Friend or Foe?

[stephy]

His breath felt jagged as he hovered dangerously close to Dj's face. 'I..' He blinked slowly, his long lashes fluttering. His thumb gently caressed the boy's cheek, his stomach felt knotted with butterflies and his heart clenched painfully longing for him to just reach forward a few more inches.. 'I.. I..-' Dj's eyes slowly started to open, a distant pained look inside of them, he slowly turned his gaze and noticed him.

He jumped up so quickly Chase had to nearly fall backward to avoid being collided with, He turned around quickly as he sat in the center of the bed, His eyes looked absolutely frenzied. "Chase! Oh my god, Chase! You didn't get hurt did you!?" The boy's eyes seemed to search him frantically, looking for any reason to seem that he was hurt. Chase distantly remembered the blood that had soaked into his hair, and hoped Dj wouldn't notice it.

"Dj, I'm fine.. Calm down.." He breathed quietly, trying to be reassuring as best he could. The revolation he'd made still lingered in his mind. Before he could blink Dj had wrapped his arms around him pulling him from the edge of the bed, the boy's face burried into his shoulder as he trembled.

"Please Chase.. Tell me you're not hurt.. Please, Don't be hurt again.." His heart melted, Dj's grip tightening even more so around him as he half lay next him. His Shaking seemed to worsen, and he raised his arms up to return the hug. "Oh Please, dear God, don't be hurt again!" His harsh terrified whisper scared him even more then the fight had..

"Dj.." His voice felt low, and it cracked in his throat. What could he do, he was going to have a heart attack at this rate. "I'm fine, Please calm down.." He tried to pull away but the death grip he had on him kept him firmly in place. Closing his eyes he held Dj back just as tightly without hurting him. "I'm fine.. Please, Dj, I.." His mind clicked, and his eyes started to open again.

Strongly but gently he struggled out of the hold. His breath felt jagged again in his throat, his Pale cheeks flushing as he looked upwards at Dj's face. "I.." He raised a soft pinkened hand, cupping Dj's face and pausing, his eyes drooped and his face darkened a deeper shade. Dj's eyes were such a beautiful shade of blue.. "I..."

He leaned forward, pressing his lips delicately to his.

[Terenzio DeVito]

Djakael almost wanted to cry with relief when Chase's voice finally broke through his ramblings, telling him he was okay. That he hadn't been hurt. Almost. But, he hated crying and so instead just clung tighter to Chase, needing some kind of base, some kind of support.

He knew that he has acting like an overprotective parent or sibling, but he couldn't help it. Chase almost being hurt again just scared him so much. He knew why, and yet he didn't fully understand it. No one had ever made him care so much. He wasn't used to such a wide range of emotion.

Still trembling violently, he almost didn't notice Chase pulling away slightly. Instantly, panic set it. Where was he going? Chase couldn't leave, not yet! Not while Djakael was in such bad shape!

But Chase didn't leave. Instead, he gently raised his hand, blushing furiously, to cup Djakael's cheek. His beautiful forest eyes drooped slightly, and he leaned up, pressing his lips to Djakael's.

To say that Djakael was shocked would be the understatement of the year. He was stunned, completely and wholly stunned. He had not been expecting that at all. Not to say that he minded.

Coming to his senses, he returned the kiss then pulled back, resting his forehead on Chase's. Oddly enough, that simple kiss had calmed him down a lot.

He didn't move for a few relaxed moments, simply smiling down at his wolf with his eyes closed. Just relaxing, enjoying the calm that Chase seemed to bring him.

Opening his eyes half-way, he snuck in a quick chaste little kiss and smiled at Chase's expression. It was so cute. He gave him a soft, sweet smile. "Thanks, Chase," He whispered, not moving from where he held Chase, his arms loose around his waist and him pulled up into his lap. "I needed that. I needed that really bad."

Feeling an overwhelming sense of overprotectiveness, Djakael tightened his grip on Chase's waist and pulled him closer. Gently, he placed a soft kiss on Chase's forhead then placed his chin on top of his head, relaxing completely. He could use some sleep, but it would probably scare Chase if he suddenly fell asleep and didn't wake up for hours after what had happened. Knowing that, he kept himself awake, simply resting.

[stephy]

All he could hear was his heart beating in his chest. Oh.. His eyes closed fully, and Dj's lips pressed softly to his, the simplest kiss returned making Chase's mind feel quite giddy amongst other things. His hand slowly fell down the boy's cheek and down to his side as Dj pulled away, his eyes still closed and Dj's forhead pressed lovingly to his own.

