ZEDD - THREE DAYS LATER
I sigh in frustration as, once more, I head down to pry Thomas out of his lab. I've barely seen him for the last three days, mostly at breakfast, dinner and bedtime - and the last two he's always needing to be retrieved for. I open the door and sigh again. He's bouncing between two computers and his worktable. If it's anything like the last two days, on one computer he's working on some language or another and on the other, he's researching Eltarian laws to try and prepare for Pina's visitors. I know that they're expected in two days, but he's got to slow down before he burns out entirely - or has a mental breakdown.
"Thomas."
"One minute." He saves his work on the two systems, spins back around to check something on the tarp covered table, checks something with his chemicals before he finally turns his attention to me, a wide grin gracing his features. "Hi, Zedd, what's up?"
I rein in my irritation. "Thomas, once more it is dinner time and I've had to come and get you. I thought we talked about this."
His grin fades. "No, Zedd, we didn't." What? Has he forgotten already? Or was he honestly not even paying attention? Feeling it's very likely the latter one, I heave a sigh.
"It was only last night, Thomas. Did you not pay attention?"
His tone is dry. "If you're referring to what I think you're referring to, that wasn't a discussion. When we were done mating, you basically demanded that I stop spending so much time in my lab. That's not a discussion. You tried to give me an order. That's not the same thing. Not even close."
"I did not give you an order." Though I'm very, very close to doing so right now. "I told you that I wanted to spend more time with you, how is that an order?"
"You told me that I was spending too much time in my lab and that you felt we should spend more time together. When I tried to tell you that I was pressed for time with my work, you ignored me and said that wasn't a good reason to be spending my entire day down here. So if that was supposed to make it less of an order, it failed miserably. Zedd, I'm not a child and not your slave or minion. Do not think for one minute that I won't defy you if you give me orders."
"Fine, so say we're in a battle, one that you know nothing about, but yet with an opponent I've faced in the past and know how to defeat. I direct, or order you into a position that will help us defeat this creature unscathed, but you will in turn, what, defy me out of spite?"
Looking highly aggravated now his response is clipped. "In a battle situation or something foreign to me, fine but when it's about you and me - don't."
Further irritated, I snap back. "What is your problem, Thomas? All I want is to spend more time with you and you're fighting me. Are you tired of me already?" Didn't mean to say that.
"I'm not fighting spending time with you, I'm fighting you thinking you're in charge of me! As for being tired of you I'm not even going to respond to that!"
"Well maybe someone should be in charge of you considering you're not taking care of yourself!" Really didn't mean to say that.
I realize just how much I hurt him with that when both his eyes and the bond are suddenly closed to me. "I'm not even going to justify that with an answer" he says flatly. I open my mouth to apologize but he shakes his head. "Don't. I swear, Zedd, one more word and I'll sleep in my own room tonight - alone."
He sweeps past me and I roll my eyes at the empty threat. He knows that if he sleeps alone that he doesn't sleep as well and even risks the nightmares coming back. "Thomas-"
He spins on me at the bottom of the stairs. "Did you think I was kidding?!" He pokes his finger into my chest. "You are sleeping alone tonight!"
He spins away and stalks up the stairs, leaving me behind openmouthed. He's not serious, is he? I follow him to the dining room where our companions are waiting. As he sits down and slides his chair in, he shifts the chair a couple of inches away from mine. I sigh to myself, trying to figure out how to make amends. I do still have the gifts to give him - the one for saving my life and the one I got when Pina and I were gone. Maybe - he really won't do it and he's just trying to make a point.
Over the course of the meal, he doesn't address me once, instead seeming to prefer to talk to the other two about his lessons and research. I frown as I realize that none of the information he's offering up has anything to do with his own work down there. What is he working on under that tarp?
Once the meal is over, he disappears back into the depths of the castle. Pina frowns. "What's going on between you two?"
"I was irritated and then I pissed him off and then I got angry and said something I shouldn't have and that made things worse."
Dar sighs. "Of course you did."
"I tried to apologize, but he won't listen to me."
"Let him cool off first" Pina advises. "He can't stay mad at you forever."
"He can hold grudges a fairly long time" I argue, recalling how he informed me before that he is still upset with a dog that bit him as a child.
"Just give him some time Zedd" Pina repeats firmly. "You try to push him any more tonight and you'll just end up making this drag out longer."
"Fine, I'll leave him alone until he comes to bed" I agree.
A few hours later, I head down to try and talk to Thomas, deciding waiting any longer for him to come to bed will just not work. Besides, he's had enough time to calm down, and I'm sure he'll appreciate me making an effort to be the one to apologize. I open the door and step into the room already prepared to tell him how sorry I am for misspeaking earlier when I get a look at the situation he's in. The tarp that was covering his 'experiment' is on the floor and whatever he's working on is - apparently humanoid. "What in all the hells is that?"
Whipping around to look at me, he looks none too pleased as he points sternly to the door. "Zedd, get out." The hell I will, what in the powers name has he created here?
"Wait, Thomas, I-"
Suddenly, he curses loudly as the figure begins to move. "Zedd, get the hell out! Now!"
Again, like that's going to happen. Instead, I move around the edge of the room so that I can see better what's going on. The thing on the table reaches for Thomas' throat. Thomas swats the hand away and his nimble fingers dive back into the chest cavity of the creature. Abruptly, it goes still and slack on the table. Thomas sags and exhales in relief. "Thomas, what-"
He turns on me, fury on his face. "Was there something unclear about 'get the hell out'?"
"No, but-"
"Do you understand the concept of 'dangerous things in here if you don't know what you're doing'?"
"Well, yes, but you neglected to tell me that one of those 'things' was in fact alive-"
"I shouldn't have to tell you what I'm working on!"
"You should if it's an actual living creature that could very well kill you and the rest of us in the process! Is this not somewhat close to the same situation that you fell in trouble with on a certain island you had to blow up?!"
Glaring daggers at me, his voice is low and far more dangerous than I've heard it be in a very long time. "Dangerous creatures, you want to talk about dangerous creatures? What about the dozen or so monsters you used to have wandering around this place - unsupervised I might add - while you were attacking Earth?"
"That wasn't the same-"
"You're right it wasn't as unlike you, I have this one creature under control. And if you ever bring up my past mistakes to try and win an argument again I assure you it won't just be one night that you'll be sleeping alone. Now get out of here, Zedd. I mean it."
Seeing that I've only made him angrier, I know that there's no way he's going to listen to me right now. Still very uneasy with this creature situation, but knowing distracting him won't help either, I make plans to discuss it with the others in the morning, if anything just so they will be prepared if he does lose control over it and it gets free. "Fine, but we will talk about this matter later." Sighing, I head out and go to our room. I find myself pacing as I wait for him to come up.
Over an hour later, I finally hear him come up stairs. I turn toward the door, an apology already on my lips as I wait for him to open the door, even though in fairness I think he owes me one as well. I'm stunned, however, as I hear his footsteps pass by our room, go into his old room and shut the door. He was serious?! Fine then, let him deal with his nightmares, see what I care. It would serve him right if he… I can't even begin to finish that thought, already knowing that if he does have a panic inducing dream and calls for me I'll go to him without being able to consider it first. Brat. Unhappily, I go to bed, but lie awake for a long time trying to figure out how to fix this.
