Page 28 of Obsession of the Egoist
The memory of the matte eyes and creased, damaged skin surfaced in front of his eyes. He got up, flicked the cigarette out of the opened window with a shaky hand, then turned to Rick. His mood darkened as he decided what to do next.
“I’ve already freed him once, thinking it would be best for him. What did he do with his freedom? He went to Afghanistan and got himself blinded. There’s no way I’ll ever let him go again or hand him over to you.” Watching the tanned, masculine face darken with hatred, Yugo kept going, aiming to destroy every hope Rick felt toward Kuon. “Don’t be delusional. He’ll never love you; he’ll never be happy with you because he’ll never forget me. I’ll forever remain his first and his last man. So, go home, dog; he no longer requires your services.”
Shoving Rick out of his way with his shoulder, Yugo strolled toward the doctor’s office. His palm grabbed the door handle at the same moment iron fingers wrapped around his biceps and flipped him around.
Instincts kicking in, Yugo shifted right, avoiding the crushing fist aimed at his spleen. Back against the door, he bombarded Rick with a hail of fast short jabs to his torso, trying to win some space and deliver a knee-strike. His knuckles burned as he managed to side-step and finish the combo with a powerful kick to the middle of Rick’s chest, throwing the bigger man to the opposite wall.
Despite the effort Yugo put into his attack, his opponent didn’t lose his breath. Sliding his palm down his combat pants, Rick hooked his fingers into the top of his military boot. Metal glinting in his hand as he moved in for a counterattack.
THE HEAVY THUD FOLLOWEDby rustling made Kuon strain his ears. Dropping the bandages on Kuon’s knees, the nurse rushed away. He heard a click; hinges screeched as the door flew open. Gripping the edge of the medical table, Kuon hopped off but froze as the sounds of a fight intensified.
“Oh my god, a knife!” a female screamed. Kuon’s heart dropped.
“A knife?” he whispered and, feeling his way with an open palm, followed the noise. Another rustle reached him from his left.The doctor?
Step, another one, swaying his hand in front of him, he sought the exit when Yugo’s low, sinister laughter froze the blood in his veins. Fearing that Yugo might do something to Rick, Kuon rushed forward but stumbled and crashed against someone. A thin flowery scent slammed against his face as he realized this was the nurse. Bypassing her, he pushed her behind himself and into the doctor’s office.
“What the hell?” he yelled so hard his throat burned, and the pressure jumped to his eyes. “What do you think you’re doing? Get out of here, both of you!”
RICK STUMBLED BACK,flattening himself against the opposite wall. His eyes fixed, staring over Yugo’s shoulder. Flicking his knife between his fingers, he tucked it behind his back.
Yugo turned around. Standing in the doorframe, Kuon stared ahead with unseeing eyes. His bandages were off, and the scarred skin only intensified the whiteness of his open eyes. The nurse, standing behind him fumbled over her pockets, then fished out a phone.
“Put the phone away,” Yugo said, dropping his voice. Switching his attention to the woman, he invested all the warning he could muster into his glare.
Kuon spun around. “SchwesterSchmidt,” he prompted, draping his arm around her shoulder, “they will leave NOW.” Yugo cringed at the accented word. “Let’s not bring unnecessary attention to this minor episode. Nothing happened, right?”
Kuon shifted, then turned the nurse toward himself, putting her back to the men. Yugo’s aggression, caused by the heavy adrenaline flow, died out as a blinding smile split Kuon’s face. Even with the ugly scars and dead eyes, Kuon still attracted him. During the past two years, Yugo had gone through many lovers. All of them were gorgeous, intelligent, almost perfect. Still, none of them managed to pique his interest enough to linger in his life. Only now, when every cell of his body demanded he get closer to Kuon, did he realize how painfully-insufferable a distance of a few feet could be. Watching the familiar tilt of Kuon’s head and the fluid movements of his shoulders, Yugo remembered to the smallest detail every night they had spent together.
With a slight shake of her blonde head, the nurse heaved a sigh, “Of course. Please, don’t worry, Herr Leiris.”
MINE. MINE. MINE.Yugo’s heart demanded he take and possess what belonged to him by the right of the strongest. Unable to resist the gravity pull, he stepped forward but halted when Kuon’s tired voice cut the air. “Yugo, don’t come anymore.”
Yugo’s teeth crackled as the rejection hit hard. Anger, waking up, fired his chest but he clenched his fists, choking his wounded pride.
The doctor, who stood behind Kuon, pierced Yugo with a warning glare but didn’t voice his dissatisfaction. Conveying his disapproval with a headshake, he retreated into his office.
With his arm still draped around the wide shoulder ofSchwesterSchmidt, Kuon added, “Rick, you leave, too. I’ll catch a taxi when I’m done.”
The closing door shut Yugo off from Kuon’s world. Conflicted, cut out, he felt weird. A part of him understood that Kuon was angry, so he didn’t want to irritate him even more. But no one has ever told him what to do. He stepped toward the doctor’s office, intending to enter and reclaim his right to do as he pleased, when Rick grumbled out, “He told you to leave. If you go in there now, they will call security, and we’ll both be blacklisted.”
“Get lost, dog,” Yugo said, but instead of leaving, Rick flexed his shoulders and moved forward.
Annoying…Yugo thought. Mentally preparing for the fight, he wondered if he should shrug off the jacket, as it restricted his movements. He spun on his heels the same moment the door flew open, andSchwesterSchmidt secured it with a stopper. Granting both men with a cautious glance, she returned to the doctor’s office. When she reappeared, she pushed a wheelchair in front of her. Fresh bandages wrapped around his eyes, Kuon tilted his head, hands gripping the armrests. Face etching with concentration, he tilted his head as if trying to feel their presence. Never acknowledging the two men, the nurse rolled the wheelchair down the corridor, then turned the corner taking Kuon away with her.
The loss hit harder than rejection. For some reason, Yugo wasn’t ready to let Kuon go. The need to mark his territory corroded his blood. Without sparing Rick a glance, he moved after the nurse.
Taking the turn, Yugo smirked, watching the woman hurry into the elevator. Her palm slapped the button a few times. She swallowed and clutched the handle grips, knuckles bleaching white. The doors started to close when Yugo slammed his fist against the elevator ‘call’ button.
“Don’t be so tense,SchwesterSchmidt, I don’t bite,” he said, entering. Suppressing a smile, he turned toward the elevator panel, pressed the ‘door close’ button, when Rick stormed into the cabin. “We’re all civilized people, aren’t we? The third floor?”
Kuon’s mouth opened, as if he wanted to say something, but closed the next moment.
“Yes,” she said in a tiny voice, then cleared her throat.
Yugo hummed, turned around, and leaned against the cold wall. His attention automatically fixed on Kuon, studying the small changes in his appearance. He’d matured. His jawline had sharpened as stubble speckled his cheeks and chin. Yugo’s gaze moved lower, scrutinizing Kuon’s ripped chest and shoulders hugged by a tight military t-shirt. The itch to remove his clothes and examine every little change in his body settled in Yugo’s fingertips.
A tinyDINGnotified them of their arrival. The elevator stopped, and the door swished open. Stepping aside, Yugo let the nurse roll the wheelchair out of the elevator and down the corridor.
