[Chapter 2]: A Flicker in the Woods

Leaning comfortably against the windowsills, Kali mused over the sizable garden below. Lush blue, white, and gold flowers of native miscellanea dotted the yard amidst puffs of long grass. The arrangement made for a fairy-esque aesthetic, especially when paired with the manor's attached greenhouse. 

Iron-framed rafters cast beams against the house's dark siding and spiked the air full of earthly spirit, or so it seemed to Kali from the tower's high vicinity. The slow-rising moon refracted light off the glasshouse's opaque surface, wholly obscuring the view through its glass panels. He casually eyed the architectural masterpiece, skimming over the high peaked roof elaborately designed with iron facets curved in swirling flower shapes.

That was until a shadowy blur abruptly pricked his peripheral. A squeaky trill tore through the silence of the night as glossy gable end doors creaked open a fraction. A suspiciously indistinct mass briefly exited the glasshouse. He could not make heads or tails of it, neither its color nor shape. But the entity blurred like a mirage, gone in the blink of an eye.

He fluttered his lashes in breathtaking alarm, unbelieving at what he'd seen. Whatever it had been, the swarthy silhouette's mad dash brought it out of bounds. Not a moment later, ominous scratches coasted by Kali's alert senses. He instantly shuffled back from the window, nearly tripping over the rug behind him. Goosebumps blanketed his exposed forearms.

What were the chances he'd sighted a genuine ghost in the garden? Certainly slim, but not zero. While he knew it was not human, it had flitted by too fast for him to express a concrete judgment.

However, the thing was diminutive. Surely, nothing of major consequence. Perhaps even a benign woodland creature, he assured himself. 

Kali ought to keep his wits about him, being in an old house shrouded by nature's enthralling cries and the utter disparities of night and day. There was simply no better resolution than that, plunged within the wilderness as he was.

Calming himself with a deep exhale, he pulled shut the blue velvet drapes decking the lengthy casement windows and resolved to feign ignorance. Out of sight, out of mind had been his new mantra lately, a method that appeared to be faring nicely. Everything that stressed him was far from reach and thoroughly of good riddance.

He knew what he'd gotten into when resolving to live at the hauntingly exquisite Lenoir Manor, and he'd fully embrace his choice. As unlikely as it was, some paranormal activity would be dead last on the list of issues he needed to sort out. It was more worthwhile to begin mentally designing the future layout of his yet bare room.

Kali was most eager to suspend a few of his old skateboards from the ceiling with cables. It was only a matter of time, as the moving company he hired would arrive tomorrow with the rest of his belongings. His sole task now was to organize the packed suitcase of bare necessities he'd carried by hand. But creeping back to the foyer and stealthily retrieving it was easier said than done.

Kali lamented having dumped it in plain sight, given he was technically trespassing. He had entered the manor beyond the homeowner's knowledge, and worse, he wished to keep it that way.

Although informing Trevor would be the proper measure, the very thought elicited butterflies in his stomach. His earlier excitement had evaporated at the prospect of meeting the stranger he'd cohabitate with. They would be alone together inside the immense Lenoir manor, which seemed accosted by a peculiar presence.

Despite trusting his friend Johann's arrangments, Kali couldn't help but skepticize with the observations he'd been making. Perhaps he had jumped out of the frying pan and into the fire, running from a toxic ex straight to the clutches of a deceiving, psycho-millionaire living in the woods. Kali had gathered from their ample text exchanges that the man was simply that keen to have him there, and what better reason than for taking advantage of him in his vulnerable state?

Then again, if Trevor were truly a creep trying to lure innocents into his isolated home with a congenial facade, he certainly wouldn't appreciate someone snooping around the place without his permission. Likewise, he may not be inclined to murder an obedient, yet unaware tenant. There was surely an agenda he wanted to fulfill through Kali, which would presumably delude any plans of immediate killing. T'was a scene ripe with thriller tropes. But such speculation was a mere digression from the truth of the matter. 

Despite how awkward and evasive he'd been about his circumstances over the phone, Trevor graciously accepted him. Kali felt he was taking advantage of a good-natured individual, inhabiting their private residence with little expense. He was even acting on his whims, disregarding the other's yet unspecified boundaries. The mere thought of freeloading revolted him. It was the very reason he had refused to live with Johann,

He ultimately struck up the nerve to sidle outside when the growing darkness of the room struck him cold. Descending the turret's spaced eft his exactly as he'd found it. Oddly enough, during the long half-hour he'd been inside, he hadn't heard a single one of the hallway doors open nor a peep of passing footsteps. The house could frankly be deemed vacant for all its silence. He only assumed Trevor was home because the lights were still on.

