The Light at the End of the Tunnel

Just. Shah? (7)

AIDEN WALKED out the exit, barely managing to keep Drew on his back.

"Drew? Are you okay?" Aru asked, checking his temperature. "Acharya, put him down here. On the bench"

"I'm fine. Sorry"

"Hey, why are you apologetic? It's fine. It's not your fault."

"I mean...I flew all the way here to help you guys and I just ended up being a problem"

"You are not a problem. Although...you need to know how to use a gun" Aru reminded him, grinning. "You know what that means, right?"

"Fine" Drew groaned. Aiden looked at the both of them in confusion. 

"Uh"

"Finally!" Aru clapped her hands in joy, losing her professionalism. Aiden looked at her. 

'That's...different'

"Don't...just don't shoot me in the process" Drew told her in concern.

"I should be saying that to you, I'm a professional at the gun" Aru crossed her arms. And then she paused. "How many times have we had this conversation again?"

"Probably more than 40 times" Drew shrugged. "You can never be too sure"

"Yeah, whatever. Drew, respectfully, I'm basically up there on the best detectives list. You really think I wouldn't be able to shoot people?"

"Sorry. Um...will you still allow me to help though?" He asked shyly.

"Yeah! You're still great" Aiden replied, smiling. He smiled back.

"So. It's really weird Aru's working with someone" 

"Not by choice" They both spoke in sync. 

"That was...scary. Come on guys, couldn't you get along?" Drew tried.

"No" Aru smiled with fake sweetness. "Let's get on with it. Drew, you fine?"

"Better?" He stood up. "I'm just supposed to monitor The Sleeper's security cams"

"Okay. Wait a moment" Aru unpocketed her phone and called Sheela. She picked up on the second ring.

"Aru? Where are you? Everyone's evacuated" 

Oh, it was Mini.

"Hi, uh. We got locked in the tech room."

"WHAT."

"But don't worry, we smashed the windows open and got out"

Aiden could practically see Mini rubbing her temples in exhaustion. "Where are you exactly?"

"Like" Aru looked around. "Near New York? Like near the border"

"Okay. We'll book you a room in New York. You need to get out of the state as fast as possible"

"Gotcha. So public transport?" 

"I'm afraid so. I'd usually prefer you taking a cab because you know, germs and close proximity of people and- well, you get the point. But cabs are basically nonexistent in New York"

"Exactly" Aru replied. "Okay. We'll catch the next subway"

"Okay. Call me when you reach. And remember, sunglasses, mask and jacket"

"Yeah, yeah. See you"

Aru cut the call. "Acharya, check for the next subway to New York"

"Where are we headed after New York?"

"Just...quickly. Please"

"I deserve to know" He crossed his arms.

"Aiden" She spoke, sternly. Aiden looked taken aback by the use of his first name, and before he could say anything, she continued, "When. Is. The. Next. Subway?"

He checked the timings. "In half an hour" He muttered.

"I'll tell you why later" Aru gestured to the people around. He nodded, reluctantly.

Mini sent the location of the new place. 

"Drew, are you joining the investigation?"

"No not really" Drew replied. "Im just going to monitor the security cams. You know, the hacked ones"

"Great!" Aru smiled. "Let's practice for guns in the mornings?"

"Let's take turns" Aiden suggested. "You know, teaching him"

Aru would've said no, but she probably already felt guilty as is. So she said, "Fine"

Aru and Aiden, for the first time, had come to an agreement.

There was talk here and there, but finally the subway came.

"Well this is crowded" Aiden noted.

"At least 70 people in there" Aru added.

"Love that" Drew concluded.

They walked in, heads low (Drew's wasn't. He wasn't famous) 

"There's no seats. What do we do?" Aiden asked.

"We stand" Aru deadpanned. She leaned on the wall. Aiden held the pole and stood.

"I'll go hold that pole" Drew told them, running over to it. But it was so crowded, it was more like sliding through a bunch of people quickly. As the subway reached the next stop, even more people boarded.

So many that Aiden got pushed forward and accidentally put his hand on the wall to steady himself.

And then, to his great horror, he realized he pinned Aru to the wall. She tried to move to the side, but people were there. Aiden slowly took his hand off, turned and leaned on the wall next to her.

"...sorry" 

"I-it's fine" She told him. She saw he wasn't convinced so she added, "Hey, it's really okay. It's not your fault"

"Uh. You can be nice sometimes?" Aiden tried to complement.

"Is that a question or a statement?" She tilted her head, no emotion on her face yet.

"Statement. I think" 

Aru smiled and turned her head back forward. "I think we're getting somewhere"

"Yeah. Friends?"

She glanced at him briefly. "Friends"

"Okay. Could I have your number? I have your office phone's, but you don't pick that up so"

"I don't usually have to" Aru replied. "I work alone, remember?"

"Oh"

Then she sighed. "Give me your phone. I'll put it in"

Aiden handed her his phone, and she put it in. She asked, "What do you usually remember me by?"

"What?"

"Like, when you think of me in your head, what do you call me?"

He thought about it. "I call you Shah, I think"

"Just...Shah?" She looked at him. "Not Foudre, Detective Foudre or Aru. Just Shah"

"Yeah" And then Aiden realized it sounds unprofessional. "Why do you ask?"

"To know what to save me as on your phone" Aru gave it back. "So literally. You think of me as Shah. Seriously?"

"Okay, okay. I get It. Stop"

"It's our stop" Drew walked back to them.

The subway skidded to a stop and they got out. 

"Hello New York" Drew grinned.

Sorry. So like. I couldn't keep the enemies to lovers thing for too long. We're already on the seventh chapter. So yeah. They're friends now.

Anyways. MY EXAMS ARE BASICALLY OVER DONT WORRY. JUST TWO MORE AND THATS ENGLISH LITERATURE AND ART, BOTH THINGS IM GOOD AT SO I WILL ACE THAT.

Another thing. This is going to update every Saturday. 

How is the chap?

-Loife xx