He wakes up after dreaming of her again.
Some nights it seems too real when she's standing in front of him, her golden fur gleaming in the darkness, her arms wide and awaiting his touch. And when he embraces his pillow, in the mirage, it almost feels like his face is buried into the soft fur of her cheek, inhaling that heavenly scent from so long ago.
But then he wakes up.
The bed is wet with sweat and tears. It comes off even worse when your tail can cry as well. He groans, the scent of booze is ripe on his breath and a thumping hangover rakes his sight. He just sighs and drags himself to the shower. Most mornings are like this.
He's just spat out a swab of mouthwash when his phone begins ringing, he winces as the high pitched drone scrapes through his mind, and half heartedly trudges to his room to answer, not even bothering to look at the caller ID.
Which was a major mistake.
"Uh," He rubs his eyes with a tired cough. "Hello…"
Hello yourself, asshole!" A feminine voice screeches into his ear, he winces as his ear drums ring and his skull pounds with agony. Through a tight exhale of air he's able to address the girl he immediately recognises, too shattered to take notice of the venom evident in her grumbling.
"Oh…hey baby, how's it…"
Don't 'baby' me, scumbag!" His girlfriend hisses, "Where were you last night?!"
He wipes his tired eyes and sighs, racking his brain through the hazy drunken memories. "Uh? Just out on the town, I think." He looks to his bedside table and frowns at the battalion of fallen beer cans that surround his lamp. "I-It's a little hazy, I'm not sure."
Clearly!" The girl spits contemptuously, "Well, I'm pretty sure this is just like the past gazillion times you've woken up plastered out of your pathetic mind?!"
He groans and buries his aching face in a palm, "Come on, it was just two-"
I'm not interested! I'll come get my things later today."
Now he begins to panic. "Oh come on, babe! It was just one night!"
A moment of silence screams how he's said something wrong.
You didn't remember, did you?" A furious, but wounded, voice mumbles.
'Oh Shit.' He blurts it out weakly. "…Anniversary?"
The frustrated sigh seems to poison his mind. "Goodbye, Zill." The phone goes dead. He throws it onto his bed with a disgusted grunt and a sluggish mind. 'Nice work, Romeo!' His subconscious scoffs as he collapses onto the bed, 'That's another relationship you've ruined!'
Zill would normally drink away these thoughts, but unfortunately that idea would probably kill him when he's in this state, so he grits his teeth and pushes himself forward in the day, his face uncaring and unfeeling while his tail mopes pathetically along the floor. He forces himself through a shower and unwanted, but needed, cup of coffee and gets to work.
He sorts together the girls stuff into a neat pile and leaves it in his hallway, it's the least he can do after the last, semi-fun, six months. She'd most likely leave her key which Zill would quickly flush down the toilet, he doesn't need any reminders of another heartbreak, the last time he allowed that to happen he spent the day in bed crying and stuffing his face with, at least, four boxes of ice cream.
The headache is still pounding when he lazily slumps onto his kitchen table, his face sliding across the marble frame. How? How could he let this happen again?! What the hell was wrong with him? And this one seemed to be going so well… minus the several times he'd woken up drunk, and he really had thought this one was going to last. Lifting up his face, he notices the reflection staring back at him and he cringes.
Red, tired eyes, murky bags sagging from his eyelids, messy stubble growing grimly on his once smooth chin, even his snake tail had lost it's colour, turning from a bright emerald green to a dirty colour that could be mistaken for vomit. It was actually a miracle he could still gain a girlfriend.
Somehow a throaty chuckle escaped him. He really had been hitting the lowballs since he left the Academy; there he was a freakin' stallion! Popular, charming, talented! It had been him at his peak, every girl wanting a piece of-
He pauses in mid thought and sinks deeper into his depression. Yes, every girl had loved the very breath of his name. But he only needed one girl. The only girl who it seemed had ever made him truly happy.
And he let her go. For a girl who, at the time, had lured him in with the prospects of relationship that would offer him much more… entertainment, and had ultimately ended after two emotionless, empty months, by that point they'd graduated and the girl he had truly loved had sunk into her own life and faded from his as he spiralled further into his self made mess.
He sniffed and slowly opened his phone, resting beside his face like a mockery, scrolling through his photo gallery with a twisted dread until he felt his phone stop on an image like the thump of a heartbeat. His eyes blurred and a weak breath rattled across his tongue as he rolled her name along like velvet.
