Shadows Of Eden

Defy

The Ghost Of You- My Chemical Romance

The next few weeks passed in a blur. The air turned cold and dewy frost hardened on the grass overnight. Days became shorter, the inky black sky swallowing the world whole. Camren's porch plants had withered into sad, lifeless weeds in their pots.

Eve continued her usual cycle of work and bouncing between her own home and the boys'. Percy and Aron had become acclimated with one another, Percy finally letting his guard down around him. He could sense that Aron was a natural predator of his. At first, if Aron was in the house, Percy would vanish. But eventually he made his way out through coaxing and lots of baby talk from Aron. The treats he offered helped as well. Aron always came bearing treats for Percy, and Eve found it adorable.

Aron and Eve reached the point of just dropping over at each other's houses unannounced. Today, Eve felt like stopping over. The boys didn't really do too much outside of recording or staying in. Sometimes they'd go for drives and explore the area, maybe pop in a bar if they were really bored. But never anything too rowdy- they kept that energy in the house. They never did anything to attract attention to themselves.

Cold wind wrapped around Eve as she got out of her car. Her arms in a bear hug to preserve as much body heat as possible, she broke into a run to the wooden front door. She lifted her hand to knock, but it swung open before she could make contact.

Desmond's tall, lanky stature stood in the doorframe, dressed in a loose black hoodie and gray joggers. He almost had to duck to enter and exit the house. Eve only stood a little over 5', meaning Desmond towered over her, him easily being over 6 foot. His eyes sent a chill down Eve's spine. His brown hair was disheveled and his eyes had deep bags under them.

"He's not here," he firmly said.

"I-?" Eve wasn't expecting him to open the door, much less to have such a tone in his voice.

"Okay?" she replied.

His brown eyes stared into her. They were usually blue, she noticed. Realizing what that meant, a pang in her stomach surfaced. He was thirsty... that would explain the crabbiness. The staring match seemed to last forever, both looking at each other with a slight scowl.

"Can I at least come in?"

"Why?"

"Because it's cold?" She asked defensively, throwing her arms up.

She'd never felt unwelcome here before. As if on queue with her words, a huge gust of wind blew, causing her to shiver and hug herself again. She wondered where Aron was, and who else was in the house... if anyone. The cold chilled her to the bone and made her even more irritated.

He looked down at her. She knew what the answer was. Right as she was about to give up, to turn on her heel and walk back to her Jeep, he relented.

"I guess if I don't, I'll never hear the end of it," he groveled, stepping away from the frame and letting her in.

She walked past him and stepped through a cloud of his scent. It was the first time she smelled him. It was a mix of deep amber and musk, with a faint undertone of sandalwood and... smoke? Yet, it was a bit sweeter than the smell of Aron.

The door closed with force behind her, making her jump. What the fuck was HIS issue? Eve had done absolutely nothing to him.

She stood in the front hallway, unsure of where to go. She hadn't thought this far. Was she supposed to just go into Aron's room and wait for him to get back? That could be awhile depending on where he went, and Eve knew it would feel awkward. She decided to stake her claim on a portion of the sectional. She pulled a nearby blanket on top of herself and kicked her feet up on the couch, leaning back against one of the couch pillows. Desmond was staring daggers, and Eve could feel it from across the room. His dark pupils burned into her.