Maybe braving a meeting with the man would ascertain things more concretely. For better or worse, was the question. Kali trepidly scurried the length of the hallway and reached the stair banister. From there, he saw his yet untouched suitcase set upon the polished wooden floorboards exactly where he'd left it.

It was then that an epiphany struck Kali dead in the heart. Truly, he clutched his chest as an uncomfortable sensation internally hounded him for leaving his unmentionables in plain sight. Doing so was the biggest no-no possible, and he lamented his own idiocy once more. He had to hide the suitcase before its less-than-stellar contents surpassed even the slightest risk of exposure.

Hoping to whisk it away before anyone's notice, he rashly quickened his journey down the steps. When he arrived at the halfway landing, however, he witnessed what he would subsequently entitle the Dark Angel's advent, for he was soon assaulted by the grim demeanor of a handsome figure. The front door harshly swung ajar, the resounding thud as it struck the adjoined wall making him suspend his efforts. 

"Tch, I keep reminding 'em to lock the damn door, but no one wants to listen." A plethora of keys jangled unceremoniously from a leather keychain. Narrow, well-manicured fingers hung the pricey item on a decorative holder stationed in the foyer. One would've assumed such appealing hands belonged to a man of tender constitution but the grumbling complaints that transpired expressed otherwise. "We live in the middle of fucking nowhere, who knows what psychos could wander in."

The vaguely familiar huskiness of the utterances had Kali doubting his ears. Hadn't he heard this voice but a few hours ago? It was still fresh in his mind, the last one he'd heard that day. With bated breath, Kali lingered in his spot until the click of the front door's lock resounded. He warily slinked onward just as a man's silhouette passed the hall's threshold.

Sure enough, primly set frames encroaching upon gems of unearthly emerald hues swarmed his senses. Narrowed by fatigue, they seemed to glint heavily with accusations. Kali begrudgingly realized why a moment later as he maintained dreadful eye contact with the hurriedly approaching man.

"Who the fuck are you?" The threatening, deliberately lowered voice induced shivers throughout Kali's body. He wondered if such a sensation would be a common occurrence while living at the Lenoir manor. That was if he even lived after this encounter. He was thereupon doubting that he would.

Speechless from an explosion of sudden unease, Kali gave a crooked smile in response. The action regrettably further antagonized the man as he decidedly lunged for Kali's right wrist. "Drop whatever you stole and get out of my house!"

Kali was unwillingly yanked forward, held in a death grip that he couldn't shake off. He only managed to trip over his own feet, falling unceremoniously down the few remaining steps.

Squirming in discomfort from the aftermath of his considerable tumble, dull aches instantly spread through his knees and behind. He winced as pinpricks abruptly shot through his left ankle, all while his hand was still wrenched in the other man's grasp. But Kali could do nothing more than momentarily ignore the discomfort to clarify the misperceived predicament.

"W-wait, what?" He grievously met an enraged gaze from his position at the man's feet, words unconsciously adopting an aggrieved tone. A less perceptive person would take it as admitting guilt or begging for mercy, and regrettably, his captor was precisely one such person when it came to human sentiments. Naturally, not knowing much about his captor yet, Kali merely did what came naturally to him. "You're wrong! I, I didn't steal anything, I'm just-"

"You have the fucking audacity to intrude and you wanna argue right now?" The man scoffed, torturously tightening his grip. Kali cried in affliction, frantically prying into his deceptively strong grip. It was to no avail, however, as he kept Kali firmly grasped even while using his free hand to rummage through his pockets for a cellphone. "Let's see you get out of this when the cops get here."

"....Gavin? You home?" Distant, concerned inquiries unexpectedly joined the exchange, heeded by thundering footsteps. With an impatient swish, the curtains that once shielded Kali from the living room flapped aside and unveiled the devil himself. 

"What's going on?" A suave and baritone voice, imbued with a stunned revelation, discerned itself and effectively cut through the tense aura radiating off the man presumably named Gavin. Although he had relaxed a smidgen, Kali was in far too much panic to register it, yet taut with fear. 

A looming figure swiftly approached their vicinity and hunkered over Kali, whose sight was obscured by newly formed tears. Through his shaky gaze, he eventually discovered that fortunately or not, Trevor Lenoir was anything but the devil. Regardless, he paled and held his breath when the sinister profile came ever closer, moisture coating his cheeks in a streaky manner. 

Nevertheless, the foyer's elegant light fixture ultimately illuminated the esteemed young master Trevor in all his glory, so unlike his initially austere appearance. The man was more akin to a naturally benign canine if it were necessarily remarked. A cocker spaniel, Kali would have acquiesced had he been in his right mind, only because the man's hair was akin to the breed's signature floppy ears.

