LOVE AND MADNESS.

Chapter: 6

******

Car horns blared and echoed around him as he rode along the bike lane. It had been a day of unrelenting chaos, a series of mishaps that had left him reeling. First, he'd awoken in a stranger's bed, the memories of the previous night hazy and indistinct. The realization that he'd given himself to this man, surrendering his innocence without even recalling it, was a bitter pill to swallow.

Their chance encounter at the station had only served to further unravel his composure, as the enigmatic Kaidën had expertly provoked him by pushing all his buttons with reckless abandon leaving him feeling raw and exposed. Asher had foolishly allowed him that power. What was even more galling was that Asher didn't even remember giving Kaidën his name, yet the man seemed to know everything about him. Meanwhile, Asher knew nothing about Kaidën, except his name.

Asher's frown deepened as he arrived at his tiny home. And when he said tiny, he meant it—his house was scarcely larger than a shoebox, maybe a bit more if you counted the front yard. Despite the terrible day, he had managed to keep his composure, aside from a brief moment of losing it in front of the stranger after waking from that unsettling dream. Somehow, he had kept his emotions in check, though he couldn't quite grasp how—his mind felt too preoccupied to spiral into madness.

Perhaps it was because of Kaidën.

After all, he had spent the better part of the day fuming about him.

Asher sighed as he rummaged through his shoulder bag for his keys and inserted one into the small keyhole. The house was engulfed in darkness when he stepped inside, just the way he preferred it. He was so familiar with the layout that he didn't need to turn on the lights. He found the little table lamp next to the only single sofa he owned, and on it, sat his cherished little bear—a memento from his sister. It was one of the few things he had left of her, alongside the photograph. He also had her little pink shoes and dotted red dress, which were her favorites. Asher walked into his cramped bedroom, running his hand over the shoes and dress that hung by the door like a talisman, the first things he encountered every time he entered.

"I'm home!" Asher announced, tossing his bag onto the cluttered bed, where clothes were scattered everywhere, and a single, empty box sat. "And what a day I've had today!" He continued, his voice booming through the small house. "I'll take a quick shower and fill you in on all the details." As he began to undress, his mind wandered back to that morning's awkward encounter.

Standing naked, Asher couldn't help but chuckle. "Did it feel good?" he teased, his eyes drifting down to his dick. "Of course it did," he replied, smirking. "I remembered how hard you were, and I've never seen you that excited before, you traitor." With a playful smack on the clueless manhood, he stepped into the bathroom.

The shower was refreshing, and soon Asher was back in the living room. He walked into the small kitchen and opened the refrigerator door, revealing a nearly empty fridge with only one box of cereal inside. He grabbed the box and two small bowls, pouring an equal amount of cereal into each. After returning the box to the fridge, he walked back into the living room, bowls in hand.

Asher sat down on the floor, facing the stuffed bear, and placed one of the bowls in front of it. "So, I woke up in bed with this strange man," he began, recounting his tale to the bear. "And I think I may have lost my virginity to him... shh, I don't even know if I should be sharing this with you, but I was drunk, and I think he may have taken advantage of me..." Asher's hand paused, cereal suspended mid-air, as he lost himself in thought.

"What was that?" he asked, his eyes meeting the bear's, as if seeking a response. "Oh, right. So... after I ran out of his apartment, he came to find me at the station and brought me my wallet... which, stupidly, I didn't even realize was missing. I always make sure it's in my pocket, never taking it out, and I don't even carry cash in it, so I have no reason to use it. Maybe it fell out when we were... you know, throwing each other's clothes off." He tossed the cereal into his mouth and paused, lost in thought once again.

"You know, you're right," Asher said, nodding in agreement with himself. "I found that the clothes we'd scattered everywhere the previous night were neatly arranged on the couch the next morning. Did you think the wallet fell out then?" He asked the bear, and after a moment, he nodded in agreement and took another bite of cereal. "Yeah, I think so too." Asher said, "Well, I have my wallet now, and we have no reason to see each other again." With a final bite of cereal, he began to pack up the bowls.