"Kayla…" In the photo she was blissfully wrapped around his frame, her cheek pressing against his until they seemed to form one joyful smile, her eyes gleamed like a summer sky that reflected a love that was meant for only him. A tear almost comes to his eye at the pure happiness that the picture paints, an emotion stripped from him, for so long, bursts through the memory to mercilessly taunt him for his pathetic state.
No matter what mind numbingly stupid things he did in the future, nothing would be worse than when he let her go. It had seemed a decent idea at the time, both wanted to take a few weeks to try and see other people, not out of spite, just because they hadn't ever done it. Ever since first years they'd been dating, after all, it made sense to just take one moment to breathe before making any life decisions.
And, rushing into it, he met someone and broke up his five year spell of joy. Then that someone left him. He'd desperately tried to call Kayla after, just to apologise for every stupid thing he did, but each call was met with a voicemail until eventually a harsh beeping sound had revealed how she had changed her number. He was all alone.
Missing her.
Zill sighs, his face burying into his arms but still leaving his eyes glazed on the image. His empty chest twisted at her beauty, at the possible happiness he threw away. He would have done anything to have just seen her once, since their painful departure; just one glimpse of her face again, not on his phone, but flesh and blood just a few feet away from him, would immediately electrify his numb mind. It was selfish and pathetic, he knew, but he couldn't help it, he just wanted to see her again.
Then why don't you idiot? Safe Haven is only an hour away, you miserable insect!'
Zill blinks, raises himself up for a second, then immediately lays back down into his misery. No, there was no way he could just turn up out of nowhere. He was sad but he wasn't some sort of creep.
Who said it had to be out of nowhere? Ever heard of friends just bumping into each other? Just act like it's some kind of coincidence.'
He shakes his head in disbelief, that was still pretty freaky! Plus, Kayla wasn't an idiot! She'd see through that kind of petty lie any day.
Okay, then don't see Kayla. Fine. But go to Safe Haven anyways, all right? I'm sick of leaching inside this room like some damn slug. Just go back, hit a few bars, make some friends, Hell maybe even see some old ones! Anything beats rotting away in here cause of some stupid self pity.'
Zill raises a brow and tucks his hand under his chin. That actually wasn't that bad an idea. It had been years since he'd visited his old home district, he'd been so caught up with job searching in the E District that he'd never had time before, he hadn't even seen any of his old friends from school, though he did have a monthly call with Jack every now and then, just to catch up with the other's life, but the last time that happened was a year ago, and now Zill was pretty much free; work was on a slump and he had no girlfriend to appease so there was no reason he couldn't head back to his old stomping grounds.
Besides, it wasn't like he'd ever see her. She would probably be busy working on her next record, he exhaled in a mixture of relief and disappointment, there was no way he'd see her again. He rubs his stubbled face with a sigh, he needed a break anyway, perhaps getting away for a night would do him a bit of good.
He turns off his phone without looking at the picture again, he doesn't need that familiar pit to rise up again, and he painfully stretches his tired limbs as he raises from his bed and heads to his bathroom to freshen up. He forced down the pit with a harsh gulp and takes a deep breath, his chest rising a little with forced optimism.
It was time he actually had a good time for once.
...
The first thing Zill thought when he exited Safe Haven Station was of how little the city had changed. Apart from a few semi-familiar faces obviously marked with age, the city looked remarkably similar; the buildings still gleamed with marvellous neon flashes against the already colourful streets, shops Zill recognised still remained intact, if not looking better than before. The sky was hazy with a mellow, earlt evening glow, a flock of birds cawing peacefully over the city as lay perched on a bridge marked with an omniscient eye.
The nostalgia was already lifting a smile on Zill's face, the colours rushed a warm sense of familiarity in the chimera. He looked at his watch and grinned, the bars would be open by now, and after three boiling hours on the train he really was in need of a drink. Zill noticed how the burst of colour surrounding him seemed to interweave the sky, as he strolled through, surging into neon lightning that gloriously sparked in the air. The E District glowed like this as well, but Zill found this time the colours painted a cordial spark of happiness in his chest, something that had been bare from him for far too long. He didn't stop to greet anyone as he strode past, but it didn't stop him recognising the creatures, which was something they clearly were having trouble with when it came to him. Zill's eyes glided to his side as he noticed a pair stroll past him; a tall boy with antlers impressively emerging from his golden hair, happily chatting with a yellow faced, and dressed, girl who Zill could just make out had a set of pointed fangs, Zill could vaguely remember their names were Autumn and Daphne, but they paid him no mind as they walked by him, too caught up in their conversation to take notice.
