Warren took a deep breath as he started to wake up. He wiped his face and sighed. The sun was already coming through the windows. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion and glanced over at his digital clock to his right. It read 9:07 a.m. Then he noticed that Layla wasn't laying next to him.
He blinked the sleep from his eyes and sat up with a groan. He was so drained. He got off the bed and walked out of his room to search for Layla. She wasn't in the bathroom, she wasn't in either of the other two rooms. He trudged downstairs and looked into the living room. She wasn't there. She wasn't in the kitchen either. He looked out the window, maybe she was outside. She wasn't.
He assumed she was at school then. He went back upstairs to begin his morning routine. He used the bathroom and then walked into one of the other rooms. That room was his personal gym. He used the punching bag, the treadmill which he didn't like very much, the belt got stuck sometimes and he would stumble so he wouldn't fall. By the time he was done, an hour had passed and he was starving.
He hopped into the shower quickly and then went to make his breakfast. A nice, smooth milkshake and slightly burnt pancakes did the trick. When he finished with the dishes, he went to lay down on the couch.
He reached over to the coffee table to grab the remote and there was a note taped to it. He picked it up and read it. "Your boss called this morning. You got a warning for missing out on work for the past week. I think you should go in today. He said be there at 11:00. Have a nice day! -Layla."
Warren sighed as he got up to get ready for work. Jeans and a red muscle shirt would do it. He pulled on his old combat boots and pulled the tie off of his hair, letting it fall over his shoulders. He sighed and left with the keys in hand.
His motorcycle would get him there quicker so he hopped on and drove there quickly. He knew that once he went through those doors, all hell would break loose.
He sighed when the flood of Cantonese words filled his ears. He looked around to count how many people he will have to handle for the day. Someone waved him over. Warren ignored his boss' yelling and walked to the very back, to the booth in the far left corner. He sat down, pushing the empty plates and trays out of the way.
"I thought you were at school. What are you doing here?" He asked, crossing his arms over the table.
Layla smiled sheepishly and shrugged, "Will was at the bus stop and I bailed."
Warren rolled his eyes, "You can't avoid him forever. You gotta get over him."
"I am over him! I just don't want to handle him." She said, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Then why not just tell him that?" Warren asked exasperatedly.
Layla furrowed her eyebrows, "Because that's something you would do! Not me. I'm not that mean." She said, shrinking away into the booth.
Warren scoffed at her in disbelief, "What? So he can be a jerk to you, but you can't bitch at him? What world are you living in, Layla?" He said harshly but it was the truth.
"I don't think being mean to him will solve anything-"
"Running away won't either." He added pointedly. Layla remained quiet. He was right. He sighed, "You just have to forget about him and everything that happened. Everything is over between you two, whether you like it or not. You can't live like this." He said firmly. He just wanted to help her even if the truth hurt her.
Layla nodded, "You're right, Warren... I gotta move on. There's nothing left for me with Will." She admitted, though sad.
"I gotta go before the boss pops a vein." Warren said as he got off the cushioned seat.
Layla sighed, her breath shaky. She couldn't hold in her tears anymore. "Warren." She whispered before he walked away. He stopped, turned his head to her and she looked up at him, tears finally falling.
He sat back down, "I knew there was something bugging you." He said knowingly.
Layla nodded, "This morning..." She whispered, "Will and I spoke." She swallowed the lump in her throat. "He told me he wanted me back... That he missed me and that he didn't like Gwen as much as he thought."
Warren closed his eyes when he heard that. "What did you say?" He asked, his voice barely audible.
"I couldn't. I couldn't say anything and then he kissed me." She whispered before sobbing into her hand.
Warren's jaw clenched. "Did you want him to?" He asked.
Layla looked hurt, "What? No, I didn't. No." She had a hard time believing he would ask that. He knew her better than that.
"And what did you do?" He asked, a bit relieved at hearing her answer.
"I...I pushed him away and came here. I knew you would be here." She said.
"You came here looking for me?"
Layla was confused at his question. Wasn't it obvious by now? "I always do."
Warren looked up at her with his dark eyes, "Even when you were on dates with Stronghold?" He asked rhetorically.
