violets are blue,
your blood is red.
the window was open,
i'm under your bed.
-Eyeless Jack

Chapter 1. Rule Number One Of Being
Independent: You Have To Get Your Own Door.

     "I'm telling you man, fish are not pets...they're food," Archie says to Levi. He hoists a box then cradles it between his muscular arms.

     He isn't actually muscular, although he likes to think so. Pointing out that he is really lean never ends well. Even if you added the facts that he's still strong and insanely attractive.

     Archie is tall, lean and wiry. Umber skin and deep brown eyes and full lips. He has long hair that has been twisted into locks that fall on either side of his face, the same face that is almost clean shaven save for the evidence of a very subtle moustache. If that isn't attractive to Levi then he doesn't know what is.

     Nevertheless, Archie will not accept that he is slim, so much that he gets sensitive and dramatic about it. Like trying to crush nuts in the crook of his elbow dramatic.

"How can you say that?" Levi folds his arms and crosses them. "Jim, Jimm and Jimmy can hear you. They have really good hearing."

Archie moves past him and before he can get the box into the house, he chuckles. "Ridiculous names."

"You named them!"

"Only because I'm their father," he replies. "It's still ridiculous."

"Don't you dare talk about our children that way," Levi insists with a stern look, then laughs. "On a more serious note, we need to start having more intellectual conversations. We're geniuses for fuck's sake."

Archie drops the box inside and is back outside within the minute. "Every genius has a little bit of idiot inside them."

"Do they now?" Levi asks in a British accent.

"I mean...look at us," says Archie, mimicking Levi with his own British accent. "We sired children, and yet ye have never engaged in the shaking of the sheets. You Virgin Mary-ed this bloody shit, lad."

Levi laughs at Archie's theatrics and grabs a box himself. "I'm just waiting for the right guy. My first time has to be perfect, Archie. You know how much that means to me."

"Yeah I do. You haven't even engaged in a swimming of the tongues either—"

"A swimming of the tongues! Really Archie?"

"Okay okay," he gently puts his hands up in mock surrender. "I offered to be your first kiss and you turned me down."

"Katya would have my head," says Levi. "Not forgetting the fact that you're straight."

They met exactly a year ago, and it's been exactly one year since they've been together. Katya is Archie's girlfriend, his angel, his Russian Aphrodite and the fire in his loins...Levi has heard all the titles.

"I'm straight but I've got eyes," he says, assessing me. "Red hair, dark and thick eyebrows and lashes, your sharp nose and heart-shaped lush lips..." Archie shakes his head and licks his lips. "Mm mmm, lean...even your fingers are lean. And your head would fit under my chin, so that makes you a worthy candidate...damn, I should write a book. But you're right, Katya would have your head."

Jim, Jimm and Jimmy are a veil tail, goldfish and tamasaba respectively, among several other fish living and swimming in Levi's aquarium. A gift from Archie and his most prized possession.

Archie was on a scholarship in his school when they first met, and they've been stuck together since. He'd always admired him, his free spirit, genius and kindness. And the fact that he can take care of himself. It is hard for Levi to imagine, but at the same time, it's the only thing that gives him the courage to move out of his parents' house.

It's a huge step for him, and he'd now have to work hard for himself. The family business is tempting and would have been the easy way, but there is just something thrilling about Archie's independence, and he wanted some of that. And to find his place in the world without literally being under his parents' wing. And there's the added bonus that he could do whatever he wanted, and meet the love of his life the way he wanted, whenever he wanted. He is choosing that road, hard or excruciating.

When the last box is finally inside, Archie drops to the floor of the empty living room and lies with his back against the floor. "I'm super proud of you for choosing to move out."

"This independence thing," Levi asks. "And be honest—is it really hard?" He sits facing Archie with his knees bent before him.

"Nah, you'll do great. It's a good thing you already know where to start, you have a job so that's sorted. If you ever need anything, I'm here."

The job had come as a frightening surprise, but he grasped it with both hands. The lady who offered it to him was Edith, one of his father's closest friends. He secretly used to call her dragon because he thought she was the meanest creature alive, but after hearing that he was going to move out and fend for himself, he saw her smile for the first time. She offered him a job right there and he accepted it with the caution one held a water filled balloon with. "Okay...but no, I have to do this by myself."

"You'll do great. I swear it on my black ass."

"You really love your black ass man."

"What's not there to love?"

The doorbell rings and Archie gets up. "Food's here!"

Levi immediately makes to stop him. "Drew'll get it." He refers to the butler he's grown up with.

Archie looks at his friend patronisingly and shakes his head. "Aw, you poor thing."

"Shit."

"Rule number one of being independent. You have to get your own door," Archie says and stalks off towards the door. He is back moments later and sets everything down between them. "You also have to put your own spoon in your own mouth." He extends Levi's share of the food to him.

"Fuck you."

"Katya will have your head."

"Oh yeah. Forgot about that." Levi starts to eat then immediately almost chokes at what Archie says next.

"Will you be my best man? I'm getting married." Archie casually asks. "Rule number two: you cannot choke in the presence of your guests. Here, have some water."

"You're getting married!" Levi finally caught his breath. "You're getting married Archie! You finally proposed!"

"I'm not sure it went exactly that way but let's roll with it."

"I'm really happy for you. Ah! I might even blush. Of course I'll be your best man. Has your wedding been planned?

