She was about to snap back, but one of the staff interrupted them with instructions.
"Congratulations. Both of you will start in the Back Office tomorrow. Ms. Martell will be your mentor for the next month," the woman said, handing them their IDs.
As they left the building, Lumen stopped her.
"What now?" she asked, her voice sharp with irritation.
"Are you on PMS? Why are you so mad at me?" Lumen asked, his tone almost innocent.
Liora could barely believe her ears. She wanted to smack him.
"You're unbelievably thick-skinned! Has anyone ever told you that?" she shot back.
"Yeah, they have. You remind me of an annoyed chicken, screeching like it's about to be butchered," he answered nonchalantly.
"Me? A chicken? Ha!" Liora spun on her heel but then, impulsively, turned back and kicked him in the leg.
"What the—?" Lumen yelped in pain, clutching his leg and staring at her in disbelief.
"Serves you right!" she said, storming off.
Before she got too far, she heard someone behind her.
"Are you okay? You seem to be in pain. Can you stand?"
"No, I can't," Lumen replied, grimacing as he struggled to get up.
Guilt washed over Liora as she saw him being helped by guards and staff. Feeling embarrassed, she rushed back.
"I'll take it from here," she blurted, trying to mask her growing embarrassment.
"And you are…?" one of the staff members asked, surprised by her sudden appearance.
"I'm—uh—his girlfriend!" she stammered, swallowing her pride.
Not daring to look at his reaction, she quickly thanked the guards and helped Lumen into a taxi, heading for the hospital.
"My girlfriend? What a nightmare," Lumen muttered, trying to keep his anger in check.
"I'm sorry—not sorry! You deserve it for being so infuriating!" she snapped, inching away from him.
"Is that how you treat a patient? I could sue you for assault," he said, his voice serious.
"Then do it!" she shot back, regaining her composure. But when she noticed him going quiet, she glanced over.
Lumen was on his phone, dialing someone. "Hello, I'd like to press charges agai—"
"No, we're not doing that!" Liora interrupted, grabbing his phone and ending the call. She glared at him and kept his phone in her hand.
"That's my phone, Miss Chickenhead," he said, smirking.
"Not anymore. You're such a jerk, did you know that?" she fumed, her face flushed red with anger.
"I do now, thanks to you," he said, finally stopping.
A heavy silence filled the taxi. Liora felt the awkwardness, but she didn't dare say another word. After all, she had gone a bit too far, and now they were pulling up in front of the hospital in New City.
Liora paced the hospital hallway, her heart racing. She couldn't believe she had kicked Lumen, of all people, and now they were stuck together, awaiting the doctor's verdict on his leg.
"Serves him right," she muttered under her breath, though guilt gnawed at her. Why did he have to be so insufferable? And why did she have to react like that?
As if on cue, Lumen's voice echoed from the room.
"Hey! Can you come in here already? I'm not dying, but it'd be nice if someone was around to hear the doctor confirm that."
Liora clenched her fists. She didn't want to be anywhere near him, but she couldn't just leave after everything that happened. She took a deep breath and walked into the room.
Lumen sat on the examination bed, his leg stretched out. He looked annoyingly comfortable, a smirk playing at his lips despite his injury.
"Well, if it isn't my charming girlfriend," Lumen teased, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Liora shot him a glare. "Don't remind me. If it weren't for you being a complete pest, I wouldn't have had to drag you here."
"A complete pest? You mean the innocent victim of an unprovoked assault?" he retorted, folding his arms across his chest.
"Innocent? Please! You're anything but!" Liora fumed, crossing her arms as well. She could feel her face heating up again. Every time he spoke, he managed to push all her buttons.
Before Lumen could respond, the doctor entered the room, his white coat flowing behind him. He glanced at the chart and then at the two of them, clearly sensing the tension.
"Alright, Mr. Duskveil, let's take a look at that leg," the doctor said, pulling on a pair of gloves. He gently pressed on Lumen's leg, observing his reaction.
"Ouch!" Lumen winced, his smirk momentarily vanishing.
Liora leaned against the wall, trying to avoid looking too guilty. But when Lumen glared at her, she rolled her eyes.
"Is it bad, Doc?" Lumen asked, his voice sounding more serious for once.
The doctor examined the leg further before nodding. "It looks like a mild sprain. Nothing too severe, but you'll need to rest it for a few days. Ice packs and elevation should help with the swelling. I'll prescribe some painkillers, but it's essential to avoid putting too much pressure on it for a while."
