♤SPRING SHIELD (MxM) ~fantasy~♤

Invitations

Elijah

"It was our pleasure to have you visit us today,Mr Lewis."Bradley explains as he sends us off to the very last step,"I had expected it to just be Kristian giving me the report today..."
"I felt obligated to watch over process."I say,dryly as we stop walking to finish our farewells. Do I feel obligated to watch his every move? No. I'm just paranoid after last night.
Let's just say I had a bad dream and didn't get much sleep and the only antidote is hovering.
"A true sense of responsibility from the boss himself."Bradley says,nervously. None of the employees responded well to my arrival at their office which I need to fix.
"Just doing my job. Speaking of duties you handle yours extremely well,Bradley."
"Why,you flatter me. In fact,it was Kristy giving me all those opportunities to speak my mind,he's quite the team builder."he gives,Kristian a gentle pat on his back that makes him jump out of his distant state.
When was Kristy a thing?
My skin crawls when I watch the contact. I have a urge to take his hand off of him. Immediately.
The same second nature I feel to provide and protect that's been ingrained in me coming into play.
"Don't exaggerate."he says,still absent minded as he holds as his files up to his chest,
"Bradley,sorry to cut everything short but I'm afraid my assistant is tired from a long day,if it's alright we should go."I stress on the my like I'm claiming him. Setting the boundaries that frankly need to be set,
Which superior touches his subordinate like that?
"Of course,I won't keep you."he says putting his hands foward ushering him to my car,
"Bye,Bradley. And... Thanks,for everything."with a smile on his face,Bradley bumps his shoulder into Kristian's leading him to give him an expression I don't understand and won't wait for them to continue,
"Time to go,Kristian."I hold the door open for him,ignoring their silent conversation. Finally,I get him inside the car and I don't look back,
"Are we rushing to another meeting?"he asks in my passenger seat,checking the grey afternoon sky as if the weather can determine whether or not we attend a meeting.
"No."I answer,driving off into the main road. Without thinking for what conversation my words could insight I chuck my curiosity at him,"Are you and the head of business seeing each other?"my hand fixing my side mirror trying to not cringe at my on lack of shame,
"I fail to see how that's part of our agreement."he says simply,I suck in a breath and nod,
"You're right,that's not in my jurisdiction."
"You really like controlling things,huh?"he asks rolling up his window,
"No,I Iike order,which requires rules which is-"
"Incredibly controlling. Why won't you just admit it?"he smiles at me mockingly making me grow a need to defend myself,
"I am not-"
"Yes you are."
"Definitely not."
"Totally are-"
"Kristian White-"
"Eyes on the road before you kill the both of us over something petty,Lewis."he warns clearly teasing me,
"You started it,Red"
"You kept it going. You know considering how willingly you argue with me I wonder if that's how you interact with your kids."he asks turning his head until I can feel his eyes on me,
"Unlike you my children are fun to be around,make good points and act like their father which is in all honesty,unparalleled."he makes a noncommittal noise at my self praise before dipping his hand into the space separating our seats. I watch as he pulls out a coffee cup that definitely wasn't there before.
Not this again. "Drink this."he hands it to me simultaneously blocking my view of the road. I crane my neck,and shake my head,"I didn't make it this time."
"I can see that but I still don't want it,Red."
"Please."a moment of silence volleys between us before I slowly take it from his hands and hesitate to taste it,
"Horrendous."I say giving it back to him,the overly sweet taste bringing me ten steps closer to diabetes. How can something so sweet have a strangely bitter after taste,
"Okay,then what's so horrendous about it?"
"It's too sweet. Like a syrup."Why don't I always keep water in my car with me?
"And?"
"There's a bitter after taste that makes me question whether I just drank coffee or blood."
"Oh,that's the oatmilk."
"Since when does oatmilk taste like life long regrets?"
"I think it's because your old,Lewis."
"I'm no where near old,Red."
"Wait how old are you?"
"Thirty-two."he wails like a bird at my answer and slouches back into his seat,"What?"I ask,amused
"Nothing."he says hurriedly and I turn my head at the exact moment he tips the straw into his mouth and takes a long sip of the horrific solution that passes as a knock out drug.
But I feel everything but disgust in that moment. In fact I don't feel a thing.
All I can see is the fresh and bright colour of his lips. All I know is his tongue swiping at the single drop of coffee with a small peak.
"The lights about to turn green."he tells me,I can hear him of course but not really I'm still in a semi-detached place,
"What?"
"You should face the road,Lewis."the urgency in his voice snaps me out of it and I turn away so quickly I almost break my neck. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine."I'm confused. I... I need help. I need to start seeing my therapist again.
"Are you sure? You kind of just blacked out there."
"I'm sure."I say wiping my lips,because of the tingle that's sitting on top of them,"Didn't you buy that for me?"
"I did,you were going to drink it?"
"No,but- what if I had a cold or some disease."
"Don't you have self healing abilities?"
"Yes,but you can't rule out possibilities,Kristian-"
"You're crazy."he laughs and keeps drinking coffee that was meant to be mine. We stay in silence as I struggle to figure out what's wrong with me. When I make my first corner to his apartment building I remember what my son nearly murdered me over this morning.
"It's Friday."I start,not wanting to ask him for this favour. I don't want him to spend this 'type' of time with them. Too fast,too soon really.
"Yeah,do have any other lead in your case of stating obvious things?"he teases and I resist the urge to open the window and toss him out,
"My son has an event he wants you to attend."
"Which one of them?"
"Oliver."
"Ohh,his chess match is today? I totally forgot."he says once we reach his apartment building and he opens the door slightly right as I park. A habit I notice he has.
"He told you?"I ask,letting my hands slip from the wheel into my lap,
"Yeah,asked if I can come,told him to ask you."
"If I say you can will you have something else to do?"his eyes widen as he looks at me then at his clothes,then back at me,
"No but- when is it starting?"he panics and I slowly check my watch,
"Thirty-five minutes from now."
"Oh my gosh,let me go change please?"
"So long as you take ten minutes."he dashes out of my car into his apartment building.

