Trigleph – Rhea's Apartment
Rain poured onto the unsuspecting city. Citizens were running running around like confused ants, looking for shelter. Only one figure didn't care or seem to even notice the extra moisture in the air. Alvin hasn't left his position for nearly an hour now. He was soaked to the bone. Even if he wanted to move, his feet were unwilling. It was as if he was glue to the bench he was sitting upon. Despite being stationary, his mind was racing. He knew that she was back now. He confirmed it when he saw her silhouette in the window before. It's because of him that she's back at all and he's fully aware of it. But now that she is here, he's terrified. Even though the chance is significantly lower now, he is not fully certain if he'll see the other when they eventually meet face to face. Still, he's grown tired of simply talking to her over the phone. He hasn't called since she came back to Elympios a few days ago. Knowing that she's so close now made him too anxious to make contact. Even now as he sits outside of her apartment complex, he's starting to rather face sickness than her. Multiple sighs slipped out of his mouth as his mind and heart played tug-of-war.
"Alvin..." a soft voice called to him.
His eyes widened, knowing exactly who was calling to him. He wouldn't raise his head to look at her. His gaze was locked on her legs. She knelt down to meet his gaze. The fear overtook him and he automatically leaned back and looked up at the dark clouds. He hated how he was acting, but he couldn't help it. His nerves overtook his senses. He could tell that she moved so that she could sit next to him. He expected her to force him to look at at her. When that didn't happen, he couldn't help but just barely glance at her. Instead of watching him, she was fiddling with a necklace. She took it off and handed it to him, keeping her head down. He took it from her and his eyes widened. Quickly, he reached into his pocket. He, then, pulled out the fox head accessory and compared it to the one she handed to him. They were completely identical.
"Wha- How?" he asked in disbelief.
She nodded and explained, "when I went to the Hallowmont those few weeks ago, I just wanted to see it. I didn't even take pictures. When I got to the top, I got crazy tired out of nowhere and ended up falling asleep. She came to me in my dream. She said that she wanted to know about me. After answering just a few questions, she handed me that and I somehow woke up with it. Sounds completely crazy I know."
He shook his head and asked her, "how do you think I got this one?" He showed her the other one that he got. Her eyebrows furrowed, not expecting it. He explained to her his story of how he got it.
"She really loved you..." she whispered sadly.
He looked down at her when she hunched over. Her clothing and hair were completely soaked from the still pouring rain. She must have felt his gaze on her because she turned just enough for her back to face him. A frown played on his lips from the movement. He instantly realized how he made her feel every single time he looked away. It hurt even more since she's doing it so that he doesn't have to look at her. He couldn't figure out why while he's on the phone he's completely cool but in person he's just a mess and ends up making everything worse. Hesitantly, he moved his free hand to her back. Just before making contact, she stood up. He watched her curiously.
Keeping her back to him, she said, "why don't you go home for now? At this rate we're both going to be sick soon if we stay out here any longer. We can talk later."
He closed his eyes tightly and clenched his fists. Once again, he wanted to get to her, but his feet were still glued to the street. When his heart ached, he reopened his eyes. He looked up seeing that she really was out of sight. His eyes were locked on the front door. He hoped to see her just on the other side, but no matter how long he looked there was no movement. After a bit, he let out a hopeless smile and ran his fingers through his hair. With his fingers still in his hair, he looked up at her window, seeing her shadow moving across the room.
"Screw it," he muttered under his breath.
He finally stood up. He dropped the fox heads into his pocket and entered the building. Walking quickly, he went over to the elevator and pressed the button. Once the car reached ground floor, he got into it. He quickly grew impatient as he waited for it to take him to the fourth floor. The second he heard the ding, he quickly left and went straight over to her door. He took in a deep breath and grabbed onto the door handle. A frown played on his lips as he couldn't help but take notice that the door was unlocked. He opened the door and went inside. He looked around the living room, not seeing her. Hearing some shuffling, he made his way over to the bedroom. There she saw her attempting to peel off her drenched clothing. Her pants were already off and she just got her shirt over her head. Just before she could take off her underwear, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She completely froze.
He buried his face onto the side of her head and whispered right into her ear, "I'm sorry..." Those simple words sent chills down her spine and her skin became completely covered in goosebumps. He found it quite amusing but continued, "you are constantly in my thoughts. When Gaius took you, I didn't call because I would have been a stupid and yelled at you instead of yelling at myself for pushing you away. I was happier than you know when you told me that you didn't want to be with him."
Before he said anything else, she spoke, "what's the point..?"
"Huh?"
"You can't look me in the eye... Why say all this when you can't even look at me..?"
