Misfortune [manxman]

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"Listen, this is not a scheme to manipulate you into loving me back." Collin explained for what felt like the millionth time. "The plan was to have this as a temporary solution until my son finds a way to help you with meds. I couldn't care less of you reciprocated my feelings, I just want you to be alive and well."

I watched him over the edge of my blanket burrito, now sitting straight up and leaning against the couch. I was exhausted and I wanted to go home and sleep. Thanatos and Alexios had just come back from their walk and apparently expected us to have solved the issue by now and leave their house. We hadn't and now Alexios was annoyed and Thanatos trying to explain to me what his plan was while Collin was trying to convince me to say yes. Both at the same time and it was hurting my head.

"How about you and Alexios go for a walk while I explain it to him?" Thanatos suggested. "You are annoying me and he is completely overwhelmed."

"I don't want to go for a walk with him?" Alexios complained while Collin rolled his eyes. "He is just going to try and stick his nose in my business."

"If by business you mean humping my son then hell yeah, I am getting all up in your business." Collin scoffed. "You better worship the ground he is standing on."

I huffed because all of this bickering was starting to bother me and Collin snapped his head around to check on me. I still had to wrap my head around him having feelings for me, I didn't even fully get what that was supposed to mean. Was he just interested in me and this was going to go away after a while like a teenager crush or was this something more substantial? Surely, he'd know that there was no way we'd end up together as long as Moros was alive.

"I may have phrased it like a question but if you two don't leave, I will kick you out personally." Thanatos grunted. "You know where the door is."

Alexios gave up resisting and walked over to him to press his lips against his temple before he left the room. I briefly wondered what it was like to have someone love you since I had only seen other people receive it, no one ever loved me. Collin looked like he didn't want to follow him and his eyes flickered back to me as Thanatos left as well the room to fetch his glass of booze. He walked over to me, sitting down next to me while I kept an eye on him, tugging a strand of hair behind my ear.

"I hope Thanatos can explain this better than I do. I'd hate to lose you if there was a solution to the problem." He murmured. "I will see you in a bit."

I watched him leave and slumbed back against the couch, completely drained. I didn't want to die, I just wanted to be free from Moros' influence and dying had been the only option until now. Now he was offering me a whole new alternative and it all came down to how much I could trust Collin not to take advantage of the situation because I'd be as dependant on him as I was dependant on Moros right now. I didn't want to maneuver myself from an awful situation into an even more horrible one.

"So the cat has been let out the bag." Thanatos drawled as he came back in. "He is heavily crushing on you. Has been for a while actually. Since before he managed to get out of Chaos if you ask me."

That was even before I had met him for the first time when he broke into Moros' home and I didn't know how to react to that knowledge. I doubted he had just been my friend to trick me into liking him since he must have known I couldn't possibly reciprocate his feelings. Even if I wanted to love him and somehow managed to do that while Moros was not around, I'd always chose Moros over him and he couldn't possibly want that.

"I will try to explain this to you but you need to tell me if I am making this too complicated, okay?" Thanatos interrupted my thoughts.

I nodded and he sat down on the other side of the couch, pursing his lips as he thought about what he was going to say. I hadn't gotten any type of education and I hoped he was able to break it down so even stupid me could understand it. I had always envied the other servants who knew at least a little math and how to read easy sentences to get through every day life while I was busy running after Moros. He didn't deem it necessary that someone as low as me learned anything beside pleasing him.