Meanwhile, at the hotel...
The two pretend couple, the newlyweds, The Griffins. The last name was proclaimed by Malo, who insisted that his name be used to sign into the hotel.
After putting up with each other through the night, Malo and Peamah dragged the pillows around, arguing over who should sleep on the bed.
Malo took all the pillows while Peamah secured the bed. Peamah had thrown his heavy weight dead center onto the mattress, locking his limbs out straight and letting out a loud, mocking exhale through his nose that made Malo’s jaw tighten instantly.
Malo had no option but to sleep on the couch, cuddling the pile of pillows as his only achievement.
The dude refused to sleep. Even when he dozed off, he quickly regained consciousness because he was scared that Peamah was going to smother him in his sleep.
During the night, he heard noises from Peamah. He was mumbling words, but they were unclear.
"Freak..." Malo muttered as he covered his ears with a pillow.
His eyes remained open until morning, when they heard a knock on the door. Both boys jumped up. Malo quickly leaped from the couch and bounced onto the bed. He scrambled across the sheets in a fast, wild blur, his heart hammering against his chest as he slid right next to his pretend partner.
The two boys pretended to be on good terms, acting like lovebirds. They locked their shoulders together, their breathing forced into a steady, calm rhythm as the door open from the outside.
The maid brought them breakfast, a special meal for young couples, and told them that the sightseeing would begin soon.
The dish was served on a single plate meant for two, along with several side dishes.
Peamah was about to start eating, and Malo made a small scoffing sound, signaling him not to eat.
But Peamah didn’t understand the hint and began eating anyway. He snatched up the fork with a quick movement, his jaw working steadily as he shoved the food into his mouth without a single care.
When the smiling maid finally left the room...
"You are definitely going to get yourself killed one day, and food is going to be the cause," Malo said as he jumped off the bed, acting like a germphobic because he had to wrap his arms around Peamah’s shirtless body. He wiped his palms aggressively against his jeans, his breathing turning fast and shallow as he glared at the other boy.
"Do you sweat while you sleep?" he muttered as he looked at the AC. He pointed a finger at the vents, his chest heaving with total annoyance.
"No, but something is definitely wrong with the other one," Peamah said as he continued eating. His voice was thick as he swallowed another large bite, his chest rising and falling with a regular pace.
"Are you going to eat?"
"No way." Malo snapped, his mouth twisting into a sharp sneer.
"You don’t want to share a plate?"
"After what happened on our first visit, I wouldn’t even drink this hotel’s water," Malo said as he walked into the bathroom.
Peamah didn’t care. He kept eating until he suddenly felt like he was choking. The fork dropped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the ceramic dish as the air suddenly locked up completely inside his lungs. He grabbed his throat...
Then blacked out.
When Malo returned from the bathroom, he stumbled to a stop. His breath caught right in his throat, his entire body freezing instantly near the doorframe as his eyes went wide with pure horror.
Peamah’s eyes were glowing green, looking like those of a predator. The brilliant, toxic light flared out from his pupils, his chest expanding and collapsing in wild, heavy heaves that sounded like a wild beast trapped in a cage.
The whole room was upside down and messy. The chairs were smashed against the walls, the sheets torn to shreds, and the breakfast cart was flipped over on its side with food splattered everywhere.
"P-P-Peamah..." Malo scrambled backward in fear.
This was exactly why he was scared of him. The raw, terrifying energy vibrating through the hotel room made the hairs on his arms stand completely straight up.
He had no idea why Peamah was breathing so heavily or why his eyes were glowing. The fast, ragged snorts coming from the other boy’s nose filled the quiet air, a low growl rattling deep in his ribcage.
Peamah was smashing everything in the room.
No one had to tell Malo twice.
The poor boy crawled back into the bathroom and locked himself inside.
When the noise finally died down, Malo knew he couldn’t stay in the bathroom forever.
He still had to find the Spark Fish. The reminder hit his chest like a cold splash of water, forcing his lungs to pull in a shaky, shallow breath as he gripped the doorknob.
Slowly, he opened the door and peeked outside.
The entire room was a mess. The plaster was gouged, the curtains pulled down, and feathers from the torn pillows floated slowly through the air like snow.
He carefully crawled out, and then he saw Peamah curled up on the floor. The massive boy was lying near the broken television, his knees tucked slightly toward his chest as his shoulders shook with faint breaths.
"Peamah..." Malo called. The whisper was incredibly small, his throat dry and tight as he stepped over a piece of broken items.
His mind was screaming in fear because that boy could rip him apart in a single second.
Peamah finally raised his head, and the green glow in his eyes was gone.
He stood up, noticing the destroyed room. He wiped his hand across his face, his chest rising with a long, confused breath as he steady himself against the wall.
"What happened here?" Peamah asked. His voice was gravelly and low, his eyes scanning the wreckage in total confusion.
"You don’t remember?" Malo gasped out...
Peamah couldn’t understand what had happened to him. He shook his head slowly, his jaw setting as he tried to piece together the blank spots in his memory.
He had blacked out, and when he opened his eyes, the room was already like this. The cold truth settled heavily in the room, the silence stretching out between them.
Being Malo, he immediately told Peamah to stay feet away from him. He thrust his hands forward, his posture tightening as he took three fast steps backward to keep a safe distance.
It was time to leave for the sightseeing, and the boys got themselves ready.
When the cleaner entered the room, they were shocked by the state of it. The cleaner stopped dead in the doorway, her mouth dropping wide open as her breath left her in a sharp gasp, her eyes tracking the shattered furniture.
Malo hugged his pretend husband, acting like a lovestruck newlywed. He threw his arms tightly around Peamah’s broad shoulders, pressing his face close to the other boy’s neck while letting out a loud, dramatic giggle for the worker’s benefit.
"My lovely husband likes it rough, and he couldn’t control himself since it was our first night as a married couple,"
Malo said as the two boys walked out of the room, leaving the cleaner completely speechless.