Zill felt surprised by this, did they really not recognise him? He wasn't friends with them at ZPA, but he would have thought they'd at least notice him, he was one of the weirdest looking creatures to grace the academy after all; if his popularity in school hadn't earnt their attention, he would have thought his appearance would. Still, no need to get bothered about it, it wasn't like he was close friends with them anyways. It didn't matter in the end.
He told himself this, but a harsh air of annoyance still stung at the back of his mind. It was incredibly immature, but he hated the inferiority that the 'encounter' had left twisting in his stomach. He didn't feel like he was important in any way, but even a simple nod of acknowledgement would have been nice. He was definitely reading too much into it, but he couldn't help it. He hated feeling like he was a nobody.
It grew tiring after twelve break ups that left him sobbing in the dirt.
Zill was pulled out of his thoughts as he instinctively squinted when something bright shot against his eye. He cringed and covered his gaze in a dark sheild of shadow, looking in the direction of the disturbance. He raised a brow when he caught sight of a familiar large, glass dome towering over the horizon of city buildings; had the academy always been that close? Or had Zill really been gone for that long? It had seemed like just yesterday that he had been a student under that building, still laughing at Friday night parties with friends that had inevitably become estranged, and still working tirelessly to earn his dream position in society. He'd had it all planned out then: A performance major that would grow into an acting career, a beautiful tropical house in the suburbs, which would mean he could live a relatively peaceful life with the girl of his dreams.
Zill could have chuckled at the different reality life had struck him with, if it wasn't so God damn depressing.
He was unknown and unimportant to anyone; no close friends, no family, no girlfriend at all. The contrast was tragically thick.
The city itself seemed to be unwelcome to Zill; his slumped, sluggish gait was a dark smear against the lively, extavagent colour and energy of Safe Haven. It was like Zill didn't belong, like he had no right to even step foot in the universal city, even the people he passed differentiated from him with their bright smiles and confident strides.
It was only when Zill felt a neon shine against his cheek that he bothered to raise his eyes. A luminous sign of a martini was glinting above his head, it's lights flashing red and blue in an almost winking manner. From two long glass windows a stream of vibrant colours shot from the bar, the colours trembling as thumping beat of club music echoed from the interior with the drunken laughter of patrons. It was a familiar sight to the chimera. He grinned, glad to be free of the isolated atomisphere he had been trapped in, as he pushed open the doors.
The club was about as cliche as Zill expected of a centre city bar, flashing neon lights from a center set spinning disco ball, Latin music erupting from the loudspeakers so hard that Zill could only just hear the constant chatting of the wasted crowd surrounding him, and several cheesy posters of show girls and E District mansions lining the walls and flashing against the darkened room. It was not a great club by any means, but it was still a club that would offer Zill with the drink he needed.
He sat down at the bar where the tiger bartender stood lazily polishing a glass, he barely looked up at Zill before offering a half hearted greeting. "What'll ya have, bud?" He said, barely above a mumble, the droop of his whiskers communicating his disinterest.
Zill inwardly scoffed but kept silent. "Manhattan. No ice, please." The tiger nodded glumly and crouched to retrieve a glass.
"Not seen ya around before," the tiger said, pulling out an extract of bourbon, "New to the city?"
"Nah," Zill said, "I used to live here before I graduated, thought I'd come back for a little break."
"Where ya from now?" The tiger scraped out a dish of ice and gently dipped it into a glass.
"E District."
The tiger made a mock sound of impressment, "Doing well for yourself then?"
Zill shrugged, "Well enough." Then his voice dropped, "Less than I'd hope." His eyes glazed as he watched the tiger mix the drink together into a murky brown fluid.
The tiger scoffed, "Meh, trust me man, if you've made E District you've got no reason to be down." He dropped a cherry into the drink with a messy clink and walked away, leaving the conversation at that.
Zill couldn't tell if that last line had meant to be comforting or condescending, and he decided he didn't care. He'd forget about the conversation as soon as he was finished tonight. He offered himself a sarcastic toast and took a sip of the drink. He sighed in relief as the liquid already began to sink into his mind, blanking out the music and laughter behind him and dipping him into a hazy isolation.
