Chapter Two
––––––––
CYRIL DIDN’T KNOW WHERE he was. The last thing he remembered was going to bed, but he wasn’t in his bed anymore. Instead, he was driving a car.
He frowned as he slowly turned the wheel and followed the curve of the road. This didn’t make sense. He was the one driving, but the hands on the wheel didn’t belong to him. He didn’t have long painted nails. He also never wore rings, but there were several on these hands.
He looked down, his frown deepening when he realized he had on a red skirt.
What the fuck was happening?
Maybe he needed to stop the car. He could find a way to contact Vale and ask him for help. Vale would know what to do. He always did.
Cyril turned his head. There was a phone on the passenger seat, but when he tried reaching for it, he couldn’t. Instead, the car slowed down at a red light.
Okay, so Cyril didn’t have full control of this body. That didn’t help him understand what was going on or how to stop it, and he was starting to freak out.
He flipped down the mirror and looked at his reflection. This body definitely wasn’t his. The woman looking back at him was blonde with blue eyes and a smattering of freckles on her nose. She leaned closer to the mirror and rubbed her finger over her lip, maybe to clean up the lipstick there.
The light turned green, and Cyril slowly inched the car forward.
He heard a screech and started to turn in the direction from which it had come, only for something to slam against the car.
He screamed, but the voice wasn’t his. It was higher, but just as scared.
He felt a strong pain in his head and torso, then nothing.
“Cyril!”
Cyril shot up into a sitting position. He was still screaming, so he quickly snapped his mouth shut. He blinked, trying to make sense of where he was and what he was seeing.
The room was dark, but he’d recognize it anywhere. He was home, in his apartment, in his bed.
Vale was next to him. He had a hand on Cyril’s shoulder, and he looked worried. He wasn’t the only one. Oscar was there, too, making a clicking noise with his tentacles. As soon as he realized that Cyril was better, he climbed into Cyril’s lap.
Cyril let him. It felt good to have Oscar there, and feeling his familiar body under his fingertips reminded Cyril that he was home.
“Are you okay?” Vale asked, sounding worried.
“Just a nightmare,” Cyril told him. That was all it had been. A nightmare.
“Are you sure? Because that sounded bad.”
“It was one of the most realistic nightmares I’ve ever had, but I’m fine.” Unlike how he’d been in the dream. He was pretty sure he wouldn’t have survived whatever had happened there, not if it had been real.
“You want to talk about it?” Vale asked.
Cyril shook his head. He didn’t want to talk about the nightmare, but there were things he did want to talk about. “I think it’s the stress.”
“Then you should relax.”
Cyril glared at Vale. He wasn’t sure that Vale could see him since it was dark in their bedroom, but he was sure that his boyfriend knew him well enough to know what he was doing. “How am I supposed to do that when a big, bad Organization is after you?”
Vale sighed. “Cyril, now isn’t the time. You should get more sleep.”
“Do you want me to have more nightmares? Because I can guarantee you I will.”
“So what, you’re not going to sleep ever again?”
“I’m sure I’d sleep better if I knew what the fuck is going on. Why won’t you tell me? John already gave me a few details, so I know these people are bad, but I don’t understand how you were involved with them. It doesn’t make sense.”
“You just had a nightmare.”
“So? I already know I’m not going to fall back asleep. Tell me.”
Cyril was sure he wouldn’t fall back asleep anytime soon.
How could he when all he could do was worry about Vale?
It wasn’t only that he needed to know more about the Organization.
He also couldn’t help but wonder why Vale wasn’t telling him about this.
It made it feel like he was hiding something, which wasn’t a good thought.
Cyril couldn’t say he believed that he and Vale had told each other everything that had happened in their past, but still.
Vale being involved with that organization clearly wasn’t good.
Cyril needed to be prepared, but how could he be if Vale wouldn’t tell him anything?
What was Cyril’s boyfriend hiding? What had he done that was so terrible that he didn’t want Cyril to know about it?
Because that was the only reason for him to hide something like this, wasn’t it? The Organization killed anyone they were hired to kill, no matter who they were, something Vale had sworn he didn’t do.
What if he’d lied?
* * * *
VALE DIDN’T WANT TO talk about this in the middle of the night, and he especially didn’t want to talk about it right after Cyril had a nightmare. Vale could see that his boyfriend was still frantic, and he didn’t know how to help him. He didn’t even know if he could help him.
