In the Beat of a Wing {boyxboy}

Chapter Thirty-Eight

~Tuesday 16th April 2013~

"Why do I always know you'll be in here when I can't find you?" Eden looked up when he heard Hailee's voice, a weak smile tugging at the corners of his lips, "you're not having a breakdown or anything, are you?" Hailee closed the door behind her as she entered the office, walking over to the desk Eden was sat at.

"No, I was just checking when the delivery was supposed to get here," Eden knew everyone was still sceptical when he disappeared, Hailee was simply checking up on him. It was sweet.

"OK, cool, I thought I was gonna find you in here sobbing like I usually do," Eden actually laughed, shaking his head, the sound almost unfamiliar to his ears due to its continued absence recently.

"No, I'm trying to contain that to when I shower, then I have an excuse for being flushed," Hailee giggled like Eden was telling a joke but he was deadly serious. Not that she needed to know.

"How are you doing anyway? I wanted to ask you when I first got here but you were with Lois and I wasn't sure if he knew the situation," speaking of Lois, Eden had a terrible feeling that he might have left the new server for a little too long by himself. He was relatively young, and a recommendation from Reivon, which had made Eden a tad apprehensive about hiring him at first but Lois adorable. Seventeen physically, only around five foot tall, petite, with ashen skin and jet black hair. Nowhere near Eden's type, more like what he would look for in a little brother.

"Unless Rei told him or Zoya, no, they aren't aware," Zoya was Lois' maker and lover, and also a nest sibling of Reivon's. She embodied everything Lois didn't, although opposites do attract. Royal Russian descent, Zoya was an ancient queen back in her home country and revered as a god. Apparently Reivon was a little sour about that, not that he would admit it.

"I'm doing OK," Eden added when he realised he hadn't actually answered Hailee's question.

"You sure?" Eden nodded, playing with the chain around his neck as he often did when he was nervous, or just to make him feel close Malcolm.

"Yeah, I'm better than last week so I suppose anything is an improvement," Eden hadn't really told his staff much about what had happened last week, since he had called in sick nearly every day, but he was sure Lex mentioned something for them to be checking up on him so often, "Mal's still paranoid about people tapping our phones and whatever but we've got burners now so we can at least text. He's trying to think of some places we can meet up other than in the courtroom, he's afraid his office is tapped too. I don't know why he's taking this so seriously, it's really not that severe, there isn't some government-funded operation set up to expose our relationship or anything."

"He's afraid of losing you, fear makes people do crazy things."

"I'm afraid of losing him too but last week was one of the worst weeks of my life. I don't know why it affected me like that, it wasn't just emotionally, it was physical too. I couldn't sleep, couldn't eat, I had no energy. It felt like my body was shutting down around me. It scares me how much I rely on him. I mean, I couldn't go five days without contact with him? That's terrifying. What if... what if he died? Would I die with him?" Eden didn't want to dwell on the thought, it made his heart hurt.

"You guys are in love, more in love than I've ever seen any couple before, it's understandable for you to have such a visceral reaction to being away from him. You're used to being in constant contact with him, it's like withdrawal symptoms, you were bound to get them. I wouldn't worry too much about him dying, Edee, he doesn't look like the type who would go easy," Eden tried to match Hailee's smile, no longer wanting to talk about Malcolm. He didn't need the painful reminder of how little they were allowed to see one another. He followed Hailee out of the back office, almost walking straight into Lois, who was trying to juggle three plates on one arm.