Paladin - Jericho's Boys #1 - Ch. 13 (Patreon)

Schmoop and a quickie. That is all.

Arsen

Arsen didn’t realize how rare it was for all his friends to be in one place until they converged on him as a group while he stood at the counter searching for a part for a vintage Mustang. Seeing them together, made him instantly uneasy, like he was about to be confronted like in those old intervention shows. Even though he eyed them warily, he continued to search for the part in the system, refusing to acknowledge out loud how weird it was to see them there midday.

In high school they’d practically lived in the back of Jericho’s shop, haunting his ratty oversized sofa while they played video games long into the night, costing him a fortune in food. This garage had always been their safe space, they’re real home, but jobs, school, and family got in the way lately.

Jericho still insisted they all meet twice a month at his place for ‘family’ dinner but day to day it was rare to find more than one or two of them together unless there was an emergency. It wasn’t that they weren’t still close, they just mostly kept in contact through texts and while they played games at night.

Arsen’s lack of greeting did nothing to deter his friends. Nico hopped up on the counter, leaning over and sticking his head in front of Arsen like he wanted to see his screen.

“What are you doing?” Arsen asked, irritated.

Nico grinned, blonde curls bouncing. It was hard to believe someone who looked so angelic could be such an asshole. “You were staring at that screen so hard I was sure it was porn.”

“Oh, Arsen wouldn’t do that. He’s in lurvveee,” Seven cooed, swooning dramatically against Nico’s dangling legs. Seven had recently cut his hair down to almost nothing, breaking hearts everywhere, but despite that, his tawny skin and sea glass eyes still were enough to pull any guy he wanted. Not that Seven cared about that stuff. He was too busy with school.

Arsen rolled his eyes at their teasing but didn’t say anything. It was pointless. They would have their fun regardless. He couldn’t even be mad. They all knew he would have done the same, he had done the same when Jericho had come home madly in love with Atticus after one hookup in the murder cabin. Or when Felix had fallen for his husband even while they were hate fucking.

This was just what family did.

“Where is your angel-faced boo? I’m dying to meet him in person,” Felix asked, looking behind Arsen like he might be hiding back there.

Felix was dressed down for a change. Normally, his outfits were handmade and wild, as expected for an up and coming designer, but whenever he came to the neighborhood, he toned it down. Well, toned down for Felix. He wore baggy jeans and a crop top with his mom’s falling-apart cardigan hanging off one shoulder like he was Ariana Grande, his long, wavy chestnut hair pulled into a ponytail.

Arsen glanced behind him to the apartment. “Upstairs. Sleeping. He was up late.”

Lake and Seven exchanged knowing glances.

“Was he now?” Lake asked, a smirk on his face.

Lake looked like a douche with the hood of his Gucci hoodie pulled up, his light brown hair barely visible. The sweatshirt was a hand-me-down from Felix but with his bone structure and perfect features, Felix said he was just destined to look like a frat boy forever. 

“Doing what?” Felix asked.

“Doing who?” Seven corrected, arching a brow.

Cree was the only one not teasing him. But that was just Cree. He never spoke unless he had something important to say. He just stood, tall and silent, hair pulled into a knot on the top of his head, watching silently. He would text in their threads, but even while gaming, they rarely heard his voice. Ever might actually talk more than Cree. He had always been more of a thinker than a talker. But given how he grew up, he probably hadn’t really been given much chance to voice his personal opinions.

“Why are you all here?” Arsen asked warily.

It was Levi who spoke, holding up a plastic shopping bag. “We brought stuff.”

“What kind of stuff?” Arsen asked, instantly suspicious.

“Stuff for Ever,” Levi mumbled, refusing to look at Arsen.

Arsen’s heart tripped in his chest and he looked at each of his friends in turn. “I swear if there’s condoms or lube in that bag I will toss every one of you in the car crusher at the edge of town. Nobody will look for you.”

Seven snorted. “Like we would ever do that.”

“You did do that. To me. On my fifteenth birthday. In front of Jericho,” Arsen reminded them.

“Yeah, but that was different. You were determined to get laid,” Felix reminded. “It was hardly a secret. We were just helping make your birthday wishes come true.”

“Yeah, so that your first hook up wouldn’t leave you with a birthday gift that kept on giving, you know?” Nico said.

“Yeah, we wouldn’t do that to Ever,” Lake said. “He’s too…cute and squishy.”

