Muawiyah Holmes

Her Relief His Distress #14.2

Sprawled on his bed, Mu'awiyah absentmindedly gazed at his apartment ceiling. A roller-coaster of different emotions was battling within his heart.

He was a stranger to these feeling and a stranger to their reasoning. It has been three days since the burial of his parents and he haven't left his apartment, nor looked at his phone which could be around here anywhere.

Suddenly, someone knocked on his door - no, that someone literally hit his door.

Mu'awiyah gritted his teeth, "hey! Mind your hand, you idiot" he yelled as he walked to the door and jerked it open only to find a smug looking Jacob.

"First you mind your stupid behaviour" Jacob said as a greeting, giving him a stern look.

"Now move" pushing Mu'awiyah back, Jacob invited himself in.

"Excuse me? Who gave you the permission to -

"No one mom" Jacob cut him off sarcastically.

Mu'awiyah rolled his eyes and went to the bathroom to freshen up.

When he returned, he found Jacob invading his study chair, observing his apartment.

"Tell me Holmes, did you changed your room setting?"

Mu'awiyah gave him a look, "why are you here?" He asked instead.

"Did you?" Jacob asked again, still observing the room and paying Mu'awiyah little to no attention.

Mu'awiyah huffed, "yes I did"

Jacob hummed in response, "Looking nicer" he said, scratching his stubble as if in concentration.

Jacob recoiled when Mu'awiyah suddenly punched the top of the table, having enough of his partner's tantrums.

"Whao! Calm down man" Jacob snorted, then muttered incoherently, "I was right when I said Holmes must be moping around like a girl"

Mu'awiyah glared at him, "why are you here?"

Jacob rolled his eyes, "stop being a ******* detective. Is it crime to visit a friend? And stop being a grumpy girl, I'm just here because I'm concerned and because boss sent me to inform you that you should be in the cafe, up and about from tomorrow itself. No more day offs otherwise you'll loose this job" Jacob answered and threw a glare at his partner.

Mu'awiyah walked to his coffee machine and turned it on, "I was about to resume from tomorrow anyway"

"That's good"

Jacob observed his partner as Mu'awiyah silently worked with his jaw clenched. Dark circles under his eyes and the way he occasionally closed his eyes tighly was evidence of how much distress he was going through.

He just didn't understand why Mu'awiyah would bottle everything up and lock himself instead of talk to someone.

"Shouldn't you be taking this whole thing positively?" Jacob asked after a moment.

Mu'awiyah's hand stilled on his mug. "What do you mean?"

"You know, I heard some Muslims endure their problems with pateince."

Mu'awiyah closed his eyes before opening them again. There it was again. He did that for the 6th time now.

"That doesn't mean the problems don't affect them emotionally."

"They do but they don't let their problems take control over themselves" Jacob said and whispered not so quietly, "like how you're letting them take control of you"

Mu'awiyah's eyes flashed, "what's that supposed to mean?" He hissed and plunked his mug on the counter.

Jacob raised his hands in surrender, "calm down Holmes. I've enough knowledge to know what pateince is and how you're suppose to practice it. You're frustrated, distressed, disappointed and sad and it's affecting you a great deal. Moreover, you're being physically affected by them. Everything around you is irritating you, my presence is irritating you. ****, you never interrogated me whenever I hit off at your apartment. Tell me if I'm wrong.