The Sharpest Lives

A/N: Penultimate chapter! So I heard you liked arguments, so I present to you, Arguments, part 2. All this is in Liam's POV.

Sweetest Kill

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The morning sunlight swamped the room through the tall windows, wrapping its soft fingers over the bed, over her figure. I walked slowly towards the bed, drinking in the scene.

She is with me. She is near me. She can't leave.

A single monitor flashed details of her vitals; the nurse had probably come and given her her medications, as the IV drip line was hanging by its rubber tubing from the stand by her bed. She was lying on her side, curled up among the pillows, away from the screen and the needles, if not wanting to see those things. As I came closer, I noticed that she was writing something. Noticing me, she shoved the papers and the pen aside. Something like a scowl flashed across her face, as she sat up properly.

"Good morning, Liam. Were you busy with someone last night? Or afraid to face me after you had me bought in?"

"It's neither of those," I replied. "I just thought it would be better if you were left alone to rest."

"And, this is where you bring me 'to rest'." she remarked acidly. "In the same room you kept your dear father? Do you hate me that much?"

"Don't think like that," I replied, pulling the armchair closer to her bed. "This room is on the ground floor, it's easily accessible... this is actually the best room in the house."

I sat down on the sofa, hunched, my elbows on my knees, resting my chin on top of my crossed fingers, and looked up at her. She still sat, facing straight, away from me. I watched her fingers gently run over the cannula on her hand, watched the little movement of her throat as she swallowed...

"I know what this room means to you," she started. "And knowing that, you cannot say you put me here because you care about me. You just care about yourself. You want something out of this, don't you?"

It was getting harder and harder to control my tone, but I had decided to bear whatever she threw at me. I had to.

"Fine. Think what you want," I replied. "But what I honestly want, is you to be healthy and safe."

Her face scrunched up in mock laughter. "Healthy? Under your roof? Safe? With you?" She covered her face with her hands, as if trying to stop herself from derailing into madness. "Why didn't you let my parents take me away?" she asked, still not looking at me.

"I talked to them, and they thought that it was best to let you stay here," I replied calmly.

"Oh Liam..." she cooed contemptuously, "don't think I don't know how you did it. You read them like a book, and hit it where it hurt. You made them feel guilty about kicking me out - made them feel that they were not even worthy to take care of their only child anymore."

Now I smiled. "Are you even listening to yourself? You sound crazy."

A grim smile spread across her face as she turned around to face me. She was frightening me, with her words, with her attitude, with her thoughts... She was nothing like meek little rabbit that I loved so much... Or was she?

"I had seen my mom when she came to tell me that I'd be staying with you," she said softly, her eyes locking onto mine. "I remember how she looked, Liam, I felt it through her... you had ripped her apart."

"And?" I snapped back, not being able to keep the edge off anymore. I was done parrying her attacks. "Tell me honestly Kim, should they have done that? Did they call you even once while you were with me? They don't deserve-"

"And you deserve me?" she cut in.

"I took care of you," I said, gritting my teeth, returning her glare with an equal force.

"You used me!"

"I took care of you, you brat. You were the one jumping off cliffs like a lemming at every other chance. You're lucky this all happened with me, Kim, no one else would have-"

She raised a hand, as if to shut me up. "Your tricks don't work on me anymore, Liam," she said, her voice rising steadily. "I've survived through all your mind games, and I'm still here. Admit it, you only kept me for yourself."

"I took care of you," I repeated, trying to calm myself. "You gave yourself willingly. You said it yourself!"

"Because at that time, that was all I had. You would've turned me out if I hadn't, wouldn't you?"

Now she actually seemed on the verge of hysteria. There was a note in her voice, that revealed a hurt, a fear I hadn't seen her show before. I felt slightly shocked.

"Never. I'd never do that," I said quietly. Her gaze fell away from mine, as she bent down into her lap, covering her head with her arms.

We were quiet for a while. She let out something that sounded like a quiet sob, and got up, her face now oddly expressionless.

"I've seen and heard how you behave with others," said Kim. "Tell me Liam, how was I supposed to guess you wouldn't do the same?"

I seethed slightly, angry that she thought so little of me. "Should have trusted me, right?"

"I did," she replied. "And we all know how that turned out."

I couldn't argue with that. I looked down at the floor. What do I do...

