"Hi, Nightmare!"
Raine smiled at the green-haired boy before he waved at her as a sweet greeting while the male smiled and waved back. She then turned to the white-haired male and immediately her face turned from a meek mouse to a bedazzling witch. She stomped towards Dione and screamed, "Who leaves his friend in the bus alone sleeping with a bunch of strangers?!"
Dione just beamed her a smile before saying, "You don't have any friends in this room," — before standing up to appear taller than her.
"Asshole!" she screamed at the smiling boy and walked past him to get beside the bandaged girl.
"Careful with that word dear. My father died after saying that phrase," Dione joked before playfully flicking her long dark hair up and down, messing with its tangles more.
Raine clicked her tongue in annoyance before pushing the boy out of the room, "Leave, I'll have to clean up Nightmare," she was still angry with him abandoning him on the bus again. God knows what would have happened if she didn't wake up in time.
"Awww you still call him, Nightmare... That's so sweet," Dione cooed before she closed the door on his face. The male was about to leave, but he decided to ruin Aquilla's acting career by knocking again. Raine opened it then he whispered, "Maybe, he'll finally tell you his real name after he tells you he could actually talk," The girl slammed the door harder, sighed, and stomped her way to the cabinets.
When she returned to treat the green-haired boy's wounds, Raine noticed him looking at her indifferently, "Don't look at me like that. I already knew you can talk," she confessed followed by an adorable giggle. Aquilla's eyes were wide as saucers and blushed in embarrassment. As the female started cutting the bandages wrapping his arms, she prepared for a sight she swore she'll never get used to.
"Dione! That son of a bitch!" Aquila turned away before whisper-shouting.
Raine laughed as she covered his wounds carefully with anti-septic and betadine, "Who do you think paid a noise fine because someone in the middle of the night randomly screams Phoenix's name?"
The male did not respond to her question and just watched as she pulled another roll of bandages and wrap both his arms with it. He felt an acute pain, causing him to hiss. Raine was about to apologize, but he imagined Dione would appear like a magician out of nowhere and bite her again.
She was right.
Dione entered the room wearing a maroon vest with the buttons not groomed, showing his medium-toned chest. Raine blushed even though, she had seen him sleep without a shirt for more than one time, "Hey, Your dinner is inside my room, alright?" he reminded, "Don't fret over that one! He gobbled all the leftover shrimp!"
He closed the door before opening it again, "You're paying for his sake..." the white-haired boy closed the door again and left an awkward silence between the two.
"Yes, sir..." Raine mumbled and proceeded to finish treating Aquilla's wounds from his chest to his toes.
Aquilla touched the girl's shoulder causing her to gaze at his apologetic face, "I'm sorry," he mouthed without a sound coming from his mouth.
They didn't talk during the rest of the process. The boy just stared at the girl the whole time, not knowing what to say and what to start. Even the girl was in the same state as the boy, she just focused on what's keeping her busy. Raine was currently rolling the used bandages around the bloody cotton before she threw it inside the bin on the other side of the room. Sighing, she thought of leaving the room to let the boy rest, but when her eyes finally ogled the doorknob, the boy who she knows as 'Nightmare' up until now called her. As she turned around, he was sitting upright with a big kind smile on his smile, "My name —" Aquilla hesitated at first, but he sighed and opened his lips to moisten his dried, cracking lips.
"My name's Aquilla Vermont," he finally blurted out softly, "At least it's what my father told me before he left..."
Shocked by the girl's sudden appearance beside her, the girl bounced on his side and accompanied the injured boy, "Heh. Unique name! Sounds like your favorite drink — Tequila," Raine noticed he stared at her awkwardly, 'Probably, because of my creepy comment,' she thought before she looked away, cheeks burning and flustered. She looked at him again and reasoned, "I tend to notice trivial things most of the time..." Again, she attempted to say the words 'I'm sorry,' but Dione's jump scare and bite are terrifying to experience the second time around.
She wouldn't risk the chance.
No one would risk it.
