Nobody But You - 10. Chapter 10

Etienne flipped up the light switch in his room with shaking fingers, still trembling and wet wrapped in the damp towel. He ran it quickly across his arms, legs, and the long pluming tail that wouldn’t go away, doing his best to sop up the rivulets of water that still ran down his body. His long wet hair clung to his naked shoulders, his ears swiveling to and fro atop his head.

The release in the shower seemed to have also released a part of the wolf within him, refusing to be quelled again. His cheeks burned as he remembered what he’d done. Days away from his eighteenth birthday and here he was blushing like a prepubescent pup. Etienne already thought himself a freak, to touch himself in such a way had never appealed to him. He hated his body, inside and out.

Again the Twins intruded on his thoughts, making him warm inside in a wholly different way. Whatever it was they saw in him that he couldn't see in himself, it made him ache with want. Just as Tatsuo had told him that afternoon, they’d never, not once made him feel like a freak. When he was with them, Etienne could barely put two thoughts together as it was.

Behind him he could feel the brush of soft fur brushing the back of his naked thighs. Tail wagging at just the thought of seeing them again.

Ours.

I know this. Ours.

He was growing accustomed to communicating with that primal inner voice, their wants finally falling in line with each other. Leaving his hair loose to fall down his back, he pulled a well worn band tee from the wooden dresser beside his bed, pulling the soft cotton t-shirt over his head. Looking back at his tail once more, Etienne weighed the options in his mind before digging out a pair of worn old skater jeans, the denim legs belling out around the legs. Carefully he tucked his tail into one of the legs before pulling them up and fastening the button at his waist.

To his own eyes, he looked a bit like a delinquent but it would do. Now that just left his ears swiveling about atop his head. He didn’t mind the twins seeing him like this but it wouldn't do for him to just walk down the street like this, he wasn’t ready.

I’m. Going.

Etienne repeated it like a litany in his head, not giving himself a chance to deviate like a coward. No more of that.

Grabbing his phone and an old beanie off the dresser top, he jammed the soft wool down on his head, covering his ears and flipped off the lights to his room. Etienne paused in the entryway, taking the time to pick up the things he’d unceremoniously dumped at the door upon getting home. Was it the natural need to be respectful of your belongings or the ingrained fear that his mother would appear out of nowhere and whoop him hard for leaving such a mess? Who knew?

It was finally sinking in that he could live however he wanted to now. She’d sent him halfway across the country without a second thought. It was time to live for himself.

Pulling his wallet from the pocket of his school pants, and setting his school bags and clothes aside on the small bench set in the entry hall, he pulled on his shoes before heading out, locking the door once more behind him. There was no denying the bounce in his step as he crossed the yard to the sidewalk.

“I should at least send them a text. It did seem like they had some sort of plans. Oh well, worst case, I just turn around and walk home.” Etienne was muttering to himself as he walked.

Pulling out his phone, he pulled up Tatsuya’s number from yesterday,

What are y'all up to? Are ya home?

He hoped that would at least draw forth some kind of answer. It was still very new to him, holding conversations and trying to interpret what someone else was thinking, twins no less.

Fifteen minutes. That’s how long it would take to reach where they lived, maybe shorter now that he was familiar with the route there. Plugging in his earbuds and turning on some rock, he set off in their direction. It was like an unseen thread pulling him inexorably closer. The exercise wouldn’t hurt either. Etienne reminded himself sternly that it was Track which had got him into such a high tier school in the first place, and he had responsibilities.

Making sure he could hear if they texted him back, he paced himself for a good walk. He noticed that it was much the same time as when he’d left out yesterday to see them and what a different feeling that walk had been. Today he cleared his mind of any negativity that might hold him back, admiring how the sun disappearing in the west made the world aglow with orange and reds, a world on fire.

What had felt like an eternity then seemed to pass by in a flash, subconsciously eager to see them again, or scared he’d lose face and turn around...whatever had driven him soon had him standing outside their front door.

C’mon, you walked your ass here now ring the damn bell.

