Chapter Text
Well, everything sucks.
You just came back from yet another failed date. Which one is this? the fourth? But honestly, do you even care by now? You put on a pretty outfit, put on some makeup, do your hair, and waste your time already knowing that it is going to be a failure. So why are you complaining, really? You're the one getting yourself into those awkwards dates. And you don't even know why you do it. ¿Is it because you have needs to be fulfilled? Maybe. ¿is it because you're just.. bored? Perhaps. ¿Or.. is it because you miss her..? Mh. Bingo.
Maybe it's because you want to prove to yourself that you don't love and yearn for her anymore.. Which is funny, because you know you do. But still, you don't want to give her the pleasure of going back to her; No.. not after she hurt you and didn't even have the decency to apologize.
So you'll just get back home, undress, undo your pretty hair, take off your makeup, and then hopefully drift to sleep. Tomorrow is going to be a long day at the bar anyways, you’ll need to be well rested.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
You sighed in total relief when you finally got home, the exhaustion from the day, and that depressing date you had earlier, drowning with every passing second the little bit of energy you had left. You closed the door with a gentle kick as you turned the lights on. Once you locked the door, you shook your boots off, an approving hum following after. You went to leave your purse and keys on the small table beside the door, but stopped in your tracks when you saw the small orange flower keychain, the one she had gifted you a while ago. The sight of it made you fight back a few tears that threatened to come out. A few months back, you would look at that stupid, yet so meaningful, keychain and grin widely while giggling like a dumbass; but now.. all you felt was emptiness inside your chest, because it brought back the memory of the night you two met.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
THREE YEARS AND TWO MONTHS EARLIER:
You were, once again, late to work because you didn't hear the alarm. It took you six days to realize your clock was broken, and you don't even understand how you didn't notice earlier. Anyways.. You decided to take a nap before the night shift, because you couldn't get a proper sleep the night before. And it was a great decision, if only your alarm had worked. You thank Janna that you've been working for so long at the bar that your boss has grown, at least, a little bit of respect to not fire you at this point. Thankfully, your neighbor's baby started crying crazy loud, so loud felt like it was crying right next to your ear. On another occasion, it would probably piss you off, but today? You were more than thankful because it helped you wake up completely. You just felt pity for your neighbor, she's such a nice woman with an asshole husband and a siren of a baby. But you had no time to worry about that. You prepared yourself as quickly as possible, grabbing anything necessary for your shift, before getting out of your apartment. You went running down the stairs of the building, not even bothering to be careful. Hands reached out for the door and you quickly unlocked it, before starting running like crazy, heading towards the bar.
Your heart raced, your breath was all ragged, your legs even burned with pain, but you didn't stop. The streets were rowdy with people and you tried your best to not bump with any of them, but you failed miserably. In your head, that annoying feeling that you were forgetting about something created a small headache; it made you flinch and hiss quietly, your steps slowing down a little. Your hand reached out to your head and you made the awful mistake of closing your eyes. Instantly, you bumped into someone again, only this time with someone's back. Someone's big, muscled back you noticed when you opened your eyes. The person, whom you noticed was a woman, turned around slowly, and you were met with the face of a goddess. Gray, bright eyes pierced yours as she looked DOWN at you, because yes, that woman was a literal beast (in the best way), with her brow raised in confusion. Her round and soft nose made your head race with inappropriate thoughts, ones that you pushed deeep down your mind. Then her lips- covered in a black lipstick that made them look so. terribly. desirable. For Janna's sake, what is going on with you tonight?
You were quick to pull yourself out of your dreamy state so you could apologize. Somehow, your heart raced even more as you locked eyes with the godde- the woman again. You cleared your throat and took a step back, immediately apologizing. 'I am.. so sorry.' Shaky voice, eyes wide. 'I- I wasn't watching where I was going.'
'Yeah, no shit.' A tall and pale guy, who was behind the woman, said with a mocking tone before he started cackling heavily; his laugh loud and very much annoying. The other man couldn't contain his chuckle -that had quickly turned into a laugh- and the person beside him couldn't contain their snort.
The joke wasn't even that funny.. You thought.
The woman turned her head a little, facing with a sharp stare at the three people who were laughing, and their mouths went shut in an instant. Woah. Okay, hot- No, stop this. She turned her head towards you and you two locked eyes once again. And then you were blessed by the sound of her voice.
'S alright, sweetheart. But be careful next time, you know how the people 'round here are.' Her voice was scratchy and low, yet it still held a humorous hint; which made you knees weak. The corner of her mouth raised the slightest as her eyes narrowed a little. Then, her gaze went up and down, measuring you. Your body suddenly grew hotter, and you felt like fainting. Then..
Work!
'Shit-' You looked down at the old watch on your wrist and saw the time- 8:13PM. Gasp. 'Yeah- okay, cool. Thanks! Goodbye.' You told the woman, not even glancing up at her as you started running again. When you passed beside her, you heard a quiet snort, but maybe it was your mind.
And although you focused on walking towards the bar, your mind raced with thoughts. Who the hell was that woman? Because by the way she shut those people's mouths with only a stare, she must be important. But why? She's extremely handsome. Is she single? Is she a gangster or something? Does she like women? She has to.. her face looks so rideab-
The bar!
You pushed those naughty thoughts deep down and went towards the back of the bar. You grabbed your keys and looked for the one you needed, but the door opened for you. Oh, no, it was your boss that opened the door; And he looked irritated. And irritated in a "smoke left through his ears" type of way.
'Where the fuck were you!? You're late- again.' He said that last part while gritting his teeth.
You sighed and nodded slowly. 'I know, boss, I'm so sorry. I know I've said this many times, but my alarm didn't go off again.' An uncomfortable grimace appeared on your flustered face as you tried to sound convincing.
And of course he rolled his eyes and groaned loudly, that was like his signature. Anything you say to him will be answered with it, like you've just said the stupidest thing.
'Alright. Whatever. Come in, someone important is coming in tonight, so I need all of you to concentrate.' He grabbed your arm and gently yanked it, trying to bring you inside, but you froze on your steps.
'What? Who's coming?' You asked him with a husky voice. You met his eyes and then flinched when you saw the madness on his face.
'What do you mean by that!? I told you that Silco was coming to this bar!' He was screaming at this point, almost damaging your ears.
You went still and even wondered if you heard okay, because- 'Silco? Here?' You whispered his name, small and timid, as if saying it any louder would summon him. There is no way he's coming, right? It must have been a prank.