He mimed squishing Ever’s face. Arsen hated the jealousy that instantly shot through him. If any of them tried to squeeze any part of Ever, Arsen would remove their hands with a rusty saw.

“Yeah, like one of those silly little stuffed animals Noah has,” Nico agreed.

“A squishmallow!” Levi said, snapping his fingers. “That’s what Ever looks like. A squishmallow.” Then he looked at his hand. “Even if he bites like a hellhound.”

Arsen rolled his eyes. “Now that you’ve told me what isn’t in the bag, maybe tell me what is?”

“That’s for Ever to know and you to find out,” Seven said. Before Arsen could stop him, he cupped his hands in front of his mouth. “Ever! Ever?! Wherefore art thou?” he shouted dramatically.

Felix slapped his arm. “You’re going to scare him, dick. He’s really shy.”

“How do you know?” Levi asked. “I’m the only one who’s met him.”

“I just…I just do,” Felix said, waving a hand like he refused to justify his answer.

Arsen was about to tell them to leave when Ever popped his head out of the door at the top of the stairs, eyes sleepy and hair standing on end. He was wearing Arsen’s hoodie which went almost to his knees and a pair of pajama pants with fish all over them. As soon as he saw the amount of people gathered downstairs, his guard went up. His shoulders stiffening only relaxing when he realized Arsen stood with them.

“The guys brought you some…stuff, besenok,” Arsen said just loud enough to be heard. “But you don’t have to come down if you don’t want to.”

Ever hesitated, then disappeared. For a second, Arsen thought that was the end of it. The disappointed looks on his friends' faces let him know they had too. Just as they started to hand the bag over, Ever returned, wearing the ugly black flip-flops Arsen had given him his first day there.

He slowly made his way downstairs, studying them all as he made his way to Arsen, then crowded against his back, hiding from them.

“Shit,” Lake said, sort of wondrously. “He’s even cuter in person.”

“What do you have for him?” Arsen asked. “Show me first.”

“Bro, what do you think we have in here? A live cobra?” Nico asked. “Calm down.”

Felix chuckled, seemingly amused by Arsen’s overprotectiveness. “Yeah, we were talking about how Ever has never gotten to try certain things so we bought stuff for him to try. Some of our favorite things.”

Arsen blinked at them. “Things?”

Ever peeked his head out from behind Arsen. “Like what?”

“Candy,” Seven said, voice saccharine sweet. “So much candy you’ll have a sugar rush for a week.”

“Could you try to sound less like you’re trying to coax him into a white van?” Nico asked. “Creeper.”

Ever moved to stand in front of Arsen standing on his tiptoes to peer over the counter at the generic white plastic bag. “Is a sugar rush a good thing?”

“It’s the best thing,” Lake promised.

Ever looked at Arsen, who nodded. “Up to you.”

He wasn’t going to deny Ever the chance to continue trying new things. When Nico hopped off the counter, Arsen took Ever by the hips and plopped him down in the empty space. He crossed his legs in front of him, looking over all of them, now more curious than scared.

“What should he try first?” Felix asked.

“Pop rocks. Definitely pop rocks,” Seven declared, then looked at Ever, voice smug. “I picked that.”

Ever nodded, taking the pink package Seven offered. He kept one for himself. He tore it open, showing Ever what to do. Arsen tried not to smile as Ever followed suit. Seven put the candy in his mouth, then waited for Ever to do the same.

They all watched him keenly. Ever shrank a bit under their scrutiny, but finally dumped some of the candy into his mouth. Arsen didn’t know what pop rocks were. He only knew that Seven loved them. Arsen had never been someone who ate candy. Not because he didn’t like it but because it reminded him of his father. He used to bring it home whenever he was sorry for the previous night’s beating.

Arsen shook the thought away. This was about Ever. As soon as the candy hit his tongue, Ever’s eyes went wide. For a moment he looked horrified, like he was contemplating spitting it out. Seven dumped more into his mouth then opened wide. A weird sound escaped his mouth. The closest thing Arsen could think to compare it to was the sound the jumper cables made when they touched the connectors on a car battery. A…crackling sound?

Ever opened his mouth, his face lighting up as his mouth also made the same noise. The others laughed, easily falling under his spell. Even Levi looked…fond. Seven closed his mouth, loudly crunching the candy, so Ever did too. Baby see, baby do.

