Gods and Shadow Creatures - Finbar
And now for something a little different...here's a bit from my Gods and Shadow Creatures universe. Apparently the Finbar character is a prostitute now? That particular development wasn't on purpose, but characters will just...do stuff. We'll have to see if that development actually sticks, though!
Warning: allusions to [Spoiler (click to open)]rape.
“You’re back late,” Nico muttered. Sunlight filtered through the shuttered windows as Breccan entered their house. The redheaded man had been out all night. That annoyed Nico, though he had no right to be annoyed at his friend.
“I’m aware. Is that a problem for some reason?” Breccan raised an eyebrow.
Nico sipped his coffee. His chest tightened as a question hovered on the edge of his lips. He swallowed air, trying to keep himself from asking it. “It’s not a problem,” he said instead.
Breccan gave him an odd look. “You do think it’s a problem, don’t you?”
“What?” Was he that obvious?
“Are you...jealous?” Breccan walked to the sofa and collapsed onto it.
“Jealous?” Nico echoed the last word, bristling at the accusation. He stood near the sofa, not daring to sit down next to his friend.
“That I finally have another friend,” the redhead muttered, shifting in his seat.
“Finbar is --” He stopped himself from completing the sentence.
“-- a prostitute?” Breccan finished the sentence for him, crossing his arms over his chest. His voice held a sharp edge.
“Yes, well…” Discomfort rolled through Nico’s body.
“I told you I’m not actually sleeping with him, but why should it matter if I were?” Breccan’s gray eyes darkened, promising danger if Nico continued this line of conversation.
“You said…”
He remembered Breccan saying he wanted to wait for someone he genuinely liked. The poor man had had so much trouble with that, though. Why should Nico care if his friend wanted to assuage his romantic and sexual loneliness with paid companionship? Yes, Nico was in love with Breccan, but he had no right to that love and had never told Breccan of it. He understood that his friend wanted a mortal lover with an unblemished history. That didn’t stop his jealousy from flaring every time Finbar was mentioned. Even if Breccan said the two were just friends, Nico sensed it could become more than that if Breccan became lonely enough.
“As if you have any right to judge my potential lovers with your sexual history,” Breccan hissed, his darkened eyes boring right into Nico as he stood up from his seat.
Nico had no proper response to that. He even stepped back, wanting to put some distance between himself and Breccan’s anger. Saying nothing, he sipped his coffee and hoped the tension in the room would dissipate.
Breccan shook his head. “Ever since I met Finbar, you’ve acted so odd -- what is the matter with you, Nico? I thought you wanted me to have friends and be happy.”
“Of course I want you to be happy,” he said. With me, he added to himself.
“You’re not acting like you do. Please, tell me why.” The redhead fixed him with hard gray eyes, so different than their normal gentle appearance.
That stare sapped all the energy from Nico, not that he’d had much after staying up all night. He didn’t have it in him to lie to Breccan, but he didn’t want to burden the man with the truth. Nico slumped down onto the sofa. A few moments later, Breccan joined him.
“You -- you don’t want to know why,” Nico said.
Breccan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t? Saying that just makes me more curious.”
“Of course it would,” he sighed, leaning against the back of the sofa.
“So, what is it?” The redhead’s eyes softened somewhat, losing their hard edge. Breccan seemed almost...concerned about Nico.
Nico swallowed. He couldn’t confess. He just couldn’t -- right? His stomach twisted, and he stared at the ceiling, wishing it held answers for him. Admitting his feelings for Breccan would do nothing but horrify his friend, considering what he’d been through. He might not even believe Nico.
“I -- I am jealous of Finbar.” Now, the confession felt inevitable. He took a long look at Breccan’s face, wondering if this was the last time he’d even be allowed in the same room as the man. Breccan was beautiful -- smooth dark skin, an inviting face, wide soft gray eyes and shining natural red hair.
“And not because of your friendship with him.” Nico swallowed and looked down at the floor, unable to bear the sight of Breccan anymore. “Because I...because I think you might develop feelings for him.” A lump formed in his throat, and he couldn’t go on.
“Why would that matter?” Breccan’s voice barely reached a whisper.
Nico swallowed again and forced himself to look the man in the eye.
“Because I -- because I love you.”
