Bounded by Chains (Orangebat)

Chapter 4: Old Scars

I lay in my bed and stare up at the pendant in my hand. It's kind of silly. It's something so small and seemingly meaningless, yet to me, it's special.

I look closely at the pendant and tilt it slightly so light glistens off it. To anyone else, it's just a simple pendant. It's silver with a teal cross on the middle. It's attached to a simple chain. Even though it's nothing grand, it is the only thing I have left of my father so it's very important to me.

My father was a scientist, a researcher to be exact. He conducted research on the Aldnoah drive used by the Martians; however, he died three years after I arrived on Mars. I never got to truly know him. He was always so entranced by his work. Part of me wished I could've gotten to know me better, but the other part thinks he wouldn't have loved me.

I hear a knock on my door and quickly put the necklace back around my neck. I tuck it underneath my shirt and sit up in my bed, crossing my legs.

"What?"

Without warning or regards to my privacy, Orange enters my room and focuses his crimson eye on me. "Breakfast is ready."

I scowl, "I could've been naked or something!"

"But I knocked in order to announce my presence," he states as if it was the most logical thing in the world.

"Most people ask to come in before entering someone's room," I retort. "And that wasn't enough time for me to have gotten dressed anyway!"

"But it's my house and I was nice enough to give you the room. In addition, we're both males so why would it matter if I saw you naked?" He asks honestly.

I glare and stand up. He sure likes to piss me off. "I'm taking a shower." I walk past him and head towards the bathroom.

"Bat," he calls after me, but I ignore him. I don't care about whatever he has to say. And it's most likely just some educated retort to annoy me.

I get to the bathroom and slam the door shut behind me. I turn on the shower and step into the shower.

I take a long shower just because I don't want to go out there and have to deal with Orange right now. Does he even really care? Would he be waiting or give up on whatever he wanted to tell me?

I sigh and turn off the water. Even though I was upset before, that was actually calming. In prison, the showers were cold and short and had to be taken with other people. It was nice to be more relaxed like that.

I reach for my clothes and stop. I didn't bring any clothes besides what I was wearing, but those are old and dirty. Damn. That's probably why Orange had been calling to me.

I internally scold myself and wrap the towel around my waist. There's no point putting these other clothes on right now. My room's only a few metres away.

I grab the old clothes, open the door, and head to my room.

"I tried to warn you, Bat." My heart almost jumps out of my chest at the sudden voice.

I turn to look at him. "Shut up. What do you want me to do with these dirty clothes anyway?" Since he's here, I might as well ask him. Saves me the trouble of trying to find him later.

Instead of responding, he stares at my body. I feel uncomfortable under his watchful gaze.

"Orange..?"

"What happened?" He asks. There's not an ounce of concern in his voice or in his expression, but I can't tell if he really isn't concerned or if he is.

I look down to the scars on my body. I was lashed, tortured for information. Even with the beatings, I refused to tell him: all for the sake of Empress Asseylum. 6 years ago, the second interplanetary war was started because of an assassination attempt on Asseylum. When I tried to rescue her, I was shot down by Orange and captured by the people supposedly on my side. I was tortured into giving my captors information on the whereabouts of Asseylum, but I refused to tell them because I thought them to be the assassins.

I look back up to Orange. "I have no obligation to tell you. It's none of your concern. I walk past him and back into my room.

"Bat." I don't respond. "Slaine-kun."

I turn to him. "Unless you're going to tell me what to do with these clothes, I'm not going to listen to anything you have to say at the moment." I look him in the eye and close my door, turning the lock in the same motion.

It's quiet for a minute, so I turn to go away from the door. "I'll leave a hamper outside and you can bring it into your room later."

I don't respond and wait to hear his footsteps before releasing a sigh. I go over to the closet and take out a pair of underwear and choose an outfit. It's simple. A plain black T-shirt and a pair jeans. It's different than I'm used to, but it'll work.

Once I'm fully clothed, I sit back on my bed. I'm not sure why I was so against telling him about the lashes. Maybe it was because we're enemies and he doesn't need to know? But that doesn't seem right. We don't need to be enemies anymore. Maybe, just maybe, it was because I wanted him to be concerned..

Suddenly I hear a pounding on my door and jump a couple centimetres off my bed.

"Slaine! What did you do or say to my brother!? He seems down! I swear you better get your ass out here and apologise to him!"

He seems down? He has no feelings. I continue to sit on my bed without responding. She continues to yell at me from the other side of the door for a couple more minutes before angrily stomping away. I hear Orange say something to her in an even tone, but it's too muffled for me to pick out what he's saying.

I sigh for the third time in the hour and a half since I've been up and lean against the headrest. This is going to be a long year.

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I would've posted four chapters in four days, but I was pretty exhausted yesterday after work. I hope you all enjoyed this!

Bye, bye!

25-6-17