Idiosyncrasies of a Shadow // (ManxMan)

~Chapter 2~

[Felix]

*~*~*

I was a shadow.

I enjoy pain. Because when I feel it –

I know it's a step taken for the one person I love.

I protect the one who doesn't protect himself. Standing behind him to scare away the monsters in his heart.

I take the hit for him because he takes my heart in his tiny hands and I know –

I am guaranteed; to be loved.

*~*~*

"Do you think I should eat the strawberry cake or the carrot cake? Maybe the chocolate one!" Skylar bounces around me while I lift my weights. Other people might find him annoying, but he is my life line. I can't let his light die out.

So, I fuel it. With copious amounts of food. Obviously.

"Cookie. I bought them all for a reason, you're going to eat them anyway." I sigh and drop the weights next to my feet.

"But you have to eat one too! I... feel bad for taking them all."

I raise an arm and flex. "I don't work out and then put fat back into my body. It doesn't work like that."

"Now you make me sound like a fat beer keg..."

"Dammit." I curse myself for making him upset, it's the worse feeling in the world to see Skylar so much as frown. It makes my heart ache. "I didn't mean it like that Skylar. Don't sell yourself short, you're a great person with a sexy body."

It was true. He did have an incredibly tempting body, lean and firm. But I'm not romantically attracted to him, he's more like my responsibility. Someone I'm willing to protect with my life.

"Oh well, guess I'll have to live with being a fat butt." He shrugs with a hearty smile while speeding up the treadmill. "This should nullify the sugar that's going to be in my belly right?"

I chuckle at his antics. God, this kid makes me so happy. I say kid but he's only 3 years younger, though his innocence is on par with the actual children he works with at his school.

Skylar is a joy to have around. We've been living together since my high school graduation because of certain... events that happened. I worked part time in university so I could provide for him. It was tough, but it's all worth it, seeing him so happy with his current job.

I can't lie and say I didn't cry when he graduated. I'm like a second brother to him.

Speaking of his brother has my blood boiling. He took everything and everyone Cookie deserved and made his life a living hell. I hated him. His parents weren't much better, giving everything Ryland wanted and neglecting Skylar.

"Beep boop boop beep. Captain McKenzie are you there, over." Skylar makes a noise resembling the cutting off of a walkie-talkie. We were walking down the side walk back home.

I knew I spotted a guy staring at Skylar's ass while he was taking a shower in the gym, the same guy is now shamelessly smirking while Skylar waves innocently at him. "Don't talk to him Cookie."

"Why? He seems nice, look he's smiling!" Skylar beams and turns back to the sidewalk ahead. He didn't notice the guy approaching us.

"He was staring at your ass the whole time you were showering. Fucking pervert..."

"O-oh! There is nothing to stare at anyway. I'm sure he's staring at you. You're much more attractive." He nodded as if approving his own comment. "Also, remember that dollar. No swearing."