Chapter 1: Introduction
The apartment smelled like smoke and cheap cologne—Rae’s usual scent. Dylan sat cross-legged on the floor, his bare feet tucked beneath the hem of Rae’s oversized sweatshirt, the fabric still warm from where it had clung to Rae’s skin earlier. The shorts he wore were too big, slipping down his thighs, but he didn’t bother adjusting them. He was too focused on the game, his fingers flying over the controller, his tongue caught between his teeth in concentration.
I lounged on the couch behind him, one arm draped over the back, the other holding a cigarette that I had just taken a drag of, the smoke curling lazily into the air. My black hair was slightly messy, as if i had just run my hands through it, and the faint scent of smoke and something else—something darker—lingered around me.
I watched Dylan, his eyes glued to the screen, his cheeks flushed with excitement. He was so engrossed in the game that he didn't notice me staring at him, didn't see the way my gaze lingered on the curve of his neck, the way his hair fell over his eyes.
"You're going to lose if you keep staring at me instead of the game," I said, my voice casual, but there was an undercurrent of tension, a hint of the darkness that always lurked just beneath the surface.
Dylan jumped, his eyes flicking to me, then back to the screen. "I was just... taking a break," he stammered, his fingers fumbling over the controller.
"I was just... thinking about what you said earlier."
"What did I say?" I asked, my voice low, my eyes never leaving his face.
"You know, about the warnings for Mandela County. I... I can't help but think about it," Dylan admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. He turned to face me, his large, expressive eyes filled with a mix of fear and curiosity. "What if it's true? What if something is really happening there?"
I took a long drag of my cigarette, the smoke filling my lungs, the taste of it bitter and familiar. I leaned forward, my elbows resting on my knees, my eyes locked onto Dylan's. "Bunny, do you really think that monsters are real~" I teased him as I pulled him into my lap making him yelp, and whimper adorably.
"y-you know I am.." he whimpered and wriggled in my lap , his cheeks turning a delightful shade of pink. I chuckled, my arms wrapping around him, holding him close. "You know I'm just messing with you, right?" I said, my voice softening. I could feel his heart pounding against my chest, his breath coming in short gasps. I took another drag of my cigarette, the smoke curling around us, a cloud of gray in the dimly lit room.
Dylan's eyes flicked to the screen, then back to me. "But what if it's not? What if there really are monsters out there, Rae?" His voice was barely a whisper, his eyes wide with fear.
I chuckled and blew a smoke ring around him, giving him a halo he absolutely deserved. "Then I'll scare them all away, like I have everything else that scares you" I said nochalutly and he blushed deeper before snuggling into my chest completely and hugging me his cross necklace hanging around his neck and I added, "plus you are a good boy, bunny, god wouldn't let someone as pure as you he hurt" I said and he looked up at me with those big, round eyes, his lips slightly parted. He was so damn innocent, so damn *mine*.
The TV flickered with the game’s pause screen, the characters frozen mid-battle. Outside, the distant wail of a siren cut through the night, another warning for Mandela County. Dylan tensed in my arms, his fingers digging into my shirt. "Do you think it’s getting worse?" he asked, his voice small.
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray on the coffee table, the ember dying with a hiss. "Nah. Just the usual noise.
You know how it is—false alarms, panic for nothing." I ran my fingers through Dylan’s hair, the soft strands slipping between my fingers like silk. His body relaxed slightly against mine, but his grip on my shirt didn’t loosen. The TV screen flickered with the paused game, the characters frozen mid-battle, their digital screams muted.
Dylan exhaled shakily, his breath warm against my neck. "But what if it’s not a false alarm this time?" he whispered. "What if something *is* happening?"
I smirked, tilting his chin up with my fingers so he’d look at me. "Bunny, breath for me," I murmured before pressing my lips to his forehead