This was what he needed. Just a chance to ignore all the shit that was weighing him down in the E District. He didn't care that it would all be over by tomorrow and he would probably be back into his pathetic state, he had his drink and he had his privacy, he would finally enjoy a few hours of peace.
"Hey there, baby! What you up to, eh?"
'Oh shit.' Zill already knew what was going on, he'd been to enough clubs. 'Don't look sideways, don't you dare look sideways!'
His eyes shifted to the side.
A girl sat in the stool next to him, pale skinned and short blonde hair flowing elegantly over her ear. She wore a plain white blouse with a black dress. Two blue eyes stared boredly ahead as a middle aged wolf lurched behind her with an ugly grin. His paw clutched her shoulder gently, but predatory, as his maw whispered just behind the nape of her neck.
The girl took silently took a deep breath, keeping her posture straight, "I'm in a bar, I suppose." She said, her voice hard despite its youthful air.
"I see," the wolf hissed with a chuckle, "How about I buy you a drink?" His paw tightened on her shoulder.
"I already have a drink, thanks." She said through clenched teeth.
The wolf took a step further, his grimy coat practically pressed against her back. "Then how about a dance?"
The girl shivered slightly, "No thanks."
"Why not?" Zill could see the tightness of his paw was beginning to discomfort the girl, she raised a hand to her throat, clutching something Zill couldn't see over her shoulder.
"I-I don't dance." The girl dipped her head, her golden locks hiding her eyes, but Zill could hear the tears in her voice. He cringed and inhaled gently, he needed to calm down. This...this wasn't his buisiness.
But when a claw began to sprout from the paw, Zill felt his fist tighten on his glass. "Hey, I'm just trying to be polite, darling!" Both Zill and the girl could hear the threat in his tone. The girl shifted to her left, to face Zill, and he could finally see what the girl was clutching.
It was a pendant. A long silver necklace with a small golden cross hanging from a ring. The girls shaking hand clutched it with a prayer.
Zill stood up intently and set a hand on the girls other shoulder. Both the girl and the wolf turned to look at him, the chimera looked passively at the wolf, his eyes blank and expertly disguising his fury.
The wolf bared a fang, "You got a problem, man."
Zill laughed dryly, "Potentially." He gently looked down at the girl with a warm smile, "You okay?"
The girl stared at him in disbelief, but the wolf spat out before she could talk. "Just great, so how 'bout you sit back down, pal?"
Zill looked at him with a unimpressed grin, "Nah, I don't think I will." He said, sipping down the rest of his drink expertly.
The wolf's muzzle contracted, revealing a set of rotten but sharp teeth. The girl sank as she realised a fight would soon break out. "You deaf man, or you just got a death wish." His other paw reached out threateningly.
Only to be caught in Zill's burning, iron grip. The wolf recoiled in shock and pain as the green glow surrounding the chimera seemed to seat into his flesh. Zill's state turned cold and he leant forward, two green firery eyes darting into the terrified yellow ones.
"You know what I've always heard?" Zill growled in a tone he knew was threatening, "Those with a death wish are often the most deadly people. You wanna see if that's true?"
The wolf pulled away in a start, his hands opened against his chest in defeat, "Hey, man. I got no issue with you, allright." He said, backing away defensively.
"Let's keep it that way, then." Zill spat, his gaze not letting up until he could see the mongrel running down the street, through the long windows, with his tail between his legs.
Zill settles back down gently, his palm slipping off the girls shoulder. Her blue eyes stared greatfully at Zill, her mouth open in a small 'o'. Zill smiled at her, "You okay."
"Y-Yeah," The girl stammered, returning the smile, "Thank you for that."
"No problem, I can't stand creeps like that." He shrugged.
"Were you really gonna hit him?"
Zill chuckled, "I didn't need to. The guy was a pansy, just needed someone to remind him of his place."
She rubbed her shoulder sheepishly, like she was cleansing the area that had been tainted. "Well, I owe you one." She said, her smile broadening further.
Zill shook his head, "No you don't. Any decent guy would have done the same." He pushed his glass away from him and sat back down with a call to the tiger again. "Glad I could help, anyway."
Zill didn't notice the girl frown as he turned back to the tiger. "Usual then, big man." The feline said with a smirk.
Before Zill could even roll his eyes, the girl already edged further to him and pressed into the conversation. "Put this on my tab, okay."
The tiger blinked dully, but shrugged and glanced at Zill. The chimera scoffed gently, "No. No you don't have to do that."