When the packet was empty, he looked sad.

Nico snatched the bag. “Mine next. Mine next.”

He pulled a large bag free then tore it open, taking one and eating it, before he offered the bag to Ever. It occurred to Arsen then. They were each trying the candy they offered to prove to Ever they weren’t trying to trick him or give him something dangerous.

Arsen’s chest felt tight. He made eye contact with Cree, who smiled and nodded, like he knew what Arsen was thinking. Maybe he did. There was something almost magical about Cree, had been since the day they’d met.

Ever took the candy, a sugar coated worm then popped it into his mouth. It took about thirty seconds before his whole face contorted, like he’d sucked on a lemon, his body shivering.

Ever blushed as the others laughed.

“Sour gummy worms,” Nico said. “They’re the best.”

Arsen smiled as Ever continued to chew thoughtfully. “Do you like it?”

Ever nodded, then reached for another, popping it in his mouth then repeating the shiver that came once he started to chew, smiling the whole time. Arsen felt himself smiling too. Just seeing Ever happy made Arsen happy.

Was that love?

The taste test continued for almost an hour. Cree brought Reese’s pieces and Milk Duds. Felix brought Starburst and Milk Duds. Ever liked the pink ones the best. Lake brought Skittles and Life Savers. The only thing Ever didn’t like was the Milk Duds, but he hid it well. Only Arsen knew he was faking it. He always knew.

Just when it seemed like the taste test was winding down, Levi stepped forward, a sulky look on his face. He didn’t say anything but thrust the large plastic bag at Ever. “Here.”

Ever took the bag, a guarded look on his face. He peered inside, then pulled the last items out one by one. Jolly ranchers, gummy bears, and two Pixy Stix. Ever tried the gummy bears first, popping two in his mouth and chewing, then going back in for more.

Arsen gently plucked the bag from his hand. “You’re going to make yourself sick. Here.” He handed him one of the sugar filled straws. “Try this and one of the jolly ranchers and then maybe we take the rest of the day off from sugar, yes?”

He wasn’t trying to parent Ever, but he had a hard time getting Ever to eat three times a day, much less feed him his body weight in candy. Ever making himself sick attempting to appease Arsen’s friends. Even now, Ever made a show of upending the sugar filled straw into his mouth, nodding at the others to let them know he liked it.

Disaster nearly struck when Ever attempted to bite the Jolly Rancher and almost broke his teeth, but soon he figured it out, tucking it into his cheek like a chipmunk.

The guys stayed a few more minutes, each of them making small talk before they disbanded, giving various excuses from school to work.

As soon as they were alone, Arsen stepped between Ever’s open knees, hands finding his waist to help him down. Ever wrapped his arms around Arsen’s neck, gazing at him, lips puckered, clearly expecting a kiss. Arsen smiled, then plopped a kiss on his perfect mouth. When he didn’t deepen the kiss, Ever made a disappointed sound.

Arsen was also disappointed. There was nothing he wanted more than to take Ever upstairs and eat him for lunch, but he had to focus on work and then stream for a couple of hours. Then he would spend the rest of the night making Ever beg, cry and scream in whatever way he could.

He pressed another kiss to his mouth, then said, “I have to finish my shift. Jericho isn’t coming in today. Later. After I finish my game. Okay?”

Ever’s full lower lip jutted out in an exaggerated pout, but Arsen wasn’t buying it. The little shit was learning all too quickly how to get what he wanted from Arsen. If he didn’t set some kind of boundary, they’d have no place to live because Arsen would give up all his responsibilities just to have Ever naked and willing underneath him twenty four hours a day.

“Don’t you make that face at me,” Arsen murmured, even as he leaned in and gave him a kiss that lingered, giving in to the urge to slide his tongue between Ever’s slightly open lips. He tasted as sweet as he looked. “Go read your book, okay?”

Ever sighed, then nodded.

“Good boy.”

Ever’s lips fell open, a hazy look crossing his face. Arsen had no idea how to decipher what had just happened, so he just ignored it…for now. “Do you want me to order you lunch?”

Ever shook his head, putting his hand on his stomach. “I think I’ll throw up if I try to eat lunch.”

“Yeah, you might just want to sleep it off,” Arsen said, helping him from the counter.

