More than a month ago,
"You know I can't leave him yet. It's dangerous. Do you know what could have happened if I didn't see him? If I didn't arrive on time? And now, you want me to leave him? Are you fucking insane?!" Ryzel gritted out, his grip on the phone was enough to crush the poor device, and even if he wanted to, he couldn't break the only communication device he had.
"He will be fine, Ryzel. I know someone who will look after him. You know more than anyone that I will not agree to this decision if we have another option. Our hands are tied. We need you here. If they find out about your location, his life will definitely be in danger," the man on the other line explained desperately.
Ryzel ran his fingers through his hair, his teeth nibbling on his lips, feeling so frustrated and mad over the whole situation. He did not save Elijah just so he could leave the boy in a vulnerable situation. An unpleasant feeling sat in the pit of Ryzel's stomach, his eyes burning from unshed tears, as he tried so hard to choke the sobs.
"W-Why can't I take him with me? You know about Elijah's situation. He's so innocent, and he doesn't know much about the world. People will take advantage of him. I don't want to leave him alone. Who will take care of him when his nightmares haunt him? Who will be there to answer his silly questions? I p-promise to protect him. I will lay my life on the line for him, just... please. Not this. I don't want to leave him," Ryzel sobbed, his hand covering his mouth to muffle his cries.
Elijah is just in the other room, and the boy will bombard Ryzel with questions once Elijah notices Ryzel's puffy eyes.
"He's awake."
Ryzel almost dropped his phone when he received the shocking news. "When?" He asked breathlessly, blinking away his tears and swallowing the emotional lump in his throat. Ryzel could feel his fingers trembling and his limbs shaking. He was thankful that he was sitting down, or he would have collapsed on the floor, causing a racket, and worrying Elijah.
"A week ago."
"A week ago?! You didn't even bother to tell me?" From shock, Ryzel's emotion morphed into anger, feeling betrayed that he was not part of the group to receive the information early.
"Calm down. We had to confirm the intel, so we didn't inform you immediately. Now, we are sure. He's awake, and that would only mean one thing."
"They will continue their search for Elijah. Fuck." This can't happen. Elijah's life will be in great danger if those people catch him. Ryzel needs to make a decision. Leave Elijah and hurt him, but ensure that the boy is safe, or Ryzel will bring Elijah with him, but that would mean that the boy's safety would be compromised.
It may seem like an easy decision, but not for Ryzel. He's like a mother hen to Elijah. He can't take his eyes off the boy because he's afraid that the boy would trip into something, even at nothing, and that would result in injuries.
Aside from his innocence, Elijah is also clumsy. At seventeen years, Elijah's childlike innocence is adorable, but for Ryzel, Elijah is the best target for assholes and degenerates. Adding to the fact that Elijah is still being plagued by his nightmares, Ryzel is about to combust from so much worry.
"Don't worry about him, Ryzel. Even for a short amount of time, I know that you taught him well. Elijah will survive. He had you to guide him. He can live without you."
Ryzel should be happy but the last statement pierced him straight in his chest. I don't want him to be able to live without me. When Ryzel saw Elijah for the first time, he developed a sense of protectiveness towards the boy. Living with Elijah is like having a baby exploring the world for the first time. Elijah is so curious, and his blue eyes were always filled with wonder. It's so pure, that Ryzel feels compelled to protect that purity.
"He's just a toddler," Ryzel whined with a sniffle, and the man laughed at Ryzel's adorable antics.
"Stop laughing, or I will gut you." The man obeyed, and Ryzel heaved a deep sigh. "Is this how parents feel when their child is about to leave their nest? I don't like it. I don't want Eli to get hurt. There are so many bad people out there, Blue. Eli is as cute as a button. No one can resist him."
It was Blue's turn to sigh. "First of all, Elijah is already seventeen—"
"No! Elijah is just a toddler. He's my toddler, and he should be taken care of," Ryzel cut Blue off.
"All right, geez. But he's still seventeen, and you can't pamper him throughout his lifetime, Ryzel. Elijah needs to know how cruel this world can be, so he will know how to stand on his two feet. What doesn't kill us makes us stronger. It should be you who knows that the best," Blue finished, hoping that he could make Ryzel understand his point.
After five minutes of deep sighs, Ryzel came to a decision. "I hate it when you make such a good point. You make it harder for me to make fun of you," Ryzel said with a defeated tone, and Blue knew that he won. Ryzel may be stubborn as a bull, but Ryzel will do everything for Elijah's sake.
"When do you need me?"
"Tomorrow. We need to formulate a strategy. We can't act recklessly."
"Got it. I need to make sure that Elijah is okay before I leave. Fuck, I will kill you once I arrived there. Elijah is my stress reliever, so make sure that your body is prepared for me," Ryzel promised casually, which got Blue choking on his own saliva.
