Always opposites.

PHASE 1; CHAPTER 1.

Mari Jameson isn't your average sixth grader, and he certainly does not have ordinary conversations for one.
Gabe, the biggest asshole of the group Mari's in, initiated an idea. A cruel one, for that matter, "Hey guys, there's this scrawny kid, wanna jump him? He gets beat up a lot, so it'll be easy."
Everyone exchanges uncertain glances, Gabe's known to take things too far, and jumping someone is something the group does every now and then, but this time feels off, for some reason.
There's 7 of them. The group's full of stupid dumb 6th graders, almost 7th, who like to fight for no reason. A few of them dazzle in substances every now and then. Despite everything, they all have their fair share of intoxication, one way or another. Except for Mari, he has more than his fair share. Way more.
"I mean, a scrawny kid? For what purpose? That's a little harsh now, ain't it?" Sebastian, the most basic one of them all, doubts.
"Oh cmon, it ain't that bad. It's just a little fun." Puck, the wild and aggressive one shrugs.
Clay huffs at Puck's agreement, rolling his eyes slightly disapprovingly.
"Yeah, just a little fun, like he said," Gabe says menacingly, his words lingering for a few moments.
There's a few heartbeats of silence before Mac, the humorous one, volunteers, "I'm in."
"If Mac is in I'm in," Kurt adds, the follower of the group.
"Oh hush up Kurt, if anyone is in you're in. Like a damn dog, you are. I swear it." Sebastian huffs, rolling his eyes.
"Guys, let's be reasonable here. Are we really gonna jump someone for no reason at all? Sebastian's right, it is a little wrong, honestly. Or a lot wrong." Clay, the reasonable one debates.
"I don't know, now that I think about it, it sounds fun," Sebastian mutters, changing his mind.
"I mean, it's up to you if you wanna come or not." Mac says to Clay, "If you're not a wuss, that is." he adds.
"I am not a wuss!" Clay argues.
"Yeah you are, wusses always chicken out. Don't be a wuss, Clay." Puck says sternly, eyeing Clay.
"...Whatever..fine, I'll join." Clay gives in once Puck comments about it. He studies Mari before saying, "What about you? Mari?"
Mari looks up from whatever spot his eyes were laid upon, snapping out of his thoughts. "Huh? Oh- yeah, sure. Why not." He says, shrugging. "Sounds fun." Mari doesn't care what the others do, as long as it's fun for him, he'd join without a question.
Mari's a 12-year-old boy with short, messy hair with some brown-blonde color, it's not exactly brown or dirty blonde, more like a dull, lightish brown. He has a septum clicker, dimple piercings, an eyebrow piercing, two small rings on the lobe and 2nd lobe of his right ear, and one small ring on the lobe of his left ear. He has 3 necklaces, all of multiple lengths, the longest one which reaches just below his collar bone is a shark tooth, the medium lengthed one that remains just where his neck greets his shoulders is a round beaded one–all of them of warm, nature-colored muted tones–, and the shortest one, which is really the same size as the beaded one, just higher up on his neck by not too much, is a thick brown string. He has 2 moles on his chin and neck, and a tooth gap on the right side of his teeth.
He never lets anyone touch him, he hates touch. Despite that, he's usually laid back and calm, he goes with the flow, but he also has his own opinions that he stands for. He's his own person, like no other. Especially considering the amount of substances he endures at his age, it definitely isn't normal for anyone his age to be doing.

Once the bell greets every student's ears', soon kids flood out of classrooms, empty spaces becoming crowded as kids clutter together. The group meets up somewhere outside of the middle school, not too close to the exit, but not too far from it either. Maybe a few minutes away, at most. They end up in a field, the school still in somewhat view, but it's distant, to say the least. Gabe nods to a skinny kid with shaggy red-brown caramel hair that reaches just above the middle of his neck in the distance. He's not too small, in fact, he seems to be the same height as Mari. He's only skinny and sweet-looking, that's all.