Two crisp dollar bills were already slammed against the table. The girl grinned smugly and patted the bills jokingly, "I should have told you," She said, her voice as cool as an iceicle, "I hate owing people."
The tiger had taken the money before Zill could retort, and by that point Zill was smiling too hard to care.
...
Her name was Ivy.
She lived in the animal District of Safe Haven, near lake area which was appropriate since she was a swan avian. Zill and her clinked another pair of glasses together as they began another round of small talk. They were two rounds in already, and were being careful not to get too wasted as Ivy had to walk home later.
Ivy took a sip of wine, barely covering a chortle. "So, an actor huh?"
Zill felt his head growing hazy, but he managed to spill out coherent sentences. "That's what my agent tells me."
"Wow, that must be great." She sounds genuinely impressed, not like the flirts who only wanted to get in Zill's pants. He set his glass down with a sigh.
"Not as much as you'd think."
He expects her to frown, but she looks innocently surprised. "Really? Why's that?"
Zill exhales deeply from his chest, sinking down with tired nuisance. "The way it's been for me: I spend most of my time looking for work, and when I find work it ends after a month."
"What about understudy work? Surely that comes once in a blue moon."
Zill scoffs, "Yeah, but a blue moon really isn't that often." He frowns slightly, "Especially when you're the third choice understudy."
Ivy cringes back, "I'm sorry." Like she's done something morally wrong.
Zill offers her a gentle gaze, "Not your fault." He mutters, taking another swig if his drink. "It's the life of an actor, was never gonna be easy."
Her blue eyes wilter like a ripple in a stream. She relaxes with a smile and her pale face heats up with a pink burn. "I-I'll see if I can see you perform, next time your in a show."
Zill smiles but he doesn't feel anything. "That's kind of you to say." For a moment they sat in silence, neither knowing what to say.
"So...what do you do for a living?" Zill inquired.
Ivy lit up with a happy blush. "Oh, I'm a teaching assistant at the local middle school." She exclaimed proudly.
The drink fell from Zill's lips as he leant in with interest. "Really? What year?"
"The younger ones mostly." Her cheeks bulged as her grin lifted with a childish squeal. "I love kids!"
Zill chuckled at her obvious passion for her work, then he raised a brow in wonder. "Does Clarissa still work there?"
Ivy's eyes brightened, "Oh, you know Ms Clarissa?"
"Not personally, but her father taught me at the Academy."
"Oh! Mr Fabian!" Ivy exclaimed.
Zill snapped his fingers with a grin. "That's him! Loved that guy, he was so down to Earth!"
Ivy smiled with him. "Yes, he is pretty funny. I think he's married now! To some human if I remember correctly."
He almost choked on his drink. "Ms Walden?!"
Ivy shot up so fast that her hair swung swiftly around her ear and over an eye. "That's her! Did she teach you as well?"
"She was the guidance councillor!" Zill laughed with a shake of his body. "Can't believe she married him! She was always terrified of animals if I remember correctly!"
"Well, people change." Ivy grinned, "My dad always said to 'expect the unexpected'" She burst out into a laughter with Zill, who wiped a drop of alcohol of his lip.
"Not bad advice." He sure as Hell never expected the woman who screamed at every sight of fur or paw to end up marrying a fox of all things.
Ivy laughed again, "You never know who'll end up with who." She leans forward with half lidded eyes and a smug demeanor. "I mean did you hear about that pop star, what was her name, Kayla Christling?"
The sentence slapped him in the face. His face grew stiff and his eyes widened and grew still. "W-What?" He said, his voice barely above a breath.
The girl noticed the obvious change in attitude and paused. "Is something wrong?" She asked innocently, drawing back when a stony gaze met hers.
"What about Kayla Christling?"
The look on her face told Zill how Ivy regretted her words, even if she didn't know why. She gulped and let out a shaky breath. "Y-You didn't hear?" She stammered, "About h-her new boyfriend?"
That sentence dug in like a knife. Zill felt his face drop and his mouth hang like a nail in a cracked wall. No. There was no way she... He would have known! He knew her! Jack would have told him! He lived in the city and heard all the recent news. He knew how much Zill cared about her! His breathing quickened and his eyes began to blur from hysteria, he looked up blankly at the girl now showing open fear and concern for his well being.
"Are you okay?" Ivy said, her hand drawing on his.
