Husbands But Not

21: Flames

Noah

The woman kept screaming and thrashing as grandma tried to relax her. I involuntarily started taking slow backward steps, backing myself farther away from them and to the corner of the room where I usually sat when grandma had no patients.

I didn't know why she called them patients even though they didn't look yellow or have blood on them. That's what I thought sick people looked like.

I had to leave grandma's office and sit outside with Damien. He was funny and playful but he scared me sometimes because he scolded nurses when they did something wrong. He never scolded me, though.

I was no longer allowed to go to work with grandma even though I didn't do anything wrong. I thought it was unfair but my dad promised I'll have more fun at his work. They had TVs in all rooms and there were cartoons too.

When we went back home, grandma was telling grandpa about the screaming woman. I didn't understand a lot of things and I was confused all the time.

She told him that her husband was abusive, and that he hit her and her son and she couldn't do anything about it. Her husband used the hand that had a peace sign tattoo most of the times.

My dad explained that a tattoo was a painting on the skin and I thought that was cool, but then he said they do it with a needle so it was scary.

For some reason, that incident resonated in my mind. I tried getting it off my thought line, but I couldn't, so I decided to think about it later.

Kent stirred a bit. He took off the jacket when it got a little warmer inside. A thin white long-sleeved shirt encased his damaged torso. His breathing was steady and light as he snored faintly. His arms hung loose around my body. Him falling asleep broke our hug.

I tilted my head a bit so his own head fell lightly into my neck. He must've been really tired.

The door opened slowly, then dad Zac walked in and realised Kent had fallen asleep. He placed a plastic bag silently on the nightstand. I could tell what it was because knew dads would always fix my mistakes when I'm helpless about them.

I smiled thankfully and he returned it before shushing me with a finger gesture.

I softly passed my hand across his back. There was a tiny rip in his shirt which I started playing with absentmindedly. Next thing I knew, my finger was tracing his skin through that hole.

His breath hitched. He spoke right after. "All I wanted, for quite some time, was to be held as I fell apart. I am so content that it's you I'm holding right now."

"You deserve much better than this,Kent. You deserve a proper family with a beautiful life and a cozy house."

"I had a proper family at one point in time. The idea of a beautiful life is very versatile. And I do have a cozy house. The problem lies in finding more home in your arms than at home."

I didn't get to reply because Raiken and Spyder broke into my room, followed by Ruby and Sawyer. Kent jumped and suddenly it felt cold.

"Oh we didn't realise-" Sawyer said.

"I did realise." said Ruby. Shameless rat.

Raiken took his usual seat on my armchair and pulled out the notebook he keeps in his side bag.

Spyder didn't seem comfortable, even though he used to come into my room like it was his.

I made some room for Kent to sit beside me. Sawyer took the window seat, Ruby lay down at the end of the bed, and Spyder sat by Raiken's chair.

"Your dad let us in, by the way." Spyder said. Of course dad did.

"Sawyer cracked the code," Ruby said quickly, noticing the tension in Spyder's voice. "We now know why the left leg would stop halfway."

I had totally forgot that we were working on a toy robot. We were all obsessed with them. Though, I didn't know if Kent liked robots or not.

"Raiken made progress on his book." Sawyer announced. Raiken was taken aback by it.

"I just finished chapter one." he said.

"That's still progress." I said.

"Read us something." Spyder asked, kind of.

"I'll read the last part if you wanna hear it." We all nodded in agreement.

Raiken started reading. I slid my arm behind Kent's back, and found that hole in the shirt again. Kent's back was a cup of cold coffee, and I was stirring the ice with my fingertip.

I was craving some latte against my tongue.

"... They considered the situation for what seemed like an eternity. Each had their own opinion on the terms, yet each opinion was different. Until finally, Boons decided they'll invite them over for dinner. What Boons didn't say, though was that they were going to be the main course." Raiken finished and honestly, oh my God.

"What-" Ruby said.
"The-" Sawyer said.
"Fuck-" Spyder said.

"Literally shut up. You asked for it."

"He's got a point." I said.

It didn't cross me that Kent hasn't said anything since they arrived. "Anything wrong?" I whispered in his ear as the guys argued about something or the other.

"If you keep touching me like that there will be a lot of wrong things going on."

"Hmm. Alright." I repelled my finger away, only to slide my hand under his shirt.

He gave me a look. One single look was I needed to feel like I had internally combusted. His eyes were dancing with fear, excitement, and a lot of lust.

I smiled innocently.

"Noah!" Ruby yelled.

"Hmm?" I broke Kent's gaze.

"I've been calling your name for like two minutes."

"Sorry. I got distracted."

"No shit." Raiken said.

"Shut up, Curly." he didn't appreciate the nickname.

I didn't know how long they were going to stay, and honestly I didn't mind them lounging around in my bedroom. They did it all the time, and this time it's no difference.

I was lost in Kent's soul anyway.

Everyone was busy thinking about something almost all the time. Sawyer was probably thinking about the robot she's coding.
Ruby was probably thinking about the spring formal dance.
Raiken was probably thinking about his book.
Spyder was probably thinking about the football season's final.
Kent was the only person who I couldn't form a coherent thought about his thoughts.
And me? I wasn't thinking. I was a glass lid, chasing after a flame called Kent, and whenever I reached it, the fire would fade, only to be reignited when I'm far.

I knew that I needed my glass to crack, for Kent's fire to resurge. I was more than willing to break myself. I would shatter every last bit of my being to give Kent the breathing room for his flame to blaze, even if it scorched me. For Kent's eyes had the cold breeze to cool down the stings of every burn he'd cause me, and his lips could heal any injury, for my body will be burnt, but my soul will thrive. Because Kent's lips were on mine, and Kent's mind was mending with mine, and the heat of his body was building up against mine, and the whole room was incinerated.

A/N: That took a piece of my heart away to write, and I do not regret it not one bit.

Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Vote if you did, and comment your opinions. I try to reply as much as possible.

I feel like I should write more in the A/N or discuss something since it's like the one part of the book where I exist, so if you have any suggestions, please comment it on this part.

Thanks for reading, more soon x