Driven by Suicide (Full) (Patreon)

The breeze was calming, freedom washing over from the horizon. The water was still, glistening against the moonlight. The streets were empty, barren; isolated. It would be calm. It would be peaceful. His death would be unknown for a couple of days, months, years. He would be undisturbed.

"Stop!" A voice once disturbed his thoughts. The boy on the bridge gave the interruption a side glance. What is this person doing at 5 am on a barren road? "Please don't. Just please... just don't."

Orion has so much in his mind and this person just made additions. He doesn't even know who I am. What argument does he have against my decision? Am I not worthy to manage my own life?

"You..." Orion's voice was so raspy that not even the water can fix it. "....how do you know if I'll jump or not?"

This stranger softened, his face showing a gentle nature when recovering from panic and concern. "What are you going to do, then?"

Orion didn't answer. He wants to step forward and the stranger couldn't even do anything about it, but the guy would just call 911 and have him rescued before he'd die. Besides, Orion wants to rot underwater.

Being silent for too long made the stranger hold on to the bridge's thick concretes before hopping over to sit on them.

"What are you doing," Orion stated more than a question, glaring at the man who sat one foot away from him.

"Oh, you must be new here," the stranger said. "Every time I pass by here on my daily jogs, I sit down until the sun rises."

Orion sighed. Daily jogger. Cross this place out of the list then. "What are you doing here? What's your name?" The stranger asks.

"If you ask 'what' one more time, I will snipe you."

"You're funny," the stranger said in reply, even though Orion's voice was serious and threatening. He doesn't know who he's dealing with. "I'd appreciate it if you don't. If I'd die, I'd like to die by my own hand."

That sentence caught Orion's attention, and he finally turned his head to face the stranger. He took a good look at him. Eyes with no sightings of sleepless nights, face with no visible flaw, a smile so bright it rivaled the upcoming sunrise, his aura so tame like that of a bunny's.

Orion hates bunnies.

"Why'd you want to kill yourself?" Orion muttered with a low voice. Normally, he blows people off and wouldn't spare them a syllable, but this stranger right here intrigued him to the point of darkness pausing to take in the light.

"I think it'd be a good way to go," he replied. "It'd be the one time I can do anything without following other people's expectations."

"Why not kill yourself now?"

The stranger snorted, full of humor. "I still have to take care of people, you know. I can't leave them."

"Why...?" Orion is now fully immersed in this boy's life story. How he came to believe in the same darkness Orion came with, appreciate it, but still lives on the lighter side of the spectrum. An angel that idolizes hell.

"I love them." The stranger faced Orion with optimism just as the sky turned purple and soon the first rays of light will peak out. "Don't you have people you love?"

I don't love anybody. He must be so popular to love and be loved. "I don't have anyone."

"What do you mean? Don't you have any family?"

Orion sighed. "I have a brother."

"Cool!"

"Half-brother. He only feeds me and he has another person he cares more than me," Orion added. Deep in a corner of his mind, he is asking himself, why am I opening up to this person? Why am I talking to him?

"Oh. That must... uhm, sorry then. I don't know what to say."

I can just kill this stranger. Orion thought, the hand in his hoodie clutching the trigger of a small revolver.

"You know if you don't have friends... I can be yours." The stranger smiled warmly, the kind of smile that would make any girl fall for him. Orion's not a girl. The sun starts to peak at the horizon. The stranger hopped off the concrete and stood on the side of the bridge, still looking up at Orion.

"I don't want friends. Especially not you." Orion squinted at the stranger with such hostility that even his voice reflected it.

"Ouch, right in the heart."

"Look kid—"

"I'm twenty."

"Did I ask?" Interrupting me... Even though Orion himself was younger than the stranger. He then hopped down and faced the stranger head-on. "You probably are used to people kissing your díck with your cute smile, but I'm not buying it."

The stranger should be intimidated at how tall Orion is. Probably over 6 feet, since he has a terrible slouch. Looking closer, the unkempt curly bangs his dark circles and scent of death. He smelled good, but looked straight out of a Tim Burton movie.

But instead, the stranger smiled so beautifully as his eyes lit up, the sun highlighting a beautiful golden glow on the side of his face. "You think I have a cute smile?"

Orion's fingers no longer had strength on the revolver's trigger.

Every day,

Orion and the stranger seem to meet. Every day, Orion's suicide was slowly being pushed aside temporarily for this stranger. Every dawn, they meet. Every moment, Orion feels just as strange as the stranger himself.

They didn't even know each other's names. None of them has gone through with mentioning their birth labels.

"I once had a pet fish that I liked so much, I wanted it to live in the purest water ever. So I replaced its water with mineral water and... it died." The stranger laughed hysterically even though the best Orion could do was a forced upward tug on the corner of his lips.

"That's what happens when you put something where it doesn't belong." He replied.

"Y-yeah, I relate..." Still smiling at the memory, the stranger faced the beautiful sunrise. Because of the way the gold lights up his face, Orion even came to appreciate the morning.

In all Orion fashion, he added, "In that case, no wonder the Jews died."

The stranger gasped so hard and he playfully hit his shoulder. "You can't say that!"

"So? Nobody's around..." Orion shrugged.

"You still can't say that!"

"It's the truth, isn't it?"

The silenced the boy for a few moments, staring at Orion's face which is void of remorse for anything. "You're pretty terrible," he says, without a degrading tone. More like a humorous tease.

"I know I am." You should see me in my spare time. "So why have you been seeing me for a week? Don't I... scare you?"

"Yeah, your voice is scary... no offense, and your face looks dead. I can even see your dead feelings from it. But... you have pretty strong viewpoints. It keeps me interested. You may go too far, but I can say that you're the type of person that doesn't mind when I go too far."

"How far do you go?" Orion asked rhetorically.

"Hmm... how far do I go...?" Twisting his lips to the side, all of a sudden, he stood on his toes and planted a playful kiss on Orion's cheek. "Yeah, you'd probably kill me."

Orion can't even move after that. Goosebumps crawled on his face, and unbeknownst to him, it caused his cheeks to burn a slight pink. He didn't speak, he didn't move an inch. Up until the sun was a quarter up the horizon, he hears the stranger speak again.

"I have college today so I should probably go. Don't... don't jump, okay?" The stranger said before bidding goodbye to the unresponsive Orion. Of course, he had to end with the reminder he says every day.

It took a minute of being alone before Orion finally came to his senses.

"What the... what the actual horsefúcker shít?" He slammed his fist on the concrete, the kiss from earlier running in his mind. His hands were stinging and they were probably scratched, but Orion couldn't feel it. What he could feel is the annoying thumping of his heart and the image of the stranger's smile appearing very often in his mind.

Cursing in his native language of German, he continued his outrage. "Poisoned me with such a [fúcking] thing! Horrible! I've never felt so horrible in my life ever! If I'm going to die from my heart exploding, I won't be thanking that little shi---"

A Terrier dog invaded his vision as it scurried in front of him, stopping by when he got a scent of the cookies Orion left in his pocket, given by the stranger.

Mere moments later, Orion's hands were bloody and he was unapologetically crying with animal entrails strung down from his hands to the concrete. The open-eyed head of the dog floats on the river as it was carried out by the stream, its body crushed and staining his boots.

"If you knew who I really am... would you even want to see me again?"

◇♔◇

The stranger never came on the bridge ever since that day. Orion grew even more terrible and hot-headed, yet he still visited the bridge. It went on for a month. He now had visited for two months.

Until this very last day, Orion is on top of the bridge's concrete railings again, in his hand a revolver.

I can't stop thinking about him, he thought. He tries to end his life as if nothing had ever happened. Yet when he has the gun on his temple and his fingers on its trigger;

don't jump, okay?

Don't jump.

I'll be your friend.

I'll be there.

Don't jump.

Don't jump... the stranger said those words every time he leaves Orion alone. It doesn't count if Orion dies by gunshot, right?

Orion's hands trembled, his mind racing. His heart pounding, not of fear of death, but his memories of the stranger.

When his tears start streaming down, he has never been so furious to feel such emotions. He has never cried before. When his mother told him she wants him dead; he didn't cry. When his grandparents constantly beat him for being illegitimate; he didn't cry. Being locked up in the basement every holiday so relatives wouldn't have to see a disgrace like him; he didn't move a facial muscle.

Nothing stings him more than the thought of never seeing that heavenly smile again. Finally letting go, he threw the revolver into the river.

days later,

Orion sat on the terrace with the usual dark stare, now directed towards his sketch pad as his hand moves in harsh art.

"Want fries?" His brother's boyfriend/booty call Jace Ford offered a bowl of homemade fries to him. Yet, Orion ignored him. "You're not much of a talker, are you?"

In confirmation, silence answered.

Jace shrugged. "Oh well. Can you show me whatcha drawing?"

Orion snapped his icy blue-gray eyes at the annoyance for a long moment before going back to his pad. Almost as if telling Jace to shut up. He continued to sketch heavily with a charcoal pencil.

"You guys are no fun," Jace pouted. "What school do you go to? Are there hot girls?"

Ignored by Orion once again, the sly boy smirked. "Just like your brother, eh-"

"He's toying with your brain," Orion deadpanned in an attempt to break Jace and his brother up. Orion's brother himself is just as malevolent as him, but the guy has some humanity to at least put on a mask. This is what boyfriend/booty call Jace isn't aware of.

"That's ridiculous, what do you mean?"

Orion stared at him. Jace waited for an answer, even though he has no plans of believing. In Orion's eyes, this man is stupid for even breathing the same air as his brother. Victor, a 19-year-old brother of Orion, is a hidden psychopath waiting to keep Jace inside his cage.

"You're stupid," Orion mutters.

"Excuse me? Psh, I have an IQ of 120, what do you get?" He received no answer and Jace was getting irritated. Though it was true that the guy has above-average intellect, Orion still sees him as the imbecile he is. "Orion, talk to me decently. Just this once. You're confusing me."

"I hear everything," Orion muttered incoherently, his voice raspier than someone who hasn't drunk water in three mornings. His hand-sketched the thick paper quite mercilessly. "He's caught you. You're too fúcking stupid and that's why he caught your oblivious shítass."

Jace never felt so confused at this young man who puts shame over the 'edgy rebellious teen' genre that the boy might be a pioneer at. "Orion what—"

Orion scoffed, "That àsshole's good."

"Orion, you're too young to understand that my àsshole is the best. Ask your bro," Jace joked, laughing.

"Keep saying that until your stupid áss realizes shít," Orion spat, his stare burning holes in Jace's soul. Which was empty and just full of his ego. Orion was holding his pencil as if to stab somebody, curling the thing with all five fingers as it harshly scraped over the thick drawing pad.

Jace braced himself to stand up to question Orion more but the door opened up and here comes footprints of Victor Strauss. He is still standing tall, taller than the slouching Orion, making 'nerdy' hot with his slicked-back hair and black-rimmed glasses. Not to mention the face of a professional businessman with a blank face. In Orion's mind, a psychopath.

"Rye," he said, acknowledging his brother. He then bent over to give Jace a kiss on the side of his neck. Jace was too dazed at Orion to respond. "Would you please eat your breakfast?"

"Only if everyone else is fúcking starving," Orion growled in an inhumane voice. He stared at the finished drawing. It was beautiful and realistic, but it didn't catch the same effect ad the real thing.

He drew the stranger. His eyes gleamed with the morning sunlight on the side of his face, lightening up the smile that Orion memorized by infatuation. No matter how realistic the shading and dimensions were, it didn't do anything as the real smile did.

"Rye, watch your attitude," Victor scolded.

Pissed at his failed attempt to recreate his obsession, Orion spat in gritted teeth, "This is motherbítching shít," before stomping off to his room, threatening murder with his aura.

He wants to see that smile again. But he knows that he probably won't. He only has the memories now. He has the smile, but not even the name.

The moment Orion closed the door and secured all six locks, he ripped the sketch off his pad and threw it onto the floor. It landed on the many other drawings of the stranger and the bridge. The beautiful but failed attempts of recreating real-life were swatched with red paint.

Orion hates them all.

Even so, he took another charcoal pencil and scratched another clean sheet of heavy paper with it.

five years later

MÜNSTER, GERMANY

Orion had loaded his 'equipment' in the trunk, dumping it alongside a body bag. When he approached the driver's seat, he saw himself in the mirror.

For the first time ever, actually. Gone was the acne of his adolescence. Though, he still has heavy and dark eyebags that shadowed his ebony eyes. His curls sat atop a clean undercut and he left the bangs to cover his eyes most of the time. With an aura of death looming over him, no one would be bothered to take a second look. Besides, the 19-year-old Orion looks more like a boogeyman with his tall, slouched stature and angry, piercing eyes.

Once he got inside the car, he pressed a button to activate the modified fake trunk interior to hide his guns and his victim. An expected call then rang from his phone that he rarely uses.

He answered it, holding it to his ear but never bothered to talk. It was his older brother, Victor Strauss. Now the Master of the Schliemann Mafia.

"Rye, it's December. The rainfall's going to be 77mm. Be careful and get here quickly."

"If rain is going to kill me, it will be my pleasure." His voice, raspier and deeper, is more than scary enough to make a baby cry.

"Let it kill you after you successfully hide the body..."

Victor ended the call, and Orion threw the phone into the back seat. He then proceeded to burn the body in a nearby hay farm to avoid the rain spoiling it.

night time

Victor was right, as the road ahead now has zero visibility from the thick December rain. Yet Orion had no problem navigating on his way home. This area of Münster is full of farms and forestry, so the least that could happen is the car skidding and hitting a tree. Won't be enough for instant death, Orion thought.

Suddenly, a small squirrel hopped onto the front window of the car and Orion was so startled, he hit the brakes. "Motherfúcking rodent, Satan will roast your bítchy ass to a bloody barbeque!"

He stayed there in the middle of the road for a moment, dwelling on his anger. He wishes he could just die of hypothermia, but that would be a slow death and Orion would have to wait. He does not have patience.

He held his head in his hands, frustrated on how much he hated this life. Being the brother of a German Mafia Boss is not all luxury and minions. He hates this life. He hates everything.

Victor Strauss has given his brother a job as the one who 'eliminates' people who try to run away from their debts or are plotting against the Boss. It was actually a good move because Orion now has an outlet for his anger. It would come to a point where he would beat the head to a pulp, or pull out the teeth one by one and force the victims to swallow it all at once.

Orion Strauss is a force to be reckoned with. Though he did find a home in Victor's shadow, he is jealous that his older brother now has something to live for. His now-husband, Jace Ford-Strauss. Orion has nothing.

Nothing but a problem that is, when something other than a squirrel fell on the front of a car. Orion's eyes grew confused and shocked.

It was a man, unrecognizable with his hair covered with leaves, his face covered in dirt, his mouth and nose dripping in blood. The boy's eyes were wide and frantic, begging for help. He had a gunshot wound in his collarbone judging from the stain on the dirty white hoodie.

The window being tinted, the lost boy couldn't see Orion. He would've let him pass out and he'd leave, but those eyes... those eyes.

Orion knows those eyes. Undirtied, illuminated by the car's headlights, he knows those eyes. He's seen them before. Those eyes were the wallpaper in his room from all the sketches he posted up.

Could he be the stranger from the bridge?

"You," Orion whispered, before hopping out of the vehicle and into the stinging, heavy rain. "Hey! What are you doing he--"

Recognizing that he probably is American, Orion stopped and just hauled him into the back seat where he lay down. He then climbed back into the driver's seat and faced the lost boy, still uncertain if this was the same stranger from five years ago.

STRAUSS MANOR

Orion pulled over with trembling fingers. No ounce of fear controlled his limbs, for it was all confusion and excitement. If this was the stranger from the bridge, he has a lot of questions.

