Serpentine Embrace

Ray groaned as the light from the window shined in and tried to incinerate his eyeballs underneath their lids. With another groan he yanked the covers over his head. He felt awful. His mouth was as dry as a desert. He felt sick to his stomach. Then the pounding in his head wasn’t making anything better. Why did people always go on about how wonderful drinking was? He always just felt like shit the next day.

When Ray shifted to try and get comfortable and go back to sleep he stilled when he felt something wasn’t right. There was a lump behind him that was taking up half of his singlewide bed. Ray rolled and wiggled his body until he was lying on his back and could see what the thing was.

He sighed when a mass of wild black hair peeked out from under the covers. Eddie. He forgot he had asked the other man to stay over last night, which wasn’t hard to believe since he hardly remembered anything from their drinking adventure. He felt ashamed that, even though he was plastered, he was still too scared to stay by himself, the remnants of his “dream” still seeming all too real. Though he would have been fine with Eddie sleeping on the couch instead of in his bed, but he knew his little hardheaded friend had a vendetta against couches and would only ever stay over if he was allowed in the bed. He still had to ask Eddie what he had against sofas.

Ray stared up at the ceiling absently. He had hoped by the next day that he’d be over his little delusion, but he wasn’t. Flashes from last night kept flashing through his mind in such perfect clarity Ray was on the verge of thinking it was all real again. His nostrils flared as he sighed heavily and rubbed at his eyes with his hand.

“It was just a dream. Just a dream,” he murmured to himself, trying to drive it into his head. There were no such things as dragons or half snake people. Besides if it had been true the building should have been demolished, but it wasn’t. It was as whole and solid as it ever was. Even with that thought, though, he still had his doubts.

Ray was brought out of his frustrated mulling by the body next to him moving. A light groan came from underneath the covers and the next thing he knew an arm came around his chest and a head burrowed itself into the space where neck met shoulder. A pleasant sigh then issued from the smaller man as he cuddled the blonde.

Ray grunted and rolled his eyes.

“Eddie, get off me,” he demanded. When Eddie didn’t move Ray lifted his shoulder enough to jostle the man’s head. “I know you’re awake. Now off.”

“Oooooh, Man, stop being such a wet blanket, Bro,” Eddie muttered as, instead of pulling away, he just cuddled closer so their bodies were pressed together. “Just let me enjoy this for a few minutes. You’re so warm and comfy,” he said as he snuggled his face into Ray’s white cotton clad chest.

Ray groaned as he rubbed at his face with his hand. Eddie had no shame that much he knew from the moment they had met. He was also a man that was completely open about himself and kept no secrets. In just a few hours of working together Ray found out all about Eddie’s family, what schools he went to, who his friends were, that he used to be a major stoner and that he was bisexual.

Eddie even said to Ray that he hoped being bi wouldn’t upset their working together, apparently it had at a few of his other jobs, but Ray had no problem with a person’s sexual orientation. Why should he be? It was that persons business, not his.

No, Ray was fine with all aspects of Eddie, but he made a grave mistake during the first time Eddie had convinced him to go out drinking and Ray had become drunk. He accidentally let slip that he had experimented with men in college, which was the norm he was told, and not only had he experimented, but he found he didn’t mind fooling around with a man all too much. He wasn’t sure he was bisexual, but he never dismissed the possibility.

Ray’s greatest blunder, though, was when he told Eddie that back then and even to this day the thought of being with the same sex didn’t bother him and, jokingly, he said maybe he would try and start a relationship with a man now that his wife was out of the picture. Big mistake.

That was when Eddie’s flirtation and advances started. At first they started out with light touches that Ray wasn’t sure were just accidental brushes or done on purpose. Then some days when they would take their breaks together Eddie would sit just a little too close, but then one day; Eddie dropped all pretenses and started openly flirting with Ray and would try and steal hugs and kisses whenever he could. Luckily he never did anything that caused the blonde to become too terribly uncomfortable, but the attention was enough to make him wary and hesitant.

He told Eddie point blank that if he ever did start a relationship with a man the Latino was just not his type – not that he knew what his type was – but that seemed to get the message through and Eddie’s advances dampened somewhat, but they never stopped completely. That much was true then and now.

