Cat and Mouse [SEQUEL TO FRAGILE MINDS]

Data Entry 10

Adrian woke up lying on a bed surrounded by blankets and pillows. This truly looked like a magician's hideaway. There was even a crystal ball in the center of the room.

"Oh, you're awake?"

Adrian shifted in the bed to sit up but his wrists were chained. He could only hear Vincent's voice through the thin veil separating them.

"You're an idiot, a proper idiot," he could hear the crash of a teacup. Vincent stood up and moved the veil away. Adrian started crying. He didn't expect to actually see him again, not like this anyway. He imagined something a bit more dramatic.

Vincent's fiery eyes, on the other hand, might've been the drama he was looking for. He climbed onto the bed and slapped Adrian's face on both sides. Then he grabbed the collar of Adrian's shirt and lifted him off of the bed closer to his face. "Games cease to be games if the other player willingly gives up or throws his life away," he seethed.

Adrian snorted and then began to laugh full-heartedly. "You're such a child about the strangest things!" he continued to snicker.

"You're an idiot!" Vincent glared coldly and crossed his arms (while still kneeling over Adrian). "Honestly," he sighed and brought his hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "What were you thinking? Just putting your hand onto the wall like that."

It was always Adrian's intention to put his life at risk to try and coax Vincent out. But it ended up happening in a way that he didn't expect. The realism must've been enough to actually get Vincent here.

"Sor-"

Vincent placed his finger over Adrian's mouth. "This isn't a win and it's not a loss. Just a temporary truce because of your incredible stupidity. I really have no intentions of associating with yo-"

Adrian grabbed the chains tying himself to the wall and pulled will all of his strength to undo them. The clasp popped right off of the stone and he immediately sat up and clung to Vincent. He held him tightly in his arms, so tight that Vincent felt as if he would snap.

"Please," Adrian muttered, about to collapse into endless tears. "Please don't disappear again. I don't have much sanity left. I'm going to snap..."

Vincent lifted his arms slowly to return the hug. He patted Adrian's head. "I didn't want to doom you to a life on the run."

"Please don't leave me again..."

"Okay, okay," Vincent sighed.

"Do you mean it?"

"I'm not going to disappear this time." Adrian wasn't so sure. He continued to cling to Vincent. "You're going to have to let me go at some point, you know?"

Adrian shook his head. "I'll lock you up before I let you go."

"Literally! I meant literally," Vincent waved his arms around frantically. "You're going to break all my bones!"

"Oh," Adrian loosened his grip a bit.

"Better?"

"A bit, yes."