Androphobia

x. two faces

After Dark - Mr.Kitty

THEA'S POV:

My lips trembled as he stared at me, expecting an honest answer when all I could do was desperately rummage through my box of thoughts for an excuse. His eyes flickered back to the bruise on my wrist. The imprint was so evident, so perfectly formed, I knew I couldn't play it off as anything convincible. Those oceans darkened and brewed and only grew murkier and murkier the longer I stayed quiet.

"I-It's nothing," I said fearfully. "It was just an accident, that's all."

"What kind of accident?" Synn's voice was a deep, threatening rumble that resonated deep within my bones. He scrutinised my expression and refused to release my sleeve, despite my weak attempts at pulling away. "Who did this to you?"

"I don't- I don't know," I stammered. "You don't need to worry about it. It doesn't matter anymore."

My intention was to calm the man down by only alluding to wisps of the situation, but I only seemed to anger him the more I avoided and fought his attempts. The sky seemed to sink, compressing the both of us into the cold, dead earth while the snow dissolved into sleet, wet and sharp.

"Synn? A-Are you angry at me?"

He said nothing.

"I'm sorry, I... it's not a big deal! I don't want you to be mad at me. Please don't-"

"I'm not mad at you."

I looked back at him in confusion, only to find my heart drop deep into the pit of my stomach.

His expression.

His eyes.

I didn't realise I was trembling until his fingers were carefully enclosing around my wrist, just over the fabric of my coat. They softly stroked my sleeve.

"We're leaving."

I swallowed.

Trying not to cower away, I asked meekly, "W-Where are we going?"

Synn let go of my wrist. I brought it back to my chest, rubbing the bruise with my fingertips. Instead of answering my question, he rose from beside me until his large frame was blocking the lamplight behind him.

"Come."

I wanted to refuse. I wanted to ask again. But that look in his eye warned me not to.

On wobbly legs, I pushed myself up and glanced up at the man. He wasted no time in heading towards the opening in the trees, where we came from, and I wrapped my arms around myself before bumbling after him like a lost duck. Our magical haven had been wrecked in only a matter of minutes. Snow melted and turned into brown slush beneath my feet as we weaved through the trees, and the wind growled in my ears, making me flinch and shrink into my shoulders.

Whatever spell Synn had cast on me to keep me warm had subsided and I was left with a chill that licked up and down my skin with a prickly tongue. It took all my strength to keep my eyes on his muscular back and not fall behind.

When we reached the streets again, I was surprised to find a familiar Ferrari parked along the side and realised we must have taken a different turn along the way.

Synn opened the car door and looked at me expectantly. He didn't look fazed by the pellets of icy rain that dripped down his chiselled cheekbones nor jaw; his eyes were set, frozen. Tentatively, I slid into the car seat and he shut the door behind me. When he returned to the driver's seat, he was holding something. Water dripped from his black hair as he shut the car door, trapping us inside, and looked over at my small figure pressed in the corner.