not to be dramatic but virtus strikes me as a heterosexual who would definitely enjoy drag but in *secret*

i hope you enjoy this one

Chapter Twenty-One

Everything hurts.   

I open my eyes to the sound of Virtus flipping a page. I move my head to look at him, only to see him laying in the bed beside mine, reading. 

It's such a usual position for him to be in, and yet, it feels unusual. The early morning sun is shining on my face through the window, and that is what I recognize as a foreign entity in the room.

Virtus would never let me sleep in unless there was a reason.

I slowly sit up, my back aching and sore. I cringe at the feeling, but try to hide it when I feel his eyes on me, "Good morning." He says in definitely not a 'good morning' sort of tone.

I remember only days ago, I was hesitant to ask him any sort of question at all. Now that we were away from the toxicity of New York City, and the constant blaring of car horns, the anxiety riddled fog in my mind seems to have eased if only a slight bit. I do not second the consideration of asking, "You seem upset, why?"

From the indifferent look on his face, I knew I wasn't going to be given the truth, but, still, I was surprised to get any answer at all, "I'm getting married tomorrow," He says it so casually, as if he were simply stating he was going to the grocery store, "Why wouldn't a man be upset?"

Tomorrow was the wedding. Despite his half-hearted sarcasm, my heart still flipped at the thought. Virtus was going to be a married man yet again, and it bothered me. 

Would he still have me glued beside him like he does now? 

It made sense now as to why he allowed me to sleep in. It wasn't at all for me, it was so he could stay here, in the bedroom, as long as possible before he inevitably would have to begin the preparations for tomorrow's celebration.

I don't know what to say to him. He is so damn hard to read. His expression is indecipherable, with good reason, however a Bone Cutter is raised, they are known to mask emotion flawlessly. Nobody wants to see a regretful slaughterer when its prey squeals in agony. 

"So then," I try to lighten to the mood with a very pathetic smile, "It's your last day being a free man. How should we celebrate it?"

He scoffs, "Celebrate? Are you insane?"

I get up, every part of my body begging me not to move. The pain is like fire, but at least it wasn't as bad as yesterday.  "Yes. Celebrate." I really don't want to spend a whole day standing around a bunch of busy people all trying to appeal to the Bone Cutter, who really doesn't care about the wedding at all. My sore body ached at the thought. 

I make a calculated move to slowly ease myself to sit on the very corner of his bed. "Before my Uncle married his wife, he and my father got drunk for three consecutive days, and my father even bought him a night with a woman."

Virtus doesn't look amused, not that he should, but it's always had been a joke in our family. I didn't bother to mention that my Uncle and his wife's marriage lasted less than a month.

My father wasn't a good man before he met my mother, and most would argue he's still a piece of shit. They really weren't wrong.

"I'm not saying you should buy a hooker." I quickly state, "But maybe a night out would ease you up."

"You know I don't like parties." Of course I knew that, he's the Bone Cutter, all he does is go to parties. He must absolutely loathe them.

"I know, but perhaps something else? What do you like to do for fun?" I found myself getting too eager. A night out would be fun. Something else, other than constant waiting around for Virtus to complete all his duties that tie along to his title.

He slams the book he is holding shut, ending the conversation with it, and gets out of bed, "Enough of this, we should head to the preparation ceremony."

I was refusing to give up that quickly, "Why?"

He doesn't look at me, "Save it, Uri."

"No, I mean it." I run in front of him so he can't open the door, "Why do we have to go?"

"Because-"

"Don't say because you're The Bone Cutter and you have to." I roll my eyes, "You don't have to do anything because you're the Bone Cutter. Why do I have to remind you that you are the most powerful person in this country? If you don't want to do something, then don't do it. You can go tomorrow, when you actually have to get married. Until then, let's not go."

He's suddenly right in front of me, kneeling down until our faces were inches apart, "And what would you prefer we do, Uri? Wait around in bed all day?"

All my confidence drained, and I found myself lacking in words as my lips were way to close to his, and why does he smell so good?

"Well?" He pushes, and I swallow, hard.

"It would help if I actually knew what you liked to do, other than intimidate people, and be menacing."

The corners of his lips twitch, "You think I'm intimidating."

"If I didn't, I never would have left with you to New York."

"And now?"

"Now?"

"Yes, what do you think of me now, as I do recall, you begged me to let you stay just a few nights ago."

"Oh." I think about my answer, but can't seem to figure out what the right answer was.

