Obsession.

Chapter 9 ~ The Schiavon Manor

I wish my first time at the Schiavon Manor was under different circumstances. It reminds me of the cottage doll house I would play with as a kid, except this place is quadruple the size. Long Island has some beautiful architecture.

We walk along the cobbled pathway. The door leads us to their lobby where Mr. Schiavon is sitting at the bottom of the stairs, hands through his long hair. He examines each one of our blooded faces and bruised bodies.

"You guys really had to fight, didn't you."

They nod, but I keep my head down.

"How about you clean up, then we will talk."

"Sounds good." Valen responds.

Mr. Schiavon walks up the stairs while I admire the decorations around the place. The rustic feel is one I've never experienced before.

I follow them up the stairs to the bathroom. Valen turns left, but joins us a minute later. He has a black t-shirt in his hands.

I sit down on the rim of the bathtub. Amir gets out a couple rags and bandaids. The silence as he ruffles through the cabinets is growing louder in my head.

While Amir searches, Valen slowly strips off his jacket. He uncovers all of the blue and green tinted bruises he has just gotten. He also has a couple cuts on his chest. He hunches over the sink, looking at himself in the mirror.

"So are we going to ignore the elephant in the room?" Amir says.

"Yes." Valen turns to him and answers abruptly.

"Sorry horny pants. You didn't get to dick down as we were holding a guy hostage. My fault, truly." Amir jokes.

I would have laughed, but I feel so anxious in this new space.

Valen turns around to me with the wet rag that Amir handed to him. He squats in front of me, and wipes away the dried blood down my cheek and under my nose.

I examine his body, his shoulders, his chiseled chest, his abs so close to my hands. I almost reached out and touched them. His body is flexed as he stays squatted.

I look up to his eyes. All of my desires come rushing back to me as I stare into those blue orbs. His sight line passes my lost eyes, but then he comes back to look at them.

My heart drops.

Our faces say nothing at all. We are simply wide-eyed. I see him glance at my lips, as I did to his. Their blush color are about as red as my cheeks right now. I could pounce on him, hell, I'm seconds away from trying. I look back into his eyes to stop myself.

I feel like I'm being pulled into an ice void whenever I catch myself gazing into them.

"Valen?" Amir says, startling us.

Valen shuts his eyes and lowers his head.

"What?" He asks, turning to him.

"Your back is bleeding again."

He reaches one hand behind him and runs his finger along the scratch. It returns in front of him covered in some blood, so he gets up and wipes it off with the rag. As he takes care of his other cuts, Amir puts a bandage on this back.

"How much of this are we going to tell your dad about?" Amir asks.

"What do you mean?" Valen questions.

"I mean that Conan is a good friend of his. Would he believe us if we told him?

"I guess he wouldn't, but what else are we going to say? Any other matter we could have handled alone."