Duskwood: A Town of Mysteries

Chapter 19: The meeting

"You return like autumn.
And I fall every time."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Black hair, blue eyes like Lilly and Hanna's, black hoodie and dark circles of someome who really doesn't sleep since the last season.

It seemed so coincidental that Vanysh didn't have an immediate reaction.  Still, she felt it was him. Jake, the so mysterious hacker. Her friend, her partner. The guy who made her heart skip a beat every time he said hello.

—Jake? -She said very low.

—It's nice to finally meet you.

Vanysh immediately frowned as she tried to process the information. Her blood pressure dropped as if it had fallen from a height equivalent to the Mount Everest and her stomach churned like never before.

—How can you assure me that this is really Jake?

He smiled and made an adorable noise that sounded like a laugh.

—Ask me something that only "Jake" would have the answer to.

—Ham...
—When was the last time you had some sleep?

—Last autumn?

It was exactly what Vanysh expected to hear. He still remembered that small talk.

Before saying anything, she took a look at the streets, pulled him inside and locked the door as fast as she could. It was so fast that he almost fell.

—I hope I didn't hurt you or anything. -She started shaking as she hid the gun in her pants without him noticing.
—It's just that, after what has been going on with you and stuff, I couldn't let anyone suspect anything.

—It's okay. That was prudent of you.

They kept looking at each other, just making sure that moment was real until the penny finally dropped.

—Jake!! -She hugged him with all of her strenght.

—Vanysh...

Jake hugged her back and they kept holding each other.

—I am so sorry. -He said with sadness and hapiness in his voice.
—So incredibly sorry.

—Ah... Fuck it anyways. I am glad you are alive. -She let go of his arms.

—And I am glad you are okay. More than glad.

—Was that you? You stopped the hackers?

—Yes. I stopped them in the very last second.

—I was so worried...

—This is all my fault.
—I am so sorry, Vanysh...
—Let me try and explain it to you.

—Yes, yes. You owe me that, but first, don't you wanna have a cup of coffee or anything?

—...That would be great. Thank you.

—Come. -She made a signal for him to follow her, and so he did.

*

Vanysh took him to the kitchen and both of them sat at the table while he drank the hot coffee Vanysh had just made.
He already looked better and less tired.

Now that the hood of the hoodie wasn't covering his face, Vanysh managed to look at Jake properly. His hair is more or less short, very black, wavy and messy.
His cheeks are rosy and his skin is pale.  Pale as a vampire. Which makes sense as he also have the beauty of one. And, despite being visibly tired, Jake is handsome. Adorable.