Page 47 of Broken Obsession

“Why are you looking at me like that all of a sudden?” Eden’s voice dropped low, the first hint of fear there.

But it wasn’t the only thing. There was something else mixed in with it. Something that sounded an awful lot like anticipation.

“You’re hornier than I imagined you’d be,” Ares confessed. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“Fuck off.” The distance came then, though he’d been expecting it. Eden swatted his hand away and then twisted around and climbed into the car with a pinched expression on his face.

“Are you sulking?” Why was that so adorable? Ares laughed and closed the door before Eden could retaliate with what was no doubt going to be a snarky remark, and rounded the car to the driver's side. The cleanup crew would be here any minute, and he didn’t want to waste energy talking with them. “Seat belt.”

“Sure thing, Dad.” He yanked the belt harder than he needed to in a display of absolute brattiness that had Ares thinking of all the ways he could reprimand him.

Later.

“Not my kink,” Ares said, switching the car on and slamming on the gas so the vehicle whipped out onto the street. He didn’t bother slowing, speeding up instead, zipping down the quiet side streets until he’d made it to the highway.

“What about my bike?” Eden asked.

“Ditch it. I’ll get you a new one.”

“No way.”

“It’s stupid to lug that thing across the planet.” He was thinking logically. If Illya were here, if this were his reality instead, he’d probably use emotion. Ares cleared his throat and tried again. “Does it hold some sort of sentimental value to you?”

Eden considered that and eventually gave a curt shake of his head, but he didn’t seem nearly as irritated as he’d been a moment prior, so the new approach must have been a good one.

What next?

In Nyoka’s reality, he’d already be blasting music. Something loud and with a beat. Lyrics he could belt out. Suggestive ones, most likely. Eden was too musically inclined for Ares to take a risk like that, however.

Ryker would fill the silence by scolding Eden for coming out in such a thin coat, and on a piece of junk that left the rider in open air.

Ares didn’t want to rile him up again, so that was also a no go.

Zar…would crash the car just to see if either of them could survive.

Big nope.

Ellery—

“Where are we going?” Eden asked, putting an end to Ares’ internal flip through of possible realities.

“Your place.”

“So that you can finally fuck me?”

Ares hit the gas before catching himself, causing them to jerk in their seats.

“Careful,” Eden growled. “Are you trying to kill us? What are you so surprised about anyway? You’re the one who brought it up.”

Had he?

Did he mean that comment about being horny?

“You’re too direct,” Ares explained. “Ransom is flirtatious and suggestive.”

“How many times do I have to tell you? I’m not him. If that disappoints you—”

“It doesn’t.” It really didn’t. “The whole reason I started playing Vanity was because of its use of Usurn mythology. You’re a lot more like what Starling was described as in the few stories we still have of him.”