Penny Picker

Five a Penny.

Warning: Foul language/ Soft smut… enjoy.

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I was still in a state of shock, as I passed through the doors of the tall office building I'd spent years of my life in. "C-can they even really accept me quitting? I mean it didn't come directly from me." I was speaking out loud, asking myself if it was really true, but I got a reply that I'd almost mistaken for my own conscience replying.

"Of course they can." Devi spread his arms as if he was a top the world. "Especially if you don't f*****g go back." He shot me a glare. "Now quite being a p***y and lets get this show on the road." The foul words that came out of his mouth put a sour look on my face.

"S-stop talking to me like that!" I stared at Devi and his joy filled copper eyes, but it was hard to hold steady when they stared back. That fluttering feeling of wonder and discovery came flushing through my body and I wasn't able to control the weak feeling in my knees.

"Look Avi." Devi stooped down to my level forcing me to look into his narrowed bright eyes. "I'm not the kinda guy that likes to, mmm, filter myself just because some b***h can't handle it. Until you throw that penny away like everyone else, I'm tethered to you." His eyes dropped. "... I can either make your life everything you ever wanted Avi, or I can make it a living. f*****g. Hell." Devi's hand grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me close to his copper orbs making it impossible to look away. It made my knees feel like they'd give way at any moment now, my heart raced and my body swelled with uncontrollable emotions. "So what's it going to be?"

I sat on the edge of my bed as I gazed blankly at the wall in front of me. I wasn't sure what I was doing, I felt like my life had spiraled out of my control. Before I'd met Devi my everything was routine, everything was the same and predictable… comfortable. "Hell even running into the same angry people..." Daily, was routine. But the pennies, they always threw me for a loop. I dropped my eyes, scattering my gaze across the floor like I was searching it for answers. Those precious moments, the ones I could ride for days, weeks, even months. "Those pennies are my treasures…" I mumbled to myself, while my gaze wandered up the small light wood dresser in front of me. There it sat, the only penny that kept throwing me, not for a loop, but rather a whirlwind of emotions. A memory that would never leave me in my lifetime.

If it was just like any other usual penny, I would've scrubbed it clean and set it just behind my bed on the headboard under where I rested my head every night. I'd wake up to them, all in a neat row, not being able to help the lovingly gaze I cast upon the most recent twelve pennies. One for each month, because I couldn't set up 365 as beautifully as I could twelve.

I looked back to take a peek at the elegance of the twelve pennies, lined up just right… but I could feel its pull, the one that sat on my dresser, it was pulling my eyes and body to it. The only treasure I hadn't taken care of yet… but it wasn't like the rest. It was something more and keeping it meant keeping around - not just a treasure - but quite possibly a curse as well.

Devi had said he could either make my life all I had ever dreamed of, or a living nightmare. I wasn't about to make my life even more of a hell then it already was… so what was I left with. I pinched the small copper penny from my dresser and rubbed it between my fingers. Feeling all the subtle ridges carved into the small treasure. Something about this little gem made my heart feel more at ease than any of the others had before. I crawled up my bed to pick a random penny from their small cradle and smoothed my finger over it.

Somehow it felt empty and flat in comparison, without a personality. I could feel my heart drop as the beauty of my collection faded and the penny that came with Devi became the most amazing penny I had ever found. I rolled over on my bed to the edge that had my nightstand waiting for me. Pulling open the draw I found my little penny cleaning kit and sat up on the bed with everything in hand. I gave Devi's coin one last hard look, wondering if putting up with the foul mouth fool would be worth it.

My father suddenly popped into my mind, as he would with each penny I had previously found, but something was different this time. It was like I could feel his presence around me, that hard bear hug of warmth wrapping around me. His words of encouragement whispering in my ear, one time after coming home from school when I had been bullied.

"Not everything is going to be easy Avi, it's the struggles that lead us to a happier, stronger place. Once we open ourselves to the possibilities after those dark times. That's when we find our true paths."