'Yes, dear! Silco. I told all of you, like, a week ago! Do you even hear me when I speak!?' His arms flew in the air dramatically. Your boss's voice had reached such a high pitch that didn't help with the headache at all.
Your brows furrowed as you tried to find the memory of when he told you that very, VERY important information. And that's when you remembered, a week ago indeed, he told you and your co-workers that someone was coming in today.
Ah.. that's why you felt like you were forgetting about something earlier..
He didn't reeaally clarify who was coming, that 'someone special' could have been anyone, really... So, uh.. that's on him. Not that you'd tell him that, of course.
While your cold hand rubbed gently on the back of your neck, another 'I'm sorry' had been murmured from your mouth. Then you followed with: 'I completely forgot about it.. I mean this month has been really cra-'
'Ah, ah.' His index finger moved to the left and right repeatedly as he interrupted you with such said annoying gesture. 'I don't want to hear any of your excuses, Y/N. But what I do want is for you to get everything ready, they're coming in just an hour!'
You let out a sigh through your nose. 'Yes, Sir, I'll get to that now. But.. may I ask why are they coming here?'
Quite a stupid question, but you know of others restaurants in Zaun that have better reputation.. Not that the food on yours isn't good, but there's Lupe's for example, she has such a fine variety of dishes. You got the opportunity to try her food one time and it is correct to say that you almost fainted because of how good it was.
His expression hardened. 'Why..' Then he clicked his tongue and shook his head nervously. 'Why would I know? They didn't give any explanation!' His voice had raised in a high pitch. 'They just reserved the whole restaurant and didn't say why! They could've at least said it was for celebration, maybe a birthday..' His eyes slowly wandered to the floor, and somehow they widened even more.
'it must have been one of his assistants who called- I think Ran was their name.' A shiver went down his spine with just the thought of that call. Then his voice lowered a little and he added.. 'Their voice was just.. terrifying.'
You grimaced a little and rubbed the bridge of your nose, the headache getting worse. It felt like you were at the wrong place as your head started to blur whatever the man in front of you said.
'The worst part?'
Oh and he kept going!
When he continued, you had to hide the way your eye twitched with annoyance. 'Linus and Rictus aren't here!. Silco is coming in-' He checked the old watch on his wrist. '56 minutes and they aren't here!'
Okay.. you NEED to find a way to calm his nerves.. Come on, Y/N, think..
'Maybe.. they're on their way..' Okay, epic fail. Your headache wouldn't let you think. Great. Just what you needed, and on this very day!
'Yeah, no, don't even try-' Suddenly, the sound of something breaking made the both of you jump and gasp. Your heads snapped to the side, to where the sound came from, just to find Lisa, one of your co-workers, kneeled in front of a broken jar of flour. You hissed quietly at the mess.
'Lisa, are you serious!?' Your boss shouted.
'I'm- I'm sorry, Sir!' Lisa said with a shaky tone. Poor girl. She could be really clumsy sometimes.. the week before she had broken three glasses. She works on the drinks and sometimes as a chef, depending on… if Rictus comes to work or not. You suspect that your boss is a little afraid of him, and that's why he doesn't fire him, because he has missed quite a few days of work.
You couldn't handle it anymore, all that screaming and loud noise was too much to bear.
'I'll go get changed.' You murmured to your boss before walking away, towards the dressing room, which was just a small storage room.
While praying to find a package of shimorfen, you rummaged through your bag with such desperation that had you mumbling insults after insults. You knew you had it in the bag because it never left its place, so where wa-
“There you are!” You whispered through clinching teeth; in a mad, yet relieved way.
You approached the small water dispenser, then grabbed the plastic vase that was on top of it and poured some water. And so, you drowned the pill and sighed in satisfaction. Your head still burned like hell, but at least you had taken the pill.
After that, you turned around and stood in front of the small table that was against the wall, looking at yourself through the stained mirror with a grimace; both because of the bright light that burned your eyes and because of the look you had that night. You were a mess.. Zaun's air would always ruin your looks.. Better fix it before heading outside.
You grabbed the hair tie that was on your wrist and tied your hair in a bun. While grabbing the old gloss you had on your bag, you couldn't help but think about that woman you bumped into. As you applied the gloss on your lips, your mind wandered to hers; And then those beautiful eyes of her.. you've never seen ones just like hers. Gray and shiny like thousands stars. How is it that such a soft color could be wrapped around such a sharp stare? One that had surprisingly softened the moment you apologized; the slightest that is.
Oh, and her voice was like music for your ears; scratchy, gruff, the velvet kind. The type of voice that commands authority.. though apparently she doesn't even have to use it. Just a glance from her and every mouth is shut in an instant; that's exactly what happened with those who laughed at you earlier, which was honestly quite exciting to see. And so intriguing.. Seriously, who could she be?
As you tucked the loose hair -that was.. growing from the regretful bangs you had the year before- behind your ears, you observed yourself through the mirror.
Should I dye my hair pink again? You thought. Maybe purple would look good...
A sigh left through your mouth before you murmured to yourself: 'Now it's not the time..'
As you placed the gloss on your tote bag, the shouting of your boss could be heard from afar; your eyes rolled almost immediately.
You hung the tote bag on the coat rack and grabbed your apron, tying it around your hips. Inside the front pocket were a notepad and pen.. oh and some old candy that you were quick to eat.
You were startled when a sudden knock was heard on the door; well, more of a banging than a knock. Then your boss's voice was heard.. of course.
'Why are you taking so long back there!?'
You sighed and rubbed your eyes; You could already feel the exhaustion cursing through your bones and muscles.
After you left that room, you didn't stop once.
You arranged the tables with the help of one of your co-workers and also good friend, Leon. A tall, skinny and palid man. His hair is bright purple and short, with a couple of gray hairs here and there; his eyes were brown and had dark bags under them.
The two of you decided to place the big table near the kitchen, which would be on the left -and the prettiest in your opinion- side of the bar, so the food would get to them faster. There was a big and round window right in front of the table, where you couldn't see much because of the city's lightning, but it was still.. if you could call it.. "Fancy.." You murmured as you watched the scenario in front of you. The table, the big window, the soft yet bright lightning..
The wooden floor cricked beneath your feet as you hurriedly carried a chair. You saw Leon quite concentrated on two tablecloths that were on the table, so after placing the chair on the floor you approached him.
