*KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!*
"Wonder who this could be at 12 in the damn morning."
Placing his tape dispenser to the side, Kazimir unlocks his apartment's door, coming face to face with Nia, who seemed to have a sad look on her face.
"Hello, Kazimir. I just wanted to inform you that my house has been broken into while I've been away. It also seems the person wanted me to be home as there are bullet holes all throughout the place."
"Nia, I'm so sorry to hear that. Please, come inside."
She shakes her head.
"Oh, I couldn't. I'm currently staying in a hotel until-
"No, Nia. You'll be staying with Khristina and I until you feel comfortable to go back. Honestly, I don't think you should go back to living by yourself. I hate to say this, but it seems like someone's singling you out for these random attacks."
He grabs her hand and gently leads her inside.
"You can take the couch and I'll sleep on the chair."
"Kazimir, I need you to be real; you can't sleep on a kitchen chair. And besides that, what're all these boxes for?"
"The chair isn't that hard, Nia." he replies, ignoring her question.
"The chair is most certainly hard, Kazimir. I care too much about your wellbeing to just have you sleep on a random piece of furniture."
"Nia, please be quiet and just take the couch. Look, this is the comfiest part."
Nia softly laughs and sits beside the young man.
"You're going to wake Khristina up with your constant bickering."
"She's not here, Dréy took her to his place for the night. Make yourself at home while I make some tea for you; you look a bit cold."
Nia looks down at her hands as she plays with her thumbs, watching from the corner of her eye as he reaches for a picture on his end table.
"I don't want you to end up like Camille, Nia. I don't want any of my friends to end up like Camille. What kind of a man would I be if I just sat here and let you go stay in an unknown place like that? You don't know anyone, you don't know if someone's tracking you; hell, you don't even know if you're going to be a murder victim."
"She's beautiful, Kazimir. But I just can't stay here; I'd feel like a burden."
"So, you want to die?"
"I don't want to die, but I'd like some space without having someone breathing down my neck everytime there's a dilemma."
"Nia, someone targeted your house, again, and you're telling me I'm breathing down your neck?"
He pauses for a moment, knowing that if he acted brashly, she'll never want to be with him.
"But if that's your final choice, then I think you should go with it. I won't sit here and argue with you."
The woman smiles and gives him a kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, Kazimir."
"Can I at least walk you to your car?"
"Yes, of course."
Opening the door for her, Kazimir closes it behind him and the two walk down the apartment steps before hearing what sounded like a faint scream out in the distance.
Looking down at his side, Kazimir mentally smirks as Nia unconsciously moved in closer to him.
"Kazimir, would you get mad at me if I changed my mind?"
"No. You should know I'm always here to help a friend in need."
The young woman smiles as the two turn around to go back inside.
"Thank you, Kazimir. Now, may I ask you once more; what're all those boxes for?"
"Tomorrow, I'm putting down a down payment for a new house. We also get to move in, too."
Nia clasps her hands and smiles.
"Congratulations! I'm so proud of you!"
Kazimir smiles as he opens the front door for the woman.
"I appreciate it."
Looking at the rest of the things which were placed near a few boxes, Nia picks an item up, placing it in a box.
"If you need help packing, I'd be more than happy to help—
Turning around, she places a hand over her mouth, watching as the young man propped himself onto one knee, holding a ring box.
"I may not be the wealthiest man in the world, Nia but I promise, I'll spoil you as much as I can with anything you want. I want you to be my wife and the mother of any future kids we might plan to have. Marry me?"
—— the next day ——
"Khristina, hurry up and come downstairs! Ya breakfast getting cold!"
*DING DONG!*
Hearing the sound of his front doorbell, Andréy La'rine goes to open it.
"Aye, wassup Kash?!"
"Nothing much, Dréy. Just here to pick up, Khristina."
"Yeah, I don't know what she got goin' on upstairs. Taking years to come down."
He looks over at the younger detective and raises a brow.
"Damn, you good? You look a lil' mad today."
"She said no." Kazimir says, looking up at the ceiling.
"What you even talkin 'bout?"
"Nia. She told me that if we were to get married then I'd have to stop with my mission. She said I need to be more compassionate and understanding, but am I already not?"
"Hol' up, you gettin' married?"
"Not anymore. I just don't get it, doesn't she know that this is something that I can't just drop; the citizens of Claiza City needs this kind of justice against that corrupt department. They're like a dictatorship; no remorse."
