Chapter 20
Chapter Twenty
Torin
The moment Mickey is tucked in his bed with a controller in his hands, he pats the bed wildly. “Riley, a game. Just one game.”
Riley, who is surrounded by the white orbs of souls who are thrilled to have him back, doesn’t look like he’s overly interested in a game, but he’s a sucker and seems to feel bad for Mickey.
Vero just looks at the whole exchange in disgust. Why he had to follow us in here, I don’t know.
He acts disgusted by everything we do, yet he follows us into Mickey’s room?
“Are you compensating for something with this grand and desolate place?” Vero asks, looking around.
I cock my head, prepared for this fight. “You wanting to check out my dick or something?”
“Stop measuring dicks and come join me,” Riley says as he pats the bed where he’s now sitting next to Mickey.
“Ha. Fleeing the instant that man calls to you. How hilarious.” Vero sneers. “What a weak man.”
“Vero, come join us. I have four controllers. We’ll all play,” Mickey says, gesturing at the chair next to his bed. “Unless you think you’re just going to lose, then you can continue to sulk over there.”
Vero struts right over to the chair, snatches up the controller, and sits down like he hadn’t just reprimanded me for sitting down mere seconds ago.
I laugh and Vero’s eyes lock onto mine as we have a stare-off that is only broken by Mickey shoving his head between ours.
I sigh and stare at the odd device with all of its buttons and colors.
I twist it around while I try to decide how to hold the strange thing, and when I look at the others, I discover that I’ve chosen to hold mine upside down.
Riley quickly fixes it for me because he is handsome and strong.
“We’re going to play Mario Kart,” Mickey says. “That’ll be simple enough.”
Riley shows me which buttons are required for what, but most of it goes in one ear and out the other. Meanwhile, Vero, the “I’m too good for these ridiculous things” god, has already chosen his character.
“Have you played Mario Kart before?” Mickey asks him.
Vero scoffs. “Why would I ever play such a childish game? What is the point of this besides an excuse not to do more important things like crushing the skulls of those who have offended me?”
“That’s the spirit,” Mickey comments while I struggle to even figure out how he got his screen to show that he’s ready.
Then I decide that pressing the buttons is more fun than any of that nonsense, especially because, on occasion, it makes what is happening on the screen change.
I notice Riley leans forward as if he’s trying to shield me from Vero’s smirking face.
“He’s really smart in other ways,” Riley says.
I stop pressing buttons and look over at him. “Why am I more offended by that than Vero smirking over there?”
“The game is starting, my friends,” Mickey says. “And you’re all staring at each other instead of the screen. I wish someone would stare at me, at least. I’m the one who got shot and is all sad.”
Pointing at the screen, I ask, “Why is Vero’s car already so much farther ahead than everyone else’s?”
“Because you’re pointing instead of playing,” Riley says as he reaches over to try to help me.
I press a button that immediately makes me plummet to my death. “Was that supposed to happen?”
“Not really,” Riley says. “See how this one turns you?”
“The only thing that can turn me on is you.”
“Turns the kart! Not turns me on!” he protests.
“You like it when I play with your knob too.”
“Torin!”
Mickey huffs. “Why the hell is Vero so good at this? I was supposed to win and then I was going to make you guys do something for me.”
“This is the most unexciting thing I’ve ever done with three other men,” Vero says. “And one time I was given three men as a sacrifice.”
“Did you sacrifice them?” Riley asks.
“I tried but my blade was too dull, so I decided they could just clean for me instead.”
“What the fuck? You tried?”
“That guy was fine. He didn’t mind at all. Or was he the one who tried to assassinate me in my sleep… nah, that was someone else. No, he was with me willingly until he died. Worshiped the shit out of me until his death.”
“Like… of old age?” Riley asks, plainly invested while I’m over here just trying to chug along and keep this stupid buggy on the track as Vero and Mickey fly past me. Riley’s given up on me and is off trying to catch up with them.
“If I win, none of you may speak to me unless spoken to,” Vero declares.
“You can’t shout that just as you cross the finish line!” Mickey says.
“Human, you are speaking out of turn.” Vero smirks. “What is that sad pitiful thing doing on the bottom right screen?”
“Going for a leisurely stroll, taking in the sights,” I grumble as Mickey starts a new game before I can even rejoice in my ability to stay on the track.