He saw you and sighed. 'I don't know which one to pick.' He crossed his arms then pointed at one of the cloths. 'This one is pretty, but it's.. maybe too white and.. its colors here are just- too pastel.' He grimaces.
You rolled your eyes, knowing how much of a perfectionist he can be, but understanding his concerns. 'Then pick this one, dude.' You point to the other one. 'It's black-'
'Yes, but it has those orange flowersss..' He whispered. A low, pensive hum rumbled in his throat. 'What if he doesn't like flowers?' As he said that, his expression changed into a terrified one. His dark eyes widened at the thought of disappointing someone like Silco.
'Hey.' You murmured to get his attention. He looked at you and you noticed the way his pupils dilated just a little. 'It's going to be okay. It's just a silly tablecloth.' You whispered while shrugging. 'I honestly don't think he'll care.' You gently squeezed his shoulder in a reassuring way.
Leon sighed and closed his eyes, so to then take a long, calming breath. Your presence helped him relax, somehow it always did.
Suddenly, a short snort escapes from him, then a goofy smile spreads through his face. His grin was contagious enough to make you smile a little, although you were extremely confused.
'The hell are you laughing 'bout?' You said between soft chuckles.
'It's just so stupid, man.' He giggles. 'How can I be so scared of someone to the point where I'm terrified to choose a wrong tablecloth. Ugh.' His eyes rolled.
It was fair to be scared. Silco is.. Well, you've only seen him on some posters that have been hung around the town. Yes, you met him more than a decade ago, but he has changed.. drastically. Before the war, you'd always perceived him as a quiet but nice man. Then everything went down on that bridge and he.. disappeared. That night was the last time you saw him; you remember seeing him trying to help someone. How is it that someone who wanted to change things for the better, became someone who destroyed the lives of so many people? With that awful drug he made.
It was a hard fight for everyone. Everyone changed after that war.. Some for the "best", some for the worst. And Silco basically turned into a psychopath.
And now.. he's coming to the bar you work at.
'Do you think they'll celebrate something? I don't think they're coming here to do business, it would be a stupid move.' Leon leaned against the table as he spoke.
You shrugged. 'I don't know.. It's probably a celebration. I bet they invented a new drug and wanted to celebrate.'
Leon laughed quietly, but then went silent for a second, to then say with a low voice: 'I hope not, though.'
You clicked your tongue and gently patted his back 'Just kidding. C'mon, let's put this one,' You said while grabbing the black tablecloth with the orange flowers. 'I think there's a fake bouquet of flowers that are going to match with it.'
That cheered up Leon. 'Oh yeah! Linus made them, right?' Leon grabbed the other tablecloth and placed it on top of a chair. 'He's so talented..' He mumbled lovingly as he stretched the cloth with you.
A quiet chuckle had slipped from your mouth upon hearing his words. He was so oblivious of the way he talked about Linus, it was honestly so cute.
'Janna..' You had whispered with amusement. 'Just fuck him already.' You straightened the tablecloth while ignoring Leon's dramatic gasp.
'The hell you mean 'bout that? I don't- Eugh!' A fake gag followed after as he tried to act disgusted, but he couldn't hide the way his cheeks blushed. 'I don't even want to.. fuck him..'
The laughter that left your mouth was probably heard in the entire bar. 'Dude! You don't even sound so sure of yourself.'
Leon just scoffed angrily, trying to act offended that you had even suggested such a thing, but he didn't say anything else. He just walked towards the kitchen and through the door, probably looking for that bouquet you mentioned before. A minute or so later, Leon came back with that bouquet of orange flowers, which was inside a glass jar.
"Mhm, that's the one!"
Leon stopped by your side and then placed the flowers on the center of the table. You looked at it and chuckled quietly. 'Why did you pour water if they're fake?' You looked at him with amusement.
He just shrugs and hums. It amazes you how red his cheeks still are.
Then the two of you took a few steps back to admire your work. You crossed your arms while proudly sighing. "We should quit our jobs and dedicate ourselves to decorate homes.'
Leon clicked his tongue and nodded in agreement. 'Honestly.' He placed both of his hands on his hips, charging his weight to one leg.
Then your boss came in, and- oh.. he looked.. oh wow.
Sweat fell through his forehead and all the way down to his shirt, his hair was a total mess, his clothes were stained with... something, and his face showed nothing but exasperation. His hands were tightly gripping the door frames of the kitchen's entrance as if he was trying to hold on to reality.
'You alrighty over there..?' Leon said with a mix of worry and amusement. You were quick to hit him on his side with your elbow, making him wince and apologize.
The both of you remained in silence as you watched how your boss analysed the place, his eyes slowly tracing the table, the chairs, the tablecloth, etc. His eyes were wide open, but they ever so gently started to relax upon seeing everything arranged. Then he closed his eyes and sighed in relief.
'I'll get cleaned. If they arrive and I'm not ready yet, tell themm... uhh..' A huff left his mouth. 'I don't know, invent something.'
You and Leon nodded your heads slowly. "Yes, Sir." You said with determination.
'Thank you.' He said before disappearing through the door.
You and your co-worker looked at each other with furrowed brows and confused expressions. 'He looked like he just ran a goddamn marathon.' You murmured with slight amusement
'Yeah-' Suddenly, someone knocks heavily on the door, making the two of you jump and scream like two toddlers. 'WHAT THE FUCK!?' Leon shouted.
'PERO LA PUTA MADRE-' You stopped when you saw who it was, and you couldn't help but groan heavily. It was none other than Linus, who was knocking on the door like his life depended on it. Why was he trying to enter through the main entrance?
'The hell man!?' You shouted before pointing with your hand towards the back door. Linus stopped, blinked, and then opened his mouth to say, what you assume was, "Ohhhh.."
Then he turned around and walked away, approaching the back of the bar, or at least that's what you thought he was doing. You turned around so you could look at Leon and you stared at him with a deadpan expression.
'That's the guy you're in love with? Seriously?'
'I- Stop that! what if he hears?' He whispered.
You scoffed a laugh and shook your head. 'Whatever.' After stretching your arms with another big groan, you grabbed the ugly tablecloth that wasn't used. 'Come on, let's go to the kitchen to greet your future husband.' You murmured playfully. Leon punched your shoulder harshly, yet you couldn't help but laugh.
