Heartbreak
D'Jok stood alone, his gaze downcast as he seethed silently. His face was scrunched in deep thought, his arm folded tightly. No one dared to ask him anything; he looked like he was going to implode any second. His mouth curled into an uncharacteristic scowl that bore an uncanny resemblance to none other than (ironically) Sinedd.
Tia frowned at the sight. She could hear Rocket talking to her, but her mind wasn't registering anything he was saying. Her eyes flicked behind Rocket again, growing more and more uneasy. It was strange to see someone so energetic and persistent now brooding alone. Rocket paused, seeing distracted gaze dart back and forth.
"I'm going to go over to D'Jok," Tia said suddenly. "He's not taking the break-up well."
"He'll get over it," Rocket replied, "Mei made her choice, he's just going to have to learn to accept it. We're all learning to cope without her."
His indifference clashed with Tia's concern as she shook her head in disagreement; she could relate to the pain of a heartbreak more than Rocket. No one deserved to be alone with the seemingly never-ending despair.
"Maybe... but right now he needs someone to talk to."
Rocket followed Tia's line of sight, his expression not changing much. "Good luck trying to get him to talk," he said halfheartedly.
As Tia stood up, Mark saw his chance and took her place, striking a conversation with Rocket. She walked towards D'Jok with quick, decisive steps. Her heart drop slightly as D'Jok made no effort to acknowledge her.
"You okay, D'Jok" Tia asked tentatively, resting a comforting hand on his shoulder.
D'Jok didn't respond. What was there to say? How was he supposed to feel about his girlfriend breaking up with him to date his arch-enemy? No, he was not okay- he was pissed off! All he wanted to do was punch Sinedd in the face. And Mei- she didn't even have the decency to properly break-up with him. He had to find out on national television! Did she even bother to think how her team-mates felt about her abandoning the team without warning, without so much as a hint? His life was falling apart when he finally thought he had everything together. Honestly, he wasn't in the mood for a training session. He wanted to just go home.
'How embarrassing! It's bad enough we lost the friendly match against the Shadows and now she's joined them!' he internally sulked.
He heard Tia sigh next to him and felt a pang of guilt. He glanced side-ways and saw Tia was starting to retreat. D'Jok held her arm, gently stopping her in her tracks. He didn't know why it was so easy to talk to Tia. He always harbored a special kind of respect for her that he didn't share with anyone else on the team. It all started from the moment he first saw her in the try-outs all those years ago. Something about her eyes made it impossible to lie to her.
"No, I feel terrible," he admitted lowly.
Tia gave him a commiserating smile. "Do you want to talk about it tonight before we leave for Paradisia?"
"Sure," D'Jok said, a warm feeling passing through him at her offer. "Thanks a lot, Tia."
Another empty glass slammed on the bar. The robot bartender picked it up and replaced it with another full one. That too was downed immediately. Another refill. The empty glass slammed again, but this time it stayed empty.
"Give me another one," came the gravelly order.
D'Jok's throat burned as the liquid slid down his throat, raw and dry. The soothing numbness that came afterwards was worth the horrible, stinging taste. He was starting to see double, but he didn't care. He just wanted the pain to go away, and the more he drank, the more he fell himself fall into an abyss of oblivion.
Black Ice wasn't a typical nightclub. Hidden deep in the underground levels of Akillian, it was avoided by citizens who weren't keen on getting in trouble with the local authority. The nightclub had a notorious reputation for hosting illegal parties among other illicit activities, such as prostitution. D'Jok was lost in the crowd of intoxicated people, too drunk to discover that a GFC player was in their midst. Yet despite the commotion of voices, music, and cheers, he felt lonely. Rejected and morose, but he didn't want anyone's pity, just another drink.
"You have had many already," the robot said. Fear could be heard in its mechanical voice.
The boy glared at useless piece of machinery, grabbing it by its metal neck. "I said give me another fucking shot!"
"D'Jok!" A worried voice cried. The newcomer forced his arm back with all her strength. After a tense moment, he loosened his grip, sparing the poor robot from his wrath. "What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like?" D'Jok retorted sarcastically, waving the empty glass. "I was drinking but this son of a bitch won't let me!" The robot immediate scrambled away, not wanting to get attacked again.
"Good! I'd rather you not destroy your liver tonight," Tia rebuked. The multicolored lights flashing above them painted her platinum blonde hair in different colours. There was an air of awkwardness about her as she shifted uncomfortably on the stool beside him.
Tia picked up the shot glass and moved it to the side, swiftly silencing his protests with a stern look. After she realised D'Jok didn't turn up where they planned to meet up, her mind struck with dread as it thought of the worst case scenario. If news reporters spotted two GFC champions in this filthy, hedonistic dwelling, Aarch would never let them out again for the rest of their lives! She wouldn't dare to think what her parents would say if they saw her here.
D'Jok's jacket was crumpled and his hair an unruly mess. He clearly skipped the shower after training too. Tia decided not to comment on his appearance, instead turning her attention to their current surroundings. The music boomed in the club, deafening her. She scanned the club with a grimace: half-naked people gyrated on one another while others unabashedly made-out with each other, limbs entangled together. Others sat around a table in the corner in a puff of smoke, dazed and inebriated. Fumes whirled around the club, bringing along a revolting stench that made her stomach churn. She pinched her nose in distaste at the scene.
It reeked of debauchery.
"We agreed to meet at the park, remember?"
