The Soul of a Bird Never Flies {boyxboy}

Chapter Sixteen

~Sunday 5th August 2018~

Dove stared out into the garden whilst the kettle boiled, just about able to catch sight of the sun peeking out over the horizon past the lake. He was so overexposed to watching the sunrise that, somehow, it didn't even seem all that pretty anymore. He had always preferred dusk anyway, the subtle violet tones that stained the evening sky were far superior to the pastel shades that appeared in the mornings.

Collecting his mug of tea, Dove wandered out into the garden, settling himself at the little table on the patio. He couldn't help drifting back into the thoughts of the previous day, particularly the time at the waterfall. A part of him believed it was a bad idea, that he should have just stayed out and watched from afar.

He got naked in front of his boss. Naked. In front of his boss. Yes, they had had an odd relationship from the beginning, with too many moments spent flirting with one another, but Dove had never gone as far as he had the previous day. And that was the problem, it was going too far. Dove had already accepted that he had feelings for Eryll, he knew that, he was attracted to him, that was a problem but not nearly a priority one.

The problem was how content Eryll seemed to be with the situation. Dove wished he would just say something, would tell him that their relationship was far beyond inappropriate and that it wasn't acceptable in their professional environment. But, of course, Dove knew that wouldn't happen. Eryll was attracted to him, that had been clear from the start, and he was obviously far less concerned with their conduct toward one another.

Dove was roused from his thoughts by his phone vibrating next to him. Another text from Atticus. Dove sighed, having gotten far too many of those recently. It wasn't that he had left on bad terms with his ex, he simply wasn't ready to be 'friends' just yet. He wanted to forget about everything back in his hometown, focus on his job and his life in San Francisco, yet Atticus was preventing all of that.

Atticus: I was watching the sunrise, it made me think of you. We always use to watch the sunrise, remember that? Call me, Dove, please, I just want to talk. Dove rolled his eyes, ignoring the text and resting his phone back on the table.

"Move on, Atti," Dove murmured, sipping his tea, "please, just move on," closing his eyes for a moment, Dove allowed his senses to take precedence, focusing on feeling rather than thought. The subtle breeze whispered over his skin, its touch gentle and almost unnoticed. Gritting his teeth, Dove ignored his phone ringing, squeezing his eyes closed tighter, awaiting the incessant noise to stop.

"For fuck sake," Dove snapped, opening his eyes and answering his phone when it rang for the third time, "Atticus, what is it?" not in the mood for pleasantries, Dove kept his voice dry, glowering out across the lake.

"Dove, y-you have to come home," a pit of nausea appeared suddenly in Dove's stomach at the sound of Atticus' wavering tone. Atticus may have been severely unstable, but he didn't often sob, not as much as he sounded to be.

"Take a breath, Atti, tell me what happened," the gentle tone returned, the one Dove had hoped to have left with his ex when they split, but never quite managed to get rid of.

"S-Swan," Dove blanched, his limbs set in that awful tingling state that came just before numbness, "Swan's hurt."

"What? Atticus, what the fuck happened?" no response, "Atticus!" Dove rose from his seat far too quickly, cursing loudly when his tea tipped over his bare legs, immediately setting a red shade to the skin, "Atticus, please, tell me what happened," Dove urged, only able to hear the crackling sobs from the boy.

"Y-You have to come h-home," Atticus repeated over and over when he managed to dampen the sobs for a few seconds. Tears sprang to Dove's eyes, a mixture of the dull ache spreading over his legs and the terror spiking through his chest.