He leaned against the table with his arms crossed. 'Someday, you'll fall in love with someone and I'll never stop teasing you about it, just so you know how fucking embarrassing it feels." He said with a taunting tone.
'Keep dreaming. “You said between fake giggles.”
Leon clicked his tongue. 'Stop saying that shit.. You never know when the love of your life might show up. I mean..' His eyes lowered to the floor as a smile appeared on his lips. 'I used to think just like you, then Linus started working here and..' A sigh left through his mouth.
'Aand... you still won't make a move!' You said teasingly with a big grin. You were glad he wasn't denying his feelings anymore, guess he finally realised it was quite obvious.
He rolled his eyes and groaned angrily. 'Whatever! You know, I was goin' to get all sentimental with you, but now I won't 'cause I'm mad!'
'No, no, I'm sorry!' You said between giggles again, this time real ones. 'I swear I'll stop teasing!'
Leon started walking towards the kitchen with slow steps while raising his hands in the air. 'Nope, you've lost your opportunity now.'
You followed him and wrapped your arm around his. 'You need to learn how to lie properly, you're terrible at it.'
'Oh, so now you're also insulting me?' He said dramatically, with his hand on his chest and all. Neither you or Leon were able to hold the laughter the moment you two locked eyes. You both entered the kitchen laughing like two little kids and didn't leave until Silco and his goons came. The bar was closed just for them, so no one else came in the meantime.
They arrived at 9:13PM.
You and Leon were at the reception, watching closely how your boss approached the main entry. He looked nervous, of course, yet he still remained professional. Rictus (who had arrived just about five minutes before) and Linus were waiting in the kitchen; Lisa on the far end of the reception counter, where all the drinks are.
Rictus was agitated, both because of Silco's presence and the fact that he came running. Linus was.. something. His expression was a hard rock, so you don't exactly know how he was feeling. Leon was SWEATING. Lisa managed to keep calm, and honestly you admired her for that, because you were pretty much going insane.
Your fingers tapped repeatedly the cash register while your foot kicked the floor. You watched how your boss opened the door with a big grin on his lips. The first person who came in was a giant man, seriously, he was enormous; He was bald, had tattoos all over his body, and.. mm.. a metallic jaw? He looks quite familiar..
The second person looked more humanly; Black hair with bangs that slightly covered one of their eyes, black lipstick, and a sharp stare. They were also really familiar…
The third person was a guy who looked terrifically like Leon. Maybe that's why he also felt quite familiar. Whatever was happening was extremely weird, but you just brushed it off, thinking that maybe you saw them around a few times before.
Then.. he came in. Silco. The man was more terrifying in person, the posters couldn't even capture the frightening energy he had. If you squinted a little, you could see the dark aura that emanated from him.
He looked at you boss up and down before his gaze swept around the whole bar and-
Oh. Your heart dropped.
That woman you bumped into earlier suddenly entered through the door with slow steps. That same woman you've been thinking about this past hour was now in the bar you work at. And she's.. oh Janna.. It all makes sense now. She must be Silco's right-hand! Se.. Sevrike..? No, it doesn't sound right.. Sevika? That must be it. At least the description everyone gave you matched entirely with her. An intimidating woman with a red poncho that hid something impeccable; Some say she has a mechanical arm, others say that she's half wolf and that she has an animalistic looking arm. You believe the mechanical arm rumor, the werewolf one just makes you hysterically laugh.
She looked extremely gorgeous. She was wearing black jeans that hugged her legs just right; under her poncho you assumed she must be wearing a long sleeved shirt, thanks to the fact that you could see her right arm- the rolled up sleeve squeezed her bicep in a way that made you feel so many things.
Leon leaned closer to you, his gaze not leaving the group of people. 'That has to be his right-hand woman..' He whispered.
'She's the woman I bumped into earlier.' You whispered back. 'Remember I told you, like, ten minutes ago about a gorgeous woman I had bumped into on my way here? it was her..'
Your gaze went to Leon and then it quickly returned to Sevika, and to your surprise, she was already looking at you.
Her eyes were narrowed as she inspected you, trying to remember who you were. Then her co-worker, Gustove, mumbled something to her. She looked at him with her brow raised. 'What?'
Gustove clicked his tongue and repeated what he said. 'She's the woman that bumped into you earlier.. y'know, the one that got all flustered and surely fell in love with you?' He said teasingly before laughing.
The fact that he was whispering something in her ear while also looking at you flipped your gut. 'What did he say to her? and why is he laughing?' You whispered with slight panic. He surely remembered you.. oh Janna, no.. You sigh huskyly. 'Somebody sedate me..'
'She's for real the woman you bumped? Maybe you're confused-'
'Leon, please, you think I'd forget the way a woman like her looks?' You looked at him deadpanned, like he just said the stupidest shit. 'I've been thinking about her for the past hour, her face is basically stuck in my mind.'
Sevika just rolled her eyes at Gustove dumb remark, but she won't deny that she liked the idea. No, what was she thinking? It's bullshit. It's the dumbest thing she's heard him say. And even if it was true, she doesn't care at all, why would she? Love isn't something she's interested, she sure knows that. And it's not she finds you attractive anyways.. But when she looked at you again, she got dizzy, her mind felt fuzzy. Gustove was speaking to her, but she couldn't hear what he was saying, too focused on you. The man beside you must have said something funny, because there was a soft smile on your lips, and she got goosebumps just by looking at them. The voices of her boss and the owner of this bar, who's name she couldn't remember, slowly faded into a murmur. Then you met her gaze and it was like the whole world stopped.
She noticed the way your dark eyes slightly widened, how the warm light shined through them, how they couldn't look away- just like hers. She noticed how your lips, covered with a shiny gloss, slightly parted ways, initiating a fire within her that had expired long ago. You got flustered the moment you two locked eyes, your cheeks had turned red in just an instant, and she was enchanted by it. Her hands, one flesh and the other metallic, closed into a tight fist. Yours, calloused from years of work, gripped the cash register harshly, turning your knuckles pale.
Leon called out your name, and you heard it -you swear you did- but you just couldn't look away.
That trance you two had entered, lasted around 30 seconds; yet it felt like hours. Sevika was the first to look away, as her boss shouted her name angrily, though it took him three attempts to call her attention.
'Sevika, for fuck's sake!' His hands shook in the air with despair.
Sevika's head quickly shot towards him and she was fast to leave that dreamy state. She cleared her throat quite nervously and spoke with her chin raised. 'My apologies, Sir.'