All amusement, though it wasn't much to begin with, dies on his face when I don't respond. He pushes me aside, and opens the door, forcing me to shamefully follow him.

The morning flies by, we dress, we leave, we arrive where the wedding will take place, but all I see is chaos. People running back and forth just as I was sure they would. We both move to behind the stage where hundreds of people were preparing the decorations, and different assortments.

"Virtus!" A woman I've never seen before smiles at him, and runs up, pulling her arms around his neck in a hug. 

He doesn't hug her back. Instead, he takes a quick step away from her, his back suddenly pressed up against me as I nearly get crushed against the wall. In an attempt to stabilize him and myself, I coil my arm around his, and push us both forward, away from the wall.

The woman acts as though nothing happened. "It's been a long time since we last spoke, I just knew you'd be here today, can we talk somewhere more private?"

"No." His tone is quick, and dismissive, "I don't have time for your games today."

She pouts, "I'm not playing any games, that's so mean. I just miss my old friend."

"We were never friends."

"Then it must have been my imagination, playing in the woods when we were kids, and building that wonderful little hideout near that apple tree. I wonder if it's still there." She paused, finally noticing me, I realized I was still holding his arm. I quickly let him go, hoping she didn't see just how feminine that had looked. "Who is this?"

The sharp look in gaze was enough to slice metal. "Enough, Theresa."

"I'm only asking." Her long brown hair swayed all the way down to her hips. She was wearing bright red lipstick, and her body was almost as thin as my arm. She was yet another stunning woman in Virtus's life, and I was simply a girl, with horrifically chopped hair, pretending that that was enough to pass as a boy.

Why is it, that the longer I stay near Virtus, the more I desperately want him to know I'm not a boy at all?

"I'm Uri." I greet her, before Virtus can cut me off, "I'm his intern."

"An intern huh?" She gives me a grin, "You look like a girl."

And just like that, my desire for Virtus to know my gender dissipated. "I'm not a girl."

She laughed, and I understood that something was definitely wrong with her mentally. The way she so casually ignored Virtus's glares, as if they fueled her interest in him. It was bizarre.

"We're leaving." Virtus says grabbing hold of my arm, and pulling me away with him.

When we left the girl, who, to my surprise, didn't follow us, I ask, "Who was she?"

"No one." Right. I forgot he doesn't know how to give real answers. Stupid of me to forget.

Virtus's life is one big secret. Every time I think I've found a path in, he barricades me off like a foreigner he can't trust. I want to know everything about him, especially knowing now that he didn't kill Cindy.

If he didn't, someone he knows did. Everyday, a new person in his life shows up; a new person I have to add to my list of suspects.

The list was getting a bit out of hand. I needed to get closer to him somehow. I needed him to trust me.

But how do I get a man who guarded to open up to me, a person just as much as a stranger to him as he is to me? 

Would it help my chances, or hurt them, if I'm honest about my gender?

I hadn't realized I had zoned out, asking myself a bunch of hypothetical questions as Virtus flicked my head with his finger.

"Ow." I hiss, rubbing the spot he had flicked, "What was that for?"

"Did you not hear a word I said?"

No. "Of course I did."

He gave me a look, one that said, "You're fucking lying, and I know it."  Luckily for me, he didn't push me to prove it, as if he decided to be merciful, and save me from the embarrassment of admitting my obvious lie.

The day was longer than I had expected it'd be, which was stupid of me to think a celebration regarding the Bone Cutter would be anything less than chaotic. 

I faced the wall, waiting for the outfitters to finish perfecting Virtus's attire. When one of them told me that the outfit was complete, I turned around, and my body fell still.

Virtus stood in a deep crimson red coat, woven into the fabric were gold chains. Hung off the chains were emerald green tear drop stones. Lace coiled up his sleeves, as small roses made of gold interceded in a spiral, outlining the lace strips.

He wore black pants, and a belt that hung several iconic Bone Cutter weapons, as wells as knife made of the bones of the first Bone Cutter. 

In his hair, once again were long ribbons, knotted to symbolize his commitment to his work. These ribbons cascaded all the way down to his waist. 

He wore several rings, all worth more than anything I could make in several lifetimes.

He stood in front of a mirror, but as I was staring at him, unable to breathe, I noticed he wasn't looking at himself through the mirror. He was looking right at me.

Our eyes stuck, and the expressionless look on his face still encouraged me to read him, to figure out just what he was thinking.

My heart would not calm down, as I came to terms with the horrifying reality that I may have fallen in love with him.