Robin’s breaths came out in pained wheezes as he walked further and further away from The Institute.
Isellta.
Isellta.
How could he turn on me like that?
Why?
WHY?
He stopped at a street corner and pressed his hands against the sides of his head.
“Stupid fey. How could he do this to me? How—”
His wheezes came dangerously close to sobs.
He ran all the way back to Raven’s house.
His chest hurt.
His throat hurt.
His head hurt.
His heart hurt.
And, despite it all, he still wanted to hold Isellta safe in his arms.
***
Missy closed her eyes and described the yellow and white house to him.
He drew it.
Line by line.
Word for word.
The yellow and white ranch house started to appear on the paper.
The front door banged open and slammed shut. Heavy steps tromped up the stairs.
Raven sighed. “It appears Robin has come home.”
“Are you going to check on him?”
“Do you mind?”
She smiled. “Not at all, my lovely shirtless Raven who’s really a mother hen in disguise.”
He laughed. “A mother hen? And what would that make you, if I may ask?”
She thought about it. “Well. I don’t want to be one of your chicks but I’d rather not be a fellow hen and be in a lesbian relationship with you because I just don’t know how that would work out and besides that I don’t know how you feel about that whole girl plus girl sort of thing so I guess I’d be the rooster.”
He stroked her face. “You would be the loveliest rooster this world has seen.”
“Can roosters be lovely?”
“You are.” He kissed her forehead. “I will return.”
“I’ll be waiting.”
***
Robin sat on the edge of his bed, visibly shaking. His breathing still hadn’t returned to normal.
His bedroom door opened. “May I come in, sir?”
Robin nodded.
Raven walked over to the younger vampire. “Are you ill, sir?”
He shook his head.
“What is it? What’s troubling you?”
“What do you think?”
Raven sat beside him.
“It’s Isellta. It’s…” The sobs he’d been fighting against exploded out of him. He doubled over and hid his face in his hands.
“Sir! What…What did Isellta do to you?”
“I…I…went…” His shoulders hunched forward. “Institute. Isellta…was there…I…” He sobbed for a long spell before he could speak again. “Everything…was going so well. I…I was…I was so happy. And so…so was he. So was he. So…”
Raven rubbed his back, which made his sobbing escalate. “Sir. It’s all right. It’s all right.”
Robin shook his head. “Stupid fey betrayed me. He…I…I don’t understand. I…I don’t….Raven. I don’t.” He laid his head in Raven’s lap. “Why? What did I do wrong?”
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry.”
“I’m never doing that again. I will never go back there again. Why bother if he’s…”
He’s just another fey.
Despite his words, despite his actions, Isellta is just another stupid fey playing stupid mind games with the stupid emotional human.
Who needs that drama?
I don’t.
I’m fine.
I can be just fine without him.
“Raven. It hurts. Oh, it hurts so much.”
ambroseandelsie 