He's stopped shaking.. He wished he could say the same for himself. What had he just done, why had it felt so wonderful.. The feeling Dj's lips so soft against his own, it was intoxicating to say the least. He took a slow peaceful breath despite the small bit of shaking his newly awoken thoughts were bringing.

He blinked his eyes open, the boy's lips pressed to his again so quickly he barely realized it had happened. His face barely hid any of his surprise, the look returned doing nothing but making him melt into Dj's Arms as he was drawn up to sit on his lap. "Thanks, Chase."
He spoke softly, warmth spreading through him as he let his head rest against Dj's chest, the slow rise and fall comforting. He could hear his heart beating.."I needed that. I needed that really bad." The boy's grip around him tightened, and he rested his chin onto of his head after giving him another soft kiss on his forhead, pink flushing his ivory skin.

He'd never liked someone like this before. He felt like he couldn't move, imobalized by the arms wrapped around so lovingly, as if he never wanted him to move from this spot, not that he wanted to. Did this mean.. Dj loved him too.. Right? This means.. A Small smile made his lips twitch, his eyes opened just enough to see their knowing green depths.

"This.. this means I'm not alone." His voice was quiet, more talking to himself then anything. His concience felt clear, his heart felt like it had a home again. Everyday since.. He'd never thought he'd ever, ever find anything like this. Never.. "Never..," His voice echoed his thoughts, his eyes draped shut and he inhaled the sweet scent of his partner, reminded of pine and strawberries. "I never thought I'd ever.."

His voice died away on his tongue, He didn't think he'd ever been so happy.

[Terenzio DeVito]

The peaceful silence that had settled around Djakael and Chase for a few, serene moments was broken as Chase whispered, "This.. this means I'm not alone." Djakael lifted his head off of Chase's and looked down at him, shaking his head with a small smile. "Never..." He trailed off for a moment, his voice picking back up just enough for him to say, "I never thought I'd ever..." He trailed off for the last time, contentedly leaning against Djakael.

Shaking his head again, Djakael gently brushed Chase's bangs out of his face and smiled down at him, caressing his cheek softly. "Didn't I tell you that when I met you?" He whispered, voice somewhat husky. He was getting even more tired. 'I blame it on Chase,' He thought sleepily.

Quickly, Djakael shook his head, trying to clear the haze of sleep that was filling his mind.

Intent on staying awake, he focused on Chase. His soft ebony hair that was tipped in deep blood red, the pale, smooth skin of his cheek... The same cheek that Djakael nuzzled affectionately for a moment.

Smirking, Djakael kissed Chase's cheek quickly then rested his head on top of his once more, sighing. They both needed a shower.

"Come on," He sighed, motioning for Chase to stand up. "We both need showers and you're going first. I'll show you where everything is," He said, going over to his dresser and getting some clean clothes for Chase.

Clothes draped over his arm, he lead Chase down the hall, grabbing a towel from the closet, and into the bathroom. Quickly, he showed Chase where everything was then, smiling, nodded to him and said, "Take as long as you want. I'll be in the living room." Still smiling softly, he left the bathroom, shutting the door behind him, and headed into the living room to plop down on the couch. He didn't even notice it when he fell asleep.

[stephy]

Warm breath masked over his skin as Dj stared down at him, he could feel his smoldering eyes on his face as he spoke. "Didn't I tell you that when I met you?" His whisper sounded harsh in his throat, exhaustion evident with every honeyed out word. A small shiver echoed up his spine, making his twitch with delight as his gentle touch reached his cheek again, a small kiss grazing his cheek followed by a drawn out sigh. If only this moment could last forever..

"Come on," He looked up from his comfortable position, A tired look seeping through the boy, regret obviously showing he didn't want to move either reguardless. Chase lips twitched in a content grin. "We both need showers and you're going first." He shuffled as Dj got up off the bed, Crossing his legs and watching with a newly curious expression as he pulled out a plain white Tee and some Baggy black sweatpants. The wooden drawer closed with a small clatter, as Chase took his cue to get up and follow him into the hallway. He paused as they reached the bathroom door, Slipping inside as a fresh towl suddenly piled in his arms with the clothes.

"Take as long as you want. I'll be in the living room." His soft smile dissapearing as the door closed, leaving him alone. He closed his eyes for a moment, the sweet scent still lingered as he listened to the heavy footsteps hush into the other room. A small sigh left his lips, and he opened his eyes wearily to look down at the clothes in his arms, placing them carefully on the edge of the sink.

