Torture

"Aiyah!" Michael wailed, clutching his arm as he twisted away from Lily's quick, pinching fingers. Shaun, Steven, and Catherine laughed as they watched him squirm, each pinch eliciting a fresh yelp.

"You know, you have to pick one situation to be violent," Michael complained, swatting her hand away. "I'm calling for an intervention! You can't torture us when you're both annoyed and having fun!"

His bravado fizzled as quickly as it appeared, especially when Lily's almond-shaped eyes, which curved elegantly at the top, glinted with mischievous intent. Her jet-black hair framed her face, the strands contrasting against her sand-colored skin, making her look all the more formidable despite her petite stature.

"Shaun! You're her boyfriend, you start," Michael demanded, plopping onto the couch.

"What? Why me?" Shaun protested, his wide eyes rounding in mock disbelief as he turned to Michael. His chestnut-brown hair fell slightly into his face as he did, and he brushed it back with a quick swipe.

"Because you're her biggest victim," Michael shot back. "We see her once or twice a week, and my arm already feels like Normandy!"

"Getting pinched by a five-foot girl…" Shaun mused, flashing a lopsided grin that only made Lily's smile broaden. "And Normandy... Sure, I can see the similarities."

"Five foot six," Lily corrected, her dark pupils narrowing as she squinted at him.

"That's your issue?" Shaun asked, bewildered, his lightly tanned skin warming slightly as he laughed.

"My point is!" Michael interrupted, "She pinches and hits for everything. I've got PTSD, and you should file for domestic abuse."

"He can't file for domestic abuse," Lily stated, her tone firm but playful.

"Lily's right, I love everyt—"

"I'm a weak little girl, and he's a big strong man. No court would entertain the allegations," Lily continued, cutting Shaun off, her voice laced with mock innocence.

"Ah…" Shaun sighed in resignation, his large eyes reflecting a playful surrender.

"Yeah, it'd just open him up to a countersuit for defamation for everything he owns," Catherine added.

Shaun shot Steven a look that said, 'Your girlfriend is surprisingly well-versed about this.'

Steven shook his head. 'You don't wanna know.'

"On the other hand, if I get all his money, he'll have nowhere to go and has to listen to everything I say," Lily mused aloud, her raven-colored hair cascading over her shoulder as she turned to face Shaun.

"Go ahead, sue me," she ordered Shaun, a mischievous gleam in her curved eyes.

"No thank you, ma'am," Shaun replied, trying to keep his quirky smile in check.

"Are you saying you want to be able to go somewhere else instead of staying with me?" she squinted at him again, her dark pupils boring into his.

"I… Ah…" Shaun scanned the room for help, his height just a bit above the average doing nothing to help him escape her gaze. But Catherine seemed to be formulating a similar question for Steven, who was now staring intently at the ceiling.

Michael, looking quite pleased with himself, waited for Shaun to choose from a range of wrong answers.

"When we first arrived and you found the cockroach in your bed, it wasn't a coincidence. Michael put it there as a prank. Seeing how panicked you both were, he made Steven and me swear to keep it quiet," Shaun blurted out, his large eyes widening even more as he realized the trouble he might have just caused.

He watched as both girls' expressions changed, but he pushed through to save himself. He didn't need to look at Michael to know betrayal was written all over his face.

Half a second.

The exact amount of silence Shaun thought appropriate before darting out of the living room and onto the balcony. Steven was already opening the door for them.

For a moment, Shaun thought he heard Michael chasing after them, but he didn't make it out. Michael's fate was sealed, trapped between the two girls in the living room.

Whether the scratching sounds on the other side of the door were Michael or another creature was unclear. The fact that the creature could scream "Shaun! Steven! NOOOO!" was quite interesting, and the two agreed to search for it once the girls were done with their friend.

Outside, with their backs against the door, they clapped their hands and bowed to their friend's sacrifice.

"We will never forget your service," Shaun declared, his chestnut-brown hair ruffling slightly in the cool night breeze.

"Cup noodles, chips, frozen nuggets, whatever food we find on the road, some club soda, and strawberry or melon syrup," Steven read aloud, his voice dripping with mockery as he listed the items from the chat. "This guy... For someone who's not going down with us, he sure asks for a lot."

Shaun rolled his large eyes as they walked down the quiet street, the cool night air brushing against their warm, lightly bronzed skin. "Yeah, well, that's Michael for you. Always demanding."

They continued their errand, joking and chatting about everything and nothing. By the time they returned to the villa, it was late, and the living room was empty. Michael had retreated to lick his wounds, and Catherine and Steven had disappeared into their room.

Shaun quietly closed the door behind them and tiptoed into the kitchen, only to find Lily sitting on the counter, her small frame barely swinging her legs as she munched on a piece of chocolate.

She looked up, her almond-shaped eyes crinkling with a smile as she saw him. "Hey, you survived the shopping trip."

"Barely," Shaun teased, setting the bags down. "Michael's list was ridiculous."

Lily hopped off the counter and walked over to him, her sunlit-sand skin glowing softly under the kitchen light. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her inky black hair brushing against his arm. "Thanks for the snacks. But more importantly, thanks for saving me from Michael's complaints."

Shaun chuckled, hugging her back, enjoying how her slightly shorter height made her fit perfectly against him. "I didn't do it just for you, you know. It was also self-preservation."

She laughed, the sound filling the small kitchen. "Oh, so I was just collateral?"

He pretended to think before pulling her into a tighter hug. "A very cute collateral."

She playfully pushed his face away, but his arms stayed firmly around her, his large eyes meeting her almond-shaped ones with a playful glint.

They stood there for a moment, just holding each other, the world outside their little bubble fading away. Shaun pulled back slightly to look at her, brushing a strand of her raven-black hair away from her face. "You know, I wouldn't really mind if you tortured me for the rest of my life."

Lily's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh? Is that a challenge?"

"Maybe," he replied, leaning in closer. "But only if I get to do this in return."

With that, he kissed her softly, the sweetness of the chocolate lingering on her lips. It was a simple, sweet moment, a quiet pause in the chaos of their lives. When they finally pulled apart, they both had matching smiles.

"You're such a dork," Lily said, poking his chest playfully, her dark pupils reflecting the dim kitchen light.

"And you're my dork," Shaun replied, catching her hand and kissing her knuckles.

They spent the rest of the night in each other's company, sharing snacks and stories, enjoying the rare moment of peace. For now, at least, it was just Shaun and Lily, and that was more than enough.

But as they sat together, the darkness outside seemed to press in a little closer, and a cold draft whispered through the room. Shaun felt a shiver run down his spine, the warmth of their moment suddenly feeling fragile, as if the tranquility they cherished could shatter at any moment. Unseen eyes seemed to watch them, waiting through the nights silence for an unspoken promise: That this peace would not last.