Chapter Two-hundred Nine: Fairies in the Garden

Chapter 209

Fairies in the Garden

Tristan was in his bedroom after work. He lay on his couch smoking and reading a book. Someone knocked on his door.

Tristan: “It’s open.”

He said, and he inhaled a drag. Lazaros stepped in, looking frantic.

Lazaros: “TRISTAN! It’s urgent! YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!”

He cried. Tristan raised an eyebrow. He slid a bookmark in his book and closed it over.

Tristan: “What is it now, Lazaros? Did your VCR break because you played one of your Ashley eating videos repeatedly?”

He asked with exasperation.

Lazaros: “That did happen, but it’s nothing a new VCR can’t fix! This is WORSE!”

He flapped his arms.

Lazaros showed him a flyer for Dessert Ranch.

Lazaros: “I can’t even look at this.”

He sobbed. Tristan took the flyer and examined it.

Tristan: “A new ice cream shop is opening up. What about it?”

Lazaros wept.

Lazaros: “Ashley wants to work there! They don’t NEED to! We’re not financially strapped!”

He stomped his feet. Tristan sighed.

Tristan: “Then maybe they just want a change of atmosphere. What’s the big deal, Lazaros?”

He asked with a twinge of annoyance.

Lazaros: “I don’t want them away from me or eating others’ food!”

He snapped.

Tristan: “Well, Lazaros, your partner is their own person and should have their own life outside of you.”

He said wryly.

Lazaros: “How can anyone think outside of the great masterchef?!”

He whined.

Tristan: “Oh, you got me there.”

He said dryly. Lazaros beamed.

He sighed and shifted in his seat.

Lazaros: “And with your super genius skills, you can convince them not to work there and spend it all with me!”

Tristan drew a rough breath.

Tristan: “Lazaros, Ashley spent some time with Blair and left you out of the blue to be with Blair for a brief stint.”

He glared at him. He cupped his mouth as he bore his gaze on him.

Tristan: “You never came to me once. You never came to me at all to figure out why they just… suddenly decided to enter a relationship with Blair, but here you are when they want to work and have a life outside of you.”

He gesticulated to him.

Lazaros: “I was too depressed to do anything. I stayed home and watched videos of Ashley eating, and then you solved the case, as you always do!”

He beamed. Tristan gaped disbelievingly at Lazaros.

Lazaros: “I can always rely on you and Deimos to fix my problems!”

He extended his hand out to Tristan.

Tristan: “That’s good, you have us around. Where would the great masterchef be without our expertise?”

He asked dryly.

Lazaros: “Still watching those videos!”

He nodded.

Tristan: “I bet. I’m not helping you with your ‘quandary.’ ”

He said tersely. Lazaros’ jaw dropped.

Lazaros: “May I ask why not?!”

Tristan: “Because it’s not a quandary. Ashley wants to work at a silly little ice cream shop. The sun doesn’t always rise and shine on you.”

He said dryly.

Lazaros heaved a deep sigh and reached into his pocket.

Lazaros: “I didn’t want to do this, but you have my full permission to do whatever you want to Ashley’s tummy.”

He handed him a coupon. Tristan gaped at Lazaros. He then narrowed his eyes.

Tristan: “Lazaros, I’m a busy man. Show yourself out.”

He said coldly. Lazaros’ jaw dropped.

Lazaros: “BUT I GAVE YOU THIS COUPON!! WHY AREN’T YOU HELPING ME?!”

He cried and stomped his feet. Tristan drew a long breath. He shoved his cigarette in his ashtray and rose.

Tristan: “Because I don’t want to, Lazaros! They’re likely working at this place to get away from you!”

He snapped. Lazaros drew back, and his bottom lip trembled. He stormed out of his bedroom, crying. Tristan heaved a deep sigh and hung his head.

~

Lazaros dragged his feet up the steps of his house and crashed onto the loveseat on the patio. Ashley was in the garden, tending the spring flowers, when they saw Lazaros slink onto the loveseat.

Ashley: “Lazaros?”

They knit their eyebrows and rose, approaching him.

Lazaros: “Oh, nothing! Just WHY do you hate me?!”

He bawled. Ashley recoiled at his question.

Ashley: “Hate you? I don’t hate you? I love you!”

They cried.

Lazaros: “Then, why are you working at that ice cream place?!”

He removed his glasses as he sobbed.

Ashley: “Because I want to! It looks fun!”

They declared.

Deimos went up the steps.

Deimos: “Lazaros, I need you to do the gore makeup for me.”

He said tersely.

