Fear the Reaper [malexmale]

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

"If I were a doctor and you were my patient, I would've just straight up killed you."

I rolled my eyes as I slipped a long sleeved black shirt over my head, yanking it down and tucking it into the waistband of my jeans. Behind me, Rowan was standing across the room, leaning against the wall by the bathroom with his arms folded over his chest. I still had no idea why he was here in Styx, but it was pretty obvious that he was here to stalk me on behalf of Viviana, if not to get the books back.

"You had your chance," I reminded as I picked up my jacket and shrugged it on, "Why didn't you take it?" After all, he found me flopped in the grime of an alleyway. He didn't even need to do much. He could've just given me a good kick the ribs and I would've been out of commission. Instead, the bastard had picked me up and carried me back to the hospital, and had become my only visitor for three days.

"Call me masochistic," Rowan responded. I glanced over at him, but he wasn't looking at me. He was looking out the window at the city of Styx that lay splayed out below. I followed his gaze. The city was alive this morning with the sound of music, the smell of fast food wafting through the air combined with cigarette smoke from nurses on their breaks, people filing out of apartment complexes and businesses. It was a bustling Saturday morning in Styx. Fresh into summer, everyone was sporting tank tops, shorts, short shorts, shorty short shorts that were really just underwear with a classier name, filmy dresses, straight up bathing suits.

"So," Rowan asked, coming over to stand by me where I stood at the window, frowning at the city below, "Where you off to now? Somehow I doubt Alaric is going to take you back into the house." I didn't look at him, even though I felt his eyes on me. He seemed surprisingly perturbed by the argument with Alaric, and the declaration that we were no longer going to see one another. Made by Alaric, who sent Raven on his behalf. How weird for a shadow, the enemy of all people, to be worried about my love life.

"What're you talking about," I asked, turning away from the window and straightening my jacket, "You have a place here in Styx, right?" Rowan looked at me, raising an eyebrow as he followed me to the door.

"I do. What makes you think I'm going to let you stay there? You might try to kill me in my sleep."

"Oh, please. I'm a tit for tat kinda guy. You save my life, I won't take yours."

"Hmm." Rowan didn't elaborate. He also didn't argue. He just followed me down to the nurse's station, where I had to sit through another round of you can't leave. We highly recommend you stay for further treatments. But your prescriptions. No thanks. Not interested. I'm feeling good as new. Nice Bugs Bunny scrubs. Finally fed up with my deflections, the nurse slammed the clipboard down in front of me to sign myself out against medical recommendation. I flashed her a smile and she snatched it back, giving me a dirty look.

I turned and strolled out of the hospital with Rowan following me into the street. I turned to look at him in silence and he sighed before he turned down a street and led me in the direction of his house. He knew I wasn't going to kill him. He was irritated about the intrusion for another reason.

"Don't like company?" I asked as we walked. Rowan glanced at me, then looked away, his hands tucked into the pockets of his slacks.

"As long as you don't act like my other house guest," he answered. I looked at him curiously, but he didn't explain himself. He just walked on in silence. We swept through the business district into the shopping district, then came up into the north side of the city. The north side, in a nutshell, was the wealthy side. Nice big houses, small green yards, mostly families of four who went to private schools and worked in the business district.