The Taste of Seduction

"Just admit you\'re scared to lose to me." Atlas stuck his tongue at his brother before he ran towards the house leaving Ace under the tree.

His brother was such a bookworm, he knew he would probably be a doctor when he grows up due to how he always had his nose buried in science books.

"Mom! Dad!" Atlas said excitedly as he opened the door, running towards the kitchen. His mom had promised to bake them cookies so he was sure she was there.

He heard voices and paused as his heart slammed in his chest. Who was there? Why did he hear fear in his mom\'s voice?

"Where is she? We know you took her" Atlas heard a dark husky voice.

"No-no I didn\'t. I don\'t know"

Curious Atlas peaked through the peephole behind a painting in the room that connected to the kitchen.

There were two strange men in the kitchen, they were carrying what seemed to a sword. His father\'s face was paled as he held his mom. His father seemed to a trance as he looked at the men.

One of them pulled him from his mom and placed the knife at his throat.

"Tell us or we will kill your husband. He doesn\'t know what you\'re right? I wonder if he will still love you if he finds out he married a monster." One of them chuckled as he dug the blade in his father\' throat drawing blood.

"No! Please don\'t I don\'t really know..I lost her."

"Wrong answer." The man chuckled and slashed the blade across his father throat. Atlas watched his father\'s big, strong body thudded on the floor. He laid there, not moving.

Haunted by horror, all Atlas could do was watch helplessly.

"No!" his mom wailed as she crawled towards his dad, holding his dead body to her chest as she sobbed.

"Say hello to the queen in the underworld, tell her, her daughter will be joining her soon." The man said and pierced his mother\'s heart with the weird sword. His mom collapsed on to of his dad, her blood staining the floor.

"What about the kids?" One of the asked.

"There are too young and innocent, let\'s leave them." The men said and then they disappeared."

Atlas\'s blood roared as he watched frozen. He could nothing but watch, paralyzed with fear. His eyes were empty as he walked slowly towards his parents. A trembling sob left his lips as he reached their body.

His mom was barely breathing.

"A-tlas.I love you. Always rem.m" Then her eyes closed.

"Mom? No-no. don\'t leave me.." He pleaded as he sat on the floor and hugged her body, not caring about the blood soaking through his clothes. He sobbed against her, his stomach quivering.

He pulled back and removed the hair from his mother\'s face. Tears welled in the bottomless blue pools of his eyes as they rolled off his cheeks. He couldn\'t breathe.

He had watched his parents getting killed and he had watched like a coward. He couldn\'t protect them. The people he loved most in the world.

He was so useless.

"Atlas.?" Ace voice shook as he entered the kitchen, the book he was holding fell on the floor.

*****

Atlas sat on the floor surrounded empty bottle of whisky. The lights were off as he stared at the wall in a daze. Today was the day his parents had died. Time will heal, they tell you but nothing prepared him for the trauma he had to live through.

Memories flashed across his eyes. He winced at the pain that rocked through his chest as the image of his parent\'s cold-blooded body flashed through his mind. That made him feel a pang of guilt.

He hit the bottle of whisky against the wall, gripped his hair and screamed in pure agony. He wanted to let out the pain in his chest out. It hurts so much. Hurts so bad.

He might have grown up all these past years but deep down the pain and guilt never left. He was living in the shell of the boy who watched as his parents got killed.

He noticed the faint swing of the bedroom door opening. Suddenly he was pulled in a warm hug.

His eyes squeezed shut, his heart bleeding in his chest.

Meredith.

She didn\'t say anything, just held him and he let her. He was sure Ace had called her since he was always the one around during this time.

"Hurt" He croaked, rubbing his chest. He looked up at her as tears filled his eyes.

"Shsss..It\'s okay. You will be fine. I hold you, let it all out."

Meredith finally murmured, her lips pressing a kiss on top of his head.

Atlas stared up into her soft hazel eyes and when he saw the overwhelming amount of love inside them, love that a coward like him didn\'t deserve-he broke down.

Tears spilled down his face as hysterical sobbing left his mouth as he trembled.

He buried his face in her chest as his body wrecked with tears. Meredith pulled him tighter.

"I can never take the pain away from you but just know I will always be there for you. To hold you while you let it all out. To let you know you\'re not alone. Never alone."

Meredith cupped his face and gently turned him to face her,

A soft smile on her face as she caressed his cheeks. Her hazel eyes held so much warmth wrapping him with so much comfort. Her eyes alternate between his.

"You can let me in.I don\'t know how but I could try-try to lessen some of your burden. I will take all those unhappy memories away if I could..as long as you\'re happy."

Why did she love him so much? How could he fall in love with a shell of human who was broken?

"I love you, always and forever.." She whispered and pressed a kiss on his forehead.