The Canary Cowards

by Jescie Hall

She bent. Molded herself into whatever she had to be for us to succeed. She wouldn't have it any other way.

She gave me a taste, and now I need to swallow her whole.

I'd say they were my new bad habit, but there's nothing bad about it. Kissing Dylan is nothing but good.

Me, Lake Decker, in pending.

But it's you, D, that's got me hooked.

“Kiss me,” I whisper.

“I'm going crazy, D,” I whisper. I cup the side of her face with one hand and lean up to close the space between us.

He's slowly pulling me back down into his deep waters, making my ability to breathe nonexistent.

I wanted to kiss him. I've never had the urge, the disgusting need to kiss someone so badly in all my life, and that infuriates me.

Life can be so hard for Colin. Moments like this I treasure. Moments where he's enjoying his life to the fullest. Where his smile is so wide, I fear his face will tear. This is what he deserves. To be embraced for who he is. Loved entirely. All the good, all the bad.

He's grabbing her arms. Nope. No. Fuck no.

“You stay the fuck away from her,” I spit out, my knuckles white from my hold on his sweater.

There's nothing that's not amazing about her, even with her secrets.

“What about the thong?” “What?!” I shriek in horror. “What thong?!” “Thong?!” Colin says loudly behind me, and I cringe.

“I did that.” Colin's voice rings out proudly. “Thongs are disgusting. Bacteria trapping strips. Unhealthy. Really unhealthy.” I turn my glare to Colin, my lips rolling in on themselves. “Oh,” Samson says, finally understanding the conversation, tipping his head to the side. “Yeah, they are kind of gross now that I think about it. You wear those, Pickle?” Where's my fucking avalanche?

“She does if I don't hide them first,” Colin answers. “I-I read that they’re unhealthy. Unhealthy. They smear feces into the vag—” “Alright! Alright!” I interrupt him, yelling out. “Enough with the hatred of thongs!”

Lake's face is lighting up with humor, watchin...

She just became the most interesting person to me. One of the most respectable. Most admirable.

She can deny it all she wants, but I know for a fact I make her world shift, too.

He's in my bubble again. He has no concept of what a client/patient bubble is. Shit, I guess the moment I sat on his cock I lost that concept, too.

“I-I'm definitely not ashamed of Colin. I'd never be. He's more normal to me than most people I meet.”

“He's my best friend. My older brother, who I've always looked up to.” I fight back the emotion. “It's always been us.”

She's so fucking incredible it almost hurts.

“He did really love me, but not all of me. All of me included Colin, and he hated that side.

My nostrils flare as I peer over at Colin's door. I've known him for all of a day and already own this strange form of protection over both of them. To see anyone take advantage of these two after what they've been through—well, let's just say Eric is lucky I'm only hearing of this now. Teeth would have been scattered all around the Special Olympics. Limbs too.

I will find him. I will torture and kill this man for what he did to Dylan and Colin. He took the world they fought so hard to protect and fucking ripped it apart for his own selfish reasons. Because he couldn't stand to be second in their world.

That I could never be worthy of being someone's girlfriend or wife because I'd never give anyone enough attention, enough of me. That I was somehow stained because of him. Ruined.”

“No, you are worthy of so much more. Because of Colin. Because of what you do for him. Your selflessness, your sacrifice.”

“You deserve to have someone who realizes how amazing you are for your endless love and protection of him, not downgrade you because of that.”

“I think I've just realized over the years that we're better off in our little world together. I don't want to have to explain to anyone what Colin means to me or need to prove why I do it. I don't want to convince someone to understand.” “You don't have to,” I say confidently, my hand finding hers again, forcing her to turn to face me. “Because I'm already here. I already understand.”

“I can't stop being here,” I say unapologetically. “I won't stop seeing you.”

“I'll take you any way I can get you, Dylan, for however long it takes, even if that means we have to keep it discreet.”

“But what I won't do is let you go.”

“And that’s on rainbow.”

He knew how to fix me by doing nothing at all. He listened. Absorbing every wound of my past as they all opened and bled before him.

It’s Flake.

“Missed ya, Chief,” he says with that sexy smirk. What is breathing?

Fuck, I missed her.

“I'm a snake charmer, Lake. It's my cross to bear.”

“I can't stop thinking about you,” I blurt out in all seriousness, staring into her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, intoxicating me with their unyielding strength.

“You told me one night with you wouldn't be enough, and it's not. It's not even close to enough. I need more.”

“I'm your therapist, Lake,” she whispers against my shaft, her tongue licking around the crown. “So you can't touch me.” She closes her hand around me, stroking my length a few times. “But I can touch you anywhere I want.”

“I'm going to touch you, Dylan.” My voice comes out hoarse and ruthless. “Because I have to.” I gently tug on the braids, turning her face towards me. “And you're going to finish me off.” I pull the braids, turning her mouth to my cock again. “Because you want to.”

Lake: Where's my girl?

Dylan has changed me. Gotten in my head. I’m a man who’s falling for someone I can’t have, and realizing that is a torment all its own.

That chin’s gotta stay up, babe.

“You can tell me these things. I want to learn more. I want to know more about you and him and what your life looks like from the inside.”

“I came to see my girl.”

“Don't say stuff you don't mean.” My brows lower, and I frown. “I mean it, D,” I whisper, my voice husky as I look at her lips and back before licking my own. “You're my girl.”

“Jesus, fuck,” I murmur, then remember I still need to get up off the floor. She shrugs lightly, and I hate her modesty.