“Eddie, my arm is falling asleep. Off,” Ray said, trying to sound forceful and stern, but his tone fell just short, making the other man snort and laugh.

“The more you keep saying stuff like the more I’ll just want to cuddle the day away with you, Bro.”

“Eddie,” Ray growled, starting to become annoyed.

The younger man lifted his head enough to rest his chin on the man’s chest and he stared at Ray with those brown eyes of his.

“A grown man shouldn’t whine so much,” he told Ray with a cheeky grin, before patting the man’s chest with his hand. “If you’re so against cuddling then go make me breakfast.”

“What!?” Ray exclaimed and gawked at his gall.

“Why looking so shocked, Bro? It’s the least you can do since I was kind enough to keep you company and keep the big bad monsters away,” Eddie said matter-of-factly.

“You’re impossible, Eddie,” Ray snapped and used his arm to remove the smaller man from his person. He then quickly rolled over onto his side with his back to Eddie. He knew it was a long shot from dissuading the other man and he was proven right when Eddie’s arm came around him and the man spooned him from behind.

“All right, if you’re not going to make breakfast then I guess we’ll just stay here and cuddle,” Eddie muffled into the back of Ray’s neck as he snuggled as close as possible.

Ray said nothing and tried to ignore the other man as best as he could. It worked for awhile. He pretended the extra weight and heat Eddie’s body provided was just a big, bulky blanket. With that thought Ray was even able to start dozing off again. But one thing that could be said about Eddie, and that Ray knew very well, was that the man was never one to give up easily. Ray was reminded of that when he felt a soft, hot mouth on the back of his neck that began teasing and suckling his flesh.

That woke Ray up like a bucket of ice water and his body jolted away from the lips like they had burned him. This only resulted in the man falling right out of the bed and onto the floor. Ray groaned as he sat up and held a hand to his head that now felt like a jack hammer had been taken to it. His head whipped around and he glared at Eddie as the man laughed at his expense.

“That was priceless,” Eddie chuckled as he calmed down.

“You are such a jerk,” Ray growled at him.

“Hey, it’s not my fault if you wig out from some innocent kisses, Bro,” the smaller man retorted then sprawled out on his back and stretched. “Well, since you’re up, how about that breakfast?” he asked.

Ray grumbled incoherently as he hauled himself up off the floor and made to exit the small bedroom. Right before he closed the door he heard Eddie say,

“Hey, Ray! If it’s not too much to ask can I request some eggs, oh! And bacon if you have any.”

Ray growled and slammed the door closed behind him. Eddie was a great guy, but he could really rub the man the wrong way sometimes. It was even worse since Ray considered Eddie his best – not to mention only – friend since all of his trouble started. It wasn’t that his old friends wanted nothing to do with him, the ones that weren’t on Judy’s side at least, but it was because Ray distanced himself from them. He was never really sure why. Maybe out of shame of how far he had fallen and he didn’t want his friends to see his failure or his self worth had gone down so far he felt he didn’t deserve his other friends. Either way, he was the one that caused the usually frequent calls to make sure he was all right to lessen until he was sure everyone had forgotten about poor, self-pitying Ray. He made himself sick sometimes.

The coffee machine chattered and blew out steam as it made its first pot of coffee for the day. Ray riffled through the kitchen drawers until he pulled out a bottle of Aleve, hoping the little pill plus the warm brown liquid would soothe his aching head.

Ray sipped his coffee leisurely after downing an Aleve. He sat at his kitchen counter that looked out toward the living room as he waited for the effects of the pill to kick in. As he did so he took in his current living conditions. With the money he was making, and with what had been left in his saving, he could only afford a small, one bedroom apartment. It wasn’t too terrible. It had all the necessities at least: a kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom. He didn’t need much more than that. It often made him wonder why Judy and he had their big house in the first place for just them. It seemed like such a waste of money when he really thought about it.

When he felt up to it, Ray took out what he’d need to make scrambled eggs and toast. He wasn’t about to waste his bacon on his little bed stealer. When the toaster was heating the bread and the eggs sizzled in the skillet Ray heard the bedroom door open. He looked up and watched a bed ruffled Eddie approach the other side of the counter.