"I was always glad to see you." She admitted quietly. He wasn't sure he heard her right but he wouldn't ask.
"I'm going to have to talk to the numbskull, make sure he gets the picture." He said, leaning back into the seat and cracking his knuckles.
"I don't want you to fight him." She said frantically.
Warren leaned forward with a glare, "Why are you defending him?" He said, his voice raised a bit.
"I'm not! I don't want you getting hurt! I don't want you to fight him over this!" She wailed.
"Quiet." He hissed, looking at the people who looked over. They leaned closer to each other to be more secretive. "I have to get his head on straight, otherwise he won't leave you alone. The punk deserves it." He said quietly.
"Warren, promise me you won't go near him." She hissed. Warren clenched his jaw and looked angrily into her eyes but she was determined, not looking away like she normally did.
"Layla,"
"Warren, promise me." She cut him off abruptly.
He pouted his lips as he thought quickly, "Alright. Promise me you'll get over him. That you won't be like this." He said, wiping the tear stains off her face.
"I-"
"I'll fry his ass." He assured her.
"Fine. I promise, I'll try my best." She said with a small smile. "You should go. Your boss looks angry."
Warren looked over his shoulder and his boss was definitely glaring at him through the kitchen window. He sighed and got up, "You gonna be okay?" He asked as he picked up her tray and stacked the plates and cups in it.
Layla smiled at his concern, "Totally." She said with a nod.
"Go home." He said before walking away.
Layla patted the table before sliding out of the booth and walking out of the restaurant. She sighed looking around to see if anything would come to mind but she didn't even want to be out today so she walked to the house quietly.
The warmth of the house gave her goosebumps and she sort of smiled. She walked into the kitchen to get some water. Something on the counter caught her eye. It was her cellphone.
"I should call mom." She said as she dialed the number. She picked up quickly. "Hey, mom. Sorry I hadn't called before." She said as she walked into the living room and fell into the couch.
"That's okay, honey. How are things?"
Layla scoffed, "You won't believe this, mom." She said. "I'm locked out of the house." She said.
"What? You left the keys again? How come you call me now? Are you staying with Will?" She asked worriedly.
"No, I'm not. I'm staying with Warren." She said, not really thinking about how her mother would take it. She should have thought it through though.
"What? With Warren? Honey, that's unacceptable!"
Layla sighed, "Mom, relax, everything is going fine." She lied. It wasn't all a lie, everything was rather fine with Warren, everything under consideration. "Nice going with moving my plants, by the way." She said sarcastically.
"I'm sorry but sometimes you can be forgetful."
"I can be forgetful but you know I always water my plants." She defended.
"Your plants. Not all of them. Not all the time at least."
Layla sighed. She was right. "So how is everything in Africa?"
"Um, everything concerning the job is going great. Aside from that well, there are a lot of bugs and poisonous animals in Africa... there's hardly any water to bathe in these parts and the heat is unbearable." She said with a sigh. "The elephant rides are always fun though."
"I can imagine." Layla said with a roll of her eyes. "So everything is fine, nothing suspicious?" She asked, suddenly remembering what Magenta had said about Gwen.
"Yes, everything is fine." She said, confusion in her voice at why she would ask such a question. "Is everything okay over there? Nothing suspicious?"
"Yeah, everything is just peachy. So what is it you're doing there exactly?" She asked curiously.
"A lot of the animals at a public zoo were acting out. An elephant had a bad tusk ache and his trainer kept climbing on it for show for the tourists. They had a depressed tiger, apparently she was lonely. There was also this one case with a crazy horse who thought he was a dog. That one is the hardest of all." She explained.
"Oh, sounds like a lot of work." Layla said with a scowl.
"It is. But what about you? It has to be a hand full to live with a hothead like Warren."
"It can be hard at times but Warren is okay. He's nice and caring to me and he's giving me a place to stay for a month so it's not all bad." She said simply, not giving her mother too much information.
"Well, that's good. How are you holding up though? With the breakup, I mean." She asked worriedly.
Layla sighed, "I'm holding up fine. Warren isn't letting me crumble." She said.
