Well, it's ok. It's so nice
It's just another day in paradise
Well, there's no place that
I'd rather be
Well, it's two hearts
And one dream
I wouldn't trade it for anything
And I ask the lord every night
For just another day in paradise

"Just another day in paradise" by Phil Vassar

Chapter 4

The faint spell of copper was heavy in the air, the last dieing sounds of the cows before they had their limbs torn and cut apart, was like a sound that seemed to cling to the walls, and even in the late evening when the workers seemed to have left for the night, the sounds still seemed to resound around the place. A lone figure stood behind the table, before him on the metallic table lay a dead cow in several pieces, its blood seemed to cling and stain the table. In the evening light the knife in his hands seemed to glint shining in the dimly lit room. Thomas seemed to have a far of sadistic look in his eyes as he stared at the beast unseeing. Before him he saw all those who insulted him, all those that hurt him, all those that broke him. Then he saw him the one person in his life besides Mia that had ever treated him normally, that ever showed him kindness, and the one person to ever slowly pick up the pieces of his broken form. He saw the blood that stained his beautiful pale lips; he saw the hollow void in his once vibrant green eyes that made warmth run through his veins. He trembled were he stood his eyes were wide and a scared look replaced the sadistic one, he reached shakily towards him he was so close to touching him before he was snapped from the far reaches of his mind, and all the people and even Jovian was replaced by the slaughtered mammal.

A light sigh fell from his disease infest mouth that was hidden behind the leather of his mask. For once in his whole life he was scared for another, he didn't think that would ever happen. He didn't want to hurt him, he didn't want to kill him, but if his Uncle continued to insist, he didn't know what he would do. The memory was so fresh in his mind.

Hoyte walked calmly towards Thomas his whole demeanour screamed hatred, no far worse loathing. In his eyes a swirl of emotion like a hurricane danced, its light highlighted his eyes making him look menacing. His hands clenched and un clenched when he stood in front of Thomas. Thomas stood there with pure genuine confusion in his eyes.

"I want that boy dead! If you don't kill him with in the next three weeks, then I will!" and then he just strode away. Thomas stared after him, for once in his life he didn't know what to do, before he left his eyes strayed towards Jovian. His heart thumped painfully. He didn't want to.

He only had a week left, and he was so confused. He through the knife on the metallic table, a resounding cling rang through-out the room. He winced as it cut through his ears like a butter knife to butter. He heaved another sigh before he picked up the piece of dead flesh and placed them in the exceedingly large freezer. He then took off the thick leather apron and folded it; he stopped wearing everywhere a few days ago. He felt a little confident with the world now. He didn't need to hide behind such a thing anymore, not when he had someone like Jovian for a friend. You couldn't see the smile on his face but you could see it in his eyes, and a strange emotion flickered through his eyes. He felt warm he wondered why. Thoughts of Jovian made him this way. He stepped away from the semi-large, semi-small building, the evening was warm, and not even a gentle breeze was present just the heat of the sun. and he began his long journey back towards his family's house.

He arrived when the sun was setting and the skies were painted with the colors of purple and orange, to say the least it was breath taking, he never noticed it before, but it seemed the Jovian had opened his eyes to a whole new world, one filled with so much beauty and color, and not the usual grey and disgusting one. He could hear the quiet laughter coming from the kitchen. His long powerful strides took him quickly to the kitchen and the site that met his surprised eyes was just that surprising. Before him was a man he's never seen before, his aunt was laughing and so was his uncle, and his other uncle. He noticed someone was missing, it was Jovian he was no where in site, and he was kind of sad.

"Oh, hello Thomas welcome back!" said Mia as she let loose a giggle from the young mans poor excuse of a joke. What's the difference between roast beef and pea soup? You can roast beef, but you can't pee soup! Thomas nodded his head in acknowledgement. His eyes gazed curiously at the stranger, and Mia had the sense to recognize it.

"Thomas, this is Riley McBride, a friend of Jovian's" she said, he gazed at the stranger, his eyes traveled over him, from his handsome face to the top of the table, his eyes lingered on his eyes, and there he saw it, a silent smouldering fire of sadistic pleasure waiting to be released, he tensed. He gazed at Mia a question in his chocolate eyes. Where's Jovian?

"Outside" she said, and turned back to the guest and they resumed there earlier conversation. Thomas knew what she meant; he was outside in the field. He turned around and walked outside, the cold air brushed his skin like a lover caressing his partner. The dry grass crunch under his feet, it took a few minutes before he could see the shadowy figure of Jovian sitting with his shoulders slouched, he paused when the silent sound of heaves, and the slight smell of sea salt, assaulted his senses. He knew what it was, he's done the same thing enough times to recognize when someone was crying. He didn't want to see this ever again. His hand lifted to his chest, it hurt. He wondered why. He walked forward, Jovian's shoulders seemed to tense when he got near enough. The silent tears and raking sobs seemed to stall, before they started up again, and Jovian relaxed. Thomas sat down, he didn't know what to do in this type of situation, one never presented itself to him. With a slight hesitation he lifted his hand and lightly placed it on Jovian's shoulder. He hoped this was how you comforted people. Before he knew it he was holding a whole lot more of Jovian than his shoulder. He tensed and slowly relaxed, his arms grew weak as they embraced Jovian's waist. He could feel the slight form shake against his tall frame. His shirt grew wet. His grip seemed to tighten a little without his knowing. He just held him, for how long he didn't know. Soon the sobs and the shaking stopped, and there was just the rush of air quickly being drawn in. Jovian slowly backed away a light blush tinted his checks, his eyes were lowered. He seemed to be embarrassed, and that he was.

