Kiss of War

Chapter - 6

LEONARDO

"Did you know that auras are real?" Ares asked as we shuffled out of Dane's double-doors. Heavy clouds kissed the high roof of the main building, and the enclosed courtyards were devoid of the usual crowd. The air was peppered with the scent of petrichor, but it'd been hot as balls when we rolled in for the first period. I was underdressed, in khaki shorts and a blue Ralph Lauren tee, but
I didn't mind the slight sting of cold, fall bleeding into summer.
"Auras, as in multi-colored wavelengths around a body, that hold the essence of one's
personality?" I asked, fishing the keys of the R8 from my backpack.
"Exactly." He tilted his body in my direction as we ducked under a sandstone hallway, just as
heavy droplets of rain touched the soil past the archways.
"Did you know my second last name is DiCaprio?" I mocked.
"Any relation to the movie star?" Ares played along, sliding a cigarette out of his red Marlboro
pack. He swung it in my direction, but I declined. My family was already riddled with addiction. I didn't need to add one more to the mix.
I was no saint. I had the occasional drink and blunt, but in moderation. Still living at home a few months shy of graduating college to take care of my alcohol dependent Mom had its effect.
"Only in good looks, I'm afraid. His tastes run a little too young for my liking," I said dryly.
"Come on, man. I'm serious. Oren, the physics nut from second period, told me about it. Apparently, our bodies emit light that is undetectable to the naked eye." He puffed out a plume of
smoke. "I bet I know what color your aura is."
"What would that be, Alsford?"
"Tar black, with specks of green reserved for Eli and her new beau."
My jaw locked automatically, and I was glad I declined that cigarette. Otherwise, I would've
ended up biting it.
"What beau?" I spat out, the rainfall turning heavier by the second.
"The one you almost had for lunch when he sat his ass on Eliana's table at B&C last Tuesday."
I inhaled more of his rancid smoke as my nostrils flared and my right eye twitched.
Cole Wright.
I didn't like him.
I didn't even know where the fuck he'd sprouted from. Everyone knew everyone in Astropolis.
We were a metropolis with the mentality of a small town. He was like a ghost. Except for his name, Caroline didn't know anything about him, and that girl was Dane's unofficial gossip encyclopedia.
Ares's next exhale came out in puffs as he laughed at the memory. "I was sure you were going to end the night at the police station."
"I don't think your prediction was entirely wrong. You just lucked out on which night I'd end up in a police station," I retorted.
"All I'm saying is there's nothing wrong with admitting you have a tiny infatuation with the girl. Your brain needs to catch up with your body, though. Acting like an asshole to your crush is a kindergarten move, not to mention a dick one as well."
I shot him a dirty look, holding back the mean right hook his face called out for. "Are you sure you're not the one with the crush? You keep bugging me about her consistently."
"Sure." The asshat coughed out a laugh. "Run with that if it helps you sleep at night. Although, I happen to think using Eli's thighs as ear warmers would be better."
"I've got plenty of ear warmers already. I don't need one more."
"You can never have too many."
"But you can have plenty of STDs. When was the last time you got tested, Alsford?"
"Last week after Astor's party. I'm clean as a whistle." He chuckled, crushing his cigarette under
the weight of his combat boot when we reached the end of the hallway. "You don't happen to have an umbrella, do you?"
I didn't have an umbrella on me, even though I should know better, living in Astropolis. A very thick curtain of rain and several Italian and German cars stood between me and my R8.
"You aren't made of sugar. Make a run for it, pretty boy."
"You aren't made of sugar either, yet I don't see you making a move."
I slipped my phone from my side pocket, checking the time. It was four in the afternoon. Walker
Gym, home to the theater and performing arts department, was shut down at this hour and opened back up in two hours, or so. Eliana liked to practice there during this time. I'd catch her sneaking in whenever I parked my car on the north end of the campus, and maybe I'd snuck a peek one time.
My rank on the creep-o-meter took a sharp rise that day, but at least I wasn't bordering Edward Cullen's territory. I was about to move a few places up today too. Ares did a great job of warming my blood, and I felt like paying Narcissus a visit.
"I actually forgot I had a meeting with Mr. Stanton to go over some course material. Fucking Managerial Accounting is kicking my ass this semester." I clapped his shoulder. "You go on; I'll meet you at Kai's."
"I took out the bike today. I can't drive while it's pouring. You were gonna drive me," he
growled.
"Should've checked the weather app," I said, retreating. "See you later. Hope you don't catch
pneumonia."
