Mending Wounds

She remembered her first impression of Arif. His wavy, ruffled hair and deep brown eyes had been filled with indifference when they first met. His curt "Hi" and the way he gazed away, reluctant to accept her as his charge, had set the tone for their relationship. Despite her multiple attempts to break through his aloof exterior, she was met with the same coldness each time. Yet, in a way, that mystery had made Arif cool in her eyes—someone she looked up to, even with the wall that seemed to stand between them."YOU IDIOT!" Elena flinched at Arif's words and tone, the last things she expected from him. His hair was frazzled from the encounter with the masked spider being, and otherworldly indigo shone in his eyes, contradicting the sharp anger within them. Overwhelming disappointment would have been more fitting, Elena thought.She clamored up from the ground, her mind frozen as her mentor's scream reached her ears. Refusing to look up, she stared at the dirty alleyway beneath her feet, her body trembling as a familiar fear crept up her spine. She was used to being screamed at and scolded, after all. It was something she had grown accustomed to over the years."What were you thinking? Going off alone like that? Taking on a Being by yourself? Who are you trying to prove something to?" Arif's relentless berating lashed at Elena's battered pride, triggering memories and sensations she wished to forget.The mentee curled up and hugged herself as if trying to protect herself from any more scolding. Elena felt like she was back in Sg. Siput, her hometown, where she would endure these kinds of reprimands on a daily basis. Gritting her teeth, she tried her best to fight back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Crying would often make things worse for her. Programmed by years of experience, she responded the only way she knew how."I'm sorry…" The apology scraped past the lump in her throat, emerging as a choked whisper.Arif opened his mouth to deliver another round of scolding when his eyes caught on the dark stain spreading across Elena's jeans. In an instant, the fury drained from his face as his Aura vanished in a whimper of energy. Stepping closer, his demeanor softened."A-Are you hurt? Come, let me see." Arif knelt beside her, his voice gentler than before.Elena jerked away, instinctively putting distance between them. "N-No, it's fine. Really. I can handle it." Arif could see her fist clenched by her side as she said those words, and a small pang of guilt hit his heart."Right... Let's head back to the office and get you patched up. Come, let me help you." He extended his arm, only for Elena to instinctively slap it away."Ah! Sorry…" Her voice was low. "I-I'm okay. I can do it myself." It was a struggle for her to stand on her legs with the tremors coursing through her body. She steadied her breath, hoping it helped her to calm down."Let's…let's go." Elena started to walk towards the alleyway exit with Arif following closely behind.The silence during their walk back to the office mirrored their earlier patrol, but this time, Elena took the lead. Her arms hugged herself as she gripped her wounded forearm, the pain a constant reminder of her mistake. Arif kept pace with her, his mind racing as he contemplated what to say once they reached their destination.In the air-conditioned office, Elena found a brief respite from the heat and sweat that clung to her skin. Arif headed straight for the pantry, his footsteps echoing in the quiet space."Just sit at your desk, I'll grab the first aid" he called over his shoulder, seeming to be back to his curt responses.Elena sat on her chair, wincing as the adrenaline faded away and dull pain radiated in her forearm and knees. Carefully, she took off her black zip-up hoodie, noticing a few tears on its sleeves. The wounds on her forearm were not as deep as she had expected, though the scratches were deep enough to draw blood.Glancing at her knees, she noticed a sizable splotch of blood on her left knee. It must have been from when she rolled on the tarmac after the Being punched her hard on her sides, dispelling her protective Aura instantly. She rolled up her jeans, wincing as the fabric rubbed against her wounds, but she managed to expose the injury. Elena grimaced at the sight of a gash across her kneecap, fresh blood still oozing from the wound.Arif knelt in front of her, first aid kit in hand. He didn't react to the sight of her bloodied knee, instead focusing on preparing the bandages and disinfectant."I-I'm going to start, okay? Let me know if it hurts too much." His voice was nearly a whisper, and he didn't look up at Elena as he spoke. She could only respond with a small "Mhmm," feeling awkward in the moment.Elena observed Arif's expert hands as he cleaned her wounds, hissing and wincing as the cold swab met her torn skin. Tears prickled at the corners of her eyes, but their gazes never met, the silence heavy between them.Elena absently rubbed the spot on her neck where a creature from another world choked her a few minutes earlier. It was surreal. She could have died tonight if it was not for Arif. Disappointment filled her heart. She was a failure, deserving to be screamed and shouted at for her recklessness. Nothing had changed since she moved to the city. Always fumbling and failing. Maybe her mother was right-"I'm going to start on your arms, okay?" Arif's low voice interrupted her thoughts."Mhmm," was all she could muster in response.The feeling of the bandages wrapping snugly around her forearms and left knee was comforting, despite the dull pain that still throbbed beneath them. Arif packed away the medical supplies, his job done."Be right back." With that, he disappeared into the pantry again, only to return a few moments later with some clothes in his arms."I keep some spare clothes here for situations like this. You should have them. Can't have others see you in bloodied jeans."Elena nodded, concurring with his point, and took the clothes from him. She headed to the restroom to change, returning a few minutes later with Arif's shirt and tracksuit hanging loosely on her smaller frame. She sat back at her desk, watching as Arif typed away at his computer. She inferred he was writing down points for the incident report. He glanced up from his computer screen, his eyes not meeting hers."You should head home. Call an Ambik?""Right…" Elena grabbed her phone to hail a ride from the Ambik app, only to find out that her phone's screen had new cracks on it and refused to switch on. Her phone was officially broken."Dammit…why now?"Arif noticed her broken phone. "Let me get you a ride for now." He grabbed his phone from his pocket, typing her address into the app."Wait, you know my address?" Elena raised her brow.Arif looked away, a hint of embarrassment crossing his features. "Of course, in case of emergency, I need to remember my teammate's contacts and addresses."That fact caught Elena off guard. At any other moment, she would have latched onto it and poked fun at him for being a big softie. But she couldn't bring herself to do it tonight. The gravity of her mistakes weighed heavily on her mind."I…I'm sorry for tonight…It was stupid of me." She bit her lips as she apologized, the bitter taste of being a failure lingered in her mouth. "Thanks…for what you did."Caught off guard by her apology and gratitude, Arif looked away. "It's alright…""Actually, how did you even know I was in trouble?"Arif rubbed the back of his head, still avoiding her gaze "I was going to the store too. In case you got the wrong gum."Elena stared at her mentor, mouth slightly ajar. The absurdity of her life being saved because Arif cared so much about his sweets sank in her. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth, the first since she left the office for the store. It was kind of funny and very in character of him."Guess I can't tease you about your sweet tooth anymore," Elena said in a lighthearted tone before lowering her voice. "I'm glad you came just now."Arif bit his lip, hesitation written across his face."I—" His words were cut short by a soft ping from his phone, notifying him of the Ambik's arrival. "You should head down. Car's here.""Right." Elena gathered her belongings, wincing as her bandaged arms protested. At the door, she paused, "Thanks again, good night." With that, she left the office.As the door clicked shut, Arif clasped his shaking hands together, gritting his teeth, his breathing turning ragged. Nails dug into his fists, mirroring the tightening in his chest. A muttered curse escaped his lips as he tried to calm himself."Fuck..." Arif breathed out, his jaw locked in a grimace. A brief flash of bloodied fists filled his vision, and he shut his eyes, refusing to see more memories pass.Reaching into his left pocket, he felt the familiar metal shape of a treasured keychain, its presence soothing him. Slumping into his chair, he gazed at the white ceiling, his mind racing."Too close... I can't repeat the same mistakes again..." Arif's soft mutter faded into the quiet of the empty office.