The brown skinned man yawned and stretched, showing just how loose the white shirt and flannel pajama pants Ray let him borrow were on his much leaner body. Eddie ran his fingers through already wild hair as he plopped down on a stool. He then folded his arms and laid his head down in them.

“Hey, get that mess you call hair off my counter,” Ray chided as he nudged Eddie with the handle end of his spatula.

“Jeeze, why are you so cranky in the mornin’?” Eddie asked as he obliged and sat up and scratched at his scalp.

“I’m not being cranky,” Ray murmured as he went back to tending to his eggs.

Eddie smirked as he placed his elbows on the counter and planted his chin on the back of his hands.

“Is wittle Way angwy that I was using him as a cuddwy teddy bear?” he asked teasingly in a cutesy voice. He laughed when Ray glared at him out of the corner of his eye, but a noticeable blush stained the man’s cheeks. “I’m going to take that as a yes.”

“If I wasn’t so nice I’d kick you out of here right now,” Ray grumbled as he pulled two plates down from a cabinet and set them on the counter.

“Oh, come on, Bro, you know you enjoy my attention. One of these days you’ll accept my advances and I’ll really show you what you’ve been missing,” Eddie said playfully and winked at the other man.

“Don’t hold your breath, Eddie,” Ray said, used to hearing those kinds of claims from his friend.

“Hey, I am the Miracle Man, remember? I can make anything happen.”

Ray shook his head as he transferred the eggs to the two plates. Miracle Man. Eddie had told Ray he had that name bestowed on him around two years ago, though the reason for the name wasn’t a joyous one.

One night Eddie went out driving with a few of his friends. All of them were high from smoking pot and the one who was driving was being rather reckless. In those kinds of circumstances it wasn’t too surprising that they and another car, whose occupants had been heavily intoxicated with alcohol apparently, got into a major car accident.

From pictures Ray had been shown the cars were nothing but twisted piles of metal that had almost become one from the force of the collision. All of the people in each car had died either instantly or from blood loss…all except for Eddie. He had been thrown out of the windshield and landed several feet from the cars. The doctors said there was no way he should have survived the crash, let alone the injuries he had sustained, but, miraculously, he did. Eddie recovered after over a year of physical rehabilitation and was dubbed the Miracle Man, not only for surviving the crash, but it sobered him from ever doing any kind of drugs ever again.

“Mmmmm this is so good,” Eddie said in delight as he piled eggs on his buttered toast and munched at it happily.

“They’re just eggs,” Ray said humbly as he ate slower than the other.

“Don’t be so modest, Bro,” the other man told him before smirking at him. “I bet you’d make a bomb ass house wife.”

“Now you’re just trying to make me angry,” Ray muttered as he jabbed at a bit of fluffy yellow egg.

“What are brother’s for?” Eddie retorted.

“Again, I’ll point out we’re not real brothers.”

“Hey, now that just stings,” Eddie said, sounding offended and looking hurt. “Blood Brothers are just as close as real brothers and you’ll never be able to forget that,” he said, holding up his left hand. Right across his the palm was a thin, pale scar.

Ray stared at it for a moment before looking down at his own left hand. Across his palm he also had a scar, similar to Eddie’s. One night Ray had been very down in the dumps and, once again, he had gone drinking with Eddie. All Ray remembered from that night was bawling and letting out all of the emotional baggage he had been keeping back for as long as he could.

Near the end of that night Ray had felt so sorry for himself and so alone Eddie did something drastic to prove to the man he wasn’t alone in the world. He tried to convince Ray to become “Blood Brothers” with him so they would be a “family” of sorts, and Ray, not being in his right mind, had agreed. The next thing he remembered was waking up the next day with a horrible pain in his hand and a gash in his skin greeting him good morning. He really needed to stop getting drunk with Eddie. It never ended well.

The two men ate in silence after that. Just about the time Eddie was literally licking his plate clean he happened to glance at the stove clock.

“Awe, man,” he said as he lowered the dishware.

“What?” Ray asked curiously.

“That’s not really the time, is it?”