"Yeah? Well if I don't, it won't be because of you," he yelled behind my back as I made my way
down the hall again.
Ares was wrong.
It wasn't Eliana I was attracted to. It was the unattainable, forbidden tasted sweet momentarily,
and then the rotten aftertaste hit. We were like slow poison, spreading through each other's system, and whoever got to the heart first won. I'd yet to find out what the prize was, and not for lack of trying either.
I took a right, bypassing the Romanesque style tower that housed some of the finest eighteenth- century literature. If I hadn't known that the university was older than my great-grandpa three times combined, I would've seriously thought the architect was a Hogwarts enthusiast.
I broke my speed when I reached the gym's back door. I could already hear a sweet melody spilling past the crevices of the building, and once I slipped inside, it wasn't hard to follow the trail the vibrations left on the vinyl floors.
I tugged open the third door on the left and was assaulted by Sia's high note as "Bird Set Free" burst out of the speakers. It drowned out everything else, even the doors creak, and so Narcissus remained oblivious. But I saw, and my cock swelled in my pants, appreciating the view of her in a blush leotard and tights, her hair up in an elegant twist.
The elastic tie was holding on by a thread as she performed pirouettes like she was gliding on ice, seamlessly. Light from the overhead window display bled into her routine, her form fading slightly at the edges.
Eliana was always dreaming with her feet and painting with her whole body. Even when she was simply standing I could often get a glimpse of the dancer in her, from the ramrod straight arch of her back to her left foot being on pointe whenever she waited in lines.
Okay... so maybe I was bordering Edward Cullen's insanity after all.
My brain had gotten the memo to stop ogling her, but my dick still needed some convincing. The poor sod decided to make his move when the song changed, and "El Tango De Roxanne" bounced off the mirror walls.
Eliana cut her one-woman show short, reaching for the controller to change the song, but stopped dead when I grasped her waist, molding her back to my front. A breathless gasp escaped her, and my brain decided to play the sound on loop.
"That's a lovely outfit you're sporting, Narcissus," I announced my presence, and her locked muscles loosened. I didn't know how to feel about her getting accustomed to my rampage. "Got it off Goodwill?" I leaned down, my lips feathering over her shoulder blade.
"Bianchi," she groaned like I was the bane of her existence. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised you're here. You're like a bad rash I can't seem to get rid of."
"I hear congratulations are in order." I chuckled into her skin. "How is the happy couple?"
A growl like sound escaped her mouth as she twisted around in my hands. Loose pieces of blonde hair grazed my chin, and her claws found their way up my bare arms.
"Did you have something to do with it?" She hooked her fingers around the nape of my neck, twisting her bare legs with mine.
I kept my arms in place as we circled each other, the heat of her body rubbing off on me as we pretended to dance. In reality, we were creating new ways to hurt each other.
"Sorry, I delegated my cupid duties to Eros a long time ago. Now I'm mostly doing groundwork for Zeus."
"And here I was certain you were serving Hades," she replied with a vicious smile, twirling in place. I caught her fist in mine when she turned around.
"We aren't that close, but he does lend me his hounds whenever someone needs a bite in the ass to fall in line."
"Would you be talking about me, pray tell?" She kept her chin up, defiant till the end.
"I don't know, you tell me. Have you done anything that deserves a little nip, Narcissus?" I tugged her forward until her right leg bent and her left stretched long behind her.
Her body swooshed along with my movement instinctively. The perfect follower when music ravaged both of our eardrums and her skin touched mine. Lighting it up with friction.
Her arms locked around my ears, and I teased her thigh with my fingers before grabbing it and wrapping her bent leg around my waist. Eliana's breath hitched in my ear, and frissons traveled straight to both my heads when I felt her full chest rubbing all over mine.
"I never do," Eli whispered, the outline of her lips gliding over my rough scruff. "Your sadistic mind sure loves creating scenarios just to punish me though."
She'd never know how much she was punishing me.
By just living.
By being a walking, talking distraction and destruction.
By plaguing my thoughts like an incurable type of cancer.
I should've let her go when I had the chance. Thrown her out of Astropolis and let the big dogs
have her for lunch. I wished I'd never kept her here, but if wishes were fishes, we'd all be casting nets.
"I'm not punishing you, Roux, simply reminding you of your place."
I hiked her up, resting her full weight in my arms, and made a spin. She threw her head back, and her hair burst out of the confinements of the tie. My pulse throbbed harder when her long, golden locks cascaded in waves down her back, like a touch of sunshine bursting through a gloomy sky.