"I am still here," I said quietly. "I will still take care of you."

"I don't want your care any more. Let me go, Liam. I don't want to see you."

What is she saying? Why was she being so difficult? Why couldn't she just forget-

"Okay," I acquiesced. "I won't bother you. You won't see me. But please... just stay here until the baby is born. If not for me, then for my mom. After that.. you can go wherever you want. You'll be free."

We looked up, and stared at each other for a while. Her lower lip trembled, and all I wanted to do was feel it between my teeth as I kissed her deeply, my arms around her body...

"Get out," she whispered.

-------------

"Liam."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw my mother standing at the door of the living room. I was lying on the couch, trying to

think

, but nobody seemed to be giving me any time to do that anyway... I looked at her, slightly vexed, but didn't reply.

She stepped into the room, looking down at the floor. For a second, she looked sad.

"Liam. Are you listening?"

Now I looked at her pointedly. She saw my reaction and sighed. She sat down opposite me, neatly locking her ankles, feet withdrawn below the couch, hands folded and resting on her lap. She always looked as though she needed to be more subservient, to atone for some crime she committed ages ago...

"Does she want to go back?" she asked gently.

"Do you want her to?" I shot back, not rudely.

"Of course not-" she said, quickly shaking her head. "It's just that she was so insistent, and suddenly her parents say something else- I don't understand... I am just afraid."

"For?"

"The baby, what else?" she answered, as though obvious. "We can't have her sulking around, how will she take care of it in that state?"

I narrowed my eyes, looking at her. She didn't seem to notice. Her eyes were downcast again.

"Liam... ever since you started calling me your mother, I felt the responsibility left upon me by your own mother. The least I could do, was to make sure you never felt any less loved than Alex or Bambi. It's funny- I don't even think of you that way anymore- you're my oldest, you're my first born. I want you happy, and I want you to have your own family. And in a way, continue her blood that runs through your veins... That's what I'd have wanted in her place. That's all."

"Huh." I smiled, and she looked at me questioningly. "Continue the fucking disease you mean. Raise the child in this- " I waved my hand around "-this shithole of a world. That sounds like such a selfish excuse, doesn't it?"

She smiled sadly. "All children are their parent's selfish excuse. That's why we feel so unhappy when they don't turn out how we want them to."

I shrugged, and she sighed again. "I wish... that your father could have seen Kim with the baby at least. He might have felt better."

I kept quiet, but that seemed to distress her more. "You'll never forgive him?" she asked. "He just did what he thought was best. Do you forgive me, then, for marrying him?"

I sat up straight, to look at her properly. "You know I forgave you." I said calmly. "But him...It's complicated. It's not just one thing. I'm still thinking about it."

She was quiet for a moment, and I leaned back, watching the fire crackle.

"It's painful for me to even think about all you've been through," she said finally. "I'm always awed by how much you can handle. But you never show it, Liam... All this stress must be going somewhere. "

"It leaves through my work," I replied, not meeting her eyes.

"You're a wonder... You know, I feel guilty that I will get to enjoy what rightfully belongs to your parents."

I kept staring at the fire, waiting for the bomb to drop. If you know how I think, woman, I know how you think too...

"Kim will be back after she has the baby, right?" she asked. "At least, if she doesn't want it-"

"I'll talk to her," I said curtly. "I'll see what happens."

"Please Liam. Beg her, on my behalf."

"Don't worry."

At that, she got up. Coming closer, she pulled my head close to her chest, and ran her fingers through my hair, bending down slightly to kiss my forehead.

"I tried so hard to make her tell me what it was that you did," she whispered. "She wouldn't say a word. What did you do?"

I looked up into her face, while she held my face between her hands. "I fucked a girl and made her watch," I replied. "Showed that I was all into it. Let her sleep on the couch while the girl lay under me."

For a second, it looked as though she hadn't heard what I said. I watched, her eyes glowing with fury as my words registered.

She slapped me.

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The darkness was good. The atmosphere, tolerable; the people - didn't matter... but that pathetic music playing in the background drove me nuts. At least, now I'm away from her, I thought vehemently, leaning back on the armchair as I took a drag from my cigarette. She'd ask, oh, where is Liam, and Mom would say, I don't know, he hasn't been home in four days. Then she will stew in her misery...

