Pride - Part 2.
'Anger is the enemy of non-violence, and pride is a monster that swallows it up.'
-Mohandas Gandhi.
The end of school came quickly, and Myde had turned out to be quite the socialite, laughing and talking jovially with everyone and anyone, much to Ienzo's displeasure. He hadn't spared another thought for the pink-haired boy for the rest of the day. Myde turned to Ienzo as the bell rang and leapt to his feet,
"We go home now, right?"
"The bell is for me, not for you, Myde," The skunk-haired teacher at the front scolded. His cheeks burning, Myde took his place again.
"Sorry, Sir, I didn't mean to be rude," He said softly, guilt picking at him now. Ienzo had his head in his hands, never more embarrassed to be with the young angel, but still, today he had gotten to show him off to everyone, and despite Myde's constant mingling, he'd always come running back to Ienzo, making him smirk proudly, knowing he was the blond's favourite.
"Okay, now it's time to go," He said, opening the door as he dismissed them. They filed out in a chattering buzz, and Myde remained beside Ienzo, humming cheerily.
"You know, school's so much more fun when you actually get to take part," He commented. "It's no fun to just sit and watch."
"I would not know, Myde, and I do not care either. Just shut up and wait quietly," Ienzo snapped back. Myde frowned,
"Aww, Enzy, don't be ma-"
"Do not tell me what to do, and don't call me Enzy in school. It's Ienzo." Myde looked down and rubbed his arm nervously, unsure how to respond to the slate-haired boy. He had told Ulmaria that friends should respect each other, but Ienzo didn't much respect him either... Myde pursed his lips and said nothing.
The pair were soon home and Ienzo heard Myde's voice singing in his ear annoyingly, and so he did his best not to listen, rolling his eyes. He opened the door and walked in, and soon the two fell back into their usual routine. Myde undressed in Ienzo's room while his friend got a shower. He waited on the bed in the boxers he had been given, but wasn't really sure what to change into. He soon slipped the undergarments off too, unsure of their purpose. He had never worn them in Heaven, after all, and besides, he was close to Ienzo, so he supposed it didn't matter.
"What the-" Ienzo walked to the door, towel loosely tied around his waist as always. Myde straightened up and looked at him.
"I get changed now, right?" He asked. Ienzo's cheeks burned dully as he stared stupidly at Myde.
"...Yes," He said slowly and then tore his eyes away, trying to act casual with a sly smile working its way onto his lips. He liked seeing Myde's body, and if he never told him it was wrong, then Myde would never realise. He was beginning to see the benefits of being the only one who was truly close to this strange little misfit.
Myde whined, beginning to feel cold as Ienzo took his time sorting out some new clothes for him. He had made him shower before putting on new clothes, and hadn't even given him a towel afterwards. Myde expected no better from the selfish boy, but now he was shivering from the cold. Ienzo eventually handed him his own towel, and despite how damp it was, Myde pulled it around him, craving the warmth.
"My stomach feels funny," Myde told Ienzo idly an hour later. They only had half an hour before Xemnas would be home.
"Well you probably get hungry now you're not an angel anymore," Ienzo pointed out, and then went downstairs, Myde trailing along behind him.
"Get something out the fridge," He instructed, pointing over to it and then sitting down, burying his head in his hands. Looking after this mess of a person was hard work, he decided at last, and he would never get a pet as long as he lived. He wondered suddenly if this is what looking after him had been like for Myde. He didn't want to know. It was one day in, and already he was tired of practically babysitting Myde.
"Ienzo?" Arms wrapped around his shoulders.
"Don't talk with your mouth full, Myde," Ienzo criticised. The sound of the boy chewing filled the air for a while longer, and then he rested his head on top of Ienzo's.
"Ienzo," He tried again, and this time he didn't interrupt.
"Why did you kiss me?"
"Why did you kiss back?" Ienzo responded a little too quickly. Silence. The two busied themselves for the last half an hour, with menial chores so that they didn't have to think about the questions that had been asked of them.
"I don't care, you can't have him here," Xemnas dismissed. Myde's cheeks burned as he looked at the floor. It hadn't occurred to him or Ienzo that he might have to find somewhere else to stay now that Xemnas could see him.
"Xemnas, please, he won't be a b-"
"Are you talking back?"
"Yes, actually, because he really won't get in the way," Ienzo defended, and Myde looked over at him, surprised that he would argue for him to stay with them.
"I can't afford to practically keep another child, Ienzo, and it's not like he doesn't have another home to go to," He said forcefully, opening the door. Xemnas didn't like to be rude, but he wasn't in the mood for Ienzo's disobedience after a long day at work.
"Sorry, but you have to go," He told Myde who nodded and slunk nervously over to the door, wearing some of Ienzo's baggier clothes, and carrying the spare school uniform in a bag Ienzo had hurriedly pushed into his hands.
"Sorry for being a bother, Xemnas," He told him sincerely, stepping outside and feeling instantly lost. Xemnas felt a touch of guilt and shut the door before turning to look at Ienzo who screamed in frustration and overturned the table before storming off upstairs.
"YOU RUIN EVERYTHING," He shouted, slamming his bedroom door. Xemnas shook his head, walking over and turning the table the right way up and then sitting down with his head in his hands. He had never known Ienzo to be so immature. He looked out the window at the boy who was slowly making his way away from the house. So this was Ienzo's love interest, he supposed. As much as he cared for the boy's welfare, he still could not tolerate the young couple in his house.