It made him smile, just a little crack of a grin before he said, "Well, thank you for noticing..."
Raine stopped flustering about her statement before smiling. They were filled with yet another cold awkward silence. The girl kept fiddling the end of her flannel shirt while the boy just stared off at the end of the room. Looking to her side, Raine's tensed shoulders were released when she took a big inhale and exhale before softening her eyes upon looking at the male beside her, "Look, Aquilla —" she started as Aquilla looked at her, surprised by the sudden firmness of her voice.
"I know you're struggling between sides here, but It's fine if you don't tell me who it was," said the girl before holding both his hands and keeping it inside her palm's small warm care, "Saccharide's father gave me the challenge to have someone responsible for the crimes as an initiation in their family..."
"Dione already mentioned," he said while he nods, constantly looking at the girl's hands holding his from time to time.
Noticing his discomfort with her touch, she let go and skidded a little farther from him, "I'm sure I won't be comfortable with blaming others though," she said followed by a long sigh, "But if this was the only way to save Saccharide —" He was avoiding eye contact with her for a long time, but this time, he looked in her eyes and noticed the burning passion in her auburn eyes when she mentioned her lover's name.
" — Then, screw me," she said with determination before standing up and taking the
Aquilla looked down smiling before looking back up at the smiling girl, "Mindset like a phoenix," the male mentioned, hiding his face from the girl's intense gaze. She was waiting for an explanation as to why her mindset was like that of a Phoenix, "It doesn't care if it dies as long as its offspring lives," he finally explained before blushing — He was missing the blonde-haired boy, maybe that was because he was reminded of the fiery bird.
"Yes, but a phoenix is a long-lived bird. I may have a few time left on my clock because unlike a Phoenix, I'm fragile and easily scared," Raine said with a hint of sadness in her voice before she sat on the bed and handed the boy his dose of pain killer.
Before she could hand him a glass of water, Aquilla drank the medicine with one toss, "I stand by the shit, Aksenov," he chuckled as he sent her a spine-chilling grin.
"Alright, I have a mindset of a Phoenix, but Saccharide is definitely not my offspring," Raine put her hands up and was the one who gulped the lukewarm water.
Aquilla held back his laughter. He shouldn't say out, but this was the last chance he'll be an asshole so, he leaned on her ears and whispered, "Yeah, he's your daddy..."
The last drip of water ended up on the bed when Raine parted lips with the glass to look at the boy's mocking smile. She thought about it for a long moment, but there isn't any algorithm in mind to match with his statement, "I don't get it..." she said as the male's jaw dropped.
Aquilla was stunned by how she preserved her mind's chastity while living in this promiscuous and licentious world, 'An innocent Phoenix who landed into a dragons' nest,' he thought
He just cleared his throat and patted her head before chuckling, "Never mind that."
The girl helped him turn to his side for she learned the boy was more comfortable sleeping on his side. Raine covered his body with a thick blanket. Dione suggested a thinner blanket so, it wouldn't be such a hassle on laundry day, but the girl insisted on the extra layered one just so the mosquitoes wouldn't have a chance of biting Aquilla's exposed skin, she sure wasn't minding the extra cost.
"Broken bones and stitches are better than Malaria" — With rolling eyes, Dione quoted what the stubborn girl has told him.
"Now that we have spoken about Phoenix, I asked him to visit you here sometime. Now, that we settled the war into a challenge. I think secluding you from him is unnecessary anymore," Raine said and watched the male's body tensed, "I promise he'll visit you soon."
His back still facing her, Aquilla responded, "Hopefully..."
"I won't let another love story suffer just because of this silly game," the girl whispered in a low voice, but the boy could still hear clearly.
Something shifted underneath his pillow as his eyes widened before he turned abruptly on his sharp pain made him let out a painful cry. A tear slipped down his face before he was faced with Raine's comforting eyes. She was holding his crystal dagger which she pulled from under the confidentiality of his comforter so, it won't slice the sheets while he sleeps.