He pulled it away, his arms sinking into his body. "What new boyfriend?" He said, his tail stiffening and rising to cast a terrified glare at the girl,
Ivy cringed, "I-It didn't matter. Forget I said any-"
"Who is it?" Zill said, his voice sharp as flint. He was beginning to emit a green aura around him, his own eyes burning emerald in pain. Ivy leant back in confused fear at the chimeras drastic attitude and let out a stream of words just below a whisper.
"Tha-That Demon guy!" Ivy said, "I-I think his name was Damian! Damian Beelzy!"
And that sentence was a bullet to Zill's gut.
No way. No way in Hell. There was no freakin' way that Damian Beelzy, the damn Antichrist, was in a relationship with Kayla. Zill felt his fists tremble in an unspeakable fury. "You're lying!" He growled, his frown knotting his brow tremulously.
"What?" Ivy squeaked.
"You're fucking lying to me!" Zill repeated, raising up from his chair. "I-I...went to school with Kayla and there is no chance that she would ever date that little brat Demon!" Zill could feel his blood bubble as he continued to rant. She had to be lying, she had to, there was no doubt in Zill's mind that she was.
The Avian was remaining remarkably calm, she was more confused than scared, her original blurts were more out of surprise than anything. She had no idea why this boy would suddenly go nuts on her because of some other relationship, regardless of if he had history with the girl. "Look," She said, looking him bravely in the eyes, "I don't know what your problem is, but I swear down that I'm not lying to you."
Zill felt his teeth bare, "I don't believe you!"
Ivy rolled her eyes with a scoff, "Why on Earth would I lie to you about that? I just met you for crying out loud!"
She was talking sense, and that made Zill angrier. "I don't believe you!" He repeated, his voice growing hoarse.
"Don't get angry with me over nothing, Zill." Ivy said, returning with her own frown, "I'm thankful for what you did earlier but I'm not just gonna let you treat me like dirt over some singers boyf-"
"I don't believe you!"
His scream cut above the music, several heads turning to stare at the outburst. The music continues to thump regardless, emphasising the silence of the crowd. Ivy drew down in embarrassment, covering her face with a lock of hair. Zill felt hot tears prick the corner of his eyes. "I'm not gonna let you sit there and lie to me!"
Ivy didn't look back up at him, but Zill heard her sigh. "Fine." She said dryly, "Don't. I don't care what you believe. I don't even know, or want to know, why you care."
"Good. It's none of your business." Zill spat, still staring down the girl and blinking his tears away before they could spill. Nobody dared to speak for a minute, almost like their voice would hammer into the tension like a nail. Then, without another word, Zill threw a crumpled ten dollar bill on the bar and walked out of the scene. "Keep the change." He mumbled to the bartender, now staring intently at Zill along with the rest of the crowd. The only person not looking at Zill was Ivy, who refused to look in Zill's direction until he left the bar.
Zill began to storm down the streets in no particular direction, his fists were white as his claws pressed deep into his palms, threatening to draw blood. The sun was beginning to set and the sky began to tint with a darkened cloud of night. His face was tight with fury as he continued in his rage. How dare that girl lie to him? There was no way that Kayla was dating that Hell spawn! That 'girl' was probably just some demonic slave set up by the little brat to mess with Zill's head. Christ, if he ever saw that prick again he was going to wring the little freak's neck in.
And yet, the heartbroken look on Zill's tail confirmed he had doubts.
Zill stares at the limp serpent, "What the Hell are you upset about?! She was lying, we both know that!"
The tail just stared sadly at him.
The chimera groaned, "Oh come on! Kayla was terrified of the pest at ZPA, why the heck would she start kissing him?!" Just the mere thought made him shudder.
Again, the snake just stared at him with two hollow eyes.
He cursed the damn tail and turned a corner. What the hell was he so angry about? The girl was lying, he knew she was.
'Why would I lie to you?'
'Good question.' Zill thought bitterly. It had to be some sick joke, Kayla did not have a new boyfriend, she just couldn't.
His tail shot up stiff, Zill could feel its glare burning into his back, as if to scream. "Why the Hell not?!"
Zill just continued down the market place, where several stores were already settling down for the night. He refused to acknowledge the serpent anymore, he wasn't going to get upset over some stupid insercurities.
