Chapter 4 #2
They didn’t find anything interesting, unfortunately.
Just dull government documents and bills with a few architectural plans buried amongst them.
A handful of documents they found thankfully proved Godwin did in fact have a gardener, a cook, and at least three cleaners, which was comforting knowledge, but also begged more questions over how secretive Godwin must have been with certain things in the house.
With three practically full-time cleaners, he must have deliberately told them not to go into certain rooms. Which means he either really was hiding something, from more than the two of them, or he was just a really private man.
“I was kind of hoping to find some really incriminating documents, but I suppose he wouldn’t be stupid enough to leave that stuff out.
” Athens tucked his hair over his ear as he leaned over the table, the red streaked length of his mane tracing over the wood.
Dariel smelled mint again, noting once more how close the pair of them were.
Athens didn’t seem to mind, though, so Dariel didn’t move.
“He might actually just be a shy man who wants to jazz up his boring life,” Athens surmised, the vinyl of his trousers sticking slightly as he switched his weight to his right leg.
Dariel, for the umpteenth time, found himself glancing over Athens’ full body.
The deep arch of his back, and the smooth, delicate bobbing of his neck as he swallowed.
Athens turned to face him suddenly and Dariel took a step back.
“You find anything?” he asked, but Dariel knew Athens was aware of what he’d been doing.
“No, not really.” Dariel spoke too hastily for his own liking, dropping himself into Awkward Land.
‘Like what you see?’
Athens straightened up before he gave Dariel a chance to respond, eyes scanning Dariel’s face, really not helping at all. His eyelids drooped. “I’m only messing with you. Here, let’s take a seat. Talk a bit. I want to get to know the famous Dariel Hale.”
Athens ushered them both to the long Chesterfield against the wall, sitting himself on the far corner and giving Dariel plenty of space to choose from.
“You know my full name?” Dariel questioned, sitting down with enough space between them to make it less uncomfortable for him.
Athens held up his hands. “Guilty,” he said before relaxing back down into the arm of the chair. “I’m actually quite a fan of your work. Still got one of your jackets from the late nineties. I was trying to make conversation.”
He knows me?
‘Long-time fan, my friend.’
Oh.
“So what made you decide to start designing?” Athens inquired as a genuine fan would.
Dariel leaned forward, comfort loosening his muscles. “Oh, well, I’ve always been into wanting to wear things that stand out, not in an egotistical way, more a freedom way. Going against the norm.” For the first time, that question hadn’t annoyed him.
“I get that. I mean, look at me.” Athens gestured to his own attire. “I was hardly my grandmother’s favourite child.”
Dariel chuckled at that. “Are you… like, into the goth scene or something?” Asked the sixty-four-year-old grandfather. Nice one, Dariel. Really showing your age there.
“For now.” Athens shrugged, a smirk forming as he watched Dariel’s eyes intently.
“How old are you, really?” Dariel’s confidence was in full swing now. He was pleased it was back, he’d missed it.
“Ha. I see you calculating. I’m forty, as of a few weeks ago. A baby, really. This is the only life I’ve lived, technically. Which is… not the same for you, I’m guessing?”
“I’m sixty-four.”
Athens’ eyes widened. “Wow. So you’re actually older than Mr Mystery,” he gestured down the hall with his thumb.
“I presumed I was.”
Athens was fully intrigued now, leaning on both his knees. “Can I ask how many lives you have lived then?”
Dariel sunk in on himself, but brushed it off. “I was meant to start life number five a week ago, but this email threw my plan off track.”
Athens didn’t speak for a moment, then he brought a leg over his knee. “You were going to disappear? Begin again?”
“Dariel has done his time.”
Athens’ brow furrowed. “So you…what, move away and start fresh?”
“It’s got to be done.”
“But your image, you’re well known. You’re in magazines, you’ve appeared in fashion shows!”
“It won’t be as easy as it has been in the past.”
“How were you going to do it?”
“Death, naturally.”
“Makes sense. Something theatrical, I assume?”
“Dariel enjoys a drink. It was only a matter of time before it caught up with him.”
“Fitting. Who will you become?”
Dariel blinked hard. “I hadn’t really thought about it, I was just going to see what happened. I quite fancy France this time.”
Athens nodded. “Interesting. And you’ve really never met anyone like us?”
Dariel shook his head. “Never. I woke up this way forty years ago and yeah… I’ve been alone.” Change the subject. “What about you? I’m sorry I was never well versed in the interior design world, are you well known?”
Athens’ eyes widened and he clutched his hand to his chest with a feigned shock. “Nice insult,” he gasped.
“Oh, no, sorry. I didn’t mean it that way, I’m sure you’ve been doing amazing, I only meant like…”
“Not many people know my face, no.” Athens dropped his head with a grin.
After a brief pause, Dariel adjusted his trousers, angling himself more towards his new friend. New friend. Could he be one? “How long are you going to stay in this profession, do you think?”
“You mean, when will Athens Daněk perish in a god-awful accident and find himself in a vineyard in Italy?”
Dariel smiled.
“Funny you brought up your own story, because it was the email that stopped me from becoming a column in the local newspaper too.”
“The industry is so draining. You come in and out of relevance at the click of a finger.” Dariel let his thoughts flow.
“Tell me about it!” Athens agreed enthusiastically.
“God, it’s a nightmare. I’m lucky I can leave it whenever, and I kept telling myself I could go when I wanted to.
My dad’s no longer around, I have very few memories of my mum, and I’ve not spoken to my sister since I…
well, she won’t miss me, let’s just say. ”
“I’m sorry,” Dariel found himself saying.