“How about if I win… we’ll go ride roller coasters again,” Riley says with a wicked grin.
Now that horrifies me even more than Vero’s declaration that we may not speak. “Why do you insist on torturing me?”
“Your specimen is even scared of a simple roller coaster?” Vero asks before tsking. “What do you find attractive about him?”
“Everything,” Riley says, and I notice that this time he doesn’t pity me at all, he merely leaves me behind as I wonder why we can’t just watch the video of me riding on Riley’s back.
When it becomes apparent that Riley is going to win and I’m going to be stuck protecting my testicles on another roller coaster, I decide that I want anyone else to win. Even Vero.
“Roller coasters aren’t really needed, are they?” I ask. “Riley, please change your demands.”
“I refuse,” he says, and it hits me that I have to betray the man I love to save my dignity. I drop the ridiculous button machine and pull out a candy bar. Kit’s head whips around to face me while Riley lets out an inhuman noise. “Kit! No! We’re winning!”
“Were winning, you mean,” Mickey corrects as the winner banner flashes across Mickey’s screen.
I hesitate and then flee the room before Riley can yell at me.
He’s out the door almost as fast as I am, only to find me running down the hallway looking for somewhere to hide from his wrath.
“You shithead! I was winning!” Riley calls.
“I know! I had to! I had no choice, Riley. It was nearly life or death,” I say as I slip down another hallway and then press myself against the wall so that when Riley skids around the corner, he starts past me. I grab him with both arms and tug him back so I can kiss away his anger.
Those lips sure are rigid when I find them. His fiery attitude is conveyed quite clearly on them.
“I refuse to kiss you back,” he states. “I am ashamed of you.”
“I hear no such thing.” I eye him when he holds his hand up, causing a shard of ice to form in the air above it. It seems as though the hourglass has helped his magic stabilize enough that more powerful spells aren’t hurting him like they once did. “What are you doing with that, my sweet dearie?”
His evil look tells me I’m not going to enjoy it as he pulls down the back of my pants and the ice dives inside.
“Fuck, that’s so cold,” I say, doing a little dance to try to get it out. He just smirks and walks off without me.
“My love! Why are you now the one fleeing from me?”
“I am stalking away from my traitorous… friend.”
I gasp. “No! I… I have been downgraded?” I cry. He turns a corner as I finally retrieve the ice and toss it.
“You sure as fuck have. A partner would never have deceived me like that.”
“But… But I love you and I promise never to use Kit against you again.”
Riley slips outside, and I rush after him but don’t see where he went.
He’s disappeared into the foliage of the garden that’s started to bloom and flourish…
almost to the point of being out of control with no gardeners here to care for it.
It’s almost as beautiful as it was when this place was filled with people.
I spot a flick of Kit’s tail and hurry along the tall hedges that run between us before shoving myself through a break in two hedges and right into his path. He collides with me, and I wrap him up in my arms.
“Oh my, such a handsome fellow has fallen into my embrace.”
His eyebrow quirks. “Such a traitorous man has wrapped his slimy appendages around me!”
“S-Slimy?” I pick him up, wrapping an arm under his ass as I lift him off his feet and into my arms. “Please tell me how I must repent.”
“Hmm…” Riley taps his chin as he seems to think about this. “You must go to all of the theme parks with me.”
“Every single one?” I should have just let him win the forsaken game and would only have had to suffer at one theme park.
“Yes. I also want to go to Renaissance festivals because I want to see you dressed up in your armor.”
“I can wear my armor for you anytime.”
“Fine. You will strut around the palace wearing it with nothing underneath.”
“I’ll make that happen.”
He grins at me before slipping out of my hold, but when he pretends to walk away, I hook his arm and he ends up pressed against my back where he wraps his arms around me. “I want you to take me some place you haven’t shown me before.”
I think for a bit before the perfect place comes to mind.
The only problem is that I don’t know whether it’s still a desolate wasteland or life has returned to it.
“I can do that,” I say as I hook his legs and lift him up onto my back before I start walking.
He drapes his arms over my shoulders and tucks his head against my neck, and I love the feel of it.
“You know I’m not Mickey, right? I don’t need to be carried. I was just hugging you.”
“You must.”
“Fine, fine, prove your worth, and only then might I forgive you.”
“I will do my best to become your lover again.”