Lazaros: “IT CAN WAIT! You have to convince Ashley not to work at that ice cream place!”

He bawled.

Deimos: “Lazaros, Tristan works at his job, and I don’t cry about it.”

He rolled his eyes.

Lazaros: “Yes, but Tristan is a super smart genius!”

He sobbed. Ashley paused and tilted their head.

Deimos: “That’s true. Now do my gore makeup.”

He removed his shirt.

Ashley: “Uhh, what’s that supposed to mean?”

They asked.

Ashley: “And why do you need gore makeup?”

Deimos: “Oh, because Tristan is intelligent. As for the gore makeup, it’s for a movie.”

He nodded and pursed his lips.

Ashley: “...What’s that got to do with working a job? Are you saying I’m dumb? Craig isn’t smart, and he has a job!”

They knit their eyebrows and scratched their head.

Lazaros: “Well, you’re not super smart like Tristan!”

He huffed.

Ashley: “Well, no, and neither are you guys, but you work jobs!”

They ran their finger through their hair and laughed. Deimos raised an eyebrow at Ashley.

Ashley: “I don’t need to be a genius like Tristan to wear a cute costume and serve yummy foods!”

They added. Deimos scoffed.

Deimos: “Lazaros works jobs.”

He muttered.

Ashley: “Oh, you don’t have a job? What do you do then?”

They tilted their head and asked Deimos.

Deimos: “I’m working on it!”

He snapped.

Lazaros: “I’m a masterchef!”

He smiled.

Tristan walked down the street with Oliver on his leash.

Lazaros: “Oh, Tristan came around! Tristan, tell them not to work, and this is yours!”

He rushed down the stairs and thrust the coupon at him. Ashley tilted their head.

Tristan: “I didn’t ‘come around’. I came to walk Oliver. I am not taking your coupon!”

He hissed.

Deimos: “Coupon?”

His right eye twitched.

Lazaros: “Yes, Deimos! Tristan wasn’t listening to me, so I gave him a coupon that he is free to do WHATEVER he wants to Ashley’s tummy if he can use his intellect to convince them not to work!”

He grinned. Ashley’s heart sank, and they gaped at Lazaros.

Ashley: “Wh-What?! B-But it’s my tummy and not yours to say what to do with! I want YOU to do whatever you want to my tummy!”

They cried at Lazaros.

Ashley: “And you can’t make me not dress up like a cute cat and serve ice cream! Y-You’re being like Blair telling me what to do!”

They cried with hurt in their voice.

Lazaros: “Actually, I can use this coupon for Tristan if he can use his intellect to convince you not to work!”

He cried. Deimos clenched his fists as his fury soared.

Ashley: “What about what I want and how I feel?! Stop being a Blair!”

They cried with hurt in their tone.

Lazaros: “I AM NOT LIKE HIM!!”

Tristan folded his arms.

Tristan: “Lazaros, during the time Blair blackmailed Ashley and had them at his mansion, you never came to me ONCE. You never came to me at all to ‘use my intellect’ to reason with Blair. But you came to me today to get me to convince Ashley not to work at a silly ice cream place.”

He said coldly.

Deimos: “He’s got you there, Lazaros.”

Ashley’s heart sank, and their hurt grew more.

Ashley: “YOU BLUE JERK!”

They cried at Lazaros.

Ashley: “I’m going to go work at the silly ice cream place whether you like it or not, BLAIR!”

They bawled and ran off inside to apply.

Lazaros: “SO MUCH FOR YOUR NEGOTIATION SKILLS!”

He screamed at Tristan. Tristan raised an eyebrow.

Tristan: “I’ll say. My negotiation skills are what wrenched Ashley from Blair at all since you weren’t doing anything.”

He said coolly.

Celeste landed on her feet in front of Tristan, Deimos, and Lazaros. She wore a white Guns ‘n Roses tank top, denim shorts, fishnets, and black ankle strap boots.

Celeste: “I’ve seen mutilated bodies, and that is the shittiest makeup job I’ve seen!”

She pointed to Deimos’ torso.

Deimos: “He didn’t do anything. He’s crying about Ashley working at some ice cream place.”

Celeste: “Lazaros always cries, though.”

Lazaros: “Yeah, well, Ashley hates me now!”

He sobbed.

Celeste: “So how are we gonna get to that Ichiro body double now?”

Lazaros: “I will do it if you convince Ashley not to work!”

He bawled.

Deimos: “Lazaros, we fucking need this, or Ichiro will turn others into those monsters! It’s a part-time job! They would be working maybe a couple of hours a day!”

He snapped.

Lazaros: “I DON’T CARE!”

