Leashed | • • • | Blue Exorcist

That's gotta hurt

I stood there, dumbfounded by the change of events. How did he even get a razor in here? Even if his mom was the founder, I highly doubted she'd allow him to have such a thing. His eyes danced with darkness, and a bit of mirth. Honestly, he was giving off vibes I'd only experienced with Mephisto. It was as if he were looking at me like a pawn in a game of chess.

I took a step back, raising my hands defensively. "No, I don't want to hear any conditions. This shit's so fucked up, I feel like I'm hallucinating."

He cackled, "well, you're not." He crossed his legs on the bed, looking entirely too comfortable with the situation. "You can view me as the ring-leader here, Rin. Everyone answers to me, and you are no different." He toyed with the razor in his hand, twirling the blunt side between his fingers. "If you do as I ask, I can guarantee that you'll get want you want in return. It's that easy. I have connections outside and inside the hospital. A luxury that no one else here has."

I shook my head, my gaze darting between his wild eyes and the weapon he wielded. "I don't care what the fuck you have. I just want to serve my time here and go back home."

He hummed, placing his elbow onto a propped knee. "You poor soul. You're not getting out, not without a fight." My head spun with the declaration. "They'll find a way to bend the rules, keep you medicated and under their watch. Trust me, I know the CEO." He flashed me a wicked smile. "It's how they get their money. Now, unless you cause an absolute fucking scene, and I mean a shit-storm of a scene, good luck getting discharged."

I tried to swallow the lump that was beginning to form in my throat. "H-how do I get out, then?"

He shrugged, "do as I say, and you'll be out in probably a month, maybe two? If you don't want to accept my offer, you'll be here for about six. That's if you don't get court ordered to stay."

My mouth went dry. Six months? I wouldn't be able to survive that long. Even one month seemed too far away. I swallowed, "what are your conditions?"

I watched as his eyes lit up, "smart boy." He rearranged his body to perch at the edge of the mattress. Then he held out a hand, "first of all, come here." My mind was roaring with danger signals, but I pushed them aside. Tentatively, I took a step forward, placing my hand in his. In a blur of motion, he yanked me forward, causing me to stumble. I steadied myself, my free hand on his knee, our faces only inches apart. A devilish glint flickered beneath his brown orbs before I felt pain.

I ripped myself away from him, clutching my bleeding finger. He'd dug the razor into my forefinger. The small wound oozing dark red. I was just about to curse at him when he shushed me. "There. That's just a taste of what you've been missing." He held the blade between two fingers, it's edge blemished with a scarlet stain. "I'm sure the feelings not quite the same when someone else does it, but I'm assuming you can remember just what you could do with this."

My heart was hammering in my throat. Both because of the dodgy scenario I was in, and also because I felt the blade on my skin well after it was gone. I itched for it, my nerve endings feeling the phantom cuts of precious episodes. Thomas saw the demented look on my face and cackled. "I guess I assumed right. Now, my conditions." He set the razor down on the bed, right beside his pillow. I had to force myself to listen to him as I yanked my gaze off the object. "Rule number one: you didn't get it from me." He ticked each one off on his fingers, never breaking eye contact. "Two: you wait at least one week before shredding yourself. If you go nuts too soon, they'll connect the dots between the two of us. And three: hide it in the baseboard. You should be able to wiggle it between the wood pretty easily. The nurses never check behind the beds, so you should put it there."

I remained silent while he listed his guidelines, the air between us stilling once he'd finished. I stole a glance at my still bleeding finger, raising it to my mouth to clean off the blood. He watched as I licked myself clean, a dark look sprouting behind his eyes. After several moments, I spoke up. "And what do you want in return?"