Their voices were everywhere. Chattering echoed off the walls, excitement clear in each boy's eyes – except one.
He stood off to the side, hidden by the rail of the grand marble staircase. His eyes, dark and threatening, darted back and forth, seeing everything and yet not fully comprehending their surroundings. The students passed by him in a blur, ignoring their classmate by the stairs as he ignored them. A dark buzzing filled his head, dulling the sounds of the chaos around him. It was difficult to think, to see, to comprehend – he was far too distracted by the throbbing ache that had taken over his body. He was restless. The need was taking over, and he couldn't keep it away for long. It coursed through his veins, sweeping through his blood, burning away all control he might have had –if he'd ever intended to use it. What little was left was reserved for times like these, times when he was forced to wait; when he needed to search, to find.
A shaking hand made its way to his hair, pulling at the tough layer that held it together. The usually strong, managed strands were breaking apart, revealing the unruly mess beneath and threatening to expose their nature completely. His head turned ever so slightly, just barely, but just enough, and there it was – a flash of light, a glare that should have burned his sensitive eyes, and yet it didn't; this was a welcome sight, a sign that the end to this suffering was near. His gaze followed the light slowly to its creator, and he was met with a pair of bright blue eyes. There he was. This was the one. This was who he'd been waiting for.
Steel blue orbs gleamed up at him, still piercing in the dim light. Slight tremors ran through the delicate features, but the eyes still held strong, determined to stand their ground.
He loved the ones who thought they wouldn't break.
"Whatever you're doing, you'll never get away with it, you know?" The boy's voice broke, betraying his attempt to feign confidence. "My friends, they – they know I'm here, they'll coming looking for me."
A flash of metal appeared in the corner of the boy's eye. He chuckled darkly.
"No one knows you're here." A slight flinch, an almost imperceptible dilation of the stunning blue eyes was all it took to give the boy away as he went to speak.
"They'll see when I'm not at the assembly, people will notice I'm gone-"
"I know you don't go here. Try to fit in a little more next time, won't you?"
The slight, chestnut-haired boy gracefully descended the stairs. Though the buzzing and blurring continued to affect his view of all those around him, when he looked at this boy, there was sudden clarity. Every sense was heightened when it took him in; the black of his double-breasted jacket stood in stark contrast to the sea of navy blue that surrounded him, his solid red tie clearly separating him from the striped ones of the other students. His movements were few and subtle, but just enough to catch - a slight jolt at the brush of an arm against his, a sharp inhale of breath at the jostling of the bag held so tightly to his body.
This one wasn't from here.
He watched as the new boy followed the antics of the others, so clearly out of place, and yet unnoticed by everyone – everyone but him. Stepping slowly out of his hidden place under the stairs, he moved to get a better view. Slender fingers grasped the strap of a black shoulder bag tightly, holding it close to his body.
Trembling hands held fast to the bottom of the chair, knuckles turning white with the force of their grip.
He stood, simply gazing down at the boy in front of him. Eyelashes fluttered frantically. Jaw muscles tightened. A vein in his long, pale neck pulsed rapidly.
Black eyes met livid blue. Yet beneath the anger, the façade used for defense, was the unmistakable glint of fear. A grin spread across his face.
"You'll have to forgive me," he spoke, dark undertones weaving through his smooth, even voice. "I can't help when I see something so beautiful, to just… touch." A calloused hand reached from behind his back, lightly tracing a path along the vein. Its pulsing became faster, frantic, rough skin against soft, creamy white eliciting an involuntary shiver from the receiving end.
A shaky whisper, barely audible even in the empty room, rose above the heavy breathing that filled the air.
"Don't- don't touch me."
The hand withdrew quickly, a slow breath of relief releasing from the boy's mouth. But it was in vain, as another hand quickly appeared, yielding a flash of glistening, sharp silver. Ice cold metal pressed against the throbbing vein, hot breath ghosting over a pallid cheek. It traveled to an ear, with it bringing the sound of a rough whisper.
"I'm afraid I can't do that, dear."
A sharp edge pressed in, drops appearing boldly against the skin.
Blood red flashed before his eyes as the boy moved one of his hands to adjust his vivid tie. He felt a new rush of need pulsing through his veins – he couldn't wait much longer. The boy continued to make his way down the stairs, maneuvering through the crowd, still searching for a way to find out what was happening.
He seized the moment as soon as it appeared. The boy couldn't know he'd been waiting; no, this one had to think he'd initiated their encounter. And so he turned, back facing the crowd, feet moving steadily to place themselves directly in front of him. A moment passed, an icy rush of fear shooting through his body at the thought that he'd misplaced himself – and then they collided. Those same frail fingers he'd admired from afar were now grasping his shoulder, attempting to regain lost balance. There was a surprising strength to this one, he noticed, as the dull buzzing in his head made way for a new sensation to reverberate through his bones. He'd always loved the ones who were more capable than they let on, and this one wouldn't be going down without a fight. He could feel the boy straightening himself out, breathlessly trying to apologize as he did.
"Oh god, I'm so sorry I did that- all the commotion, I guess I just couldn't see where I was going." The boy adjusted himself to face him, their eyes meeting for the first time. "Are you alright?"
He ran a hand through the once smooth, chestnut color hair, now dull and matted and stained dull red. The boy, now visibly crumbling, made every attempt to push him back, jerking his head violently away. But he simply grabbed on harder, pulling at the already torn skin to force the boy's focus towards him. He leaned forward, only inches away from touching but still making full eye contact. Dangerously dark eyes gleamed at the fright that had now fully taken over the boy in front of him.
"Don't you think it's about time you gave up, now?" The unnervingly calm voice yet again made its way to the boy's ears as a blood-soaked hand traced its way down the lines now scarring his body, each painstakingly carved as he tried to hold himself together. It had been hours now, neither letting up, each pushing to make the other break – yet it was quite clear that one was about to give out while the other stood his ground. Even now, the boy could feel his voice failing him, his focus on the burn that tore through him each time he was marked, each time he was forced to revisit the wounds lacing his skin.
"I- I… I won't-" It was barely a whisper, far too weak to need repression, and yet he couldn't stop from cutting the boy off.
"Yes, you will. You all have to go eventually."
The knife reappeared, now a familiar sight to both. The excitement in his eyes still shone as it had at the beginning, but it was clear that the boy had changed. Angry wounds completely covered his now sickly looking features, his proud, elegant neck losing its grace beneath the stains it now held. The fear was still present, yet the fire he'd kept going so brightly before had been extinguished; the blue of his eyes was dull, tired, far too ready to end the pain.
It was time.
He slashed through the air, metal reflecting the almost nonexistent light left in the room, the flash nearly blinding both before it finally tore through.
It took a moment for him to respond, luckily appearing disoriented from the collision as he inwardly congratulated himself for the plan gone well.
"Oh, yeah, no worries." He shook off the apology,turning to face the boy fully. "In a rush to get to the assembly?"
"Yes; actually, I'm a bit lost – I'm still new here, so I don't really know my way around very well." A spark shot off in his mind at this newfound information. He replied quickly, taking full advantage of the situation.
"I could show you the way, if you'd like. I know a shortcut that'll get us there in no time." The boy's face lit up, obviously grateful for the offer.
"That would be wonderful!" He stepped off the stairs, face lighting up as he went to fall into step with his companion. Pausing for a moment, the boy reached out a hand. "I'm Kurt, by the way."
"Nice to meet you, Kurt." A practiced smile stretched across his face as he returned the gesture, taking a firm hold of the boy's hand.
"I'm Blaine."