"W-What? M-My body? What are you going to do to my body?" Blue stuttered, his nerves acting up, both in nervousness and anticipation.
Ryzel rolled his eyes. "You will be my punching bag, Blue. What were you thinking?"
Blue cleared his throat and composed himself. "N-Nothing. Why would I think? I'm not even thinking. Are you insulting me? I have a brain too!" Blue rambled, his heart beating a mile a minute.
A deep frown marred Ryzel's beautiful features. Any person who would see Ryzel would be captivated by the latter's beauty. Ryzel's silver strands stopped in the middle of his back, silky smooth, and even if Ryzel wanted to have it cut, Elijah protested because he loves combing and braiding Ryzel's hair. Of course, Ryzel couldn't refuse Elijah.
Complimenting with Ryzel's beautiful hair is his lavender set of eyes that he inherited from his deceased mother. Because of the rigorous training regimen, Ryzel's slender body became toned, his muscles prominent, but is proportionate to his body, and became even more dangerous.
It's not a secret how Ryzel attracts men and women alike, but Ryzel turned them all down. Those who continued to pursue Ryzel ended up with broken bones and busted faces. Therefore, Ryzel earned the title of Untouchable Beauty, not just because of his elusiveness, but because Ryzel is repulsed by other people's touch, except Elijah. Elijah's presence comforts Ryzel.
"Be honest with me, Blue. Do you like me?"
The other line went silent. Ryzel waited for a few minutes, only to realize that Blue hung up on him.
The present, undisclosed location
"Oh no. If Ryzel found out about this, he would wreak havoc, Madam." Blue's worried eyes were fixed on the large monitor inside their base's computer room. He just found out that Elijah is currently staying overnight in Devon's place.
"He won't know if you don't tell him, Blue. Why are you even having a hard time? Don't tell me you're still not over Ryzel—"
"Madam! Please! A sensitive man with a fragile heart is in the room!" Blue hissed, trying to fight the blush from creeping up his cheeks. Blue swept his eyes around the room, making sure that no one heard what the Madam had said.
The woman laughed at Blue's flustered expression. "Calm down, boy. Don't worry about it. As long as you don't slip, Ryzel will not know."
"I won't know about what?" Ryzel who was passing by the computer room happened to hear their Madam's words. He got curious, so he decided to stop by for a visit.
"R-Ryzel? What are you doing here?" Blue's eyes widened in horror, his face turning ashen. "H-How much did you hear?" Blue was praying that Ryzel did not hear about the Madam's revelation because his glass heart is already cracked on the edges. One more push and it would break.
Ryzel frowned and eyed Blue in a scrutinizing manner. "Just enough to make me stop. What is it that I shouldn't know about?" Ryzel glanced at Madam and Blue back and forth, but the two averted their gaze and kept mum. "Really? The silent treatment?"
With a deep sigh, Ryzel took a step forward. "Blue. You know how much I hate liars, right?" Blue nodded with a hard gulp. "I also hate secrets. I feel so betrayed when people keep secrets from me. You heard about my past, right? They promised to love only me, but then they would leave me after they got what they wanted from me. Are you like them too, Blue? Do you also want to break my heart?"
Ryzel was just messing around with Blue but the latter took it seriously. "I will not do that, Ryzel. Elijah is having a sleepover at Devon's place."
"What?" Ryzel glared at Madam who just shrugged her shoulders. Ryzel then turned to Blue who was clenching his fist so tight, it was turning white. Ryzel walked towards Blue and tapped the man's balled fist. "Let it go. I'm just messing with you. I'm sorry."
Blue nodded and released a shaky breath. "Thank goodness. I was actually planning on finding the jerks who hurt you and bury them alive," Blue stated in an emotionless and dangerous tone that sent chills down Ryzel's spine.
Ryzel fished his pocket and shoved a notebook to Blue's chest. Blue's wide-eyed gaze turned to Ryzel, agape. "I never knew that you like me so much, Blue Winters. Keep your important stuff properly, and you should cease with that bloodlust. Anyways, thank you for telling me," Ryzel added with a smirk and went out of the room with a happy whistle.
"He played you good, Blue. Are you sure you're up for the task? Ryzel is a formidable one. It's not too late to direct your attention towards other people," the Madam advised in a worried tone.
Blue stared down at his journal, then to the door where Ryzel just stepped out. "Ryzel wouldn't be Ryzel if he's not that stubborn and challenging. I like a good challenge, and I would never change a thing about Ryzel. I want all the good and bad," Blue concluded with an affectionate tone.
The Madam chuckled, with a shake in her head. "You really fell too deep, boy. Good luck with that." On the other side of the door was Ryzel, leaning against the wall, a ghost of a smile on his face.
[Note: Blue and Ryzel star in the sequel, Blue's Rebel.]
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