He growled lightly and forced her to turn around. She nearly fell over from the force, but he held her up. Just before he could look at her for the first time in forever, she covered his eyes with both of her hands out of reflex. He grabbed onto one of her hands and moved it away, but the other stayed in position. By doing the same with the other, he had to let her go. Once free, she turned around just before he could see her. He watched as she put on a robe. After she tied the sash, she turned around. Instead of looking at him however, she walked around him as if he wasn't there at all. He couldn't help but watch her helplessly. Before she left the room, she stopped at the doorway.
Just barely glancing over her shoulder, she told him, "you should take a hot shower or something. If you stay like that too much longer no doubt you'll end up sick. I don't mind drying your clothing if you do."
Without waiting to find out what he was going to do, she left the room. She didn't get to far however. Just after leaving the room, she made a right and stopped at the wall next to the frame. Unable to walk further, she sat down on the floor. From there, she rested her hand over her racing heart and closed her eyes. She held herself back from sighing. She didn't want him to hear her. She couldn't hear anything from in the room either. The apartment was dead silent. The silence broke with a small cry in pain. She moved her hands over to her ankle and opened her eyes to see the soaked boy flat on his stomach. It wasn't hard at all for her to deduce that he tripped over her, especially with the loud thud he made while doing so. He groaned lightly as he sat up. He glanced back at her and frowned when her saw her examining her ankle. He quickly apologized as he turned fully around to look at it. Seeing that it was already changing colors, he picked her up without a second thought. He walked over to the couch and sat her on it. From there, he went over to the fridge and pulled out an icepack from the freezer. He then grabbed a simple dishcloth before going back to her. When he made it back to her, he knelt down. He apologized again when he noticed her already swollen ankle. Being as careful as he could, he wrapped the cooled gel around her ankle and secured it by wrapping the cloth around it. Once finished, he rested his head on her lap. His eyes closed when she began running her fingers through his hair.
"Are you not cold?" she asked him.
He shrugged and answered, "not really thinking about it."
"Silly boy."
He smiled a bit and attempted to raise his head, but she held it down. He frowned once again, but before he could question her she bent over. She awkwardly wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head on his back.
He held on to her the best he could and asked, "what's on your mind?"
"You really want to know?" she asked back.
"Yes."
"I don't want you to push me away again. Even if that means that we never make eye contact again. Just because she's no longer with us doesn't mean that your heart doesn't belong to her. If something were to happen to me I-"
"Don't."
"Huh?"
"Don't let even the idea of something happening to you cross your mind. When I heard about the attack at Kanbalar, the one place I thought you'd be safe. But what happened at Xian Du, it took ever fiber of my being to stay here for work. With how Yurgen and Ivar described your injuries to me, I I wanted to throw up. If anything else were to happen, especially if I'm now able to prevent it I might just go crazy."
She tightened her grasp on him and whispered, "I'm sorry for worrying you..."
"Please, let me look at you."
"Are you sure..?"
"Yes."
After a moment, she reluctantly let him go as he did the same. Slowly, she sat up. She subconsciously clenched her jaw as she glanced down at him nervously. By the time she was watching him, he reopened his eyes. Not wanting to hesitate any longer, he raised his head off her lap and looked up at her. If a pin were to fall on the first floor right now, they would no doubt hear it. There was more tension now than when he pushed her away before. A good minute passed by before there was any movement between them. When the time finally did pass, he couldn't help but smirk in amusement.
As she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, he told her, "breathe."
With a frown, feeling embarrassed, she reached over and flicked his forehead. He arched his eyebrow, surprised at her reaction. Before she could do anything else, he reached over and began tickling her. She instantly began to burst out in laughter. Try all she might to get away, he was holding her still with his other arm. However, because he wouldn't relent, she continuously fought against him. So, it wasn't too surprising that she ended up falling off the couch and landing on his lap. He stopped tickling her and instead used that hand to brush the hair that was on her face away. When the last bit was out of the way, he left his hand in her hair. With his thumb, he gently rubbed her cheek. He smirked once more as a blush appeared on her cheeks. It disappeared quickly enough though as he turned his head away quickly so that he wouldn't sneeze on her. She frowned and quickly got herself back on the couch so that he could get up.
"I should have listened to you," he said as he rubbed his nose.
"You still might not actually get sick if you hurry up. Go take a hot shower and I will dry your clothes."
"I guess."
"You want to get sick?"
"Hmm... Not really, but the idea of you taking care of me is very intriguing."
"Yeah well, I don't know if I'll be any decent at that currently with what you did to my ankle."
He frowned for a bit but then said, "guess I'll just have to get sick another time then."
"Why do you have to be sick? If you want me to baby you, just say so," she said as she patted the top of his head.
He tightened his grasp on her and whispered, "you're too good to me..."