"How so?"
"He's a tough guy, he doesn't like weakness so he doesn't let me. He shoves me through my problems. He isn't you, all hugs and 'everything will be fine's. He's him with 'get over it' and 'you're pathetic's" She explained.
"Sounds like you'll be fine then." She said, slightly sarcastic.
"Yeah, I will be. I miss you, mom." She said sadly.
"I miss you too, honey and I love you so-"
Beep. The call fell. Layla sighed and threw her phone aside. She fell to her side and closed her eyes for a minute.
"Little, Nancy. Now that you caught me, what game do you wanna play next?"
"Fuck you!"
"Ohh, sounds like fun. It's a little fast for me. How about we hang, first?"
Layla jumped up in fear. She was relieved that it was only the TV but she was still terrified.
"You're up."
Layla screamed. She looked over with wide eyes and it was only Warren. He was walking over with a bowl of popcorn.
"What the heck are you watching?" She asked as she turned to the TV. There was a terrifying man on the screen.
"A Nightmare on Elm Street. Never seen it?" He asked, moving to sit down so Layla moved her legs so he could.
"No, I haven't. What is he doing to her?" She asked in fear.
"I'm not gonna explain when the movie is already half way. Haven't you ever heard of Freddy Krueger?" He asked as he ate some popcorn.
"Sounds familiar..." She mumbled, too involved in the scary movie to look away.
"You scared?" He asked with an amused look on his face.
"Terrified! This is so violent, the man is sick!" She wailed.
Warren chuckled, "This isn't scary at all. The older films are scarier." He said simply.
Layla shook her head and forced herself to look at Warren. She noticed the living room was dark and only the kitchen light lit the place. "How long was I asleep?"
"I dunno. Since I got here, you've been asleep for five hours." He answered.
"When did you get here?"
He shrugged, "I worked three extra hours today. I'd say about five o'clock. Give or take." He answered again.
"I slept the entire day?"
"Shh, I'm watching a movie!" He hissed, taking more popcorn into his mouth.
Layla quieted down and left him to take a shower and maybe have something to eat later. Meanwhile, Warren finished watching A Nightmare on Elm Street, watched Jeepers Creepers and Freddy vs. Jason. It was about 1:00a.m. when he switched off the TV. He got off the couch and stretched. He looked around, slightly disoriented and didn't see Layla anywhere.
He walked upstairs and walked into his room and there she was, asleep on his bed. He wanted his bed so bad, the couch made his back and neck hurt in the mornings. He sighed, walking over to grab his pillow and blanket. He carefully tried to pull the blanket out from under her but he stopped when she groaned.
"Warren?" She whispered. Her voice was heavy with sleep.
"Get off my blanket, I need it." He said, a cold air passing by to prove his point.
"It's cold." She said, ignoring his words.
"Yeah, I know. That's why I need my blanket. Get off." He said, trying to pull them away.
Layla groaned, waking up a bit. Enough to open her eyes a centimeter. "Can't you just heat up?" She asked.
"Sure. If I wanna burn the couch and set the house on fire." He said exasperatedly.
"I meant your body."
"I can't while I'm asleep. Now get off." He snapped.
"Sleep with me." She mumbled.
Warren felt nervous for a moment but he pulled the blanket out from her, making her turn around. "Go back to sleep." He said as he went around the bed to leave.
"I can't. It's too cold, Warren. Come on." She said, patting the empty space next to her.
Warren didn't turn around and he just sighed. "You don't know what you're saying. Just go back to sleep."
"Warren." She said seriously. He turned around to face her and was taken aback when he saw her sitting up on the bed, staring at him with wide, alert eyes.
"You don't really want me to-"
"Please." She said, patting the bed again.
"Why?" He asked, walking over and climbing into his soft bed. He almost sighed in relief.
"Honestly... sometimes, when I feel lonely, I sleep with mom. Otherwise, I can't sleep." She said. She wouldn't look up at him and she fiddled with the sheets.
"You were sleeping just fine a second ago." He pointed out.
"I was having a nightmare." She said quickly.
Warren raised an eyebrow, "About?"
"That man with the gloves with knives." She admitted.
