Sunflower with Thorns

EXTRA

SOREN

Cain had been in my life for as long as I could remember, he was there during our first day of school, when we were learning how to shoot, he defended me against everyone that doubted me. He was my person for everything, I went to him when I was happy about something, when I had school troubles. Cain was the one that told me what to do when I didn't know, until he started dating Lilith.

The three of us were still in high school when Cain and Lilith started dating. I thought she was another week and a half girlfriend of his, but then they passed the three month mark, then the six month, then the year. Soon enough, we were graduating and Cain was proposing.

I never understood why Cain acted so differently once Lilith came into the picture, then again when Zander showed up. After Lilith died Cain was a mess, it's wrong but I was so happy when he started to lean on me again. I thought that I was finally getting him back after so many years of him being gone. But everything went back to how it was when Zander showed up, if not worse, Cain was even more invested in Zander.

Between the years of Lilith's passing and Zander appearing, Cain would try to set me up with people but it wasn't something I wanted. I didn't want a meaningless hookup. I didn't want to fuck and dump someone. I wanted something real, so how was it fair that Cain got something like that twice and I couldn't get it once.

⇇ ⇉

"You know," Olive started causing me to groan internally. "All you have to do is ask if you want someone to keep your bed warm at night." He flirted shamelessly as I stood behind him while he typed on his computer. It was something he did everytime I needed information from him. He would flirt while getting the information, I would shoot him down, and leave once I got what I needed.

"How many times do I have to tell you, Olive. That's not something I want. I don't need a random person in my bed at night." He paused his typing and turned around to look up at me.

His blue-gray doe eyes had more emotion than I'd ever seen in them. He bit his full pink lip and softly asked, "What kind of person do you want in your bed?" He wasn't being rude or making a joke, it seemed like he was genuinely asking. Olive looked away and ran a hand through his wavy brown hair awkwardly.

I sighed and dragged another desk chair over and sat next to him so we were eye to eye. "I just want something like Cain and Zander have."

His eyes lit up as he whistled, "I didn't know you were into that kind of thing, Soren. Maybe we can play together sometime. Now that Cain and Zander are exclusive I have no one to play with." He pouted at me causing my face to go red with embarrassment.

"I didn't mean like that!" I shouted, "I meant," I sighed in defeat, "I just want something real. I want love."

It was silent in the room for a minute before Olive sighed and turned to face me fully. He looked down at his hands, "I know it doesn't seem like it, but I never liked being Cain's only when he wanted. I want something permanent too." He slowly leaned forward and gently grabbed my hand in his. "Maybe we can find what we want with each other."

⇇ ⇉

"I swear to god Olive. If this is some trick to get back at me I will have your fucking head. You don't get to use people to benefit yourself."

"That's sick coming from you." Olive rolled his eyes. "What were you doing to me for years? Using me, jackass."

Before the yelling and fighting got any worse, I stepped in between the two of them. "Cain stop. He's not using me and you can't speak to him like that." Tensions were already high from the shoot out yesterday, many of us were still injured but I couldn't let anything be unsaid.

I turned to Olive and wrapped my arm around his waist, pulling him close to me to keep him safe. "Olive isn't using me and I'm not using him. We love each other, and I won't let you talk to him like that. We both know that you'd have the head of anyone that spoke to Zander that way. So I'll warn you now to not speak to Olive like that." I looked down at Olive and smiled before looking back at Cain. "I'm loyal to you Cain, I'd give my life for you, but I won't let you bash the man I love."