Ashley emerged from the house with their resume, which read “Resu-meow.”

Ashley: “Blair would say the same thing, and he wouldn’t care either. He didn’t care about saving innocent lives. He only cared about his jerky blue self in his Zabney zibra mirror! If making Deimos look like a horror movie will save innocent lives, you should do it!”

They pleaded with Lazaros.

Lazaros: “NO! NO ONE WANTS TO HELP ME, SO I DON’T WANT TO HELP OTHERS!”

He snapped. Ashley drew a breath.

Ashley: “Blair would say the same thing.”

They muttered and pouted.

Tristan: “Lazaros, why don’t you want Ashley working at this place?”

He asked calmly.

Lazaros: “Because they’re not selling MY food and it’s less time from me!”

He stomped his feet. Ashley blinked mutely at Lazaros.

Ashley: “Then why don’t you serve your food there and spend time with me there?!”

They pouted.

Tristan: “Serving his food would likely be prohibited, but there is nothing against his spending it there to monitor you.”

He said sarcastically.

Ashley: “Then you can just watch me at work!”

They declared.

Tristan: “That sounds like a fair compromise.”

Lazaros handed Tristan the coupon. Tristan gaped incredulously at Lazaros.

Deimos: “Why are you handing him that?!”

He hissed through clenched teeth.

Lazaros: “So he will convince the owner not to let Ashley work there!”

He replied. Ashley blinked mutely at him, feeling defeated and exhausted.

Ashley: “Why can’t you just let me have this?”

They buried their head into their hands and cried.

Deimos’ fist flew into Lazaros’ nose, breaking his nose and glasses. Lazaros cried as his blood flew and splashed on Deimos’ face.

Deimos: “YOU SON OF A FUCK!”

He delivered a right hook to Lazaros, followed by a left hook, and he got on top of him, socking him repeatedly. Ashley gasped and cupped their mouth, trembling.

Ashley: “NO! Please, stop! Don’t hurt him!”

They pleaded with Deimos.

Deimos: “STOP ROPING HIM INTO YOUR FUCKING FETISHES!”

He bellowed as he punched Lazaros. Lazaros cried and wailed as each blow landed on him. Ashley gaped at Deimos. That’s what this is about? They mused with confusion.

Deimos’ fist landed on his jaw, breaking it. Ashley recoiled and buried their head, looking away. He rose above Lazaros, panting furiously.

Tristan: “Deimos, that’s enough. You made your point.”

Lazaros moaned, and a bubble of blood rested on his swollen lips. Ashley knit their eyebrows and rushed over to Lazaros.

Ashley: “Please heal him! If you heal him, he will paint you with blood to save people’s lives!”

They pleaded with them both.

Celeste: “Why, though? Let’s just take Lazaros in.”

Tristan: “Yes, that will have to suffice.”

Deimos turned to Tristan.

Deimos: “NO, TRISTAN!”

He stomped his foot.

Deimos: “The plan was for me to have gore on me to convince his body double that I need medical attention! It was never for this asshole to come in! I came up with the plan! I want to help you!”

He snapped. Tristan drew a long breath.

Tristan: “Deimos, you beat him up. This is you helping. Does it matter who this double tends to?”

Deimos: “Yes! Yes, it does, Tristan!”

He huffed.

Celeste: “Guys, uh, if someone doesn’t heal Lazaros soon, he will lose a lot of blood.”

She drawled.

Ashley: “He needs medical attention! Either you heal him right now, or this double doctor guy does!”

They cried and pleaded with Deimos.

Deimos: “He won’t do the fucking gore if I do!”

He barked.

Ashley: “What if he dies if you don’t heal him or he doesn’t see the doctor?”

They pleaded with him.

Jaxon came running down the street and knelt to Lazaros. He wore a red snakeskin button-down shirt, tight black jeans, and black Chelsea boots.

Jaxon: “Tristan contacted me on his pager.”

Deimos turned to Tristan with a small smile. Jaxon knelt before Lazaros and held out his hands as a red glow emanated from them. As he healed Lazaros, his bones mended and his wound sealed up.

When Lazaros healed, he sat up.

Lazaros: “Who called you, Jaxon?”

Jaxon: “Tristan did.”

He smiled.

Lazaros: “Oh, not Ashley. I knew it!”

He cried. Ashley gaped at him.

Lazaros: “Tristan called Jaxon to heal me, but Ashley didn’t!”

He sobbed. ‘

Ashley: “Does it matter? I was trying to help you, too! You didn’t even thank him!”

They cried with exasperation in their voice.