My eyes slid open to meet the small gem held within my hands. I couldn't help but smile at the little thing, like a fool in love.

I opened the small cleaning box and started work on the dirty penny. It wouldn't take me long to clean the small item. I poured a small concoction into an empty cup and dropped the penny into it. I set it on my nightstand and watched as all the dirt started lifting from its surface. It was like it was being reborn.

It was then that I caught a glimpse of Devis face peeking out from the bedroom door.

"What are you doing." I stepped into the room.

I sat up looking back at the little cup. "I-I was just… cleaning…" I brought my knees to my chest and picked at the fuzz breaking through the worn blanket layed out on my bed.

"Cleaning?" Devi crossed his arms at me. "You're cleaning a penny?"

I nodded in response. "It-it is mine…" I found it hard to say. I almost felt like I was claiming a piece of Devi himself.

"You're such a f*****g weirdo." I shot him a angry glare as he walked to the bed, throwing himself down and spreading himself across the bottom of the bed. "But… I suppose you could be worse." It was then that he gave me a small genuine smile of happiness, or at least that's what it looked like to me. Something that made my heart skip a beat and a crazy feeling fluttered through my stomach. I felt my face flush as we held eachothers gazes for longer than I had intended.

I cleared my throat and reached over to the small nightstand and swirled the small penny around to make sure it had been in there just long enough. When I was satisfied with the results I took a tissue to dry the penny off with, and then the small orange cloth I kept for the finishing touch.

We were both silent in the small bedroom as I finished polishing Devi's penny when he decided to cut through the calming silence.

"Gawd damnit Avi!" The abrupt interruption almost made me throw the penny across the room. Devi had shot up from the bed. "For f**k, f*****g sakes!" He paced in the bedroom for a while before leaving.

I was left dumbfounded by his outburst, and looked behind me to make sure none of my other pennies had been shaken as much as me. They hadn't been fazed at all, so I decided to just let his dramatic scene go and get back to the finishing touches on the penny in hand.

What happened next I hadn't expected in the least. Devi had come back into the room, jumping on the bed and pinning me down. "Never in all the years I've been attached to that penny, have I ever had someone touch it so damn f*****g much Avi!"

As much as I was taken aback from another one of Devi's over the top acts, I couldn't help but notice the deep red running across his cheeks. It made his copper eyes pop so vividly, but I couldn't help but ask. "Why are you so flushed Devi?" Those copper orbs grew wide with embarrassment.

Devi pushed himself off of me. "You're a f*****g clueless pushover Avi. For f**k f*****g sakes." He breathed heavy still sitting on my legs.

Then somehow something clicked and I tried my hand at trying to prove my theory. I still had the penny in hand and gave it a little rub. It erected a stiff shiver from Devi and his eyes narrowed as he watched me. His cheeks flushing a deeper red. It was then that I knew, every time I had rubbed the small penny it rang through Devi's body in unison. "H-how does it make you f-feel Devi… when… when I do this?" I gave the small gem another soft smooth rub with my thumb, but soon regretted it.

Devi was on top of me once again, his face burning bright red and his dangerous copper eyes glowed with something I hadn't seen in anyone before.

"I-I'm sorry Devi. I just-I've never seen someone act like that." I pleaded with him in hopes that he would remove himself from atop of me.

"You want to know how it feels Avi? It feels like I'm being washed over with soft warm fuzzy f*****g feelings. Ones that just take me over and-" He stopped there, with a look like he wasn't sure if he should continue his rant. "J-just stop doing that… unless you want me to ravish you with those f*****g feelings." He rolled himself off of me laying silently beside me.

I could feel the warmth in my cheeks. I wasn't that dumb that I didn't know what he meant, but I couldn't help but look down in awe at the small penny. It was truly attached to Devi and this whole mess that's happened since he's been here wasn't just some crazy dream.

I sat up and looked over to Devi, who was avoiding eye contact with me. "I'm going to take a shower. D-don't you dare touch my pennies." With that said I got a side glance from Devi like I was some kind of nut.

