Fan Fiction ❯ Shadowed hearts. ❯ The Begining of the End ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1: The beginning of the end

Holden is asleep, his head on Sloane's shoulder. Sloane slowly cups the younger boy's face in his hand. Sloane softly murmurs, "Gorgeous." What would the world be like without him? It'd be empty and pointless.Without thinking, Sloane tilts Holden's head up and kisses him on the lips. Holden's eyes slowly open and when he sees Sloane's face, he parts his lips and kisses him back, his tongue softly probing into his mouth. Sloane massages his tongue softly, before pulling back and whispering, "I love you, Holden." Holden smiles and kisses him again, then whispers against his lips, "I know you do. I love you too." Sloane notices something in Holden's eyes. Whatever thoughts cross his mind are brushed away when Holden takes his hand and leads him into their bedroom.

****

He doesn't love me. I see it every time he tells me he does. It's in his eyes. Please, gods don't let him leave me. I need him to survive. Who would I be if I didn't know him? I love him. He still loves Vincent though, even though Vincent was the one who made me what I am now. Even though he's dead. Dead and still he haunts his dreams. Why can't he just love me? I'm petrified that he'll leave. That he'll go back to the harpies. Or go back to Dominick. I know he's going to leave in the end.

****

Dominick watches through the window, seeing how close they are, how Sloane loves Holden. He knows Holden's secret. He is Holden's secret. He turns his back and walks down the street, wishing that he could just tell him.

****

The phone rings, waking Sloane up. He reaches over Holden and picks up the phone, pressing the answer button before he puts it to his ear. "Hello?" Sloane says, groggy from sleeping. "Sloane, can you please come meet me. I need to talk to you." Comes the reply from the other end. "Dominick? Is that you?" Sloane murmurs sleepily, "Yes. I need to speak to you. I wouldn't have called if I didn't." "Fine, where?" Sloane writes down name of an all night restaurant. "I'll be there in half an hour." He mumbles, before hanging up the phone. He kisses Holden's forehead softly, before getting out of bed and pulling on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

****

Dominick watches as Sloane walks in, and beckons him over to him. "You've fed already, haven't you?" He asks softly. Sloane nods, scowling slightly. "What do you want?" He asks softly. "I need to tell you something. I couldn't tell you over the phone, incase Holden heard. It'd break his heart to know." Sloane blinks and looks at Dominick and glares softly. "Tell me now, please." "Ok… this is a bit of a story. You know what happened when Holden went to the harpies? How he turned into Yoshiki?" Sloane nods his head slightly, distressed by thoughts. "Though, I never did find out why you left, or why he turned back into Holden." Sloane says softly. "That I can explain. And I intend to." Dominick sighs softly. "I left because Yoshiki scared me. Even though he was still Holden, I couldn't love him. And it hurt. I had to go. I left and from then on I've wandered, trying to find some way to fix all the things I did wrong. I saw Holden a few weeks ago. He told me what happened. After I left, he prayed to the harpy goddess, Mana, to turn him back into Holden. She granted his wish, it seems. He's Holden again. But he's also Yoshiki still. He loves you, but he also loves me…" Dominick trails off and sighs softly, the pain in the sound heart wrenching.

"What is it?" Sloane asks softly. "I don't love him. Not like he loves me, atleast. He doesn't know it though. I have to tell him eventually…. I want to just be friends with him. And I want to get to know you better. I want us to become friends." And more, if we can. Sloane nods his head softly. "I understand. I don't think what's there between him and myself will last much longer. He doesn't love me the way I love him, I was only ever a replacement for you… and Vincent…." Tears stream down Sloane's face; a small choked sob escapes from his throat. Dominick moves around the table and wraps his arms around Sloane's shoulders and strokes his hair softly, trying to calm him, letting him cry on his shoulder. "You weren't a replacement for me… I was just a replacement for Vincent. He loves him still. It's as if he's here still, atleast for him." Dominick comforts him for a few more minutes, until the tears have stopped coming. He leaves the money for his food on the table and takes Sloane by the arm and walks him out of the restaurant.