Chapter 72

"Give me a reason to tape your mouth shut." Ethan said calmly after returning Leon back to his seat.

Well, Leon knew exactly what he wasn't going to do.

He couldn't risk consecutive bruises or it would lead to a hell of an awkward conversation, he couldn't trust himself to lie straight faced to either Jaxon or Darian.

The rest of the drive was quiet, Leon keeping his eyes on the world outside.

Trying to irritate Ethan to try to get him to lose interest in whatever infatuation he had going on was clearly not going to work.

He wondered where they were headed, Ethan couldn't possibly mean what he said about going on a date.

He would be lucky if he didn't just drive into the woods, smack Leon over the head with a bat and keep him locked up in some hidden cottage or so.

Leon should really start caring more about his own safety.

Ethan didn't make a turn to the woods though, driving in the direction of the mall, where they had been the day before.

He decided to sit still and play it by ear, until Ethan lost interest or got over him, whichever came first.

He would be stuck with Ethan till that happened, he might as well try to make it tolerable for himself.

He hoped that decision would last long.

He didn't like to look too deeply at it but a little voice in his head kept telling him that he wasn't trying to irritate Ethan just to get him to leave him alone but so that he'd help silence the voices in his head.

Ethan parked the car, noting that Leon had been silent for the entire ride, he hadn't already broken him in had he? That would be disappointing.

His compliance made his skin tingle though, he had been slightly worried that when he managed to absolutely break Leon if he would get bored... yeah... no, no he wouldn't.

He got out and went around to open the door for Leon, expecting him to step right out.

Instead, Leon reclined his seat further, settling in more comfortably.

Ethan darted his eyes around, the mall was teeming with people and his image was at stake but that just added to the thrill of it.

"When someone opens a door for you Leo, it means you use it." He explained carefully like he was talking to a child.

Leon just ignored him, closing his eyes, hopefully he would go away.

He felt Ethan grab for the exact same spot on his side, applying pressure on the already tender spot.

The sharp pain made the fog in his brain clear out but he still wasn't going to make it easy for Ethan, if he wanted to eat with Leon, he had to work for it.

Ethan seemed to be more than happy to do just that, pulling him out of the car by the wrist and making it seem like he was just helping him out.

"Are you in the mood for seafood?" Ethan asked as he led the way, still holding on to Leon's wrist, he didn't trust him not to try and make a run for it.

"There's this pretty cool restaurant I've always wanted to try..."

Leon just walked idly beside him, it was almost terrifying how normal their interaction could be in split moments from absolute depravity.

They ended up at the seafood restaurant, a fancy place that Ethan fit right into. While Leon was the sore thumb that stood out, attracting looks from both males and females alike.

Leon didn't give any fucks, long used to it.

Ethan wasn't pleased about it though, jittery and on edge for the entire duration of the meal.

It almost made Leon smile at his discomfort but he didn't want to give off the idea that he was enjoying this farce of a date.

Ethan was quick to get them out of the restaurant, Leon was just happy to be back in the car because that meant he would get back to Jaxon and Darian sooner.

He just wanted to cuddle someone and take a nap, at this point he wasn't even picky, cuddling Darian didn't even sound strange anymore.

He should have known that he wasn't getting rid of Ethan so quickly.

He drove back in the direction of the Pack House but went down a different turn, one that led straight to the woods.

"You're not trying to kill me and bury my body are you?" Leon finally spoke up when Ethan parked under the cover of trees.

Ethan glanced quietly at him as if to say that Leon shouldn't go around putting ideas like that in his head.

Leon wasn't very good at taking hints though.

"You're going to knock me out and lock me up in a basement somewhere then?" He tried again.

"Your fantasies are pretty detailed." Ethan said with the faint ghost of a smile. "Sorry but you'll have to settle for a romantic walk."

Leon made a face. "How disappointing, I'm not the athletic type though, I avoid walking unless I'm trying to get abducted." He said blankly.

He knew that the reason they were currently in the woods was because Ethan didn't want anyone looking at him, that kind of unhealthy possessiveness wasn't the type that he should be too eager to go to an isolated place alone with.

Ethan just took his sarcasm in stride, far too interested in getting what he wanted. "Fine, I'll carry you." He said blankly.

Leon glanced up at him. "Carry? In what context?"

"Get out of the fucking car Leon, I'm not stealing you when your boyfriends know that you're with me."

His phrasing made Leon quietly step outside, thinking deeply. What did he mean by that?

"Come on, get on." Ethan offered him a piggyback ride.

"I can walk." Leon fired back with minute amounts of disgust.

Ethan had enough at that point, slamming him against the side of the car. "I'm tempted to think that you're enjoying this more than I am." He murmured darkly, his grey eyes switching a piercing silver.

"Then you should be able to overcome that temptation easily because there's nothing I hate more." He said, staring point blank at Ethan even though he was being harshly pressed against metal and glass.

"Then it shouldn't cost you anything to get on my back." He shrugged.

Leon just stared at him, if he protested again, he knew what Ethan would respond with. Pain.

It didn't help that there was literally no one around for miles.