Gorgeous countenance framed by silky chestnut locks parted centerfold, the lofty male kindly knelt before Kali's wavering form. His downturned eyes of chocolatey hues rounded in perpetual dismay whilst the fervent backlight further emulated his sensational visage of divine glamour. It didn't help that he had donned a dusty-rose colored apron that painted him as gentle as a bloomed peony.

Kali could not fool himself, no matter the tempting nature of his predicament. It could very well be a devil confronting him, using a heavenly facade as a means of seduction. He simply knew not to submit or resist the other, and ultimately, he yielded to his injuries instead. 

In his pain-induced delirium, Kali did not register the calloused palm that had raised against his cheek nor the limber fingers wiping away his pitiful tears. His lips parted subduedly as he descended into the upsurged distress within his body, darkness soon swarming his vision.

Such a case was better for his future mental state, anyway. Opportunely, would he not be ten times more embarrassed to know he'd fainted directly upon Gavin's rigid legs? All the while, Trevor maintained the posture of cupping his cherubic face.

Kali faints cuz he's anemic and in immense pain.

(unedited-->)

Everything about him was like a giant puppy. 

"Hey, you're finally up! Sorry, I didn't let you in. The door knocker's hard to hear from the kitchen. I was in the middle of prepping dinner, so I just left the door open for whenever you'd show up." 

"I got a call from security at the entrance of the park. The moving truck arrived and is heading this way. Your stuff should be here soon."

"Ah! Excuse me for a second. I left the oven running!" Kali stared at the broad back and strong waist pinched by the pink apron receding into the kitchen. Inside, he saw some loitering bodies surrounding an expensive dining table. Then he noticed another figure holding a spoon walk into the door frame.

"Trevor, the casserole is done. I got it out of the oven, and I ate some..." A soft voice trailed off. It belonged to a short and delicate-looking dark-haired male, the spoon holder. Kali was dazzled by his light, honey skin even from a distance. It seemed so clear and bright from where he stood that he wondered how beautiful it'd look closer.

"Thanks, Rowan. And don't worry, you'll just be getting less at dinner." Trevor replied with a playful tone, walking through the door. The thin, slightly feminine man pouted, pink lips upturned, and Kali could understand why. The delicious scent of the food wafted through the air, filling his nostrils. If it tasted as good as it smelled, there was no way he'd miss out on stuffing his face as soon as possible.

Suddenly, Kali caught sight of the man's eyes. A bright and watery blue peered right past him like he was being seen through. He was about to smile a greeting to Rowan, as the short male was called, when the other turned away in less than a second, acting as if nothing had happened. Kali only assumed the guy was shy and didn't mind. That was, at least, until he turned his attention to the others.

The four other males in the room had not so much as turned in Kali's direction since he first appeared by the archway. It was like they hadn't seen him at all. Or maybe they were ignoring him. 

Rowan walked towards the couch and sat beside a green-haired male, instantly entering a conversation with him. Trevor had not come back out of the kitchen even after a while, and Kali was left to go back standing in the foyer, wondering what to do. He felt he wasn't allowed to enter the living room yet. Or it's more like no one wanted him in there.

He wondered if he could go up to his room, having a vague sense of its location via Trevor's virtual tour. As he lifted his suitcase to carry it up the stairs, a doorbell ring caused him to halt.

Kallie wasn't a very big guy, and though he was considered lean, it wasn't obvious with his baggy clothes. Nonetheless, they left after a while and thanked him for the generous payment.

During this whole ordeal, Kallie hadn't seen even one head poke through the archway in curiosity or otherwise. They seemed to be ignoring his existence entirely. Even the movers had shown more consideration. It looked like he'd have to help himself and move the boxes to his room. They were quite heavy, maybe he should've accepted some help...

But this could be good because he needed to learn to rely on himself. Kallie had always been too reliant on others, but this can change that. The others didn't seem to want to offer help, and he'd be forced to do things himself. Though he wouldn't and doesn't like the treatment, it undoubtedly made things easier.

Kallie was about to lift himself into a sitting position when burning stiffness wrist.

Tears had gathered in his murky blue eyes, trapped emotions from long ago threatening to be released. He once again felt so helpless, so weak. It was like he was back there, back with Jackson. Back in his old apartment, getting beat by the damn jerk.

Kallie would've broken down crying had it not been for a jingling sound behind him. He slowly turned around and saw a man shutting the front door, setting a ring of keys on the entryway table. 

He looked at Kallie lying on the floor and then scanned the room. A look of utter shock and maybe some distaste flashed in his eyes, which were now close enough to observe through the thin lenses of his glasses. They were an unearthly shade of green, seemingly glowing, and they took Kallie's breath away.

