The number one emotion that came with that betrayal was fury.It itched his skin, and bubbled in his brain, drowning out everything else until one thought, one desire flashed in his head.
He wanted to kill Chad.
He, notjustthe monster, wanted to wrap his hand around his throat and he knew that would kill the last part of himself that belong to Chad, too, then it would be just him and the monster like it had been since he was a child.
A lonely, unhappy child with a need to kill.
But wasn’t that better than existing with a broken heart?
Knuckles tapped against the door.Romeo stiffened, wondering why Chad was even bothering to warn him he was about to come inside.
Romeo leaned against the backrest of the leg press with his gaze fixed to the door.
Chad stepped into the outhouse, and upon seeing Romeo’s glare, quickly looked away.In his hands he held a duvet, and he tossed it over.It unrolled enough for Romeo to see the pillow inside.
Chad disappeared again before returning with a washing up bowl.He slid it across the floor, but Romeo didn’t glance at it as it clanged against the equipment.
Chad bit his lip, then disappeared through the open door again.He took longer, and Romeo stared outside, taking in the dark sky.He knew from the temperature drop inside the outhouse it was nighttime again, but Chad had taken his watch from him when he was unconscious.
Chad returned ten minutes later holding a tray.Romeo’s nose twitched, and his stomach whined at the tease of food.Chad crouched as he set the tray down on the floor, sliding it close enough for Romeo to get if he wished to.
Romeo didn’t move.He kept up his glare, hoping it was enough to send Chad scuttling through the door.
“It’s beans on toast,” Chad said instead, avoiding Romeo’s eyes.“That’s about all I’m capable of.”
There were a few dishes Chad could do, but he didn’t have a passion for cooking and often got distracted when he tried.Romeo had struggled through more than one questionablemealmade by Chad’s hands.
Beans on toast, though, as Chad rightly said, were difficult to get wrong, and Romeo felt like he hadn’t eaten in a week let alone a day.He pushed to his feet, and there was a twitch of a smile from Chad’s lips.Romeo strolled over to the tray, swung his leg and kicked.
The tray, plate and cutlery went everywhere.Beans splattered the floor and the shards of porcelain skidded across the concrete, knocking into the side of the outhouse.
Chad winced and curled away from him.
Romeo’s insides twisted into a knot at such a reaction.
He didn’t like it, even knowing this wasn’thisChad—this Chad had smiled and said those damning words—he still had his Chad’s face and watching it tighten with fear wasn’t pleasant in the slightest.
Chad had not looked at him like that for the longest time.In fact, the trust Chad exhibited towards him sometimes made Romeo edgy.
Chad trusted Romeo more than Romeo trusted himself.
Or he had.
“I...”
“Get out.”Romeo growled, turning his back on Chad once again.He listened, but Chad didn’t move.
“Maybe I could’ve handled things better yesterday.”
“Yesterday when you told me my Chad tried to kill himself...”
“Your Chad?”
Romeo flashed a glance over his shoulder.“You’re not him.”
“I am—”
“You’re not.You’re what’s left behind.”
