CHAPTER 11
Theo
The door banged open, raised voices following. I lifted my head from where I’d been dozing on the sofa, dutifully talking to Matthew, who was scribbling something on a piece of parchment, as little as possible.
What had happened earlier had been…something.
First, he’d told me he hated arguing with people.
I’d had to stop myself from scoffing. I was ‘arguing’ with people all the time.
With my parents, with my sister, with random dudes at the pub.
I’d been working as a bartender before the army and had been hired for the main purpose of getting in between drunkies’ fights, for Christ’s sake.
I was an angry person. Half of the reason I was in the army was so I could take that anger out on someone, be that during training or in actual battle.
I didn’t know how to stop arguing with people, or solve things with people.
I hadn’t even had a problem with him in the first place, apart from the fact he’d fucked me and I’d liked it and I shouldn’t have.
Honestly, I’d been winding the poor guy up for the fun of it, and in that moment I’d began to feel a little guilty for it because he’d looked genuinely dejected about it- so I’d told him we were cool.
And thrown myself at him.
I could only justify that one by saying that it was one of the three ways I handled my emotions- shouting, breaking things, and having sex.
But it was a shit justification, because I’d liked it again; horror, mortification and fear had slammed into my chest all at once and Matthew had been so nice about it, tidying up and making sure I was okay and…now I was ignoring him. Way to go, Theo.
Stryker and Nick entered to room; Nick was shouting, waving his arms around, a thunderous expression on his face whilst Stryker listened with his arms crossed and mild interest on his.
I got the distinct impression that it wasn’t him he was angry at.
Nick fell silent when he realised they had an audience. The darker skinned lad paused in the doorway and offered an awkward little wave “your knee good, Theo?”
“Yeah.” I replied, stretching it out as I spoke. It had been the reason I’d left practise early in the first place- my knee acted up sometimes due to the past three injuries and I hadn’t wanted to push it enough to make it worse, something that I’d done before and regretted. “All okay. Are you?”
Nick scoffed, muttering something under his breath before replying “hm. You wouldn’t believe some things that happen around here.” Before turning and promptly leaving the room.
Stryker hovered for a moment more, then shook his head and sighed “Jesus.”
“He alright?” Matthew asked, putting the piece of parchment down and giving Stryker his full attention. The latter shrugged stiffly “got three extra shifts at border patrol because he missed practise today. Overslept.”
“Ah.” I frowned “that’s a thing? Getting punished for oversleeping?”
“To be fair.” The corner of Stryker’s mouth quirked upwards “he was on his fifth warning.”
Matthew chuckled lowly. His eyes rested on the door and he paused “Jack?” He asked.
“Finishing some drills.” Stryker murmured “you're on border patrol with Alex tonight, Theo.”
I groaned, dread washing over me. In the short time I’d been here, Alex was the one person I truly despised. He wasn’t even that bad, he was just way too cheerful for his own good and never stopped talking.
Matthew seemed to recognise the name too, because he snorted and pointed at me “this grumpy dude with Alex?”
“He’ll keep your morale up.” Stryker tried.
I gaped at him in disbelief “morale up? He makes me want to cut my bleeding ears off!”
“Don’t be a dick.” He said scornfully “we need more people as light hearted as him, y’know.”
“Speak for yourself.” I grumbled.
Stryker kicked my foot “count yourself lucky. You’re leaving at 7 and coming back at 10. I’m leaving at 1 and coming back at 4.”
“Are you getting punished too?” I sniggered. Stryker rolled his eyes.
“Hey.” Matthew spoke up “has there been any talk of making a move against Stadal?”
He was reading another piece of parchment, eyes narrowed attentively.
“They want to try for a peace treaty. If we can’t get to an agreement then… yeah.” Stryker shuddered. That probably wasn’t a good sign.
I didn’t know much about this Stadal, but if the shared grimace on Stryker and Matthew’s faces was an indication of anything, it was that they were not nice folk to go up against.
“I wouldn’t count on that treaty too much.” Matthew grumbled “they seem pissed.”
Stryker took a spot between us and shrugged.
“What pissed them off?” I asked through a yawn.
My partner raised a shoulder in a one armed shrug “nothing. They want shit that we aren’t willing to give them, I think.”
“Something like that.” Matthew grunted “Johnathan hasn’t said much, right?”
“No.” The prince shook his head “he said he won’t be disclosing anything that isn’t strictly necessary, and for now nothing is.”
“Great.” He huffed sarcastically.
“It’s fine.” Stryker shrugged again, standing up “if John’s not worried, it’s fine. I’m heading for the showers.”
“Cool.”
Matthew tilted his head at me once Stryker had left “have fun on border patrol.” He offered, picking a quill up and dipping it in the bottle of ink on the coffee table “it’s cold and boring and if you’re really lucky a folklore monster will drag you into it’s den and try to eat you to spice up the evening.
” Sarcasm dripped from his tongue. I found the corner of my mouth quirking upwards “sounds fun.” I quipped, standing up, clapping my hands together “can’t wait. ”
Matthew smiled back.
If it made my stomach flutter a little, it was probably just nerves about getting possibly eaten by folklore monsters.
Border patrol went about as well as expected. It was cold, and I spent the entire three hours pacing up and down the same trail between the trees, with Alex chattering none stop in my ear- I blamed him for my currently throbbing headache.
Stryker was still up when I returned, along with Matthew, Jack, Dean and Max.