What is he doing here? How did he get here? How did he get hurt? More importantly, Am I gonna let him go if he's better?

Orion took him to his own room because Victor does not allow anyone to stay in the house. His room has a lot of locks and not even flies are tempted to go inside it.

After Orion brought him to the bathtub, he turned on the water and just watched as it filled up. He was so used to taking care of dead bodies, he doesn't know how to take care of live ones.

Except for this thing. "Ruff! Ruff, ruff ruff!"

A small Shitzu Terrier woke up from her beauty sleep and hopped over to the bathroom where she happily nibbled on Orion's pants as a greeting. "You little shit, stop that, or I will grind you into a hot dog!"

The dog whimpered and spun around, a clear signal to remind Orion of his terrible decision to raise a dog. He's got to feed the thing. Sighing, he glanced at the bloody stranger before turning away to feed the other living thing. The girl does live inside Orion's bedroom. She has a little doggy bunker underneath his bed. He pulled out the metal bowl and filled it with cooked steak slices he stole from the kitchen. Orion's mind then wandered off to the man in his bathroom.

"Oi Stranger," he whispered, and the dog looked at him at the call of her name. "Is it weak to feel weak for a weak person?"

Just when Orion's imagination concluded that Stranger would answer him, the dog just sneezed and continued eating. "Okay then, keep your secrets."

Orion got up and went back to the bathroom, turning the faucet off. Has he really fallen desperately in love that he took home a bloody half-dead man that may just look like that angel from the bridge? Prior to that, he adopted a dog and named it Stranger, right after killing another dog of the same breed. What, is Orion going nuts or is he already insane? Why is he so obsessed with that man?

After calming himself and wiping the boy's face clean, his lips separated and his eyes stung for tears. "Shítnuts..."

It was undeniable now. Without the blood and dirt, it was the same face that comforted him, smiled at him, laughed at him five years ago. Now his lips and nose are cut, as well as his face scraped, no longer flawless.

Orion's grip on the towel tightened. "Who did this to you?"

Throwing the towel harshly in his anger, he sat down beside the bathtub and held his head in his hands. He is frustrated; how could anyone do this to such an angel? How could he not have protected him? Or is he actually happy he ended up here with him?

Moments after calming down, he decided to just take care of the boy. All while scowling and grumbling, Orion undressed him in the bathtub to nothing. Of course, with no malice. Since Orion didn't go through sexual phases even in puberty, he doesn't have any malicious intent.

After cleaning him and washing his wounds with soap, Orion counted 4 damages on such precious and soft skin. He dressed him up in his oversized back shirt and one of the boxers Victor gave him but didn't bother to wear because it was white.

Orion was creepily staring at the sleeping boy for too long. He cursed and instead diverted his eyes to his room. Such embarrassment! It was full of sketches of the stranger! Even Stranger herself tilted her head at Orion in curiosity, before he rolled his eyes at her.

"I know everything I do is sucking a giant's balls, Stranger. No judging, you little shit." Deciding that his guest shouldn't wake up with his face on the walls, Orion proceeded to give the room a makeover in just four hours.

the next three days

The unnamed young man woke up aching for the first time in three days. He felt painful friction from the soft sheets on his arms and legs. Or maybe, it was gauze that caused it. Either way, it stung. However, it faded. And although his limbs are numbed and he almost forgot how to control them, they were fine at least.

He opened his eyes when he could no longer feel the pain of physical consciousness. What replaced it was confusion.

A lot, lot, whole lot of confusion.

His mind was blank, as do what everyone has after a long satisfying nap. But this was a different kind of blank. How did he end up here?

The first thing he saw when his eyes focused was space. Or rather, a painting of the galaxy along with stars, nebula, distant clouds... He feels strange as if floating in space as the sight he saw was celestial.

But he wasn't in space. He looked around and concluded that the place is a bedroom. A very pretty bedroom; with lava lamps, books, telescopes, maps, and such.

Best of all, fairy lights hung above the headboard as if mimicking a mini canopy. It emphasized the stars in the ceiling. It filled his heart with wonder and delight.

Beautiful, he thought, pushing the pure white covers to his waist and sitting up, not noticing his bandaged wounds. The walls of the room were a very dark gray, yet the plain wall was anything but boring. Fairy lights line up the corners and the lava lamps added a magical glow to the room.

He was too busy marveling at the magical place he was in. It feels so mysterious and enchanted, he couldn't keep his eyes off everything. Until someone entered the door with a basin. Upon seeing the awakened boy, Orion widened his eyes and almost dropped the basin.

"Ah-" shocked, the unknown boy pushed himself farther into the headboard until he hit his head on the white mahogany.

"Wait, don't be scared! It's okay!" Orion remembered he can't understand German, so he gathered his best English pronunciations that he hasn't done in years. "It is... good! No bad here!"

Orion scares him, to be honest. Even though his handsomeness is hidden behind those curly bangs and thick hoodies, Orion is still scarier than the Babadook especially to a strange who...

...who doesn't know anything about himself. "What happened!" The stranger exclaimed. "Where am I?!"

Hearing that voice warmed Orion's cold, metal heart. His scared, panicked face was even more beautiful accompanied by the hair stuck around it, but Orion wanted to see that smile. The smile illuminates anything.

"I... I 'don know what happened to you." English left a sour taste in Orion's mouth after not saying a word of it for five full years. He set the basin on a desk before going over to the tense stranger's bed. "I 'don even know your name. You remember me? I'm... I am the person on the bridge."

Orion has never in his whole life spoken this soft before. Not even to his pet, and that says something because Orion loves Stranger despite his verbal insults. Saying something so gentle is so new to him.

"Name? B-bridge?" The stranger's eyes cast downward and focused on something indefinite. His hand then visibly trembled on his chest. "I don't remember... anything at all. Oh my god... I can't recall anything... my mind is blank... what happened?!"

Orion saw that he was beginning to hyperventilate. Soon enough, tears streamed from the stranger's face.

"Oh no!" Crying hysterically, the stranger faced Orion with wide, glistening eyes. He held his head in his hands. "I can't remember! I don't remember! What's happening! I can't think of anything!"

"Shh, shh!" Orion dove to encase the boy's jaw with his hands, sharing the warmth of it to his cold, tear-soaked cheeks. Even in panic, he is still beautiful. "It is good—no, it is okay! You are okay, I am here for you."

In attempt to calm him down, Orion placed their foreheads together and he was able to focus on that beautiful eyes of his. "I will never leave you. You 'don remember? I will help you. I am here, good? I mean... okay?"

The stranger nodded stiffly, and Orion's thumbs cleaned his cheeks from tears that continued to flow.

"I'm scared," he whispered. Their close proximity and that intimate voice made Orion's heart jump, as well as something that felt totally out of place.

He rocks the panicking boy back and forth as he sobs uncontrollably from his lack of memory. Orion himself felt calmer, as he has never been satisfied with embracing the lost subject of his affection. He is finally hugging him; he feels so soft.

Soon after, the breathing calmed down and all was silent. Up until five minutes of idle silence did the stranger break the ice.

"W-will you tell me your name?" He looked up, finding Orion's face intimately close that they can focus on each other's eyes. Orion swallowed and pulled away slightly, avoiding his gaze.

"Uhm... Or... Orion." Should I be telling him my real name? Excited to finally know the stranger's name, he stammered out, "What about yours?"

He replied with silence and concentration on nothingness.

"I mean... I'm sorry, you must not remember it, too..." Orion blushed a dark red. Stop being like this!

"Can you give me a name?" Such soft but wavering voice made Orion look at him in vivid adoration. Such damaged beauty...

"You want me to give you...name? Is that good?" Orion asks.

His confusion and funny way of speaking English made the stranger smile amidst the situation. "I guess I don't have a choice...? I'd really uhm... owe it to you."

Orion swears his cold, dark heart just lit up and it is exorcising the misery out of him. The image alone gave him goosebumps, the same sensation he feels when he 'eliminates' someone.

"Your name... Läch."

"Lach?" He tilts his head.

"Yeah. Lächlen."

"What does it mean?" He asks, a tug of a smile on the corner of his lips.

"It's like..." Orion held his hands out to try to describe it in English. "The thing that makes you special... to me, I think? That will be your name until you remember."

"Lächlen, huh..." The boy cast his eyes downwards and accepted his temporary name. "I love it."

And I love you, Orion thought. Though the situation is still sticky for Lächlen, he found comfort in Orion's presence and his ability to cheer him up just by trying to speak English.

"You should rest. We try finding home later, okay? I will bring you food," says Orion, heading towards the door.

"W-wait, you're leaving? Don't leave!" Lächlen sat there with panic back on his face, eyes wide and glossy making it too irresistible for Orion to take his eyes off him. He is too seductive just by breathing.

Leave you? Over everyone's dead bodies. "I will be back, Lächlen."

hours later,

Orion entered the household carrying a bag full of groceries. He doesn't know what food Lächlen would like, whether he is vegetarian or not; he can't remember otherwise. Why can't he remember? What happened to him? Fúck, what happened to him?

Peeking in his bedroom door, he sees the peaceful slumber of Lächlen, tightly hugging a pillow. Stranger was sleeping on his feet and the dog even let his leg lean over him. So fúcking adorable, even in sleep he has a smile on. Do such a creature even exist?

An hour later, he finally made marinated chicken strips and some hot cocoa, paired with slices of fruit and bananas. Oh my god, I literally just cooked for someone. His heart tingled; a disgusting feeling. But hell, anything for Lächlen.

When Orion entered the room, Stranger perked up because of the smell of food. "Fúck off, it's not for you."

"Orion?" Lächlen sat up with a lazy stretch, his eyes tired and somewhat pink from the nap.

"Uhh... hi. I cook food." Orion says, deciding that he should really start re-learning English.

"It smells so good!" It's amazing how Lächlen feels comfortable around Orion this fast. Maybe it's because of the fact that the boy has done nothing but be kind to him.

They had a good time; Lächlen is insecure that Orion is just watching him eat, but is happy nonetheless that he won't be eating alone. Not in an unfamiliar place.

"How old are you, Orion?" Lächlen asks as he finishes off the hot cocoa in his hands.

"19." Orion cursed in his mind. He doesn't know the English for 19. When Lächlen twisted his face on his answer, Orion instead held up ten fingers, then flipped his hands to shift to nine.

"Ohh, 19! You're pretty young. I wonder how old I am..."

Orion's memory flashed in his mind. "Look kid," "I'm twenty." "Did I ask?"

"I remember you say to me back in the bridge," Orion says. Lächlen lit up, grateful that Orion is able to tell him something. "20 years old... so you are 25 now."

Lächlen laughed, "I can't be that old... or maybe I am."

He doesn't look old at all, in fact, Orion sees no physical change in him. Same smile, now brighter with him being in the bedroom. Orion can keep him, right? What am I thinking... if he remembers, he has to leave.

I don't want him to leave.

Suddenly, other residents of the household arrived. The two boys in Orion's bedroom didn't notice when four boys entered the front door.

"Oriooooon, we're home!"

"Do I smell chicken?"

"That's just my fart."

"Ahh, I'm hungry! Where's Orion?"

"Prob in his room."

The bedroom door opened, and Orion froze in place while spoonfeeding a laughing Lächlen. The man in the doorway stood there wide eyes as he stared at the unfamiliar man in the room.

"Horseshít," Orion cursed, angered at how the new presence made Lächlen freeze in fear. He did not like that look on his Lächlen's face. "Get out, Nacht."

"Who is that?"

"Keep my díck out of your mouth," Orion growled. It benefits him that Lächlen cannot understand German. "Stay here, okay Läch?"

The boy nodded stiffly, visibly scared at the guy in the doorway. Orion pushed the intruder out of his room and closed the door.

"What the—what's a live person doing here, Orion? Who is that guy?" Asks the raven-haired guy with a whole lot of piercings.

"Nobody!" He's everything for me. "Keep your STD ass out of my room!"

The others heard them arguing, and so the four others ran up the stairs to see what's wrong.

"Hmmn...what...?" asks an airheaded blonde who consistently wore headphones and cat ears, munching on a lollipop that caused him to drool but he doesn't seem to mind.

"He brought a living person here," the raven answered, not taking his eyes off Orion for a second.

"A person?!" Two identical men jumped in delight and pushed Orion aside to invade his bedroom.

"What the fúck—no! You little chickenshíts," Orion tried pulling them back, but it just caused them to crash through the doorway, the three of them now on the floor.

The rest peaked in Orion's bedroom, seeing a very fearful shaking boy wearing boxers and an unbuttoned dress shirt sitting up on the bed, clutching the covers. He was clearly confused and shaken.

"Whoa...!" The blonde airhead hopped inside the room and stared at Orion's cleaned, tidy and non-bloody room. "Orion... Clean! Clean-clean!"

"Trancy! Get the fúck out—" Orion pushed himself up but the twins only pulled him back down and crawled to where Lächlen is.

"Are you English?"

"Are you a woman?"

"You are pretty."

"Is Orion big enough?"

As the twin boys bombarded him with questions, Orion grabbed their heads and smashed them together, pulling them off of his precious Lächlen. He then used his body as a barrier to hide him from everyone. "Fúck off, he's mine!"

"Orion," the black-haired man from earlier glared at him. "What is the meaning of this?"

He can feel Lächlen clutching his shirt tightly. Orion is so furious they got disturbed by the 4 most annoying people. How dare they make Lächlen uncomfortable? Even Stranger is whimpering in Lach's arms for some reason.

"We will talk. I will explain everything." Orion says, still hiding his guest behind him. The four people stared at him and Lächlen.

An explanation later, Orion stayed beside Lächlen and Stranger on the bed as all of them got seated. The twins kept giving each other glances; the airheaded blonde had his tongue out and thinks everything is just funny; and Nacht, the black-haired mature guy, rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration.

"You found him in the streets all bloody," Nacht muttered, "And you didn't think that someone may be after him? What if people attack us because that is here?"

"His name is Lächlen, you loose ässhole." Orion sneered, to which the other blonde male rolled on the floor laughing.

"Loose...! Loose...!" The guy almost choked on his own saliva.

The twins snorted as Nacht rolled his eyes. "Fine. He will stay. We can't stop you, this is your house. Does your brother know?"

Orion's eyes cast down on the floor, his hand tightening around Lächlen's.

"He doesn't?" Nacht stared at Orion in disbelief. "Orion, he's our boss!"

"If you tell Victor, I will personally murder all of you and bury you with Hitler's poop."

Suddenly the twins stood up, "Well then!"

It made Lächlen jump, and Orion held out an arm in front of him to somewhat protect him from the twins.

"You can call us Karn. We are 27 years old." They said in unison. "No need to call one of us/We are one."

Lächlen stared at them. They don't seem to have a German accent, nor do they look like a native. They are definitely identical, even down to the clothing. If only they'd have separate names, it's easier to distinguish them from each other. They have naturally brown hair and fair but not pale skin. Similarly tall, but definitely inches shorter than Orion. Both have the same looks but different aura. The one on the left seemed brighter, while the one on the right seemed cooler.

Orion only felt even more on guard when Nacht stood up and offered his hand to Lächlen. "My name is Nacht, 29 years old. I am in charge here when Orion's brother is not around."

Nacht is a handsome fellow for someone approaching 30. With his leather jacket, he looks more like a 1990's teen complete with black hair in a messy quiff and dark eyes. They held a sense of maturity and coldness in them.

Brother? He has a brother? Lächlen swallowed his nerves and accepted the hand, much to Orion's annoyance. He was about to lower his guard when Nacht suddenly bent over and placed a kiss on Lächlen's knuckles, causing Orion to snatch him away. "Nacht, I swear—!"

"I was just being a gentleman. Don't Americans do that?"

"Lachlen's not a lady."

