Shadows of Guilt

CHAPTER 07 : STORYTELLING

Shawn was currently wearing his reading eyeglasses and night robe, but what’s more strange was that he was holding a children’s book.

“Is this the story you said?”

Fendice’s eyes landed on the book he’s carrying and realized it was the Little Prince book. It has a colorful cover that would attract children easily but the one Shawn was holding seemed to be neat as if it weren’t touched but was kept.

Fendice kept his phone back in his pocket and walked closer to the man, he eyed the book and casually nodded, “It is, why?”

Shawn didn’t answer but took his hand to pull him towards the couch inside. Fendice was confused but seeing that he was gentle and calm, he silently followed. They sat by the couch, Fendice saw Shawn flip the book to its front page and give it to him.

Fendice was confused, “What is this?”

Shawn leaned close to him, his head leaned by his shoulder as he stare at the adorable illustrations on the pages, “Read it for me.” he said with his soft voice

Hearing it, Fendice can’t help but stare at him in all confusion, “Read this to you?”

Despite his alarming expression, Shawn was calm and didn’t take off his eyes on the illustrations muttering again, “Read it.”

Fendice laughed lightly and turned his eyes back to the book, “What are you? A child?”

           He then felt an arm wrapped around his waist, its warmth covering his lower body that was a bit cold from the outside breeze. Shawn leaned more closely to him, he snuggled intimately to him as if trying to take the coldness out of his body. Fendice felt his movement but didn’t protest.

           “Shawn move a bit away…”

           But Shawn interrupted him, “Back then, I haven’t read or heard any children’s story. My parents wouldn’t read me some bedtime stories… if that’s what you call it. I was occupied with things that when you spoke something like this earlier, I had no idea.” Shawn suddenly uttered, his voice was unhurried and soft as if he’s mumbling under his sleep.

           “I want you to read it for me.” he then said, “This story…read it for me.”

Fendice heard his sleepy voice, muttering words that just fell out of his mouth.

           He thought that Shawn must be having a childhood breakdown. Young masters from this kind of rich and ancient households must have it hard and keep their life in a scholarly manner where they are all required to be so genius and talented, honing their skills and mind that made them skip their life’s wonders. It made Fendice frown, even though his family was a remarkable household in the city as well, their parents weren’t that forceful towards them, they gave them the freedom that made Fendice this way.

           He just exhaled and his eyes landed on the short paragraph at the side of the illustration, “One sunny day, the little prince saw a…”

           Fendice patiently read the book to him, in every word by the colorful pages, he said it with clarity and soon was accompanied by a tone of a mother who was pampering a child. On every page, there would be a small figure of the little prince kneeling by the soil, planting a sapling of the Magnolia tree he wished to see.

           “…after a season of separation from his beloved tree, the little prince came back and saw the big puddle of clear water just below the tree. The water was so clear that when the little prince tasted, it was so bitter that he almost fainted. The End.” Fendice satisfyingly read the last words and closed the book.

           He turned to Shawn, “It’s done.”

           Shawn didn’t sleep and quietly listened but as he listened further, he can’t help but twitch as time goes by. “It ended like that?” he asked

           “Yes, why? Do you want more?” Fendice asked back

           Shawn straightened to stare at him in the eyes, “The story was so poor and, nonsense. How can you understand such plot?” he started with his kind of criticism again.

           Fendice rolled his eyes, “It’s a children’s book so it is written like that.”

           “It should have at least a moral lesson right? Like a message to the reader?” Shawn maybe lacks parental guidance and care but he knew the practical learning when reading something and he expected more of this story.

           Fendice can’t help but frown when his favorite book is being slandered by this person, “It has a moral lesson alright. Like, how to persevere in planting…a tree.” he didn’t dwell much in digging deeper on things that he liked so when he declared that he loved this story, he meant that he liked the simplicity and plainness of the story without any more comprehension to do.

           Shawn just stared at him with a complicated expression and seeing it, Fendice felt irritated. He slammed back the book to him and silently stood.

           “Are you going to sleep?” Shawn asked amused with the man’s irritated expression and as expected, Fendice didn’t answer. He already reached the bed and was about to lie down when he noticed that Shawn remained on the couch, he leisurely leaned on the back seat as he flip another page of the book, eyes focused on the pages. The room was dark and only the side lamp beside the couch illuminated the place and Shawn’s figure was alone, his shadow stretched forward through the darkness of the room.

           Fendice stared at his side-view face, a nose that was perfectly curved high, eyes dark and sharp as the steep below his brows made shadow beneath it. His lips were closed shut and the sharpness of his jaws was under his shadow but overall, it was all magnificent as if he was carved to be different from any other man.

           He knew from the very start that this man was beyond his league that their worlds were completely different. But who would have thought that he’s married to this man, and would have calming moments like this?

           But amidst his adoration, memories flashed by his mind. It was those moments where he suffered under this marriage and this man. He frowned and immediately turned away.