"You didn't even watch it completely. You only watched like, two minutes of it." He said, almost mockingly.
"I don't normally watch those movies. Though I admit it wasn't so scary, it got me. It's worse since I know he can get into your dreams, mess with your brain." She said, shivering at the thought. Now she barely wanted to go to sleep.
"You're such a pansy." He said, laying into the bed. Layla laid down next to him, facing him as he faced the ceiling. She watched him as he slowly fell asleep. She became nervous as he fell asleep, she wasn't sleepy in the slightest of ways and then she would be emotionally alone.
"Warren." She whispered.
"Hm?" He answered somehow.
"I can't sleep." She said, laying her head into her hand that was perched up.
"Just try. You know it was just a movie. I'm scarier than him." He mumbled before falling asleep. Layla sighed, getting comfy into the bed. She closed her eyes and tried clearing her mind but she somehow thought about the Freddy character. His scarred face was stuck behind her eyelids and he was always smirking.
Layla gasped and sat up straight. Had she fallen asleep? She groaned as her heart raced. Then a chill went over her, she shivered.
"Warren." She said. He didn't answer. "Warren." She said, a bit louder.
"Whaaaat?" He groaned angrily.
"I still can't sleep."
"Me either." He said with a sigh.
"Really?" She asked in disbelief.
"Yeah, you keep waking me up!" He snapped at her. "If you don't fall asleep, then you'll really have something to be scared about." He threatened.
"But-"
"Layla!" He growled, covering his head with the blanket. Layla pouted and laid back, trying to fall asleep. She tried distracting her mind with happy thoughts but they all led to Freddy. She decided she wouldn't close her eyes at all.
"Scream my name, you little bitch! Scream!" Someone screeched followed by maniacal laughter.
Layla jumped up and screamed in terror. Warren flinched and was ready to punch someone out of reflex. He dropped his arms when he realized it was only Layla. "What the hell is wrong with you?" He groaned.
"I don't know! I had another nightmare!" She defended herself. Warren groaned loudly and fell back into the bed, covering his eyes with his forearm. Layla sighed sadly, "I'll go down to living room so you can get some sleep." She whispered, pulling her pillow along with her.
"Yes. Please." Warren said with a huff.
Layla frowned slightly. She was hoping he'd say it was okay, that he would keep her safe from perverted psychopaths with clawed hands. She gave him one last glance over her shoulder before walking out of his room with a sigh. She stood in front of the door nervously. The house was pitch black, she couldn't even see her hand a foot away from her face.
Layla hugged the pillow to her chest, "There's nothing there... There's nothing there..." She kept telling herself as she nearly ran down the stairs and dived into the couch. She cursed under her breath when she realized she had no blanket to hide under. She looked around now that her vision was adjusted to the dark. There had to be something.
Her eyes caught sight of something on the coat rack near the front door. One of Warren's jackets would have to do. She got up and quickly went over to grab it and then ran back like a total spazz and jumped into the couch again. She tucked most of her body into the leather jacket as possible. She pressed her face to it, trying to hide away. She noticed it smelled like him. She would have smiled if not for the feeling that someone was going to leap out and stab her to death.
She shook those thoughts off and tried falling asleep. The scent of Warren somehow calmed her down, kind of like her mom's hair did when she couldn't sleep alone on a stormy night. She sighed and didn't even realize she had dozed off.
A/N: Okay, so this chapter I had started a while back but I left it for some reason and I decided to finish it. Finished it in like, ten minutes, it was almost finished where I had left it. Well, it was kinda just all fluff, hope you liked it. Hopefully the next chapter is more interesting... more... spicy? Let me know what you thought of this chapter in your wonderful reviews and if you have any ideas/recommendations, I'll be more than happy to read them all and maybe your idea will be in future chapter (I usually credit the person if I remember but I want you to know that I personally credit you for it)! Thanks for reading and please leave me reviews :)
Alright... I forgot to post this chapter when I wrote it months ago... I didn't re-read it, it's 3am but I'm sure it's alright. Please review! :) And sorry for the long wait, thanks for being patient! The next chapter might be up sooner! ;)