The chilly morning, or rather afternoon, light streams in through the windows and you let out a soft little groan at the rude awakening. Without really looking around, you climb out of bed and frown at the fact that you're still wearing your boots and that you hadn't tucked yourself into your jeans. With a sigh, you right yourself, but walk into your kitchen with your boots still on, not even paying attention to the sound of people talking outside your room.
You make a beeline for the fridge and pull out a carton of orange juice, opening it and taking a drink straight from it as you close the door with your hip. With the carton still in your hand, you move into the living room and plop into your chair, taking another swig of juice as you do. It's at this point that you realize that you are decidedly not alone.
It's not just Kankri, though. With him is a woman you haven't seen since last year and she is giving you the most scathing look that you've ever gotten. Even from her. You raise your juice carton in a wave and just stare at them, eyes still sleep bleary and contacts stinging a little. "Sup, Kanny. Porrim."
Porrim scrunches her nose. "Why is it whenever I hear about some obnoxious pig man it's always you, Cronus?"
Your jaw drops and you push the hair that had fallen in your face over your night back into place. "Obnoxious pig man? I'll have you know that none of what Kanny and I did was the moves of some obnoxious pig man!" You slouch into your seat and scowl. "And this is my place where the fuck do you get off on coming here and telling me that shit?"
She crosses her arms over her chest and her left leg over the right. Her verbal fighting pose. Awesome. "You knew about his vow, Cronus and you took advantage of that!"
"Vow? What fucking vow? I didn't know anything about that!" The two of you are yelling at each other now. You didn't like this woman when she was your TA and you sure don't fucking like her now. She might be hot but she's holier than thou in the same way that Kankri is, but with most of her scathing looks reserved for the opposite sex.
It doesn't go on for more than a few minutes before you hear Kankri actually shout. "ENOUGH!" He's standing in the middle of the two of you and you have never seen him so angry in these past few days. But then you don't really know him, do you? You only know what he's told you and what you've seen of him.
And that's nothing.
But this anger, this pure rage, is more that you've ever seen on someone so small. He stares Porrim down and you can practically see the fire in his eyes. "Porrim. He had no idea about my vow and I chose to break it of my own accord!" He crosses his arms over his chest. "Surely you can understand making your own decisions about your own sex life."
He narrows his eyes and you can practically see the challenge he's sending to her. But she stands up, nearly a head taller than him, and just stares right back. "You weren't pushed into anything?"
"Of course not! I'm not some uneducated child that can't make their own decisions about sex!"
She sighs and brushes a long strand of hair from her face. "So he didn't coerce you into anything?" You notice the harsh look thrown your way and you can't do anything but give her a look of disbelief as she turns back to Kankri.
"Of course he didn't, Porrim!" He rolls his eyes. "The only thing even remotely coercive about our relationship is that he talked me out of jumping off a bridge!" His voice is loud and booming in the room, and it seems to make the whole world go quiet.
She stares at him, pierced lips parted and lined eyes wide. When she speaks, her voice is softer than you've ever heard it. "What do you mean?"
And that's when you hear the story of how Kankri had more or less disappeared from campus for the past week and how you'd found him at the edge of his rope. There was so much he hadn't said to you on the radio or in person. It was so apparent to you now how little you knew about this boy, even more so than it had been before. And now you're left wondering if you were just his bad decision.
You take another swig of your juice and just listen to the two talk. It's mostly a garbled mess of social justice to you. Something about Kankri being sexist and Porrim hating men. You really don't pay attention until you hear your name brought up.
"I can't believe you didn't tell anyone that you were staying with Cronus, Kanny." Porrim tosses her hair and lounges back on your couch like she owns the place.
"I don't see how it's anyone's business but my own who I'm staying with."
You chose this point to finally speak up. "I'll have you know that he's only been here since yesterday. I took him back to his dorm on Thursday and then he came here with me on Friday." You lean back in your chair and take another drink, watching Porrim.
"I believe that you took him back to his dorm, Cronus. But he's still been missing since last week. I haven't seen him in class in even longer. This wasn't your doing?"
"Fuck no!" You're offended. How the fuck could she think that?
Kankri's arms cross over his chest. "Porrim I think you should leave now. I'm fine. You don't have to mother me like this."
"I'm not leaving you here, Kanny. I've been looking for you since Tuesday and I'm not leaving without you." She sighs, eyes closing. "Your father asked me to come."
He sinks down a little and nods. "Of course... I'll go get dressed." Like a soldier doing his duty he rises and trudges back to your room to change into the clothes he came to your apartment in.
Porrim gives you another look. "I hope you're not leading him down a dark path, Cronus."
"Doll I would do no such thing. Those days are behind me." You shrug and notice the face she's making. "What?"
"Don't you dare call me doll, pig man." You roll your eyes and get back up, going to your fridge to put the orange juice away. She follows you. "And you aren't going to hurt that boy, are you?" You look back to see a sincere look of concern on her face.
As you lean against the cold door of the fridge, you cross your arms over your chest. "Why do you think I even would?"
"I don't. But I don't trust you. You're not exactly a man of your word and you've been known to make some bad decisions." She sighs. "You care about him, though?"
"Of course I fucking care about him, why else would I have had him here? He's a good guy. He's just had some hard times." You swallow, hanging your head. "I want to help him as much as I can, Porrim. I don't know why. But I do. I promise." You look up at her, a contemplative look on your face. "He needs someone. Maybe not someone to fuck him. And maybe not even someone to look after him. But he needs someone to care."
A soft smile spreads across her sultry features. "You're right. I'm glad that you realize that." Her head turns when both of you hear footsteps.
"I'm ready now, Porrim. Will you be taking me to see my father...?"
"No, I'll be calling your father after I get you home safe and sound."
He nods an she starts to lead him off. And you know that this could easily be the last time you see him if you don't do something now. So you walk after him and grab his hand. "Kanny!"
He looks up at you and the tears in his eyes are apparent again. "Yes?"
"I'll talk to you later?" You smile down at him and he returns it.
"Of course."
You bite your lip and pull your phone out of your pocket. "Uh, here. Put your number in and I'll send you a text later."
He nods and puts the number in, handing it back to you. "I'll talk to you later, Cronus."
You pull him into a hug and press a soft kiss to his lips. "I'll talk to you later."
With those words, he leaves with Porrim and you know. You know that this isn't the end for the two of you.