The twins spoke up, "He's too pretty to be a guy."

Orion only hugged Lächlen tighter. "Fúck off!"

Nacht only sighed. Orion is still a child, after all. Why has he gotten this possessive over someone he found on the streets and thought to be his friend from 5 years ago?

"That there," he pointed to the blonde who acts more like a 5-year-old with his tongue out showing a metal ball piercing. He acts either like a real toddler or is drunk. "That there is Trancy. He barely speaks, and it's no use trying to understand what he says. He just got a piercing so he's going to be drooling a lot."

Lächlen stared at the blonde, and the handsome guy just threw his head back and showed off his new piercing. "Errblehhh!"

So... Karns, Nacht, and Trancy... they must be good friends with Orion, Lächlen grew sad at the thought of friends. Has he ever had friends? Or family? Are they looking for him now? Noticing Läch's discouragement, Orion wrapped a gentle but cold hand against his.

"Orion, we need to talk about—"

"Go talk to your díck," pulling Lächlen with him, he stormed out of his bedroom and ran down the hallway.

"Orion?! What—"

"Oh no, rape! Rape!" The Karns shouted in mock panic from the doorway. In complete and utter annoyance, Nacht tried to run after them but eventually lost to Orion's agility.

"That kid. He never listens to authority. " He only sighed as Trancy wrapped a lazy arm around his shoulders as if telling him to give up and let Orion be. "What are we going to tell Victor?"

"Tell Victor? / No telling Victor!" Each of the twins said while one of them carries Stranger in their arms. "Lächlen is cute!"

"Cute!" Trancy repeats as he blows on his closed lips making them vibrate in mockery. Nacht feels defeated; since he is surrounded by children.

after a run,

Orion has resorted to carrying Lächlen in his arms halfway to their escape. As thin as he may look like, Orion is pretty strong. Somehow, they ended up in the backyard. The Münster December rain skipped this day, but Orion still has to cover Lächlen up with a thick fur coat.

When he put the boy down on the terrace overlooking the Garden, he buttoned up the dress shirt and made sure his skin was covered. It was then Lächlen lost his confusion and it turned into wonder at the sight of the environment. He can't believe he was inside a mansion the whole time!

"Do not break your neck," Orion says as he watches Läch turn his head in amazement while looking at everything.

The mansion looked like it came from a fairytale. It has traditional German woodwork from the second floor to the fourth. The first floor was red washed-out bricks. It was of no doubt he was in Germany. Why am I familiar with this kind of architecture?

"Th-this place is amazing!"

Orion resisted a smile as he feels so happy seeing Lächlen lighting up. For the sake of saying something, Orion suddenly blurted out, "I made plants."

"What?" Lächlen flashed that smile at him.

Shít, "Uhh... the plants. I make them."

Orion makes him laugh from how awkward he is. That gets rid of his nerves for some reason. "You mean you grew the plants? That's awesome. You have a dog, then you have plants? You're a really nice guy."

Orion's cheeks heated up in fluster when Lächlen looked up to him. "I-I am not! I uhm..."

"I can spot a good guy when I see one." He says. "So far, all you've done was take care of me even when I don't remember anything."

Am I a good guy, Lächlen? How can somebody call someone good without seeing the bad things they've done?

"The others... they seem nice. Really strange, though..." Says Lächlen.

"I do not like them when they go to you," Orion grumbled, his eyebrows narrowed.

"It's okay if they talk to me," Läch giggled. They're nice people. I like the twins."

"The twins, no... no, no... they are pervert."

"They are what now?"

Shit, Orion cursed. What's the English? "Uhm... they like to kiss and touch even other men. Disgusting."

Despite the clear homophobic comment, or general anti-pervert, Lächlen laughs at his attempt to explain the twins' antics. "But you're friends with them?"

Orion's face soured. Friends? They're not my friends. I'd bury them if I have someone else to pin the blame to.

"I wonder where my own friends are," Lächlen mumbled, staring out to the evergreens and hedges of the Strauss garden. "Or family. By the way, you never told me you had a brother."

I never plan on telling you about my brother. "I forgot. Haha..." That fake laugh is painful. "But he is not good person. I am... not good person too."

"Orion, stop saying that," Lächlen offered him a small smile that's enough to increase the boy's heart rate. "If you weren't a good person, I'd be dead now. You are a great guy. I wonder if I've been a good guy before I lost my memory."

"But you are angel," Orion mumbled under his breath, but Läch hears him nonetheless.

"Me? An angel?" He chuckles. "I would've become one if you left me back there."

Orion has flashbacks of him waiting alone on the bridge. But you did. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, only focusing on this precious time with Lächlen. With the others around, he wouldn't have any time with him. Orion says, "I will not leave you. No leaving."

Lächlen looks away and out to the garden, the sunlight making his skin glow. If only it was the morning sunrise lighting him up. "What would've happened if you didn't find me? Would I have been alive?"

I wouldn't be alive without you, Orion thought, his eyes stuck to Lächlen's pale hands. A world where I didn't find you is a world where Satan killed God.

But Läch continued saying, "What does dying feel like?"

That question pierced Orion right in the heart. Memories of that bridge and their heartfelt confession stung his eyes. Not to mention he cried for the first time there. His hands twitched.

Why didn't you come back? Orion's tears threatened to spill, remembering the times he's suffered because of simply missing Lächlen. Those hundreds of drawings, those millions of dreams... those tears only for him. Why did you leave?

"You never came back," Orion mutters in German, his thought getting filtered down to his speech.

"What, Orion?" The optimistic Lächlen held a gentle aura that was quite confused because of Orion's strange behavior. The boy's hands were gripping the cement in front of them and they were trembling.

"You left me back there," he said, his hair covering his eyes and darkness looming over him. Lächlen notices that he is visibly upset.

"Orion, what's wrong...?" He reaches his hand out, just as Orion's back started to convulse from sobbing.

"Did you want me to die?" Orion cried while his curly bangs covered his eyes, but tears started streaming down his cheeks.

"H-hey..." Lächlen pushed his warm hands up Orion's cheeks as he wipes those cold tears.

Suddenly he jumped when Orion grabbed his wrist and used an incredible amount of strength for his grip.

"AH—!" Läch's hands started to feel numb as Orion's hold was terribly tight. "Orio—"

"Why you did not come back?!" Orion looked up to reveal his pained eyes, red and moist from the rare tears that haven't come out since five years ago. "Why you went and left?!"

"Orion!"

"I waited! I waited to die! I waited for you so I won't die!" Orion went hysterical as he pulled Lächlen close to him, the fur coat slipping from the boy's shoulders and exposing him to the cold sunlight. Their close distance wasn't intimate, it was threatening.

"Orion please, you're hurting me!" Lächlen's knees bent to lower him down while attempting to pull his wrist away, but it only made Orion's grip tighter.

He can definitely see in Orion's eyes that he isn't the same as before. This wasn't the person he was comfortable with back then. "Let go...! Please, PLEASE I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Orion snapped out of it. As if a switch was flipped, his hands opened to release a pained Lächlen. Upon letting him go, the boy collapsed to the ground shaking, clutching his bruising wrist. But no, it was more than red and bruising... it was broken.

Lächlen's cries echoed throughout the place, haunting Orion. What have I done?

Lächlen is sniffing, groaning, and continuously crying all because of his horrible actions.

"Lächlen..." Orion bent over to touch him, but the boy visibly flinched at the contact and pushed himself away. That face... the face of fear, hurt, and trauma... Orion never wanted to see that face on him.

"Lächlen, I am sorry... I did not... want to do it..." Orion reached out, but Läch only clamps his eyes shut in utter fear. The taller male can once more feel the warmth of his tears. He doesn't want me to touch him anymore.

"Läch, please... you are hurt, let me fix it! No hurting, I promise!" Orion can feel his heart sink at the sight of Lächlen's darkening bruise. "Please..."

Do you still think I'm a good person, Lächlen?

hours later,

Orion was sitting in the hallway in front of his bedroom door. He held his head in his hands as the events from earlier kept repeating in his head, flashing pain over him. I just hurt him. I hurt my precious Läch.

He could not get over the way Lächlen looked at him; it was as if he's a monster. He probably is. No... He knows he is. I kill people for a living.

Nacht finally opened the door to his bedroom and made his exit. Orion stood up from the hallway floor. "Lächlen's asleep. I gave him an arm cast. I also disinfected his minor injuries."

Orion stood up, taking a glance through the door where an angel peacefully rests. He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he endangers that angel again.

"Rye," Nacht placed an arm on his shoulder, scowling. "I know you're better than this. You've taken care of your dog without hurting it. Surely you can take care of the boy without killing him."

Orion grimaced, shaking Nacht's hand away. "I'd kill myself before I do that."

Somehow, Nacht feels sincerity in those hollow words. He entered his own bedroom and closed the door gently behind him. Stranger the dog was on her doggy bed and she titled her head in Orion's presence, to which he just sneered at her. But she is used to him being mean so she just laid on her back and slept.

Taking care of a dog isn't the same as taking care of a person, Orion thought as he sat down on the edge of the bed, staring at Lächlen.

"How can... " he muttered, "...someone be so beautiful?"

He truly feels guilty for what happened back there. Seeing him in bandages and an arm cast physically hurts Orion in the chest. Orion has never felt that way before. Guilt. Remorse. Self-hatred was common to him, but it's the first time he hated himself for hurting another human being. Somehow, his hand found its way to Lächlen's collarbone, since it's exposed from the unbuttoned dress shirt.

Smooth... His fingers felt the sharp bone covered by flawless skin. Then they rose to Läch's neck, finding his skin soft and... "Irresistible." Ever so gently, Orion held his jaw by a feather-soft touch and bent over to kiss his neck. Orion's lips landed upon the soft skin and he swears he felt vibrations of Läch's slight moan.

Orion smells his own scent from the soap and shampoo he used to bathe the male. But he also took a whiff of Läch's own, yet he cannot describe it. His lips gently landed on Lächlen's jaw, worshipping the beauty that is in front of him. Orion stared at his lips and then... "Fúck," he cursed, pulling away.

What am I doing again?! Taking advantage of him sleeping?! Stupid! Go rot in a whole you perverted motherfúcking díldo--!

"Rye...?"

In his frustrated mind-rant, he failed to notice Lächlen's consciousness. Those eyes lay weak, but still managed to look provocative despite. His breathing was more prominent now and it's a shame that Orion notices as little as the air that escapes him.

"I am sorry, Läch..." Orion muttered, blushing furiously and hoping he wouldn't get mad if ever he knew Orion was kissing him. "I uhh... did something terrible... I did bad stuff... you are broken now."

"It's just the wrist." Yet despite being the victim, Lächlen offered him a half-smile to comfort Orion. "I... I wonder what got you so angry. I can understand if you tell me..."

How can you still be nice to me after what I did? Orion had no other explanation now. Lächlen is indeed an angel.

"I am... I am really mad... at uhm..." Orion keeps getting distracted at the simple fact that Läch's gentle eyes are looking at him. "... what you did... back in America, where we meet."

Läch's eyes fell into concern. "Oh no, w-what did I do?"

"No, no bad..." Orion replied. "I am like... a kid... child because I am angry that you did not come to the bridge anymore."

Orion did see it as childish. Stupid, even. He did not know the reason why Läch didn't come back, and he certainly cannot know the reason from a memory-less Lächlen. His eyes avoided the angel's, as he felt even guiltier than he was before. He knows he's an ásshole, and he normally accepts his ássholery and is even proud of it.

"It's okay, Orion," Lächlen said with genuine kindness. "I guess, people do terrible stuff they aren't aware of when encountering different emotions. I was really scared back there... so don't do it again, okay?"

The German boy swallowed his hesitation, but failed to answer. He really wants to kiss those lips. Those pink... perfectly shaped lips... Orion cleared his throat then stood up saying, "I am still sad you are hurt. You should rest. I will sleep on the big chair, okay?"

"The sofa? But this is your bedroom."

"And you are my guest," Orion answered without looking at him. For some reason, the sexual tension in the air is too much. Orion himself never went through sexual urges even in puberty so he is somewhat afraid of these feelings of desire. Can anyone blame him for his attraction towards this person?

"It makes me feel bad," Lächlen frowns.

"No, no... I will stay here with you. Now you rest." Orion sat on the dark green sofa across his bed. I will probably do something terrible.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're too tall for that sofa..." Indeed, the thing lacks one foot and a half to be able to accommodate Orion comfortably.

He assures Lächlen that he himself sometimes sleeps on the couch whenever he stays up late drawing. Deep inside, his chest tingled at the fact that Lächlen is worried, and he cares.

I'm sorry, God. But this devil will protect your precious angel. And I won't care if Heaven burns for my angel's sake.

◇♔◇

Lächlen saw it. A little girl. Among the grass.

Lächlen felt it. The little girl. Her arms around his.

Lächlen lost it. The little girl. Crying for him.

He felt shocked. Electricity; he felt pain. Fists. Then Lächlen sat up, screaming.

He immediately felt rough hands cover his mouth, and it was then he lost it. He thrashed around, arms and legs kicking and flailing. "No! Let me go! Let me—go!"

"Shhhh! Lächlen!"

"Stop, Orion will think we're raping you!"

In English, the twins cried, "He'll kill us!"

Lächlen finally opened his eyes and realized he was physically distraught. All of a sudden, Orion barges in and threw a knife in one of Karn's heads, but the one twin dodged it. The knife is now buried in the gray walls.

"What the fúck," Orion glared with flaming anger upon hearing the screams of his precious Lächlen. He came in and see the twins pinning him down, and he could not describe his fury. "What did you do."

"Nothing!" The Karns immediately let go of the boy.

When Lächlen saw Orion, he immediately burst into tears. Orion was still holding another knife so he threw it to the side table and ran to his angel.

"What is wrong? Something hurt?" He gently inspected Lächlen's body and face because he looked so disheveled and shaken.

"We will leave you two..." The twins awkwardly slipped out of the room and Orion never stopped glaring at them until they disappeared.

"You almost died," one of them whispered to each other.

"The other knife was for you, too." The other replied.

Earlier, Nacht had assigned them to watch over Lächlen while he, Orion, and Trancy prepare dinner. Their father-figure has been worried whenever Orion and Lächlen are left alone, but the twins felt like they'd die being their third and fourth wheels. Rightfully so, because Orion's mind darkened with thoughts of torturing the twins.

Back in the bedroom, Orion caressed his angel's arms in hopes that he'll calm down. "Please tell me what is wrong. I feel bad if you cry."

"I don't know..." Läch cried, holding Orion's hand tightly against his cold cheeks. "I don't know! But it hurts, it hurts!"

"Where does it hurt?"

Lächlen then dragged Orion's hands down to his chest. And indeed, his heart was hammering against it. Adrenaline was present in his hysteria.

Orion, himself felt his heart pounding. Being this close to Lächlen... holding him like this... it feels... wonderfully terrible?

The boy himself never stopped crying. "I don't know why, but it hurts so bad... like, I'm so confused and I'm so hurt by what I don't know. I don't know anything, I don't remember anything and I just—"

Orion held Lächlen softly against himself. Seeing him break down like this... it even physically hurts Orion. But at the same time, his dependence made Orion's heart flutter. "W-was it a dream?"

He feels Lächlen nod. Orion asks, "Can you tell me the dream?"

"I can't remember the dream either..." Lächlen sobbed, a wave of pain hitting his heart so he had to wrap his arms around Orion. He can even hear the boy's heartbeat. "It was so scary and painful..."

"Shh, shh... I am sorry I leave you alone. No leaving again, okay?" Orion tried comforting him but the boy kept sobbing. There has to be a way to stop him from crying.

Driven by instinct and clear desire, he lifted Lächlen's head by the chin and planted his lips on those tear-stained crying ones. Orion expected him to push him away, wipe his lips and call him crazy, but Lächlen did not.

