Virgin [sʜᴀᴍᴇʀᴏɴ]

VII

For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power

2 Timothy 5:7

Shawn's life had been a kingdom unto itself, like the church in the Middle Ages. Things were going according to his grand design, noses deciphering the pleasant odours of his life were limited, and he had regarded he and Cameron at the top of his council.

And that was maybe the thing about churches that Shawn despised most. People always had other ideas and hidden agendas, vying to break away from the church, turn their weapons in the split (and almost inconceivable) moment of their forced freedom. Something like the Byzantine and the Germanic peoples, or the Roman's, with their ill-faith that played a hand in the collapse of their mighty empire.

And Shawn's empire was truly mighty. He had Cameron at his side, Paladins (Aaron and Jack) at his feet and two blissfully ignorant heads of royal court who loved him endlessly.

If Shawn could put it into words, he would, but the situation was far too messy, —even whilst unveiled— for him to describe.

He thanked Cameron who was possibly the strongest man in his life. And that word; man, it nearly brought him to tears. He cared not of the other things when the possibility of Cameron figuring him out lay as an indefinite.

He loved Cameron, but love did not lie, and a fifteen year old boy at the brink of chapter one in his seemingly lengthy life did not yet know love. His tactics were purely selfish, never looking far into the future, but most assuredly focusing on the now.

Shawn had been finicky all morning, covers wrapped around his body even though it had been warm, tapping his feet, rushing his hands through his hair every so often.

"I don't want you to leave me." Shawn spoke quietly. So quietly, that had Cameron not devoted his mind, body and soul to the boy that it would have slipped over his head and down through the floorboards.

It was also as if Shawn was walking the thin line between charted and uncharted territory. Cameron felt as though he had no reason to leave Shawn.

"What are you on about?" Cameron muttered, unwrapping Shawn's hands from their crossed settlement and pulling him to his chest, close like he wanted all of the time.

"I just doubt things sometimes I suppose. I mean, there are so many people in this world and you've chosen me? I'm just I'm just a-" And Shawn stopped himself.

"Listen, I know that there are many options out there. And quite frankly, you were one of those options. I've always seen myself as having limitless options and yet, very few desires. I suspect now, that there are other people in this world who have what I have, more even, but Lord, I have you, how many people can say that for themselves? You're special Shawn, why not you? Look what you do to me." And Cameron took the boy's hand to his chest, allowing him to feel the velocity of his heart, took his hands up the warmth of his neck and allowed him to feel that same rapid pulse, took his hands to his back and gave him the freedom to roam his domain.

Shawn had felt so many things in just an instant, no wonder he felt the way that he felt, Cameron was all that he'd ever wanted. He'd given Shawn things he hadn't been aware that he'd wanted until they walked into his life. Cameron was just as special to him as the older lad thought him to be.

Aaron had come at Shawn's cellphone like a blitzkrieg, trying to get his attention via message and calling every so often as well. Apparently, Heather was coming to town in two weeks time. Aaron was nervous and Shawn couldn't see why he had been, Aaron was never nervous, it was new, and aside from the usual positive link associated with nouvelle entities, Shawn felt rather nervous himself.

It was quite the carnivorous feeling really, almost as if he were the one with due guest, and for whatever reason, panicking about the whole ordeal. It itched him terribly, to think of it even.

   It drew Shawn back to the conclusion that Aaron was hiding something about Holly from him. Aside from the fact that her name had been Hailee just yesterday, there was something that Aaron had been hoping to keep buried, drowned, slaughtered out back.

Shawn figured that he'd only had the intuition necessary to spark revelations because he himself was living the same thing, the only difference being, he was ignorant (alike his parents in his rift) to Aaron's doings.

     Aaron found himself pacing Shawn's floor, wooden boards creaking every time that he stepped over them. Shawn and Cameron were cuddled up, submitting to more than just the warmth of one another.

     It wasn't unusual for them to be so close, not around company like Aaron that is. He pitched him ideas about how he'd figured they'd look splendid together, but Shawn silenced him nearly every time, finding some topic that was far less thorny to speak upon.

     Cameron was subtle in the kisses that he trailed around Shawn's neck, like a ring of sorts. He got anything that he could, not quite daring enough to go for a full on snog, but definitely ideations of it swirling around.

He wanted to take the boy right in the very moment, anywhere that he could get him. And he'd almost dismissed the pacing lad, but he was Shawn's company, and could stay as long as he'd liked.

Shawn hadn't been quite sure when morning had turned to evening, and when his worrying state had turned to Aaron's worrying state, but it was as it was, and Shawn figured that he could only be there for the guy who'd dutifully raised his sword in his defense on more than one occasion.

I'm at a loss for words and feel as though y'all deserve an update, so I'm going to stop here. I'm not really sure about the quality of this chapter, due to the importance that it has, but I never like to keep writing and feel as though what I'm writing is a stretch, so whatever.

How are you all?

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Spill away.