Soul Mate Service (boyxboy)

Chapter 14

THADDEUS

I stomped through the doorway of my Housing Pod with a frustrated groan, tearing at the buttons of my dirty Construction Unit uniform as I desperately tried to get the itchy fabric off of my overheated skin.

Kicking my shoes off in the corner as the door slid shut behind me was extremely pleasing, the force at which they each slammed against the wall satisfying my inner rage which had reached a boiling pitch at some point throughout the long work day.

Yeah, I was still pissed at that Elder.

I mean, what could I say? He really fucked me over with those punishments. Anyone would be angry at the prospect of working seven days a week for an entire month without any breaks.

It sucked. Royally.

I rolled my neck, vertebrae popping as I stepped further into the living room and blinked as I finally lifted my head and took in the scene in front of me.

The Pod was... spotless. There were absolutely zero signs of the wild party which took place less than twenty-four hours prior.

It even smelled good, like Bug had somehow infused his sweet, peachy scent into the very walls.

The one thing that I didn't notice though, was the distinct smell of dinner that was - without fail - always swirling around in the air whenever I returned from my Work Unit. For some reason that one little incongruence caused a tiny tinge of worry to wiggle its way up into my stomach.

There had to be something wrong. There was no way that Bug would willingly not make dinner, it just wasn't like him at all.

I needed to check on him.

It only took a few seconds to make my way to the bedroom door and tap the control panel.

And then, there he was.

Draped in another one of those long, white, and ridiculously modest nightgowns that I'd seen him wear on the first day we were mated, he lay above the blankets, wavy hair splayed across the pillow. A delicate hand draped over the side of the bed, and a feather duster lay just beneath it on the concrete floor, as if he'd fallen asleep directly in the process of cleaning something.

If I was being really, really honest with myself, I kinda - only somewhat - felt the tiniest little bit of empathy for the lil' mutant as I watched in silence from the doorway.

If there was one thing that I could understand, it was a hangover. And remembering how my first one felt, there was no way in hell that someone could have convinced me to clean up after thirty rowdy adults while my head felt like it was being crushed by a hydraulic press.

I blew out a stream of frustrated air at the thought that maybe... just maybe this little Bug was a little more resilient than I had been giving him credit for.

After all, he'd somehow managed to lie to the Elder Edergan - likely getting me out of heaps more trouble - even if the old bastard didn't fully believe him.

I was so perplexed when he tried to take responsibility for the party debacle that it was difficult for me find the words to ask him what the fuck changed between now and his miserable performance on Introduction Day. However my inability to conjure up the right words made no difference, since after Edergan's exodus Bug just brushed right around me, mumbling something about how his head hurt as he toddled over to shut himself off in the bedroom.

It took me a few moments to realize that I was repeatedly sucking in giant gulps of peach-flavored air as I stared - probably a lil' creepily - from the doorway.