Lazaros stormed past them.

Lazaros: “YOU CAN SLEEP IN THE GUEST ROOM!”

He slammed the door behind him. Ashley looked hurt and defeated, burying their head in their hands in frustration. Nothing is ever enough for him, they cried to themself.

Celeste scratched her head.

Celeste: “We should have let Lazaros be tended to by that double.”

She said to Tristan, Deimos, and Jaxon.

Tristan: “We wouldn’t have had enough time.”

He sighed as he looked at Ashley.

Ashley: “I’m sorry, guys.”

They sighed.

Tristan: “You have nothing to apologize for, Ashley.”

Celeste: “Why do you need to work anyway? Lazaros is super rich, and money is not tight.”

She asked them.

Tristan: “It’s not a matter of money, Celeste.”

She looked up at him.

Celeste: “Yeah, but it cost us all this, and now what?”

She stomped her foot.

Deimos: “She has a point, but I also can’t fault Ashley for wanting to get away from that cretin.”

He huffed. Ashley sighed and bowed their head.

Jaxon: “It’s him or Blair.”

He laughed.

Deimos: “There is no difference.”

He huffed.

Tristan: “I am inclined to disagree. I have never known Lazaros to be full of vitriol as Blair is.”

Celeste: “You gonna use that coupon?”

Deimos took it from Tristan’s hand and ripped it up.

Deimos: “NO!”

Tristan: “Don’t beat yourself up, Ashley. I had a hunch this would go awry. I am well aware money is not an issue; it’s a matter of wanting to expand your horizons and needing space from Lazaros. Couples need space. Needing space is often a sign of maturity, allowing you to maintain your individual identity, recharge, and avoid feeling overwhelmed. It does not mean you love your partner less.”

He explained. Ashley nodded and wiped their eyes.

Ashley: “That’s exactly right! It’s like you read my mind!”

They exclaimed.

Tristan: “Best of luck on your journey.”

He nodded.

Ashley: “Thank you! Best of luck saving the world!”

They beamed.

Celeste: “Yeah, you might make some new friends!”

She chirped. Ashley’s eyes lit up at the thought of that.

Ashley: “I hope so! I like my current friends like you, but I would be happy with more friends, too!”

They chirped.

Tristan: “Take care, Ashley.”

He said as they walked away.

When Deimos picked up his shirt, he noticed the vial of mystical spirit water by it. It was Lazaros’ that Ashley had given to him. He picked it up with his shirt and went back to his house.

~

Tristan, Celeste, Jaxon, Jordi, and Deimos were all gathered around Deimos’ backyard pool patio.

Celeste: “Think they’re going to break up?”

Deimos: “Yeah, and watch me as I play the world’s smallest violin as my heart pumps purple piss.”

He huffed.

Tristan: “This might lend to my theory as to why Ashley is taking this job: they want to salvage this relationship. I noticed they’re not tolerating his tantrums as they had. I think they feel they need space to breathe… and embrace their individuality more.”

He stated.

Deimos: “There’s nothing to salvage. Lazaros goes through partners as he goes through his spices.”

He rolled his eyes.

Jordi: “Maybe they’re outgrowing Lazaros, too.”

He added.

Tristan: “That could also be a possibility. I think it’s a sore spot for them that Lazaros did nothing to help them when Blair blackmailed him, but he came to me today to convince Ashley not to take this job. Maybe Lazaros feels this is a threat, and he’s trying to act before it becomes another situation that emulates what Blair did.”

He suggested.

Deimos: “That’s not it. He’s afraid Ashley might cheat on him with a fucking sundae or some crap, and they’re not there for two hours to worship him like a culinary god.”

He rolled his eyes.

Tristan: “I’m trying to see things from his point of view, as well.”

Deimos: “He gave you a fucking coupon to do whatever you want to their tummy. So it’s not about a possible threat.”

He said coolly. Celeste blinked. Tristan wagged his head.

Tristan: “Touché.”

Jaxon: “So this ice cream place sounds neat.”

He changed the topic. Tristan glanced at Jaxon and smiled.

Deimos: “It caused an uproar here.”

He muttered.

Jordi: “Madelyn told me she worked at the location in Selene Valley, and they moved here. I think she wants to work there.”

He smiled.

Tristan: “It would seem fitting for her.”

~

Tristan held Oliver in his arms as he walked out of Deimos’ house. Deimos caressed Tristan’s arms.

Deimos: “Want to spend the night?”

He whispered.

Tristan: “I’d love to, but I think I have to be at home. You’re not the only one dealing with a troublesome brother.”