"Stop spewing your fumes in my face, dickhead," said Benjy, knocking his knee sharply against mine.

"You're doing the same, fucktard," I answered. We were sitting just across each other from the table- and the table was so small, and the place so cramped, that we were almost in each others' way.

"If you two weren't so hell bent on crotch kissing each other, nobody would be in nobody's face!" yelled Sam over the music.

"I know I can always count on you for choosing the worst table in any given place,"I said sweetly, blowing another cloud of smoke into Sam's face. He waved it off energetically, and leaned forward to face me.

"Oh, is that your ass feeling cranky?" he taunted. "Since it got kicked out twice in once day by your mom and your little play-doll? Would you like me to stuff something in it to make it feel better?"

"Miss being gay, don't you? Karl can outfit your girlfriend with your penis, if you wish..."

"Shut it, Liam." said Benjy to both of us, angrily. I kicked him under the table in retaliation.

"God, you haven't changed a bit," he replied, flicking the ashes my way. "Fucking asshat."

I rubbed my eyes. I couldn't sleep these days. I felt like I was stuck in a loop. I tried not to think about it, I tried to distract myself from it... work, sex, drugs...Whatever little amusement I used to get from other things, was gone.

I broke past a point, and there was no going back.

But why? Why can't she just accept my apology, and get over with it?

We talked about this and that, and I felt that somehow they felt as irked as me. After a while, we got up languidly and left the bar. The barkeep watched us from the corner of his eye as we left. He must have been relieved.

We walked down the pavement, not really going anywhere. The weather was changing, but the nights still felt as chilly as ever.

"Should you even be smoking or drinking?"Sam asked me suddenly.

"That was quick of you Sam, but too bad he's done with it already," commented Benjy sardonically.

"Whatever," I said, lighting up another cigarette. "Let me drink and smoke my angst away. I might end up writing a poem or two. I could never smoke much around her anyway."

"So that's why he did it," said Sam with a leery grin to Benjy. "He needed to be with his first loves- tar and nicotine."

"So do you prefer this up your ass or down your throat?" I asked, showing him the cigarette.

Alcohol did nothing to subdue my temper, and although I knew Sam was probably more drunk that me, I still didn't feel like forgiving him.

"You can tell us what's better Liam, since you're such an expert on causing yourself pain," remarked Benjy. Recognizing the grain of truth in his words, I scowled even more. I should get the fuck away from these idiots...

"Why the hell did you make this mess for yourself?" asked Sam finally.

"I don't know okay, I didn't know this would happen," I answered honestly. He faltered for a moment, as though he couldn't believe me.

"Oh, our baby boy here missed the birds and the bees talk!" said Sam, mockingly tousling my hair."You see, when you shoot your splunk into a girl's cunt-"

I pushed Sam away, and he almost fell on the ground.

"That's not what I mean," I said. "I didn't think she'd be this angry..."

They both gave me a look, rolling their eyes, almost in tandem. "Welcome to love, sweetheart, where it's always your fault!" said Benjy, throwing open his arms in mock acceptance. "Except here, in this case, it is definitely your fault."

"It's completely your fault," agreed Sam.

"How? I don't care about that girl- heck, I fucked two dudes in front of Kim, where was all this anger then?"

"That was different. Totally different," insisted Sam. "I'm sure you weren't caressing their asses like it was the holy mother of all asses or whatever, alright-"

"I wasn't doing that. Plus, Kim knew I was faking it. Of course I was faking it. I didn't love her."

They both let out a long sigh, and Benjy slapped his forehead. Sam looked more hyped up than ever.

"Really, Liam?" he asked, with a glint in his eye. "So how about I invite some of my good friends to give Kim a nice fuck- I'm sure both parties will never really be in love each other, so they'd be 'faking it' according to your definition- don't know if she'd need to fake the orgasm though-"

I tackled Sam to the ground. "One more word," I said quietly, "and I'll kill you." My blood was boiling...

I felt Benjy grabbing me and yanking me up by the collar, flinging me aside. He was always the strongest out of all of us.

"You know, you're a spoiled, spoiled little brat," said Benjy as I stood up shakily. "You always were. Everyone was right. Something

is

wrong with you. I don't know if you don't get it, or if you think you're above it, but fix yourself. For your own sake."

