A Scripta

Grim opened the door to the magic room and jerked back in shock. Leaning against the wall outside was Dmitrius, looking nonchalant in a simple t-shirt and black jeans. He slowly but gracefully moved off the wall and stood straight.

"What do you want," Grim snarled.

"We need to talk."

"Like we did the last time?" Grim fingered the dagger at his belt.

"Like civilized men."

"Civilized men also duel with pistols at ten paces."

He smiled slightly. "I'm sure that can be arranged."

Grim crossed his arms. "So go ahead and talk."

"Why did you bring me back? Why did you do this to me? And don't say that it's because you love him, because if you did, you really wouldn't be acting like this."

"How do you know? How long has it been since you've loved someone?"

"A long time, but I still know the feeling."

"Because I gave it back to you."

Dmitrius inclined his head. "Yes, you did, and I appreciate that, which is why I haven't killed you by now."

"That's good to know," Grim muttered.

"Answer the question."

Grim glared at Dmitrius. "I wanted him to love me again."

Dmitrius looked confused. "He loves you like a brother, a comrade in arms. He told me he always has."

Grim said quietly, "I wanted more. I wanted a soulmate. But he was taken."

"Did you want him happy? Or you?"

"What do you think?"

"Tell me."

Grim looked angrily at him. "Yeah, I wanted to be happy."

"So it has nothing to do with loving Kalius, but only making yourself happy."

"Not nothing!"

"Then honestly tell me you're happy for him, because if you cared for his feelings, you'd know this is what he's always wanted."

Grim started walking away, but Dmitrius moved fast, putting an arm in front of him to stop him. "I won't let you walk away. I will stay here until the dawn if I have to."

Grim stared at the arm in his way. It didn't even look like an arm - it looked like a statue of alabaster. They stood there for what seemed like a long time, Dmitirus not wavering, staring Grim down. Finally, Grim leaned back against the wall, sighed, and put his head back. "I hate you."

Dmitrius waited.

"I hate what you have, the devotion."

"You have it also with your angel."

He snorted. "Where?"

Dmitrius took his arm down. "You remind me of a child, when someone hides his favorite toy, the child thinks the toy's disappeared forever, and immediately finds another favorite toy. When the first favorite toy appears, the second is cast aside until it's disappeared again. You can't remember, and treasure, and trust the first toy to come back."

"Maybe I have abandonment issues," Grim said angrily, "and I abandon them before they abandon me."

"Because you don't trust anyone."

Grim looked at him. "I trust some people."

"Not Kalius."

"He was devoted to you!"

"So you can trust him with your life, but not with your heart?" When Grim turned away, Dmitrius followed him to keep him in sight. "Is that why you broke up with him, because you felt you couldn't trust his love?"

"Since when are you my counselor? Leave me alone and go back to the grave you crawled out of." He started to leave again, but Dmitrius grabbed him by the collar and held him fast. Grim pulled out his knife, tried to turn and slash him. Dmitrius hit Grim's hand at the wrist and knocked the blade out of it, sending it skidding under one of the chairs.

"You haven't answered my questions."

"I don't answer to you!"

"I will hold you here until you do."

He struggled, and then resigned himself.  "Okay, I wanted to have Kalius as a lover. And Stefan. And Ryder. And anyone else I wanted."

"You do understand that Kalius is not the sharing type." Dmitrius let him go.

"I hoped to change his mind."

"You might as well try to alter the course of an avalanche. Once he has his mind made up, he doesn't change it."

Grim glared.  "I can't change it now."

"No, you can't. So that's all you wanted? Notches on the bedpost?"

"I told you I wanted a soulmate."

Dmitrius shook his head. "You wanted your favorite toy back."

"You know what? Fuck you." Grim ducked under the chair and retrieved his knife. When he turned back to Dmitrius, he was gone.