He Leaned against the sink counter, staring back at the reflection he caught looking back at him through the silver styled mirror across. He wondered briefly what Dj an him were, his smile widening, his inocent eyes dancing. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair, only to remember how matted it was deeper in, blood thick and caked.

He roughly grabbed the towel, hanging it above the shower door and reaching in to turn the water on to set to the correct temperature before unbuckling the studded belt around his waist. He quickly unzipped his Trench coat, folding it quickly and placing it beside his fresh clothes, and slipped off his mesh top. He frowned back into the mirror, stopping a moment as he caught his reflection. He raised a hand to touch a few dark bruises near his chest and stomach, and winced. Steam began to fill the room, his reflection becoming blurred by the misty vapor clouding like fog.

Carefully removing the rest of his clothing he slipped into the shower, his sensitive skin burning for a moment before getting used to the rather hot temperature. He closed his eyes, his hair sticking to his face as he ran his fingers through the water heavy locks. It was hard to believe it was only around noon, the day already seemed gone in the blink of an eye. His muscled ached under the warm water, and he felt droggy so suddenly he wondered where it had come from. Maybe I'll go take a nap afterwards.. He vaguely recalled the tired look that seemed to have tortured Dj as he walked Chase to the bathroom.

He blinked his eyes open, dizzyness starting to cloud his thinking like a distant hum. The last thing he needed right now was to fall over and crack his head open in the shower! He would have laughed if that wasn't the way his luck worked. He looked down at his feet, a pale red swirled below him as the blood seeped out of his raven hair. He stood for another moment, savouring the wonderful feeling of the water washing over him before turning the water off, bringing the towel around him, droplets clinging to his skin like cystals. He rubbed his eyes as they started to droop, walking clumbsily over to the sink and whiping a circle in the glass to see himself.

He quickly pulled the loose fitting white shirt over his head, pulling on the black sweatpants one leg at a time, rolling of the wasteband a bit as they felt loose around his midsection. He felt skinny, much too thin then he should have been. The memory of breakfast seemed much to far away, and he realized there'd would be so many more meals like that to come.. his smile returned so fast he wondered where it had been. Maybe I'll make Dj Dinner sometime. Of course he didn't have the slightest idea of how to cook, but his mind wandered happily as he dried off his hair. He noticed his eyeliner had washed off during the shower and decided absentmindedly to touch it up later.

Folding his clothes neatly, he let them sit on the edge of the sink. He'd ask Dj where they were supposed to go later, he wanted to see Dj, the effect of the hot water seemed to wear off slightly but he still walked groggily as if his feet were made of lead.

"Dj?" He called, rounding the corner into the living room. "D-" He stopped as he saw him asleep on the couch, still sitting with his head rested back. He didn't even lay down. He stepped around the couch, sitting himself down next to his sleeping partner. "Poor guy.." He whispered, his stomach gave a pleasant twinge as he heard him breath evenly, obviously feeling better. He smiled, pulling Dj to rest against his shoulder comfortably.

He rested his head against his, and closed his eyes, letting his mind wander without falling asleep completely.

[Terenzio DeVito]

Djakael blinked awake for a moment as his body moved, confused and wide awake. Then he picked up on the all-too-familiar scent of Chase and relaxed, resting against his shoulder and letting his mind drift.

Sleep reclaimed him not long after, and he drifted off into a deep, peaceful sleep.

~*~*~TIME SKIP~*~*~

Thump. Djakael's eyes snapped open as the sound reached his sensitive ears, instantly wary. Sky eyes narrowed, Djakael carefully adjusted the sleeping Chase so that he wasn't leaning on him anymore and stood. He watched for a moment to make sure he hadn't woken Chase, then, when he was pleased that he hadn't, he turned and almost silently slipped up to his front door.

Peeking through the eyehole and then the window at all angles, he pulled the door open and quickly snapped his head from side to side, searching for whoever had made that noise. 'It wasn't an animal, I know that for a fact. Animals big enough to make that loud of a thump don't come anywhere near this place.' He thought, every muscle tensed as he stepped into the open walkway and looked from side to side.

No one. Not a single damned soul.

Even more wary now, he backed into his apartment and shut and locked the door, just in case. His windows were always locked unless he was in the room with them open doing something where he could see them clear as day.

Muscles still tensed, her stiffly returned to the living room, pausing in the doorway as he spotted Chase still sleeping peacefully. A soft smile overtook his tight lips and his intensely wary expression smoothed out into on of gentle caring.

