Playing The Victims [BL]

Chapter One Hundred & Twenty-Eight | Fourth World

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"So this is the boy i've been told about." An unfamiliar voice filled the calm space which Finch and Falcon shared. They both turned their heads, but it was Falcon who climbed to his feet to enthusiastically greet the stranger.

The first thing that became apparent, was the sheer difference in sizes. Unlike Falcon, who possessed the airs and features of a young adult who would undoubtedly mature into an extremely handsome man, the stranger had already reached that level. He was tall with broad shoulders that held a dark pelt over them to keep his dark skin from being nipped by the cool air.

Though unfamiliar, his features were anything but. Strong, defined features with naturally pinched thick eyebrows that were drawn down into an expression of perpetual anger. In one of them, there was a slice which was missing and overall added to the rest of the man's rugged exterior. Around his chin was a short black beard which connected from a pair of thick sideburns that were the same colour as the wavy brown hair which was pulled back into a ponytail that fell down his broad back.

The man's skin was darker than both Falcon's and Finch's own. But every muscle on his body seemed to be tighter and more defined. When his mouth closed his sharp cheekbones were visible and the definitions of his face were extenuated. Then there was his eyes, a deep green that left Falcon to meet with Finch's.

There was a strand of the man's brown hair which wasn't contained in the material that held the rest off his face. It distinctly covered an area of his face which was currently hidden by both hair and the shadows of the treehouse.

Falcon had relit a fire, but this time he had expertly stacked the wet wood so that the fire wouldn't spread as quickly, and when the flames did reach the bottom level, he'd replace them. It was a precarious method, but in the end their only light-source. But the area around the flames were better lit than the corners. One of which this stranger had appeared out from when entering.

Finch, under the scrutiny of the man, slowly stood up. He turned his body to face him and kept a blank expression. "This is Finch, and Finch this is Fyre."

Finch bobbed his head. "Nice to meet you."

"You don't know me yet, you may regret saying that." Fyre acknowledged and stepped into the room. His gaze slid from Finch's face to what rested in his ear. Unlike most who were hesitant to approach or touch the token, Fyre was nothing of the sort. He confidently walked over and in a way that showed Finch he didn't mean to threaten him, he stretched out his hand and touched the earring in between his fingers.

There was no reaction as Finch would have expected. Instead Fyre inspected it closely for a moment before clicking his tongue. "So delicate," he mumbled. Then, like a flick of a switch, his expression shifted and he tapped Finch on the cheek while sounding more accommodating. "I brought food! Since you didn't join us then I guessed you hadn't eaten."

"We've eaten. We brought some extra supplies from Viper."

"Resourceful," Fyre praised in good spirits. For such a large, burly man to look so excited and to sound it just as much, it was a sight to behold. He leant at his side to where a material was hanging from his clothing and untied it. He handed it over to Falcon.

"Even so, I've brought you some meat. You need to keep up your weight, and Finch, you should desperately try and gain some. You're quite the lean thing." At the mention of a substantial meal, both men's mouths began to salivate. Though apples were tasty and the stock could have lasted them for a little longer, there was nothing that compared to eating meat when in the dead of winter.

So whilst it cooked away, with Falcon at the helm, all three men took a seat. Finch happily stayed quiet as he watched the familiar and effortless interaction between the two men. Surprisingly, Falcon smiled on occasion when Fyre mentioned something or someone. The way they smiled was the thing that made Finch pause.