Chapter 17: Sick of Feeling Numb

Mood Song: Duck and Run by 3 Doors Down

An undetermined number of hours later, I hear the front door creak open, the bottom dragging slightly on the polished hardwood. And his voice rings out in the foyer, the soft melody sounding in my ears.

And it doesn't affect my pounding brain. Go figure. This truly must be love.

And I tilt my head up to see him standing there. It should be a crime to look as beautiful as he does.

"How'd you get in?" I mumble, my voice sounding cracked and grating, like I was speaking through a fan. It disturbs me. He snorts and moves to kneel next to my prone form, one leg tucked under him, the other drawn up to rest his chin on.

"That's a stupid question even for you, Colonel." There's a silence and I wonder idly if Tanner has enough food and water. "I'm an alchemist, remember," he replies finally, by way of explanation.

For some strange reason this irritates me slightly. Of course I remember! I had a hangover. I wasn't drunk. It means I was drunk yesterday. I wasn't so far gone that I had lost the ability to retain even the simplest of knowledge.

Oh great, now I'm pissy.

Slowly, I raise myself up on my hands and maneuver my body till I'm sitting, my back to the recliner. When I stare into his eyes, I can feel the anger and hurt seep from my body, escaping through my pores and forming a puddle of useless emotions at my feet.

Edward is just one of those people you could get mad at easily but you can't be angry with him for long.

"By the looks of that empty wine bottle, it would seem you were drinking," he states calmly.

Well thank you, Captain Obvious, for that brilliant deduction.

Oh.

Here I go again. God, I'm an asshole.

Sighing deeply, I run a hand through my hair, it feels stiff and slightly oily. Gah, I need a shower. It's the first thing on my agenda, the second being me ravaging the boy in front of me.

And now I'm in dire need for my shower to be a cold one. And I'm staring at him, into him, my eyes like invisible fingers pawing at his soul. Reaching out my hand, I rest it on his head.

"Thanks for coming," I murmur, tangling my fingers slightly in his golden bangs.

He smiles wide. The kind of smile that crinkles the skin around your eyes.

And the cold shower has now become a necessity.

"I'll always come," he grins childishly. I resist the urge to tackle him to the floor.

Mask of Mirage