"A few days off my feet, huh? Sounds like a dream," Lumen quipped, glancing at Liora with a wicked grin. "Though I suppose having someone as caring as my 'girlfriend' around will make it all the better."
Liora felt her blood boil again. "Don't push it. I'm already regretting every second of this farce."
The doctor looked up, raising an eyebrow. "You two seem... close."
Lumen chuckled. "Oh, you have no idea, Doc."
Liora clenched her fists. "He's being dramatic. I kicked him once. He deserved it."
The doctor blinked, clearly unsure how to respond, and turned back to his patient. "Well, regardless of how it happened, I suggest you take it easy. No running, jumping, or—kicking for that matter."
Liora threw her hands up. "See? Even the doctor agrees! You should stop annoying people."
"Right," Lumen said, sarcasm thick in his voice. "Because you're the picture of calm and collected."
The doctor scribbled a note on his clipboard, clearly wanting to leave the room as quickly as possible. "I'll send in the nurse with your discharge papers. You can leave as soon as you're ready." He gave them one last look and made a swift exit.
As soon as the door clicked shut, Liora let out a groan. "This is all your fault."
"My fault?" Lumen laughed. "You're the one who kicked me!"
"You're the one who called me a chicken and made that stupid comment about PMS!" Liora shot back, her voice rising in frustration.
Lumen grinned. "Well, you are acting like one. A little aggressive, don't you think?"
Liora stomped her foot. "You have no idea how to talk to people! You just say the most infuriating things, and then act surprised when people react."
"You're just mad because I got a higher score than you in the interview," Lumen said smugly.
Liora's face turned red again, but this time it wasn't from embarrassment. "Excuse me? That has nothing to do with this! You always act like you're better than everyone else. You're insufferable!"
"Oh, come on. It's not like I'm wrong. I am better, aren't I?" Lumen leaned back, wincing slightly as his leg protested the movement. "Maybe that's why you can't stop thinking about me."
Liora's eyes widened. "What? I—what kind of twisted logic is that?"
Lumen chuckled, enjoying her flustered reaction. "You're clearly obsessed. First, you kick me, then you take me to the hospital, and now you're here, staying with me. It's adorable, really."
"Adorable? You're delusional!" Liora fumed, stepping closer to the bed. "The only reason I'm here is because I felt guilty for kicking you! Don't flatter yourself."
"Ah, guilt. Is that what you call it?" Lumen said, his voice teasing. "Sure, sure. Keep telling yourself that."
Liora glared at him, her hands balling into fists. "You are impossible. I don't know how anyone puts up with you."
"Maybe they don't," Lumen said with a shrug, his smirk softening into something almost genuine. "But that's okay. I don't need anyone to put up with me. I'm perfectly fine on my own."
For a moment, Liora saw a flash of vulnerability in his eyes, and it caught her off guard. She wasn't sure if he was being serious or if it was just another layer of sarcasm. Before she could figure it out, the nurse entered with the paperwork.
"You're all set, Mr. Duskveil," the nurse said, handing him the forms. "Just sign here, and you're good to go."
Lumen took the papers and signed them, his playful smirk returning as he handed them back.
As they left the hospital, Liora huffed, still annoyed by everything that had happened. But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Lumen than met the eye.
"Next time, try not to get yourself kicked again," she muttered, walking a few steps ahead.
Lumen laughed softly. "Oh, don't worry. I'll be around to annoy you for a long time."
Liora rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips as they walked down the street.
The next morning, Liora and Lumen arrived at the office building, both looking less than thrilled about spending another day in each other's company. Lumen, still limping slightly from his sprained leg, grimaced with every step as they followed their new mentor, Ms. Martell, through the winding hallways.
"Keep up, will you?" Liora muttered under her breath as she noticed Lumen lagging behind.
"Maybe if you hadn't kicked me, I wouldn't be walking like a ninety-year-old!" Lumen shot back, his frustration evident.
"You're still going on about that? You've got a sprain, not a broken leg," she retorted, crossing her arms. "Besides, I thought you said you were 'perfectly fine' on your own."
Lumen huffed, glaring at her. "Yeah, well, a sprained leg wasn't part of my plan, genius. You know, you could offer to help."
"Help? You want me to carry you or something?" Liora raised an eyebrow, a smirk playing at her lips.
"Why not? You did say you were my girlfriend in front of everyone yesterday. Might as well act the part," he teased, clearly enjoying getting under her skin.
"Don't push it, Duskveil," she snapped, though she quickened her pace to slow her teasing.
