~Chapter 2~

AL'S POV

I couldn't remember which time of the day it was...which week and which month. The exhaust had taken over me in a whim of closing my eyes which lasted for a good few minutes but in reality, it was thirty to thirty-five minutes...

...I guess.

It was usual for our class to be the darkest corner of the Arts section. The "Senior Arts 2" was known for its dark interior which even attracted three tiny bats at one time. The soft light of warm sunshine littered pieces at the door and I was dozing off at the furthest corner.

Next to her.

We both were all alone in the huge space, were we skipping GE? I think we did. Both of our good souls were done after working on this wholescale project that would end up either holding our school in high praises or broken pieces. The bitter truth of senior students with this position or that position in this committee or that committee.

Sigh

I heard her tiring breath bating while she scribbled on a bill, trying to figure out the end budget and make the final statement cause apparently our committee was cursed with a malfunctioning treasurer.

More than anyone in the world she deserved rest.

She needed to take a seat and let someone else handle it. Usually that someone was me but today at this hour of bright sun and midday snacks nothing seemed more important than a little nap which I dreaded was coming at me in terribly huge waves. I found myself watching her, heavy eyes and dizzy.

My body wanted to slump further on my chair and close eyes for eternity yet my mind yearned to give her a hand in help which I always did despite her refusals because I knew Kai should not suffer alone even if she was the president of the committee.

"Wake me up when the bell rings?"

She paused to look up and her emotionless eyes which were focused on the bills warmed up for a milli second. She nodded and smiled gently.

"Rest up bubs...you need it."

I nodded – "Mhm, what about you."

"I need to settle the bills as soon as possible so it won't be a bother for us."

"Mhm..."

Slipping into a comfortable sleep whilst my head throbbed at the hard surface of the table all I could remember from then on was her oh so familiar fragrance invading my space as her head nudged my shoulder and stayed there after a while,

The universe finally made her sleep...just like me, she needed the rest too. The best nap for the best president one could ever work with.

"HADES! Shit-"

"AH! I got a gun!" I woke up from the deep sleep to face a grumpy Hades and Kai...

"Umm..."

All beaten up...

"I..." she cleared her throat, a few cuts on her lower lip covered in dried blood. My eyes wrinkled, "There was this umm..." she tried her best to explain. "This fight at work..." I heard a throat being cleared as I gaped at the mess of an idiot right in front of me, that too, on the very second, I was up from my sleep.

"What happened??" I got down from the couch, my feet wobbled from not gaining balance yet I reached towards her and held her face.

"Mhpff."

I held her face which resulted In her entire jaw to be captured and it squished her cheeks but I wasn't in a state of mind to tease her cute face because I was too busy checking her injuries. From left to right and head to bottom I was hastily checking for any vitals harmed...I could feel myself panicking.

"What in the world happened baby!" I looked up at her now, angry at the fact that she came home in this state.

"You promised..." huffing, "you promised that you would not get hurt like this again."

"I know but- "

"THERE ARE NO BUTS MALAKAI!" my rage was to be justified. I was not mad at her neither did I need to hurt her furthermore.

If I was next to her...if I was there when she needed me... if could just be there when this happened, I could have been feeling better than how I am suffering now.

Hmpf!

"Bubs listen I..."

"Shush!" I turned away and stormed into my room...now where was it?!

"Baby listen I was – "

"Sit your ashy ass down in the couch! we'll talk after I find the fucking first aid."

KAI'S POV

She was mad. No, that's an understatement. She was fucking PISSED.

Ah fuck... What the hell Kai...

Before I could continue the argument with myself, Al was back with our first aid kit. She sat down next to me, set the aid kit on the coffee table and took out all she needed, the medicines and bandages necessary.

All while I sat next to her silently whilst fidgeting with the ring I wore on my pinky. When I felt something wet on my hand, I looked, only to see that it was blood from my busted knuckles. Disgusted, I removed the one-too many rings I had on my hands and placed them on the table.

Throughout the whole ordeal, not a word was uttered by Al.

At least say something you idiot!

"Um... so, did you manage to get any work done?"

"...."

"I'll take that as a sorta 'YES'."

"...."

sigh

"Look, I'm really sorry ok? I had no choice. The fucker was pummeling Leroy with punches and when I went to help him, the bugger punched me."

Al continued to ignore me as she took my face in her hands and began cleaning the cuts on my lip, eyebrow and cheek.

"Baby?"

Nothing.

