Essence of Quinn Parts 3 & 4 (MxM)

Silence

Apologies for the delay in updating this. I've procrastinated it all week for various external and internal reasons. Grab the tissues is all I can say, I guess. Next chapter will be much easier to read, but just as emotionally charged.
Anyway, good luck and enjoy the heartache 🥺

Amaya smirked at Quinn when he snarled at Air for the fiftieth time since they'd settled back down in her room with her.

"I've had enough," he said through gritted teeth.

Air glanced at the half-eaten sandwich on his plate.

"You haven't. That's all you've eaten since before the mission. Finish the rest," Air said patiently.

Quinn rolled his eyes, and Calista shared a look with him.

"As entertaining as this is," she said, "please just do it and save us all the suffering."

Quinn sighed and picked it up, glaring at Air, who raised a brow at him.

"Just be thankful Earth isn't here. He'd have made you eat two. You're getting skinny again," Air said.

Amaya's eyes widened, and Calista smacked him on the arm.

"Air! Don't say that to him! He isn't skinny!" Calista scolded. "He's just lost some of his bulk, is all," she said, casting her eyes over him.

Quinn snarled again, annoyed that they were discussing his appearance when he was sitting right there with them.

Amaya gave him a sympathetic look and he shrugged.

"Half a sandwich isn't going to make a difference," he said under his breath.

"I won't lecture you like Earth would, but can you please just eat it for us? You need to keep your strength up," Air said with a weary sigh.

He trailed a hand along Quinn's arm.

Quinn took another bite and chewed, feeling ever so slightly humiliated at being babied by Air in front of Amaya.

"They're right, Quinn," she said. "You must be hungry if you haven't eaten since you were in Spain. Do you want some hot chocolate?" Amaya said, holding out her mug to him.

He offered her a smile and shook his head.

"No. That's yours. You enjoy it."

"Do you not like it?" she asked.

Air spoke up with a proud smile.

"He only drinks it when I make it."

"I just prefer coffee," Quinn clarified, earning him a sharp look from Air.

They'd been waiting for a good few hours now. Amaya had wanted some fresh air, so she, Quinn, Air and Calista had been for a walk in the gardens after Secondo had okayed it. It had been dinnertime, so there weren't many others around, and she seemed to have enjoyed their little circuit.

Quinn finished the sandwich and drank some of the juice that Air had ordered. Air's phone vibrated and he checked it.

"Secondo. Phenex has arrived, so he wants us in his study."

"All of us?" Quinn asked.

Air nodded, and Quinn's stomach dropped.

Phenex, the Council's master of Executions, had been summoned to hand down Lucia's official sentence and oversee her beheading. His arrival meant that the countdown to midnight and the beginning of Quinn's latest nightmare had officially started.