"I mean, if you really loved her, you might try to hear things from her side, Kash." Dréy replies as he hands him a plate of pancakes.
"I did. I just can't agree with her viewpoint."
"You can't agree with her viewpoint on not to kill people?"
"It's more than just killing people, it's a sense of justice. A feeling of relief that even though one man is down and not all, if I somehow can find the prominent ones, they'd all go down. Like an animal tribe without their leaders: free for all."
Dréy shrugs.
"The animals still gon' build their own village, though. Like vigilantes."
"I know. Then eventually someone will get fed up with whoever was put in charge."
Staring as his hands, Kazimir smirks and chuckles deeply.
"And that's when all hell breaks loose. And I can't wait for that fucking day."
Dréy watches as the young detective takes a sip of orange juice and mentally raises a brow.
"How the hell can he be so calm doing all of that?"
"I mean, wasn't her last goofy abusing her? That maybe why she wants you to stop, too."
"She knows I wouldn't lay a finger on her." Kazimir replies. "I guess some things aren't just meant to be."
"Aye, maybe you just gotta wait for a woman who respects your goal. Pretty sure it's a few out there. Anyway, that's a clean car you got out there. She new?"
"No, I've had her since my senior year of high school. I just got back in touch with her about two days ago."
"MR. KAZIMIR!"
Skipping down the steps, Khristina happily jumps down the last two.
"Mr. Kazimir, isn't my dress pretty?!"
"Yes, it is. I like the little pom-poms."
"I like the hearts and the polka dots! And it's pink!"
"Khristina, I made you breakfast. Go eat it before it gets cold."
"Is it waffles?"
"No it's pancakes." Dréy says, placing the girl in her chair.
"But I wanted-
"Khristina, don't start this nonsense this early."
The little girl sighs, stabbing the fork through the pancake.
"Okay."
After finishing her breakfast, Khristina takes a seat next to Kazimir.
"Ready to go, Khristina?"
The little girl nods and Kazimir picks her up.
"Bye bye, Dréy!"
"Bye, Khristina. Be good to Kazimir."
"I won't!"
Walking to his car, Kazimir places Khristina down, pushing the seat forward so that she could get in.
"Well Khristina, today we're officially moving in to our new house."
"Yay!"
Kazimir happily watches as the little girl claps her hand, kicking her feet in excitement.
"But first, I want to go shopping a little for our new rooms. Why don't you think of some things we need?"
"You have to get a new bed, Mr. Kazimir! And can I get new Hello Kitty bed sheets?!"
"Yeah, though if we can't find that in the store that might be something that needs to be ordered online."
After getting off of the interstate, Kazimir quickly pulls into the parking lot and helps Khristina out of her car seat.
"Okay, let's see what you've put down here."
Taking a closer look at the notepad, the small girl watches with a smile on her face as the detective raises a brow at the list.
"Khristina, we're not getting all of these toys. Maybe 2, but that's it. And we also need groceries."
"Can we get ice cream and chocolate syrup and sprinkles and make an ice cream sundae? Oooh, and we can add bananas to make a banana split!"
"I'll think about it." Kazimir says, grabbing a shopping cart. "I do know we need some pet food for Carabelle and Heggy. Now, pick out some fruits for us while I look at the vegetables."
"Okay!"
Picking up a package of tomatoes, Kazimir looks over it and places it down, picking up another one.
"Well, how-fucking-dy! If it isn't the genetically defective bastard!"
Looking up, the younger man groans as Haruki picks up a head of cabbage.
"Can you move it along? I'm trying to shop in peace."
"You like tomatoes? Can't stand them. Know what else I also can't stand?"
Ignoring Haruki, Kazimir continues to look through the vegetables.
"That you're still breathing."
"I really don't want any problems with you, bro." Kazimir says, tossing a few cucumbers into the cart. "Go find someone else to mess with."
Taking a look over at Khristina, Haruki nods.
"I think I will."
Throwing a pack of lettuce at the young gamer, Kazimir gives him a glare.
"Go over to her. I dare you."
The detective then turns to Khristina, calling out for her.
"Khristina! Have you found any fruits?"
"Yeah!"
She runs over, holding a bag of cherries and a package of blueberries.
"And there's also apples and peaches and bananas!"
"Very good, Khristina. Let's put all of those in the cart as well so we can continue shopping."
Putting them in the cart, the little girl looks up coming face to face with Haruki. He gives her a smile and she gasps, running behind Kazimir.
"No need to hide, Khristina. I won't let him bother you."