"That's him," Gabe says, snickering.
"Easy kill." Puck remarks.
Gabe runs towards him, his footsteps muffled by the soft grass below him, he tackles him onto the ground, the scrawny kid quickly rolling over on his back to look at his attacker.
Gabe motions for the others to rush over, "Come on!" he shouts.
The rest of the people in the group quickly run over, laughing and giggling like maniacs.
"Damn, this kid really is weak." Sebastian points out, once his feet stop moving and the boy comes in eyeshot to the point where you can count the amount of beads on his necklace.
"Looks like the little pipsqueak is scared." Mari taunts as he watches the boy frail under Gabe's grasp, a hint of amusement evident in his voice.
The boy's struggling, his eyes wide and his movements frantic. He quickly searches his mind for anything that could take their eyes off him, anything that can give him a chance to escape.
His eyes dart around, he sweats slightly more as he really observes the six people towering over him, it doesn't make it any better considering there's a seventh pinning him down at the moment.
His eyes scan Mari for a second, he looks different from the rest. His style is more mature, and he has piercings and eye bags.
Suddenly, his eyes widen as they move to a spot seemingly behind Gabe's head, in the sky, as if he's focused on something.
"What's that dropping from that pl-plane!" He manages to stutter out, his vocals shaky and restrained.
Heads turn at his words, eyes observing a blank sky, even Gabe's eyes. Luckily enough, this little guy being the scrawny kid he is, manages to wriggle out of Gabe's grip. Gabe looks back down and before he can react, he feels air replace the space under him.
Gabe huffs, "God damnit!" He curses, causing the others to turn their attention back towards the now empty space beneath Gabe.
Puck shouts, "Get him!"
And the next thing you know, the loud, repetitive patter of grass is heard, some boys' hair blowing out of their faces as they pick up pace, eventually, they all chase the weak boy into a park, a big one, in this case, filled with equipment.
"Scatter," Clay mutters, he's hesitant yet still helpful. He walked away as did Puck, following him and exchanging a few words with each other, none of which anyone could interpret.
Mari walks in a different direction, as do the rest, dispersing.
Mari chuckles, "Man, this kid can run." He mutters quietly to himself, his eyes darting over the equipment as he scans his surroundings, looking for any sign of this scrawny guy.
Mari walks around, eventually turning a corner at a brick wall, where he spots him, sitting against the brick wall. The kid. He's not too scrawny, just less average than the normal 12-year-old boy. He's all bug-eyed and nervous, either sweat drops or teardrops trickling down his face, it was hard to tell which. The boy's covered in bruises, red cuts scattered across his arms, too. He has a dark, purple circle surrounding his right eye; a black eye. He looks scared, fragile, vulnerable..weak.
His eyes dart around anxiously, it seems as if he's used to getting beat up, considering the fact he's covered in various markings, so why's he so scared right now? Not like it's his first time, probably his tenth or something.
Mari hesitates for a moment, a slight pang of guilt tugging at his chest as he takes in this kid's wounded appearance and frightened expression. But, he quickly brushes it aside. He's supposed to be tough, not sympathetic, right?
Mari approaches the kid, surprised he hasn't noticed him by now, considering how frantic his eyes are, darting all over the place. Mari tries to school his impression into a calm and uncaring facade, burying his sympathy deep down. "You really tried hard to escape, huh? Where'd you think you were gonna go?" He taunts, his voice steady.
The boy jumps slightly at the sound of Mari's voice, "I-" he shudders, standing up as he panics. He tries to walk backwards instinctively but ends up tripping over his foot and falling back down after taking a few steps. He groans slightly as he comes in contact with the ground.
He looks up at Mari, frightened, "I-I'm sorry, jus- cmon.." he stutters, trying his best to save himself from a beating as he looks up at him.
Mari chuckles internally as he watches the boy stumble, a hint of satisfaction evident in his gaze.
"You really think saying sorry is gonna help you here?" He scoffs, towering over him.