"There's no point," said Sam, still sitting on the ground, rubbing his face with his t-shirt. "He'll never get it, until he feels it himself. I say we actually go ahead with my plan."

I growled, and lunged for him again. Pulling him up, I pushed him against the nearby wall, ready to bash his head in. He just looked at me, dead in the eye, and laughed in my face.

"Imagine what you're feeling now, but a thousand times worse. That's what you made her go through," he said vehemently.

I let him go.

"I'll do it," repeated Sam as scrambled up, dusting himself off. "Oh, I'll convince her, and she'll agree. She might even enjoy it, I hear she has a mean streak as bloody as yours, Liam."

"I'm tempted too," said Benjy. "You need to be put down a notch. You don't know what you have until you lose it."

I briskly turned around, walking away from them.

Fucking-

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"-would you believe this," laughed Sam.

I groaned, trying to rouse myself from whatever bullshit I passed out on.

A bed, and my little rabbit standing in front of me, her back turned towards me. My vision seemed to focus itself, intent on following her panties as she pulled them down.

A sense of dread came over me. Why was Sam here? Who are these people? Why am I tied up?

Her hand tried to grab the hook of her bra, and a hand-

another person's hand

snaked up her bare back, unclasping it for her. She smiled a little, at him.

She had never looked this enticing, this beautiful, this- was it to just spite me?

I struggled against the restraint, moving this way and that. Sam sat next to me, placidly rubbing the crotch of his jeans. "She's cute.." he whispered to me.

"I won't kill you,"I growled, trying not to slur my words. "Oh no... I'll rape that incestuous sister of yours first, then slit her pussy even wider open, and fuck her again. And I'll make you watch the whole thing like how you're making me watch this."

"Hey, hey, hey" said Sam quickly, raising his hands, as if innocent. "I didn't agree to all this, okay. I just wanted to scare you. It was just talk. Your little babydoll is the one who wanted the real thing all the way."

I wished someone would shoot me right there and then. I didn't want to see, but the little noises, the feel of movement going on scared me, and I couldn't close my eyes.

Three men surrounded my little rabbit. She was now naked, sitting on her knees on the bed, her back still facing me, her butt held between the curves of her pale soles. She turned slightly, almost looking at me, and I swore I saw her smile. One of the guys swept her black hair to the front, still leaving a few strands hanging over her creamy back. I hissed as I saw his hand skim over her shoulder as he bought her hair in front, probably splaying it against her ample breasts.

That was mine. That all was mine! That was-!

She rolled her head back languidly, and spread her knees wider apart, and my stomach dropped as she bent backwards, slowly, aided by the men, their fingers grasping her arms, holding her knees apart, now lying down, splayed open, like a delicious meal...

She ran a hand, over what was probably her pussy, spreading them apart... the one in front of her grasped his now erect cock, stroking it slowly. He leaned closer, his eyes fixated between her legs, and I watched him lick his lips in anticipation.

Another one on her side laughed, and shamelessly bent down to kiss between her breasts, and she moaned, pulling him deeper into her chest, arching up as his finger circled her nipple restlessly.

The third ran a hand down down the slope of her thigh, whispering into her ear, and I saw her stop pulling the other guy down, turning to look at him. He stole a kiss from her shocked lips.

I struggled, withering in actual pain, as their fingers, lips, eyes roamed over my rabbit... They didn't stop.

She

didn't stop. A cry escaped my lips.

"Relax, buddy. Some people really get into the cuckolding thing," said Sam. "Its not so bad once you get used to it."

It was too much. I closed my eyes.

-------------

It was silent. Did I fall asleep?

"Liam?" It was

her

voice. She was so close...

"You did it," I whispered, smiling ironically. "You've hurt me. You won." I still kept my eyes closed.

Maybe all that was a bad nightmare. Maybe she'll be surprised, and ask what I was blabbering about...

"Good. I'm glad you learned your lesson," she said, and at that moment I wished I had never woken up.

I stayed silent, listening to her breathe. This was it. The end.

"Fine. Let me go now," I replied.

What else was left? We were equal now. She got her revenge-

*slap*

My eyes snapped open at the impact, and I looked around. It was dark. We were alone. She was next to me. I watched the grey bands of light rolling up her naked body as she slithered closer.