Enri breathes. And breathes. He lets Daddy's voice wind through him, blanket him protectively, and when Darius bids, he sets his own hand at his cheek. (It's enough, because his hand is Daddy's hand; his hand belongs to Daddy, so of course he feels a shared existence in his own fingers, in the warm caress.)
He eases through, as well, when Darius tells him there'll be no anger. He won't, Enri believes, be disappointed in his Puppy. (Darius said he's a good Puppy, and Darius is god, and god's word is everything.)
He can hear them speaking in the other room, not bothering this time to whisper. He can hear Alice's calm, and Lydia's pensive interjections. He can hear someone's snarling outrage.
They don't matter. None of that matters, because Darius is inevitable. Darius is going to bring him back, and he can stay and stay and stay just like he was told. In Daddy's bed, ravaged and raptured and -
Loved.
Oh, he feels loved.
His entire focus is on the phone and the voice pouring poison into him (love) (comfort) (approval), and so Enri doesn't notice when the talking abates in the other room. He doesn't notice Alice's approach until Alice is a few feet away, a blur in his peripheral vision.
Enri goes still and tense, his eyes flickering guiltily to his uncle-to-be (who is not, he realizes inanely, that much older than himself.) There's no way Alice doesn't see the phone.
Darius is asking for some sound from him to indicate he understands, but he can't. Move. Speak. Breathe. Only feel as though he's at the bottom of a pit, and the last lifeline is being drawn up out of reach. Alice is going to take the phone, he fucking knows it -
Alice crouches in front of him, one hand curled on the bed for balance. Alice scrutinizes him (gently, it feels gentle and he fucking hates it, he hates Alice, he hates all of them (that's not true) (he wishes it was true.))
"Enri, may I borrow your phone?" His voice sounds careful, and carefully neutral. Even. Calm. R...espectful? Enri stirs and recoils a little, a note of refusal jarring in his throat, but Alice only lifts his hand and gestures settle, settle or it's okay (it's not okay nothing is okay.) "I'd like to speak with Darius for a moment. I'll give it, and Darius, right back to you."
He should -
He should ask Daddy. Darius. He should ask permission, or guidance. But he can't find words, and - Darius did say he trusts him to make good decisions. And he knows that Alice has been looking out for him, sort of.
He thinks Treavor wouldn't trust Alice, wouldn't marry Alice, if he was a liar.
Slowly, he slides the phone out from under his head and barely (reluctantly) offers it over. Alice doesn't snatch. It's almost as though he's showing he won't hang up, the way he's holding the phone so delicately.
(His caution irks Enri. His care, his dedication to preserving...something. He's annoyed.
He's also (a little) grateful.)
And Alice speaks into the receiver with the same cautious tone. His eyes linger on Enri's, and Enri thinks he sees something akin to concern. "Darius. Let's keep this short so I can give the phone back to Enri. I told him that's what I'm going to do, and he's trusting me a lot right now."
Enri realizes something, dawning comprehension: Alice is talking more to him than, or just as much to him as, Darius.
"I'm sorry to you both. Morgan has been out of reach all week. I intended to catch him as soon as the plane landed, but I had to deal with a personal matter that trumps this one, I'm sorry to say. Deforest - You know. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. I'm going to handle this here. If it's all right with both of you, while I'm discussing this situation with Morgan, Enri is going to rest for an hour. Maybe let Lydia treat these bites."
And.
"It would help to know you think that's a good idea."
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He eases through, as well, when Darius tells him there'll be no anger. He won't, Enri believes, be disappointed in his Puppy. (Darius said he's a good Puppy, and Darius is god, and god's word is everything.)
He can hear them speaking in the other room, not bothering this time to whisper. He can hear Alice's calm, and Lydia's pensive interjections. He can hear someone's snarling outrage.
They don't matter. None of that matters, because Darius is inevitable. Darius is going to bring him back, and he can stay and stay and stay just like he was told. In Daddy's bed, ravaged and raptured and -
Loved.
Oh, he feels loved.
His entire focus is on the phone and the voice pouring poison into him (love) (comfort) (approval), and so Enri doesn't notice when the talking abates in the other room. He doesn't notice Alice's approach until Alice is a few feet away, a blur in his peripheral vision.
Enri goes still and tense, his eyes flickering guiltily to his uncle-to-be (who is not, he realizes inanely, that much older than himself.) There's no way Alice doesn't see the phone.
Darius is asking for some sound from him to indicate he understands, but he can't. Move. Speak. Breathe. Only feel as though he's at the bottom of a pit, and the last lifeline is being drawn up out of reach. Alice is going to take the phone, he fucking knows it -
Alice crouches in front of him, one hand curled on the bed for balance. Alice scrutinizes him (gently, it feels gentle and he fucking hates it, he hates Alice, he hates all of them (that's not true) (he wishes it was true.))
"Enri, may I borrow your phone?" His voice sounds careful, and carefully neutral. Even. Calm. R...espectful? Enri stirs and recoils a little, a note of refusal jarring in his throat, but Alice only lifts his hand and gestures settle, settle or it's okay (it's not okay nothing is okay.) "I'd like to speak with Darius for a moment. I'll give it, and Darius, right back to you."
He should -
He should ask Daddy. Darius. He should ask permission, or guidance. But he can't find words, and - Darius did say he trusts him to make good decisions. And he knows that Alice has been looking out for him, sort of.
He thinks Treavor wouldn't trust Alice, wouldn't marry Alice, if he was a liar.
Slowly, he slides the phone out from under his head and barely (reluctantly) offers it over. Alice doesn't snatch. It's almost as though he's showing he won't hang up, the way he's holding the phone so delicately.
(His caution irks Enri. His care, his dedication to preserving...something. He's annoyed.
He's also (a little) grateful.)
And Alice speaks into the receiver with the same cautious tone. His eyes linger on Enri's, and Enri thinks he sees something akin to concern. "Darius. Let's keep this short so I can give the phone back to Enri. I told him that's what I'm going to do, and he's trusting me a lot right now."
Enri realizes something, dawning comprehension: Alice is talking more to him than, or just as much to him as, Darius.
"I'm sorry to you both. Morgan has been out of reach all week. I intended to catch him as soon as the plane landed, but I had to deal with a personal matter that trumps this one, I'm sorry to say. Deforest - You know. It doesn't matter. I'm sorry. I'm going to handle this here. If it's all right with both of you, while I'm discussing this situation with Morgan, Enri is going to rest for an hour. Maybe let Lydia treat these bites."
And.
"It would help to know you think that's a good idea."