The boy looks around nervously, looking for a way out, "I- I don't know," he huffs, his words coming out quickly and shortly as he catches his breath.
Mari lets out another scoff, shaking his head in mock disappointment.
"You really don't know, huh? Poor thing," he murmurs, his voice dripping with fake pity as he takes another step closer to the boy.
The boy swallows, blocking his face with his left elbow, "Just- beat me up alone, at least- don't- I-...I don't wanna get jumped..p-please.." the boy pleads, terrified.
Mari's eyes widen slightly at his request, so this kid is smart, huh?
"What, you want me to beat you up alone? You'd rather get beat up by just me than all of us?" He asks, a hint of amusement in his voice.
The boy nods, "J-just, please...I don't wanna get jumped..a-and you look the coolest out of all of them..." he says, muttering the last part real quietly, yet truthfully.
Mari pauses for a moment, the last sentence catching his attention.
"I look the coolest, huh? Flattery ain't gonna get you anywhere, punk." He says, but a sliver of pride wells up inside of him at the compliment.
"R-right, s-sorry," the boy spews out. Even though it was the truth, he said anything in his will to avoid getting beat up, even if he believed otherwise.
Mari chuckles softly, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"Don't apologize," He says, taking another step towards him as he continues, "It's not gonna save you."
The scrap tries crawling backwards, but he groans miserably, holding his elbow. He had an injury on his elbow, for sure, at least that's what it seems like. "I-" he huffs, trying to catch his breath, "I know-.." He responds.
Mari notes the way he holds his elbow, wincing in pain, "Looks like you got yourself a little injury there, huh?" He says, his voice mockingly concerned. "You sure you can take a beating in your current state, scrawny?"
The boy looks around nervously, he doesn't wanna say the wrong things, "y-yeah, I-I can.." he murmurs, lying.
Mari chuckles softly, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.
"You sure are stubborn, aren't you?" He says, crouching down in front of him. "You're just some scrawny kid, and you think you can take a beating from me alone? You're either brave or stupid, kid."
He swallows as Mari crouches down in front of him, but he calms down slightly. Why? God...this kid is weird.
He tries to catch his breath, "I-I don't know. S-stupid..?" He mutters, looking around. "I-I'm just used to it.."
"Used to it, huh?" Mari says, intrigued by his response, yet not surprised. "You get beat up often, kid?" he asks, his tone a mix of curiosity and taunt.
The boy nods, swallowing and looking at you. He was still trying to catch his breath, slightly.
Mari can see the exhaustion in the boy's eyes, eyebags visible and eyelids heavy even though his eyes are wide. "And you're saying you can take a beating from me alone, even with all the cuts already on you?"
The boy looks away, diverting his gaze from Mari, "Y-yeah.." he murmurs.
Mari notices the way he averts his gaze when he responds, and he smiles slightly. Hm, so he looks away when he's lying, good to know.
"You know kid, I can tell when you're lying," he muses, "you look away when you lie, did you know that?"
The boy swallows, "I-I donno.."
Mari chuckles softly at his response, "Sure you don't." He says, his voice dripping with friendly sarcasm, if that's a thing. "Anyway, back to the matter at hand." He says, leaning closer to the scrawny boy, his eyes locking onto his. "Are you really, seriously willing to take a beating from me alone, even in your current state?"
"I-it's better than getting jumped by multiple people.." He mutters, looking at Mari.
"Better than getting jumped, huh? Guess that's true." Mari admits, his tone slightly thoughtful in response. "So you're choosing to get beaten up by me alone rather than getting beat up by the whole group," he concludes, "I gotta admit, you're ballsy, kid."
The boy looks away, "Wh-.." he pauses, then asks, "what's ballsy..mean." He mutters sheepishly.
Mari chuckles at the boy's question, finding his innocent ignorance amusing. "It means you've got guts," he explains, "it means you're brave and fearless despite being in a vulnerable position."