He was almost at the train station now, forget his mood, Safe Haven was just making it worse. He passed by a set of street stores and a turnway before hearing a belt of laughter fill the air from his left. He turned and saw a blue car parked outside a comic book store, facing away from him. A tall red jackal wearing dark sunglasses and a black/red jacket stepped out of the store, his face lighting with a smile as the car door opened and a beautiful peach kangaroo stepped out, returning with an impossibly happy grin.
Zill couldn't even blink, he just stood behind a corner watching the scene with eyes like plates.
"I don't understand how you are always on time, Kay!" Damian piped, stepping up to meet the kangaroo's open embrace with a sweet kiss on her cheek.
Kayla giggled, pressing her head against the jackal's chest with a sly smile, "Oh I'm sorry, would you prefer if I left you here for the night." She said, playfully elbowing him in the gut, and heading back to the car. "I'll get right on it."
Damian grinned, rubbing the sore spot as he followed her to the vehicle, wrapping his arms around her frame and gently pulling her back. "How about we just spend the night out here? Together." He said lustily, his fur intertwining with hers.
Kayla pouted her lip, as if in thought. "Hmm. I'm afraid I'm gonna have to pass on that, Dame." She lifted his arms off her then made her way to the drivers seat. Damian chuckled and opened the car door, then set up with a wild grin and jumped, sliding his stomach over the hood as to meet her face with his.
Kayla's eyes narrowed but her lips still quivered into a grin, "Come on Damian, we've got to record tonight."
Damian pouted childishly, "Aw, but I just got out of work." He said in a mockingly sad tone.
"Yes. But our work means I can do this." Without another word, Kayla grabbed the sides of Damian's face and pressed her lips against his. Damian instantly returned the kiss, his eyes closing with hers as they deepened the passion, like they weren't in the middle of the street.
When they parted, Damian was still grinning. "Kayla, I think you've just found a job I'll enjoy doing."
Kayla chuckled lovingly, stroking his cheek. "Then get in the car so we can get on with it at home."
Damian obliged, jazzingly jumping into the seat next to her; and even though he couldn't see them any more and even though he had began to walk away the moment they kissed, Zill could still hear the small exchange between them.
"When was the last time I told you I love you?"
"Hm, about fifteen minutes ago on the phone."
"Then you're overdue, I love you."
"And I love you back, my angel."
...
It had just turned midnight and Ivy was on her way home. The neon lights of the city sparkled like stars against the dark of the night, and the beautiful gleam of the fish of peace only exaggerated the beauty of Safe Haven during the night time. Ivy loved walking home during the night, the streets were heavily surveillanced, so she had nothing to worry about, and the nighttime was one of the few moments Ivy could be left alone with her thoughts.
Though tonight, Ivy would have preferred not to have been left with her mind screaming at her.
She just didn't get it. It had taken just that one mention of a boyfriend and the previous gentleman had gone into an insane rage on her. She patted down her skirt in frustration, that damn...whatever the Hell he was! He had made a complete idiot out of them both, Ivy couldn't sit in that bar for one minute without someone staring at her after Zill's little out burst.
'If he's that upset over some celebrity, he can just go wallow in his pathetic pity.' Ivy thought bitterly, she wasn't pathetic like him, she wasn't gonna waste any more anger on some dick who'd gotten pissed at her when she had done nothing wrong in the slightest.
She passed a street of stores, now shut down and abandoned for the night, and turned a corner. Just a few more miles and she'd forget all about this stupid night. As she descended down the path, she saw a shape hunched down against the wall on his backside. Ivy immediately pulled a few quarters out of her purse and got ready to give it to the homeless man, she didn't want anyone to have a bad night right now.
She got ready to drop the money at the guys feet, but the she noticed the long antennae hanging down his back, the long snake tail dropped sadly against the pavement, and the figure crying his eyes out into his knees. Ivy cringed, he didn't deserve it, but she still owed him one. He had paid for both their drinks after all.
"Everything okay, Zill." Ivy dropped to her knees beside Zill, looking over him tenderly. The man said nothing and sniffed into his arms obliviously.
"You were right." He said, muffled by tears and limbs.
Ivy nodded, but her eyes softened for him, she'd always suspected it since he'd stormed out. "High school girlfriend?"
Zill kept silent, but Ivy could tell she was right. She'd had enough friends suffer from unrequited love to recognise it. "I'm sorry, for what it's worth."
The boy shook his head and lifted it to face the sky. His eyes were red and wet, and his mouth hung loose in obvious hurt. "No. I'm sorry." He looked down at his tail, "I had no right. You were just trying to help, I had no right."
