Wild Boys

Chapter Thirteen

Iris' eyes cracked open at the sight of something she wouldn't likely forget in a long time; Ares' dark expression made her close her eyes just as fast as she had opened it. A nightmare, that's what it was.

"Closing your eyes won't make me go away. Good morning, Iris."

Iris felt herself sweat. "So last night did happen."

She really, really should've stayed in her room last night.

"Some night, huh? I didn't believe it at first, but imagine my surprise when I see it for my own eyes. Passed out on Axel's bed, with his door broken, and the poor guy sprawled out all over his floor. I don't want to come up with my own conclusions, nor listen to what the others are saying, but one thing's clear. You've both had quite a rough night, haven't you?"

Iris thought there was nothing more worse than his usual scary look. She thought wrong. He was smiling today. It was a smile that felt like it was eating her alive. First things first, she should get ahold of herself. She tried to sit up but found that she was too bundled up in the comforter to do so. For quite a while Ares wordlessly watched her roll around the bed to get it off of her, offering no help, ignoring her grunts of effort, eyes lit up with sick amusement.

"Who the hell wrapped you up like a burrito?" Someone was laughing like a hyena from the doorway that suspiciously sounded like Steven. Were there other people besides Ares seeing her in this state?

Once she managed to free herself, her eyes took in the room.  Axel was still busy snoring away into the morning, and she noticed a couple of heads peeking in the room in curiosity and amusement. There was Steven alright. She turned reluctant eyes back on Ares. "It's unfair that I'm the only one being interrogated. Ask him."

Ares unfurled his crossed arms. "Don't worry, he'll be up soon enough."

Before she could ask what he meant, Dom appeared brandishing a bucket full of ice cubes. The boys were gathering in full view now, their cheeks almost splitting from the wide grins on their faces. Iris watched as Dom expertly put the ice inside Axel's clothes. It took a few minutes before his snore cut off and he woke up with a yell. In no time he was dancing around the room, shaking off the ice cubes with such feverish motions and crying out with his hoarse, morning voice.

"Argh!" Axel stopped for a second, clutching his head with both hands, before getting caught in the growing pain of the ice and rushing to get it off.  It seemed like a magic trick in Iris' eyes how the ice never stopped dropping from Axel's body. Dom outdid himself.

Iris turned to look at Ares, seeing his smile growing wider. The sight almost made her shiver.

They all gathered in the study room after the morning's fiasco. Iris noticed that the boys' bruises and split skin they'd taken on the face had been expertly hidden last night, because now they were in plain view. She didn't like it, she realized. The fact that it was covered up during the socialization with the guests. They celebrated the fighting, but abhorred the idea of seeing the wounds up close? They loved the blood, but didn't want any spatter on them. They cheered for every hit dished out and taken, but they liked them flawless regardless. Must have been why she got a lot of praise for her face last night. It made her feel more a plaything. That's one ugly part of what she joined, she knew, but that didn't mean she couldn't hate it any less.

Ares strolled in the room, eyes sweeping over the lot of them. "Ah, nothing better than the morning after. Last night was especially memorable, isn't it?"

"Axel says so," Steven laughed, his cheekbones and lips swollen. Iris wouldn't have realized he'd taken those hits last night.

"You upped your charm too much this time. Too much." Colin, with split skin near his brows.