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An uncertain knock on the door.
Alex sat up and placed her guitar back in its case. Took a deep breath. Well, a few deep breaths.
“Alex?”
Oh, Ryan. Sweet, sweet Ryan, your timing is not great.
“Come in.”
His head peeped through the door. He met her gaze, and slipped through.
“My dad just told me he saw you get taken away by Pike.” He hovered beside her, hands wringing. “Is everything okay? I mean, with Typhon, and Diane-“ He paused when she looked up at him.
I wonder what he sees right now? With no aura to go off of? Cos, his is bright fucking purple on my end.
“Alex, you being scared has me freaked.”
She took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.
“We’re in danger, Ryan. Typhon is watching every little step we make. You, me, and Steph. There are undercover photos and dossiers and lists... A whole bunch of next-level shit.”
He sat heavily beside her.
“Fuck.”
“That about sums it up, yeah.”
“And Pike? What’s his part in this?”
“He’s scared shitless of Typhon. Wanted me to sign a deal with them to make it all go away.”
“Did you?”
“Fuck no!”
Ryan let out a slow breath. “Good. I mean, fuck. This is messed up. But I’m glad you stuck to your guns.”
Alex flopped onto her back and stared unseeing at the ceiling. “What can I say. I’m stubborn.”
Ryan bumped his knee against hers. “We’ll be okay. We’ve got each other’s backs.”
“Yeah, I just hope you or Steph don’t get shot in yours for sticking by me.”
Ryan shook his head and twisted to look her in the eye. “Worth it.” He softly took her closest hand into his, finger by finger intertwining. “Worth. It.”
Alex watched their hands join, and bit her lip as the purple tinges around Ryan started to flicker from fear to hesitation. She pushed herself back up to sitting, and all of a sudden Ryan seemed a whole lot closer than before. A flare of uncertainty erupted from him, and he tore his eyes away from Alex to look at his boots.
Alex shouldered him. “Taking bullets for each other now, huh?”
“Ride or die, I guess.”
“Hardcore. I dig it.”
He cleared his throat. “Like I said on the roof earlier. You’re really important to me.”
“And you’re really important to me. Funny how that works.”
He looked at her, and a small smile crept up his face. The purple dissipated completely.
“I think I might kiss you again.”
“You don’t have to announce it every time.”
He leaned into her space and kissed the side of her mouth. Then the other. Alex smiled, and surged up to meet him properly.