The next day, Holo entered Scarlet's room with a cautious optimism. Yesterday had been the first real breakthrough, the first time he had seen a glimmer of vulnerability in her that wasn't masked by sarcasm or venom. He wasn't sure what to expect this time, but he was determined to keep moving forward.
Scarlet was sitting in her usual spot, but something about her was different. Her confident smirk was gone, replaced by an expression that was harder to read. Her arms were folded tightly across her chest, and her gaze flicked toward him as he entered, only to quickly dart away.
"Morning," Holo said softly, taking his usual seat across from her.
"Morning," she replied, her voice quieter than usual. She shifted uncomfortably, her fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her dress.
There was a long, awkward silence. Holo decided to break it. "How are you feeling today?"
"Fine," Scarlet said quickly, though her tone was unconvincing.
He tilted his head, studying her. "You sure?"
She huffed, leaning back in her chair and avoiding his gaze. "Why do you care?"
"You already know why," Holo said gently. "Because I care about you."
Scarlet flinched at his words, her cheeks tinging pink. She opened her mouth to fire back some kind of witty retort, but the words seemed to catch in her throat. Instead, she quickly looked away, her hands balling into fists.
"Why are you so difficult?" she muttered, more to herself than to him.
Holo smiled faintly. "I could ask you the same thing."
She shot him a glare, but there was no real malice behind it. "You're annoying," she grumbled. "Do you know that?"
"Probably," he admitted with a small chuckle. "But I'm not going anywhere, so you'll just have to deal with it."
Scarlet sighed, rubbing her temples. "You're impossible."
"You're the one who said I'm stubborn," he teased. "You're not wrong."
She couldn't help but let out a small laugh at that, though she quickly tried to smother it. "Shut up," she muttered, though her voice lacked its usual bite.
Holo leaned forward slightly, his expression softening. "Scarlet, can I ask you something?"
Her posture stiffened, and she glanced at him warily. "What?"
"Do you hate me?" he asked, his tone gentle.
The question seemed to catch her off guard. Her eyes widened, and for a moment, she looked completely lost. She opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. She closed it again, her jaw tightening as she avoided his gaze.
"I…" she started, but her voice faltered. She tried again. "I don't…"
She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence. The longer she stared at him, the faster her heart raced. Her mind screamed at her to say something—anything—but the truth was slipping through the cracks in her carefully crafted defenses.
Her arms ached with the need to wrap around him, to hold him close and feel the warmth of his presence. Her lips tingled with the desire to press against his, and her ears longed to hear him say the words she so desperately needed to believe: It's going to be okay.
She was completely broken by him, and it terrified her.
Scarlet took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. She couldn't let him see how much he affected her. She needed to regain control of the situation. "What about you?" she asked, her voice sharper than she intended. "What do you think about me?"
Holo blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift. "Me?"
"Yes, you," she said, crossing her arms. "You're always going on about how much you care, so tell me—what do you think of me?"
He hesitated, unsure of how honest he should be. But as he looked into her eyes, he decided that she deserved the truth. "I think you're cute," he said softly. "And… sexy."
Scarlet's face exploded red, her hands flying up to cover her cheeks. "W-What?!"
Holo felt his own cheeks heat up, but he held his ground. "I mean it. You're amazing, Scarlet. Even if you don't see it yourself."
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water as she struggled to process his words. "You… You're an idiot," she finally managed to say, though her voice was shaky and unconvincing.
"Maybe," he said with a small smile. "But I meant what I said."
Scarlet turned away from him, burying her face in her hands as her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of her lips, and she hated herself for it. "You're so annoying," she muttered, though there was no malice in her tone.
"Sorry," Holo said, though he didn't sound particularly sorry.
She took a deep breath, her hands falling to her lap as she tried to compose herself. "I… I need you to leave," she said, her voice trembling slightly.
Holo frowned. "Why?"
"I just… I'm not in the right headspace right now," she admitted, still avoiding his gaze. "Come back tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" he asked, his concern evident.
"Yes," she said quickly. "Just… go."
Holo stood, hesitating for a moment before heading toward the door. "Okay. But I'll see you tomorrow, Scarlet."
She didn't respond, but as the door closed behind him, she let out a shaky sigh, her hands trembling as she hugged her knees to her chest. For the first time in years, someone had managed to break through her defenses, and it left her feeling vulnerable in a way she wasn't sure how to handle.
But as she replayed his words in her mind, a small, genuine smile crept onto her face.
After Holo left, Scarlet paced around her room, her mind racing and her heart pounding in her chest. Every word he had said to her echoed in her thoughts, his voice warm and sincere. She clutched at her chest, her breaths coming faster as a strange heat spread through her body. She couldn't focus on anything else—every thought she had was consumed by him.
Finally, she flopped onto her bed, curling up into a tight ball as her face pressed into the pillow. The faint scent of the sterile room surrounded her, but it wasn't enough to distract her from the storm inside her mind. "Holo…" she whispered, his name slipping from her lips like a forbidden mantra.
She rolled onto her back, her arms wrapping around herself as if trying to mimic the feeling of being held. A thin line of drool slipped from the corner of her mouth as her mind drifted back to his words. "You're cute. And sexy."
Her body shivered at the memory, a deep blush spreading across her face. She pulled a pillow close to her chest, squeezing it tightly as if it were him. "You're so stupid, Holo," she murmured, her voice trembling. "Why did you have to say that?"
The more she thought about him, the harder it became to think about anything else. His gentle smile, his kind eyes, the way he always refused to give up on her no matter how cruel she had been—everything about him was intoxicating. Her heart raced with a mix of excitement and something deeper, something more consuming than anything she had ever felt before.
At first, these feelings had confused her. She wasn't used to caring about anyone, let alone feeling this strongly for someone. But now, as she lay curled up on her bed, the realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.
She loved him.
No, it was more than that. She was obsessed with him.
Her lips curled into a small, dreamy smile, and she bit her lower lip as a giggle escaped her. "Holo…" she whispered again, the sound of his name sending a wave of warmth through her. She pressed her face into the pillow, her legs curling up as she felt her body trembling with emotion.
"It's amazing," she murmured, her voice filled with awe. "Just talking to him… it's like heaven. I don't even care about anything else anymore. I just want to be with him."
Her arms wrapped around the pillow even tighter, and she let out a soft, contented sigh. The thought of him made her entire body tingle, and the idea of being near him again tomorrow filled her with an overwhelming sense of anticipation.
"I won't let you get away tomorrow," she whispered to herself, her voice filled with determination. "You're mine now, Holo. And I'm never letting you go."
Her smile widened, and she giggled again, her cheeks flushed and her eyes sparkling with excitement. The thought of him loving her back, of holding her, of whispering sweet words to her—it was almost too much for her to handle.
"I finally understand," she said softly, her fingers curling into the fabric of her pillow. "This is what it means to love someone. To need them more than anything else."
Scarlet stared up at the ceiling, her mind racing with plans for the next day. She would make sure Holo knew how she felt. She would show him that he belonged to her now, that no one else could ever take her place in his life.
As her thoughts consumed her, Scarlet's smile turned into a mischievous grin. "Tomorrow," she whispered, her voice almost a purr. "Tomorrow, you'll be mine."
And with that, she drifted off into a restless sleep, her dreams filled with visions of Holo—his smile, his warmth, his love. She didn't know how she had survived this long without him, but now that she had him, she would do whatever it took to make sure he never left her side.