Athens batted a hand at him, pursing his lips. “Don’t be, I’m a lot happier now. What about you? No one to miss in this life?”
“I learned a long time ago to never bother getting too close to anyone. It makes it easier to let go.”
Athens nodded in slow understanding. “Fair enough.”
“Plus, up until today, I thought I was the only one with this condition. I could never tell anyone what I was, so I might as well have lived in blissful solitude.”
“You’re not alone now, though.” Athens’ voice was solemn, but laced with comfort.
Dariel looked up at the other man. “No. I’m not.” He swallowed hard.
“We’re in a cool mansion with a very excited rich man who is going to pay us nearly a quarter of a million pounds. Could be worse.” Athens lightened the mood.
“And he’s invited two immortals into his home.” It was Dariel’s turn to wink now, causing Athens to react smugly.
“That he did, that he did.” Athens pushed his body up and flicked his head back in the direction of the door. “I wonder what he’s cooking up.”
“Hopefully something I can stomach. I’ve never been good with real food.”
Athens scrunched his nose, sliding back into the chair. “Me neither, not as fun if you can’t chase it.”
Dariel gawked and Athens once again burst into a fit of laughter.
“A jest, all a jest, darling. I’m actually extremely lazy.
I think I’ve rid the entire forest behind my house of grey squirrels.
” Athens crossed his legs again, the vinyl sticking.
“Which, I’ve heard, might actually help red squirrels return.
So, in a way, I’m helping out the animal kingdom. ”
“Have you ever fed from a human?” Dariel startled himself with his abruptness, but he didn’t regret the question. He wanted to know more about Athens, quite desperately.
Athens took in a breath. “A handful of times. Only because I was new to it all, and I’d seen one too many horror movies. I never killed a human though. Just… you know… quenched my thirst.”
“I killed someone. Once. Accidentally.” Wow, I’m getting too comfortable now.
Instead of asking for more details, or looking even remotely shocked, Athens stretched his hands out and said, “great, at least I know who can take matters into their own hands if this job turns sour.”
‘What an odd thing to joke about.’ Dariel attempted to force the thought into Athens’ head, causing his own to hurt.
‘Dariel, darling, you’ve never killed anyone who didn’t deserve it.’
‘What? What makes you…’
‘I just know it. I told you I’m good at reading people.’
Dariel took in a deep breath, surveying his surroundings before turning back to face Athens, and let a cold nothingness wash over him as he opened mind again, trying to relax as much as he could.
‘He deserved it.’
‘Thought so.’
Despite being stunned, Dariel also realised this meant he was one step closer to opening up fully, laying all his cards on the table.
Letting someone else in. Maybe it was because of their circumstances.
They’d both lived a kind of life very few others will ever experience.
Casually admitting murder was, in every other circumstance, wrong.
Not this time. Not with Athens. A man he’d only just met, but someone he needed.
This was comfort in relatability, and it was nice. Really nice, actually. Relieving, even.
It was also not lost on him that this was the second time Athens had casually called Dariel ‘darling’ which…
did something to him. Something he thought he maybe quite liked.
He wanted to hear Athens say it out loud again.
Hear the word roll off his tongue as he looked into Dariel’s eyes and leaned closer so the scent of fresh mint would encircle them both and…
“What’s with the shadows, then? I’ve never met someone like us who has such an overwhelming energy around them.”
Dariel’s lungs closed up as he blinked deeply, brutally shaking himself from the thoughts he was working his way to, instinctively turning his face away before clearing his throat and staring at the floor. Of course Athens noticed them. “Oh, they’re erm…”
Athens shifted on the sofa, his voice growing slightly lower. “Oh. I’m sorry, I got too comfortable. Forgive me, you don’t have to answer…”
“Just memories.” Dariel shot back up, a tear threatening to drip from his left eye. He wiped it away quickly. “Memories.” He smiled away the flames. No one has ever seen them.
“It’s good to hold onto memories. We’re going to make a lot of them.” Athens reached out his hand to almost touch Dariel’s thigh on the sofa. An offering of support.
“Yeah. You’re right.” Dariel nodded, trying to rebirth his confidence.
“Just… well. Don’t let them consume you.”
You don’t know me, you… Dariel felt a defensive streak of anger deep inside. Athens read it immediately, leaning back.
“Sorry, that wasn’t my place. We barely know each other, after all.”
“It’s okay. I’m just… I don’t want to talk about certain things.” Calm, Athens meant no harm.
“That’s okay. I get that. I’m quite a private person too, believe it or not.”
Dariel didn’t know how to respond, he just looked at Athens’ pretty face and let his lungs expand a few times.
“It’s nice to finally meet you, Dariel Hale.
” Athens stood up and thrust out a hand.
Dariel was about to take it, but noted the rings and hoped his eyes would explain for him.
Athens immediately understood, pulling all five rings off and shoving them into his pocket.
Dariel took his now bare hand, the other man’s skin warm and soft.
“It’s nice to meet you too, Athens…”
“Daněk.” Athens reminded him politely. “It’s Czech, though I unfortunately speak very little. We moved here when I was young and my dad insisted we… It’s actually my mum’s family name but, well… never mind, we don’t need to discuss that right now.” He sighed, not dropping their hands.
Dariel tried not to look too solemn. “Nice to meet you Athens Daněk. I should look into your work, I might take some inspiration.”
“It would be an honour, I’d be happy to show you any time.” He still did not let go of Dariel’s hand, even as they lowered them; the connection warm and protective.
“If we make it out of here alive.” Dariel huffed out a laugh.
“If indeed. Now…” Athens dropped his hand finally, the connection gone in an instant. “What do you say we have a look upstairs?”
“We’re not meant to…”
“Precisely, darling.”