Silco's eyes were wide and intense, his expression showing nothing but exasperation. 'The last thing I need right now is something else ruining the night.'
Exaggerated, but alright.. Sevika thought, but kept quiet and just nodded.
Your eyebrows drew together when you saw how Silco treated her. It didn't surprise you, if you were honest, but it made your blood boil. Was every boss on this planet so harsh and mean with their employees, or is this just a coincidence? Yours was.. decent, kind of. But when he gets stressed, he will disrespect basically everyone around him; it's like he blames you for his problems and his mistakes
You watched how your boss tried his best to cover the tension that Silco and Sevika's interaction had caused by clearing his throat and breaking the silence.
'Is it just going to be the five of you, or there's going to be someone else?' His hands were behind his back, which was straightened to show confidence.
Silco sighed and dusted off his clothes with an arrogant expression. 'Yes, yes.. there are two more people that will arrive any time soon, two of my employees.'
'Very well, then!' Your boss leaned slightly forward. 'May I, in the meantime, show you your table?'
'Please. I need to sit down.' He said dryly.
Your boss nodded his head and pointed with his hand. 'This way.' He started walking and the others followed him, but Sevika lingered for a second. She couldn't help but look at you again. Her eyes were narrowed and, from your point of view, she looked irritated, which made you slightly squirm. She felt frustrated, but not with you. She was just studying you, trying to understand what had happened, what she just felt. She held your gaze for a few seconds before she looked down and walked away.
And you instantly missed her eyes on you. Warmth spread through your skin as you watched her walk away, your gaze trailing down her body. Leon was quick to call your attention; His hands gripped your shoulders as he made you face him. His expression was filled with surprise; eyes wide, mouth agape, eyebrows raised.
'What the hell was that?' He whispered. The corner of his lips raised into a big grin, and it was so contagious that you couldn't help but grin, too.
'I- I don't know.' You whispered back. 'Dude..' Your eyes went to Sevika, who was now sitting on the table far away, before they went back to Leon. 'I think I'm in love..?' Oh that scared you, it truly did.
'Woah, okay- wait.' Leon's hands gently squeezed your shoulders. 'Don't go so fast, lovergirl.' He chuckled quietly. 'Although I won't deny that the eye contact the two of you had earlier was..' He sighed. 'Magical..'
You couldn't help but snort at that. 'Alright, maybe you're the one who needs to chill, loverboy. That's cringey as hell.'
'No, no. I know it sounds stupid, but.. hon.. Did you see the way she looked at you?' He murmured.
'I- okay, stop. Don't feed this..' Your gaze went towards Sevika, who had apparently changed chairs and was now facing your direction; though unfortunately her pretty eyes weren't on you. 'delusion..' You mumbled. Ah.. you were completely fucked, and not in a way you'd enjoy.
Before you could lose your mind, your boss was already approaching you, and he looked.. well shit.. He leaned against the counter, trying to look cool, but digging daggers at you with his eyes. 'You made Silco furious with that.. stupid interaction you had with his right-hand.' His voice came out low and with a rasp.
Leon released your shoulders and turned to face the man, eye twitching a little. You cleared your throat and looked down at the hands that were holding the cashier. 'I'm sorry, boss.. it won't happen again.'
'Good.' He leaned back and then walked away, without first demeaning you with a look.
With a roll from your eyes you sighed and turned around so as to lean against the reception desk. 'Silco has quite the short temper.'
'Tsk. Tell me 'bout it.'
Suddenly, two more people came in, both men. The two of them were around the same height, but they looked nothing alike. One had short and blonde hair, was skinnier and his face showed.. nothing but craziness. The other one had black and long hair, was bigger and he showed.. no expression.
They both walked towards the table and sat down, the blonde one laughing about something.
With another sigh your hands grabbed a few menus from behind the counter. Before you could walk away though, Leon stopped you with his hand.
'Hey.. be careful.'
That made you frown. 'What?'
And with a big smug smile, he said: 'Try not to fall in love with her now.'
While punching his arm gently, you murmured.. “Pft, shut up asshole.” before walking away; doing so with measured steps and a straight back, just like you usually do, but this time swaying your hips a little more.
'Evening.. Here's the menu..' You said while leaving them on the table. 'Whenever you want to order something just call me or my co-worker, we'll be waiting at the reception.' You gave them a tight and tired smile before walking away. They didn't even thank you.. how rude.
You went back to the reception and waited besides Leon patiently. The two of you chatted a little, yet you couldn't concentrate on anything but her. There's so many things you want to know about Sevika: about what she's hiding beneath that poncho, how she managed to become Silco's number two; Or more common things like: what's her favorite food, what are her hobbies, what's her favorite color..
What did she do before it all? before Silco took over Zaun? She was loyal to Vander for example, we all knew that, but what changed? What made her choose Silco? Oh, that question burns your mind over and over.
Does she have any family? Hm.. That one might be too personal. It wouldn't surprise you if she doesn't, it's common here in Zaun to basically lose everyone you love, you know that quite well.
Oh dang, is she single? What if she isn't? What if she's already in love with someone else, and you're just here going crazy for her? Although you've never heard that she's with someone.. though it makes sense, if you'd be in Sevika's place, you'd sure as hell hide your lover- it would be way too dangerous.
Now you feel guilty.. What if she actually has someone? Guilty and disappointed you feel.. whoever she has.. 'Y/n? '.. must be very.. 'Hello?'.. very lucky.
'Dude!' Leon hissed while shaking your shoulders.
'Huh!?' You jumped a little and tried to push him with your hands, before you came back to reality.
'Shit..' You murmured. 'What is it?'
Leon lets go of your shoulders and discreetly nods towards the table. 'They want to order.'
Your nostrils flared angrily as your eyebrow raised in confusion. 'Then go?'
He shook his head repeatedly while humming. 'I can't.' He whispered with a shaky voice. 'They're too intimidating, dude.'
You opened your mouth to say something, but nothing came out; so instead you just chose to shake your head and raise your hands in the air.
The paper on the notepad crumbled a little, wrinkling because of your tight grip. The people around the table looked at you once you approached their table. You stopped by the edge of the table and then asked 'What would you like to order?'
It was the black haired and robust man that spoke up; his voice was stern, yet he sounded amused, delighted even. Huh, not what you expected from a man who's looks are one of a serial killer.. Never judge a book for its portrait, or whatever. He ordered for everyone: A few beers, a whiskey, and a bowl of chips.