Matthew was occupying the sofa, strewn out across it like he owned the thing. The others were gathered around the kitchen table, murmuring in hushed voices.
I chose to ignore them and shoved Matthew’s feet out of the way so I could sit down. Alex pushed himself into the small group a few feet away.
The room was mostly dark, illuminated by the orange glow of the torches on the wall, flames crackling mesmerisingly.
I could feel Matthew’s hazel eyes on the side of my face.
Neither of us spoke a word to each other- I didn’t even glance his way, mainly from lingering embarrassment- but Matthew shifted his feet away from my thigh to give me space.
“No folklore monsters.” I murmured after a long beat of silence.
“Hm?”
Our eyes met. Matthew had an arm propped behind his head, and he smiled softly at me “boring, then.”
I scoffed gently “terribly so.”
More silence.
“Hey, Theo?” Stryker’s voice broke it. I turned to look at my companion, twisting my body round.
“Can Dean sleep in our room tonight?”
Dean shoved his shoulder hard “that’s not fucking necessary.” He hissed. He fell quiet at Stryker’s glare.
“Sure.” I replied slowly, brows furrowing inconfusion “how come?”
“It’s nothing.” Stryker mumbled “thanks.”
The crease between my brows deepened as I turned back round “you know what’s up?” I asked Matthew.
The other grunted “wasn’t listening.”
“Clearly.” I chortled.
He nudged me with his foot and closed his eyes again.
“You’ve been on this sofa all day.” I found myself pointing out.
“No.” The other denied “I’ve been up and around for lunch and dinner. Anyhow, it’s a comfortable sofa.”
It was true, I had to give him that.
“Fatass.” I mumbled instead of agreeing.
Matthew’s hazel orbs just twinkled with amusement.
“Have you had dinner?” Stryker’s voice called again.
I had, in fact, had the stir-fry rice Max had made. I nodded. Stryker nodded back, satisfied, and went back to the conversation.
“What’s he like?” Matthew asked curiously.
I turned my attention back to him, “who, Stryker? Great.”
“Great? Jack’s my partner and he’s far from great.”
“I mean, he expects a lot. He’s tough as shit during training. But apart from that, he really is.” I insisted earnestly.
“Yeah, no, he seems cool.” The boy bopped his head in agreement “but you’re always complaining about what an asshole he is, so.”
“I’m not.” I protested, eyes widening “only after training! He makes me do push-ups every morning. A lot of them.” I explained, eyes darkening seriously.
Matthew chuckled- a deep, rumbly sound.
I suddenly had an urge to see him naked again; I shook myself internally, scolding myself for it. No you don’t, you absolute freak.
But I wanted those hazel eyes to stay glued to me, I wanted his mouth on me, I wanted to hear his moans-
No. You. Don’t.
Fuck my life.
“Jack does twenty pull-ups every morning.” Matthew mused “tried to get me into it at first, but I can never get past twelve. Especially not first thing in the morning.”
I snorted “I can do fifteen.” I boasted “my record is seventeen. That’s five more than you.” I poked my tongue out childishly.
Matthew rolled his eyes and flipped me off.
I grinned.
I was rudely awaken at 4 in the morning by Stryker and Dean entering the bedroom.
I groaned, mumbling at them to shut the hell up before drifting off again.
That didn’t last long.
“Stryker? Stryker. Stryker.”
I was roused from my sleep, eyes blinking open blearily.
Stryker, from his own bed, seemed to have the same reaction.
“‘Ean?” He mumbled.
He sat up properly, rubbing his eyes and taking a look at him.
I followed his gaze from my horizontal position.
He was standing beside Stryker’s bed, having gotten up from the makeshift bed on the floor; his hair was mussed, cheeks flushed and eyes red.
“What’s wrong?” Stryker asked softly.
“I-I can’t…I need some air…Stryker-“
“Okay.”
I watched Stryker climb out from under the covers “breathe, alright? Come on.”
Dean had only taken two steps before he stopped suddenly, prompting Stryker to stop in front of him.
“Dean? You okay?”
Whatever response Dean had intended to give, if any at all, was lost as he suddenly collapsed into Stryker’s chest, knees buckling and chest heaving.
I jumped, the scene startling my half asleep mind.
Stryker caught him, holding him steady “Dean…”
“Please, Stryker, I- I need air, I-“
“Calm down. You can’t even stand right now.”
He slowly guided him towards his bed and sat him down before opening the windows.
“Better?” Stryker asked as cold air rushed over us, reaching for his sweatshirt.
I pulled my covers tighter around myself- real considerable, Stryker. Thanks.
“A little.”
“Did a folklore monster get him?” I croaked hoarsely.
Dean seemed too out of it to even hear me-thankfully-; Stryker whizzed round to face me, puzzled more than surprised to see me awake “what?”
“Like the one that got Matt.” I explained tiredly.
Stryker huffed, not even reacting when Dean reached out and clutched a fistful of his sweatshirt “no, Theo.” He hummed “it’s got nothing to do with that. I’ve got him. Go back to sleep.”
“Can’t.” I yawned “you’re loud. It’s cold.”
Stryker rolled his eyes fondly and turned back to Dean “okay?” He asked him quietly. He gave a little shrug, still seeming shaky and panicked.
“Can you stand now? I’ll make you a chamomile.”
“You don’t have to.” The older boy protested, but he was already standing on unsteady limbs.
I received Stryker’s wink on the way out and took it as an indication that I would finally be able to sleep.