Walking up to Chase's side, he gently stroked his cheek before crouching down before him and shaking his leg. "Chase," He said. "Come on, wake up. I'm about to cook dinner and I want to know what you want to eat." He added, rocking back on his heels and smiling playfully at his boyfriend.

'Well, I can't really call him my boyfriend just yet. We haven't clarified what, exactly, our relationship is. I'd think we're something more like partners, rather than boyfriends.' He thought with mild amusement, blue eyes burning with pride. Pride at the fact that he had Chase by his side, that he could truthfully say that he felt the same about Chase as Chase did about him.

It was a first, really. He had liked both sexes before, but none as strongly as he did Chase. There was something different about Chase, about his feelings for him... They were infinately stronger than any he had felt before, and he was even more protective of him than he was his own family, he knew already. He loved his family to death but even that overprotective feeling wasn't as strong or concentrated as it was for Chase.

Chase was taking over his life, and he was perfectly fine with that, he realized suddenly. His smile grew, and his eyes glew with playful contentment.

[stephy]

"Chase." His mind droned quietly, his eyes remained closed as his mind awoke from his groggy half slumber. "Mm.." He cracked an eye slowly, Dj's hand on his leg gently jostling him awake. I fell asleep? He straightened up in his seat, groaning as he stretched, his joints cracking in several places. The familiar wide smile flashed at him, and he sent a small one back sleepily, his face softly pink.

"Dinner?" He returned, sleep finally clearing from his eyes as he looked accross at the boy, he sighed slightly, the smile on his lips tugging harder. "Surprise me." He grinned childishly, His expressively inocent eyes blinking up at him. He rubbed his arm before looking down, he felt chill and he remembered he'd taken a shower and he was still wearing Dj's old clothes. He blushed a bit more as he looked back over at him.

Something felt off about Dj's expression, but he put it off. If something was wrong he'd tell him, he was almost sure. Maybe I shouldn't assume.. He pushed that thought off immediately as well. He didn't need to think like that anymore, there was no need for it. His grin softened.

His mind fluttered back to thoughts of his life before he'd met Dj, he almost shivered at the thought. Things were better now, and they were going to stay better. Nothing would ever take Dj away from him, Nothing. He took another soft breath, his cheeks still blushing a translucent pink.

He resisted the urge to jump up and kiss him.

[Terenzio DeVito]

"Dinner?" Asked Chase, half-asleep still. "Surprise me." He said after he woke up completely, smiling. His cheeks were stained a soft pink, making him look even cuter than he already was.

Chuckling, Djakael nodded and stood up, preparing to head into the kitchen, but not before leaning down and kissing Chase's cheek affectionately. "Remote for the T.V. is on the table," He whispered, his lips beside Chase's ear and his hot breath blowing across his cheek and ear.

Smirking, he pulled back and sauntered off into the kitchen to make dinner. They would have a personal favorite of his. Pork chops, baked beans, mashed potatoes, and corn on the cob.

Quickly, he gathered all of the needed ingredients and supplies and set to work cooking, the beans in a pot with the butter and seasonings. Beside it was a larger pot filled with water and a few ears of corn and on the counter was a skillet with the pork chops.

Expertly, he managed all of the food with practiced ease, nothing burning. He turned down the beans to low when they were done, just to keep them warm, as well as the corn when it started to boil just a little too strongly.

Flipping the pork chops over, Djakael smirked to himself with pride as he found they were all a nice golden brown color. Cutting them all open in the center, he was pleased to find them cooked all the way through and turned the stove and skillet off.

Pulling out two plates, Djakael split the food between them and grabbed two forks and knives and set them on their respective plates before walking out into the living room.

Smiling at Chase, he set the plates down on the table and sat down next to him, pulling the table closer. "Enjoy," He grinned, cutting off a piece of the pork chop and eating it with some of the beans. "Oh! By the way, we would still be asleep but I heard someone outside and went to check it out. No one was there, but I think they just hightailed it out of here when they made so much noise." He said nonchalantly, shooting a glance for the hallway, before turning his eyes to Chase and grinning at him. "Don't bother with it, this is my territory and I know this place better than anybody." He added.

Calmly, he turned his attention to the T.V. and blinked. "What are you watching?" He asked, head tilted to the side curiously. "I've never seen it before."

[stephy]

Dj's lips grazed his cheek before he left, his own face darkening as his throughts came almost too quickly to reality. "Remote for the Tv is on the table." His voice was dangerously close to his ear, his breath warm as it ghosted over his skin, his face burning even more if that were possible. Now that just wasn't fair. "O-Ok." He called as he disappeared around the corner, his mind obviously too caught up by other things to have noticed him leave.

