Silence.
Absolute silence.
Tybalt lay rigidly as he stared forwards in a mixture of panic and confusion. The sleeping form of his Liam Self lay beside him with his tanned arms looped around the the black-haired boy's slender neck. Tybalt felt his heart accelerate as his heart hammered against his ribs and within seconds he realised something. Something that made him want to curl up and die right there.
They were both topless.
This was bad. This was very, very bad. Not only was this human contact, but this was human contact with Liam, the person who despised him almost as much as his beloved Kurosu. Sure, Tybalt hated Liam, but Tybalt hated everyone so it didn't really count. How had they ended up in this situation? How had -
Oh god.
Tybalt hadn't consumed as much alcohol as the others had so he was able to think a little clearer and he just managed to remember the kiss, but nothing else. Had they... gone further?
He knew that he had to leave. Fast.
It was simple really. Tybalt Ghoste didn't lust. He didn't love, either. He just didn't feel things like that, it would be weak. No, Tybalt was clever, controlled, calm and collected. He was cold and unforgiving, and oh-so-vain. He didn't need anybody, he was fine by himself. Well, he relied on Tetsu for just about everything but that was different.
So if Tybalt was as cold and unfeeling as he tried to be, why was his heart beating so fast? Why hadn't he darted away the moment he woke? A slight frown appeared on the pale teenager's face and he glanced around to see if the others were still asleep, which they were. Turning his dead grey gaze back to Liam, he frowned ever-so-slightly. Liam was attractive. Though he didn't like humans - they were disgusting - he didn't hate the way they looked. Liam was... cute. He'd always thought that, but that didn't mean that he liked him. Hell no!
"What the fu..." the sleeping redhead mumbled.
Suddenly, Tybalt went completely still and he felt as though he had stopped breathing. Liam's amber eyes opened and they were now staring right into his own grey irises. For once they shared a feeling that wasn't just hate. Confusion.
"What the hell?" Liam demanded angrily in a quiet tone. Tybalt's eyes narrowed a fraction.
'Why couldn't he stay asleep?' he thought irritably then responded with, "I don't know, scum."
"The hell-"
Just then someone stirred nearby and both of them stiffened. Liam's face was less than an inch away from Tybalt's and Tybalt felt his breath hitch. His hands curled into fists and his gaze flickered from Liam's eyes to his lips and back in slight confusion – and fear. Why was he so close? Was there a reason for that? Was he going to do something? Kiss him perhaps? Again? Thoughts raced through the black-haired teenager's mind but he didn't voice a single one of them. 'Don't fucking touch me,' his innervoice growled, though he didn't say it out loud. When the person who had stirred – Zane, Liam's brother – settled down again, Liam relaxed against Tybalt. Instantly, he went absolutely rigid and a felt a flicker of anger and confusion. Though he welcomed the warmth, human contact was not something Tybalt liked. Especially not with Liam. It was bad enough that the redhead had had his arms around his neck. His knuckles turned white and his fists became tighter and his heart continued to hammer inside his chest.
"Shit, I uh... shit," Liam stuttered.
Tybalt frowned slightly and regarded him with a look of caution. Normally he would have retracted and bolted across the room the moment he found himself in a situation like this – which didn't often happen, by the way – but as much as he hated humans, and Liam especially, he stayed. He thought Liam to be foolish and unfair, but he didn't think that the redhead would ever hurt him. Not physically, at least.
After a while, Liam began to search for his shirt but Tybalt remained where he was. He was confused, to say the least. Confused but also... scared? No. Tybalt didn't get scared. Simple as. Tybalt Ghoste did not feel things like that. He didn't feel fear, love, lust or compassion. He didn't feel sadness, jealousy or lonliness. He didn't feel anything. For absolute years he had done his best to train himself so that he could lock his emotions away. Everyday he forced these feelings into an invisible cage to prevent himself from feeling them. He could be cold, calculating and sarcastic. His emotionless mask and unfeeling demenour made him strong.
It made him safe.
How could people hurt him if he refused to show pain? How could people manipulate him if it was impossible to see into his mind, or his heart?
No, Tybalt wasn't scared. He was disturbed. Usually he would've got up and left. Usually he would be feeling nothing but utter contempt. So why was he still here? Why was he acting like this?
Why was he thinking this?
The teenager was pulled out of his thoughts when he spotted it. Liam's shirt. Tybalt extended a pale hand and picked up the item of clothing, then simply threw it at Liam's back.
"Oh crap, oh crap, oh – ow!" the redhead frowned and turned to glare at Tybalt. Tybalt looked right back at him then pulled himself to his feet and stalked towards the open door that revealed the hallway leading to Liam's bedroom. "What the hell was that?" Liam hissed as he followed him into the bedroom. Tybalt ignored him for a moment and instantly approached the wardrobe to search around for something to wear. He couldn't be bothered finding his own shirt. Nah, that was peasant stuff. Why would he have to put any effort into anything?
"What?" he asked flatly as he browsed through the wardrobe, then quickly added, "You have disgusting taste in clothes."
Well, he hadn't just come here to get something to wear. He wanted to get Liam away from the group, even though the others were asleep. He had to make sense of what was going on.
Liam snorted at the other boy's comment. "Right. You're one to talk when you – huh?"
Tybalt turned around, and with one slender hand, pushed the door shut, and with the other grabbed Liam's wrists and pushed them up above his head. Liam pulled, looking angry, mildly frightened, and confused. "Fuck, what the hell!" the redhead snarled.
Tybalt's heart pounded inside his eyes narrowed a fraction. When Tybalt's father needed answers, the man would use force. At school when teachers wanted answers to things that were not about the lesson, they would usually threaten to use punishments or sound annoyed. His home life was violent. Tetsu was violent. He had limited contact with people aside from those who used force or aggression to get what they wanted so how could he know how to get answers in any other way? Sure, he could just ask normally, like he usually would, but this felt... different.
