“They’re so rare.You’reso rare.” His eyes narrow, and my big guy looks even more worried than he did when I got hurt. “We cannot allow people to know, little demon. They will hunt you, drain you, and leave you for dead. This changes everything.”
He keeps dancing around it, so I stomp over and huff at him nearby, hoping he gets the damn point. When I step back, his expression is sheepish. “I should have known by the tattoos, but we didn’t… you weren’t agirlin our heads then.”
I’m going to lose it if he doesn’t say it soon.
“Kat, you’re an alicorn.”
Home
Anton
The Arms class was brutal, and though none of us gotinjuredthis morning, the exhaustion showed on my brothers’ faces as we left the arena to head for our various classes. Slash pretended to be stoically unaffected by the fact that he got to fetch KK for shifting work for several hours, but even Jasper rolled his eyes at the act. Once I noticed it, there was no way anyone else could miss the tiny spring in the big guy’s stomp as he left.
Kit is doing an excellent job of finding the right way to approach each of us to develop a stronger bond; I wish I were as intuitive as he is.
“Babe?”
Blinking, I look up from my phone to see Xerxes standing next to the doorway of my Design Lab. “Fuck. I was too buried in my head again. I need to be more cautious.”
They smile fondly, reaching up to ruffle my hair just a smidge—not enough to set off my issues, of course—and I make a face before I straighten the colorful strands carefully. “You were. Slash and Jas would be super pissed, but luckily, I had time to stop by before my Women’s Fashion class. You’re heading downstairs for Drawing, yes?”
I nod, stepping closer so they can hug me. X has always been conscientious about my quirks, and they know that initiating too much touch when I amnot ready can throw my entire vibe off for the day. Xerxes tugs me into their arms, squeezing a little, and I return the action once I relax. It’s the dance we do when we are publicly intimate, and we’ve perfected it over the years. At times, I wish I weren’t so particular about things, but X hasn’t ever cared. They simply accept me, funny habits and special instructions and all—something my parents or siblings never have.
The family we make can have stronger bonds than the family we are born into.
“You’re thinking again, Annie.”
I pull back, straightening my uniform to give him a sheepish expression. “Yes, it’s hard not to with so many things going on simultaneously. My brain catches on something, then spirals out until I’ve gone to the end of the line, and once that happens, I can put pieces together. Not all the time, of course, because I don’t always find the end for a while.”
“Shall I walk you downstairs to your class, then? Coco won’t mind if I’m a few minutes late. My projects are so far ahead because of the… adjustments I’ve made to include KK’s things as part of my portfolio, that no one could accuse me of slacking.”
Nodding, I take their proffered arm, heading for the stairs with my love. “How are you getting away with making things for Kit in awomen’sfashion class? That seems counterintuitive.”
X blinks, then coughs as we descend together. “Uh, well. He’s so small, and I’ve dubbed the pieces my ‘inclusive’ clothing line that will capture the ‘sexually adventurous’ customers. Not my words, mind, as sexually adventurous doesn’thavea fucking gender, but the diva refuses to use proper terminology. She's not the most enlightened of our kind, and her opinion of her own fame is more than I think she deserves.”
I smile, my lips twisting a bit as I realize that he’s being both honest and petty concurrently. “Black and white basics aren’t very difficult to create. Her reputation came more from her time period and those who wore the items, I believe. It was one of those ‘perfect storms’ that create a legend rather than sheer talent.”
X nods, tossing their hair over their shoulder. “And she didn’t exactly cavort with the most honorable of people, either. KK would lose his mind if he found out who’s stuck down here teaching as purgatory.”
They’re right—Kit’s sense of justice is highly developed, and it’s one of the things I worry will make his demon transition difficult.
“That’s a problem for another day,” I reply as we finally hit the bottom floor. Opening the door to the hallway, I wait for Xerxes to pass and follow. “I believe he’s gaining flexibility slowly, though. His lack of fury at the destruction Jasper caused during the standoff in the dorm, shows he is re-evaluating how he looks at proper punishment.”
“Yes, but we don’t want him to lose what makes him special. I worry about that,” my lover says softly. “Kit has so many things to heal from, and there have been even more curveballs flung at his face than an umpire. He needs more time to process, but we simply do not have it with the Games looming. I’m certain they’re going to start after Krampusnacht.”
That hadn’t occurred to me yet, and I feel absolutely ridiculous for missing it. The time from Devil’s Night to now has practically flown by, and we haven’t prepared our new brother for the holidays, exams, or anything we’d usually be doing at Discordia at this point. We’ve been focused on the fucking bullies, Darkstar, and the damn Games to the exclusion of important shit. I frown as we approach the door to my class, shaking my head.
“We have to remind the others of what we’ve all forgotten.”
X sighs, watching my fingers fly over the keys of my phone as I text the group chat without Kit. “I’m not looking forward to explaining this; are you?”
“Not even a little,” I reply distractedly. “Who is the best choice to broach it?”
The look we exchange tells me neither of us knows the answer to that question—fabulous.
After X leftfor their class, I spent drawing class working on the designs for the end of semester project while my brain went on wild goose chases. Even when I was young, I could separate the function of my art from the insanity of my unfettered mind. It’s an odd ability, and most people, even Xerxes, don’t quite get it. The only person who comes close to understanding is Zavida; he also codes like his fingers are on fire while his brain wanders off. We’re alike in that way, though I believe my disassociation is far worse than his unless he’s wearing the headphones. That helps him block everything out, whereas I’m able to sink into my focus and ignore the entire world with no external assistance.
Again, I believe Kit was spot on in determining that my caliphate and I are not like our parents because we diverge from their typical behaviors and psychology so completely.