"Dude, you're freezing!" she squeaked.
"You win," he said as he stood up.
"Just leave your clothes outside the bathroom."
"You got it," he said as he left the living room.
The moment he was out of sight, her smile vanished. She rose her left leg so that it crossed over her right. Looking through the makeshift bandage, she could see that her ankle changed from her normal pale color and is now dark purple. Thanks to the icepack, the swelling was minimal but it didn't completely numb the pain. While holding onto it, she looked around in hopes to find something she could use as a crutch. A frowned played on her lips as none were to be found. It wasn't too long until she heard the shower turn on. Not really having much of a choice, she uncrossed her legs and got up on her good foot. She hopped over to the wall and used it to make it slightly easier for her to reach the bedroom. She picked up the damp clothing from outside the bathroom and went back over to the hallway. She threw the clothes into a small dryer and turned it on. In feeling a chill of her own, she finally noticed how wet her robe got from when he held her. She went back to the bedroom and went over to the dresser. She took off the robe and pulled out pajamas. She quickly put them on to warm back up. Feeling more at ease as the goosebumps vanished, she put her hair up into a messy bun. Once she finished, she heard the water turn off. In just to have something out, she hopped over to the kitchen. She picked up a tea kettle and filled it with water. Once it was full, she put it on the stove top and turned on the flame. While waiting for it to boil she took out a couple cups for the cabinet. While looking through the various teabags that were on the counter, an arm wrapped around her shoulders. With his free hand, he reached over and grabbed two of the leaves from the packaging. While he was doing so, she couldn't help but notice that his arms were bare. Way too curious, she couldn't help but glance back at him. A blush appeared on her cheeks at his attire of simply a towel around his neck and another around his waist.
He smirked and whispered into her ear, "where exactly you looking?"
She quickly looked away from him and brought her attention back to the tea. He chuckled softly and rested his head against hers. He wrapped his now free arm around her waist. While waiting for the water to get hot, she leaned into his embrace and held onto the arm that was around her shoulders. He smirked and rested his chin on her head. Less than a minute later, a whistle blew from the teapot. He let her go so that she could move freely. She heard him leave the room as she turned the heat off. Nearly falling over from doing so, she knelt down and took a tray from the bottom cabinet. Once stable, she put the tray on the counter. After putting everything needed on the tray however, she realized that she was in trouble. She really didn't have the ability to carry the tea to the living area without dropping it all when hopping across. In not hearing any sign of Alvin though, she chose the worst case scenario. She picked up the tea, turned around, and put her body weight on her bruised ankle. The amount of pain that shot through her made her feel lightheaded. The tray somehow stayed in her grasp but she felt her own self plummeting to the floor. Before she fell too far, strong arms held her up. Not a moment later, she found herself air born.
"You don't need to do everything by yourself anymore. I was right around the corner. Call me next time before you do something foolish," Alvin scolded her.
She looked up at him with a small pout and spoke softly, "I'm sorry..."
He frowned and looked away asking, "why don't you ever let me get mad at you?"
"Most likely the same reason that I can't get angry at you."
He tightened his grasp on her and made his way to the living room. He carefully sat her on the couch and she placed down the tray that she miraculously didn't spill. Before he sat down, he couldn't help but noticed a good number of bags right next to the front door. He frowned a bit and looked down at the unaware female. She was simply pouring the hot water into the cups and put the bags in afterwards to make the tea.
"Hey..." he spoke softly. When she looked up at him, he asked, "are you planning on leaving again?"
"Hm?" For a moment she wasn't sure what he meant. When he looked back at the bags she explained, "ah, oh no. Those are for you."
"Huh?"
"Take a look," she told him, putting her attention back to the tea.
With a shrug, he walked over to the bags and knelt down. Once his back was to her, she couldn't help but watch him with anticipation. She couldn't help but watch him anyway. Even though he did put on his pants, he was definitely not wearing a shirt. Before she overlooked at the sight, his eyes widened. She smiled at his excitement over the materials she found for him while going through Rieze Maxia. He quickly checked through the multitude of bags, seeing all different types of items. After zipping them back up so that nothing would spill, he stood back up and made his way back over to her. He picked her up just so that he could sit down, with her sitting between his legs. Once settled, he wrapped his arms securely around her and rested his head against hers. She closed her eyes and held onto his arms.
"You are amazing," he told her.
"I know," she said smugly.
He shook his head saying, "silly girl."
"Well this 'silly girl' is wondering if you want some tea before it gets too cold."
"Sure."