           Who cares if he’s handsome? This Shawn Liu is rotten inside!

           He turned away and had his back face the man, slowly he felt himself succumb to sleepiness as his body and ears adjusted to the warmth and natural noises around the place. He felt light and comfortable and didn’t notice that he had fallen asleep.

           …

           Fendice opened his eyes slowly and immediately saw the lightened room caused by the natural light from the windows and balcony door. Everything became lively now that morning came. His eyes were in a daze as it landed to see the same couch where Shawn was sitting last night but the handsome figure was no longer there. He was just in a daze as he gaze on that spot when he suddenly felt movement beneath him.

           His brows squinted and just happened to see that under him, was a broad chest. His eyes then traveled upward and saw the familiar-looking face sleeping soundly under him, his arms wrapped around him.

Fendice was completely speechless as he realize that he had been lying on this man the entire night! His arms were strangely wrapped tightly around him so does the man with him but Shawn’s other arm that served as his pillow sneaked below and his palm was rested warmly on his skin at his back. Fendice couldn’t move and was completely stupefied.

           He didn’t know whether to push this away or just smack his head hard with something hard but if he does, he’ll be at a disadvantage seeing how he comfortably slept on Shawn’s body. He was in a daze for a moment but decided to get up immediately.

           He was about to get off from the bed quietly, tried to erase some sort of entanglement with Shawn in the morning when he felt pulled back again. His face landed on that broad, hard chest again, and felt arms sneaked beneath his shirt as if some tentacles crawled to drop marks on his skin. His shirt was almost raised upward but Fendice immediately protested.

           “What are you doing?!” he called and tried to get off from him but Shawn rolled and trapped him beneath him.

           Grinning, he leaned close to Fendice’s neck, his nose buried on the crevice between his chin and neck.

His hands still rested beneath the man’s shirt, keeping it warm. “It’s still cold outside, let’s stay in bed for a while,” he muttered

           “Get off Shawn. We still need to join breakfast with your parents.” Fendice isn’t trying to keep his role as the son-in-law but he wanted to be respectful since the old couple were good to him since the start of their marriage. It is just confusing to him that they seemed not to care for their son’s welfare or condition, they didn’t even send greetings or visit for some time after the wedding.

           But the man that wrapped himself around him had no intention of getting up, he just pressed his body on Fendice, making the man make a small struggle against him.

           “You’re so heavy, get off,” Fendice grunted

           “But you smell so nice,” Shawn said as he sniffed his neck towards his ears.

Fendice flinched from the sudden sensation and took his hand to cover his mouth from doing anything further, his palm sealed Shawn’s mouth that was about to take his ears. Shawn’s eyes stared at him with an unreadable expression.

           “Get off,” Fendice said with an authoritative tone but he suddenly felt a wet and slick thing licking his palm. He was startled and tried to withdraw it but Shawn was quick to grab it and still played with his fingers with his tongue. Licking it seductively seeing that Fendice’s eyes were fixated on it.

           Shawn grinned and pulled down his hand towards his pajamas, he took the hand inside but Fendice was beyond speechless and glared at Shawn while trying to free his hand from his tight grip.

           “What the hell are you doing?! Let go!” Fendice already flushed red feeling that the beast hidden on the man’s cloth was hard again.

           “Help me here a bit,” Shawn said, taking out his clutched fingers one by one to hold his beast.

           “You’re quite naughty right off the morning, it’s your fault,” he added

Fendice was intensely glaring at him with his blushed face, their hands were hidden beneath Shawn’s pajamas with shameful movements as the man led his hand to rub his thing up and down. Seeing his reddened face, Shawn leaned closer, inch by inch, until he stopped centimeters away from Fendice’s lips. His hot breath was already touching the other’s skin, making him more embarrassed.

           Shawn then said, “Why do you rub yourself to me when you’re asleep by the way?”

           He teased, “Looks like I should listen more to your body.”

           Fendice almost fumed in anger and wanted to free his hand from his hold but Shawn held it tighter and rubbed it on his thing at a faster speed. Fendice bit his lower lip and tried to ignore the heated friction but Shawn already leaned closer to take his lips.

           His body moved to lean closer to Fendice’s body, kissing him hungrily as he relieve himself using his hand. Fendice was completely cornered and he didn’t know what to do as the rubbing became too fast that almost ignited the fire between his palm and on Shawn’s thing.

           Shawn is almost at their peak and all of a sudden, he grabbed Fendice’s shoulder to turn him to face the other side, his back faced the man. Fendice had not yet recovered from the sudden action when Shawn pulled his pants downward and took his thing by the line between his butt cheeks. He groaned and was released there.

           Making the shameful white liquid travel on the line towards his thighs, the tip of Shawn’s thing poking Fendice’s skin on that very sensitive part.

           Fendice was beyond speechless. From the sudden shoving then this unethical action, he couldn’t grasp how horny this man is!