Reap the Earth at Which you Stand [boyxboy]

Chapter XXII

~Saturday 9th December 2017~

Dakota: Are you still not speaking to me? Dakota sighed heavily as he read over the text he had sent an hour ago, still seeing no response from Vasile. They had been on rocky ground all week, and the last quarter moon rising above them was likely beginning to take effect on the emotions shared between them. Vasile never usually acted this way, he tended to have a little more respect, but Dakota couldn't blame him. He had explained himself, and Dakota could only watch him wallow in pain. He couldn't do much for the man, not just yet.

He understood why Vasile was finding the situation so difficult, he sympathised with the man really. If the roles were reversed, Dakota didn't think he would have been so pleasant about it either. Silence was better than insults, of course. Vasile was sparing him really, sparing him the arguments and supplementing it for the guilt. Dakota wished he would just yell at him, at least then he could have focused on anger rather than regret.

Dakota: I might stay at Pete's tonight, I don't want to make this any worse between us. Distance might be good. Dakota could see himself losing his temper that evening, starting some shouting match with Vasile and getting nowhere other than hurting one another. As much as he wanted to see the man, he really did think it might be best to stay apart that evening. Just for a little while longer.

Vasile: Please don't. Admittedly, Dakota was a little shocked to receive a response from Vasile. He had thought maybe he would get something in a few hours, but not mere seconds. Maybe it was a little irritating that he had clearly had his phone on him, meaning he must have seen the text Dakota sent earlier.

Dakota: Why? What's the point in spending the night with you if you're not even going to talk to me? And don't you dare think that we'll be having sex, I'm so not in the mood. Well, that was just a lie. Dakota hadn't been able to stop thinking about his night with Vasile since it had occurred. Truthfully, he wanted more. Sadly, he wasn't quite confident enough in himself yet to actually ask for that. It was still awfully embarrassing.

Vasile: I'm sorry. I haven't been the most supportive through this, it was unfair of me. I shouldn't expect everything to run like it has with Akos and Mylo. You're not him. You have different needs, different issues holding you back. Dakota found himself smiling down at his phone, thankful that at least Vasile had the balls to admit when he was wrong and apologize. It was better than the majority of people out there. Maybe Grant and Veronica would actually like him had he been human.

Dakota: We should talk about this later, face to face, OK? I'll be there around nine, maybe a little earlier x.

"De, you in there?" Dakota looked up when he heard his eldest brother at the door, instinctively putting his phone face down on the bed beside him. Torin wouldn't be cruel enough, or maybe stupid, to check it in front of him. However, it had been done in the past, when Dakota was worse, he had barely any privacy.

"Yeah," he called out, shifting on his bed to a sitting position with his back resting against the wall and slipping his sketchbook under his pillow. He didn't need Torin finding that, it just wasn't worth it. An excuse could be found in a matter of seconds, one that Torin would believe, but then suspicions would always linger there. There would always be something nagging at the back of his mind, and it would only be a matter of time before something would happen to unearth that feeling. Then everything would come crashing down.

"Can we talk?" Torin asked, looking almost sheepish as he peered into Dakota's room. Usually, Loral would be in there with him, since he couldn't bear to be left alone, but Easton was home that evening, so he didn't have to. Despite being old enough to move out, none of the brothers had. Easton had looked into buying an apartment a few years ago, Dakota had even gone with him to check it out, yet he didn't go through with the purchase in the end. He still shared a bedroom with Loral, still protected his little brother from the phobias that had plagued him all these years. Dakota couldn't see that ending any time soon.