After writing down the orders, you politely asked: 'Is that all you're going to eat?'
The man waved his hand in the air while he shook his head. 'Nah, we're just getting started.' He pointed at you with his index finger. 'You'll have to put up with us all night!' He said while laughing. 'We're celebrating today!'
Aw, what a nice guy..
Your mouth gently curved into a genuine smile because of his words, something that usually clients aren't able to do. It's been awhile since a customer treated you kindly.. or just any stranger in general. His laugh was contagious enough to make you giggle quietly.
'Well, that's nice to hear.' You said happily. 'What are you guys celebrating?' You slowly straightened your back as you spoke. Your gaze went around the table quickly, just so you could stare at Sevika once again, even if it was for only a second.
'Oh, well, y'know! We-' He tried to tell you about their achievement, but failed as Silco quickly interrupted him.
Silco's chin was raised to show dominance, and damn it worked. His finger tapped impatiently on the table, nail clicking loudly the wood. 'It is none of her business to know.' His voice was dry and hoarse; tone filled with frustration and probably tiredness. Whatever they were celebrating was private, probably illegal, dangerous, and honestly you didn't even wanted to know.
The man cleared his throat and nodded slowly, regret washing all over his face. He didn't say anything else, he just looked down at the table with his mouth set into a thin line.
You were quick to break that tension, or well, at least you tried to. 'Sooo.. in total it'll be four beers, two glasses of whisky and a bowl of chipsss..' You said with your gaze on your notepad. 'Am I right?' You lifted your eyes and they all nodded. 'Great.' With your lips curved into a tight smile again, you gathered the menus; doing so in a way that basically forced Sevika to give you the last one. She passed you the menu while holding an intense eye contact, like she was trying to see if you would crumble under her gaze; You almost did, it was easy to get lost in their storm, but you've learned throughout the years that you should never get distracted- even if you have.. such a gorgeous view right in front of your eyes. Yeah.. you're not very good at it.
But you forced yourself to pull away, and instead chose to stare down at the small pile of menus that laid on your hands. 'I'll bring your drinks right away.' But before walking away, you added something else. 'Oh, there's a jukebox over there in case you want to play some music. One buck per song.'
The kind man's face lit up. 'Oh, hell yeah.' He murmured before standing up and walking towards the jukebox.
You went back to the reception and left the menus beneath the reception, where the others laid.
'You alright?' Leon asked with a quiet voice while he gave you a once-over. His forehead wrinkled as he furrowed his brows, eyes sharply studying you. Then, his lips curved into a teasing smirk. 'Damn. You're all flustered and she barely even tried.'
You rolled your eyes at his tease, and yet you couldn't stop yourself from smiling. It's stupid, at least it feels that way. It was tonight the first time you saw her and it'll probably be the last one, too. Seriously, there's no way a woman like her -who's probably too occupied with business- is coming in here ever again. Still, though, it won't hurt anyone if you allow yourself to have a small crush on her.. right? well yeah, it'll perhaps hurt the future you, but who cares at this point.
“You know what that reminds me of?” You asked as you slowly walked away.
Leon's brows furrow in confusion. “what?”
“Of you gettin' all flustered whenever he speaks to youu..!” His mouth opened to respond, but you were quick to leave; giggling on the way towards Lisa. After showing her the orders, she got to work. Then you stopped in front of the small window, where you could talk with the chefs, and ordered a bowl of chips. Nothing fancy for now, and they were glad.
The first hour was alright. You served them the drinks and they were drowning them like their lives depended on it. Loud music bounced off the walls and so did their terrible singing, but you couldn't complain because thanks to it you and Leon had something to laugh about. Sevika and Silco were the calmer ones, but she was still laughing and chatting. At some point, you don't even remember when, they pulled out the cards and started playing what you assumed was poker. That was your favorite moment; because Sevika was winning almost every round, and with every win she would laugh wickedly. It was loud and teasing, not failing once to make your skin tickle. Oh, how you miss that laugh..
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
“Nope, no I don't." You shake your head repeatedly while you mumble: “And I am not going to that shithole again. Nope.” The keys harshly hit the table and the purse the floor before you rushedly walked towards your kitchen. Water, you need water, all that meaningless talk from earlier left you thirsty. So you grab a glass while sighing. Why is everyone so boring now? You ask yourself. Am I the boring one? The glass fills up slowly because of the shitty water pressure. That wouldn't be surprising, nothing important is really happening since.. Suddenly, you feel wetness on your shirt. The water that was supposed to be inside your mouth had spilled because you weren't paying attention, of course; It's hard to pay attention to anything whenever she pops up in your mind. You drank the remaining water and then went to your bedroom to change.
The closet's door creaks as you open it, as it was on the edge from breaking; when you went to open the drawer, it got stuck.
“Great.”
Though you forced it a few times and it eventually gave in. After finding your pyjama shirt, your hands went to the back of your dress to unzip it, groaning while doing so. Would be easier if I had someone to help me. The dress falls off from your body and gently lands on the floor. When you went to grab it, your hand touched the wet stain and so you murmured: “So stupid.” You bite your lower lip. “Why am i so fucking clumsy?” A quiet sigh left your painted lips. Your eyes were stuck on the wet stain, your thumb slowly caressing it, and without being able to control it, you drifted back to that beautiful night.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
Everything was going great. Your boss would come down now and then to check how things went, and he always went back to his office with a grin. Honestly, you weren't hating the night anymore. You were actually having a good shift. You spoke a lot with Leon, something that basically comes out naturally with him. You've also been chatting a little with Lisa. And.. the cherry on top of the cake was the eye contact with, well, Sevika of course.
But even though everything was going okay, something had to happen, because there is always something happening.
You were bringing them the food they had ordered, mostly being steak with vegetables or burgers. You stood in between the nice man and the blonde guy, a tray on your left hand. But what you hadn't noticed, and apparently neither man had either, was the small puddle of beer that you had stepped into, and also stumbled with. Fortunately, you were able to balance the tray on your hand, so neither plate fell. Unfortunately, with your other hand you supported yourself against the table, avoiding falling.
Oh? But that's good, isn't it? No. Because your hand didn't just land on the table, it also hit the bouquet of flowers that was in the middle of it. The fake bouquet of flowers that, of course, had water in it. And that water fell right on Sevika, wetting a big part of her poncho.
