Your Guardian

Chapter 9: Unspoken Truths

The night hadn't ended. The aftermath of the kidnapping still weighed heavily on both of them. Tawan stood by the window of the safe house, her shoulders tense as she stared out into the darkness. Her knuckles throbbed slightly, the pain from her wounds a distant reminder of how close she had come to losing Aira. The thought alone unsettled her.

Aira stirred on the couch behind her, shifting under the blanket Tawan had draped over her earlier. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes, and her gaze immediately found Tawan, who hadn't moved from her post by the window.

Aira's heart ached as she watched Tawan's rigid posture. The tension from the night still clung to them both, and Aira couldn't shake the image of Tawan throwing herself into the fight to protect her. The memory was vivid—the fear, the raw protectiveness in Tawan's eyes, and the vulnerability that had followed when they were finally reunited.

"Hey," Aira said softly, breaking the silence between them.

Tawan didn't turn around, her eyes fixed on the darkness outside. Her voice was low and distant. "You should get some rest."

Aira stood, padding quietly toward where Tawan stood. She could feel the heaviness in the air—the weight of everything they had been through—and it made her chest tighten. "I could say the same to you," she murmured. "You're the one who took the hits tonight."

Tawan's jaw tightened at her words, but she didn't respond. Her mind was elsewhere, replaying the fight in her head, the close calls, and the thought of Aira being taken. She couldn't stop thinking about how much worse it could have been—how she had almost failed her.

Aira stepped closer, her voice softer. "You're still hurt. Let me take care of it."

Tawan shook her head. "I'm fine."

Aira sighed. "You always say that."

Tawan finally turned to face her, her eyes shadowed with something deeper than exhaustion. "It's my job to protect you. That's all that matters."

Aira frowned, her heart sinking at the cold professionalism in Tawan's tone. "That's not all that matters. You matter."

For a brief second, something flickered in Tawan's eyes, but she quickly pushed it away. "I've been through worse."

Aira stepped closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "Maybe, but that doesn't mean you have to go through it alone."

Tawan's gaze flickered away, her body tense. "I'm used to it."

Aira's chest tightened. She could see it now—the walls that Tawan had built around herself, the emotional distance she tried to maintain. "You don't have to be."

Tawan's eyes darted back to her, and for the first time that night, Aira saw something raw behind them—something that made her heart ache. "I've lost people before, Aira. People I cared about. People I should have protected."

Aira's breath caught in her throat, and the air between them felt charged. This was the first time Tawan had revealed anything about her past, about the weight she carried. "Tawan..."

Tawan's voice was quiet, barely a whisper. "It's easier to keep my distance."

Aira stepped closer, her voice filled with tenderness. "But you haven't kept your distance from me."

Tawan hesitated but eventually sat down on the couch, her movements slow and stiff. The tension between them hadn't dissipated, and Aira could sense that Tawan was still carrying the weight of what had happened. Quietly, Aira fetched the first aid kit and knelt beside her, gently taking Tawan's hand.

As Aira unwrapped the bandage from Tawan's hand, her fingers brushed lightly against the skin. Tawan remained still, her posture tense. She stared ahead, not meeting Aira's gaze, though she could feel the warmth from Aira's touch.