Instead, Orion feels the lips against him move on their own to deepen it. Even Lächlen's trembling hands had a grip on Orion's shirt. He was holding on as if his life depended on it. Orion is... kissing me... why'd this seem so wrong? It feels... so good... Lächlen thought.

More, Orion pushed his tongue inside Lächlen's and he accepted it. Even though Orion has no experience kissing anyone, it seemed as if he became an expert in guiding and exploring the mouth of the person he loves.

Orion cursed. This is my first kiss, and to be honest with himself, he is so happy that it's Lächlen. It seemed as if there was no one else but them; it seemed as if all was nonexistent except this moment right here.

All except that one moment where the door flew open and there stood a shirtless Trancy wearing an apron.

Lächlen jumped, instinctively pushing Orion away. Because of this, he gritted his teeth. "Trancy you móthershitting bit--"

"Ewwww," Trancy gave him the rude pierced tongue. Then he made strange gestures with his hands. "Ryeee, blooo...!"

This made Orion curse, before turning to a confused Lächlen. "Uhm... we make fired chicken downstairs."

"W-what?" Lächlen flashed that confused and amused smile that made Orion's breathing irregular. I made him smile... by being stupid again...

Orion would gladly be stupid if it can that smile always remain. "Uhm, roasted chicken. It is saucy chicken that is put in oven. We should go downstairs to eat, okay? Here," Orion bent down to carry Lächlen, but the boy was reluctant.

"W-wait, thanks but I can walk..."

"I do not want you to?" Orion gave him a forced, crooked smile. "Come on. I carry you."

"But I'm heavy!" Lächlen protested. Orion knew that even if he is, he can still be carried by him.

Lächlen glanced at the impatient Trancy before smiling awkwardly. Orion scooped him up bridal style and surprisingly, his weight was indeed no more than a sack of potatoes. A lovely sack of potatoes.

"Thanks, Orion." He mumbled. "For being there for me. Thanks to the twins too."

The moment was perfect if not for Lächlen mentioning the twins. It made Orion visibly grumpy and Lächlen laughs at this. He made me forget the pain, he thought, just as they exited the room.

Upon glancing at Trancy in the doorway, Lächlen saw the childish man taking a look in the bedroom before giving him an almost worried, panicked look. Wonder why he looked that way, thought Lächlen.

Trancy swallowed the saliva he usually drools. Knife... bloody carpet... uhlluuu...Rye...

As Orion carried Lächlen down the stairs, Läch was trying to imitate the German word Orion said earlier to describe the food.

"Brathen...Brathayne? Braten..."

Orion scoffed. "It's Brathänchen. Roast chicken, Lächlen."

"Brathen-then?" Lächlen made a face so utterly adorable that made Orion want to bite his scrunched-up nose.

"Just... you will eat it soon. There is something like that in America. So common."

"Did you cook it?" Lächlen asks as they entered the kitchen.

It was the twins who answered, "Oh, he did. Almost burned because he went to you."

"Bastards," Orion growled, placing Lächlen carefully on the counter's stool. With a fiercely grumpy face, he went over to serve his angel some food.

The Karn twins were seated at an actual table and Nacht was on the stove wearing an apron. Trancy just walked down the stairs with his hands behind his head.

"Oh, Karns... I'm really sorry about earlier," Läch said.

"It's okay." They answered in unison.

They made Lächlen smile in interest as Orion set up a plate in front of him. "How do you do that? Speaking together, I mean. Isn't that not common between twins?"

Once again they answered in unison, "I don't know."

"We just speak," / "And somehow we're saying the same thing."

"So it is a coincidence," they said together this time.

Lächlen looks so amazed with his mouth gaping, unable to grasp the fact of twins actually acting like they're the same person. They even share a name; though it can be quite confusing.

As Orion went over to clean up his cooking area, the twins leaned over to Lächlen, who was previously admiring Orion. "You know, it's like he's possessed or something," they said.

"Orion? How?"

They squinted at the guy. "Ever since you got here," / "He's been too different."

One of the Karns said, "Orion never really talks to us. Ever."

The other one added, "Now that you got here he talks to us... mainly just curse words, but..."

"But Orion's a really nice guy," says Lächlen. "He's a bit grumpy and stubborn, but he's so gentle."

The Karns snorted. "To you."

"Sorry, what?"

"Nothing," they said.

Now thinking about it... Lächlen stared at Orion as he worked, He's a really reserved guy. He always has a scowl on. He acts so hostile to the others. But...

"Here," Orion muttered, setting a plate of chicken in front of Lächlen. He glared at the twins while sitting beside Läch, and keeping an eye on him. "You need to eat. Roast Chicken."

He's really nice to me. "Ohhh, so this is Roast Chicken! Saucy that's put in the oven? I still can't say that word, though..."

Orion had goosebumps from his attraction towards the guy. He ended up spoon-feeding Lächlen even though Läch is against it. The food was delicious, and it's even miraculous that Orion himself prepared it. Lächlen even found out that he specifically cooked something that is found in America for him. Lächlen found it cute; the others found it quite worrying.

hours later

The sun was down and everyone felt tired. No light nor darkness invaded the room as it was full of evening ambiance. Nacht was with Lächlen in the bedroom, replacing the bandages as he sat beside the bed. He was gentle with his hands in caring for Lächlen's injury.

"How is Orion treating you?" The German asked.

"He's been more than nice," Lächlen smiled.

Nacht says, "Won't he let you go outside? Would that not help you with your memories?"

"I... " Lächlen paused. "I never thought of that. I have dreamed about fragments of memories but... like a dream, I always forget them."

"You have dreams?"

"Yes. It happened after Orion uhm.... you know," Lächlen looked sadly at his still broken wrist. "But I know the dream was scary."

"A violent dream. It must be triggered because of a violent encounter," Nacht sighed. "Maybe you really should go outside, to trigger some memories. But... I don't think he'll let you."

Lächlen was growing tired of them speaking in German when they know he can't understand them.

Before Läch can reply, Nacht said, "You really should be careful around Orion. He is.... unstable."

"He is what? What do you mean?" Lächlen tried sitting up on his elbows. At this point, I never really know anything about Orion at all.

"Just..." Nacht knew Orion is outside, but he might not hear anything from the soundproofed wall and door. "Orion may be big, but he's still a kid at heart. He doesn't have a childhood, and he certainly did not go through what many people go through as a kid and as a teen. Orion only talked to a maximum of 8 people all his life, including you. "

Lächlen gasped. "Why is... Orion..."

"He is not someone you can play with." Nacht had something else to say, but he bit his tongue against it. To him, you are the Toy, Lächlen. And a kid like him will kill if he loses you.

After re-dressing his wounds, Nacht exited the door. Orion entered with Stranger the dog around his arms, looking worriedly at Lächlen. Upon seeing his angel, he threw Stranger to the couch and accompanied Lächlen to the bed.

"H-hey! Poor doggy! Orion, don't be mean." Lächlen playfully frowned at him.

"She will not die," Orion grumbled, then held a hand towards Lächlen. "You are okay, right?"

"Yeah..." Lächlen nodded slowly as Strange hopped onto his lap, then thought about what Nacht said earlier. Should I ask?

"Good. I will be here to watch you so you will not have any bad dreams, or I can wake you," says Orion.

I should ask him. "Orion," Lächlen called out as the boy made his way towards the sofa. "I think I... want to go outside. To play with Stranger. The fresh air will probably help me get my memories back."

Silence flew over the air for a moment. Lächlen's heart started raising because the silence was too uncomfortable and he felt as if something was wrong.

Somehow, when Orion looked back at him with the grimmest expression, a shiver ran through Lächlen's spine. "Wh...what?"

"Outside, I mean. Isn't that good?" Lächlen can't help but feel uneasy at how genuinely angry Orion seemed right now.

"What will you do if you get your memories back? Leave me?" Orion muttered.

Lächlen grew confused once more. "Orion, I can't understand—"

The books on the table beside the sofa suddenly were flung onto the floor.

"What are you going to do when you get memories?" Lächlen was visibly shaken at how Orion simply snapped, his voice less raspy but indeed stronger. "What, are you going to forget me?! Again?!"

"Orion...I ... I..." The anger was too much for Lächlen that tears can't seem to escape his eyes but they sat there afraid to leak. "I'm not leaving you...! I just..."

Orion's voice lowered to a more tame, gentler volume. "What? You want to go back? Home?"

Lächlen almost didn't want to answer. He didn't want to piss Orion off. But Orion did see him nod, and it flew him into a silent rage. Orion had now punched a hole into the gray wall, hitting the soundproofing layer inside.

In fear, Lächlen stammered out, "Orion, what is wrong with you?!"

"You!" Orion cried, his eyes boring pain though it wasn't from his bleeding knuckles. "You are the thing wrong in me! What did you do to me, Lächlen? It hurt, every time you say good thing or bad thing, it hurt me the same! Nobody ever hurt me, but you do! What did you do?!"

Lächlen is definitely shocked at how he turned out to be. He looked definitely pained, anguished, only by the mere factor that Lächlen asked to go outside. Is this too much for Orion? Is Orion himself too much? Nothing is understandable for Lächlen anymore. Is it even the language barrier?

"Orion—" Lächlen stopped himself because the German boy is now holding the knife that he previously left earlier. What is he...

"No... don't be scared, Lächlen..." Orion almost whimpered, his voice hoarse and full of paranoia. "This is not for you. Not for the twins. It is for me... if I hurt you again."

"Orion, put that thing down please!"

"I'll kill anyone for you. Even myself, Lächlen." Unfortunately, Lächlen cannot understand the confession that came from the pit of Orion's empty heart.

Lächlen was shaken. His hands were cold, his eyes were glazed. They stared at the trickling blood that dropped to the floor. His head felt like spinning although his vision remained in motion.

Orion wasn't holding the knife by the handle, he was gripping it on the blade itself. He showed no ounce of hurt from the deep cut that came from that tight grip. Orion was lost in thought.

I want Lächlen to remember. But if he remembers... he'll leave. I'll lose him.

Amidst his deep thoughts, the boy himself pulled him out of his mind by stumbling over the bed and grabbing the sides of Orion's face.

Soft lips voluntarily set themselves upon Orion's cold ones. Lächlen doesn't know why. If he sat there and reasoned, this stubborn boy wouldn't listen. And this kiss will probably distract Lächlen from the blood... seeing it for long periods of time will make him faint.

Besides, Orion can already feel the waterfalls of tears that came from the fear and anxiety of Lächlen. The fingers holding Orion in place were cold and trembling, as did the toes of the smaller boy which he used to balance their height.

Orion was unbelievably tall after all, and if he doesn't slouch it would be impossible to reach his height. But the tall boy melted in the kiss, and being overwhelmed caused him to release the knife and fall down to Lächlen's feet. Orion was helplessly gripping the boy by the pajamas he provided him with. Lächlen was appalled at the sight; a cold-faced, wall of hollowness was breaking down on his feet; not crying, but emotionally unstable.

"I love you." Orion sobbed with his ragged breaths. Lächlen couldn't understand his German words; or even if he spoke English it was too slurred to be heard. "I love you so much. I love... you so much... I want to touch you, and—and make a mess out of you... I might hurt you... I might kill you... but I don't want to lose you, I don't!"

Lächlen jumped at the shift in volume at the last word. With clear hesitation, he bent down and hugged Orion, his face buried in the soft curls that smelled strongly of gunpowder and lemons.

"Orion. Please don't die for me. You have a brother, right? You have Nacht, Karn, and Trancy, right? If you're gone, who will protect them? If you're gone..." his voice cracked, "...who will protect me?"

"You will hate me."

"Why? I won't hate you. You are a sweet boy behind that scary face of yours. You are very kind, and you protect those around you."

Orion has felt nothing but murderous to everyone, even his own brother. It hurts to know that he knows all about Lächlen, but Lächlen doesn't even know a tinge of him.

Orion tackled Lächlen in a hug that caused the boy to fall to his back. A heavy Orion was on top, yes, but Lächlen can't push him away because the boy just looked pitiful. He has his face pressed against Lächlen's chest and is emitting choked sobs. Lächlen felt something warm staining his shirt, so he must truly be crying.

Lächlen sighed. They were on a floor with a fluffy rug, so it's not cold and is somewhat comfortable. And he can't disturb Orion now, he has to comfort him. Though he doesn't know how.

"Orion," Lächlen called out as he brushed his fingers on the guy's curly hair. "Will you please tell me what you feel? In English? It makes me feel better, you know. Hearing you speak English. It might make you feel better, too."

Hearing that Orion might please Lächlen with his pathetic English, he almost immediately wants to oblige. But the darkness in him knew... he can't express his feelings in a language Lächlen can understand. Besides, these feelings... are meant to be buried in a grave.

Still, Orion mumbled against Lächlen's chest, "You are... sunrise... in Mercury."

"Mercury?" That statement brought a smile to Lächlen's face. Orion can hear it, but he can't lift his head up and show the deep red blush he's got going on just to see that heavenly smile.

"In  Mercury...So cold... night is cold... but day is... burning. When it is in middle, it is very beautiful and balanced. Sunrise only. Because sunrise is in  middle." Orion can't help but not know the English for balance, but Lächlen got the picture.

"Mercury, huh..." The boy blinked, only to see a flash of a scribbly drawing of a planet that he hasn't seen before. Or remember seeing before.  He saw a vision of a kid's drawing.

"But without sunrise, It is very cold in Mercury. And... " Orion's grip around Lächlen tightened, which made the boy grunt. "I did not find the sunrise again."

Orion looked up, showing Lächlen the red, tear-stained eyes curtained by overgrown curly bangs. "We meet together. On the bridge. Back when I live in America. I was trying to die, Lächlen! I want to die in bridge!"

"Orion..." the raven only reached his hands out to touch Lächlen's cheek, his thumb grazing gently on the smile lines. Bridge... America... I don't remember anything.

"But you did not want me to die. Every day, you came and you said you did not want me to die. I did not know why. You do not know me, right? You do not know if there is bad or good, right?" Orion pulled himself up, now hovering over Lächlen. "You save me even though you do not know me. You are only person who did not want me to die."

"Y-your brother..."

"He has someone he loves. He goes to focus on that someone. But... he lost that someone," Orion whimpered. "And he go crazy. He is very hurt. He lost his love and feels like he is dead, but... he did not want to die. I feel hurt like him too.

Orion took Lächlen's wrist and pulled it up to kiss it on the palm, ever so gentle. As if it was as delicate as a butterfly cocoon.

"Instead... he brings you to me. And... and... he wants to use you."

"Orion, what?" Lächlen was once more confused at the foreign words.

"I will not let him! I will not make him know you are here! I will protect you! My brother... is not good person. I am... no good too..." Orion's eyes wilted down to disappointment, and it hurts Lächlen to see him act like a dying puppy.

"Maybe... the bad thing you do does not mean you are a bad person...?" Lächlen says, trying to comfort him. "It depends on your intentions, I guess."

"Intention is bad, too," Orion replies.

"What is your intention?"

Those dull, dark eyes of the deepest abyss looked up at Lächlen with clear desire and selfishness.

"I want everything of you." Lächlen's brows contorted in confusion at the shift in language.

"I want to hold you," Orion held his waist tightly, "I want to touch you," those hands crept under the thin button shirt and caressed the silky though damaged skin, making Lächlen gasp. "I want to make you mine," he bent over to plant a gentle but eerie kiss above Läch's belly button after he pushed the shirt upwards.

"O-Orion—“

"I want to lock you away where nobody can even get a whiff of your poisonous scent," with a trembling, out-of-control hand Orion subconsciously had Lächlen's neck under a suffocating grip.

"Orion!—St--op...!"