"I'm sorry" he said, he made to get up, but was stopped by Thomas with the tightening of his hold, if it was one thing that Thomas knew, or maybe it was just pure instinct, it just told him not to let go.

"What…..happened?" he said in his usual hoarse voice, that rustic sound to it was slowly fading as the days past and he spoke, he had to say he spoke more in the last to weeks then he ever did in all the years he's been alive. Jovian sighed and turned his head slightly to look into the endless darkness that seemed to surround this little crop circle in the field. "Shouldn't you be happy, your friends here?" he questioned, he didn't understand, weren't people usually happy with friends. Did this mean that Jovian was sad when around him? He didn't really seem sad.

"He's not my friend" he said as he looked into Thomas' eyes for the first time that day since this morning, he saw the question and curiosity in his eyes, and a slight sadness that seemed to lay there doing nothing it was just there. "He's just someone I wished I could never see again, someone who would just disappear of the earth." he said.

"Why?" came the slight hesitant question. And Jovian was truthful he always was with Thomas.

"He broke me, along time ago. He was the only people when I was a teenager that seemed to care, that seemed to love me. But I was wrong." he said, "I wish he could just die." Thomas could hear the emotions that laced Jovian's, there were many there some he wished he could never hear, but the most prominent emotions seemed to be anger, and sadness. Jovian could feel the tears resurfacing again, he didn't want to start crying again in front of Thomas, he wanted to show in that he was strong. But he just couldn't seemed to stop them, and they fell, painting his cheeks like rough rivers. Thomas saw them fall. That man had hurt Jovian. On instinct he gently whipped them away; it was all that he could follow in this situation. Jovian look into Thomas' eyes and Thomas looked into his. Jovian's eyes lowered till they came to rest on the leather mask that seemed to be glued to Thomas' face. He desperately wanted to see his whole face, but was always so afraid. He had to wonder where the courage came from when the question left his lips.

"Can I see…your face? All of it, behind this mask" he said as he came up and touched the leather. Thomas seemed to tense with the contact. He didn't want him to see, and be afraid and disgusted like everyone else. "Please" came the whispered reply. And Thomas seemed to crumble under it. He slowly nodded. And with a slight hesitance Jovian slowly removed it, soon his face was exposed. Jovian's eyes widened at what he saw, it wasn't the fact that he had some weird skin disease, it was at how handsome he still managed to be with the darkened skin that seemed to slowly deteriorating with the years. Thomas was tense, he was just staring. It made him uncomfortable.

"Handsome" he seemed to be taken by surprise when that word fell from Jovian's lips. Someone called him handsome, it was a once in life time that someone other then Mia had said that to him, he knew he couldn't be handsome. He could feel the warmth of Jovian's fingers as they glided across his exposed cheek, jaw, chin, mouth. If Thomas didn't know any better he would have to say that Jovian was staring fixatedly at his lips, and that his fingers seemed to seemed to be lingering longer then they should be. He was growing uncomfortable.

Jovian was fixated with his lips, he wanted to kiss them, they looked so inviting, but he didn't know if Thomas even liked him that way, while Thomas was growing uncomfortable, jovian was having a silent inner battle. For all Jovian knew if he kissed him, he could be roughly push away, and Thomas could ignore him. But nothing ventured, nothing gained right, isn't that what people say? Thomas could see a light change in Jovian's eyes, he wondered why there was determination in his eyes. And he soon found out. He was shocked when he felt the warmth of another's lips on his. He was so shocked he seemed to turn to stone. Jovian pulled away when he didn't feel a response. Thomas was surprised once again when jovian pulled away, he felt cold and he wanted the warmth back. It felt a little like paradise. Thomas could see his lips moving, but he just couldn't hear the words.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--" but he was stopped when Thomas kissed him, and he happily complied. It was soft and gentle, it was just a ventured kiss, to see if the waters were calm. And slowly the kiss grew slightly more heated. Thomas knew that with the warmth spreading through him this had to be paradise. To Thomas this wasn't just another day in paradise. When they pulled away the warmth seemed to linger, and there breathing came out harsh, a shy smile seemed to take over Jovian's face along with a beautiful blush. Thomas could even feel the slight smile on his lips. He grabbed the leather mask and placed it back on his face. The warmth was slowly disappearing and he could just now feel how cold it had gotten. He saw jovian shiver.

"Let's go back" said Thomas. Jovian tensed.

"I don't want to, not with him there" he said, looking away. Thomas turned his head to look at him, they stared at each other for a moment.

"I'll watch you, I'll make sure he stay's away" he said, and Jovian seemed to relax and he nodded. And they both turned around and headed back towards the large house. Thomas seemed to have remembered what Jovian said earlier someone who would just disappear of the earth. and he would, he'd make that happen. And that sadistic look lay shimmering beneath the surface.They never even noticed the slight frame of Mia in the window watching them. Mia saw it all, even if she couldn't hear them. She smiled.

TBC…….

A/N: here we are with the fourth chapter, I can feel it the ending is coming, this has got to be one of the longest chapters in this story, I hope it was satisfactory. Please leave a review, and I know there Oc but that's just how it is.

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