No Mercy

Cold-Hearted

Almost like a Christmas Miracle, Eli had woken up right before the 25th. A few of the Eagle Fangs and Miyagi Dos came to visit Eli with warm and friendly faces. Something Hawk or Eli never expected to see. Those few were so kind and understanding almost as if nothing in the weeks prior had happened. Still. Hawk... Eli wouldn't forget. No matter how hard he tried to forget everything he did, what he became, who he hurt, it was going to haunt him for the rest of his days. He was sure of it. He was grieving and the thing about grief is that, while it's usually reserved for the dead, you're not necessarily limited to offer it to someone who's physically gone. In the same respect, it's the death of what once was, with love that had nowhere else to go. The painful realization comes the second you realize that something good can never be replicated, once it's been shattered over and over again... sometimes beyond repair. Only in Hawk's case, he had been the one responsible for the merciless shattering. The damage has been done, and up until this point, he wasn't sure if he could still make amends with Demetri despite his various "I will always forgive you" statements.

Luckily on the early evening of Christmas Day Eli was discharged from the hospital. Of course his mother and Demetri were there for the long awaited moment. Unfortunately for Mrs. Moskowitz she had a shift at the bar for Christmas Day since many customers would be around. Once they exit the hospital Mrs. Moskowitz says her goodbyes and begs for them not to fight. Luckily for her that wasn't on either of the boy's agenda, and even if Hawk wanted to, he was way too weak to even try it.

Silently the two teens walked alongside each other. Demetri turns to Eli whose head hung low, his red hair covering his face which was strange to see as he was so used to the spiked mohawk, it was like looking at two different people at once. Hawk had the vibrant hair while Eli had the shy demeanor.

Arguments, fights and just about everything the two shared in the past couple of months flashed into Eli's mind. He started to cringe at the thoughts surrounding his head. Was this sadness? He felt as though Demetri was close, so close and within reach- literally but Eli felt like second-guessing his figure, being trapped inside his headspace and all. Demetri might as well be the same phantom that continued to haunt him, along with these memories of who Eli once was. This all made his body quiver in both fear and despair.

Demetri paced closer to Eli's left when he noticed the other deep in thought. It's funny how both of them felt familiar being this close together, but at the same time, out of place. Eli had his eyes fixed close on the cement beneath them.

"Are you cold?"

Eli trailed his gaze from the floor to his left side. Demetri wasn't looking in his exact direction when he spoke but at his torso.

"No," Eli's voice quavered making him only look like a liar especially when he was only wearing a black hoodie his mom had brought him.

"Here," Demetri removed his red jacket leaving him in a light hoodie. "Wear this."

Eli looked at the jacket in Demetri's hand before looking up at him. After everything, he's still looking out for me? Is he an amazing friend or just really dense? Eli wasn't sure. He hesitantly takes the jacket and puts it on knowing damn well Demetri wasn't going to accept no for an answer. Again silence, the two continued their way without a single word being said. Demetri had so much to say and ask but he didn't know where to start. He had hoped the question of his body temperature would get Eli to talk more but instead it only pushed him further away. Normally the cold December night would be overbearing for Demetri in just a hoodie but he was so nervous right now he couldn't even be bothered to feel cold.

Soon enough they reached the empty streets of the Valley, everyone seemingly with their families indoors or at some event celebrating the holidays and instead Demetri was here with his ex best friend coming out of the hospital from a karate fight life threatening injury. Never in a million years would Demetri have guessed this would be happening.