Tears stung Nico’s eyes as he confessed.
Breccan blinked, and his own eyes widened until they seemed to cover his entire face.
What would happen now?
Warning: allusions to [Spoiler (click to open)]rape.
“You’re back late,” Nico muttered. Sunlight filtered through the shuttered windows as Breccan entered their house. The redheaded man had been out all night. That annoyed Nico, though he had no right to be annoyed at his friend.
“I’m aware. Is that a problem for some reason?” Breccan raised an eyebrow.
Nico sipped his coffee. His chest tightened as a question hovered on the edge of his lips. He swallowed air, trying to keep himself from asking it. “It’s not a problem,” he said instead.
Breccan gave him an odd look. “You do think it’s a problem, don’t you?”
“What?” Was he that obvious?
“Are you...jealous?” Breccan walked to the sofa and collapsed onto it.
“Jealous?” Nico echoed the last word, bristling at the accusation. He stood near the sofa, not daring to sit down next to his friend.
“That I finally have another friend,” the redhead muttered, shifting in his seat.
“Finbar is --” He stopped himself from completing the sentence.
“-- a prostitute?” Breccan finished the sentence for him, crossing his arms over his chest. His voice held a sharp edge.
“Yes, well…” Discomfort rolled through Nico’s body.
“I told you I’m not actually sleeping with him, but why should it matter if I were?” Breccan’s gray eyes darkened, promising danger if Nico continued this line of conversation.
“You said…”
He remembered Breccan saying he wanted to wait for someone he genuinely liked. The poor man had had so much trouble with that, though. Why should Nico care if his friend wanted to assuage his romantic and sexual loneliness with paid companionship? Yes, Nico was in love with Breccan, but he had no right to that love and had never told Breccan of it. He understood that his friend wanted a mortal lover with an unblemished history. That didn’t stop his jealousy from flaring every time Finbar was mentioned. Even if Breccan said the two were just friends, Nico sensed it could become more than that if Breccan became lonely enough.
“As if you have any right to judge my potential lovers with your sexual history,” Breccan hissed, his darkened eyes boring right into Nico as he stood up from his seat.
Nico had no proper response to that. He even stepped back, wanting to put some distance between himself and Breccan’s anger. Saying nothing, he sipped his coffee and hoped the tension in the room would dissipate.
Breccan shook his head. “Ever since I met Finbar, you’ve acted so odd -- what is the matter with you, Nico? I thought you wanted me to have friends and be happy.”
“Of course I want you to be happy,” he said. With me, he added to himself.
“You’re not acting like you do. Please, tell me why.” The redhead fixed him with hard gray eyes, so different than their normal gentle appearance.
That stare sapped all the energy from Nico, not that he’d had much after staying up all night. He didn’t have it in him to lie to Breccan, but he didn’t want to burden the man with the truth. Nico slumped down onto the sofa. A few moments later, Breccan joined him.
“You -- you don’t want to know why,” Nico said.
Breccan raised an eyebrow. “I don’t? Saying that just makes me more curious.”
“Of course it would,” he sighed, leaning against the back of the sofa.
“So, what is it?” The redhead’s eyes softened somewhat, losing their hard edge. Breccan seemed almost...concerned about Nico.
Nico swallowed. He couldn’t confess. He just couldn’t -- right? His stomach twisted, and he stared at the ceiling, wishing it held answers for him. Admitting his feelings for Breccan would do nothing but horrify his friend, considering what he’d been through. He might not even believe Nico.
“I -- I am jealous of Finbar.” Now, the confession felt inevitable. He took a long look at Breccan’s face, wondering if this was the last time he’d even be allowed in the same room as the man. Breccan was beautiful -- smooth dark skin, an inviting face, wide soft gray eyes and shining natural red hair.
“And not because of your friendship with him.” Nico swallowed and looked down at the floor, unable to bear the sight of Breccan anymore. “Because I...because I think you might develop feelings for him.” A lump formed in his throat, and he couldn’t go on.
“Why would that matter?” Breccan’s voice barely reached a whisper.
Nico swallowed again and forced himself to look the man in the eye.
“Because I -- because I love you.”
Tears stung Nico’s eyes as he confessed.
Breccan blinked, and his own eyes widened until they seemed to cover his entire face.
What would happen now?