This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to persons living or dead is purely coincidental. This work contains mature themes, including violence and sexually explicit content, and may not be suitable for all audiences. It is only intended for readers 18 years and older. Reader discretion advised.

Against the side of a large mixing bowl, Alexei cracked an egg with one hand. The yolk inside was massive and perfectly golden as it dripped out of the shell. He cracked a few more then began to whisk. 

“What are you making?” Daniel asked, lingering closely enough to look over Alexei’s shoulder. His hair was still wet from his morning shower, and in such close quarters, Alexei could smell the scent of his minty shampoo almost as clearly as if he’d leaned in to take a whiff. The image of Daniel, cheek pressed against his thigh, flashed into Alexei’s mind.  

“I’ve never felt anything like it. I can’t go on without it.”

Those words, panted against his leg, appeared so vividly to Alexei that he turned back, his cheeks beginning to flush, as if he’d heard the man say them out loud once again. Behind him, Daniel stood perfectly still, his mouth pursed in a tight line. Great, auditory hallucinations, just what he needed. Alexei looked back toward the bowl, focusing on it intently as his heart began to race inexplicably. 

Surely his guiding was not that unique from the other guides. He didn’t feel any different. Not a single day in the past ten years had he felt special, or gifted, or powerful. He’d always just been Alexei. Part of him felt flattered, but it was a small, greedy part that was quickly overshadowed by a slow-boiling resentment that percolated in his chest. 

He wanted to go home. Home, where he could use his newfound skills to ease the arthritis pain in Cora’s hands and keep watch over her just as she had done for him. There were so many people in Masonville he wished he could help with his gift. Guilt, anger, and bitterness all came in waves as he wrestled with the fact that his hands would likely be reserved for the benefit of one person and one person alone, Daniel. 

His hand faltered and a splatter of golden yolk escaped the bowl, landing on the counter. Alexei set the bowl aside, pulling out a red pepper and placing it on the cutting board in front of him. 

“An omelette,” he answered curtly, scooping up the chopped pepper pieces with the edge of his knife and depositing them into a now-hot pan on the stove with a bit of butter.

“It seems like an excessive use of eggs,” Daniel replied, his eyes still fixed on Alexei’s hands as they moved about the countertop. 

Alexei finished chopping a few more peppers before replying. Each one was a brilliant shade of red, and chopping them made him feel a little better somehow. They were perfectly ripe and he hoped they’d add a nice mild flavor, along with their natural sweetness.

“Well, we’ve got a long day ahead of us, don’t we? I don’t see why I should have to go hungry.” 

Daniel leaned against the counter, crossing his arms across his chest, “Don’t be dramatic. You’ve made it clear you don’t like my meals, but no one was planning to starve you. You could have just ordered something from the butler.”

Alexei teased the edges of his omelette with a spatula, flipping it in half right as the edges started to stiffen. “Yes,” he replied, “I’m aware. I just wanted to cook, that’s all. I don’t see why it's bothering you so much.”

The omelette slid out of the pan with ease, and Alexei carried it over to the table to enjoy. It was soft and fluffy, with just enough crispy cheese around the edges to add a satisfying crunch to every bite. 

“It’s not bothering me,” Daniel corrected, sliding in the chair across from Alexei. “I just don’t get why you hate everything about this place. You don’t like the food, you don’t like the living arrangements, you don’t like being a guide–,” his voice wavered and dropped to a whisper, “and you don’t like me.”

Alexei sighed, resting his fork against the edge of his plate. He was trying not to get frustrated, but all he wanted was to eat his omelette, his first homemade meal in a week, in peace. “Daniel,” he said finally, “Do you like it here?”

Daniel looked puzzled, he’d never been asked that question before and was unsure of how to answer. “I like helping people. I like that people respect me. I’m good at my job.”

Alexei took another bite of his omelette and nodded his head, “Right, but that’s out there,” he pointed out the penthouse window to Oclesa City. “What I’m asking you is if you like it here, in the Center. We can’t go anywhere unless we’re on an assignment. We can’t do anything we want on a whim. Doesn’t that feel stifling to you? I’m not some miserable person, I just feel like my whole life has been taken from me. Don’t you get that?”

Daniel leaned back in his chair, his crossed leg bouncing as he listened. Alexei could sense his partner growing restless. Daniel really was like a cat in many ways, Alexei thought. He was a skilled hunter, of course, and eager for affection, but he was also quick to lash out if displeased. 

“Not really,” Daniel replied, “What would I need to do out there anyway, aside from closing gates? I have everything I need here, especially now that you’re here. And anyway, they told me that you never left the house. Plus, your house was a total hovel– that you’d basically been living in squalor for years. What’s so important out there that you’re struggling to adjust to luxury? If I lived in a dingy place like that, I’d be thrilled to finally move up in the world.”

The last bite of omelette went down sour, and Alexei found himself suddenly overwhelmed with a combination of heartache and anger. Squalor, that’s what Daniel had called his apartment. His knuckles tightened around the fork in his hand. His parents had saved for years to buy that apartment. They’d spent months redecorating it to prepare for his birth. Every birthday, every holiday, every meal shared in that apartment held a special place in his heart. Even more so now that his parents were no longer living. Hearing someone speak so poorly of it made him seethe. 

Alexei wasn’t cruel by nature, but something ugly reared its head inside him and he curled up his lip in disgust. “Of course you’d say that,” he sneered, “I’d almost forgotten you don’t even have a family. Kalvis told me that none of you can remember anything before coming here. Maybe if you had a family, you’d understand.”