are dead. All the cars are down, we already called backup." He didn't reply. Fucking useless.
He grabbed his gun while his other hand gripped the steering wheel, "Love?" Aiyana whimpered and the sound broke him. He was going to take his time killing those assholes. He tried to be calm for her, "Can you drive?"
"I-I think so." She looked at him, her eyes held questions.
He smiled at her, trying to lessen her fear. "Great. I want you to drive for me love."
"B-but---" He pulled her closer with his one hand, the other held the steering wheel as he pulled her towards him and kissed her. The car was moving, there was an armed man or men trying to kill them or maybe they just want him and here he was kissing the love of his life, not afraid that he might die either by the hands of the killer who was chasing them or by a car crash. He let her lips go and look into her eyes, "I trust you love but you have to trust me too." With hazy eyes she nodded and Aidoneus gave her a smile.
"Okay. I'll drive." He reached for her and deposited her in his lap before moving himself at the other seat where Aiyana was before. He opened his side of the door and Aiyana who was now driving yelled at him, "Aidoneus what are you doing you're going to kill yourself!"
"Don't worry love."
"Don't worry?!" She was driving them at a bridge and her eyebrows were furrowed in concentration. "You could die!!!"
He fired at the man still tailing them but he managed to move his bike just in time. These men were professionals, Aidoneus thought as he loaded his gun. He aimed at the man before saying, "I won't love. The only person who could kill me is you." He fired consecutive shots and when the bike swayed like a drunkard, he knew he had hit the tire. He missed his main target though.
"Stop that. I'm trying to drive and you're saying things that isn't good for my heart and mind. Do you want us to die in this thing?" Aidoneus shot her a wink, he couldn't believe he was winking and at a situation like this.
"As long as I'm with you I really don't care if I die love." Aiyana's cheeks redden and if he wasn't just hanging from his car he would grab her and kiss her repeatedly.
"Okay okay, stop flirting please. You're distracting me." She said trying to calm herself down and Aidoneus smirked towards her when another round of gunshots came their way. She screamed, "Isn't he dead yet?!"
"Not yet." Aidoneus' look was hard. This man wouldn't give up, he had somehow stolen a car and was driving straight towards them.
He could hear Aiyana chanting. She was talking and encouraging herself."Okay okay. I know how to drive. I learned it once when I was in high school when I stole Mom's car. I can drive this thing. This is a hundred times more expensive than Mom's car but atleast I'm not stealing someone's car this time. I can drive." She sighed loudly, "I know I can drive." She exhaled once and blinked her eyes before fixing the road with a murderous look. "I got this."
That was all she said and the next thing Aidoneus knew he had flown off to Aiyana's side before he could even fire another shot when she swerved the car sideways, hitting another car repeatedly and doing the same to the opposite side making their car's door slam and fix permanently on Aidoneus' side. The two cars struggled to have control after being hit on repeatedly resulting for them to end sideways, their hoods to the side of the bridge, causing a traffic and blocking the assailant momentarily from getting towards them. To say that Aidoneus was shocked at what she just did was an understatement. He looked at Aiyana shock written on his face while he was gripping the handle above the roof like his life depended on it. In his case, it did.
"I'm a bad ass. I'm a bad ass. I'm a bad ass." She chanted as she touched the gear stick and shift it forward sending the car flying and if Aidoneus hadn't grabbed the handle, he would fly off to the back of the car. She took a careful glance at the rearview mirror and cursed, "He's still there! Why isn't he leaving us alone? I just want to eat and go home."
That was when he snapped out of his thoughts, waking him up from the fact that his sweet love had cursed and instead he looked behind them. Someone really wanted to die tonight, he thought, vexed.
He moved from his seat and kicked the stuck door open, twice to his side sending the metal flying away almost hitting other innocent cars who had the unfortunate chance to join them in their car chase. He fired out shots as he called through the earpiece and thought, peeved, where was his men?!
