Come To The Light

The Poet

It feels wrong in a way. It feels wrong to see someone, their own person, as someone else just to fill the void left in my heart. Can a heart even break once it's stopped beating? I only wanted him to wear the stupid shirt so I could see Fenic again, is that so wrong? It feels wrong. Thank God he took it off so the guilt could leave.

I'm pulled out of my thoughts by the question, he saw the brushes? I thought I hid them in the cabinets.

"The two brushes?" I tilt my head at him, "Those were..." I trail off and then scoff out a short laugh, "Oh so you like snooping, do you?" I lean back in the chair with my arms folded over my chest, a sly smile on my face.

Felix jolts back a bit, "No that's... That's besides the point." He shakes his head and then takes a deep breath, "Are those just some old ones or..." He trails off for me to answer the question.

Eventually I'd have to tell him, so why not now. "We got matching ones. Me and my boy-... Me and my ex. If that's what it's called. We didn't ever break up, it just sort of.." I can't seem to find the words, "..ended?" I shrug and meet his gaze.

He looks a bit confused, hunched over in the chair across from me. "Ended? How does that work?"

I don't know what else to say except a mumbled, "He died. I haven't... said that out loud before." I look back over at the plants from over the balcony and rest my head atop my hand propped up by my elbow on the table. There's silence between us now, uncomfortable silence. The loudest silence I've ever heard.

"So... those shirts were.." He starts, but I immediately cut him off.

"His. Those were his." I confirm with a shaky voice. I need to change the subject before I end up dumping my unspoken feelings to a man I just met yesterday. "What brought you to this castle of all places?" I look back over to Felix, putting on a smile.

He shifts uncomfortably in his seat before tapping his fingers on the table, "It was the closest. Heard there was a party, took what I wanted from it, and then planned on leaving. Then got stuck with you." He reaches in his left pocket for a moment, but then stops himself and places it back on top of the table, tapping again.

"Stuck?" I laugh and shake my head, "I'd call it 'blessed' with my presence, but maybe that's just me." We both seem to share a short laugh, his more out of mock-annoyance, and then I speak again. "What do you do? Like.. for fun or for work?"

He pauses for a moment, clasping his hands together on top of the table. He looks almost as if he's praying in a confessional, and then turns to me. "I do freelance. If you need me to hunt animals, I will hunt animals. I used to work at a bar so I could live in the inn. If I need to catch fish, I will catch it. If you don't like somebody, I am there." He furrows his brow a bit, and I think I'm starting to get the point now.

I chuckle and hum in response, "Hm. I wouldn't be surprised if this whole interaction is simply because someone doesn't like me and hired you." I joke, hoping that he was joking too. I wouldn't be too surprised nowadays though, I've got some real enemies out there.

He shakes his head, looking away. "No, you're too rich and high status to be involved in that kind of work. It's not like I'm a hitman, I'm more like... a bulldog in a dog fight."

I hum and furrow my brows, curious. "That's quite the analogy." I then look back over to the flowers and such, trying to find a new conversation starter. I want to get to know him better, maybe then he'll enjoy my presence more and want to stay longer. Just another night.

"Do you live close to here?" I look back at him, resting my head back on my palm, keeping my eyes on him so he knows that I'm listening. "I mean you have to if you managed to get here by foot."