She continued to clean my wounds and plaster them before moving onto the split knuckles on my right hand. Sighing once again, I ran my free hand through my hair, only to remember that it was busted too. As I lowered my hand, Al dabbed a little too hard on my knuckles making me suck in a breath and let out a little yelp. Soon I felt something warm and wet fall onto my hand followed by a sniffle.

Ah fuck. Now you've done it you bitch.

Shrugging my hand out from her own warm ones, I lifted her face up to face mine only to see streams of tears falling rapidly down her warm chocolate eyes. Saying nothing, I pulled her into a hug only for her to break down.

Just as I loved many things, I hated an equal amount- maybe more. But, the one thing that I hated the most was seeing this person - whose eyes were usually full of light and joy, this person who was my yellow, my summer - cry. That too, cry because of me.

Aliana was not one to show her emotions out to people. With me however, she was an open book whose pages held so much that, every time I looked at her, I found something new. She was someone who knew me in and out and I, her.

So seeing this person I cherished so deeply crying because of me, made my heart ache. Rubbing circles on her back, I tried to calm her down whilst keeping my tears too, at bay.

"Do... sniffle... Do you know...sniffle... How worried I was?" Al finally said as she untangled herself from me. Wiping her tears, she pouted. "Not a single text, nothing and then you show up all battered." She huffed as Hades stood up from his place on the floor and plopped his head on my thigh.

Reaching out to Al's face, I wiped the tears under her eyes. "I truly am sorry Al." I apologized sincerely. Huffing, she accepted my apology and resumed to patching up my wounds.

30 minutes later, Al was done with treating all my wounds, while I told her the whole story of what went down in the bar and now we began binging House of the Dragon as I held an ice-pack under my left eye as it was swelling.

"Got lectures today?" Al asked suddenly, turning away from the screen to look up at me just as Vhagar chomped Lucerys and Arrax into little pieces.

Popping a popcorn into my mouth out of the bowl that was placed on her tummy, I replied. "Yeppo. I got an evening lecture. What bout you?"

"Mhm. I got one at 12." Al replied while readjusting herself to lay on my lap from the couch. Looking at the clock that was hung above our television screen, I saw that it was eight in the morning.

Al didn't have breakfast yet. sigh

"Hold up bubs." I said as I gently lifted her head off my lap and stood up from the couch. Hades perked up at my movement and wobbled over with the two fluffballs on tow.

I heard Al whine. "Where are you going!? Come back!!"

Chuckling, I just booped her nose and walked sauntered over to the kitchen.

"Seriously Kai, get back here!"

"Nope. You haven't had your breakfast yet. Lemme cook something for you."

Humpfing, she continued watching the last parts of the TV show.

Several minutes later, just as the show was done, so had I finished making our breakfast. While Al settled the table for us, I made sure Hades and the kittens were fed. Soon, with some bickering back and forth, we were done eating and Al went to get ready for her afternoon lecture.

"Wait. It's still 10.30 bro. Why do you need to go so early?" I asked her as she came out of her room all dressed up with the bag and laptop in hand.

"Oh, I need to complete a little bit of my report but the books in the library. I need to submit it today." She simply replied whilst picking up the many papers that were stacked on the coffee table.

Wiping my wet hands from after washing the dishes, I removed my apron and hung it on the side of our refrigerator. " Ok. Gimme a few. I'll drop you off." I said walking towards my room to get ready.

"Huh? No! You don't have to come bubs! I can go by myself."

"...."

"Bubs! Seriously!"

"...."

"Kai! I can go by myself!"

"Chill. I need to go to the grocery store anyways. We out of shit to eat." I replied as I walked out of my room with my car keys and wallet in hand. Unplugging my phone from its charging spot on the TV stand, I opened the front door and called out to Al who was still standing at the coffee table.

"Let's go" I ushered.

She quickly packed her bag and walked out of the door. After making sure the kittens were in with Hades and not outside of the house (which has happened before), I locked the door and Al and I walked down to the parking lot of our apartment complex.

15 minutes later, I had dropped Al off at the Uni library and was parked in front of the convenience store.

"Lets see.... Mushrooms... salt... chili flakes... pepperoni... mhm... mhm" I listed out the necessary items on my Notes. Putting on my headphones, I got out of the car. Locking the door, I walked into the store with GHOST by Confetti blasting through my ears. Taking a trolley from the entrance, I made my way over to the Vegetable section in the store.

Since I was staring on my phone, I didn't see or hear the person in front of me until it was too late and I hit them.

"WHAT THE HE- wait, Kai? Is that you?"

Removing my headphones to apologize, I looked over to who I had hit only to see a quite familiar face.

"Oh! Maddison! Hey."