He reached over numbly and grabbed the remote off the table beside the couch, shaking his head slightly as he looked for the button the turn it on. How long has it been since I used one of these. He reflected as he managed to turn it on, the screen flashing before becoming dark with the scene it reflected. He took a slow breath to steady himself as he stared at the dark forest that was flickering on the screen.

Dj really had way too much power over him, he was starting to realize that. He couldn't help freezing up everytime something like that happened, his heart wouldn't stop beating out of his chest and his cheeks turned such an embarrasing shade of pink. He'd never been such a shy kid.. not when he was younger. He was reserved sure, careful, but not to this degree. He sighed, his cheeks still burned and he hoped it would go away soon.

I wonder why he's so different. The Tv flashed with white, lightening over the screen. He wondered what he was watching exactly, he tugged nervously at the bottem of the white cotton shirt that hung loosely on his features. Delicious scents started to drift out of the kitchen, he could catch the delicious aroma of what smelled like some kind of pork, and a few others he didn't remember well enough.

His mouth watered as Dj came around the corner, Two plates in his arms as he rested them on the table beside where he sat. Plopping down on the couch next to him, he dragged the table closer to them and Chase grabbed a fork that was laying next to his place. "Enjoy." He had already started to dig into his food, His pork chop cut into several smaller pieces quickly as he popped a piece into his mouth and chewed carefully, savouring it.

"Oh! By the way," He looked to the side at Dj who was still devouring his meal. Chase took a forkfull of beans and pork from his plate, chewing and swallowing. "We'd still be asleep but I heard someone outside and went to check it out." Chase nearly spit out the mouthful of food he had, How could he be saying this so calmly after what had happened. His eyes flared with a small state of panic. "No one was there." The added line didn't give him very much hope. He turned his head back towards the Tv, taking another few bites out of his dinner. "Don't bother with it, this is my territory, and I know this place better then anybody." Somehow it sent him little comfort, thoughts of the attack from earlier pushed back into his mind. He shoved them back, He hadn't thought about them for a reason.

"What are you watching?" Chase's eyes glued to the screen, as his mind tried desperately to push thoughts into his mind that he didn't want to see. He finished his Pork Chop and his beans, taking a bite out of his corncob and placing it back on his plate after he swallowed. "I've never seen it before." He added with a hint of curiousity. Chase didn't exactly know what it was either, but he hadn't seen a Tv set in so long it did intrigue him. Maybe not quite as much as the boy next to him, but you know. He almost smiled despite his thoughts.

"I'm not too sure." He mumbled, his own head tilting slightly. The music was getting suspenceful, the forest had started to be drenched by a fierce downpoor. 'Eeeeeeeek!' Chase nearly jumped into the air, The Tv rattled with a blood curdling scream from a hidden actor. He squeeked unaturally, clinging to Dj's arm like it was a lifeline. His heart beat at about a thousand miles an hour, and false panic rattled through him. He shut his eyes tightly for a second, opening one as he realized it was just a Tv show.

His face flushed again, and he didn't try moving until he composed himself again.

[Terenzio DeVito]

Djakael watched in mild amusement as the background music changed into the typical before-the-attack tune only to be followed by a high-pitched scream of terror. Typical. He expected it, so it didn't bother him in the slightest.

What he didn't expect, however, was Chase to squeak in fright and clutch his arm tightly.

Stunned, he didn't move for a moment before slowly setting down his fork and knife down and raising one hand to his mouth, his body trembling with barely contained laughter. Looking down at Chase, he reached across him and hugged him to his side, trying not to chuckle and failing. Highly amused chuckles slipped through his lips anyways.

"Chase, dear, did you just squeak?" Asked Djakael, laughter in his tone. It was just too cute, Chase's squeak. Too cute. Chuckling, Djakael squeezed Chase tightly before shaking his head and ruffling the messy black mop that Chase called his hair.

Pulling back enough to see Chase's blushing face, he blinked. Chase looked like... an adorable uke. In an instant, he was hugging Chase tightly again, an overwhelming sense of affection welling up inside him. "You are too cute!" He laughed, hugging Chase tightly for a moment longer then pulling back and giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. "Just too damn cute, I swear." He chuckled, not releasing his partner.


OOC||: Sorry it's so short, Stephy!! DDx What's left of my brain did all it could with what I had DDD;