It was all Aiyana and Aidoneus. They have to get themselves out of harm's way. They only have each other now.
"Love, can you trap him in?" He shouted, the wind whipping his face.
He saw her glance towards the end of the bridge before replying, "On it."
She shifted the gear down for better torque when they made a turn. He kept his grip tight, not wanting to fly off the car. He could feel the tires overworking as Aiyana tried to turn the last minute before they could hit the side of the bridge, she jammed the accelerator down after the drift.
He noticed they were out of the bridge and she was heading for a parking lot nearby. Aidoneus' lips quirked up in a smile reading her mind. Amazed and turned on at the same time. He went back in the car just in time before the man fired and throw his gun beside him now clearly out of bullets.
Aiyana's calculating gaze caught his eyes. She was calculating the gap from their car and the man, weighing out if she could make the car rest before the man can get to them. Her eyes lit up in hope, they can.
She changed gears forward and drove not caring about anything. And as they reached the dark parking lot, she parked the car and turned off everything. She picked a spot where their car was hidden from dozens of other cars, how she managed to do it in such a short amount of time was magic to Aidoneus.
They kept quiet and keep their head down as they heard a car approaching no doubt coming from their potential murderer. They watched him as the car stopped and the man went out, showing his face. "He's ugly Aidoneus."
"Shhhh my love." He quietened her but he couldn't blame her, the man indeed was not pleasing to look at. His hair was in a mohawk that had been probably messed up by the helmet of the bike, there were tattoos littering his body and his ears had a lot of piercings there were no space for skin. He was searching the area looking for them. "Stay here love."
"What?" She whisper yelled. "No. What if something happens to you? We got him trapped can't we just go out when he's here and yell tadah? Aidoneus---"
He silenced her by what he knew best, his kiss. The kiss was hot and short. When their kiss ended, she looked at him her eyes hooded. He smiled and when she caught his expression, she looked at him her eyes now worried. "I'll be fine love. I promise." He assured her, fondling her cheek. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.
"Okay. Just be safe." He nodded, kissed her forehead, looked at her for the last time and went out.
He wanted the man as far away as possible from Aiyana. He crawled through the shadows, his movement lithe and silent, eyeing the man who was still looking for them. He was directly behind the man now, hidden from the shadows made by the pillars of the building. Without wasting anytime, Aidoneus attacked from behind, catching the man off guard. His grip on the bastard's throat was enough to lead him to his death. He wanted to torture him but this time he'd kill the fucker fast. The bastard tried to fight, trying to get out from Aidoneus' death grip but Aidoneus was having none of it. He didn't let go of his neck even if the man was writhing from pain. Aidoneus' deathly grip choked him, the muscle on his left arm bulged as he strangled the man with his upper and lower arm. The man's complexion turned purple, his tongue hung open, his eyes rolled back and then his body went completely still. Aidoneus let go of him and just for safety measures, he brought his gun to the man's head and shoot him thrice without any hesitation and remorse in his eyes. He looked at the corpse below him, he seemed to praise Aidoneus from his position.
Arcum usque ad mortem.
Bow down to death.
The gunshots were still ringing in his ears when he heard another one. He felt it went past him. But he wasn't hurt. His instant thought was Aiyana and he would've moved if not for the scene infront of him.
Aiyana stood there, a gun in both of her hands, the muzzle emitting smoke as she stared past Aidoneus.
He looked behind him to see where she was staring. And there, a man with a gun centimeters away from his hand laid, lifeless, bathing in his own pool of blood.
His Aiyana saved him.
He looked back to stare at her. His face gave way to shock and bewilderment. She fired another shot, making sure the man was truly dead. Her eyes were wild as she looked at the man as if daring him to stand up and fight again, her stance that of a true warrior queen. Amazed and turned on was an understatement. And as he stared at Aiyana that one chaotic night, he had this one thought in mind:
I'M.GONNA.FUCKING.MARRY.HER.