Open Wound

Chapter Two

Sean pulled the comforter over his head and rolled over in bed. Zagan snuggled behind him and Byleth stood with his arms crossed at the end. It was another rough day and Sean had reached another limit.

Vexis leaned against the wall that formed the alcove the bed sat in. They argued with the others as Sean became more and more aware of the creeping burn that foretold of his forbidden love. His love for the things that scared and hurt him, and the very thought of being caressed by that darkness increased the trans man's pulse. He knew what he needed to feel better; the horrible poison he could no longer live without.

Vexis looked down at Sean and scoffed. "You get off on that? You're actually getting off on that idea? That's fucking gross."

Byleth scowled. "Why are you even here? Why don't you just leave right now?"

Vexis glared right back and Zagan agreed with Byleth. Sean wanted to dive deeper into the blankets.

"Maybe they should go," Zagan warned. "Sean doesn't need to indulge in anything harmful."

Vexis' face shifted with irritation, and Sean knew all too well the horrors that were coming. Their smile changed from Cheshire back to normal, and their eyes warped into black voids with a small red light in the distance. It shifted again and their eyes widened to a frightening degree to match that of his manic shadow man as their form grew unstable, and their smile stretched impossibly wide as their voice wavered like it was underwater.

Vexis hissed in a static malice, "If you really want me to go, I'll go. I don't know why I put up with your shit, I don't even like talking to you. I don't even know why I care. I'm only here for Sean anyway, and half the time I question that. I don't care about any of you."

Sean finally looked up and spotted Vexis as they turned to leave. "No, please don't go. Please stay, Vex."

Zagan hesitated before speaking. "Are you sure, love? They're just going to make things worse."

"Yes, I'm sure," Sean pressed. "We were starting to do well together, remember?" His arousal increased as the darkness seeped from Vexis, who took notice as they became quietly interested.

Vexis laughed cruelly. "You're getting off over me? I may have screwed with your nightmares and taken advantage of your perverted trauma response, but that's your thing, not mine."

"I know," Sean ground out. "But I can't help it. I'm just... a masochist, I guess. One you created."

"That's apparent," Vexis sneered. "Find someone else to entertain your gross fantasies with. I put up with them for long enough, and they don't benefit me anymore."

Zagan kissed the back of his lover's head and rubbed his side. "I can help, babe. Want me to?"

Sean looked at Vexis again, who had crossed their arms in a closed-off gesture. "Would you consider it? To go further than the dreams?" he asked. "With me? Even if it has to be mean-spirited?"

Vexis fell silent and stared at the weakening form on the bed with icy gray eyes. Their gaze haunted and chilled Sean to the core despite the toxic arousal boiling there. He knew he was messing with danger, and the danger became even more real as Vexis stared at him through those feral eyes. The shadows around them toyed with coming out, and they finally did in Vexis' face as they warped into something terrifying, something that defied logic — something they knew would trigger Sean's fear.

That maddening grin. The shroud over their face. Sean pulled the blanket over his head again to avoid the memories of who Vexis once was.

"Great, you triggered him," Zagan spat.