He replied. Deimos caressed Tristan’s hair.

Deimos: “What’s going on?”

Tristan drew a long breath.

Tristan: “Papa and Jasper are growing close. Papa wants to move in with him, and Bastien is objecting.”

He replied.

Deimos: “Why? Your mother is dead, and he’s not twelve anymore.”

Tristan heaved a deep sigh.

Tristan: “No, but… Narcisse locked him away for most of his life, bent and therefore, he’s emotionally and psychologically stunted.”

He bowed his head.

Tristan looked across the street at Lazaros’ house and saw the light on in the guest room. He saw lights hovering over the garden. Fireflies? He wondered.

Tristan walked over to the garden. Deimos raised an eyebrow and followed him. They bend over to get a closer look and couldn’t believe what they saw before their eyes: fairies. They were tiny human-like creatures with colorful wings and wore dresses.

Tristan: “Are these… fairies?”

He asked breathlessly. Oliver reached his paw out at them.

Deimos: “Yeah, but…”

One fairy flew up to Tristan and patted his nose. Tristan chuckled.

Deimos: “Where did they come from?”

Tristan: “I don’t know.”

The door opened, and Lazaros stormed out.

Tristan: “How do you feel, Lazaros?”

Lazaros: “Terrible, no thanks to you!”

He snapped and marched to Deimos’ house. Tristan blew air through his parted lips.

~

Deimos stepped out of the shower, dressed in a black tank top and black plaid pajama pants. He dried his hair with his towel and glanced at the vial of mystical spirit water on his dresser.

He heard Lazaros talking to Monica downstairs. He went to his door and cracked it open a bit. He went to the stairway landing and sat down listening to them.

~

Lazaros and Monica were in the kitchen having tea.

Lazaros: “I don’t know if I love Ashley anymore. Everything they do is starting to annoy me, and now they want to get a job at this dumb ice cream place, not serving MY food.”

He huffed.

Monica: “Lazaros, did you feel this way prior to them wanting to find work or just now?”

Lazaros: “I don’t know! I don’t know why they want to work! I don’t know why they fell for Blair’s crap and didn’t ask me or Tristan, who is apparently the smartest guy in the universe! They just did it!”

He cried.

Monica sighed.

Monica: “Lazaros, you know Blair convinced them that if they did not comply, he would turn you into the police and you would be executed.”

Lazaros: “Yeah, but… they believed it. I know they’re not as smart as I am, but they seem really dumb!”

He huffed.

Monica: “Regardless, why did you go to Tristan for help this time but not when they were with Blair?”

She asked. Lazaros looked away.

Lazaros: “Tristan asked me that, too. I don’t know. I guess because I thought it was really over. I always wondered if they preferred Blair to me, and that made it true, so why would I go to Tristan for something that is done?”

He mumbled. Monica gazed at him.

Monica: “Do you honestly believe that?”

Lazaros: “Yeah, they really liked Blair a lot.”

Monica: “What do you want right now, Lazaros?”

She smiled.

Lazaros: “I don’t want Ashley to work there. What’s wrong with making stuff for Jordi’s grandpa or Tristan’s dad? It’s like they want to be away from me, and yeah, Tristan said that, so if a genius says it, it must be true!”

He sobbed. Monica patted his hand.

Monica: “I think Ashley needs to find other people in their life, and I believe it would do you good to do the same. I always felt you and Deimos put up walls and don’t allow people in, so you two won’t get hurt…”

Lazaros shifted his eyes.

~

Deimos leaned his head against the wall and knit his eyebrows. He rose from the stairs and went into his bedroom.

~

Deimos lay in bed, petting Leo on his chest, replaying what Monica told Lazaros about him and his brother.

He turned his head to look at the picture of him and Tristan on his nightstand and heaved a deep sigh. He flicked his gaze to the vial on his dresser. He gently lifted his kitten from his chest and went to retrieve the vial. He recalled that Ashley had given this to Lazaros for his birthday and that he had dropped it.

He examined the crystal in the palm of his hand. He unscrewed the cap and inhaled the contents. What is this shit? He wondered.

He then drank the entire contents and swallowed it. He screwed the cap back on and placed it on the dresser.

Suddenly, he trembled all over.

Deimos: “What the fuck?!”

He collapsed to the floor as he felt his room spin around.

Deimos: “WHAT IS HAPPENING TO ME?!”

He screamed as he clutched his head, feeling himself tear out of his skin. He reached out to scream for help, but no sound came out. Everything in his room spun around, his windows exploded, and his walls collapsed. The floor fell out from under him, and he fell into the house of darkness.