Ever stood on tiptoe, threading his fingers behind Arsen’s head and forcing his head low enough for him to kiss him again. Arsen allowed it, even as he walked him backwards towards the steps, only breaking the kiss when they reached the bottom tread. “Upstairs, now, besenok. Let me know if you get hungry.”

Ever sighed, glowering at him. “Fine.”

Arsen watched him go with a smile.

He really had created a monster.

###

They were finally raiding the church. This wasn’t the last level, but it was where they would finally find the last chest containing the piece they would need to assemble the puzzle, allowing them to fight the final boss. It was going to take all of them to get past the guards. Lake was in charge of the mission, even though Arsen was currently in charge of the stream. They tried to take turns on who got credit for the views.

“Pay attention, Arsen. On your six,” Lake shouted into the mic.

Arsen turned, running the enemy through, blood flying as the body crumbled to the ground. Arsen crouched beside the body, stealing the pouch full of gold and healing potions, then taking off at a run to join the rest of the team.

Arsen shot a look at the time. It was already ten o’clock. Was Ever already sleeping? “After the raid, I’m out.”

Seven snickered. “You’re so whipped, bro.”

“You’re so jealous,” Arsen countered.

“I’m jealous, if anybody’s interested,” Nico offered. “Ever is so fucking cute, dude. He’s, like, pocket sized like those little sugar gliders. I want to carry him around in my pocket all day and feed him.”

Felix made an irritated sound, just as his character beheaded a woman who looked like someone’s babushka. “He’s not a purse dog.”

“Dude, did you just take out grandma?” Cree asked, disgusted.

“That outfit was hideous,” Felix said. “She had it coming.”

“Focus, guys. We just have to get into the church and get the chest and then we’re golden,” Lake said.

Arsen didn’t hear Ever enter the room, didn’t even know he was there until he stood beside him. He pushed Arsen’s hand off the keyboard so he could step between his arms, plopping into his lap, then wiggling forward, his legs sliding easily beneath the arms of the chair, so he could cling to Arsen, laying his head on his shoulder.

Arsen didn’t have time to ask what he was doing. Lake kicked in the door to the church revealing twenty plus guards with swords and crossbows. Arsen slid the chair closer to the desk, hands returning to the keyboard, but it was hard to concentrate. Ever smelled so fucking good and his lips were pressed against Arsen’s throat, his breath puffing against his skin in a way that was getting Arsen hard.

The shouting in his headset was deafening as Lake screamed orders at them. In the end, they won, but just barely. Ever snuggled against Arsen the entire battle, not at all fazed by his jerky movements or his shouting in Russian. Arsen would have thought he was asleep if it wasn’t for Ever’s fingertips under his shirt, making patterns on his back.

Arsen ended the game but not the feed. He removed his headphones, leaning forward to read the comments

Ever!

Told you it was his boyfriend.

Thanks for making all of us feel really single.

I want an Ever.

I want an Arsen.

I want them both together…where I can watch.

Arsen rolled his eyes.

Ever sat up. “Are you done?”

Arsen nodded. “Yeah, I still have to-”

Ever’s lips were on his, his mouth opening against Arsen’s, tongue running along the seam of his mouth. The stream was still running, but he couldn’t refuse something Ever offered so eagerly. He slid his tongue inside for just the briefest moment, then pulled back.

“We’re on camera, besenok,” Arsen reminded.

Ever was undeterred, unzipping Arsen’s hoodie and sliding his hands across his bare chest, his lips finding Arsen’s neck.

“So turn it off,” Ever said, dipping to kiss Arsen’s collarbone. “You said we could play after your game. You said you’re done. Let’s play.”

Christ.

Even with his headphones sitting on the keyboard, he could hear his friends whistling and cheering. The chat on the side was flying far too fast for Arsen to read it but he was sure it was borderline pornographic. He didn’t even care. His hands were sliding under Ever’s ass, his fingers teasing under his shorts. Fuck it. Arsen gripped him tight and stood, Ever clinging to him like a koala. Arsen didn’t get far. He dropped to the edge of the bed, Ever still in his lap. The camera couldn’t see them, and the mic likely couldn’t pick them up either. But, honestly, Arsen didn’t care. Ever clearly didn’t either.

He was already pushing Arsen’s hoodie off his shoulders, his palms splaying over his chest. As he let his hands roam, his tongue darted out, licking over his lower lip.

He traced the tattoo around Arsen’s nipple. “What does press start mean?”