"I'm glad you came," Ulmaria told him, and Myde just laughed nervously.
"Yeah, I felt kind of rude for earlier, and so I decided coming to see you was more important than those other things was going to do," He said with a fierce blush on his cheeks. Was lying contagious?
"Oh well aren't you just the cutest thing?" The pink haired boy laughed and pulled him inside before closing the door. Myde looked around. The place was a mess, everything strewn around carelessly, chairs over-turned, mirrors smashed, and pieces of the carpet missing in places. Nobody else was home. Myde looked over at the boy and smiled.
"Nice place you've got," He said politely. Ulmaria just gave him a scornful look.
"Well there's no need to be so sarcastic," He spat and then walked off upstairs, presumably expecting Myde to follow. He did, murmuring an apology and telling him he wasn't being sarcastic. Ulmaria opened the door to his bedroom and lead Myde in. To his surprise, the room was spotless, the walls painted white, the bed had white sheets, and everything looked so pure and clean.
"I love it," Myde said instantly and walked over to stroke the silky bed sheets. Ulmaria watched him with interest and then closed his door, sitting down and rolling a joint. Myde didn't notice; he was too busy looking around the perfectly organised room, wondering how someone that was as much of a perfectionist as Ulmaria coped in a house like that.
Within the hour, unaware, Myde was passively high and relaxing on Ulmaria's bed while the man next to him stroked up and down his stomach, which was bare since Ulmaria had finally worked him out of his shirt.
"Why do you smoke that stuff?" Myde asked eventually. Ulmaria lifted his hand and began playing with Myde's nipple, in response to which he shivered but did nothing, unaware of the significance behind it.
"Weed?" Ulmaria asked quietly, closing his eyes.
"If that's what it's called, yeah..."
"Relaxes me, that's all... helps me sleep..." He couldn't be bothered coming up with a proper explanation for him right then. Myde slowly lifted his hand and placed it on top of Ulmaria's, beginning to enjoy the sensation now. He gave a gentle laugh and then closed his eyes, resting his head to one side. The key could be heard turning in the door downstairs. Ulmaria flicked the light off quickly and then forced Myde under the sheets with him. Myde giggled quietly, taking it to be a game, and Ulmaria silenced him with a kiss. He held him carefully, beginning to stroke his hair obsessively.
"Let's sleep now," He murmured in Myde's ear. Myde conceded, despite his secret wishing to keep Ulmaria's hand on his chest, and soon the pair fell asleep.
Myde awoke with a jolt, the sound of screaming coming from outside the door.
"I FUCKING HATE YOU, YOU FUCKING LOW-LIFE CUNT!" Screeched a female voice. Ulmaria was shaking beside him, and Myde instinctively wrapped his arms around him, overcome with the need to protect.
"Oh shut up you filthy little whore! I get back to your fucking trap everyday after work, NAG, NAG, NAG, why can't you learn when to keep your fucking mouth closed?"
"You're a fucking bastard! You fucking gamble away half our money and spend the rest of it on booze and THAT! Why the FUCK do I have to pay for everything?"
"It's my fucking money you fat, ugly, slag, and I'll do what I fucking want with it!" Myde began to rise and make his way over to the door, wanting to break up the conflict. Ulmaria leapt up and pulled him back into bed, covering their heads with the sheets now too.
"Don't be so stupid," He hissed in his ear, his voice quivering.
"Why? We can just get them to calm down," He responded softly. Myde heard the lighter footsteps beginning to walk away, and then the door handle began to pull down with a squeak.
"NO! Don't you start taking out your fucking moods on him! Don't you dare touch him!" The footsteps came back.
"KEEP AWAY FROM ME, YOU STUPID OLD BITCH," the male voice snarled, and then there was a rough thwack of skin against skin, the sound ringing in the air, followed by the woman's pained cries. It happened again and again until Myde had lost track, and he was holding Ulmaria tightly, whose eyes were wide and cheeks coated in tears. The heavier footsteps staggered off into the bedroom, leaving the sound of the woman crying. Ulmaria shook his head and buried it in the pillow.
After five minutes had passed, he got up and went outside to help his mother up, asking her quietly if she was alright. Myde waited inside, frozen in a state of shock. He felt guilty now, for standing by and letting it happen, but he knew he couldn't protect everyone, and right then he had wanted to look after Ulmaria. He saw the pink-haired boy leading her into the bathroom to clear her up. Her legs were trembling and he just caught a glimpse of the tears and blood running down her face.
Ulmaria eventually returned to his room, his eyes dull and half-closed. He closed the door and lay down next to Myde, who was still sitting bolt-upright, worried about the boy's mother.
"Don't you need to call the police or something?" He asked. Ulmaria laughed lightly.
"No point. They don't do anything. Last time they just told him to go for a walk and calm down. It was much worse for both of us when he came back. He tried to kill her," He whispered. Ulmaria got up again and rolled another joint.
"Why don't you ask someone for help, Ulmaria?" Myde whispered despairingly, hating the thought of him and his mother being stuck in this situation. Ulmaria laughed again, a high and desperate laugh that only lingered in the air for a couple of seconds.
"I don't know really. I guess I'm just too proud."