A small yelp left your mouth, but it quickly turned into a gasp. Everyone went still in that moment, specifically you and Sevika. You were staring at each other with wide eyes, neither knowing what to do or what to say. "I'm.." You mumbled, but then you went silent again. Then when your gaze traveled down, you saw the big stain on her poncho and couldn't help but gasp again. 'Oh, my- I-I'm sorry.' You whispered, but then lightly raised your voice and repeated the same words. 'I'm so sorry, I..' Your hands started shaking as you started to get nervous. You catched sight of the kitchen roll and quickly tried to grab it, but Sevika stopped you.
'Don't.' She said while placing her hand on top of yours. A blush crept through your cheeks at the feeling of her warm skin against your cold one. But the moment didn't last long, Sevika was fast to back away. She cleared her throat and quickly stood up. She looked at you again to ask where the bathroom was; after you told her, she nodded and walked away.
You had made something stupid in front of her again, and.. to her, specifically?.. Fortunately, Leon came over and he began to dry the water that had been spilled.
'Sorry for that, gentlemens. My co-worker here is too exhausted, so please understand.' He said with a controlled smile. You two locked eyes for a brief moment, and with a short nod he whispered to you 'Go take a break.'
So after placing the two plates on the table with measured movements, you cleared your throat slightly; an 'I'm sorry' being murmured as you backed off and walked towards the kitchen, in order to place the empty tray on the counter, and left right through the back door. With your hands in your pockets, searching for a life-saving cigarette, you leaned against a wall with an exhausted sigh.
The door opened and Lisa's head peeked out, confusion painting her features. Then she asked: 'Everything alright?'
'Yep. I just.. spilled water all over Silco's number two.' You answered with a very nervous shrug that you tried to brush it off as a nonchalant one.
Lisa grimaced. 'Damn..'
A snort escaped from you. 'Yeah..' Fingers tapped your jeans repeatedly.
She looked inside the kitchen and then back to you. 'Gotta go, but uh.. you need anything?'
Yeah, a drink.. Also maybe a shower and a massage. Oh also some snacks-
'Nah I'm alright, don't worry. Thanks though.' You gave her a tired smile.
An 'Okay' was what she had murmured before she went back inside.
Once you were alone, you quickly placed the cigarette between your lips and tried to light it.. once, then twice, three, four times.. and nothing, not even a spark came out of the lighter.
'Are you..?' You groaned out, your patience running thin as you foolishly kept trying. You were so distracted while flicking the lighter, that you hadn't noticed the person that was approaching you. A chuckle rumbled in her throat and, once again, you were blessed by the sound of her voice. 'I think that lighter is long gone, Doll.'
You jumped a little, your back hitting the hard wall behind you, which was followed with a short gasp. A shaky hand, the one holding your cigar, went flying to your parted mouth as you backed away just a step. Your wide eyes met her relaxed ones. Sevika's eyes. Sevika was there, by your side, looking at you with an amused expression. And you, have once again, embarrassed yourself in front of her. Have you, though? She came out of nowhere and scared the shit out of you, it wasn't really your fault.. Maybe you should start paying more attention to your surroundings.
'Didn't mean to scare you.' She nodded towards you before she patted her back pockets. She took out a lighter and handed it to you. For a second, you couldn't move, too surprised by the whole situation to react. Wide eyes, that slowly started to relax, lowered to her hand. Small and already cured cuts spread all over her calloused skin; and as you just stood there, still shocked by her sudden appearance, her hand moved. One swift move and fire burned softly on top of the lighter. Your eyes moved up again, so to meet hers, and you snapped back to reality.
The cigarette came back to your mouth, two of your fingers pressing around it to keep it still, and so you leaned in. The fire burned the tip of the cigar, slowly at first, then completely. You took a long drag and leaned back. That's when the two of you looked at each other again. Sevika's face was relaxed, but it also held something different that you couldn't quite explain.
She was mesmerized by the way the flame danced on your dark eyes; by the way your lips closed around that cigarette. Then smoke left your mouth oh so slowly, carefully dancing in the cool air. Her hand lowered and it wrapped around the lighter tightly.
Whatever she felt in that moment was something unknown for her, yet it was addictive. She was so curious about you. And though her mind told her to walk away, her heart - that was beating way faster than usual - told her to stay. It whispered sweet things to her, murmured about a chance for a different future. And after all those lonely years, how could she refuse?
So she leaned her shoulder against the wall and took out her own cigarette, already setting her mind on staying.
A minute or so had passed, where the two women just stood there in silence, contemplating each other.
Then you cleared your tight throat, as if trying to break off from the trance you had entered.
While taking a short breath, your eyes quickly wandered somewhere else. Apparently, looking at rock was more interesting than looking at Sevika. She raised her eyebrow at that.
'Thank-' You tried to say, but your voice betrayed you as it came out hoarse. After quickly clearing your throat, you tried again. A shy 'Thank you.' left your mouth as you lightly shook the fingers that were holding the cigarette. She nodded at that and then proceeded to take a long breath.
Though the light from the hallway was dim, it was very much noticeable the wet stain on her poncho; the one you had caused just a few minutes earlier. 'Janna-' You murmured and looked at her, guilt displaying in your eyes. 'I'm so sorry for spilling that water on you.'
Sevika couldn't help but snort and shrug nonchalantly; it was just water after all, her clothes had been stained with much worse things. 'Don't worry 'bout that, sweet thing.' Although she tried to hide it, the small smile that slowly appeared on her lips was too strong to suppress, especially when she noticed the reaction that the nickname had caused on you.
'You sure..? I mean, I totally get it if you're pissed-'
'You seriously think I'd be here if I was pissed?' She quickly interrupted, a chuckle following after.
Your lips pressed into a thin line at that. And with a huff, half chuckle, your shoulders shrinked a little. 'I mean, I don't really know you, I don't know what makes you angry or what doesn't.' You stared at her with your head tilted slightly to the side. 'You seemed a little pissed before.'
'I was surprised, alright. I wasn't expecting that a jar with fake flowers would have water in it, they don't usually need it.” The cigarette returned to Sevika's mouth with a slow motion and your eyes couldn't help but follow it. Hands turned sweaty, which was kind of funny given the cold weather.
