Chapter 31
Tyson
Iwatch Rohan look down into the tub warily. He’s the one who asked for a bath before we go, and now he’s acting as if I’ve never seen him naked again.
“Rohan, I’ve been inside you. Get in.”
“That’s not the point,” he says, swallowing, a blush spreading across his cheek. There’s no way he’s being this coy right now.
“Come here.”
“I will just give me a minute,” Rohan mumbles, the silk robe wrapped around his body falling off his shoulder.
Fuck.
“Now. Before the water cools,” I say, firm in my tone.
“Listen, just because we fucked doesn’t mean you get to tell me what to do, Ty!” he snaps, of course he does. That’ll never change, and I hope it doesn’t cause it makes me want him more.
I summon shadows and tendrils to undo the ties of his robe. Rohan gasps, too slow to fix himself.
“You’re a fucking prick,” he says, trying to hold the little fabric together with his fingers.
“Get in.”
“Okay, okay,” he whispers before letting the silk fall completely away from his pretty body and padding his way to the edge of the tub. I watch him slip his first foot in and then the next before sitting all the way down, opposite of me.
“Why the fuck are you all the way over there?” I ask, pulling him by the arm and positioning him between my legs, his back against my chest.
“You’re so rough, Ty.”
“That’s what you like though,” I smirk against his ear.
“Mmm, maybe,” he mutters, leaning his head against my shoulder. I can’t believe how fucking gorgeous he is. Especially up close.
I’m a lucky guy.
“Is your hair dyed?” I ask.
“My hair? No, idiot, what?” Rohan giggles. I love it when he laughs like that. Make it a new goal to make it happen more.
“I don’t know, it’s kinda golden. I’ve never seen this color before. Not natural anyway.”
“Golden? It’s like a sandy brown,” he says, trying to pull one of his strands to look at it. “But I guess gold too?”
“Yeah, I always thought it was pretty against your skin.”
“Oh, um, thank you,” Rohan mutters, biting his bottom lip, his ears turning red.
“Me and my mom have the same hair … we’re the only ones with it in my family.”
“That’s cute.”
“What about your mom? You actually never mentioned her. Do you look like her?” Rohan asks, the question innocent, but I can’t help flinching.
“She … passed. And I don’t think I look much like her, more like my dad unfortunately. My brother does, though. It’s kinda comforting to see her eyes when I look at him.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, Ty … I didn’t know.” His eyes soften.
“It’s okay. It was a while ago. She died when I was a teenager,” I say, solemnly playing in his hair, “She would’ve loved you though.”
“You think so?” he asks, chuckling. “I know so. She probably would’ve dragged you everywhere with her.”
“Well, I’d understand that. I am the best you’ve ever had, probably,” Rohan says, kissing my cheek softly. I laugh brightly and nip his ear.
“You want me to confirm that, don’t you?”
“I don’t need you to, I know I am,” he says, splashing me.
“You’re a fucking trip, you know that?”
“Well, at least you’ll never be bored. And you’re already kinda boring. One of us has to be the entertainment,” Rohan says, and I give a few kisses on the back of his neck. “I wasn’t boring you when you were screaming last night.”
“Oh, shut up!” he squeaks, trying to get away from my lips, but I hold him against me by his neck with a tight grip.
“Ty… please.” Rohan gasps a little.
I lick a long strip up to his ear. “You taste so good, kitten.”
“Hey, come on, we just did it,” he whines.
“One more time before we go,” I whisper against his neck. “I can’t get enough of you.”
* * *
“You ready?” I graze my knuckle against Rohan’s wrist as we approach the clock tower.
He seems a little spaced out since leaving town, and I don’t know if it’s to do with what we did last night or this next quest. We still don’t even know what we’re looking for or what’s inside waiting for us.
Rohan turns his body fully to face me, leans up onto his toes, and kisses my cheek.
My brows raise into my hairline, still not used to this side of him. But I’m not complaining either.
“Yeah,” he breathes out and heads to the tower entrance. I’m stunned for a few seconds before following him inside.
“Let’s try to avoid expending as much HP it’s wet and dirty in here,” Rohan says, pushing me away and stalking off to the next floor.
I laugh, trailing behind him. He spreads his lance through a few monsters in the map. “That new weapon is looking pretty nice,” I smirk.
“Yeah, thanks for the metal, by the way,” he mumbles, walking further away.
“Sorry, I didn’t hear that. What was that?”
“You heard me, Ty! I’m not saying it again.”
“Why not?”
“Because your head’s already huge enough.”
“That’s okay. When we get out of here, I’ll get you to show me how thankful you really are.”
“You’re so fucking horny,” he says, jumping over a puddle of murky water.
* * *
We’ve reached the last floor of the tower, both clearing out the tougher monsters together. Rohan waits by the door to the roof while I use shadows to take out the last few on the map to make sure we’re completely safe. He’s looking down at the ground, biting his lip after I’m done.
“You okay? You’re not hurt, right?”
“No, I’m okay. Just … I feel weird. This feels too easy, I don’t know.”