Back at the kitchen corner, Asher tossed the leftovers, and a solitary tear rolled down his cheek. "You're eating a little less... much too little these days," he said, addressing the bear. "I'll go grocery shopping and buy us something different to eat, I promise." As he washed the bowls, more tears streamed down his face. "I'm not crying, Mily," he insisted, wiping away the tears. "I'm just so tired all the time... I try, Mily, to hold on, to make things right, but it never does."

Asher returned to sit before the bear, his tears still flowing. "I know I promised to take care of you, and I will, I promise you I will do everything it takes." Just as his tears began to subside, a familiar knock on the door made him freeze. "Shh, Mily. Not a word," he whispered, getting to his feet. He cautiously approached the door and peeked through the peephole, revealing a black shadowy figure looming outside.

"He's here, Mily, quick, it's time to play our favorite game," Asher whispered urgently, grabbing the bear and darting toward the bedroom. He squeezed into the empty closet, shutting the door behind him. There, he huddled with the bear, listening to the sound of his own heartbeat as he struggled to settle into a fitful sleep. His nights were never restful, haunted by nightmares that lurked in the shadows, waiting to consume him as soon as he closed his eyes. This was his nightly routine – fleeing to the closet, the only place where he could find a semblance of peace. The closet had become his bed, his sanctuary.

There was a reason the bed was now the closet, and the closet had become his bed because on the bed the darkness seemed to close in around him, but in the closet, where there is only darkness, he could truly escape into a silence that enveloped him like a comforting shroud, allowing his thoughts to drift away and his fears to fade into the shadows. In that small space, he found solace, a refuge from the world outside where the weight of reality was momentarily lifted, leaving just him and the whispers of his imagination.

*****

Outside the small house, Kaidën watched as the drunken man who had knocked on the door stumbled away. It was only a matter of time before Kaidën took care of him too. His gaze fell upon the tablet on his car's dashboard, which showed the eerily quiet house, with Asher hiding in the closet. Kaidën's heart ached at the sight.

He surveyed the house once more before settling into his car seat. He had only gone to the apartment the night before because he had found Asher; that apartment was meant to be for them. Just as the night brought madness to Asher, it did the same to Kaidën. While Asher had his bear for comfort, Kaidën had nothing. A thought crossed his mind: should he take the bear from Asher? That would leave Asher no choice but to welcome him. However, Kaidën didn't want to hurt Asher, his Heart. "Not yet," he muttered to himself, surveying the cameras again as he waited for a call.

Time seemed to pass slowly, and Kaidën needed to stretch his legs. He got out of the car and took a few steps around it. Just as he was about to turn back, a woman came running down the street, holding a snarling, furry creature in her hand. The sight was like a spear to Kaidën's heart, and he dropped to his knees, folding into himself. His ears rang, his body shook, and his fingers trembled as the woman and the animal drew closer. The snarls grew louder, and Kaidën's heart thumped wildly in his chest. He felt himself losing his mind, consumed by the chaos that had been unleashed.

The woman and her dog had long since disappeared, yet Kaidën remained in the same position, violently rocking back and forth as tears and snorts wracked his body. He began to plead, his words tumbling out like a desperate prayer. "Please, let me out... I'll be good, Daddy, please... let me out!" His throat constricted, and he couldn't breathe. Frantically, he ripped open the first few buttons of his shirt, but still, the air seemed suffocating. It wasn't until he heard the soft, melodic voice drifting from the open window that he began to calm.

"In the heart of Spring, the birds all sing, Flowers bloom bright, a joyous thing..." Kaidën's ears latched onto the gentle voice, and he slowly rose to his feet. He threw open the car door and slid inside, just in time to hear Asher finish the little ditty for the bear. "With the gentle breezes and the skies so blue, Nature awakens, refreshed and new." Asher's soft chuckle followed, and Kaidën found himself smiling, his earlier anguish momentarily forgotten.

The night was a terrible time, when demons emerged to play, and the world's quiet slumber blinded it to the evil lurking just beneath the surface. Kaidën seethed with a desire to rid the world of sleep, just as he and his Heart remained sleepless. The world didn't deserve the peace of slumber.

His phone rang, shattering the momentary calm. Kaidën knew it was time for his hunt. With one last glance at the camera, he muttered, "Be safe, my Heart, I'll be watching." As he drove off into the night, the darkness seemed to swallow him whole.