_____________________

"This can't be a school."Kristian says when we step out my car,his eyes trace the tuition block,
"Except it is."I also look up to the grey building and all it's delicate intricacies. The glass windows that have illustrations of origin stories inscribed onto them. A single space on it costed millions of dollars.
All of which were earned when the avatars before me risked their lives to protect Ferrez and the world. "We'll be late if you keep staring."he pops out of his admiring bubble. I walk ahead of him and he follows,
"Mr Lewis!"a voice calls after me,when I'm about to open the door. I hesitate to turn because I know that haughty voice. I would even if Oliver had broken one of his chess pieces and started wailing,
"Miss Bethany Wilder,what a surprise."I say with a wide smile,making sure my dimples pop. The brunette,her hair pulled to one side in a pant suit smiles back far more genuinely than me.
The girl whose been in love with me for the past decade and a half.
"Mr Lewis,you must be here for your son's competition."
"Of course,and you?"she better have a good excuse for following me here,because the last thing I need is her trying to charm my kids with toys again,
"I'm here to pick up my niece,It's fate that we met today,Lewis."her manicured nail falls right on my bicep gently like the touch is familiar to her.
I despise this.
Kristian coughs softly behind me causing her attention to go his way,"And whose this?"
I see the chance and I take it. I wrap my arm around his shoulder and pull him closer to me. I feign adoration in my eyes as I look over his ridiculously ginger head,"This is my assistant,Kristian White. Kristy,this is Bethany,a friend of mine."in line with my plan her hand falls from my arm,
The only problem is Kristian is tense beside me. Or maybe its me,because his scent just stole into my lungs and I want to force out a sneeze.
"Nice to meet you,Bethany. I'm Lewis' subordinate,who's never been in his house."
"Oh,White,you're hilarious,didn't you sleep over last week?"I squeeze my hand into him to try and tell him that it's been his best interest. He glares at me before giving me a tight smile,
"No I didn't-"
"Bethany,I think my son is looking for me. I'll see you around."I drag him away from her and as soon as we're out of her sight he pushes himself off of me,
"What the hell was that?"
"I should be asking you that? Do you have no compassion to at least read the room?"I yell into a whisper and that single lined crease in between his brows when he's angry appears.
"Lewis,you can't just use me when you're ex-lover decides she wants to get back together."he crosses his arms over the turtle neck that he deemed more appropriate,
"She is no where near- she's not my ex."
"Okay,don't care. Under no circumstances can you touch me like just now,or call me Kristy."he quips as he keeps walking down the hall full of small humans and their parents,
"You think I wanted to? Of course not,it would've helped me a lot if you-"
"Not my job to protect your ego,our relationship is transactional and I didn't see the good in it for me."he shrugs as I continue to follow him as he takes the wrong turn,
"It's this way you dimwit."I say,grabbing him by his wrist and rolling my eyes,
"Thank you,deluded."
"You're welcome,nuance."
"Dad!"Oliver runs up to me and throws his arms around my leg and hugs me. I chuckle bubbles out of me and I lift him up to carry him on my hip,
"There's my champion,did I miss anything?"I ask,kissing the top of his head and letting Liam hold my hand,
"Not yet."he says giggling when I tickle him. I can feel Kristian's gaze stick onto me and my actions and every day I feel more and more inclined to open my eyes,turn my head his way and stare into his eyes.
I'm just weighing out how much his fiery glare will burn.
"Elijah."the chilling voice straightens my spine. I'd know it any where,only a handful of people on his earth call me by my first name.
"Mother. What are you doing here?"