D'Jok did remember, but the the music blaring in the club and idea of drinking seemed more attractive than a walk in the frozen nature. Bright lights flashed around them as bodies crowded on the dance floor. The beat of music bounced off the walls and vibrated the air. He could hardly think straight, but he liked that. It stopped him from concentrating on the fucked up mess that was his life: failure as a football player, betrayed by his girlfriend, publicly dumped, a father he hadn't seen in months, and a new addition: an incomplete team with no chance of winning. D'Jok slouched miserably against black marble bar; the list seemed to grow by day. What's next? Actually scratch that, D'Jok wasn't interested in more misfortune.
Unlike, everyone else in his life, Tia made an effort to help him out. She was the only constant he had. D'Jok pressed his lips tightly together, his jaw clenched. Did he disappoint Tia too?
"Am I an asshole, Tia?"
"What?" She uttered, taken aback by the bluntness of his question.
"Am I a selfish, self-centred, fucking asshole?" he reiterated, his tone no longer furious but resigned.
"No, of course not!"
The unequivocal answer made him scoff in disbelief. Tia exhaled and took his hand into hers, urging him to look into her eyes.
"Listen D'Jok, you are a great player and a brilliant friend," she said confidently. "Yes, sometimes you do let fame get the better of you, but you are most definitely not a jerk."
"Mei thinks I am," he grumbled, finally plucking he courage to meet Tia's piercing eyes. "She probably doesn't think Sinedd is an asshole even though we all know he is the biggest one in the galaxy." He didn't bother to hide the jealousy that slithered into his words.
Tia couldn't help but smile at the petulance in his voice. It was definitely the alcohol. She squeezed his hand and D'Jok reciprocated, holding her small hand firmly. The gesture comforted his pain a hundred times better than countless drinks he swigged.
"You and Mei didn't get on well, did you?" Tia quipped, brazenly. "You two would always argue over the smallest thing. I heard it all the time- and sometimes, I wasn't even in the same room! Seriously, what did you like about Mei that makes you feel this upset?"
Though she had always thought Mei and D'Jok were never suited for one another, saying it directly to him was somewhat daunting. She never shied away from disagreeing with D'Jok. To her initial surprise, D'Jok would listen and consider her words, rather than snapping with indignation like he'd do with everyone else. Still, she felt it was not her place to get involved in his personal love life.
D'Jok's eyebrows knitted together in confusion and his gaze fell as he thought hard. He didn't know if it was because off the alcohol, but his mind was blank. He glanced back at Tia. 'Sweet, angelic Tia,' D'Jok thought tenderly.
Mei wasn't understanding like Tia, she'd always find a way to make him take the blame. Their hobbies didn't align either. D'Jok couldn't fathom why someone needed so much clothes, and he hated doing the commercials with her. Aside from football, what did they have in common? Where they simply together because it was convenient? But he did like her style.
"She's r-really...hot," he slurred, realising how pathetic it sounded out loud.
"I think you're upset because she picked Sinedd over you."
The pin dropped. For a moment, the noise in the club waned into silence and and D'Jok's eyes widened at the revelation. The fog clouding his senses cleared up and his jaw slacked as it sunk in. His ego was hurt; the girl he thought loved him, left him for a guy he despised from day one, for a team that constantly taunted them. It was a kind of icy betrayal he'd never experienced before.
"Come'on, let's go before someone recognizes us," Tia said, looking around suspiciously.
She slipped off the stool and pulled D'Jok with her. He obeyed, tripping over his foot as he stumbled off. Tia held back a giggle as she put his arm over her shoulder for support. There was no way he could walk straight in this state. It was hilarious to see someone as athletic as D'Jok to act clumsily.
"Why are you helping me?" D'Jok asked, an unreadable expression on his face.
"You're drunk, silly."
"No, I mean why are you helping me?" he repeated angrily. "No one else gives a shit- not even my best friend- why do you?"
"I care about you," Tia said softly, sounding more intimate than she intended. The blush on his cheeks was drowned by the neon lights of the nightclub. "You tried to help me when Rocket left and now I'm going to help you get over Mei, I promise."
As they headed out of the club, the music quietened until the loudest sound was the echo of their footsteps beneath the concrete. The underground corridors were lit by dim bulbs fizzling in and out of life. D'Jok didn't need much help but he secretly enjoyed the closeness of their bodies- and it had nothing to do with the coldness. He pulled her in closer, his arm curling around her shoulder. Sensing this, Tia draped her other arm behind his back for extra (unbeknownst to her, entirely unnecessary) support. D'Jok absent-mindedly stared at her lips as they walked into the bitterly cold night of Akillian. The streets were empty and if not for the eerie howl in the air, it would have been silent too. He watched the frosty wind scrape passed Tia's pale face, pushing her silky hair against his face. Without a single thought, D'Jok leaned inches away from her face, tempting a forbidden desire.
"I hope I find someone as wonderful and beautiful as you, Tia," he confessed, his breath hot against her cool skin. "Rocket has no idea how lucky he is."
This time a red-hot blush spread across Tia's face, one not even the wintry air could diminish. Her mind struggled to formulate a sentence as she stared into his hazy, emerald eyes that seemed to gleam brighter under the silvery moonlight. She wondered if it was the alcohol compelling him speak like that, but was glad D'Jok was too drunk to notice it.
Except he did.
GF is brilliant and it's saddening that there isn't a big fandom for this show because it really deserves more attention. Anyways, please review!