Silence is a Source of Great Strength

THIS JUST IN: I MOVED AXIS TO MY MULTI

    Well. That was certainly a ring. A wedding ring. That was totally a wedding ring. Was Carbuncle proposing? It didn’t seem like it. It didn’t seem like Carbuncle was intent on marriage, so Axis gently slipped the ring onto his finger, a finger that already had a ring on it from his previous marriage. A soft, small smile appeared on Axis’ face and he signed back.

    Now, Axis was used to silences. He was used to silences that took up the entire room, but this? The thought that Carbuncle was talking about? Axis was all too used to that feeling and could identify it within seconds.

    Glauca hit the door, which actually jolted with the force of his weight, and snarled a string of curses that included very graphic depictions of what he was going to do to Axis when he came home– but he didn’t chase him further.  There were still appearances to keep up, and Axis had no where to run, not if he wanted to keep Titus’ reputation intact.

     No, he was patient. He could wait.

    Axis’ day was busy. He moved from place to place, constantly fearing the prospect of Glauca finding him and beating him within an inch of his life. Still, he went to the store and got food for dinner. Hopefully, Titus would be back by then. Axis just wanted his husband back. He moved up the stairs, back to his apartment. 

   Glauca’s weight hit the wall, a fraction too slow.  He didn’t stop, sprinting after Axis as the man bolted for the door.  He wasn’t as fast, but he just needed to keep up.  Precious time would be lost trying to open the door, time enough to grab Axis’ head and smash it into the wood.  Then maybe he’d cut his throat, leave a pretty package for Titus to find. How how that would destroy him.

    Quickly, Axis opened and fiddled with the door’s lock. When he shut it behind himself, it locked from inside. It’d give him a little time when Glauca had to deal with the lock. It’d be enough time for him to get downstairs a level, hopefully. Axis stopped before reaching the stairs, taking out his phone and texting that he’d be busy that day, just running errands. 

    The headbutt did send him back, forcing him to drop Axis, but it only lasted a moment.  When he locked eyes with the other man the rage there was so hot and thick it threatened to set Axis aflame.  With a furious yell he charged the other man, hand outstretched to grab him.  “I’ll skin you alive and tack it up on the wall for him to find!”

   That seemed to do the trick.  Glauca smirked, pulling the knife back.  “That’s right, I’m smarter than him.  I don’t waste my time being loyal to a fucking loser like you.  I can find a back ally whore with a prettier face.”  Glauca leaned in so close his teeth brushed against Axis’ cheek as he spoke, “The only thing you’re good for is a beating.”

    “Loser? That’s all you’re calling me now? Running out of material to call me? After I called you smart?” And there was one bad thing about getting so up close with Axis and that was him quickly bringing his head forward to headbutt Glauca.

   “Are you insinuating I’d make a mess?”  The man faked insult, which quickly blossomed into rage.  “You think I’m that kind of idiot, do you?  Is that how you think of me?”  He grabbed Axis by the neck, slamming him back against the wall and lifting him up so his feet couldn’t touch the floor.  “I should teach you a lesson for insulting me.”  The knife was up again, pressed against the soft skin of Axis’ neck.  “How deep do I have to cut before you start leaking sand, hm?”

    “No,” Axis was cut off when he was grabbed by the neck and slammed into the wall. His eyes flared open and his heart thumped loudly in his chest. “No! No! Please! You’re not an idiot! You’re smart! You’re smarter than Titus!”

   “The only wasted knife is an unused one,” Glauca hummed, walking over and grabbing the handle of the blade while using his body to box the smaller man in. “A wasted knife is a knife that has never tasted blood.  Like this one,” he pulled the blade from the wall with almost no effort, and waved it in front of Axis’ face. “This knife has been used to cut vegetables, sure.  Maybe even some meat.  But it’s never tasted real blood.  How about we fix that, darling?  We can start with yours.”

    “Pl-Please, Glauca. We can’t do this. You got blood out of me last night, r-right? You don’t need more. Not now.” Axis watched as the knife was just waved in front of his face like a taunt of what was soon to come. The knife was for food, not human flesh. Not for whatever Glauca used knives for. It wasn’t happening.

   You know, that song was good. That song was something Axis loved and he was used to hearing Titus sing it to cheer him up. Now here it was, being ruined by Glauca. Ruined just like the wall in the kitchen that now had a knife in it. Axis went rigid when the knife stuck in next to his head.