Underrhelm

Chapter 8

KIVA

I watched as Darci and Ember left the club arm in arm. Osiris then shifted into his hound form to walk around the building. I softly knocked on the bosses door and entered.

"Everyone is settled in for the night boss, are you ready to go?" I asked. She looked somber as she shook her head yes.

"I know this isn't my place but, are you alright?" She halted gathering her things and I stared in anticipation.

"Emotionally I mean, you were upset today for obvious reasons but, I can tell there is something else." I prodded. Her grip tightened on her phone as she shoved it in her bag and replied,

"I'm fine Kiva, I need to get home and feed Edgar before he snatches someone off the street."

As we descended the stairs I watched Ray as her eyes landed on V who looked like he was waiting for her. She began to blush.

"Oh, I see you boss." I thought devilishly to myself.

"V, what are you still doing here? I thought you had 'stuff' to do." she teased.

"I'm your bodyguard," he smiled, "I have to guard your body all the way home." He then put out his cigarette and readied his wings.

"I will see you guys tomorrow!" I giggled as I took to the sky like a bat out of hell.

___________________________________________

RAYNA

"Don't leave me you asshole!" I shouted in my head after Kiva. I looked over at V at shook my head.

"I was planning on walking to the corner store before heading home. Are you going to guard my body there too?" I asked playfully.

He snatched my wrist and dragged my down the street.

"Yes I am. There are plenty of people that want to kill you. I'll never be out of job." he chuckled. He looked back at me and stuck his tongue out. I hadn't noticed he had pierced his tongue. It made my mouth water.

I ripped my hand from his grasp and announced, "We are here you dunce, you can let go. Are you going in?"

"Naw, I'll stay here and wait." he answered while lighting a cigarette.

"Thank the gods, I need to get tampons." I thought to myself relieved. I wondered through the isles with a basket and grabbed some essentials for the night. A box of tampons, some Hellfire Ramen, a cucumber water, and a pint of cherry, chocolate Heavenly Ice ice cream. At the counter I also grabbed a pack of smokes and then exited with my two bags.

"You get all your nude mags and jerky?" he asked with a goofy grin. I flipped him off and took to the sky. We landed in front of my apartment building a few moments later.

"Would you like to come in? Have a drink? Check for murderous feinds?" I asked blushing.

"Uh sure, I could use some coffee." he replied. As I opened the frosted glass front door, I thought to myself, "How did he get in earlier? Did he wait for someone to leave?"

___________________________________________

VALENTINE

When he loaded the elevator she pushed the button with the number 6 and I was trapped for the next few moments.

*thump thump thump*

"What the hell am I doing?! Quick fake your death!" I panicked to myself. It was too late, we were at her door now. As soon as she opened it Edgar started screaming, "Hungry! Hungry!"

"Edgar calm down. I'm going! I'm going!" she shouted at him. She rushed to the fridge to prepared a bowl of small hearts and placed them on the coffee table. Edgar swooped down and guzzled them down like he hadn't been fed in weeks.

"You know you could have fed yourself. You have a form with working legs and thumbs." she purred as she stroked his head.

"WAIT! He has a body form?!" I yelled. Rayna covered her mouth and laughed light heartedly. I turned my back to her and grabbed my chest. "How is it possible that my heart is beating this hard without exploding?!" I questioned myself as searching frantically for the exit.

"I'll get you a to go cup. You need to get home and get your rest. I expect the coming days will be filled with nonsense like today." she sighed.

"I have a few minutes. Or are you trying to get rid of me?" I teased as though my heart didn't just explode.

"Well duh. I want to get in the tub and go to bed." she replied. I suddenly recalled earlier when I almost made it to the promise land before being stabbed.

"Of course boss." I said as I sat on her couch and propped my head in my hand.

When she finished my coffee, she sat it on the coffee table and plopped on the couch next to me.

"You know, it's not like I care or anything but, you seem sad lately." I prodded.

"I know you don't care," she replied while staring at her lap, "it's just.... will you leave me too?"

"L-leave you?" I asked, my mouth dry all of a sudden.

"Yea. Nyx is leaving umbra for good. Ember has to leave every few months. When you work hard to ear someone's loyalty and see them everyday and take care of them, you don't want them to leave. Look at Quinn. Her mom didn't do any of those things and she left. Everyone leaves eventually, I guess I wondered if you would do the same." she answered before laying on the arm rest and bringing her knees to her chin.

I cautiously reached out to caress her, to tell her I would never leave her side. Something told me she'd probably stab me again so I retracted and responded, "No boss. This is a good job. Good money and it keeps me fit. I won't be leaving anytime soon." We sat in silence for what seemed like hours but was only a few minutes.

"Rayna?" I called out. I got up and leaned over her to find she was asleep. I took the fuzzy black blanket with a big skull on it off the back of the couch and covered her up.

"Caw. Loverboy. Caw." squawked Edgar. I turned a weird shade of purple and ran over to his perch.

"Shut you bird hole or I will eat you!" I huffed. I walked back over to Ray to get one last look before I left. She had some hair in her face and with my finger tip I grazed her cheek bone and tucked it behind her ear.

"That's it I can't take this anymore. I have to tell you. Tomorrow I have to tell you." I pleaded with myself. As I walked towards the door I spotted out of the corner of my eye, Ray's ice cream. I tucked it in the freezer next to some unidentifiable organs and made a swift exit.