Soul Mate Service (boyxboy)

Chapter 21

THADDEUS

"I know you hear me, dude! Would you please just slow the fuck down for a second?!"

I ignored the incessant voice calling after me, trying my best to blend into the crowd. Hands stuffed deep into my pockets to hide the tight fists that they had curled into, I took a few unexpected turns on the way to the stairwell, hoping to shake off my pursuer.

I didn't want to talk to Mitty. I had managed to avoid him so far by requesting my Unit Supervisor give us separate assignments and eating my lunch in the construction zone instead of the Nutrition Pod.

But unfortunately the fucker was determined, and today the egghead had come up with the brilliant idea of waiting me out.

Luckily for him, I was gonna knock him the fuck out if he got any closer.

I took the stairs two, occasionally even three at a time after passing through the stairwell airlock, moving to my second destination like fire was biting my heels.

Since our run-in with The Elders, things had... changed. Although my bruises were steadily beginning to heal – gruesome purple giving way to dark yellow patches across my entire body – scars that ran much deeper than a surface wound were quickly uncovered.

I was constantly glancing over my shoulder for one, paranoid of someone – anyone – jumping out of the shadows to take me again. Secondly, my wrists had become a no-touch zone, any contact with the sensitive flesh sending me right back to the sensation of those nerve-frying restraints.

But most of all, I was afraid... for Bug.

That thought of him, so helpless and distraught as he clung to the pant leg with all of his might... Fuck, it did something to me.

I had never experienced an emotion like that – one so raw and drenched in power that it wrenched my soul into a completely new direction. It was one that made me want to protect the selfless little being, to lock him up and throw away the key so that no one could ever bring harm to him again.

Fuck, I sounded so damn pathetic. But – somehow – it was still the truth.

Lost in a spiderweb of thought, I hadn't even noticed the fact that I had slowed my rate of escape, and that a certain blonde-haired fool had caught up until I felt a familiar hand wrap around my upper arm.

"Dude, what the hell is up with you? Are you okay?"

I whipped around, yanking my arm from his touch as if it burned while I directed a glare hot enough to scorch the sun in his general direction.

"Bro, back the fuck up." I instantly commanded, taking a few steps back myself to put distance between us, "If you know what's good for you, you'll stop talking to me right now and go about your fuckin' business." I turned, moving to continue my steady jog down the stairwell, only to be stopped by yet another hand on my arm.

"Thad, will you please just fucking pause for a minute! Why the hell are you ignoring me and what the fuck did I do to deserve that?! I've been your best friend since we were kids!"

I wrangled my arm from his grasp once again, expression tight as I tried my best not to rearrange this dude's face.

"You wanna act like you're fuckin' stupid now, huh? How about you go ask The Elders what you did, since you're so buddy-buddy with them, now." I finally acknowledged, flashing Mit a borderline homicidal glare.

A look of surprise painted Mitty's face as he stared back at me with a wide-open mouth, hands raised in the universal sign of self-defense. 'Best friend' my fuckin ass.