Sunday mornings always felt different when you were trapped between a rock and a dangerously hot psychopath.
That's what I realized, lying next to Celestia that morning, the soft sound of her breathing the only thing breaking the quiet. Her head was on my chest, fingers idly tracing lines on my stomach.
(She stayed for the weekend, the whole weekend. Couldn't stop her.)
It's funny how something as simple as the absence of a ticking clock can make your heart race. She was warm. She smelled like vanilla and stubbornness, and I was terrified of what she'd do if I moved even an inch.
"Morning," she murmured, eyes still closed. "I think I'm better now."
"Uh-huh," I said, still not quite believing her. "Sure you are."
She smiled against my chest, like she knew exactly what I was thinking. Her hand moved lower, then higher again, brushing lightly over the collar of my T-shirt.
"I want to talk about the future," she said suddenly.
I froze. "What?"
"The future." She looked up at me, eyes burning with that soft, dangerous intensity. "You and me. How things are going to be from now on. How perfect it's going to be."
I swallowed hard. "Celestia, you're... sick. I think we should—"
"Don't worry," she said, cutting me off with that sweet, honeyed voice. "You're the first guy I've ever wanted to... keep around."
I stared, unsure of whether I should laugh or run.
"I'm serious." She leaned up, her lips brushing against my ear. "I don't just do this. I don't give my attention to just anyone. You should be honored."
"Honor, huh?" I blinked, forcing my heart back into its chest. "And what does that mean exactly?"
She pulled away slightly, eyes glimmering like she was playing a game that only she knew the rules to. "It means, if we're talking future... then we should start thinking about us. About how this works."
"Works? Like how?" I managed to ask, though my brain felt a few steps behind.
"Like what kind of boyfriend you're going to be. What kind of life we'll have together."
I winced. "We're dating. Can't we just... figure it out as we go?"
Celestia didn't smile. She didn't even blink. "No. I'm already thinking ahead."
Before I could respond, my phone buzzed. I glanced at it and saw a text from Marina.
"'On my way over,'" I muttered.
Great. Just what I needed.
I didn't know whether to invite her in or pretend I didn't see the message.
Celestia rolled off me, getting up with surprising agility for someone who was 'sick.' She smiled like she knew exactly what she was doing.
"Don't worry, Kai," she said, her voice low and teasing. "I'll make her real comfortable."
I turned to look at her. "Wait, what—"
She kissed me on the cheek before walking off to the kitchen like she owned the place. "You'll see."
I was about to argue when the doorbell rang.
---
Marina stepped into my place a few minutes later, looking casual, like it was any other day. But there was something in her eyes I hadn't seen before.
A little too much familiarity. A little too much understanding.
She looked me up and down, her eyes lingering a bit longer than usual. "You're alive. And, uh, still wearing that hoodie?"
I looked down at my T-shirt and sweatpants combo, realizing just how stupid it must've looked to her. She didn't call me out on it, though. She just laughed.
"So," she said, crossing her arms. "I heard you were taking care of Celestia."
"She's… getting better," I mumbled, shifting awkwardly.
Marina raised an eyebrow, giving Celestia a look from across the room. "I see."
"Would you like something to drink?" I asked, trying to break the tension.
"No thanks," Marina said, still keeping her gaze fixed on Celestia, who was stirring something in the kitchen, her back turned.
"You can make yourself at home, Marina," Celestia called over her shoulder. "I've got it all handled here."
I saw Marina's lips press into a thin line, but she laughed it off. "Oh, I'm sure you do."
I took a deep breath, glancing between the two of them. This was going to get messy. It always did when Celestia was involved.
---
Celestia, like the master manipulator she was, didn't stop there. She threw herself into the conversation, making herself the center of attention without anyone really noticing. When Marina spoke, Celestia was quick with a joke. When Marina laughed, Celestia laughed louder.
And yet, as they both sat across from me at my tiny kitchen table, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was something in the air that was about to explode.
"I didn't realize Kai could be so... helpless with his health," Celestia said, her eyes dark as she turned to me.
I frowned. "What?"
"Oh, you know," she smiled sweetly, almost too sweetly. "You've been such a good boy taking care of me."
I couldn't tell if she was playing me or trying to piss Marina off on purpose.
I saw Marina flinch, though she hid it behind a sip of water. "Well, I'm sure you took care of him too, huh?"
Celestia's lips curled. "Oh, I certainly did."
There it was. That teasing, almost smug tone, like she knew exactly what she was doing. I didn't know if it was intentional or if she was just being her usual unhinged self, but I saw Marina's jaw tighten.
I sat back. "Can we just eat without anyone trying to kill each other?"
"I'm not trying to kill anyone," Celestia said with that look. You know, the one that said she was definitely trying to kill someone.
Marina put her glass down a little too hard, but smiled anyway, eyes flicking toward me with a subtle gleam of something I couldn't quite place. "Of course not."
---
After breakfast, we settled into that uncomfortable silence, the one that was thick with unspoken words.
Marina's been like a best friend for as long as I can remember — hell, I'd probably call her a brother if she weren't, you know, a girl. But today… I dunno. She kept acting weird. Not bad weird, just... off. Like she was smiling too much but not really smiling at all.
When Marina stood up to leave, she looked at me one last time. "Take care of yourself, Kai."
I thought I saw something in her eyes then, something raw and unspoken. But before I could even respond, Celestia was there.
> "I'm sure he will. I'll make sure of it."
Marina glanced at Celestia, her smile tight. "I'm sure you will."
I could feel the weight of their words hanging in the air like a storm cloud.
As soon as Marina left, Celestia turned to me, her face hardening with that familiar intensity.
And that's when I realized — I was trapped in her web.
And I had no idea how to escape.