“Press the button and find out,” he teased.

Ever’s eyes were all pupil as he looked at him, then back down to Arsen’s chest. His fingers dragged over Arsen’s nipples. He groaned, bucking up against Ever so he could feel how hard he already was.

The way Ever’s eyes lit up was everything. He bit his lip, concentrating as he ran his thumbs over the tight peaks, making Arsen shiver.

“Fuck, you’re killing me,” Arsen managed.

Ever smiled, then leaned his weight against him, like he was asking for something. He wanted Arsen to lay down. He complied without thought, liking the way Ever looked on top of him.

Ever hovered over him, then placed an open mouth kiss right in the center of his chest, his tongue darting out to lick at the skin there. Arsen gave a shuddery breath, but held still, letting Ever do what he wanted.

His hands slid down to Arsen’s ribs, but his mouth closed over one nipple, licking over it like a cat, before he scraped over it with his teeth. Arsen hissed, his hands squeezing Ever’s ass and grinding his hips against him. “Where did you learn that?”

Ever looked up, face serious as he said, “Romance novels.”

Then his head dipped once more and he was sucking, then licking, then tugging at Arsen’s nipples with his teeth, until it was Arsen who was coming unglued.

“Is this okay?” Ever asked quietly.

“Whatever you want is okay,” Arsen asked, meaning every word.

When Ever slid off the bed to the floor, Arsen instantly regretted giving Ever free reign. Was he pushing him too far, too fast? Felix and Noah both said Ever was an adult and capable of making his own decisions. This was his decision, right? Who was Arsen to refuse?

When Ever’s hands caught in the waistband of his shorts, Arsen lifted up, letting him slide them off, lifting up on his elbows to look down. He looked down. Big mistake. The sight of Ever,looking up at him with those wide eyes and that perfect face, was too much.

Ever came up on his knees, his hands gripping Arsen’s thigh as he rubbed his face against his cock, then licked a broad stripe along the vein that ran along the underside. Fuck, maybe Ever was part cat. He certainly enjoyed using his tongue.

Arsen gripped the sheets as Ever explored, not taking him in his mouth but kissing his inner thighs, the crease of his leg, running his nose along the dip just above his hip bone. It was fucking maddening.

He closed his eyes, enjoying the sensation even as he cursed it. It took him by surprise when Ever’s mouth closed around him, causing his whole body to tense. There was no hesitation, no timidity.

Ever gripped the base with his hand, bringing his lips down to meet it, sucking hard enough to make Arsen moan. “Did you learn that from romance novels too?” he asked, breathless.

“Mm,” Ever hummed, sending the most delicious vibration along Arsen’s dick.

As Ever worked him over, Arsen decided he would write the biggest thank you note to Barnes & Noble, maybe even to every author in the romance section. Christ. It should be illegal for someone to look so sweet while doing something so goddamn dirty.

Arsen’s fingers threaded through Ever’s hair, but then he stopped. He didn’t want him to feel forced, or rushed, didn’t want to inadvertently bring up any bad memories. He dropped his hand to his thigh. Ever took his wrist and put his hand back on his head without missing a beat.

Fuck.

Still, Arsen tried not to grip him too tight, or work himself too deeply into Ever’s mouth, but it was impossible. Ever was even better than he could have imagined. Even though Ever blamed the novels, part of Arsen feared the real reason Ever had gotten so good at this. And it wasn’t from anything good.

But Arsen didn’t want to think about that. It wasn’t the time. Others might have forced Ever, but he wanted this. He’d initiated this. He wanted to make Arsen feel good and fuck if he wasn’t doing a perfect job. He’d imagined this scenario too many times during too many cold showers.

Ever was better than any fantasy. He ran his tongue along the crown of Arsen’s cock, then licked over the slit.

Arsen’s eyes rolled, behind closed lids. “Oh, fuck. You’re so good. That feels so fucking good.”

As far as dirty talk went, it wasn’t really Arsen’s strong suit, in any language, but as soon as he said it, Ever pulled off, lips spit-slick and parted, chest rising and falling rapidly, that same dazed expression from earlier on his face.“Say it again.”

“That feels so good,” he repeated.

Ever shook his head. “The other part.”

The other part? “You’re doing so well?”