“Um, yeah, it is,” the blonde said after checking the clock on the wall right behind Eddie.

“Shit, I’m late to go to work at my other job,” Eddie said as he leaned against one hand and began making squeaky noises on the plate with the other hand. He didn’t seem too upset over his revelation.

Ray, on the other hand, jumped and looked at the clock again.

“Late? How late?”

“Eh, by an hour or so.”

That news caused Ray to leap right off his stool and go to Eddie’s side.

“Then what the hell are you still doing here? Go to work already!” Ray exclaimed as he began pushing Eddie towards the door.

“Uh, Bro, can I at least get dressed first?” Eddie asked and tugged at the shirt he was wearing.

Ray halted then sighed and covered his face with his hand.

After hurriedly making Eddie go change into his own clothes Ray saw him off at the door.

“All right, I’ll see you tonight, and if you even think about using me as an excuse for why you’re late to your other job I’m never covering for you again,” Ray threatened and pointed an accusing finger at him.

“Jeeze, just ruin all of my plans, why don’t ya?” Eddie said in mock exasperation before leaning over the threshold. “Can I have a kiss goodbye?”

“Goodbye, Eddie,” Ray said in a flat tone and placed his hand on the other man’s face to push him out of the apartment then closed the door.

“Why are you so cold!?” Eddie wailed from the other side of the door. “Not even one little kissie?”

“Goodbye, Eddie,” Ray simply said again.

“Gah, you’re lucky you’re cute, Bro. I’ll check ya later.”

Ray grunted and shook his head as he heard Eddie’s footsteps fade into the distance. He never knew what to do with Eddie and probably never would. The man then busied himself with cleaning up the mess he had made.

While doing the dishes Ray had nothing better to do but to think. But no matter how hard he tried to think of ordinary, everyday, things, his mind kept wandering back to his fantastical dream. Again he could only think it was all so real. He hardly remembered any dreams while growing up, so why was this one so different? It made no since to him. He wondered if what Eddie said was true. Was this all some manifestation his mind had concocted from being overly stressed? Somehow Ray didn’t think so.

Not willing to sit there and brood about the subject – the end result only him going slightly insane – Ray decided to go grocery shopping. He normally did once a week and he had noticed he was low on a few things, so off he would go.

The man wandered into his bedroom after cleaning and straightening up the kitchen and began to undress in order to go out. He couldn’t very well go out in his pajamas. As soon as the shirt came off his person he stopped.

“…what the hell?”

Ray’s torso and arms were covered in bruises. Dark bruises that weren’t just sickly in color, but looked fresh.

“These…must be from when I fell during the earthquake,” he told himself, trying to convince his fast beating heart everything was okay.

His theory worked for the dark patches of skin on his arms. They appeared like they could have been caused from a fall, but it was hard to say the same for the ones on his chest and stomach. Three perfect, horizontal bruises raked across his skin as thick as his arm and another, single, horizontal bruise was evident, only going the other way. It was as if something had grabbed him with such force it could have very well crushed him. Just like…

“ No. No. Absolutely not,” Ray said with a fierce shake of his head. He immediately went to his closet to find a clean shirt to wear. He wouldn’t believe the thought that ran through his head. He refused to believe the thought that ran through his head.

Once dressed and armed with his wallet and a speedy, whipped up shopping list, Ray was off. He exited his apartment building and squinted against the blinding, yet welcoming, light from the sun. For some reason he appreciated it more than usual that day.

Ray disregarded his old, faithful car parked along the sidewalk and walked right by it. He felt like walking. It would possibly clear his head of lurking, bad thoughts. And he was in deep need of his dark thoughts being purged.

As Ray waited at a crosswalk a light breeze passed by and he closed his eyes to enjoy it. The morning air was so crisp and delicious it refreshed him to the point a miniscule smile upturned a side of his mouth. Then he was drawn from his serene state when the little green man appeared and commanded everyone to cross the street.

Ray’s first stop was a little fruit stand near his main shopping destination. He liked getting his fruits here because, for one, it was cheaper, and two, they always seemed fresher than in the store.

As he approached an old woman looked up and smiled at him.

