Larger than Fiction

Chapter 2

The sound of footsteps echoed throughout the house. The both turned their heads in the general direction the sound was coming from. Adreyn’s eyes were wide and filled with dread. Ares merely glanced over before his attention returned back to Adreyn who was frantically searching for something to put on. He found a pair of pants and quickly pulled them on, hissing as he felt the rough fabric grazing over his aching need. But he didn’t have time to worry about that now.

After slipping a shirt over his head, he saw Ares moving toward him, and what looked like exasperation or annoyance was slightly written over his face. “No!” He said, a little too loudly. He threw a hand over his mouth but the damage was already done.

“Adreyn?” Craig’s voice called and the footsteps, that had been faintly disappearing, got louder as Craig came closer to their room.

Adreyn’s brought a finger to his lips, throwing Ares’ a pointed look. Ares’ eyes slanted angrily, displaying the first true emotion on his face that couldn’t easily be mistake. It was pure, undiluted anger.

Adreyn swallowed thickly. “Please, just let me go see him. I promise, afterward, no interruptions. I’ll do whatever you want. Please.” He whispered fervently; sweat breaking over his forehead as he heard the doorknob begin to turn.

“Adreyn? What are you doing in there? Open the door.” Craig called from the other side. Adreyn forced his body back against it, begging Ares with his eyes. Ares looked back, unimpressed, and grabbed him from the door like he weighed nothing. The door flew open and Craig stepped in. Adreyn closed his eyes, holding his breath.

“…What are you doing?”

Adreyn cautiously opened his eyes. That wasn’t the reaction he was expecting. He looked into Craig’s face and saw absolutely nothing he was expecting such as shock or anger or jealousy at having a gorgeous, naked man standing behind him with his arm possessively wrapped around his waist, sucking on his earlobe and looking at Craig so impassively as if he wasn’t practically groping what was Craig’s right in front of him.
Instead, he was giving Adreyn his usual impatient look, waiting for an answer.

“What—“ Adreyn croaked and slowly cleared his throat, trying to move away from the hard body pressed from behind. He was rewarded with an angry growl and decided he was fine just where he was. He looked back and forth between Ares and Craig.

“Don’t you---aren’t you angry?” Adreyn asked in disbelief. Sure, they had fought last night and weren’t on good terms, and sure, there had been some words exchanged about the finality of their relationship, but they were just words after all, weren’t they? How many times had they had this same exact fight? And if…and if Craig did want to leave him and was a complete heartless bastard, after five years of this relationship, a small part of him must care that another man was in his bed…shouldn’t he?

Craig sighed, rubbing his temples. “It’s too early in the morning to do this. I just came to grab my stuff. That’s all.”

Adreyn stared at him, mouth agape. He really wasn’t jealous? Without thinking, he blurted, “Are you fucking blind or are you that fucking heartless that you can’t see what’s right in front of you?”

Craig stared at him, long and hard, and then looked away. "I know what's in front of me. It's you who's not seeing me! I can't do this anymore. I can't be second best."

Meanwhile, Ares, who was getting bothered with Adreyn’s lack of attention moved from behind, blocking Craig from his view and trying to grasp Adreyn’s chin and turn his face to meet his mouth. Adreyn jerked his face angrily away, glancing over Ares’ shoulder. “I don’t mean metaphorically, you dumbass. I’m talking about the fucking Hercules standing right in fucking front of you.”

Craig opened his mouth and closed it. He did this three or four times, chewing on Adreyn's words. "Hercules? What the fuck?" And then it hit him. His face fell. “You’ve got to be fucking with me right now…are you drunk?”

“No, I’m not drunk. Would you fucking quit touching me? Shit, you’re needy as hell. Give me a motherfucking second.” Adreyn growled between gritted teeth, shoving Ares as hard as he could. That was the straw that finally broke the camels back.

“What are you talking about? I’m not even touching you—“

Before he could finish, Ares, who was seeing red, slammed his hand into the wall with his frustration, practically shaking the entire room with the force of his blow and when he pulled away, his eyes were glowing a fierce, perturbing green, so dark they were almost black as pulled his hand away from the large dent in the wall and stalked towards Craig, reaching for his throat.

Adreyn began to panic. “Wait, no, god, don’t hurt him. PLEASE!” He screamed, reaching out to pull Ares back. The panic stricken look froze on his face as Ares literally moved through Craig, and he found himself staring into hard, angry brown eyes.

“Unbelievable! You are drunk. Jesus, Adreyn. I can’t deal with this right now. I just can’t.”

Adreyn wasn’t listening to a word he was saying. He grabbed the sides of Craig’s face, turning it this way and about, eyes wide as saucers as relief and shock coursed through him, his body still pumping with adrenalin to fully wrap his mind around what was going on. “You’re…you’re not hurt. He couldn’t touch you…I don’t…Oh god...I can’t…” He was breathing hard, he couldn’t catch his breath. He turned to glance at Ares who was also puzzled, looking at Craig as if HE was the figment of his imagination.

Ares grabbed a picture of the two of them on their dresser and hurled it towards Craig. Adreyn’s heart accelerated. Again, it just passedright through him. He moved to grab another object and this time Adreyn snapped. “For fucks sake, stop that. Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”

Ares scowled glumly, but at this point Adreyn didn’t think he could react to any of his animosity and take it seriously. The ‘Adonis’ honestly looked like a sulking brat. He rolled his eyes as he watched the warrior, arms folded, pace around the room like a caged, angry beast, staring at them with those haunting, green eyes.

That is, until his attention was dragged elsewhere. Adreyn felt two large, warm hands against his face and turned to stare into Craig’s eyes, now slightly worried. “Who are you talking to?” He whispered and Adreyn’s heart began to thud…for a different reason.

He swallowed nervously. “You can’t…see him?”

“See who, Adreyn? As far as I know, you and I are the only fucking people in this room right now.”

“But he…he just…the wall!” Adreyn practically screamed, pointing to the dent in the wall only to find…there wasn’t one. His eyes glanced sharply to the picture on the dresser. It was still there.

It took a moment for that to sink in. Then Adreyn began laughing hysterically, pushing his hair from his face. “Wow…I’ve lost it.”

Craig sighed, almost forlornly, softly stroking Adreyn’s cheek. He was deaf to the possessive grow lingering from behind. “I can’t stand you, you know that?” his words held no malice however, only weariness. “I said I was going to leave you this time. I really meant it this time, Adreyn.” He said, like he was trying to convince himself.

“No.” Adreyn whispered, nuzzling into the open palm against his face. He kissed Craig’s wrist, up his hand, moving closer, throwing his arms around Craig’s waist and burying his nose into the crook of his neck. He inhaled deeply. “I’m sorry…I love you, you know I do. Don’t leave me.”

Craig ran his arm soothingly over Adreyn’s back, but his voice was detached. He clenched his jaw, determined. “Sssh, let’s get you back to bed.”

“Say you won’t leave me first. Say you’ll stay.”

Craig began to slowly pull away but Adreyn clung on, eyes wide. “Craig, please.”

“I’ll get you some asprin.” He wouldn’t meet Adreyn’s eyes.

Fine, If Craig was going to be that way, then Adreyn would be too. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door, ignoring Craig as he knocked on the door trying to get his attention.

Adreyn couldn't believe it. It was really over...