'Yeah..' You giggled. 'That was my co-worker's work of art. We just don't like following rules, y'know.” And as you shrugged nonchalantly, you cringed hard. Jeez, what are you, thirteen? Stupid. She's gonna laugh at you-
And she does, an amused laugh that tickled all over you. While hiding your embarrassment behind your hand and taking the longest drag from your cigarette, you dared yourself to look at her. She chose to tease you, but not about that, but about something you thought you hid well enough.
“I realised that when I noticed you were watching me the whole night instead of doin' your job.” The smug smile that drew itself all over her mouth and the chuckle that followed after had you on the verge of killing yourself.
Your head was filled up with different solutions to escape from that embarrassing situation.
What if I just run away right now and never come back? Yeah, that sounds nice.
Maybe if I disguise myself as a piltie and work really hard, I can create a new life up there. The thought of it made you gag.
But at least I won't have the risk of running into her again! ..
Maybe just face the consequences of having a little crush at this point. Unless you follow up with her little game..
Building confidence to tease her back was not an easy task, but you managed to do so thanks to the deep breath you took and the fact that maybe you had nothing to lose. Jeez, it's not that deep! Just have fun.
A, what you could call, flirty chuckle left your lips. “I mean.. you weren't that cautious with your stares either..” And with your mouth curved on the side you added.. “If I remember correctly, you lost a few times because you got a little.. distracted with someone.” Me! “Or maybe I was just hallucinating, correct me if I'm wrong.”
Gray eyes narrowed with your comment, and with it came a delicious smirk. She found your sudden change of behavior quite interesting, you were quick to go from shy to flirty, and by Janna she was enchanted by it. With feeling so light and calm, while also being a little bit tipsy, her words - usually well thought out - came out messy; like she wasn't paying attention to them, because she really wasn't.
And her answer came shortly after she laughed quietly.
“Hallucinating?” Voice low, eyes glued to you. She leaned close, very close. Her breath, which smelled like sweet whiskey and cigarettes, suddenly brushed against your ear; creating a path of goosebumps across your body. “You've been haunting my brain ever since I stepped foot inside this building, darling. Not lettin' me concentrate once..” She leaned slightly back, quite literally just a few inches from your face. “Do you think that just happens all the time?” She should really stop talking. “So no, sweetheart..” She sighed. “I don't think you're wrong.” But whatever was happening between the two felt wrong; It was completely out of character for Sevika to just confess like that, but it's done now. And although what she did felt crazy, she didn't regret it.
You chuckled shortly, too stunned to speak. Literally.
She must be way too drunk and just spilling nonsense. Right? Right!?
“What?” You mumbled.
Sevika quickly backed up because of your response. She had crossed a line and made you uncomfortable, two things she completely hated. “Sorry, uh..” She cleared her tight throat, that was sore from all the whiskey she drank earlier, while also turning off her cigarette against the wall. She had to go back inside anyways, the others were probably wondering where she went. Pft, like she cared anyways. “I should go.. uhm.” When she looked at you she paused. Your expression was one of surprise, not discomfort, but she still hesitated to stay. Maybe you just didn't know what to say, maybe it wasn't common for you; Maybe she should stay and wait until you answer.. No. Go.
Her hands closed into a tight fist. If only she hadn't said all that, if she would've stayed quiet, that awkward moment wouldn't be happening. She should've stayed inside and just “enjoyed” the night with the others. But no, you made her so freaking curious, it almost felt like an obligation to speak to you; like if she didn't do it, she would've cursed herself forever. Yet maybe that was better than making you uncomfortable, than embarrassing herself.
So Sevika decided to go, to leave you alone like she should have done in the first place. But as she started walking away, fingers squeezing the bridge of her nose in discomfort, you finally spoke up.
“No, no. Wait!” You reached out to grab her arm, feeling the rough fabric of her shirt beneath your finger tips. She slightly turned around, and now it was her turn to look surprised. Her eyes lowered to your hand gripping the shirt and then they went back to you; you read that as a “what the fuck are you doing” moment and immediately let go. “Uhm.” Blush crept through your cold cheeks. Making eye contact with her was genuinely ruining you. “You don't.. You don't have to leave.. Yet. I mean, i will have to go back in a few minutes, but uh..” You cleared your throat. “You can stay in the meantime.. if you want.”
Sevika turned around completely, not taking her gaze away from you. Her features relaxed with knowing that you actually wanted her to stay after everything she said, even if it was for a little. A sigh left through her nostrils before she spoke. “Alright, sweetheart.” She crossed her arms and you almost lost your composure; her gigantic bicep was surely one of the seven wonders of the world, probably a little bigger than your hand. “I thought you were upset with my words.” Her voice brought you back to reality.
“Oh. Why?” You snorted.
“What do you mean why?” A laugh escaped from her. “You only answered with a “what” to everything I said-” She chuckles. “That's not too reassuring.” Thanks to your obliviousness, a smile appeared on her lips.
Oh yeah, that makes sense. I mean, it is her fault that you're at a loss of words though.. “Oh Janna- I'm sorry!” You covered your mouth and couldn't help but laugh a little. “I didn't realise..”
“Now really?” She teased, to which you rolled your eyes.
“I was too stunned, hon, I couldn't figure out what to say..” Your cigarette was long forgotten by then, so it turned off. With a gentle smile on your face, you added: “Wasn't expecting all that.”, voice soft and quiet.
“Hm.” Her lips parted a little. “Me neither, honestly. Your whiskey's good, had me just spilling everything out.” The woman's smirk only kept growing with each passing second, which was amazing to see. She had such a beautiful smile, you wondered just how many people were fortunate enough to see it; Oh, you would die to see it everyday, to be greeted by it everytime.
“Oh, so it was the alcohol speaking?” You teased back, your own smile growing too.
“No, I guess I just don't.. usually confess all that.” She raised her brow. She's really saying it all, isn't she?
You bit the inside of your cheek, wondering if what you wanted to say was too much. Maybe it would be too cheesy.. Fuck it. “I'm glad you did, though.”
She's glad too, but she keeps that to herself. “Can I get your number?”
“Yeah. Sure.” Then the voice becomes distant, like a small echo that just gets further away.
⋅•⋅⊰∙∘☽༓☾∘∙⊱⋅•⋅
And you were brought back to reality.
At some point, tears had streamed down your pink cheeks, tears mixed with black mascara.
If maybe you would've said something different, if maybe you wouldn't have interfered.. maybe she would still be here. But you were worried; hours and hours waiting for her to arrive, and when she finally did, she was a mess.. How could you not worry?