Ever blushed, then looked down, nodding. Did Ever want him to…praise him? Oh, fuck. That’s why he’d gone all gooey when Arsen had said good boy earlier. Arsen’s aching cock was now throbbing. There was nothing Arsen wanted more than to spend the rest of his life telling Ever how amazing he was.

He ran his thumb along his cheek. “You are. You’re perfect. Perfect and so fucking pretty.”

Ever made a tiny sound, then slid his mouth back over Arsen, once more enclosing him in the wet suction of his mouth. He wasn’t sure he could take much more. He sat up, his hands fisting in Ever’s hair, rolling his hips just enough to get the rhythm he needed.

“Oh fuck. That’s it. God, you’re so good. Your mouth feels so fucking good. Just looking at you on your knees for me is gonna make me come.”

Ever whined around his cock, his gaze flicking up to meet Arsen’s. That was it. Two more thrusts and he was coming hard, spilling onto Ever’s tongue, groaning as he swallowed it all. When he was finished, Ever sat back on his knees, looking up at Arsen expectantly.

“Come here, my good boy,” Arsen said, pulling Ever back into his lap. “It’s my turn.”

He peeled Ever’s shirt off, dropping it onto the floor, then burying his face against his neck, kissing the skin there, licking a stripe to his earlobe. “Kiss me. I want to taste myself on your tongue.”

Ever did as Arsen asked, making another high pitched whine when Arsen sucked. He slid his hand into Ever’s shorts, swiping his thumb over the tip. He was already leaking. He used the pre-cum to smooth the slide of his hand on him, but that wasn’t enough. He licked his palm, then returned it. He really needed to start keeping lube in every room in the house.

That didn’t seem to matter. Ever was already fucking into Arsen’s fist, his face buried in his neck. “Don’t hide. I want to watch you.” Ever hesitated, but then sat back. “You don’t have to be shy,” Arsen said.

Ever didn’t look convinced, but a couple more strokes of Arsen’s hand and Ever forgot all about being watched. Seemed to forget about everything but chasing his own pleasure. He tipped his head back, lips parted, eyes closed. He was so fucking beautiful. Arsen could watch him like this forever, could study the way he was falling apart. The way his breaths increased, the half-bitten sounds falling from his lips.

And then he started swearing, “Oh. Oh, fuck. Don’t stop. Please. I’m almost…I’m so close…Oh, fuck. Oh, fuck.”

Arsen had to bite back a smile. Hearing fuck fall from that innocent face was his new favorite drug. Ever’s blunt nails dug at Arsen’s shoulders, leaving tiny half-moon indents in his skin. Would he scratch at Arsen’s back when he was inside him, when he was driving into the tight heat of his body? Fuck, if he could have gotten hard again he would have.

Ever cried out, then he was spilling over Arsen’s fist, pitching forward and sinking his teeth into Arsen’s shoulder. Arsen couldn’t stop the growl that escaped. He’d been too hasty with Ever. He should have taken his time, should have given him more attention than a handjob.

“Will you fuck me next time?” Ever breathed into Arsen’s ear.

Jesus. “Is-Is that what you want?” Ever didn’t look at Arsen just nodded against his throat. “Then yeah. I will.”

“Good,” Ever said, then tacked on. “I’m hungry.”

Maybe he’d finally found a way to get Ever to eat. “Do you want to order food or go to the diner?”

Ever leaned back. “Can we order food from the diner? I’m too tired to move. I feel like my brain melted.”

Arsen reached for his phone to place the order, but realized quickly it was in his room. Which was down the hall. Which meant passing in front of the camera which was still on. He gently set Ever on the bed and pulled his clothes back on, not bothering to zip his hoodie.

He went to the computer to make sure there was nobody on the stream, eyes going wide as he realized they were all still there. Chatting. About him and Ever and what they were doing off camera. Arsen rolled his eyes, disconnecting, before he went back to Ever.

“Let’s go, besenok. You’ll have to look at the menu.”

Ever shook his head, then gave him wide eyes and that over-exaggerated pout. “I can’t walk.”

Arsen snorted. “I’m onto you,” he said, even as he picked him up bridal style, carrying him into their room and tossing him onto the bed. “You won’t be able to get your way just because you pout at me.”

Ever looked disappointed. “I won’t?”

Arsen shook his head. He fell on top of Ever, snagging his wrists and holding them hostage. “Of course, you will. Just try to use your powers for good instead of evil.”

Ever giggled. “Okay. Now, feed me.”