Ashe P.O.V

Okay, I was pretty much screwed. I thought quickly between the steps what I could do, which turned into what I can't do. I could... No, I can't make it to the room anymore. I could move, but he may see the movement. I could stay, but I would get caught. I could pretend to be looking for something, but what could I have possibly lost or dropped? I thought back to my cane, but that would have only worked were I upstairs.

I grimaced, finally deciding on the most embarrassing choice, other than popping up and admitting that I had been eavesdropping. Not spying. They were still talking a bit as they reached the couch. I had slid down and tried to keep as close as possible to it... If they saw me like this... I shook it off, gliding seamlessly around the edge and along the couch so my body eventually lay parallel and kissing it in time with their movements. I hoped that my movements weren't seen, since i knew I had not made a sound while moving. And I wasn't too worried about them hearing my heartbeat. Vampires had heart beats, but ours were much slower and lighter than humans because our bodies were a little more like how grasshoppers' bodies circulated their blood. I had to focus to hear vampiric hearts usually, and couldn't hear them well at distances, so I was confident enough for my heart beat not to betray me to them.

I listened carefully, but they just walked right past, so either they were letting me get away with it, were too embarrassed themselves to say anything about it and giving me a chance to get up or they actually didn't see me. I'm just going to take what I can get either way, so I slipped forward and slowly rose, hoping my luck lasted enough so that I didn't knock into anything until I got to the wall. Reaching the wall, I brushed my hand over it, trying to remember what I could about this area, but it was mostly fractures and disjointed pieces. I glided my left hand gently out and to the sides while my right lightly touched along the wall and to a bookcase, from the feel. My feet silently took the cold steps until I finally found the doorway. While it was probably only a couple seconds, the stress made it seem longer, making me expect them any moment.

I don't know why I was doing this either. At first, I had just wanted to prove to myself... That I really wasn't wanted. Well, it was obvious from what I heard that I would be expected to live invisibly at Gale's place. I started to wonder how long that would last- definitely not the three plus years left of high school. I can take care of myself if necessary. I've lived my whole life there, and this treatment wasn't anything new. I can deal with it a while longer and figure my own way out without being a damn burden on anyone.

I went up the stairs swiftly, but not so fast as to bash my toes on the stair ledges. At the top, I also realized I had no idea where my shoes were still, but whatever, I could walk barefoot a few blocks. My cane? I quickly went where I last had it in my hand, but it obviously wasn't there, just like I expected of Cian. Feeling along, I knew there was only one other door on the opposite side of the room from the basement door. My hands felt over it, but it felt nothing like any kind of door I'd felt before. There was something like a handle, but it was locked and there was no switch on it. I felt a bar like one on a school door, but it didn't release when I pushed it. My hands brushed along the door's edges and both sides felt like they had hinges.

I just want to go home. I don't have one, but the word is not an actual place, but a feeling. I want 'home'. I clenched my fists on the door, shoulders hunched. I wasn't sure if I was on the verge of crying or beating at the walls, but it was a fifty fifty toss up at this point.

I flinched, spinning around and stepping back, "What are you doing up here?" Cian was close to me, and I hadn't even heard him. I must have been too overwhelmed and focused on the door to realize. I wondered, in a corner of my brain, how long he had been there for.

"I want to leave," I tried to say coolly. Shivers or maybe tremors lightly shook my body.

"Kid, you need to calm down," He shoved away my words again as though they weren't worth consideration. My fists tightened; why can't I just be left alone?!

Cian P.O.V

Gale was a college graduate and up and coming author, but he was still an annoying, often childish piece of work. Some person is going to have their hands full with him until his 'second puberty' ends, "And sign right here."

We finished with the documents regarding all aspects of Ashe, payments and rights. I was still his guardian and took care of any financial issues, but I still needed to set up contracts and ground rules so this would run smoothly. Gale was very laid back and wouldn't mind most stuff, but he was so laid back that he doesn't think about what needs to be done or should be asked until the issue already crops up. So, I gave him copies of the documents he signed and agreed to, then I spent the rest of the time explaining all the things he signed off on; as if he would actually read it. He knew I would probably give him the better part of the deal and trusted me to take care of loose ends, knotted ends, and any ends that needed trimming.

I had given him some of my higher grade blood wine to enjoy; least I could do for waking him and pulling him around today when he could be doing his job instead of taking on a blind kid. With those two words, guilt swarmed over me. Was I always this much of a dick?

When he asked about bringing a significant other over, I paused, thinking about whether that would cause any kind of problem. I totally ignored him asking if he was akin to a babysitter; Ashe seemed to have been doing well enough to survive. In a more positive environment, there should be no problems. After nailing down the rest of the aspects, and having Gale act overly surprised at someone else using my shower, I thought it was more than time for the two to meet.

Where was the kid? He should have definitely been out of the shower by now. My guess? He was probably really shy right now about meeting a stranger he'll start living with right away. We walked along the edge of the couch, glasses still in hand. I turned my head to the right, a little annoyed by his overreaction, "All the other rooms are fairly bare, and I didn't want to deal with the bother of moving things just for him to take a shower in another room. What a hassle."

We reached the short hall leading to my room and I walked to the bathroom door. I didn't see any light under the door, but that didn't mean anything because the kid didn't need it. I knocked, "Kid, you in there? I have Gale here, the person I wanted you to meet."

I waited a couple seconds, knocked again while glancing at Gale momentarily before gently turning the knob and opening the door. I didn't need to turn on the light. The room was empty. I looked around the room, not seeing him, and even considered checking under the bed. Weird, I know. I evaded doing so until I had at least checked the rest of the house.

I purposefully walked out of the room and around, heading straight for the stairs. I just knew he was there. No probability about it. The moment I hit the top of the stairs, I knew it was serious. Ashe reacted very sensitively to sounds, even in his sleep. Don't ask. So, when he didn't subconsciously notice us coming even in this quiet room, I knew there was something wrong.

I got close to Ashe and reached out to him, just barely grazing the shirt I gave him before he flinched and pivoted, stepping away from me, "What are you doing up here?" He seemed confused that I was here, and that worried me even more.

"I want to leave," He spoke eerily, his unfocused eyes glazed and tinged pink. I could just barely see his body trembling.

"Kid, you need to calm down," if he kept this up, things would get bad. Really bad, and fast. Too much stress had occurred, and if we weren't careful, Jeffrey was going to be really upset at having to replace my furniture and probably have to find replacements for the books in my bookcases as well. If that did happen, I can only guess what he'll replace some of it with. Pink is definitely not an option except in Jeffrey's revenge-seeking mind.

Aaaand, back to the topic at hand: Ashe. He seemed close to sliding over the edge, and it didn't seem like I was being of any sort of help whatsoever. Unless making it worse counts.