"Be quiet," he murmured, sounding angry, but only very slightly, "What happened last night?"
"I don't bloody know!" Liam shot back as he flushed and writhed against Tybalt's tight grip. He glowered at the taller one. "What're you gonna do, kiss me?" he growled, completely taking Tybalt off guard. Tybalt's mind went blank for a second and his eyes darted to Liam's lips. The next thing he knew, he had leaned in and captured the redhead's lips with his own in a dominant, bruising kiss. It wasn't about love or lust. It was about power and dominance. The kiss lasted a while and though Tybalt was doing his best to stay in charge, Liam didn't yield. When the kiss was finally broken they were both panting very slightly and a blush stained Liam's face. "The hell was that?" he growled.
Even Tybalt himself wasn't sure, but he was a quick thinker.
"I like seeing members of the pathetic human race squirm," he replied flatly in his usual deadpan way, convincing himself that that was definitely his reason.
"You're so friggin' confusing!" Liam spat, shoving him back. He turned and stormed out of the room, pulling the door shut after him. Tybalt stared after him and just thought, 'You just haven't bothered to try and understand me.' A second passed then he turned and continued to shirt the wardrobe for a suitable shirt.
Eventually – after searching the entire wardrobe at least three times – he settled for a large winter jumper that was two sizes too big for him, but with his messy hair and skinny jeans, it actually made him look quite sweet and innocent, which was hard to believe considering who he was. He stifled a yawn and then re-opened the door and walked back to the living room.
He arrived just in time to hear the voice of Rene say, "'Ello Lee! And what do we have here?" The next thing he knew, there was a light being shined upon him. Before he could question what was going on, he caught Liam looking at him.
"Well?" Rene asked with a smirk as she looked at Liam.
"What?" he replied, turning to look at her instead of Tybalt.
"Did you fuck him?"
"Excuse me?"
The girl's smirk grew as she spoke but Tybalt felt as though he'd been slapped. How could she ask something like that? Besides, it's not like either of them could actually remember, but Tybalt doubted that he would've allowed himself to do that with him. "Please. Who would want to have sex with that?" Tybalt drawled, deadpanning his way into the conversation.
Liam rolled his eyes and sat back down on the sofa he had been sitting on previously. "No Rene, I didn't, so you can quash your little gay fantasies about me and that twat over there!"
"Scum," Tybalt said flatly.
"Shut the hell up!"
Rene looked simply delighted. "Tension~!" she announced gleefully in a voice that was loud enough to wake up everyone in the room, even though it was around four in the morning. Sure enough, it very nearly did. Annoyed mumbles and groans sounded throughout the room as various people reluctantly started to wake. Liam began to usher everyone out but Tybalt completely ignored him and looked over at Tetsu. The blonde was still out of it, which was not very unexpected. Tetsu always drank way more than necessary but Tybalt was used to it by now. He wasn't going to leave until the vampire awoke. Just as he was about to approach his sleeping friend, a very familiar voice made him halt. "Liam said leave, so fuckin' leave, dickhead."
Tybalt turned and glowered directly at the speaker, who was none other than Kurosu. Kurosu stared back at him with equal hatred and it was amazing that the angel didn't get up and slaughter him right there and then. "No," Tybalt said bluntly, in answer to his demand.
"I swear t' -" Before Kurosu could finish his sentence, Liam placed a hand on his arm and shook his head slightly. Kurosu stared at him for a moment then he pulled his arm away and stormed over to Tetsu, then kicked him roughly in the side.
Tybalt's eyes flared with anger but he didn't move an inch.
"Get up and fuck off! Both of ya," Kurosu snarled.
"Ow! Somebody's on their period," Tetsu mumbled, groaning as his eyes cracked open. He pulled himself to his feet with his arm clenched around his throbbing waist. Normally he would've gone apeshit crazy and attacked the angel with full pelt vampiric fury, but not today. He was too hung over to particularly care. "'Mon, Ty," he muttered as he made his way out the door. Tybalt sent one last hate-filled glare at both Kurosu and Liam, then he snorted and followed Tetsu.
"I really don't know what his problem is..." Tetsu scowled once the door was shut.
"He exists."
"What?" Tetsu glanced at Tybalt then did a double-take. "Whoa! What are you wearing? Is that... that's not yours."
"I know."
"Why aren't you wearing your shirt?"
"I lost it."
Tetsu had to laugh as they walked along, and a grin spread across his face. Tybalt's eyes narrowed and he sent him a dark glare. "What's so funny?" he demanded in his usual monotone voice.
"Just... the idea of you drunk. I can't believe I missed it! Next time, I'm gonna stay sober enough to remember."
"Whatever," Tybalt said flatly.
"So, who's jumper is it?"
"Your mother's," he replied automatically, then paused before saying, "...Liam's."
Tetsu was silent for a moment but his grin grew and there was a knowing gleam in his clear blue eyes. Tybalt frowned slightly, confused by Tetsu's reaction. "What?" he demanded.
"Nothing, nothing," Tetsu said without looking at him, "I just think it's funny."
"You think what's funny?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Idiot."
Tetsu snickered and simply said, "Ah, you love me really."
The blonde proceeded to talk about the events of the previous night, but Tybalt wasn't listening. Occasionally he would pay attention and sometimes answer him with a small nod or mumble or acknowledgement, but that was all. Tybalt wasn't interested in Nezumi's drunken exploits or anybody else's, for that matter. No, right now his thoughts were reserved for a certain copper-haired teenager and why he'd acted the way he did today.
Why did he feel the way he felt?