𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐝𝐞𝐧 | 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯'𝘴 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥 |

73 | 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬

"Ookayy, yeah. Nope! I ain't watching the rest." Comes from a female voice, a few mumbles coming in the background.

I wake up in a daze, the world around me spinning as I sit as best as possible, a bubbly feeling in my chest. Who said that all memories are bad?. Rebecca comes rolling in her chair, taking my face in hands and shining a flashlight in my eyes, she scoffs as she turns it off and looks a me with a raised brow.

"You're a little too happy right now. Your adrenaline and BP levels are elevated, it affected your heart rate and hormonal markings, serotonin and oxytocin in particular. And those pupils are as big as frying pans. Girl, you need Jesus." She chuckles and shakes her head as she watches me trying to stand, failing miserably.

I run my finger over my eyes, trying to shake off the lingering feeling of the ancient male over me, the spectral touch of his hands during that whole night replaying like a broken record. I did some stupid things when I was younger, but killing a demigod doesn't compare to giving yourself to a playboy.

I look up and the two males sit on a nearby table, their eyes downcast and cheeks pink, never expecting to see such thing from my part. What can I say? I'm a box full of surprises.

I try again to stand, shakily watching how the ground moves in circles before settling back. Becs eyes me as I walk over to the exit, not really in the headspace to speak to anyone.

The things I said that night.. never has my mouth been fouler since then, the rain of obscenities emanating form my vocal chords being powered by my overworked lungs coming to light thanks to the magic of the Animus.

I'm not here to replay my adventures with him, I'm here to find a way to get rid of my fathers present specter.

I go outside and walk over to the dock, a few Assassins walking off when I come into view, weary and uncomfortable with my presence. I sit at the edge, letting my weight go dead as my legs are still shaking with adrenaline, I take my shoes off alongside the socks and set them beside me, dunking my feet in the cold water.

Why did I even do that? In what world did I think 'hmm, if I fuck the man, he'd stay with me'?. I was young, foolish and naive, that much is clear.

Better yet, a twat, like Shaun would say. Because why not? Shaun.

Malàka. He was sitting with William, he saw that steaming interaction before Rebecca cut off the session.

What will he think of me now? That I'm only playing with him? That I only aim to have a fun time from his part and then everything between us dies? Will he even sleep beside me tonight, or go to one of the empty rooms and leave me in the darkness, hearing Ares' taunts?.

A crack of bones is heard behind me, scaring me slightly. I turn back and the man himself stands crouched, hands held high as a sign of surrender.

"I try to be the most silent Assassin this creed has ever seen and here are my damn knees popping like their life is one crack away from breaking." He jokes as he looks at his legs, the man still being slightly flustered by the inward crease of his brows.

He sits beside me with his legs crossed and fixes his glasses, looking out into the distance, the deep blue of the ocean being the only sight available.

"I admit, that was.. unexpected." He whispers, fingers playing with a loose thread at the hem of his pant legs.

Shame, guilt and fear run through my head as his voice takes a somber tone, the male not expecting such thing to appear from me. A shadow appears beside him, his eyes boring straight into Shaun's head, the figure getting closer to him and analyzing him all around, body moving like a snake.

"This is what giving yourself does, you loose everything. From dignity, to respect. He won't stay with a whore like you, there is a beautiful woman inside that can bring him more pleasure than what you gave that miserable Æsir. You are useless, and he can too see that now." Says Ares, the man smiling and laughing as he finishes, the specter making the action of running a finger over Shaun's spine.

"Hey, you alright?." My eyes jump from the disappearing shadow behind him to his face, which holds worry in his brown orbs. I nod as I swallow, trying to ignore his misleading words.

"Yeah, I'm just—tired, yeah." I say, not knowing how to form a conversation after what happened.

He grabs my hands which prompts me to look up, his delicate fingers running patterns over my skin. Love pours from his stance as he scoots closer, landing in front of me and slowly placing his forehead with mine.

"It's alright, love. I'm just.. surprised and ashamed. I didn't need to know much less see that, and it's clear it makes you uncomfortable, for us to have invaded so much." A hiss is heard behind me as he tries to reassure me.

"It doesn't matter what—." I pry my forehead form his, markings dwindling as the hissing gets louder.

"Leave me. Leave and.. find another. I'm—I'm used. Worth was lost that day, I'm not—Rebecca, she's a good pick, a woman of virtue I.." The hiss turns to laughter as Shaun's face takes on a shocked look.

"What are you saying? Rebe—are you listening to yourself? Yes, there are many women around the world, no I won't look for another much less her! I told you once, she's like a sister for me. Never in this life or any other will I see her with other eyes. Becs? A woman of virtue? That's too much to ask for already." He jokes lightly as he grabs a hold of my forearms, keeping me in place.

A slimmer shadow appears beside a bigger one, this one putting her hands around Shaun's neck seductively, her mouth going over his cheek.

"Those are his words, but what of his true intentions? Did I not tell you to trust your instincts? Then do so, child of mine, before this heartbreak is too much for you to bear." Says the specter of Aphrodite, this one taking a whiff of him as she glides a finger from his left temple, down over his lips and over the cheek.

"Men say the same thing, it's always like that. Not even the years that the world stood as a second sun did this trait die in you!." I look back to him, the male furrowing his brows and looking beside him briefly.

"You're listening to them, aren't you?." My blood freezes and I stop breathing, the figures of my parents encircling us like prey.

"Listen, they're not real anymore, love. Nothing of whatever they bloody fuck are saying is real, you know this. Please, my words count here, everything I say is nothing but the truth." His hands grab my face, prompting me to stare at him and ignore the figures going around.

"What you did in the past, stays there. You're simply relieving memories, not living them at all. I don't care what you did, I don't see the old you, I see this one, who took on the role of a protector in this group and guarded our boss' son, rescued him and sacrificed herself to stay alive while finding a way back to us." I take his hands with my shaky ones, not wanting to look nowhere but his eyes.

"This one who accepted to be the girlfriend of a nerdy and workaholic British arrogant asshole like me. The one who I absolutely adore to wake up beside to every day. Nothing can change that, and you know it, deep down I know you do. You can't—absolutely can't—let them get in your head." He brings me to his chest, where I hide my face in is neck to not see the lingering forces around us. I place my hand on his chest, feeling his calming heartbeat.

"I love you, baby. You know that, I'll continue to say it for the rest of my life, as long as you remember that I'm here for you, just like you are for me." He cranes his neck and kisses my head, rocking us softly.

The hissing stops as I focus on the sound of the rippling water and the feeling of his beating heart, the specters leaving me alone as I'm consumed by the faint scent of vanilla and lavender, the male having applied a softer smelling cologne today rather than the strong scented ones.

We remain seating and holding one another, the strength in his arms reminding me that he's not going to let me go, in any and all sense.

I just want them to leave me alone.