"Can't you see, Lächlen? What pain you give me for five years is more than what you feel right now. It's like sunlight taken away! It's like your daughter taken away! It hurt like that!"

Finally, with a headaching flashback in Lächlen's mind, he successfully pushed Orion away. Daughter... daught... He pushed his legs against the carpet to back away, until his back painfully hit the edge of the bed.

"A-ah..." The impact made his wrist sting for some reason. And somehow, a light bruise was forming on the wrist that Orion had gently held earlier.

"L... Lächlen... " Orion stared, utterly heartbroken. Again... again and again, he hurts the man he loves. What kind of monster is he? Again and again...

Looking at Orion, the boy's warmth never left. Yet with a blink of an eye, a dense cold ran through him. His eyes were wide open, but his mind blacked out. He could not see anything but darkness, even though his eyes were wide and frantic. A vision.

It was a vision of a different time.

"You just earned yourself a death wish, Strauss."

"You're the one who brought your own death." A gun was clicked open. "Now finish it."

"I also wanted him back, you know. He was my friend. He was precious to me as did all of them. But if this formula gets in your filthy German hands, then I'd rather die!"

Then there was a voice of a little girl, crying. "D-Daddy..."

"Strauss. You're not gonna make the same mistake now, are you?"

Tears were being shed. Both by a kid and an adult. The big, bad wolf turned the gun the other way. "This time, it's not a mistake."

"LÄCHLEN!"

Lächlen was brought back to reality with a gasp; a heavy one, and his face turned numb from lack of oxygen. He wasn't breathing while staring at thin air, and Orion can't help but carry the motionless Lächlen to the bathroom and spray him with water.

"O-Orion..." He whimpered. Flinching and scurrying away from him.

Understandably, this made Orion feel worse. "Lächlen, I am so sorry--"

"What is your last name?" Lächlen whispered, still staring at the curly-haired boy in great fear.

But the boy couldn't hear it. "Läch?"

"Your last name..." He spoke clearly this time, with a small crack in his voice. The droplets of stray water as dripping down his chin. "You never told me your last name, Orion. Or... maybe I forgot it..."

"Why do you want to know?" Orion asks, this time his tone hard, serious, and his face less guilty than before.

Lächlen avoided his eyes. The changing tone and the thick tension were suffocating. Ever so slowly, the warm fondness in Lächlen's heart faded and turned into fear and doubt. It's what happens when the brain started taking over.

"You... you told me that... you found me in the streets, right? At first, you didn't know who I was?" Lächlen asks, his hands against his chest.

"That is what happened." Orion avoided his eyes. "Do you... remember anything?"

Lächlen noticed Orion's trembling fists on the surface he was sitting upon and is now visibly scared.

"N-no!" For the first time in his memory-less journey, Lächlen lied. To someone he knew as a friend and an ally, too. It was too hard for him, but trust was harder. "I just... want to... know more about you."

"I am a monster."

What kind? "No, you are not. Monsters can't love," Lächlen reached a hand out to caress Orion's curly hair. He seemed to melt in the angel's touch. "And you love me, don't you?"

"Only you I will ever love," Orion mutters. "No sorry us enough for what I did, Lächlen. I always hurt you. But I love you; I do not like you hurt."

That last word was whimpered and Lächlen can't help but feel a pit in his stomach.

Orion struck guilt into his angelic heart when he added, "I know that you hate me. You should."

"Orion, I don't... hate you."

Then why did you hesitate in saying that? A tear escaped Orion, but was quick to be wiped out by his sleeve.

"I don't! I really don't! I'm just..." scared, confused... doubtful. "... I'm the one who should take care with my uhm... actions. Maybe, I need to take care of you too."

Lächlen placed his hand gently on top of Orion's, and even if the angel's joints are trembling with negative feelings, he just had to force himself to be the bird on the mammal.

"But I hurt you, Lächlen!" Orion said with such a raspy voice that anyone can hear the pain in his monotoned voice. "I don't want to hurt you again. No hurting!"

A long, comfortable moment has passed. Both were silent, lost I'm their own mind. Orion was lost in a ball of anger, lust, and guilt. Lächlen was lost in a void of emptiness, dependency, and confusion.

"I..." Orion slowly reached out and hugged Lächlen, squeezing him in a gentle but also suffocating way. "I will... want to take care of you. I want to make you feel better. I promise."

later on,

Nacht just got off the phone with their boss. Which is Orion's big brother himself. He faced the Karns, rubbing his temples.

"We should do something. Orion's going to go crazy if the Boss finds out about that man being here," he says.

"Bet that he's gonna burn this house---" they took turns saying, "---with everyone in it."

Nacht grumbled, "Orion already did that three months ago at a convent. And it was the first time he found out Lächlen was brought to Germany."

The Karn twins fell serious, giving each other blank stares. They feel like they should feel bad about the poor amnesiac, but they are more worried about the person who currently is holding that amnesiac.

Orion Strauss does not exaggerate. Every threat, every homicidal or genocidal joke--is never a joke. Orion definitely didn't exaggerate when he says "...or I'll wipe out my brother's entire Mafia, then my brother!" Given that he lacks morals and ethics, Orion has no problem dealing with hell, therefore he will most likely do that.

Unexpectedly, Trancy arrived with a less cheery face. In fact, he was frowning. Nacht felt frustrated; the innocent, drooling Trancy was the only one who didn't know about the Mafia. He merely went onto missions and shoot people just because Nacht told him to; no questions asked.

But even though Trancy is mentally challenged to say the least; it doesn't mean he lacks a brain. With a cold but gloomy expression, he held out a photo of Lächlen himself.

"Läch.... lehhnn..." He held his arms out and showed the picture to the rest of the gang. "Schlaaaayyy... man."

"Trancy, put that picture away."

"Lächlen!" The blonde stomped his feet stubbornly against the carpet. "Schliemann... play GOD. Läch-leyn... dead! No dead! Nohhh dead!"

"Trancy, enough." Nacht glared at the twins for not doing anything about their blonde friend. Though, he is aware that Schliemann is the organization that hires them and gives them salaries for killing people, he still isn't aware of the Mafia part. The Schliemann Mafia is headed by Victor Strauss, Orion's brother.

But how can someone who doesn't know about the Mafia, know about "Lächlen... dead!"?

"So, are we gonna tell Orion?" Asks the Karns.

Nacht stared hard at the ground. "More importantly, are we gonna tell Lächlen?"

Trancy crossed his arms and stubbornly stomped on the ground. "Lächlen dead! Lächlen dead!"

"He is, Trancy. We know that. Orion can't seem to accept it," Nacht spat.

"Lächlen dead," Trancy repeated, going over to a table containing a file with the Schliemann Mafia crest, marked  Top Secret.

"Trancy--" before the Karns could stop the boy, Trancy snatched the files and ran away.

"Shít! Trancy, get back here!" Nacht yelled out as the Karns ran after him. A chase and a fight ensued in the living room. This is what happens when one of us grows empathy.  "Get  him!"

"Trancy!" One of the Karns swung his legs across the boy's feet and he tumbled on the hallway. The other Karn pinned his arms above his head as the second twin straddled Trancy and pin him to the floor.

"Give it!"

"No!"

They tried to pull it off his grip, but Trancy is stronger than he looks and the file is all crumpled risked of getting ripped.

"Trancy!"

He merely blew a raspberry to the Karn who straddled him, blowing spit on his face.

"Ew!" Though he doesn't mind the childish defense mechanism, Karn still pulled on the document.

As Trancy squirmed, the other twin was struggling to keep his arms in place. "Gummy bears! A ton of them! All yours! Now let go of the file!"

"No! Lächlen!" Trancy cried, before Karn successfully pulled it out. Only that, pages and pages of paper flew all over the place.

The Karns cursed as they rush to gather all the papers. But one particular page landed in front of Trancy.

Serum X - Stem Cell Mutation

LeVough Laboratories

formulated by Vincent Levough

Patient x0

It was followed by a picture of Lächlen. The document the Schliemann Mafia stole.

Immediately, Trancy snatched it up and ran out of the house hopping onto his own car and driving out of there with haste.

"Nacht," the Karns reported to their Leader, "Trancy has gone rouge."

meanwhile,

"A-ah... Rye...!" Lächlen cried against Orion's shoulder. They sat face to face in the bathtub. The arm cast was carefully hanging out on the edge as not to get wet.

The dark-haired boy ended up touching Lächlen in his most sensitive parts after promising that he will make Lächlen feel better.

"Does it... feel good?"

"Nng," Lächlen grunted. Underwater, Orion's hands worked skillfully even though he has no experience in sèxual activities. "It... feels good," he groans.

I never knew how much I want to touch you like this, Orion thought, Lächlen's pleasured breaths making him hard too. It was the first time ever; but it seemed so natural. His love and desire for this man are just too much to hold back for.

"Ahh," Lächlen released a long, drawn sigh when Orion rubbed his shaft vigorously, making his breathing irrational. The water made it extra slippery.

"You... drive me crazy," Orion whispered in German. For some reason, it caused a ripple of pleasure in Lächlen's spine. His one hand weaved through Orion's wet locks, reflecting his feelings on the grip he held. The warm breath on Orion's shoulder always caused him to have tingles on his chest.

Lächlen is mine, right?

"Orion... you're going too fast, I feel like...!"

Lächlen is mine. Orion confirmed his own question as his grip and speed both increase, until Lächlen released his batch of climax. Breathless, he remained rested in Orion's hold as the curly-haired boy planted a soft kiss below his ear.

"Y-you're hard, too." Lächlen slightly pulled away.

"It will go down," Orion says. He has never tried masturbating before, nor does he have the urge to. But now, he wants to do more than masturbate. He wants to completely devour Lächlen... but is he willing to risk putting out the only light in the dark of his life?

Surprisingly, Lächlen reached down and touched Orion. The action made him flinch.

"Do... do you hate being touched?" Lächlen asks.

"Not if touch is from you," Orion muttered, his hand wrapping around his own hardened còck with Lächlen's own. "I never feel this way before."

Their eyes landed on each other. Drawn by pure desire, Orion pulled Lächlen towards him with an amateur but steamy kiss. Lächlen's hand started moving underwater, making the boy groan at the first-time experience.

His hips bucked, as they never stopped in their oral exchange. Orion pulled Lächlen by the waist and eventually rubbed both of their sensitive parts together.

When Lächlen subconsciously grinds against their hands, Orion was so turned on that his mind started flashing impure thoughts. His lips move to Lächlen's neck. The boy was kneeling on the bathtub, his body standing upright as Orion nibbled on his neck and chest.

They sting for a moment, then disappear completely. But not the mark, no. In fact, Orion was damn proud of the bruises he created; it was as dark as his intentions.

Orion squeezed Lächlen's butt to pull him closer and it made the boy gasp. It was as soft and tender as his smile. I want to... Orion inhaled, no. It hurts. I don't want Lächlen hurt.

"Rye, it's coming again!" Upon exhaling, Lächlen ejaculated for a second time. It took Orion a few more pumps until he releases his load. Their seeds dissolve in the water, but is still present.

Orion was blinded by his own desire and ignorance that he reached behind Lächlen and separated his cheeks, prodding a finger on the hole between them.

"H-hey! Orion!" Lächlen yelped when the first knuckle entered abruptly. "H-hurts! It hurts!"

"I... sorry..." Orion pulled his finger out and Lächlen landed back in the water. "My brother d-does that to his husband..."

"Males can do it?" Lächlen surprisingly asked, interested in the activity. "Does it feel good?"

Orion has flashbacks to the way Victor's husband yells about being in heaven or feeling so good that he doesn't want to stop.

"My brother's husband doesn't want to stop... so it feel good. It feel better than earlier," Orion muttered, not taking his eyes away from a very cute and seductive Lächlen. "You want to try?"

"I... want to, but it hurt earlier," Lächlen says with a flinch.

Orion reached towards the shelf containing various hair and body products. He pulled out something round and green. "This... Aloe Vera gel. It's for skin. My brother uses it on his husband when they take shower. Turn around."

Reluctantly, Lächlen did turn around and bend over, his palms on the tub's edge and his äss on the surface of the water. He trusts Orion enough. Besides, Orion makes me feel good.

"Ahh!" It has been a whole minute of pushing one lubed finger back and forth. So far, it feels so weird but Lächlen's been used to the friction inside his tight walls.

He yelped when Orion pushed a second finger in. The other hand was on Lächlen's shaft, pumping to the rhythm of his fingers. Sometimes he separates them to stretch it out, but it seems like Lächlen doesn't notice it because the sensation from his front was overpowering the pain in his back.

Soon enough after Lächlen came from the front, Orion already had three fingers in.

"It feels... so good..." Lächlen groaned.

"I can make it feel better," at this statement, that unhealthy raspiness in Orion's voice sounded too sexy for someone who hasn't done anything sexual in his life. "I love you so much. Can I put mine in?"

"Wait... you can?" The fingers were removed. After much hesitation, Lächlen gathered the courage to nod.

With his permission, they became one at the moment. A moment Orion will never forget, and hopefully Lächlen won't too.

Meanwhile,

 Trancy demonstrated that he was no airhead. He smashed his foot full speed at the cemented road, then opened the door and jumped out.

Limping with a few scrapes and a document in his pocket, he hid behind some shrubbed. "Ehhh...small rock...cchhhh...." He groaned upon seeing his scraped ankles.

Then, the Karns' car went past the shrub that Trancy was hiding, Nacht driving. As expected, they investigated the crash far off. So far, Trancy saw that they split up to find him in the area where the crash happened.

"Hate... hate me... them... " despite having tears in his eyes, Trancy did his best to run back to the house, a mere 200 meters from where he hid. He doesn't care if they hate him. They only ever used Trancy after all.

Show Lächlen. Lächlen dead. No Lächlen.

two months ago,

The Schliemann Mafia's Boss, Victor Strauss threw a coffee mug at a cabinet, breaking it and causing a few glass beakers and vials to fall to the tiled floor. "He was your friend too, Vincent! He was precious to you! If you can't do that for me, why don't you do it for HIM?!"

The copper-haired, Masters in genetics and biology, sat stonefaced. Upon shifting in his seat, the chains that bind his feet to the walls clanged harshly.

"He is my friend," Vincent Levough said. "But this product is evil. And if it falls into your own evil hands, then I'd rather die."

Vincent Levough was a multi-talented genius from the Levough Mafia, a rival and long-time enemy of the Schliemann. He has expertise in the field of Science; Biology, Genetics, and Education with respected PhDs in each field. Ever since he graduated College in advance, he had been working on a special, secret project. A project that will change the world.

A project he hopes would change what he had lost. But though change is constant, what is gone forever can't be brought back. But Vincent Levough's top-secret breakthrough in the realm of Biology was going to change life itself. It's a shame that the Schliemann Mafia had to kidnap him for what he has made.

"This is for him!" Victor screamed, his natural German accent surfaced through because of anger. "I lived for him! Because I know that there is hope! You!"

"You know why you lost him, Victor?" Vincent changed the subject, remaining composed the whole time. "Do you remember how you lost him? It's because he chose to leave you. It's his choice. Who am I to change that? I'm not God. If ever, God hates me for trying to play God. Death should be permanent."

"You already brought back someone," Victor whispered, though still audible.

"Don't talk about Xavier!" Vincent stood up, his chains dragging on the tiled floor. The boy he mentioned was safe back in America, thankfully Victor didn't do anything to him. "He didn't choose to die!"

He pointed at the cold, unmoving person who was laying on a bed at the corner of the laboratory. "That boy right there chose to kill himself! Because of what you did, he killed himself! He chose to leave you!"

Victor clamped his hands on Levough's neck, instantly ridding him of breathable air. He had nothing to say. Victor Strauss has tears in his eyes. Even though Vincent is being suffocated, his eyes never begged the dominant one to stop. Internally though, Victor himself is the weak one in this scene.

