Prompt #48: Never
Disclaimer: mhm.
Warnings: Language, violence, louder hints of yaoi.
"What the hell's wrong with you?"
He stalks in the room like a beast, all fangs and claws and gleaming predator eyes. Behind him, the open doorway lets in the night; the darkness follows the boy like a princely train, rich velvet adorned with jewels of torchlight. With all the embellishments, his eyes only look more feral, an unwelcome slash of white against black.
"Why would you pull a stunt like that?"
His words and presence demand attention so indignantly – so pointlessly, Baroona thinks, as if the modest room held anything else to look at. And even if it did, he hadn't lost enough blood yet to make the mistake of turning his back to a predator.
"Did you forget what I promised?"
The footsteps thud against the wooden floor like a dying heartbeat. When the pulse ceases, he's standing in front of the bed and Baroona remains still, waiting. He reaches out and his fingers drift like wind-tossed sand across Baroona's cheek.
"I'll never let anyone hurt you."
He leans closer. The quiet malice, always hidden by the grace of his movements, is lying naked in those bright eyes.
"I'll never let anyone hurt you."
Baroona wants to say 'I get it', say 'I heard you', say 'I hate you', but at the bottom of that slippery slope of insolence is nothing but a pit of snakes. Instead, he breathes in the boy's whisper and tries to remember the taste that belongs with this scent, this warm, salty musk of a murderer.
"Isn't that what I told you?"
Of course it is. Baroona easily remembers – both the taste and the promise. But the silence draws a frown from the boy and the hand on his face is suddenly gone. The swing's too quick to track in the darkness; knuckles collide with Baroona's jaw and the crack of bone against bone is flat and ugly, like the bruise will be tomorrow.
"Don't forget it again."
He shuts the door gently when he leaves, and never once does he look back or catch the smile on Baroona's face.
"What a lying bastard."
The smile is faint, along with a sigh that stumbles into dizzy laughter. Maybe he'd lost more blood than he thought. He leans back against the wall to wait out the fatigue and closes his eyes. The only sensations now are the stink of bloodshed and the warmth left from the blow.
"You won't protect me from yourself."
After months of persistent badgering, I've finally gotten my best friend reading Ares. xD So use this success story as inspiration and go out and recruit as many as you may! Heh.
And to those already in worship of this manhwa - write some fanfics! PM if you have written one, or if you've found other Ares fics.