"Whatever. I'm going to sleep." Devi rolled over and became silent again.

Even though my new penny had some special features to it. I still wanted to put it with the other gems I had collected. I quickly moved the twelves pennies around to fit the new one in on the first cradle it shone just a little more than I had seen the others and it brought ease to my heart. Devi still hadn't moved while I rearranged my obsession and it didn't bother me too much, but when I reached over him to put the odd penny out into the large jar at the end. I came close to his smooth copper hair, it looked soft. I had to catch myself before my fingers entangled themselves into his locks.

I quickly got off the bed and gathered my clothes to change into after the shower. While I hustled my way into the bland bathroom and shut the door. I found myself thinking about my actions. How come I hadn't been more persistent to get the strange man out of my house.

I turned the knobs and gauged the temperature of the water, when it was finally to where I liked it I pulled the lever to make the shower start. I debated the reasoning for my actions. Was it because he'd saved me from the beating of my life time? I couldn't lie and say I didn't owe him my life. I wasn't sure what would've happened if Devi hadn't saved me… then again I wouldn't of been in that situation if his voice hadn't of called me to that place.

I undressed myself and jumped into the warm water, letting it wash over me. Something about being in the water made me feel like I didn't have to think. I lathered the soap on my body but as I did, Devi's glinting copper eyes popped into my head. The way he stared at me after I'd rubbed the small coin, his flush red face… it started to stir something inside of me.

If I had ever wanted those pennies to turn into someone, Devi was the exact person I would've imagined. I had to steady myself with a hand on the showers wall, my body was becoming hot under the warm water and I felt the rise of desire overcome me. I had become hard and it was that copper haired, copper eyed man that was doing it to me.

As I imagined him in front of me, I wondered how his body would feel pressed against mine. The sensation grew as I started to stroke myself. I thought about the way he would touch me, and how Devi would look at me with those bright copper eyes. How he would smile at me in pleasure, would I see that sweet smile again?

Then I started to imagine the kind of things he would whisper into my ear, how his breath would feel on my ear as he spoke… I couldn't help but laugh.

"What the hell am I doing? Thinking about that foul mouthed lunatic?" I gave up after that. It wasn't like he was going to whisper sweet nothings into my ear. Devi didn't strike me as the kinda person that had that type of vocabulary.

I finished washing myself and turned the water off, shutting down my crazy fantasy. Drying my body I sat at the edge of the tub. "What should I do about him?" I thought aloud. Was I really going to let him stay here… was I really going to keep that penny?

As he'd said… Devi was just waiting for me to throw the penny away just like so many others. The only thing was… that little treasure wasn't just something I could just throw away. It was part of the one thing that stayed constant in my miserable plain life. They were the only things that brought me happiness… and maybe… "Maybe that's why Devi's here." I looked on at the closed bathroom door as I imagined how Devi could make my life a happier one. If he could make my life a living hell as he wished, could he really make it a joy filled one if he wanted to?

My mind was buzzing with possibilities of what might come, I shook my head and finished up in the bathroom. Stepping out, the brush of cool air made me feel refreshed.

Devi hadn't moved from his spot, I c****d my head wondering if he'd really fallen asleep already. I walked over pulling a blanket out from underneath the bed and covering his unmoving body. I couldn't help my curiosity pulling me to Devi, I walked over to see if his eyes were really closed.

He was resting peacefully, I was taken aback from how beautiful he looked sleeping soundly. I crept away from him slowly, not wanting to disturb him. I turned to flick the light off and made my way through the rest of the small apartment. Closing the windows and double checking the front door, making sure it was locked. I then found myself waiting in the doorway of my bedroom. I wasn't sure if I should crawl into bed with Devi or take up the couch for the night. I was feeling the exhaustion of the day taking hold of me and I knew if I slept on the couch it would only be worse in the morning.

"What's the worst that could happen?" I said to myself as I made my way to the other side of the bed, I got under the worn blanket Devi was on top of and got comfortable. It wasn't soon after that my eyes felt heavy and I was off to dreamland.