There was nothing Vale could do against nightmares, unfortunately.
Cyril’s mind was the one place where Vale couldn’t protect him.
He could try to make things easier, but something told him that Cyril would fight him if he did.
He wanted answers, and it looked like he was done waiting for Vale to give them.
Vale had known it wouldn’t last forever. He’d been stretching the little time he had as much as he could because he was afraid of losing Cyril, but there was no stretching it anymore. Cyril wouldn’t let him get away with hiding such a big part of his past any longer.
“We should go back to sleep,” Vale tried anyway. “We can talk in the morning.”
Cyril stared at him. Even though it was dark, Vale could feel it. He wanted to reach out, but he wasn’t sure Cyril would let him.
“What are you hiding from me?” Cyril asked, his voice so soft that it was almost a whisper.
There was pain there, and Vale hated that he’d been the one to make Cyril feel like that. He sighed. There was no getting out of it, no matter how much he wished there was. “Something I’m not proud of.”
“Something you think I wouldn’t approve of?”
“I know you wouldn’t. Even I don’t approve of it, and I did it.”
“Just tell me, Vale.”
Cyril sounded tired and wary, and Vale never wanted him to feel that way when it came to him and their relationship.
He wanted to make Cyril smile, not to worry him.
“I know the Organization John was talking about. I’ve worked for them in the past, at the beginning of my career.
I don’t know how much he told you, but they’re not good people.
They never were. They have a legit side that works with the government, and a not-so-legit side that acts like mercenaries for whoever’s willing to pay.
They get paid to do things like killing people, but not only that.
I’m pretty sure the government works with both sides, but of course, you’ll never find proof of that. ”
“And you worked for them?”
“For the mercenary part of the business, yes. Like I said, it’s not something I’m proud of, but at the time, I felt I didn’t have a choice. “
“You always have a choice,” Cyril said. He sounded like he was trying very hard not to say what was on his mind.
That was what Vale had been afraid of. Cyril had accepted him and what he did for a living, but he suspected that if the circumstances had been different when they’d met, Cyril never would’ve agreed to even spend half an hour with him.
But they’d been stuck together while Vale tried to keep Cyril safe, and they’d fallen in love.
Vale wasn’t sure that love would be strong enough to withstand his past.
He’d known it would eventually come to light. He’d thought about telling Cyril, but between one thing and another, they’d been busy, and it had been easier to ignore the little voice at the back of his mind. Vale still wanted to act as if it hadn’t happened, but it had. There was no denying that.
“Maybe I did,” he admitted. “But what’s done is done. I can’t change what I did in the past.”
“And what’s that? What did you do for the Organization? Who did you kill? You said you didn’t kill innocent people, but you just told me that they do, and I know about the plane crash.”
Vale winced. “There’s no proof it was them.”
“Are you really telling me that you don’t think it was? Because where there are rumors, usually, there’s at least some truth, too. People wouldn’t say it was them if they didn’t have a good reason.”
Vale had had enough of the distance between them. He reached for Cyril, finding his arm and grabbing it. He tried to pull Cyril into his arms, but Cyril pushed him away.
“No,” he said. “I don’t want you to distract me while we’re talking about this. I want you to be honest and to tell me everything that happened and what you did, and what lies you told me.”
“Cyril,” Vale said. “I promise I’ll tell you what you want to know.”
“Then do it,” Cyril snapped.
Vale didn’t have any warning. He heard the skittering of bones on the bedroom floor seconds before something hard slammed against his side. He yelped and fell back, his hands already reaching forward to protect himself, but they found nothing.
The light turned on a few seconds later. Cyril sat there, holding Oscar, who was turned toward Vale and was trembling. It was an odd sight and an even odder sound because of the way his bones rattled against each other.
“Are you okay?” Cyril asked. “What happened?”
“I’m not sure.” Vale rubbed his arm. “I think it was Oscar, but I don’t know what happened.” Vale reached for Cyril again, only to snatch his hand back when Oscar hit him with a tentacle. It hurt because the damn thing was made of bones.
“Oscar, what’s gotten into you?” Cyril asked as he wrapped both hands around the octopus’s body. It looked like Oscar was fighting him, as if he wanted to beat up Vale.