Etienne pushed the bell beside the door, the peaceful chimes echoing over his head. He could hear motion inside, moving to stand just outside the carved wooden double doors. Locks sliding back signaled someone was at the door, and he couldn’t help the nerves that finally began to set in.

The door swung in and Etienne looked up, at 6’5 he’d always felt like a giant everywhere he went. It was very rare indeed when he had to look up to meet someone’s eyes. The man who answered the door was a good three inches taller than him, with long silvery white hair like moonlight that fell clear to his hips. His face looked exactly like the Twins, but sharper and masculinely beautiful. Eyes of warm lavender flashed to the pale cold hue of frozen ice.

“Can I help you?” He had a soft Japanese accent to his English, deceptive of the aura of power he exuded.

Etienne struggled to form words, appearing like a fool before this beautiful dangerous stranger.

“I was wondering if the Twins were home, I’m sorry for just appearing like this.” He bowed his head apologetically, “I tried texting them.”

“Who is it, Love?” A tiny woman with the Twin’s raven violet hair poked her head around the giant of a man, her inquisitive violet eyes taking him in.

“My name is Etienne, Ma’am, I go to school with the twins.” Reflexively he pulled his beanie from his head in the presence of a lady. As the air hit his ears, he realized what he’d done, doing his best to fold them down in an attempt to hide them amid his hair.

“Ahhh! So cute!”, pushing the silvery haired man behind her, she rushed up to Etienne, all 5’5 of her, much like a small dog escaping the house. Reaching up she pet his ears, and Etienne was so shocked that he froze in place, with no idea what to do.

“Moon! Stop! You can’t just go grabbing people’s ears like that.” The man was grasping her about the waist and pulling her back into the house like an errant child. It was then Etienne noticed the black tipped and violet fox ears pinning back at the man.

“I will bite you.”

He leaned in and whispered something in a rush in her ear which she promptly rolled her eyes at.

“Fine.”

Setting her down once more she disappeared back into the house, grumbling under her breath. The man turned back to face Etienne.

“Please excuse my wife,” he gave a small bow of apology, “We are just returning home from Kyoto and she’s...feisty. Come on in. She’s going to get the boys. I’m Hikaru, the twins Dad.”

“N..nice to meet you, Sir.” Etienne tripped over his words and hopefully not his steps as he walked past him to enter the house. As he shut the door once more behind them, Etienne forced a breath into his lungs. The giant had lost a bit of his threatening aura after carrying his tiny wife in a football carry to haul her inside. He could do this.

“Thank you for having me.” He was thankful now that politeness had been ingrained in him from birth.

The old reclaimed plantation house was alive with life and light, a bit different from the day before. The evening news was droning away in the background of the living room, and coats and bags haphazardly thrown onto the long sofa.

He didn’t even know what to do with himself, holding the woolen beanie in his hands he worried the fabric between his nervous fingers. All he could do was look around lostly as the twins dad followed him into the living room, thankfully sitting down on the sofa so he wasn’t hovering so over him.

“They’re coming.”

Etienne nearly jumped out of his skin, the voice came from directly behind him. The little woman was at his waist, and he had a feeling that it was from her they got their light feet. She had come down the stairs and right up behind him and he’d never heard a thing. Her smile all innocence, she walked around the sofa, unceremoniously plopping herself on her husband’s lap.

He’s coming.

Cinnamon filled his senses like with a wave, drawing his attention up the steps, latching onto where Tatsuya stood at the landing.

“Etienne,” he couldn’t stop his grin, “Mom, Dad, I see you’ve met our mate Etienne. We share a lot of classes.”

Hikaru turned a little red, “Fair warning, I couldn’t keep your mom from getting him, sorry.” Turning to Etienne, he smiled graciously. “It’s nice to meet you, feel free to go on up. Be down here if you need anything.”

Letting his feet pull him the rest of the way, he gravitated up to where Tatsuya was waiting for him.

“Sorry about my mom, I love her but she’s nuts.”

“HEARD YOU.” She called over her husband’s shoulders.

Tatsuya grasped his hand in his own, pulling him towards the twins room.

“I’m glad you’re here.” Right Twin whispered roughly over his shoulder.