“I slept in front of your bulldozers, you moron!” Gabe got up, unable to face him anymore, his blood boiling.
“Hey, calm the fuck down… it’s no big deal. We paid a fortune to those people for that land.”
“Fuck you!” He turned his back to him, mad with anger.
Damian just laughed at the absurdity of being with this young guy, so concerned about this trivial bullshit when they were dying on this island. “Cut the crap… what does it matter now?”
Gabe turned, pointing his finger at him. “You… you are a monster. Why did money matter? How much more did you need? That hotel? You could have built it somewhere else… and then, you just snuck up on us, and had us taken away by force… and then…” His eyes welled up, memories rekindled by his words, of that beautiful wild space, that wonderful rock with its crystal spring. Months later, he had seen it in the papers, that monstrosity built on it. Now, he remembered, that dark-haired man cutting the ribbon with his wide smile, next to some local politicians. The camera panning on them, some desperate locals still at the gates.What for…It got buried under all that concrete, that rock and the spring, feeding an endless pool under that monstrosity of steel and glass. “Yeah. Fuck you. Did you buy a new car? Mhm?”
“Actually, I did.” Grinning at him, and Gabe almost lost it then, almost jumped him with raw wrath, smashed his face in.
Utterly stunned at his own feelings, that raw violence, he sat, swallowing that anger, pushing it down. “You fuck.”
Damian just smiled at him, turning the meat on the fire. “It doesn’t matter anymore, right? You should not wind yourself up.”
“For sure…” A wicked thought in him, watching that hated man. “You’re right… who cares… all it got you is your miserable life as an alcoholic, so hoarding your fucking money? Fat good did it to you… and your family.”
Damian’s eyes whipped up. “What?” Anger tainting those steel eyes. “Leave my family out of this!”
“I hit a nerve? You fuck!”
Gabe stood at the same time as Damian, facing each other, and his chest warmed, utterly clueless about what he would do next, but that unbearable tension between them, that sudden hate. An unknown feeling in him.I’ll beat this fucker up. So bad.That wide-eyed young man watching that man he had become, set on fighting, so he circled around the fire to face Damian, poised, his hands curling into fists.
A scoff of disbelief from Damian. “What…? Surely not… I don’t want you to die.” His eyes, a bit wide when Gabriel lurched at him, throwing him off balance. His back hit the ground, hard, knocking his breath out, but he defended himself with his valid hand, wedging it between him and Gabriel, raw with wrath. “Get the fuck off me!”
A punch to his right ribs left him speechless, but he hit back, catching Gabriel on his shoulder, rolling him off. He was stronger, better built, he knew, but with one broken arm, and his throbbing ankle, there was just so much he could do against that mad despair. Still, he kicked him away, hearing him yelp. Waiting until he also got to his feet, that sharp pain in his ribs.Little fucker. Poised, and he didn’t have to wait long, Gabriel attacking straight away, but he was better prepared now, ducking his fists.Just stop him, nothing serious…That small strength they had already dwindling with that wild dance on the sand, but Damian’s fist caught Gabe on the jaw, and he went to the ground, cradling his face. Blood sifting through his fingers.Fuck. Finish him…That urge there to kick that man on the ground, but then their eyes met, those hazel eyes wide with fear and despair. It sucked Damian’s strength away, that all too familiar look, so he swayed away, raking his hair. He collapsed on the sand, his shoulders shaking, the tremors back in his hands. Vaguely aware that Gabriel had sat up, spitting the blood on the ground.
That soft voice. “I guess that’s all you’re good for. Beat people up.”
“You started it…” Wincing at the pain in his ribs.Boy, he can hit hard…A shadow of a remorse, looking up, seeing Gabriel’s darkening jaw, blood tainting his lips.
Gabe took the meat off the flames, his eyes in tears. Not just because of the pain, but also facing that abysmal despair of existing with this man on this godforsaken island. He put the meat on plates, still, and handed one to Damian. Eating in silence, not even looking at each other.
A sudden idea in Damian, darkness toiling in his thoughts. “I’ll leave you alone.” He rose before he could change his mind and glanced at Gabriel’s wide eyes. “I’m going. We should not be around each other. This island is big enough for both of us.”
Gabriel watched him gather some water, that stick he used for walking, and he just sat, stunned, not even wanting to move despite his racing heart. Damian waved at him. “See you, kiddo.”
Wait… wait, where are you going…But he just waved back, swallowing what he had in his mouth, that soft flesh. Watching that broad back disappear in the woods. His steps fading.Madness… how will he survive alone and wounded? Who cares? Let him rot…He steeled himself to remain seated, his eyes back on the flames. Waiting, until the sky darkened. Hoping, that he would come back to camp, cursing, maybe even missing that hate.
Alone, he watched the sun set, the darkening sky, his heart hammering, then went into their shelter later…my shelter…and lay down, wanting sleep, but it evaded him, his thoughts on Damian.He’s an asshole and deserves his fate. He hit you, dummy…But it was a human. A human life. His only companion. His heart clenched, hard, and he got up, taking a torch, hoping it would be enough.Madness. Setting off in the dark. But he did, walking straight, towards where he had last seen him, howling his name. The jungle echoed his desperate voice, animals fleeing in the dark. His eyes wide, trying to see at the light of that flickering torch. “Damian!” Listening. Nothing. The faint crush of waves. “Damian!” Fear crept into him in the dark, somehow, and he followed the crush of waves, hoping to find the shore to get back to their beach. That sound, sharper. He stumbled out on the sand, but it wasn’t their beach, maybe another one, his eyes wide on the sand bathing in moonlight. On the human figures littering that silver sand. Face down. He knew then, what he was seeing, throwing up hard, that stench drifting to him, thick, rolling in waves, like the water lapping at their feet.
“God…” But he forced his eyes open, watching as a lone figure scooped sand on one of those corpses, that relief above his fear, so he shot to his feet and ran down, close. Stopping near Damian, who was burying a rotten body, the stench so thick that Gabe had to turn away, heaving.
“We need to bury them. They will stench up the whole island.”
Gabe just nodded, but steeled himself, and they buried them, not even looking. Men, women, some in uniform. The color of their hair invisible in that pale moonlight. All the better. Unable to flip them up. Maybe Steph… They were panting by the time they were done, those mounds littering that peaceful beach. Sitting, watching the waves lap at the shore.
“Missed me?”
“Don’t be smug… I can’t leave you alone… not here…”
Damian shrugged. “What do you care…”
“Sadly, I do… that is my biggest problem in life. I care too fucking much.”
Their eyes met in that silver light, a small smile on Damian’s lips. “I see.” His eyes went back to the waves. “You can throw a mighty good punch.”
Gabe just grinned, watching the waves, feeling a bit proud, even if his hand ached, he would not say a word. Proud a bit, maybe, above that shame.I have never fought before…but he kept it to himself. “We should sleep somewhere. I won’t find my way back in the dark.”