“Yeah, I’ve been thinking the same thing. But don’t worry, I’m here, we’re here. Whatever is going on, we’ll figure it out together.”
“Right, let’s hurry and get it over with.”
I reach out, pressing my palm to his cheek, his eyes so vivid against the dark backdrop of our surroundings. Like a star in the night’s sky. Rohan leans into my touch, rubbing his cheek against my hand.
“You know how cute you are when you like a guy?”
“Ugh, don’t, Ty!”
“I’m just saying, but yeah, I’ll tease you later.” I chuckle, walking ahead of him. I want him safely behind in case there really is something odd going on up there. We take the last flight of steps, and I open the door to the roof, the wind whipping at my hair when I step out into the open air.
I hold my arm out to stop Rohan from coming any further before I can fully scan the area. There are no monsters. But there’s a black lump on the ground at the very end of the map.
“What is that?” Rohan tilts his head.
“I have no idea. Maybe it’s the drop.”
“Without a fight?”
Rohan and I approach the heap closer.
“It’s a hooded … cloak?” He says, pinching his brows together.
“I feel like I’ve seen this before…”
“The cloak?”
“Yeah, I just can’t…” I start, and before I can get the rest of my words out, I push Rohan back roughly, surrounding him with my shadows as protection. The cloak rises from the ground, and a figure forms right before our eyes.
“Tyson!” Rohan screams.
“Stay there!”
“Hey, kiddos,” Leon says, greeting us with a small wave.
“What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Ah, you boys made it. I knew you’d make it through everything.”
“What do you mean?” I say, wary enough to keep distance between Leon and me. Something doesn’t feel right about this entire thing. I think we were onto something.
I clench my blade tight in my hand.
“Well, you see,” Leon says, pulling his hood back, revealing his face. My eyes go wide. “You boys finally accepted your fate. Happy for you!”
“Noel? What the fuck is going on?!” I say, my voice shaking. With anger or nerves, I’m not sure.
“Tyson, what’s happening? You know him?” Rohan asks from behind me.
“I do.”
“Ah, yes! Hello, Rohan!”
“Don’t talk to him.” I dash back closer to Rohan to shield him. There’s no way I would let him get close to him. Not without knowing what the fuck is happening here. Why is Noel in the game? And why is he, Leon?
“Sure, okay. But anyways, this is your final challenge.”
“Challenge?”
“Yes, you see, we tried so many softer options to get you two to see it, but it would seem you both had to learn the hard way.”
“Get us to see what?” Rohan says.
“Oh, that you belong together. And I think we were right. You’re a perfect little duo. Just have to get through this last little hurdle to prove you’re fated to be, and you’re free to go.”
“What? The game wanted us to get together? That’s what this is about?”
“Yes, you two weren’t getting it. We set up so many chances for you to come together in the outside world, but ah, sometimes we have to use extreme measures.”
Set up so many chances? According to the ridiculous riddles Leon is telling us, all the times we’ve ever crossed paths have been preordained?
Which, if we already weren’t stuck in a fucking game, I would laugh at.
But the chances of this being bullshit are slim to none. I could believe anything at this point.
“Who’s we?” I ask, sneering.
“Oh, don’t worry about that,” Leon laughs. “Semantics.”
“Wait, so you’re like … a cupid from hell?” Rohan says.
“I wouldn’t say from hell.” Leon smiles.
“None of this even makes sense.”
“Ah, yeah, well, death doesn’t make any sense, yet it exists.” Leon chuckles, spreading his arm out wide in a gesture.
“Okay, so what do we have to do to get out of here? Kiss?” Rohan says, stepping as close as my body will allow him.
“It would’ve been that easy before, but like I said, you boys had to learn everything the hard way. So…” Leon says as the tower shakes, bricks falling to the ground below.
It’s moving upward. I grab Rohan’s arm, holding him close to me as we crouch down.
The sky around us turns black, cracking with thunder. I send shadows into the air to swallow our bodies in a dark shield as debris scatters all around us, bouncing off the black dome I’ve created.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m okay,” Rohan breathes out, but his body is shaking against me, his hands holding my wrist in a vice grip.
“Stay by me, don’t leave my sight, Rohan. Do you understand?”
“Yeah…”
“Promise me.”
“I promise.”
The tower has stopped its ascension. I lock eyes with Rohan one final time, giving him a nod before dispelling the shadows.
Leon is standing in the middle of the tower’s map, overwhelming black wings, jagged and ripped in some places, sprouting from his back. He’s summoned the monster from the castle map, Jax. Only it’s bigger and a lot more sinister-looking.
“So, that was you,” I snarl.
“I knew you were a smart kid the day I met you.” Leon grins. “Now let’s begin!” he says, sending the monster straight for Rohan.
I jump in front of him, my blade clashing with his own shadows. Rohan buffs me again, dashing back to use magic, blue thunder jumping out of his lance to attack the Jax. The monster is startled, dodging his attack and appearing behind Leon again.
“Ty… I don’t know if we can take him. Even together.”
Rohan grabs my hand.
I think it’s to stop his trembling.
And I would give anything to take away the fear in his eyes.