Coffin & Feathers [Elisop]

Chapter 15

Sorry for not posting for more than a week, u know, writer's block and all. Anyway I'm definitively in vacations until september/october so I'll probably write a lot more but u may have seen that already ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Tw: Strangulation

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Aesop followed Jerry to his room in silence without saying a word as he usually did. He wasn't sure what to think about Eli's past and decided to leave it in a corner of his mind for the time being while he sorted things out on his mentor's side. He had encouraged himself not to think about anything else that might put him in a complicated situation in the presence of the older embalmer.

The two men entered the room and the young boy stood there in the middle of the room for a moment before making his way to the two chairs around the table and taking a seat. The old man put his cane against the edge of his bed and walked over to his cabinet to make some tea while he waited. He then placed two cups on the table before sitting down across from his student as well.

The gray-eyed boy looked at the liquid in front of him. He had seen it done so he was sure there was no poison in it but something kept him from drinking it, he wasn't thirsty. He lowered his mask and put his fingers on the handle of the cup and lifted it to bring it closer to his lips, blowing lightly on it and taking a tiny sip of the Earl Grey. Then he put the cup back on its plate and put his mask back on.

"What's your relationship with this hunter ?" asked Jerry suddenly.

His relationship with Eli... According to the logic of the manor, it would make sense that these two would be enemies. However, he felt deep down that this was not the expected answer and he too wondered what it really was. They liked each other, enough to sleep next to each other, enough to kiss. If he could be confident enough to say they were friends, was he confident enough to say they were more than that ? That they were... something. 

"He's a friend." he replied simply, it was best to play it safe for now.

"Of all people, I never imagined you could make friends."

Indeed, he was right. He, too, was surprised after claiming the hunter was his friend when those very words were coming out of his own mouth.

"Did you tell him ?"

"About...?"

Something was wrong, there was a problem. Aesop felt a chill run down his spine as Jerry rose from his seat before walking around the table and placing both hands on the boy's shoulders. He bent down slightly, enough for the latter to hear what he was about to whisper to him.

"The fact that you killed me."

The young embalmer felt his blood run cold, but he still nodded slightly in response. The old embalmer let out a chuckle before sliding his hands over his shoulders so that they could meet, coming to rest gently around the boy's throat. His large gloved hands were now completely around it. He raised his index fingers to lift the boy's chin a little so that he could look at him.

"Do you know why I'm here ?" he then asked.

"No..."

"Really ? I thought you'd at least have a little idea in the back of your head. How disappointing. Let me answer you then..."

Slowly, the grip of his hands strengthened around the boy's neck, so slowly that it was just a squeeze at first. Then eventually, the air began to run out. Aesop found it difficult to breathe and this position was rather uncomfortable, but he did not resist. He just sat there in his chair, as if frozen, letting his mentor do what he had to do. It was probably the right thing to do, he thought.