“Ah, Mr. Raymond, I was beginning to wonder if I would be seeing you this week, but you’re as dependable as ever I see,” she said.

Ray chuckled and returned the smile.

“Hello, Diana, you’re looking especially lovely this day,” he complimented with a nod of his head.

The woman giggled like a school girl and shook her head.

“Such a charmer you are, but your words are wasted on an old bird like me,” she said as she grabbed a plastic bag from behind her booth. “So, the usual I suppose?”

“You know me so well.”

“Dependable and reliable. That’s what I’ve always liked about you, my dear, sweet man.”

Ray simply chuckled and slipped his hands in his pockets as he watched the woman gather his items. It was another reason he liked buying from this particular stand. Diana was a sweet old woman and never failed to put a smile on his face.

“Here you are, Raymond,” Diana said as she handed Ray the bag of fruit and took the money he gave her. “You know, Raymond, I’ve been thinking,” the woman said as she put the money in her cash register.

“Thinking what?”

“Well, you know my sweet little granddaughter Alana, right?” she asked and her grin gave the man a bad feeling.

“Sure I do.” Ray had seen her a few times helping Diana with the stand. Since the old woman wasn’t a spring chicken anymore she needed help moving and arranging her products and Alana usually helped out.

“I know you’re having a hard time, what with the divorce and all, and my grandbaby doesn’t have a man to call her own, and you two are about the same age soooo…I was wondering if, perhaps, you’d be willing to take my lovely granddaughter out for dinner one of these days.”

“No. No,” Ray said without hesitation. “I’m sorry, Diana, but I’m just not ready to start dating anyone just yet.” He could hardly stand Eddie’s playful teasing. He didn’t know how he’d be with a woman. Not after what happened with Judy.

Diana visibly deflated.

“Oh, that’s too bad. You’re much too sweet of a man to let that woman drag you down so far. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped, but the offer will still be there if you happen to change your mind.”

“I’ll keep it in mind. Thank you for the fruit, see you next week.”

Then Ray walked off before Diana could try to propose her granddaughter again. He supposed he should move on. Date other women. Get back in the game, so to speak, but it wasn’t in him. He had to get a hold of his life at the moment before picturing sharing it with someone else.

As Ray was lost in his thoughts about his nonexistent love life, he failed to notice a man shadowing his every move. When Ray entered the grocery store the man leaned against the side of the building and blew his bangs from his face.

“This guy has to be the most boring man I have ever had the misfortune to follow,” the man muttered gruffly as he crossed his arms.

He waited silently for a few minutes before a jingle coming from his pocket drew his attention. He quickly pulled his cell phone out and answered it.

“What is it, Rachel?” he said.

“Well, don’t you sound perky this morning, Sweet cheeks?” a woman’s voice said from the other end of the line.

“Perky as I’m gonna get.”

“So, since you sound bored out of your mind I’m assuming the target is safe.”

“Yeah, yeah, he’s fine. He’s doing some shopping right now and I’m standing here like a right fool,” the man said. “So, he’s fine and unharmed. Can I please get a new assignment now? I have way more important things to do with my time.”

“Sorry, my dear, but this man just jumped to the top of your list of most important things,” Rachel replied.

The man stilled and the meaning behind her words crashed over him like a wave.

“Wait…you don’t mean –”

“I’m afraid I do,” Rachel interrupted and sounded much more serious. “As of this morning Raymond Gallagher was put on The List.”

The man groaned and covered his eyes with his hand as his head banged against the wall behind him.

“Oooooo you have got to be kidding me.”

“I wish I was for that poor man’s sake.”

“Why? Why would they put him on The List. He’s a janitor for crying out loud. He’s a nothing. A nobody. What kind of threat does he pose to them?” he asked in exasperation.

“Oh, come on, you and I both know it doesn’t matter who he is. All that matters to them is that he saw one of their kind. So now they consider him a threat,” Rachel told him matter-of-factly.

“Fuck,” the man murmured and sighed. He quickly checked to make sure the blonde hadn’t left the store then settled back into his conversation. “Well, looks like you should get an agent out here to guard him or something,” he suggested.