"Katya's younger sister is doing the honours. I can barely contain my excitement either!" Archie exclaims. "That woman has me by the ball sack I tell you, I thought my heart would stop functioning without her, and now she wants my last name. Dreams do come true Levi!"

"I'm throwing you your bachelor's party," says Levi.

He is confused when Archie starts to laugh and shake his head in disagreement. He frowns and continues to look at him in question.

"Not that I'm interested, but for chrissakes Levi, my Russian wife will have your head!"

     That was a new one.

-::::-

Archie leaves after everything is in place, and sure that Levi is 'fine to be alone'. And after promising that he'd come back to see their kids soon.

Levi pours himself a glass of wine after he's showered and prepared for bed. He has to be careful not to drift off and end up spending the night on the couch.

The thoughts in his head make it hard not to, they are a pleasant daydream in the midst of his fatigue. He imagines that he has moved in with his fiancé or something along those lines. Every surface of their new place would get a proper christening first of all.

He almost blushes at his fervent and wanton thoughts.

Instead of one wineglass, they'd be two resting on the table as he leaned on him on the couch. After a few more sips, they'd stop pretending they weren't dying to be all over each other. The fiancé would take his glass away from him and set it down, then grab his ass. Levi blushes this time, eyes still closed.

He hears a series of flutters like the turning of several pages at once. The sound is just right by his ear and he pauses, then turns to his right, opening his eyes.

Nothing.

He could swear he heard it, clear enough to interrupt his fantasy, so clear that a little part of him thought he was already having his first burglar experience.

Levi finally manages to convince himself that it is nothing. He continues to think about his future husband. He'd take the man's clothes off and then trace his skin with his fingers, slowly trailing south...

Levi only stops when he is flaming in embarrassment. His eyes fly open and he lets out an exaggerated breath.

He finally notices what must have been the flutter in his ear, he isn't crazy after all. There is a book on the table, right next to his wine, and it is open, showing frayed, old, blank pages and a tale of nothingness within its borders.

He immediately sits up.

That wasn't there. It wasn't. Not five minutes ago, not ever. He doesn't let out a sound, because this is creepy as all hell. Maybe his burglar experience was afoot after all.

Mustering up enough courage, he lifts the book up from the table and inspects it. The hard cover is rough and extremely detailed, and yet he can't figure out what it is made of. Bark? Cloth? Skin?

He'd have dropped the book already if it weren't for the blood red crystal at the center of the cover. It looks like it's pulsing, and all he can do is stare in awe at how advanced publishers were nowadays.

He didn't think anyone could make something like this and yet here it is. The mysterious book looks like something out of Harry Potter's world.

Levi quickly drops it like he's been burned, then picks it back up when he realises it isn't going to bite him.

This time he notices that there are indeed words in it. Two paragraphs written across two open pages. It's weird because the rest of the pages won't open or budge, like someone had slathered superglue on every other page but the two open ones.

It's the strangest thing, and it does scare him a little. The pages were clearly blank when he first saw the book resting and looking misplaced in his new living room. Now, those same pages each have words on them. That is scary, but he can't exactly call the cops because there is a strange book in his apartment and it is acting weird.

He would always blame it on curiosity, but Levi makes the decision to read what it said.

••
That which is not bound to me, I weave
That which is not of my tongue, I utter
If to seek pleasure before I wake,
Or to bask in it upon my slumber,
The Realms will bow in accordance.

I beckon,
Come hither; draw near,
I offer my flesh,
I dare
••

Weird.

     What the hell is any of that supposed to mean? It's just weird. Come hither? He chuckles. It sounds like something right out of Archie's mouth.

     Levi doesn't realise how much time has passed with the book on his hands, until he acknowledges that he is exhausted.

It could well be the effects of hauling boxes the entire day and setting up house and starting a new life. A new independent life. Levi is now sleepy and exhausted, one of the best combinations in the world because the quality of shuteye it offers is phenomenal.

He places the book on the table and leaves it there because he doesn't know what to do with it. He'll figure it out when he wakes up in the morning.

Levi picks his glass and pours the rest of his wine down the sink, then rinses the glass and goes to bed. He goes to sleep despite being unable to shake the uneasy feeling in his gut.

If he'd stayed just a few moments longer, he might have noticed the book move a little on the table, then quickly snap shut. He might have seen the blood red crystal glowing brightly, then going back to normal as if the life was being sucked out of it slowly. He might have even heard the dull groan it let out before going completely silent.

But Levi doesn't. He goes to bed.

-::::-

The entire apartment is shrouded in quiet and darkness as Levi is fast asleep, completely unaware of the opening of his window, causing the moonlight to pour in and bathe the room in dim, natural light.

     A calm breeze gently makes its way inside, making the curtains dance to its tune whenever it called.

     Levi wakes up to a scratching sound, and in the haze of sleep and wake, he doesn't think much of it, but he doesn't go back to sleep because it persists.

     Before anything, he notices that his window is open and thinks to himself, I must have forgotten to close it yesterday since I was so tired I just dropped on the bed and blacked out.

     As he makes to go and close it, his hands still where they are fisting the edge of the covers. His blood almost runs cold when his eyes adjust better to the darkness. It may well be a figment of his imagination but he sees it nonetheless; an eerie figure perched up on the corner of his window. Whatever it is, has glowing eyes that are trained directly on him.

     Then just as suddenly, the creature is flying towards him.