"I... love him..." was the only thing Victor said before releasing Vincent, making him gasp for air as he dropped to the floor. "He was the only man I loved, and he was the only man who loved me."

"You... you are right..." Vincent gasped. "But he loved you so much... he doesn't want to watch you become the villain."

That hit Victor Strauss right in the chest. In fact, he physically felt his heart convulse at that gut-wrenching pain caused by Vincent's words.

"I will never finish the serum for you." Vincent looked up at the cold, tear-stained eyes of the infamous Victor Strauss. "The dead should stay dead."

"Well, Vincent..." The Schliemann's Boss walked to the door and opened it. "What about her? Would she stay dead too if she dies?"

Upon opening the door, a little girl with cuffed hands was pushed into the cold room. Vincent's heart jumped internally at the sight of this girl.

"Victor, you fúcking monster!" He screamed, lunging forward but the chains on his feet were holding him back. No amount of IQ or brainpower could help Vincent process the thought of seeing her hurt. "He'll never forgive you if you hurt her!"

"Finish the serum, and both of you go home," Victor said, pointing a dangerous gun at the girl's temple. She was terribly crying. "Bring him back."

the present

STRAUSS MANOR

A dripping wet Lächlen knelt on the bed with his face down, willingly exposing himself to Orion. He never felt as much pleasure as mere fingers invading a particular area. He has been floating through uncharted territories for a full five minutes.

"R-Rye... it feels so good..." Lächlen gasped when the boy kept hitting the most sensitive part inside of him.

In an uncertain, gentle, but crazily sexy voice, Orion replied, "I want to go in. I want to, can I?"

Lächlen felt his rough hands caress his back; comforting and loving. Orion has wanted this for so long... to be able to touch him like this is an endgame for him in the best way. Lächlen is finally his.

"Please Orion..." Lächlen's back arched in acceptance, before the boy pressed his rock-hard member into the previously stretched hole. "Annghh!"

Whatever this feeling was, Orion simply loved it. He was inside Lächlen, and he accepted the intrusion. He made such wonderful faces, he felt so warm, and he made beautiful noises. Orion wanted more.

"Ohhh! Oh my go---ahhh!" Orion began thrusting his hips while pulling one of Lächlen's arms back to meet with his thrusts. "Ohhh, Orion! R-rye—ahh-!"

Those sharp jabs at his prostate almost made Lächlen go crazy. Orion himself never felt such pleasure, doing this with someone he has desired for a very long time is heaven. He has never imagined doing something like this to Lächlen. But now that he has a taste of it, he doesn't want to stop.

"I love you... so much..." Orion leaned forwards and pressed his head on Lächlen's back, inhaling the scent of his own shampoo and soap. He has indulged for a whole 5 minutes, but he wants to stay this way forever.

Lächlen leaned back so they can meet for a kiss, his abdomen building up to what seemed to be a climax. He can't help but weave his hands through Orion's wet curls, splashing drops onto the mattress. The whole thing shook in the rhythms of their amateur passion.

"I want to see you," Lächlen breathed out in between moans. So the boy flipped him over and re-entered him between the legs.

Seeing Lächlen flustered from the neck up to the nose was adorable, his back arched and squirming in ecstasy. It made Orion speed up, much to his pleasure. Lächlen's hand subconsciously rubbed his own díck, for he felt something threaten to release.

"You are coming?" Orion grunted, holding Lächlen by the thighs.

Ahhh go--oh my god... it feels too good, I can't hold it... Lächlen pulled Orion by the arms and claimed his lips himself, to which he melted into. Because of the rapid, sharp thrusts, they were able to.

Orion pulled out, his seed dripping on Lächlen's entrance. That was 19 years of inactive sèxual activity. Lächlen's stomach was also stained with his own release. It was a beautiful sight for Orion. He has never felt happier in his whole life.

"That was amazing..." Lächlen breathes out, smiling. "It hurts, though..."

Upon admitting some damage was done, Orion turned red, and threw a panicked fit. "H-hurt?! No hurt! I will get ice! I am so sorry! I will go to Nacht for medicine--" he attempted to run out, but Lächlen held him back.

"No, it's okay. Stay with me. I feel better when you're around," Lächlen says with a gentle hum, closing his eyes. "I liked doing that."

Orion sat on the bed, putting Lächlen under the covers for he must be tired. "But it hurt you."

"It's the best kind of hurt," Lächlen again touched Orion's hair, feeling the damp locks comfort his pale fingers. "I love you, too."

"Y-you understand?"

"Yeah," he giggled. "You say Ich a lot. I heard Liebe when the Karns compliment your cooking. Dich is something I caught when Nacht scolds you."

That smile, Orion's stared. I want that smile to remain forever.

that night

Lächlen woke up because of tapping on the window. Orion was not beside him. He saw a note on the bedside table, scribbled with the word: Nacht.

Nacht must've called for him. Lächlen heard tapping again, to which he hopped out of bed and put on a fluffy robe, scented with strong musk and lavenders. Smells like Orion.

Suddenly, he heard the tap again. He opened the curtains, and almost jumped at the sight of Trancy outside the window, eyebrows furrowed and wet from the December snow.

"Trancy!" The moment Lächlen opened the window, the man leaped into the room and grabbed his shoulders. "Wh-wh-what's going—you're so cold, let's get you—“

"Co-hme with me!" Trancy said with difficulty in speaking. "Orion... bad! Nacht bad! Karns bad!"

"I don't understand. Why are they bad? Why are you freezing outside?!" There were so many questions, but Trancy only answered him by lightly slapping a page lightly on his face. "Trancy... what is this?"

It was a picture of Lächlen. The text was German, but the big, bold letters on the top were in clear English, making his heart go wild.

STEM CELL MUTATION

manufactured in

Levough Laboratories

formulated by

Vincent James Levough Ph.D

s.2016

This was six years ago. Why is Lächlen marked Patient x0?

"Schlayy man.... took that from Ley-vough..." Says Trancy.

"Schliemann? I've heard of that name before... are you saying Schliemann stole this from the Levough?"

"They... stole you. Took you. Bring you h-here..." It was astonishing how Trancy worked so hard to utter those words. He can barely speak at all. "They... they turn you uh... zombie."

"Zombie? I'm con... fused..." Lächlen is zoned out of thin air, his mind is filled with ideas and delusions. Or maybe... these were his memories.

"Finish it!"

"I'd rather die." A gunshot rang out, making Lächlen's ear ring. Apparently, that shot wasn't just from his memories. It was from real life too.

Trancy lay on the bedroom floor, a bloody wound on his arm.

"T-Trancy!" Lächlen knelt beside him, then looked at where the shot came from. There stood Nacht with a white silencer. "Wh-why would you do this?! N-Nacht!"

"I didn't hit him in vital areas. I'm a professional, don't worry," Nacht answered, then stared at Trancy. "He's gone rogue."

"He did nothing wrong!" Lächlen stood up, crying. "He... he made me remember."

Nacht became visibly worried. "What did you remember?"

Lächlen stayed silent. Nacht abruptly shot the trashcan, making him jump.

"Answer me!"

Lächlen, ever so stiff, touched the bottom of his jaw. It was the first time he touched there. Under his jaw was a patch of skin not smooth like the rest. It was stitched up, it was rough, it was scarred.

"I was shot here... wasn't I?" Lächlen asked, his expression becoming more frigid. "By... by..."

"Yourself," Nacht continued when he couldn't continue his words.

Upon saying that, Lächlen heard Trancy groan. He immediately knelt down and took out a pillowcase by impulse, wrapping it around Trancy's wound to stop the blood pressure.

"Do you know why you killed yourself?" Nacht asks as Lächlen worked on treating Trancy. Tears were still flowing through his eyes.

"I don't know, I don't know, I don't want to know—“

"Stem Cell Mutation is manipulating the production of your healing cells. It makes it abnormal, healing everything from infected blood cells to nonexistent organs. When the cells are produced and mutated to an extent, they will be able to resurrect a dead body—“

"STOP!" Lächlen cried. "STOP IT! I DON'T WANT TO HEAR THAT!"

"Hear what? That you're a zombie just like what Trancy said? You want answers? I'll give you answers!" Nacht yelled. "The Schliemann Mafia is owned by Orion's brother! Orion is a hitman and assassin just like me, Trancy, and the Karns! We took you from home so you can be used as an experiment for Stem Cell Mutation! Are we still good people to you, Lächlen?!"

"And you stole th-this formula from Levough Laboratories?" Lächlen continued. "You... you stole me... "

Suddenly, Orion barges in upon hearing Nacht's scream from downstairs. "What is going—“

He saw Trancy shot, then Lächlen crying. His rage overflowed, and he punched Nacht in the guts before wrapping his hands around the guy's neck.

"What did you do..."

"O-Orion..." Nacht never underestimated this 19-year-old boy's strength. He can barely breathe with one hand suffocating him; Orion can kill people with two.

"You hurt him!" Orion screamed. "You hurt Lächlen!"

"Orion..." Upon Lächlen's call, Orion's grip softened. He saw him kneeling beside Trancy, tears in his eyes, but he was no longer sobbing. His eyes were hard, cold, and slightly unforgiving. "Orion, what's my name?"

"Lächlen—“

"No, my name." The lovers looked at each other in an indistinguishable manner. Only that hurt is present. "What's my name, Orion?"

The boy didn't answer.

"Was I an experiment? By your brother? Was I brought back after I killed myself?" Those questions were something that Orion could answer. But he cannot. For knowing the answers are a clear betrayal to Lächlen. "Orion... I'm dead, aren't I? I killed myself, didn't I? I was an experiment, wasn't I?"

"Yes..." Orion whispered, releasing Nacht. The older man dropped to the ground gasping. "I'm so sorry."

Lächlen recognized the German affirmative words, followed by the apology.

"I'm sorry, Lächlen."

"Say my name!" Lächlen yelled. "Please I'm begging you! You are hurting me by calling me a name that is not my real identity!"

Orion inhaled deeply. "I am sorry for hurting you, Vincent."

Lächlen—or namely Vincent Levough, pressed his palms against his eyes. Orion couldn't move. What was once a perfect moment was ruined because of his lies. Because of this, Orion burst out of the door and hopped over the stairs' railings. He landed on one of the sofas, then ran to where he could release his anger, somewhere the love of his life wouldn't get hurt by it.

"For five years, he loved you, you know..." Nacht said after recovering from his suffocation, his hand caressing his bruising neck.

"And for a week, I thought he was a good person. I thought you all were good. I'm... I'm surrounded by monsters..." Lächlen sobbed. "I am a monster myself."

Nacht stood up, staring at the research paper beside Trancy. "You are Vincent Levough. You are the most intelligent scientist from Levough Laboratories.

Year 2017, you successfully resurrected Xavier de Vera back to life. You say that was an accident... it probably was, since he was brought back as if he didn't die. You worked so hard to bury what you created. The Schliemann wanted to destroy what you had made too. You knew that it would cause the apocalypse. The stock markets would crash, the countries would go to war for what Vincent Levough has created. Victor Strauss wanted to destroy you along with everything you created."

Lächlen, or Vincent, gasped at the recovered memories. "I remember that day. It was five months ago, wasn't it? The Levough versus the Schliemann? The day... the day the Ford twins died..."

"Orion sniped you in the shoulder that day." Said Nacht. "Because if he hadn't, Victor Strauss would have killed you. And then... Victor's husband killed himself right in front of him. That's when his whole agenda changed. We need you to create the Stem Cell Mutation again. To bring back the Ford twins.

"It was a mistake! The dead should stay dead..." Vincent whispered, hearing his own voice yell in his head from a flashback.

"Victor took your daughter too. Vivian  Levough... she was held hostage while you were forced to make the serum. When you broke out and she escaped...

"D-daddy... you are really hurt... don't leave me."

"I'm not gonna leave you. But you have to leave Daddy, okay? Here's my cellphone... your uncle is gonna come and get you because of the cellphone."

"What about you?"

"I have to stay behind. They only need me. You have to promise that they'll never get you, okay?" Vincent kissed his little girl's dirty forehead. "Please stay alive. Vivi, you are special to me. You're my special little Franken-Vivian."

The little girl giggled as the door was destroyed.

"You only did that so your daughter won't witness what you really planned to do," Nacht sighed, running his hands through his hair. "In that cellphone, you wrote a memo that said, Don't come back for me. I'll die along with the formula. And you did. You faced Victor Strauss and shot yourself in the jaw."

"Oh my god," Lächlen cried, in a terrible panic. The Stem Cell formula must not be in the hands of someone like the Schliemann Mafia. "Victor Strauss brought me back so I can make it again... so it means he actually perfected the formula—“

"Victor didn't." Nacht cut him off. "Orion did."

a couple of months earlier

ORION STRAUSS' PERSPECTIVE

It was a time where we were sent to a mission in the West of America. A place of palm trees and blinding sun. It was just one of the many missions we were sent to. It was just us, Karns, Nacht, Trancy, and Savvi.

"Aldrynon Wyner is the owner of WYN Industries, but recently retired as its CEO." For the traditional briefing, Nacht pointed at one room of the building's blueprint.

"He will be found in this room at exactly 18:00. In order to enter the building, we will be wearing formal tuxedos. This event is an engagement party of the Levough Mafia's Boss. So we should be careful. That means no time for your one-night stands, Karns."

"Boo!" The twins blew raspberries like kids.

The five other comrades in the limousine look ready with our equipment sitting with us. The Karns are in matching blue tuxes, Trancy is in salmon, me in matte black, Nacht and Savvi in navy blue.

Nacht flipped over Aldrynon Wyner's file, revealing a profile that made me suddenly pay attention. I tensed upon seeing that image. I wanted to reach out and snatch the file off that table. My heart pounded as if it was my first mission.

"Vincent Levough," Nacht announced to the group. "He's gonna be located in the main hall for a long while. A shot in the distance is more likely to work. Karns, Orion, you will handle him after Savvi's done with Aldrynon."

"V-Vincent?" I can't stop staring at that picture. It can't be. No, it can't be. Maybe it's just a lookalike.

This Vincent Levough is the brother of the Levough Mafia's Boss. Our own's enemy. Until I can see this man's smile... I cannot say if this man is my angel.

He is. I confirmed it. At the engagement party, I stared from above as my angel laughed and share his smile with everyone else.

The event was grand, and the ballroom was massive and dripping in gold. Yet his smile glowed brighter than any glitter and jewel in the room.

Vincent Levough... It is him. My heart aches for some reason, seeing him interact with people while being a hundred meters away from me.

He is supposed to die. We are here to kill him. My angel... this Levough Mafia Prince. Brother of its Boss. My angel. My dying angel?

"Orion," said a voice from behind me. I turned around and saw my comrade, Savvi. "The target's gonna arrive in five minutes."

I didn't answer. I should keep looking at Vincent Levough while he's still alive. Every glance counts.

"They're pretty, aren't they." Says Savvi, leaning on the railing beside me and staring at the people below. "The Levoughs, I mean. They're pretty happy..."

I didn't bother to say anything. I was too focused on the beautiful expressions Vincent makes. The expressions I only dreamed of getting a closer look at.

"I remember a little about Vincent Levough. I envision nothing but his kindness when I do," Savvi says, smacking his lips.

I look at him, though blankly. Savvi had lost his memories since he joined us, but he gets bits and pieces of his past life. I believe it was caused by an accident that happened five years ago.

But I'm less concerned about someone else's damaged mind other than my own. I'm jealous. If he has met Vincent Levough, it means he spent more moments with him more than I'll ever get.

Suddenly, Savvi's watch beeped. He looked at it, muttering, "Aldrynon's at the room. Even though none of us spotted him at the party. Come on, Orion. Time to lose the suit and gear up."