"Zill, honestly I was just trying to make small talk." Ivy said, with a shy smile. The chimera made a sound of laughter but he didn't smile.
"Yeah well, I'm still sorry."
"No problem." Ivy said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "It's not easy seeing someone you like with someone else, trust me I know how it is."
"No you don't." Zill said with a scoff.
Ivy frowned, "I've had break ups before Zill, I'm well aware of how shit you feel afterwards."
Zill shook his head, wiping away the tears from his cheeks. "Not like this, you don't." Ivy's face dropped as Zill squinted at the stars, a small unhappy smile on his face. "Kayla... she was the only one who made me feel like anything, I didn't want to admit it but she's the reason I came back here." He croaked out a sob, his face becoming hot as he began to cry again, Ivy just stared at him, her hand rubbing around his shoulder blades. "It's sad, I know that more than anyone, but she was the only girl I felt comfortable with, there's never been anyone like her and there never will be."
Ivy was silent. Too silent. Zill lifted a testy gaze to glance at her and she just looked at him with a small sad frown. She shook her head and patted Zill on the back, offering him a gentle touch.
"Is that true, Zill." She said, her eyes connected with his, "Or are you just making that true."
Zill drew back with a raised brow, he frowned through his tears. "What?"
Ivy shrugged, "It's just that, Zill, when someone says that a certain someone was the only one for them and no person comes close to them." She looked at him with a sad smile, "Normally it's just a poor excuse for someone who hasn't even allowed themselves to find someone else."
"Excuse me," Zill started up, "I have had other girlfriends since Kay, you know."
"That's not what I mean. I mean you don't allow yourself to get to know these girls that well because you still believe Kayla will come back to you." Ivy said, her voice stony and hard.
Zill stared at her, opened his mouth to say something, then turned away. His eyes were set on the pavement in thought. "Th-That's Not..."
"What ended your last relationship Zill?" Ivy blurted our, her hand pulling him to face her. He started deep into her hazy blue eyes and let out a small voice.
"I...I forgot our anniversary."
Ivy's lips grew thin and she shook her head, her golden hair glinting under the stars. "You forgot... or you didn't want to remember?"
The world seemed to freeze in place. A chill traversed up Zill's spine, causing his back to sink into the wall behind him, hopelessly falling until Ivy placed a hand under his arm to support him. Zill couldn't help but let one stray tear fall down his cheek, he let out a soft moan, every inch of his being cursing himself for the stage he'd allowed, Hell even wanted, himself to fall into. All because he was too much of a coward to move on.
But he loved her. He always had. A part of him always would. But now... she had moved on, and he was still lost pining over his school days. He truly was one of the most pathetic creatures that ever disgraced the face of Earth.
The avian continued to comfort him, craning an arm around his neck and setting her face down on his shoulder. "Regardless of what you believe Zill, Kayla has still moved on, you need to as well."
Zill continued to stare forward, his eyes blank and unfocused. "How?" He croaked. "How can I just move on from the only girl I ever loved?" He knows that's true now. He knows he never truly cared about any of those rebounds he emotionally tortured over the years.
Ivy smiled at him with gentle playfulness, "Maybe by giving someone else a chance for once." She said standing up, she leant over him and extended a hand towards him. "As Jesus once said, 'Stand up and walk.' The first step of moving on is just getting on your feet.
Zill looked up at Ivy, at how her pale face settled into the night like the moon itself, at how her hair gently flickered like a star, at how she was the first person to genuinely smile at him for a long, long time. For a second, behind Ivy he almost imagined the outline of Kayla in the night sky taunting him, pulling him from freedom.
Then he blinked, and all he saw was Ivy again.
He gulped, took a deep breath and nervously extended a hand out to her. She gripped him gently and began to pull him to his feet. In one moment, Zill remembers every waking memory he spent with Kayla, the best memories of his life really, but only because he wouldn't create better ones himself. He's thankful to Kayla, he's thankful for every moment they shared, grateful for the love that once bonded them. But he still wishes her luck, and prays for her happiness in the future. She deserves that much.
Zill looks up at Ivy, suddenly afraid, but her smile tells him all he needs to know. He blinks back his tears and allows himself to return the smile.
Slowly but surely, Zill gets to his feet.
And by doing that he could finally let her go.
...
It ain't easy writing for a character you hate, but it needed to be done.
Hope you enjoyed.