Vale suspected that was the case. He had no idea what was going on, but it wasn’t good. Oscar’s behavior didn’t make sense. He’d never been violent, not even in the beginning of Vale’s relationship with Cyril.
“I have no idea what’s going on,” Cyril admitted.
He loosened his hold on Oscar, but he shouldn’t have because the first thing Oscar did was try to get to Vale again. Cyril had to hug him against his chest. It was clear he was struggling to keep control, which was surprising. He’d created Oscar. He should be able to control him.
But Oscar didn’t look like he was going to allow anyone to control him, not even Cyril. Hell, he looked as if Vale wasn’t careful, he’d happily slit his throat while he was sleeping, even though he didn’t have opposable thumbs.
Vale was going to have to start sleeping with one eye open.
* * * *
CYRIL WAS FREAKING out, but he was trying not to show it. He was the expert here. He’d created Oscar. He was supposed to know his pet, but he didn’t have a clue what was wrong.
Oscar had never been violent. Cyril wasn’t sure he’d classify what Oscar had just done as violent, but it certainly wasn’t like him.
He’d never hurt anyone, and he’d especially never hurt Vale.
Hell, he liked Vale. Cyril had seen them cuddling on the couch more than once, and even though Vale complained about it, Cyril knew there was no heat behind it.
His boyfriend liked his pet, and Oscar liked his boyfriend.
So what the fuck was happening?
Oscar was vibrating in Cyril’s hands, as if he wanted to throw himself back at Vale. Cyril suspected he might, so he didn’t loosen his hold. He wanted nothing more than to lean into Vale’s arms, but he doubted that Oscar would appreciate that.
Cyril stroked Oscar’s head and made a shushing sound. It took a few minutes, but Oscar eventually stopped moving. Cyril slowly let go, relieved when Oscar didn’t launch himself at Vale.
Once had been more than enough.
“I’m sorry,” he told Vale. “I don’t know what happened.”
“I think he was protecting you.”
“What? He doesn’t have anything to protect me from. It’s you.”
“I’m sure he’s just worried because you had a nightmare. He’s protective of you, and he can probably feel your emotions.”
And right now, those emotions were a mess.
Between the nightmare and what Vale had just admitted to, Cyril was confused and scared.
He was afraid to go back to sleep, but he was also tired, and he knew this would make tomorrow harder.
He needed more sleep. He wanted to continue talking things out with Vale, but it was the middle of the night, and the kind of conversation that happened in the middle of the night after a nightmare never ended well.
They’d have time to talk later. Right now, everyone needed to calm down, including Cyril.
He slowly put Oscar down in the middle of the bed. He and Vale stared at him for a few seconds, and Cyril breathed easier when Oscar curled his tentacles around himself. It looked like whatever had made him aggressive was gone.
“We should get back to sleep,” Vale said. “I know you want to talk, but I don’t think now is the best moment to do that.”
“I know.”
“Yeah?”
Vale looked relieved, which made Cyril feel even worse.
His boyfriend was hiding something. At the very least, he didn’t want to talk about his time with the Organization, which made Cyril worry.
He didn’t like it when he felt like people were hiding things from him, although in some circumstances, he could understand why they did it.
Not in this circumstance, though. He needed to know what Vale had done for the Organization. He needed to know if his boyfriend had killed innocent people, even though he’d said he hadn’t.
Cyril reached over to turn off the light.
The darkness swallowed everything, and he breathed in relief.
He and Vale still had to finish their conversation, but for now, it was easier for him to relax.
He knew what Vale had been hiding, or at least, part of it.
He didn’t think it had anything to do with his nightmare, but considering everything that had happened recently, it wasn’t surprising that he had them.
He saw death every day. He’d be more surprised if he’d never dreamed about it.
“Come here,” Vale murmured as he reached for Cyril.
Part of Cyril wanted to resist and tell Vale not to touch him, but another part was just tired. He’d have time to find out if they were going to break up tomorrow morning. Just in case they would, he wanted to make the most of the time they still had together.
He snuggled close and closed his eyes. Vale smelled and felt familiar, and it helped lull Cyril back to sleep. Part of his mind was still working overtime, though.
What had Vale done for the Organization? Had he lied to Cyril? What had gotten into Oscar?
What was Cyril supposed to do about all of this?