Like A Flame {Warren Peace}

V

He jumped to feel hands on his side. His heart raced a moment, before it was realized he's back home in his bedroom. Ava and Amethyst are on either side. "...How'd I end up here?" Dorian mutters. His headache had not calmed once.

"Take it easy honey, you...Warren burned you pretty bad. You were unconscious while Nurse Specs fixed you up, at the school. Principal Powers called the library." She ran a hand through his hair. His mother and sister were the only ones he accepted, to touch him.

"That was reckless of you bro. Brave, but all around reckless. I didn't take you to pick fights, let alone with Warren Peace." Amethyst shot his sister a warning look.

"I'M not the one who started the damn fight. It was Warren, whom couldn't let it be." Dorian muttered. He could feel his bandages around his waist. "Mhmm...ow. Ow, that hurts." He hissed.

"I'll take it from here, please Ava. I know you were only defending Will, Dorian. But he was in the wrong to for throwing Warren like that. He could have severely injured himself, or worse. I thought we raised you better than this. Promise me, you won't end up in another fiht."

"Mom-."

"Promise me."

"I-I promise. I do. But you realize Will finally has his powers?" Excitement is in his eyes. He could only fathom what his father must feel now. Perhaps they could finally see eye to eye. Amethyst sighed heavily, kissing the side of his head.

He noticed a few gray hairs and felt instant guilt, he could have caused more. Ava could only shake her head slowly, before retreating downstairs to make dinner. "I also don't think it's wise, for you to go to the Paper Lantern for anything. Not if Warren continues to work. Please. I'm asking as your mother-."

"I swear. No more fights..." he muttered. "Honest."

They brought dinner up to his room. He worried for Will now. Fearing that his too much of a 'bold' move could have further troubled his enemy relationship with Warren.

The dreams came once more when he slept.

~******~

Weekends were every kid's favorite. While he could not do much with his burn, he was far from crippled he just had to be cautious what he bumped into and how hard. Ava went out shopping with their mom, in which he called up Will. He became more than used to the company of Zach, Ethan and Magenta. They were all a good bunch of kids, to be around.

Will was really the only one he talked to, about his dreams. How dark they could still be. He watched in curiosity as his hands hover over his tarot cards. A gift from his mother, when he was thirteen. He had somewhat mastered it. A curiosity ran deep, if another could.

"Okay...I confess...I have no idea what I'm doing." Will finally admits. Laughing in a sheepish tone.

"Ha, it's fine, not everyone's a tarot expert. It takes time to fully understand them."

"Don't you ever get creeped out by them?"

"Nah, tarot cards are harmless. It's Ouija boards I avoid like the plague." He winced when he moved that wrong way, holding a hand to his side. "Those you don't want to mess with, Ava believes they're bad luck. How'd it go with your dad, by the way?"

It was a peaceful afternoon with abundant rays of sun. They sat out on Dorian's front porch, a beautiful wrap around his father built after their purchase. It's screened in as well so on some nights when weather permitted, the family would sit outside away from insects disturbing their meal.

"Oh, uh fine. Really fine actually, he loved I had my powers finally. Even got me a gift, for it." The smile on Will's face was enough. "I think that was our first night, where he thought of me as his son..."

"I think your dad loves you, he's just..."

"Really, really high standard?" Will shook his head. "C'mon Dorian, you saw how he looked when I told him I had no powers."

He was not wrong.

When asked of his dreams, Dorian flinched. "Are you saying, that it's not-?"

"I'm not sure buddy...I'm really not." He listened to the soft flow of pond water. Their legs pulled up to their chins. "My dreams feel like a warning. I'm...I feel tired. All the time. Especially, when I use my powers."

"Well, nothing has happened yet. Maybe you still have time before...you know, something does happen."

"Maybe your right...hey, why don't we meet up with Layla and the others. Up for ice cream?"

"Sure, you're okay enough to walk?"

"I'm not crippled Will."

Laughter floated around that afternoon. His eyes seemed to light up, the more time he spent with his friends. But every so often his mind did drift back to his second encounter with Warren, in the bathroom.

"...What's it mean when, someone likes to see you suffer?"

Layla raised a brow at his question. "You mean, someone who enjoys watching another in pain? Where did THAT come from?"

His face flushed at once, biting his lower lip. "I...I was only watching a documentary last night. Something on the Nat Geo Channel."

"Well...I would think, it means the person's a sadist. Someone who thrives on another's pain, for their own satisfactions." Magenta chimed. Head tilted to one side his way.

"They take pleasure in degrading others, I think that's what Magenta's referring." Ethan chimed.

Not only was Warren a danger as is, but now he had to worry a sadist was after him and Will. The two shared a deeply troubled look about them. Layla got what they were worried about. Rather who. "Hey, don't worry though. Just stick with us and Warren, won't come two feet in front of you."

"Yeah, I mean it's one of him and five of us." Zach offered.

"Thanks, guys, that means a lot than you know."

~******~

This day was a scorcher. Not a breath of wind. He thought there is a word for it, Indian Summer, which brought his thoughts back to that freshmen he burned.

Warren was not one whom had any 'sorry' in his body. He never apologized even when he knows, he should. But all that afternoon while he worked, it is as if his own thoughts were hijacked by another.

"Penny for your thoughts?"

His dark brown eyes narrowed at first, until they rest upon his boss. She had her arms folded across her chest. In a way that reminded him so much of his mother.

"I heard what happened, at school...you burned that Talbot, boy."

A snort escaped. Of course, the 'Big Bad Bully' that is him started it. If Stronghold had not walked away when he should have "You heard wrong. He's the one who got involved, when it wasn't his fight, in the first place." He wiped down the counter, of spilled duck sauce with more vigor.

"That temper of yours will be your downfall, I've seen it happen to others. I don't believe you're like your father, at least not totally. But that Talbot boy will have scars forever. He'll be reminded, every time he looks at them. I don't want to see you fired, Warren, but if it happens again...I'm afraid that may be, my only choice."

"You'll fire ME over an incident?"

"I won't hesitate to protect a customer, of mine."

She was not wrong. Neither was he. As his own weekend past in a blur, he thought only brief on Miss. Lee's words. The look of pain on Dorian's face both satisfied and horrified. How was that possible? To feel both of those, at once?

He filled up his water bottle at the fountain, in the hallway. Earbuds from his Ipod in either ear.

"...Hey. Peace."

He raised a brow.

Standing on his left side, was the last person he ever thought would approach.