The Dyers Are Deadly

2

She's like a fucking shadow.

Ricci tries to keep the annoyance away from his face when he spots her as the girl on his lap sucks his neck. They're taking a break during one of their studio rehearsals and he wanted to smoke and have an orgasm, but he sees a flash of white hair under her hood before she disappears again.

She's been following him for a week.

It was all fun and games at first. She's pretty, that's for sure, and she's a little inexperienced and too eager and she fucking convulses when Ricci just as much as touches her cheek, but he found that hot.

But this is why he doesn't hook up with virgins. They get too clingy and attached.

And this one? They haven't even gotten there yet and she's already hanging off him like a stalker.

"Excuse me for one second." Ricci smiles at the girl, gently moving her off his lap.

He finds her in a hallway and pulls her wrist inside an empty room. "Stop following me."

"Stop fucking around with other girls." She's flushed and angry, maybe even teary-eyed. Myc takes off her hood.

"Hey. I'm trying to be nice, but you're being weird." Ricci sighs. "We're not together. You're hot and cute, and we could be friends, but I don't do this. I don't stick to one—"

Ricci almost yelps when she grips his balls.

Myc raises an eyebrow at him. "Oh, you don't?"

He glares at her, pressing his back against the door. "I suggest you release them or finish the job."

To his fucking surprise, Myc gets down on her knees.

*

"Teeth! Fuck!"

"Sorry."

*

"What the hell is this."

Entering the Dyer Manor was weird enough. Now that Myc brought him to her room, just after barely escaping her terrifying older brother who looked like a cold and ruthless murderer—Ricci feels the need to run looking down at the names.

April Smith

Sally Briar

Max Wellington

Christine Nunez

Boris Garrett

"Those are all the people I've accidentally killed in the past twenty years," Myc says. Ricci's breath catches. "They died touching me."

One thing is only on his mind—

He didn't.

He does the only thing sensible—he runs.

*

Myc finds him in his apartment. Knocks and passes out in front of him.

Ricci only touches her for a minute before she's awake again.

She cries into his shoulder and tells him that his touch is the only thing she needs. That his touch is her lifeline.

*

Ricci falls in love slowly.

He falls in love with cold hands and snow.

He falls in love with a killer.

*

Ricci carefully untangles himself from her arms and quietly pads down the stairs for some water.

He hasn't moved in yet. Myc is still convincing him.

In the kitchen, his phone buzzes in his pocket. sleeping over now?

It's Chiko. His hyung. He rolls his eyes and replies. fuck you

fuck yourself. show some fucking respect.

He used to be so afraid of him. He still is—just a little less. Ricci is just glad Chiko keeps his gloves on whenever he's around because if he doesn't, he'd probably try and touch him. sorry. fuck you, *hyung

He imagines the older Dyer is rolling his eyes.

Back in her room, Ricci slips in the covers and holds her. Myc sighs in happiness in her sleep, her hands on his skin.

*

"You weren't thinking!" Ricci hisses, hands in his hair. "Jesus Christ, Myc, what if you accidentally killed Patch?"

"I'm sorry!" Myc sobs for the nth time, seated on their bed—Ricci has his own room in this fucking huge manor, but they've taken refuge in her mattress and in her room and this is where she whispers to him that she loves him—"I'm sorry, it just completely slipped my mind, I—"

They're here after leaving Chiko and Patch alone.

"You can't go out," Ricci says, shaking his head. "No. I can't. I'm going to worry about you putting your hands on someone else, and them dropping dead on the spot—I used to want you to come to school with me, but no. Not anymore. I'm not going to watch you kill."

Myc looks at him with tears in her eyes. "I'm not a killer, Ricci," she whispers desperately, like she's trying to make him believe it. "I'm not a monster, either. I can't—I can't take it when you look at me like I am. Like you can't handle that I am."

Ricci loves her.

But he's scared of her. Of her hands. Of her skin.

"Then what are you?"

Myc turns away from him when she answers, "I'm a sister. A friend. A lover."

Ricci stares at her, waiting for her to look at him, but she doesn't.

She whispers, "I thought you of all people would know that. My person."

Ricci wishes she'd stop calling him that.

It feels like a chain.