I'd give anything to spend one more second with my angel... before he actually becomes an angel.

months later

SCHLIEMANN BASE

MÜNSTER, GERMANY

My hand laid on the cold glass that separated a room from where I am. As if I could touch him. As if my cold touch could reach from the other side of the glass and comfort him.... maybe wake him up from the deep sleep.

Months ago, we were supposed to kill Vincent Levough because he made something evil. He made something only Jesus can do... he created something that challenged God's powers.

Lá Juliet: Stem Cell Mutation, or what fantasy called "Elixer of Life, " "Fountain of Youth," and so on. It was supposed to give life, but it took life away from the one who made it.

She's evil, Lá Juliet I mean. And she will destroy humanity instead of healing it. Because of what Vincent created, the Schliemann wanted to destroy him.

But no, something happened. My brother's lover committed suicide for the sake of the Schliemann's enemies. Victor Strauss' lover volunteered to die to save our enemies. To save Vincent Levough.

I wish I had the bravery to kill myself too.

Because of Victor's loss, there was a drastic change of plans. We now need to bring Vincent to Germany so he will recreate Lá Juliet. Even though she's evil. Lá Juliet is evil. But my brother is desperate. My brother wants his lover back. He'd go through hell just to pull his loved one back. Vincent has to be forced. Held captive.

Now at present, I can only watch him.

I had to watch him through the glass. I had to watch the pain in his eyes as he refuses to bring Victor's lover back to life. Jace Ford was someone he cared about, too. I feel like Vincent does want to bring him back... but he knows she's evil. Lá Juliet should never see the light of day.

But Victor forced him. And I had to watch.

He cried a thousand droplets of tears. I had to watch that, too.

His daughter was held against him, and I had to watch his heart break.

Vincent shot himself. I too, watched with unblinking eyes.

But unlike Victor, I wasn't desperate for the person I love. I didn't go crazy for the person I love dying right in front of me.

Though it hurt, and I wanted to die with Vincent. Glass couldn't protect me from the pain. Watching him die, I was simply... sad. I was... driven.

Since Savvi's unexpected betrayal, I was appointed as the main bodyguard for the literal dead body of Vincent Levough. He's so alone behind that glass now. Jace used to be in that room too, but Victor transferred him and the other one to Berlin. Vincent is all alone now.

I am too.

I couldn't help it. I had to try. If I wanted to create life, I have to try. Even if I married death.

For the first time ever, I entered the confinement room. I am now on the other side of the mirror I used to watch. I touched Vincent Levough's fingers. So cold. Pale. Stone-like. Beautiful.

It was when I saw messy handwritten notes on the room's desk. The room was filled with modern equipment. It is full of apparatus and mice cages. I saw a couple of injections with strange liquid inside of them, all with different colors. These are trial and errors of the formula.

And these are his handwritings... I can't help but stare at them. Perfectly messy curves, it's so clear that his hands were gentle and soft when he's holding the pen. So beautiful...

I can't help it. I have to be immersed. I have to correct what he did wrong.

DNA sample needs to be at 14%...

RNA needs to match...

The cells die if it's not warm enough...

The cells have to be alive before injection...

They have to be injected into the bone marrow where stem cells are produced...

Most effective vessel for distribution is the blood...

It needs iron...

Slow exposure and tiny doses will make it less of a threat if the white blood cell first grows back...

I can't help it. I have to correct what he's done. I believe I corrected it all one more than a week. For the first time in a week , I look at Vincent's embalmed corpse.

I look at Lá Juliet in my hands. Is it okay if she touches my Vincent?

I already lost my angel. I have nothing to lose, anyways.

a week later

Sirens around the building blared out as I threw a second gasoline-filled bottle that instantly lit up the laboratory. I hear screams... I hear death from people inside.

But I didn't care. In my hands were the most precious vessel of life ever. I don't need any other life. Sleeping peacefully in my car was a beautiful Vincent Levough. Breathing. He is breathing.

While the Laboratories burned to the ground, I brought him to somewhere, not even my brother would think of looking. Speaking of my brother, what would he say if I destroyed everything?

I covered my tracks. I preserved Lá Juliet. I didn't honestly care if my brother gets mad at me. But if Vincent gets mad at me... I'd rather hurt myself.

The day he woke up was the happiest in my life as of now.

"This is... new home, okay? I am good guy. I am friend. Friend loves you." Vincent's mouth twitched for a smile at my stupid attempt at language. "You do not know? I will fix you. I pro...mise!"

I'd rather not hurt myself when Vincent is here giving me the best time of my life.

two weeks later

Upon returning to the cozy cottage I kept my angel in, the door was wide open. "V-Vincent?"

My lips dried as I dropped the stuffed teddy bear I planned to surprise him with. I ran to the house, yelling out his name.

"Vincent!" He wasn't here. "Vince?"

He was gone. I look at the floor to see blood on the floor. A droplet, which I can sense fell from a very short distance judging by the size of the drop. The table was crooked too. He fell and hit his head.

Which means... he remembered. I sank to my knees, my heart melting into a hopeless goo. He left me. My angel left me...

Memories are bad.

Not long after, my phone started to ring.

VICTOR

Answer | Decline

My brother... Not bothering to put it on my ear, I simply set it in loudspeaker as I wallow in my failure.

“Rye! Vivian Levough is spotted in Der Flüm road. Get rid of her. Now.”

What happens if Vincent sees his daughter? This house is located exactly on Der Flüm road. Will Vincent hate me if I hurt his daughter? I have no choice. I know what I have to do.

hours later

THIRD PERSON PERSPECRIVE

Orion had loaded his guns and in the trunk, dumping it alongside an unzipped body bag containing a sleeping Vivian Levough. When he approached the driver's seat, he wanted to punch his reflection on the window. I have to go after him. It's my fault I lost him.

Once he got inside the car, he pressed a button to activate the modified fake trunk interior to hide his guns and his kidnapped victim. An expected call then rang from his phone that he rarely uses.

He answered it, holding it to his ear but never bothered to talk. It was his older brother, Victor Strauss. The Master of the Schliemann Mafia.

“Rye, it's December. The rainfall's going to be 77mm. Be careful and get here quickly.”

"If rain is going to kill me, it will be my pleasure." His voice, raspier and deeper, is more than scary enough to make a baby cry.

“Let it kill you after you have successfully hidden the body...”

Victor ended the call, and Orion threw the phone into the back seat. I didn't kill her. What would Victor say about that? He then proceeded to carefully put the little girl inside a nearby hay farm to avoid the climate plaguing her. Vincent will never forgive me if you die, little girl.

night time later

Victor was right, as the road ahead now has zero visibility from the thick December rain. Yet Orion had no problem navigating his way home. This area of Münster are full of farms and forestry, so the least that could happen is the car skidding and hitting a tree. I know you are here, Vincent, Orion thought. You can never go far. I am here to protect you.

Suddenly, a small silhouette visibly limped at the side of the road. Orion gently hit the brakes.  "There he is."

Orion stayed there in the middle of the road for a moment, uncertain what to do. He worries that Vincent could die of hypothermia, and Orion would not allow his precious sunshine to freezing.

He held his head in his hands, frustrated on how much he wanted to take him, but he'll just leave and it'll hurt all over again. Besides, Vincent Levough is the brother of Schliemann's rival Mafia. Orion being the brother of a German Mafia Boss is trouble enough. Being in love with another Mafia prince is too much trouble. He hates this life. But he loves Vincent.

Victor Strauss has given his brother one job as of now; kill Vivian Levough because she is a witness to Schliemann's experiments.

But Orion had other plans. After secretly reviving a dead Vincent Levough using his modified formula of Stem Cell Mutation, he snuck him out by initiating an explosion.

They spent two weeks together in a cabin. Happy with language barriers, Vincent's lack of consciousness, Orion's everlasting gentle love... it was right there. But Vincent's memories had to return, and Orion came home one day to find the cabin empty.

Orion Strauss is a force to be reckoned with. He can't lose Vincent. He now has someone to live for. He wasn't going to let Vincent slip.

The next thing he knew, Orion's car sped up and hit Vincent, much to Orion's despair. He then exits the vehicle and almost went nuts.

I didn't kill him. Oh god, please say I didn't kill him. He... he has to hit his head.

Orion can't help but feel guilty. He has hurt his precious sunshine. But it was all for the best. I need him. I need him, I need him!

Vincent pushed himself up, then stumbled onto Orion's car. "I'm sorry," The raven-haired boy wiped his tears away before hopping out into the vehicle and into the stinging, heavy rain. "Hey! What are you doing here?"

When Vincent responded with a faint, "...rion... Strauss..."

It wasn't enough to get rid of his memories. Desperate to start over, Orion got rid of his last consciousness reserved only for this man.

He grabbed him by the hair and slammed his head onto the car's headlight. It created the cuts and bruise on Vincent's head.

Orion felt so bad that he collapsed to his knees and grabbed his head in remorse. His breathing trembled and his tears expressed their violent release.

"Oh my fúck... oh my fúck...! V-Vince..." he cried, cradling an unconscious and bloody Vincent in his arms. In between sobs and wheezes, he cries out, "I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry... I just can't live without you... please, please, please be okay... I love you, please... I love you... don't you leave me! I'll... I'll die without you."

His voice barred down to desperate whispers as he lightly kissed Vincent's face as if it was comfort from the pain. "Please, please forgive me... I'm selfish, I'm so selfish. Please forgive me..."

I have to lie to my angel. I have to start over.

present-day

"Nacht..." Lächlen---or most definitely Vincent Levough, called out. The man looked down on him with such pity. Someone should not be going through something like this. "Is my daughter alive?"

"Orion is keeping her safe," Nacht answered.

"Kill me, then..." Vincent whispered.

"What?"

Vincent looked up, showing Nacht a very heartbroken expression that even the German man can feel.

"KILL ME! I caused nothing but chaos! None of this would've happened if I didn't make that formula---Victor wouldn't attack the Levough, the Ford twins would've been alive, I wouldn't have gone through this shít!"

The Ford twins were Jace and Jason Ford; two noble and brave men who were lost during the stand-off between the Schliemann Mafia and the Levough. Jason Ford was Vincent's precious friend and subordinate. Jace Ford was Victor's lover and husband.

Needless to say, Jace Ford was the reason he was here. Vincent was being forced to bring them back to life, after being successful with the resurrection of the first person five years ago; a person precious to Vincent.

The Ford twins are precious to him too. But this was unnatural and inhumane; messing with the nature of life. It's basically waging a war against the universe.

"But the dead should stay dead... why can't I... why can't I accept that?" Vincent sobbed. Why can't I just accept my friends' deaths?

He had remembered everything. He remembered why he made the formula. Vincent Levough once lost a family and best friend. A best friend with cancer; a best friend that he promised to help.

But he took too long to accomplish the formula, and that best friend was no more. He loved that person, but he could not bring him back; so he tried saving Xavier, because someone loves him just like Vincent once loved. Xavier was a success, something he couldn't do for the first time.

Orion saved me because he loves me, too... Vincent thought. But all those pain, all those secrets... it sent their trust down the drain.

"Please kill me," Vincent begged. "And make sure I stay dead."

Nacht was not one to hesitate, and he wasn't one to disobey anyone's wishes. He raised the silencer to Vincent's temple and clicked the gun. With closed eyes, Vincent forced a smile one more time. It's for the best.

Surprisingly, a hand covered the gun's hole. It was the pale, shaking hand of a conscious Trancy.

"N-nho..." Vincent wasn't aware of his recovery, but the boy hugged him despite his wounded arm. "Please donnt... Trance... loves Layyylen..."

Nacht's expression remained cold while watching his subordinate nuzzle Vincent's shoulder.

Then he lowered the gun, much to Vincent's shock. "Well, you're not mine to kill anyways. Get Orion to kill you."

"Wh-wha--?!"

"Pleeease st-hay, Layy-len..." Trancy sobbed. Vincent, being as soft-hearted as he is, can't help but feel bad for Trancy.

"He can't stay, Trancy. He has to go home," says Nacht, pulling Vincent up. Then he smiled at the bloody blonde sitting on the floor, "Trancy, you should help the Karns take care of Victor Strauss. Don't worry. You're still our precious Trancy."

"Wait..." Vincent got pulled outside by Nacht. "But Trancy! He's bleeding!"

"He survived 3 days by himself with a cracked skull. Trancy's stronger than he looks," Nacht confidently boasted about his friend until both of them reached a door in the major's marvelous garden, coated with vines from arch to doorknob.

It looked straight out of a fantasy book. The olden wood design, the plants growing in its crack, despite being partially destroyed it stayed beautiful and sturdy.

Nacht didn't do anything. He simply nodded to the door. Vincent clenched his trembling hands to steady them before pushing gently on the door.

There sat a heavy but beautiful sight. A simple bedroom with a simple double bed, only coated with stuffed Teddy bears and vines is coating the walls and ceilings. The sole window facing the door also had a border of pretty green vines that weren't in bloom.

Most precious of all was Orion sitting in bed, his hand caressing the beautiful coal brown hair of a sleeping little girl.

It was Vivian Levough, peacefully asleep in Orion's lap as she used his arm as a fleshy Teddy bear. Vincent's heart could melt at the scene, but they hardened again when Orion's dark eyes met his light browns.

"Vincent..."

"My daughter..." He growled with clenched teeth, "Stay away from her!"

A flash of hurt blinded Orion. Even though Vincent also felt guilty, he can't conceal his rage. That was his daughter. The daughter Orion kept from him.

Meanwhile, Nacht gently closed the door and gave them their privacy. One of the Karns was standing by the entrance, waiting for Nacht with a worried face.

"You know what Orion is going to do, right?" Karn says.

Nacht merely smiled. "Anything he will do is better than what Victor planned to do."

Meanwhile, the tension inside the special garden room is impossible to cut. Orion and Vincent no longer look at each other as lovers;  their morals are against it.

"I remember everything," Vincent cried, facing Orion inside the room. "You... you..."

"I am monster." Orion finished for him. "I know I am. I am monster. I risk being the monster because I love you! I became monster because I want to be loved by you!"

"I don't love monsters! But Orion, I did love you." Vincent's voice cracked. "I love the Orion that was gentle, caring, and innocent! I... I don't know if I can love this Orion... you're not the Orion I loved. Now you dare hide my daughter away from me?!"

“Vin—“ before Orion can convince him otherwise, Vivian stirred in her sleep and released a great big yawn. Her father stood there shocked, unable to say anything.

Vivian Levough still looks angelic. She now has her face cleaned and a natural blush adorning her cheeks. She looks fresh and well taken care of. To Vincent's surprise, she's also tightly holding on to Orion.

"Da... ddy?" The four-year-old girl called out upon realizing that it's been her Father's voice she's hearing.

She then lit up and gasped happily before turning excitedly to the man beside her. "Orion, Daddy's here! You brought Daddy? Is it okay for you?"

The little girl noticed that the two adult men had tears in their eyes. Orion's eyes were dark and reddish-pink around the bags, while Vincent's looked sore and stressed out.

"Orion, don't cry. My Daddy's here now. You said Daddy makes you happy all the time..."

"What..." Vincent dared to speak out. "What is the meaning of this, Orion?"

Orion opened his mouth to speak but the happy and giddy Vivian answered for him. "You weren't well, Daddy. So Orion took good care of me. He says Daddy will hate him if you see me here. So... I said that I can wait until Daddy won't hate him anymore."

"You manipulated my child?!"

"I told her what is true!" Orion yelled out. "Everything! I told her every single thing that I cannot tell you."

"Then why can't you tell me, Orion?!" Vincent cried out. "Why didn't you tell me? That's my girl right there... that I forgot... that I left alone and abandoned... she's my little girl, Orion! Why would you take her from me?!"

