The Return | Cricky [C]

Chapter XLVI: Diamond Sky

I ran without even knowing where I was going. All I knew was I had to remove myself from that situation. Thinking that maybe some fresh air would help, I hid away in the garden. Ricky better not come looking for me because I'm not sure what I'd say to him right now. His behavior and attitude throughout the whole event made it seem like he wanted to hurt me. Assumptions can be so damn dangerous, but I don't know what else to think.

It was just now midnight. A beautiful crescent moon dangled overhead and the skies were particularly clear tonight. This realm had little to no light pollution, making it so every star shined as bright as a diamond. I sat down beside the fountain, resting my head along the edge and staring up at the magnificent night sky. The fresh smell of spring water was relaxing. I didn't know what else to do except sit here in misery.

This view reminded me of my strange encounter with a deity a few months ago. I never did find out what happened with the whole dream nomad situation. Ricky wasn't too interested in investigating it because he felt we'd get involved in something far bigger than ourselves and I'm inclined to agree. There's some powers out there that you're better off just letting be. He's usually such a level headed, logical person, but sometimes he's a bitter bitch. That's why I'm worried this stunt of his was about revenge. He's still harboring some kind of anger over my infidelity. Why try and talk things out when you can mentally scar your partner and someone they care deeply for all while abusing your power? Damn him.

My thoughts were disrupted when I heard some rustling in a nearby bush. I didn't panic because I'd picked up on Vinny's scent and voice instantly. He was muttering frustratedly to... Someone. I hadn't caught wind of another person. My curiosity got the best of me and I cautiously called out to him, "Vinny? What are you doing?"

Just like that, his heart rate went through the rough. It was like a damn drum in my ears. He popped up from behind some hedges across the garden, nervously responding, "Oh, uh, nothing! Just pickin' up some tools I left out here earlier."

Right. He's an awful liar. Not that honesty is a bad thing, but you shouldn't try to keep secrets if you can't maintain them. I brought myself back to my feet and walked over to him to investigate what he was up to. Vinny kept his back turned to whatever he was hiding and attempted a very unconvincing smile.

"Move, or you will be moved." I informed him.

He wasn't going to fight me, but I could see he was upset. Vinny's terrible at masking his emotions, which is funny because his brother is the exact opposite. When he stepped out of the way, I discovered a small wood hatch peaking out from beneath the hedges. It was drenched in dirt, so clearly he's been covering it with the soil to hide it. As I opened it, I was met with three sets of small, glossy eyes.

I sighed, "What is this?"

"A... family of opal foxes." He mumbled. Well, we certainly have foxes on Earth, but I've never heard of an opal fox. Upon closer inspection, I noticed a shinny blue gem on their heads. They had very light colored fur, though it had been muddied by the dirt. Vinny's anxiety got the best of him and he started to ramble desperately, "Please, please don't tell the Master! I found them trying to climb the lychee tree for food a few days ago and they're super endangered, so I didn't want to just kick them out!"

"Vin!" I interrupted him, laughing, "It's fine, but I think we should tell the Master. That way, we can move them in the castle and give them a much better home than a hobble in the ground. I'm sure he'll be fine with it, once he's in a better mood."

"Are you sure he won't make me get rid of them?" He asked.

"I'm sure. He's got a bigger heart than you and Ezra ever give him credit for." I closed the hatch, raising back to my feet. "Why are they endangered, anyways?"

He frowned, "Their pelts go for a lot. So do their gems. They're nocturnal because the moon charges up their gems and that's what powers their life force."

"Then I guess you should make sure they get some playtime while the moon is out." I responded, "I have no problem with you feeding the animals that come in from the forest, as long as you're doing it sparingly and responsibly. We have to eat off of this food, too, and with winter coming, we need to start saving some of it up."

"Okay. Thank you, Chris." Vinny softly smiled. He's definitely the baby of the group, but I don't mind looking out for him. When we lead such heavy lives, it's important to have people like Vinny and Yuu around to remind us of the good in the world. They're refreshing.

In the event that Ricky did come looking for me, I didn't want him to discover Vinny's little secret as I did. So, I forced myself to go back inside to protect the small ogre and the little baby foxes. I'm certainly not going anywhere near Ricky, though. My mind was racing far too much to even think about sleeping, but I wouldn't be able to focus on work either. A bath seemed like the best option.

Clearly, I can't take steeping hot baths like my lover. Thankfully, this realm is full of all kind of wonders, including a salt imported from up north that prevents the water from getting too hot. From my understanding, it's mainly used by ice elves and winter fairies. It has been very pleasant living in a world built for supernatural creatures. There are so many glorious products and amenities just for people like me that I could never even dream of having on Earth. Overall, I have come to enjoy my life here far more, but my otherworldly romance has taken a toll on my heart.

Just as I was beginning to undress, a pain shot through my chest. Curse my vampiric hearing. My ears had picked up on Yuki sobbing to himself somewhere else in the castle. It wouldn't be right for me to comfort him. He isn't mine anymore. I'll be damned if it didn't hurt like Hell to hear, though. Then I just had to hear that fucker's steps coming to the bathroom door.

He didn't knock. He never does. I glanced over at him, muttering, "Yeah, I know, your house."

Ricky closed the door quietly. He didn't hit me with a snappy comment, which I guess is a good sign. "It's not that. I just figure we've been together long enough that I don't have to knock."

I threw my shirt into the corner, responding, "You're right, but it's different when I'm pissed at you. I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"You're so bad at lying to me." Ricky walked up to me suddenly, wrapping his arms around my neck. "I didn't know it'd upset you this much."

I pushed him off of me, much to his shock. "What the Hell were you thinking? You could just bat your eyelashes at me and all would be forgiven? That's not how this works. What you did was fucked up. I'm not even going to begin to try to understand what was going through your head."

"Chris-"

"Don't. I don't want to hear your excuses."

Ricky stared at me. That viciousness that had overtaken him earlier was gone. He was back to his broken, overthinking self. I could tell by the look in his eyes, I'd hurt him, but right now I didn't fucking care. His voice was heavy with tempting tears, "I just wanted to know if you were telling the truth when you said you didn't love him anymore, and I definitely got my answer."

With that, Ricky slipped out of the room and slammed the door behind him. Damn it, how many times do I have to promise my heart to him? What, so, not wanting to watch Yuki turn into a monster and devour someone means I still love him? I'm not going to deny that I care for him deeply. That's why I was upset over what Ricky did, and I'm sure Yuki was crying for the same reason. How am I supposed to make him understand that love isn't so black and white? Years of abuse upon his mind and body have left him with warped ideas of commitment. I knew that much, but I never thought it'd lead him to do something like this.

—

a/n

lil bit of a filler but hey comment names for the foxes pls!

also what'd you want to see happen next?

also, also, thank you guys for being so active on the last chapter <3 i was worried a lot of people would fall off this story after i hadn't updated it in so long but you all continue to be amazing <3