HEAT |OMEGAVERSE|

Old Wounds, New Shadows

⚠️ WARNING ⚠️
MENTIONS OF DOMESTIC/SEXUAL
VIOLENCE...THEMES NOT SUITABLE FOR ALL AUDIENCES
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED

   🔞༺═─────────────═༻🔞

"I'm not going back?" I whisper, breaking five minutes of agonizing silence.

"No." Alex's reply is blunt, his tone cold. I don't think he means to sound so harsh, but it hits me all the same.

"But that's my home," I reply weakly, clinging to the thought of that tiny, now-destroyed apartment we just left. It's been mine for three years—the place I worked so hard for, the one I thought no one could take from me. Yet here I am, watching it all unravel before my eyes.

"I don't care, Jasper." His words come out sharp, and I turn to him, feeling anger stem inside me.

"You don't care?" I repeat, matching the cold tone in his voice.

"No, because you're a walking target right now." He shifts the car into park as we pull into his building's lot, his attention still fixated on the road.

"I don't understand... You're telling I should just walk away from everything I've worked for? After all I've been through, you're telling me it doesn't matter?" My voice cracks slightly.

Though a part of me doesn't want to go back to any assumptions I've made about Alex, I can't help it. He doesn't understand, how could he? How hard has he truly had to work for his life? For his apartment? His job? I bite at the inside of my cheek and look out the window.

"I know it matters to you. But it's just things, Jasper. We'll figure this out, but you need to stop thinking about going back there. It's not safe." His voice softens slightly, but the assertiveness is still there, trying to make me understand something I'm not sure I want to.

I've always been hated, looked down on, and even found disgusting. Nothing similar to this though, and certainly not to this point. Somebody who wants to follow me—destroy my belongings—make me feel unsafe everywhere I go? It's my worst nightmare come true.

I haven't felt this amount of unease since living with my parents, since...him.

I had a great time tonight,  and now it feels like I'm never getting a god-damn break. Why can't I catch my breath? Why does shit fall apart everywhere I step?

"I don't want to let it go... but I guess I don't have a choice," I mutter, my voice riddled with defeat. "It's just hard, Alex. Everything's fucking falling apart."

"I didn't realize how much this was affecting you," Alex says quietly, guilt lining his voice. "I'm sorry. We'll figure this out, I swear. But right now, we need to focus on keeping you safe." His words, though very far from fixing everything, give me a small sense of relief.

"Can we go inside." I ask softly, tired of tonight, and ready for bed.

"Of course." Alex replies, and his tone seems to have corrected itself, his words now gentle.

In silence we get out of the car and Alex grabs Ash's belongings from the trunk. We walk close together despite our recent tension, and make our way inside to the elevator.

Ash fights me once inside the metal box, and I can't blame him, he's never really left my house let alone been on an elevator. I try my best to keep my hold on him as I impatiently wait for us to arrive at Alex's floor. Finally we walk down the hall and arrive in front of Alex's door, he unlocks it and we step inside.

Unable to contain my cat anymore I let him jump from my arms and to the floor. He pauses for a moment, looking at the unfamiliar surroundings, then scurries into the living room and under the couch.