“Ooooh no, you aren’t getting out of this that easy.”

“…what do you mean?” the man asked hesitantly.

“Need I remind you this is, basically, your fault that this happened?” Rachel asked.

“My fault?” the man echoed. “How the hell is this my fault?”

“You were supposed to make sure no one was in that building, or if they were there would be no way for them to encounter Valeria. And you didn’t exactly do that, now did you?” Rachel asked.

“That’s not my fault,” the man argued. “I thought I chased him out of the building when I scared the shit out of him but –”

“But you didn’t. And now, because of your screw up, that poor man is being targeted and could possibly be killed.”

“Okay, okay, so maybe its slightly my fault, but, come on. What do you want me to do? I’m a fighter, I kill dragons, I don’t have time to be babysitting some guy.”

The man arched an eyebrow when a stony silence followed his words.

“Rachel?”

“Babysitting some guy?” the woman repeated, her voice becoming low and icy. “Did you just hear yourself? Protecting people is the very foundation on which this organization was built!” she yelled, making the man move the phone away from his ear.

“Yeah, but, Rachel –”

“Don’t you “But, Rachel,” me. If we didn’t have the goal of protecting innocent people the Elpidius wouldn’t even exist! What is the matter with you? Have you become so blinded by the thrill of killing dragons that you’ve forgotten our purpose?”

“No, of course not. I just –”

“No, you know what?” Rachel cut him off again. “It is now official. As of now you are off all other missions. The only mission you have to worry about now is protecting Raymond Gallagher.”

“What!?” the man exclaimed in outrage, causing a few passing people to give him odd looks. “You can’t do that!”

“Oh, I can and I just did and you better do it. Knowing them, they’re going to send someone to kill him as soon as possible, so you better get him under your protection before that happens,” Rachel told him and then her voice took on a lighter tone. “Maybe this will remind you what it truly means to be an Elpidius.”

“Rachel, please,” the man begged.

“Believe me, I’m doing you a favor. Call me as soon as your sure Raymond is safe. Till then, Sweetie.”

“Rachel, don’t you dare,” a click sounded and a dial tone issued from the cell phone. “hang up.” The man begrudgingly closed the phone and shoved it in his coat pocket.

“God, damn it!” he yelled and whirled around to punch the wall. He then proceeded to beat his head against the wall and punctuated each hit with, “Why me? Why me? Why me?”

He froze when he heard a small gasp behind him and he turned to see two little girls staring up at him in fearful awe.

“What are you looking at?” he snarled and watched as the girls’ squeaked and ran away calling for their mommies.

The man growled as he ran his fingers through his hair then abruptly turned and began walking away from the store.

“Well, looks like I better go prepare to take our poor “victim” under my wing,” he grumbled as he stomped away. “Lucky – fucking – me.”


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Hello everyone! Well, as I feared, this chapter took a bit longer to get out, but I found it worth it. You got to learn a little more about Eddie *heart* and see the mysterious man and Rachel. Ray doesn’t know just what he got himself into, but as per tradition, I must answer reviews for the wonderful people that responded to the last chapter.

Pizzaboyyy: Yay, I’m glad I was able to surprise you then since you didn’t see it coming. I know, I’m so mean to Ray, aren’t I? The threat of death was only accentuated in this chapter. Thank you for the review!

SeriouslyJoking: Whoo! A movie? That sounds like the chapter came across just how I wanted it, so that’s awesome. I know, the poor guy and I’m so glad his disbelief was believable, but, now, our lovable Ray has more to worry about, doesn’t he? Nice guys never have it easy. Mwahaha yes, just who is the dark haired man? Intriguing, no? You’ll just have to wait and see. Thank you for your time in the lovely review!

Womo: Yay thank you so much! I’m glad the story has caught your attention, but I’m not sure if this chapter has helped quell your anxious squirming at all *sheepish smile* But hopefully chapters to come will.

KatFO: You’re welcome and thank you for the review. And now you have even more new characters to wonder about, but yes, the master and his bedmate are promising, aren’t they? *wink*

Thank you everyone for everything. You all are helping me so much. Well, I hoped you enjoyed this installment and will come around for the next. All of you have a great day!