Child of Fire

Coming to Terms

Saint woke up in slow increments. The first thing he noticed was that the bed smelled different but good. So good. He pressed his nose deeper into the pillow chasing that smell. The next thing he noticed was that he wasn't alone on the bed. Saint's eyes flew open and saw Zee sitting beside him, watching him silently.

"P'Zeeee...." he whined, grabbing the sheet and putting it over his head. "That's so creepy," Saint complained.

Zee grabbed the sheet and tugged it down, exposing Saint who was fighting back a smile. "Good morning."

"What happened?" Zee frowned as he reached out to touch Saint's neck, tracing the redness around it lightly.

"Ah...well, I had a disagreement with Janis's date," Saint said vaguely, lying still and allowing Zee's touch.

"You should have told me," Zee chided Saint. "I didn't see this last night. I'll get you some ointment." He stood up and went to his bathroom.

"P'Zee, I'm hungry!" Saint whined again.

"After," Zee walked back to Saint. "After I finish applying this, I'll feed you. Not before."

"So mean, P'Zee," Saint pretended to pout, trying to stall but Zee refused to give him the small jar of salve.

"You have to listen to me otherwise I will not feed you," Zee warned, looking tough but his touch was delicate as he applied the ointment on the redness surrounding Saint's neck. Saint swallowed as Zee's touch sparked an ember somewhere in his chest. "Now, where else do you hurt?" Zee asked after he was finished with Saint's neck. 

"Nowhere else!" Saint exclaimed, not sure how he would react if Zee touched him in other places.

"Saint... if you don't tell me, I will check for myself. Do you want me to strip you down?"

Saint's eyes widened at Zee's serious tone. He wondered briefly if he should call his bluff. In the end, Saint was a little afraid Zee would do what he said so he quickly, turned around to present his aching back.

"Good boy," Zee praised as lifted Saint's shirt. He tsked when he saw the bruises but aside from that he didn't make a sound when he rubbed the ointment on the discoloration on Saint's back.

With his back exposed, Saint felt shy. He's not used to other people see so much of him, especially someone like Zee who affected him so. Saint squeezed his eyes shut as he pressed his face into the pillow that smelled like sea and chocolate. When Zee touched a particularly painful spot by his ribs, Saint let out a quiet gasp.

"Sorry. Did I hurt you?" Zee asked as Saint turned and straightened his shirt. "Maybe we should go to the hospital?"

Saint smiled at Zee's worried tone, "I'm okay, P'Zee.  Really!  These will go away in a few days. Now you said you were going to feed me. I'm hungry, P'Zee. My stomach hurts."

"Okay, okay," Zee relented, helping Saint up by pulling his hands. "Freshen up and join me in the kitchen."

After Saint finished his morning routine in Zee's bathroom, he followed the sweet and chocolatey scent that tantalized his nose. As he passed by one of the doors on the second floor, he couldn't help but overhear Cass and Janis arguing. The door to Cass's room was left slightly ajar.

"You are not in some kind of drama, Jan! This is not fucking Meteor Garden where a guy can get away with sexual assault just because he happens to be hot as fuck!"

"I can't do it, Cass.  I can't tell my parents let alone the police about this."

"And so what? You're just going to let him get away? What if he does this to other girls? What if he does worse things to other girls? We have a chance to stop him, Jan!"