"D-Daddy, please... Orion's a good guy, he didn't want you to leave him..." Vivian started to cry.

"Stay out of this, Vivi! That man is a murderer! He murders people! He took us away from home—him and his bloody mafia!"

Vivian cried because it's the first time her Daddy ever scolded her. "B-but he loves you..."

"That's what he says," Vincent whimpered, unable to look Orion in the eyes. "Just because he can love, doesn't mean he's a good person."

"I am not." Orion blurted out, lifting himself off the bed while his hand is gently hovering over Vivian's head. "I am not good person. I am selfish. I am murder...ous. I am disgrace. I am a mistake."

For some reason, that just hit Vincent right in the heart. Vincent Levough is a natural gentle person who looks out for everyone who needs him. He was the big brother of the Levough Mafia.

He was the mother of everyone who was lucky enough to encounter him. For someone to degrade themselves like this... true or false, is just a pain to Vincent's heart.

Orion stepped closer, his speed rivaling that of a slow ballad. Vincent cannot move, nor does he have the willpower to push Orion away as he got closer.

"I am the person who rivals Satan. I am never Superhero. I am never prince of anything. But, Vincent," Orion abruptly pulled him closer by the nape, an intimate distance that can be explicit to little Vivian.

"I am never going to let you go, Lächlen."

Such simple words with basic grammar and meanings were able to electrify a bolt inside of Vincent. It's not a good kind of feeling, yet also not a bad one. It's just... there.

"But you hurt me," Vincent whispered. "You took me away from home. You took my daughter away from me."

"I was afraid." This time, Orion's pained whimper can be clearly heard. He cupped Vincent's face in his large, rough hands. "I am afraid. That you will leave me. Like at the bridge. That hurt. That really hurt me. But damn, I know I hurt you more than you've hurt me."

Orion landed a kiss on Vincent's nose that he thankfully didn't resist. It was sensual, that kiss was pure, and that kiss projected genuine feelings of regret and guilt.

"I understand that you never forgive me... That is why..." he sobs, before raising a familiar, rusty revolver between the two of them.

"Orion—“ Vincent tried pulling away but the boy only pulled him so close that the smell of steel threatened their very existence.

"I do not want to see you suffering under my brother's hand," he cried. "So please take me out. That way, I will make sure you are sent to heaven when we meet in the afterlife..."

"Orion, stop!" Vincent cried. He genuinely doesn't want Orion dead. It genuinely hurts to see this boy, who has been suffering all his life, ask him to end the life he was cursed with.

"If you give me a reason to live, maybe I will consider..." he crept closer, as did the gun. As much as Vincent wants to get away, he couldn't. "And if you give me your body, I might spare both of our lives."

Is it a sin to want to give myself to him either way? Vincent now understands what kind of person Orion is.

He's just a boy who fell in love, and is lost in love. He doesn't know what to do, how to express his feelings, nor does he know what is right and wrong in love. Not to mention his terrible life limits him to make terrible decisions.

A life without a family. A life without friends. A life without color. A life without Lächlen.

Realizing that it also kills Vincent to see Orion suffer through the consequences of his selfish actions, he really does still love him despite the monstrosity.

After all, Orion's just a boy who grew up around wrong decisions until he made the worst actions himself. Orion did all of this because of love. Not even Cupid could go through such measures for Psyche.

Orion saved me, he brought me back... he also kept me and Vivian safe. Away from Victor Strauss. Away from Schliemann.

"Please don't," Vincent repeated, wrapping his hand around the fingers holding the gun. "There are people who love you."

"Lies!"

"Orion!" This time it was Vincent who held him in place. "You have Nacht, you have Karns, damn it Trancy's like a loving little brother to you even if you're terrible to all of them! And I know Victor's one big Harry Osborn, but damn it he still protected you from your shítty family! They love you!"

Vincent glanced at his precious daughter, paying close attention to their fight. She looks hurt seeing them quarrel like this. Especially with a gun involved.

"And Vivian loves you, doesn't she? I... I know her... she never defends anyone unless she really loved them..." Vincent looked down, focused on his buttons. "And... I... I don't hate you. I'd never hate anyone. But you... I don't know what to feel about you... because I love you..." Vincent shyly uttered those German words again, even if the pronunciation is off.

"You love me?"

"...but I'm not sure if it's right."

But Vincent does love him. All those feelings can't be obliterated, even though it's not meant to be there in the first place. Orion quickly hugged him, even though Vincent still has a heavy burden in his heart.

"So happy. I am so happy, Vincent."

They thought everything was okay.

"That's why from now on... Orion Strauss will kill himself." Orion continued while Vincent gasped. "And maybe... I'll be reborn as the Orion you love. I will learn not to be selfish. I will learn, Vincent. I promise... I will never, ever hurt you."

Vincent tried pulling away from the hug, especially when the gun between them slipped out. Behind Orion, he can see Vivian grow shocked and scared, but Vincent couldn't hear her screams. The gun made his ear ring, for it had shot Orion in the neck.

Bloody and full of empty hope, Orion dropped down to the ground. Vincent could barely react when the curly-haired prince of darkness choked because of his blown-up neck. By the time Vincent dropped down and cried in silent hysteria, Orion was no more.

As lifeless as he always wanted to be.

one and a half year later

LEVOUGH MANOR

"Daddy! Daddy, look! I found something that's not Uncle Justin's porn stash!" Vivian bounced on her father's knees while pushing a photo really close to his face that his eyelashes kisses the photopaper.

"You need to stay away from Uncle Justin, Vivian." Vincent ruffled his daughter's dark hair.

"B-but my Uncles hide candies in their room! Uncle Justin said I could have them if I find them!"

Vincent currently wants to murder his brother. He still hasn't forgotten that moment where Vivian found a dildo in their bedroom. Now that Justin Levough and his "wife" are off to Palawan, Philippines... the bedroom is unlimited access for Vivian.

"Anyways... what's this?" Vincent took the photo and adjusted his glasses so he can focus more. The contents of the photo lit a proud light in his heart. It was a picture of the Levough family.

Vivian pointed to the three Levough Children. "Who are those, they have strange eyebrows..."

"That's us," Vincent laughs wholeheartedly as Vivian leaned into his chest. He pointed to his brother which was 18-year-old Justin Levough slipping a tongue despite being in a formal family portrait. "That's Uncle Justin. The first and most problematic out of all of us."

"Ew. Uncle Justin with straight hair looks like a mushroom pen—“

"Okay, you're not allowed anywhere near Uncle Justin, okay? I'll buy you twice the candy he offers you if you do."

Vivian smiles innocently before diverting the attention towards adolescent Vincent Levough. "Oh look, it's Daddy! With glasses!"

Vincent smiled at his 16-year-old appearance. I had earrings back then. Rebel. With the softest fingers, Vincent pointed to the third, youngest Levough. "That's the nicest, sweetest person you can ever find on the planet. That's your Auntie Ferrer Levough."

"She's pretty..."

"Always have. You look like her. She's brave, too." Vincent kissed Vivian on the temple. "She fought mean cancer with all her might!"

"Really? That's so cool! But why is Auntie not here?" Asks Vivian. Her father gave her a half-smile.

"God's always scouting for the bravest warriors so they can protect the earth from heaven." Vincent's fingers grazed on the portrait of his late baby sister. "I tried to save her, you know. I wanted her to stay."

"Just like Orion?" Asks Vivian

"Yeah. Just like Orion," Vincent smiled the widest. "I didn't get to save Auntie Ferrer. But that hard work and all those tries lead me to save the others who are precious to me now, too. Trying is always good. "

Trying to hold on, trying to stay alive, trying to go through life... Vincent thought to himself. Tries are just successfully failing.

"I want to protect you Daddy, but Orion's already there."

"I know."

one day,

???

Vincent returned to the secret, abandoned bridge. That bridge, where memories began and where it stayed. There was no sunrise though, for it was noon. There was no angelic smile too.

Sunrise has always been the light disturbing the darkness. Darkness accepts light, but it will always come back; So the light will have to be there for darkness. Yet the sun shone so brightly, the atmosphere warm and saturated.

Light isn't beautiful on its own now. Vincent knows that, and he's happy that Orion can see the sunrise with him too.

"I'm glad you can pass by here, Strauss." Vincent shifted his head to the side where a sunglasses-wearing Victor Strauss sightseeing the saturated river in front of them.

"I was forced."

One year can make changes, one year can fit a lot of positive changes in both men's lives. Vincent can't help but chuckle at him, "By Nacht, Karns, and Trancy?"

"I'm their boss." Victor sighed in disapproval. "And I only have one person to obey and be faithful."

"That's a beautiful sentence, coming from a supposedly 'tough' German Mafia Boss."

Victor barely reacted, but he is entertained by Vincent's genuine and natural humor. His aura just brings out the best in people.

"Justin told me that Schliemann Laboratories are using Japanese technology. I'm impressed, Victor. Looks like that technology is more effective when it comes to formulating Lá Juliet," Vincent says.

"But you originally created it using WYN tech," Victor replied. "I remember back when I wanted to destroy it. It was a success with Xavier de Vera, wasn't it."

"It was an accident." Vincent smiled. "A good one. I don't know about Orion, though."

Victor inhaled deeply and drawer out a sigh.

"It's not the technology that makes it work. It's the person." He faced Levough still without emotion. "You're a good genius. It has always been you. You just give up too easily."

"I guess I gave up, huh. Being stubborn, I mean."

Victor raised an eyebrow at this, before checking his smartwatch.

"I don't mind talking with a stubborn Asian, but I'm leaving. They're waiting for me," Victor Strauss walked off to his own car, parked in the sidewalks.

Vincent genuinely smiled at his former nemesis. "Say hi to the gang for me. Tell Trancy I'll pay for his plane ticket if he visits."

The German boss hummed in agreement. Upon opening the car door, Victor removed his sunglasses.

"By the way," Victor says, now cozy inside his humble Bently. Vincent stared back at his old friend. "The bastard says hi."

Jace will never be friendly, huh.

that night

IN VIVIAN'S BED ROOM

"...when there is desire, there is gonna be a flame. When there is a flame, someone's bound to get burned..." Vincent silently sang as a lullaby to the precious Vivian. He pulled up the covers, "...just because you burn, doesn't mean you're gonna die..."

Vivian giggled, singing with him. "You gotta get up, and try, try, try... I love you, Daddy. Papa Orion, too."

"Now, who sang the song without me?" Vincent was engulfed by strong arms from the back, belonging to the one and only prince of darkness.

Vivian laughed ecstatically when Orion started to tickle Vincent's neck. "Traitor! Both of you, Asian goddesses! Argh!"

"Papa, no!" Vivian acted like she goes on to save Vincent who was getting devoured by the curly-haired boogeyman. She kept hitting Orion with her x4 combo pillow punch.

Then, a brown-furred pupper with a bow entered the room proudly, and following her were three pups tripping on their paws every 3 seconds.

"Aww Daddy look, Stranger's babies are so cute!"

Under his breath, Orion muttered, "Little piles of elephant dung—“

"Rye! That's our child and grandchildren, too!" Vincent scolded him then held Stranger against his bitter face so she can lick the crap out of that bitter face.

Disgusted, Orion spoke in his own language, "The only grandchildren I'll have are organs of—“

"So....you don't want to have children and grandchildren with me?" Vincent cut him off, making a face irresistibly torturing Orion.

Those eyes. Those eyebrows. Is he begging to make children? The puppy eyes pulled Orion into deep guilt and the sudden urge to fúck him in front of his own daughter.

"Vivian will have the tiny furries, I'll have you," with that, Orion licked Vincent's neck the same way a dog would. Vivian cheered for his Papa Orion as Stranger the dog tries to scratch his hoodie to protect Vincent.

The trio and the furry things enjoyed the moment of a fun, peaceful night only lit up by Vivian's pink lava lamps. After successfully lulling the girl and the dogs to sleep, Vincent was immediately dragged back to the bedroom.

"You look sexy in glasses, Lächlen... " Orion said, gently nibbling on Vincent's ears. It was nighttime in their bedroom.

"Hey calm down, I'm too old for this..." When Vincent looked at him, he almost looks like a puppy. A lovesick puppy, that is.

As Orion basically pinned him down and mauled him with worshipping kisses, Vincent grew hot and filled with this burning urgency.

"Ow!" A sting erupted from his collarbone and turns out Orion bit him to the point of bleeding. "Orion, you dog!"

"Lächlen," Orion grunted, stripping him off and attacking him with a waterfall of pecks. He misses this science nerd so bad. "You've been too busy with your Lab..."

"What, you want me to pay attention to this full-sized Orion-Labrador?"

"Please," Orion sighed against his chest, imaginary dog ears drooping down.

Vincent can't resist him. He's a tiny puppy when it comes to asking for sex but a total alpha beast when it is happening. Not that Vince is complaining; it actually relieves the stress from work and Vivian's shenanigans off his system.

Orion's voice in the middle of sèx rang in Vincent's ear like a haunting lullaby. "Lächlen... that sound you just made..."

"It wasn't me, i-it was the bed's spring."

"It was cute."

"O-Orion... a-ah, too fast! Slow down!"

That morning, Vincent stayed seated in the big white bed staring into nothingness while his complexion is that of a Fuji apple. Embarrassed and sore he thought, I need to be gagged shut when we do that...

He looked at the peacefully sleeping Orion. Now aged one year, he proposed to Vincent right on his 20th birthday. Vince never knew that he actually had money in his bank account, buying a pure silver custom designer ring worth £3,200 as if it was nothing but chinaware. Orion explains that he has never spent his allowance ever since elementary.

Look at him, Vincent leaned down and hovered over Orion, sweeping stray curls off of that pale forehead. He is still indeed pale, but those eyeliner-esque eyebags are lightened up and look more like lavender clouds under his eyes. Orion is a beautiful man, just shadowed by tragedy and disregard for his health.

Now his lips have a little color in them. Though, it's muted red. Vincent touched it, only to find red flakes picked up by his nails. Oh wait, that's my blood.

Vincent Levough will always be a forgiving man. For a long time, he hasn't known the difference between what's important to him and what's right.

It turns out correct; Lá Juliet is never the right choice, but Vincent's decision is an important one, and that's what he has realized with Orion's suicide.

It wasn't even pride that held Vincent back. It was fear; the fear of failing, the fear of controlling life and death. Even with his little sister Ferrer, he stopped trying. He gave it all up.

With his childhood friend Xavier, he has to try again. With a special friend Jace, he didn't want to try waking up a person who specifically chose to die.

With Orion, I'm so happy I never stopped trying.

Now both of them got scars on their jaw and neck.

"Good morning, Lächlen." Orion breathed in his scent, pulling him closer by his naked hips.

The sunrise invading the windows sat laying atop Vincent's face in a perfect gradient. With that unregretful, unproblematic and genuinely romantic smile, Orion fell in love all over again.

"I am sorry for hurting you."

Vincent shrugged, then smirked. "Love hurts. Especially a big one."

"Please stay away from Justin Levough." Orion blushed a cute, bloody pigment because of Vincent's statement.

His Lächlen laughed at the overused statement he uses on Vivian. Sure enough, Orion was going to hurt him more this early in the morning for that arousing four-worded tease.

As much as Vincent prefers this lighter, more developed Orion, he can't help but thank the most terrible monster inside of him, because Vincent himself would never develop without it.

It takes a devil to help an angel fly, and it takes an angel to take the devil flying the skies.

The breeze was calming, freedom washing over from the horizon. The waters were still, glistening against the moonlight. The streets were empty, barren; isolated. It would be calm. It would be peaceful. Their first meeting place would be unknown for a couple of days, months, years. Their love story would be undisturbed.

THE END