She nodded and attempted to reach for it. However, he wouldn't let her go. Instead, he removed only one of his arms and reached forward. He grabbed one of the two cups and handed it over to her. After she grabbed it, he took the other one for himself and leaned back against the couch. He moved his arm that is around her to her waist so that she would have full use of her arms. While drinking the tea, she turned on the television so that there wouldn't be any awkward silence. It wasn't too long until the pot was empty. As he put down the cup, he couldn't help but let out a loud yawn. Before she could suggest anything, he picked her up just enough so that she would no longer be between his legs. Now free, he simply lied down on the couch and rested his head on her lap. She chuckled softly as she began to run her fingers through his hair. His eyes instantly shut. Even though he fell asleep rather quickly, she continuously played with his hair. When she knew for a fact that he was unconscious, she completely lost her composure. Tears quickly streamed down her cheeks. She was just so happy that he finally acknowledged her, that when no longer holding back, she just couldn't control her emotions. It now took everything she had to hold back an audible cry. She was just able to wipe her tears away with her free hand before they fell on him. She didn't want to take any chance of him waking up and seeing her like this. Not too much time passed before the tears ceased. Once they did, she found herself feeling completely exhausted. She was out cold in just mere moments.
"Rhea?" Alvin questioned softly.
"Hm..?" Rhea grunted, half asleep.
"You're so cute."
"Alvin..?"
"Yeah?"
She buried her face in his chest and held onto him tightly. Speaking in a small voice, "I was so scared you being here was a dream..."
He tightened his grasp on her saying, "you're not leaving my side again."
"I'm glad..." Once she was more awake, she noticed that the scenery has changed. "How did we get here?"
"When I woke up I noticed that you were asleep so I just carried you to bed."
"Oh." For a little while, no words were exchanged. The silence ended when she remembered the day prior. She backed away enough from him so that she could look up at him. After resting her hand on his forehead she questioned, "how are you feeling?"
"Just fine."
"You got lucky then."
"Oh, I'm very aware," he replied as he ran his fingers through her hair. She blushed and reburied her face in his chest. He chuckled a bit and asked, "hiding from me by using me as a hiding place?"
"Well, it's not like I can get away from you anyway."
"Got that right."
After a moment she asked, "dare I ask?"
"Ask away."
"Do you have work to do?"
"Nah. I got so much done while you were gone that I really don't have to do anything for a few days while Yurgen checks over everything."
She couldn't help but laugh a little. He pushed her from him so that he could look at her. She looked up at him with a smile. Without giving her a chance to react any farther, he began tickling her. She quickly rolled over and covered herself with the blanket. He couldn't help but find herself amused at her attempt to hide. He could easily see her form outline. He grabbed onto her shoulder through the blanket and pushed her onto her back. With his other hand, he lowered the blanket enough so that her face was exposed. She was instantly entranced by him. Even if he wasn't holding her down, she wouldn't be able to move in the least. Her cheeks flared when he rested his hand on the side of her face. It surprised her how such a simple act made her heart pound as strongly as it is. When his lips were a millimeter away from hers, he froze. She didn't dare move in the least. With how strongly her heart was pounding, simply breathing became a difficult task. After a moment, he groaned lightly and buried his face on the side of her head. In being careful not to crush her, he let his entire form lay on hers so that he could hold onto her.
"Do I still bother you?" she asked softly.
"No, it's not that," he answered.
"Then what? You used to have zero reservations when it came to kissing me."
"I won't be able to control myself."
"So?"
"I don't want to defile you."
"Get off me."
"Huh?"
She pushed against him gently through the blanket as she repeated herself. He rolled off of her. She freed herself of the blanket and got out of bed. Silently, she limped into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. He stared at the door confused. After a moment, he lied back down. He rubbed his face while sighing heavily. Afterwords, his arms fell to his sides and he just looked up at the ceiling. The sound of a knock snapped him back to reality. He raised his head and looked over at the bathroom. The shock of what he saw hit him hard enough to make him fall off the bed. Laughter filled the room soon after. He quickly got back up on his knees and looked back at the bathroom seeing her laughing her ass off. He really didn't care about that though for that wasn't what took him completely for a loop. Her appearance was completely different than just a few minutes ago. She went from wearing fully covering pajamas to wearing nothing but his scarf. She let her hair down from the bun so that, along with the scarf, she was just barely covering herself. When he was able to get back on his feet, he approached her.
"This good enough for you?" she asked him.
"Shit," he cursed under his breath.
He picked her up only to drop her on the bed. Not a moment later he was right back on top of her. To her surprise, he wasn't doing anything. Just like before, he was staring down at her. She smiled a bit and rested her hand on his cheek. He turned his head so that he could kiss it.
"I love you," she told him. He looked back down at her and she explained, "trust me, I wouldn't do this for just anyone."
Unable to hold himself back any longer, he placed his lips upon her own.