A Coalition Story

Delightful Death

(double update, make sure to read the previous chapter)

Cal hated himself. He hated who he was attracted to. Worst of all, he knew that if his father found out about his torrid love affair with Torin, Cal would be completely disowned. Aldric already hated him, the illegitimate child and a constant reminder of his wife's affair. But Cal's adopted father now had even more reason to hate his supposed son, or he would if he ever discovered the truth.

Excalibur was dead set on making sure that his father never found out about this surreptitious relationship, even if that meant ending things, no matter how fantastic they were, with Torin.

He hadn't understood when Cal ended things suddenly. Sure, his boyfriend had noticed him growing distant over the last several weeks, but Cal had hid his discomfort and unease well. Then again, he was an assassin. It was his job to live in a façade.

And Cal could have kept living under the façade that he was straight, that he wasn't dating a wonderfully beautiful and caring and sexy man. But that façade would eventually be unearthed. Secrets never lasted long, especially not in the Cole household. To make matters riskier, Cal never had been able to lie to his father. That had always been Ravyn's job. He'd been too scared of the verbal and physical punishment. Maybe that was why his family always insulted with the most brutal truths they could unsurface, and maybe that was why Cal had torn Torin apart by calling him weak-hearted and easily manipulated. Cal played it off that this had been an elaborate hoax, but it wasn't, and now he was distraught.

It wasn't like he was in love with Torin. They'd been on plenty of dates, Cal had met his large family, and they'd had sex on the regular. Yeah, he cared about his ex deeply, but Cal wasn't in love. No, he couldn't have fallen in love in just three months. Especially not with someone who would make his father disown him for.

And this was why, at two in the afternoon, Cal had already down a few glasses of whiskey while moping in his dorm. He could hold his alcohol well, but even this was starting to affect him. By the time his door burst open at three in the afternoon, Cal was halfway through the bottle of whiskey. He barely looked up as the screaming started.

"Why on Earth did you break up with Torin, you idiot?" Ravyn shrieked, throwing her shoe at her cousin. Cal didn't look up as the shoe hit him. He glanced at it before returning to his whiskey, downing the rest of the glass pouring another.

Then the next shoe came, knocking the new glass of whiskey out of his hand and onto the rug his mother loved so dearly.

"I was drinking that!" Cal finally paid attention to his cousin, offering her a petulant glare.

"Well you clearly don't need it. What you need to do is get your crap together, apologize to Torin, and get back with him already! When you were with him it was the happiest I've ever seen you! It was the most comfortable you've ever been! Everyone could tell, Cal. And he's half in love with you, too! So why aren't you with him?" Ravyn glowered at the blonde, pushing him back into his bed. Usually, Cal would have been able to withstand her with no problems. He was an assassin, and while Ravyn was definitely strong, he was stronger and bigger. But Cal was wasted and hadn't slept the night before. Not that he'd been sleeping much recently, anyways.

He hit his pillows with closed eyes.

"It was just an experiment. It was all for fun," Cal lied. If Ravyn hadn't seen them making puppy dog eyes at each other two days earlier, she would have believed Cal. He was casual and uninterested, just like he always was after a break up with anyone. But Torin was different. And they both knew that.

"Bull, Excalibur. You're practically in love with him!"

Cal scoffed, pushing himself to sit up. "I don't want him, Ravyn. I don't care about him," he hissed through clenched teeth. She stood there, still fuming at him.

"We all know that's a lie. Did you get scared of commitment or something, Cal? Because if you're that scared of it, then have fun being alone forever." Ravyn stepped back, shaking her head at her plastered cousin. She wasn't giving up, no, but she was going to let this sleeping dog finish his nap. Cal would come back to his senses. She'd make sure of that.

"Have fun with the alcohol poisoning, Cal. I'm sure Torin will find your death delightful." And with that, Ravyn left, his door wide open.