Aquilla watched her put it inside a small wooden box before letting him embrace it, "You don't have to hide this anymore. I've talked to Dione. If he ever messes with Mi Amor again — " he reassured, " — I'll shove it up to his nosy nose..."
Tighter.
Aquilla's embrace around the box became tighter while the feeling in his heart became warmer, "Now, I understand why he loves you," he whispered to the clueless girl behind him, "All of them loves you. And you deserve it just right..."
Closing his eyes, he waited for a while before saying, "Thank you for all of this," he smiled and face her, "I'll repay you in some way, I promise..."
"Start with recovering," Raine smiled back, "Then maybe you could help us out in our quest, you'll be a big help. I could use some friend who is a sweet talker, not just a relentless lecturer..."
Aquilla laughed at the fact that Dione was the legendary who could piss off this girl. It was the white-haired boy's talent — to get into somebody's pants and nerves.
"And a biter in this case," the girl added.
Setting aside the previous topic Aquilla asked a question to propose a new one — the one containing his intent, "Can I ask you something?"
Raine flinched and looked at him weirdly before hiding her neck using a bolster, "Don't tell me — You're also a biter!"
"Fuck no! I just want to know," Aquilla would have rolled on the floor laughing if it wouldn't kill him, "How much do your friends matter to you?" He questioned.
Normally, a normal person would be suspicious with this question, but the girl just looked at him and said, "I know you already heard this kind of thing in the movies, but — " she paused before pulling out her phone before showing the contents of her gallery file named, 'Family Picture'
Her voice trails off as she continued, "These are the pictures I didn't get to take from my real family."
"I grew up not experiencing much love for my parents so, they are my family," she narrated, "Sir Broshe, Racquel, Klavier, Romien, and Saccharide - they showed me love my parents failed to give me..."
They scrolled through the photos.
Some were funny.
Some were cute.
Some were formal that soon turned into wacky.
Some of them were censored because of Klavier twerking and Sir Edward covering the camera with his poker face.
Some were Raine and Saccharide just in bed cuddling.
Some were blurred.
But it was very clear for the green-haired boy now.
Aquilla still had to ask. He must ask if he's going to help her, "What would you do if one of them is jailed?"
"I wouldn't make one of them my suspect," It didn't take her a split second to think of an answer. Her answer was pure from the heart, but irrational to the mind, "Never. I wouldn't let any one of them get imprisoned. I'd rather give myself up..."
As anticipated.
His eyes softened as he said, "You say, you grew up without love, and yet, you're so full of it."
"You're still thinking about the bedtime story I told you this morning, huh?" she asked while straightening the creases on his sheets, "Don't wrap your head with my life, you'll have a headache."
"I grew up with love locked inside me," "Now that I have people who love me, I'm free to give some of it to everybody who needs it,"
"I'm thankful then," Aquilla winked playfully.
"Then you'll have a goodnight's sleep," Raine finally made sure there weren't any holes that mosquitos may get in, "By the way, why did you ask abo-" The female lost interest in asking when a snore interrupted her. She felt a fit of mild anger and irritation bubbling in her at the moment she saw Aquilla sleeping with a gentle smile on his face, mocking her. It would have been less insulting if Dione didn't tell him on the bus that Aquilla always fakes sleep when he was avoiding queries.
"Of course," She sighed and walked away from his bed, "You'll really do this after I ask you questions."
Raine turned off the lights before waiting for the boy to peek his eyes and stop feigning his slumber. She finally gave up after a minute and mumbled, "You're good at this, Aquilla," She turned the cold knob and exited. Before fully closing it, she greeted him, "Good night..."
The loud music and bright lights were blocking the peace of her mind, nonetheless, it was the only way to get to the second floor and eat her dinner. As a female, she's always being hit and offered drinks by older men dancing to the music of the bar. She eyed the bartending stand and saw Dione, except his vest was now nowhere to be seen, mixing cocktails in front of teen girls with translucent tops and flowy bottoms. Batting her eyelashes to blink at the lights that can cause seizures, she sashayed away from there and went upstairs.