"What the fuck are those?!" The man's words brought him out of his stupor. He finally looked around himself, realizing how much worse his situation had gotten. Scattered around him was a seemingly endless amount of sex toys...

His boxes had spilled all their contents. Objects of various colors, sizes, and uses were rolling around, the most conspicuous a giant purple dildo. It stood straight up on its flat bottom, the bulbous tip standing out proudly. How that happened, you couldn't even ask...

What made the display worse were the countless books littered around the toys and sexual stimulants. Situated between condoms, handcuffs, and many leather harnesses with questionable use were what appeared to be BL novels.

Each cover had ostentatious pictures of naked men partaking in vulgar activities. The bold titles on the fronts attracted just as much attention. 'The Sailor and His Love for Seamen' or 'Now that I'm a Ghost, I'm Gay' and its sequel 'Sex in the Afterlife', such names with obvious implications, one should be blind if they couldn't see the pieces of *cough* literature *cough*.

Kallie was horrified at the realization that his secret collection was exposed, especially to someone in this house. His face bloomed a brilliant shade of red, and he rushed to cover it with his hands, his disheveled blonde locks already falling over his eyes.

He wasn't planning to ever let another person find out, and he wasn't even thinking of telling them he was gay. Not that these strangers would care; they had no interest in him. But his plans were ruined all in the blink of an eye. Everything important was laid out right before him; words weren't needed to explain the situation.

"O-oh my gosh, just end me now.." After uttering those words, Kallie sat there in silence for a good while, not hearing a single noise from the fierce-looking man across from him. He assumed that the man lived there, given he had a pair of keys to the house.

Afterward, he pulled his hurting arms away to face an empty entryway. He caught a glimpse of the man's back departing into the living room and panicked.

What if he went to tell the others? If they came and saw him in this embarrassing state, there was no way Kallie could bear continuing to live here. He'd surely have to move again; they probably wouldn't want him to stay now anyway. And so, rather than trying to clear everything up, he tried to await his fate calmly.

He was used to being thrown out without explanation; it had happened a few too many times. It wouldn't make a difference now, except he hoped they'd still refund him. He had used up almost his whole savings to rent this room.

But, to his surprise, the man did not come back, dragging along the house's other inhabitants. At this, Kallie sighed in relief, glad for the indifference. He was being ignored again and although it would've been nice to have someone help him, at least he wasn't being chastised. Well at least not at this moment, he remembered the glasses guy said some harsh things in the parking lot. He guessed who those words were about.

Finally calming down, Kallie tried collecting the countless vibrators, plugs, lube bottles, etc., surrounding him as best as he could with his still-aching body. Gathering his books as well, he sincerely hoped no one walked in at the moment. Even though he knew they wouldn't be interested enough to care, he did not want them to see the horrid sight of him looking like trash and crawling around the floor.

Though it was inefficient, he limped up the stairs twice, each time carrying one of the dilapidated boxes and carefully placing them by the others. His ankle had swelled even more with the struggle of climbing the stairs, and his left arm could no longer be fully outstretched, curled up against his chest.

At some point, he realized that his right eye was beginning to close up, likely bruised from getting jabbed by one of the boxes. Red, black, and blue all over, Kallie cut for a pitiful figure.

With his belongings taken care of, he contemplated what to do with his injuries. He didn't want to visit a hospital right now; the last of his savings wasn't enough to pay for treatment, and there wouldn't be money-making any time soon.

He had taken a week-long work break so he could settle in. He couldn't start again until he organized and set up the cameras in his room. As a streamer, the perfect environment and studio were a must. It looked like he'd need to take the initiative and ask those guys for help.

"Um, excuse me. Do you guys have a first aid kit around here?" Limping forward, he hovered by the doorway, ready to escape any awkward situation.

The man with glasses was seated between Rowan and the green-haired guy, who stared down at his phone. He didn't look up at Kallie; hardly anyone reacted except for the slim, elegant-looking man sitting reclined on a window seat. He was silently reading a book, posture relaxed, and dirty blonde hair swept up stylishly.

There was a gentle expression on the other's face, but Kallie could see the indifference in the pair of stormy grey eyes. He had seemed really into his book, so that look must've been for Kallie. Still, he was the only one to respond. Slightly lifting an arm, the bookworm pointed towards a small cabinet table at the right of the archway's entrance.

Kallie turned towards it and opened it up, finding a big white box inside. Looking back at the blonde by the window, he didn't think the other was paying him attention anymore. But he sincerely showed his gratitude, though it was muttered. "Thank you."