Fuck, if I kept this up, my balls would run off screaming.
"Really?" she asked, short of breath when I brought her down. "If that's all, I can just set a daily alarm on my phone, and we can skip talking to each other ever again."
"Now, where would the fun in that be?" I raised an eyebrow, guiding her feet back with mine. She gave away, the light in her frosted eyes omnipresent.
"I wouldn't exactly call keeping my sanity intact a tragedy in the making."
I made an abrupt stop, and she clung to me tighter than before as she worked her legs in tune with the melody. Despite the strain of her body, her face looked relaxed, like she could do this routine in her sleep.
"Who knew the rigid Leonardo Bianchi could dance?" A tentative smile pulled at her lips, her love for the art overcoming her hatred for me for a slight moment.
"My father taught me a gentleman should always know how to dance."
An inaudible laugh escaped her throat, consumed by the music. "And I suppose that gentleman, is you? God, please enlighten me on how your father's teachings went so wrong."
"Sure, I will." I fought to keep the smirk on my face when her intoxicating scent swished with our movement. "Right after you tell me how your father's teachings went."
"As incredibly as yours, I suppose." She glared at me, and I dipped her whole body down again, this time out of spite. I nudged her foot out of the way, and she dropped like a bag of hot potatoes. If I wasn't holding her hands, her tailbone would've had a lovely time cracking against the floor.
She still was where I wanted her, though.
On her knees and disoriented.
I grabbed her hair lightly, leading her up, but she didn't come without a fight. Narcissus had her
own tricks up her sleeve. Smiling like a maniac, her face hovered close to my nether region, and my dick almost saluted her when her tongue peeked out, tasting her full bottom lip.
I tugged harder, and this time she followed, a hiss falling out of her parted mouth. "So, you sought me out just to antagonize me?"
"Among other things."
I.e. dancing with her until the song came to an end with Ewan McGregor belting out words like his ass was on fire.
So, I took a detour, big deal.
The last of the melody melted away, just as I tried to melt her walls off. She'd become harder to read over the years. No matter how much my hold tightened physically and mentally, she didn't let up.
It was okay, though.
I craved a good challenge as much as she loved dishing them out.
"Are you going to finally tell me what you came here to say, or do you plan on keeping me
company all night?" She pushed against my chest until I let her go.
Eliana walked the distance to the speakers, shutting off the music and my ears almost thanked her
for it. I stopped by my abandoned backpack next to the mirrors, kneeling next to it.
"Seeing as the only emotion I'm willing to extract out of you is one opposite of pleasure, I'm
going to have to pass on your sleepover invitation. You would enjoy that way too much."
"My, my." Her voice seemed closer than before, the mocking lilt laying underneath sheathing over me. "You really must be that good, or the groupies that have been keeping you company lately are
nothing, but a bunch of pathological liars."
I twisted at the waist, catching her trying to look over my shoulder to get a glimpse at what I was
fishing out of the bag. I had a feeling she'd wish she'd never asked once she opened the blue box. "Wouldn't you like to know?" I noted dryly, keeping the box propped between my arm and side as
I got to my feet again.
"What is that?" Her eyes gleamed as she locked them on the packet.
I stared at her face for a minute, memorizing the pout of her lips and upturned nose. One of the
rare times she was so relaxed in my presence, but then again, I didn't make it a habit out of dancing with her.
I almost felt bad about giving it to her until the contents rattled as I extended my arms, and the thought vanished. "A consolation gift."
She cocked her head sideways, squinting at the box in suspicion.
"Is a snake going to jump out at me?"
"Do I look five to you?"
"Are we talking physically or mentally? You gotta be more specific." She tucked a stray hair
behind her ear, wry amusement coloring her tone.
"Take it," I hissed, glancing at the analog clock above the door. Mom's babysitter had been gone
for an hour now and I was sure she'd cracked into her second bottle of gin.
"Alright, alright." Her fingers curled around it and once I was sure she had it safely in her grip, I
let go. "Woah, what did you put in here? Rocks?" Eliana asked as she struggled with the weight.
Not unless rocks cost you a small fortune, sweetheart.
"You'll find out soon enough," I said, dragging my bag from the floor. "Say congratulations to the happy couple from me, will you?" I smiled as I backed off.
Eliana had learned to roll with the punches over time instead of tucking her tail between her legs. And while I found her offense gleaming, her defense was a bit lacking.
The blind spots were just begging to be poked at.