Ahead of them, Ms. Martell, a sharp-looking woman in her mid-forties, turned around and gestured for them to catch up. "Come on, you two. We've got a lot to cover today."
Lumen limped a little faster, groaning quietly with every step. "What's the rush? Can't we take it a bit slower for the guy who got assaulted yesterday?"
Liora rolled her eyes but said nothing as they caught up to Ms. Martell.
"This," Ms. Martell began, gesturing to the open-plan office space in front of them, "is the heart of our operations. You'll both be starting in the delivery department, handling client orders, ensuring timely dispatch, and making sure everything is in order before the deliveries go out. It's a busy part of the business, so you'll need to be quick and efficient."
Lumen made a face. "Great. Lots of running around. Just what I need."
Ms. Martell raised an eyebrow but chose to ignore his comment. "Your first task today is to assist the delivery team. There's a large order going out in a few hours, and we need to make sure everything is ready. You'll be handling inventory checks, sorting the packages, and making sure the paperwork is all in order."
"Sounds easy enough," Liora said confidently, already eager to get started.
"Easy for you," Lumen muttered. "I'll be hobbling around like an old man all day."
Ms. Martell shot him a stern look. "We expect professionalism here, Mr. Duskveil. I understand you're injured, but if you need assistance, speak up. Complaining won't get the job done."
Liora smirked at Lumen, clearly enjoying the fact that he was being put in his place. "Yeah, Mr. Duskveil, better speak up if you need help. We wouldn't want you slowing us down."
Lumen glared at her, his eyes narrowing. "I'll manage."
Ms. Martell led them further down the hall and into the delivery department—a bustling room with workers moving between shelves, sorting boxes, and checking off lists.
"This is where it all happens," Ms. Martell explained. "You'll be working with the team here. Your supervisor for the day will be Mr. Clarke. He'll show you the ropes."
As she left them to their task, Mr. Clarke, a burly man with a no-nonsense demeanor, approached. He eyed the two of them with a scrutinizing gaze.
"So, you're the new recruits?" Clarke said, his voice gruff.
"Yes, sir," Liora replied, standing straight.
Clarke glanced at Lumen, noting his limp. "You gonna be able to keep up, or are you just here to watch?"
Lumen straightened up, ignoring the pain in his leg. "I'll be fine."
Clarke nodded and handed them clipboards. "Good. We've got a big delivery heading out today. All these boxes need to be checked against the inventory list. Make sure nothing's missing and everything's accounted for. Then, we'll move them out to the loading dock."
Liora grabbed her clipboard, her expression serious as she scanned the inventory list. "Got it."
Lumen, however, looked less than enthusiastic. "Perfect. Manual labor with a side of paperwork."
"Quit whining," Liora said, nudging him with her elbow. "The sooner we get this done, the sooner you can rest that leg of yours."
Lumen grumbled under his breath but followed her to the rows of boxes that needed sorting. As they worked, the bickering between them continued.
"Can't believe they're making us do this," Lumen complained, ticking off items on his list. "I didn't sign up for heavy lifting."
"Oh, please. It's not that bad," Liora said as she checked off another box. "You'd think you were carrying boulders the way you're whining."
"I've got a sprained leg, in case you forgot!" Lumen shot back.
"Yeah, yeah. You've mentioned it a thousand times already," Liora sighed. "You want me to call an ambulance? Maybe get you a wheelchair while you're at it?"
Lumen shot her a look. "You're hilarious, really."
A few hours later, after sorting through the inventory and helping move boxes to the loading dock, Lumen was limping more noticeably. He leaned heavily on a nearby shelf, wincing.
"Maybe you should actually sit down," Liora said, her voice softer now, though still laced with a teasing tone. "You look like you're about to collapse."
Lumen sighed, his face a mix of frustration and exhaustion. "I hate to admit it, but you might be right. I can't keep up at this pace."
Liora smirked. "Finally, a moment of clarity."
She waved Mr. Clarke over, who assessed Lumen's condition. "Alright, you—take a seat. Liora, finish up with the last few boxes. Lumen, I'll find you something less physically demanding for the rest of the day."
Lumen nodded, grateful for the reprieve, while Liora finished up the task, feeling a mix of satisfaction and a strange sense of camaraderie with Lumen, despite all their bickering.
As the day wrapped up, Liora caught Lumen glancing her way. "You know, for someone who kicked me, you're not half bad."
Liora rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. "Don't get used to it, Duskveil."