The boy blushes slightly at the compliment, but it quickly goes away. Ballsy? Him? "N-no I ain't.." he denies.
"Alright, maybe not fearless." Mari admits, "But you're still pretty damn brave to willingly take a beating from me alone when you coulda said not at all."
"Well-...I didn't know that was an option.." The boy mutters.
"It wasn't." Mari says, half-lying, then adding, "Still pretty bold to me, kid." he muses.
"So, why do you wanna get beat up by me alone, anyway?" Mari asked, he knew why, he just wanted to know if the kid thought it was for some logical reason, or just because he thought Mari was hotter than the others or something.
"I'll get hurt less that way.." he answers, so the logical reason.
Mari pauses for a moment, studying his injured body. The kid was tough, he had to give him that. "You sure about that, kid?" He taunts, knowing the kid was right. But he wanted to scare him. "You really think getting beat up by me alone will cause fewer injuries than being beat up by all of us?" He teases.
The boy starts to doubt himself, his eyes tracing Mari's jewelry, his piercings, his rings. His breathing becomes slightly more rigid as he says, "I don't..know.." he mutters. He swallows as he continues to look over Mari's jewelry.
Mari notices how the boy reacts as his gaze drifts over his jewelry, a small smirk forming on Mari's face as he leans closer, invading his personal space.
"What's wrong, kid? You're suddenly getting nervous, yknow." He taunts, knowing he's intimidating him.
The boy's face reddens slightly as Mari leans closer, but it quickly goes away as he leans back.
"I-I'm fine." He says, looking away again.
Mari chuckles, finding his reaction somewhat endearing. "You sure? You're blushing, kid." He teases, "You feeling alright? You're suddenly being even more shy around me than you were before."
The boy looks away, "I ain't-.." he denies, before stuttering, "A-are you gonna.." he pauses, scanning over Mari's jewelry once more, "beat me up..?" he finishes, shuddering.
Mari chuckles at his stutter, but his amusement fades once he asks that. He looks over him once more, taking in his beaten body, covered in bruises and marks. He pauses, considering his next choice.
"What's your name, kid?" He asks, his tone noticeably gentler than before, avoiding the question.
Caught off guard by the question, the boy asks, "W-what..?"
Mari rolls his eyes, then repeats, "What's your name?" his tone slightly impatient, "Don't you have a name, kid?"
The boy swallows, pausing before answering, "L-Lox.." he mutters quietly, before stating, "Lox."
Mari nods, committing it to memory. "Lox, huh?" he says, rolling the name around in his mouth. "Weird name, but it's got a nice ring to it."
"Well, Lox, I gotta say, you're a real stubborn one." He muses, his tone slightly amused. He continues, "Most people would be begging and pleading for mercy right now," he says, his eyes locking onto Lox's. "But not you. You're willing to take a beating, even if it's to avoid getting jumped, you're still willing to take it at all. It's...refreshing, I'll give you that."
Lox swallows, his eyes seem to scan over everything but Mari, he avoids his gaze. "You don't seem as-..as mean.." he admits, swallowing.
Mari chuckles softly, "Oh really? I don't seem mean?" he repeats, a smirk forming on his face. "Funny, most people would disagree. But...you think I'm not mean, huh?"
"I-I don't know..not-...not as mean as your friends.." Lox murmurs, scooting back a little, before adding, "mentally..I mean.."
Mari chuckles once more, "Is that so? You think my friends are meaner than me?" He asks, tilting his head to the side. "And why do you say that, huh? What's the uh, reasoning, behind your little analysis?"
Lox explains, "They would've-..they would've beat me up by now..b-but you.." he looks away, realizing that he could be playing his cards wrong. "I-I'm sorry, shit-..you are mean-! I-.." he swallows, panicking slightly more.
Mari grins, loving how Lox couldn't decide what to say. "Oh so now I'm mean, hm? I scare you?"
Lox eyes him, then swallows once more. "Y-yeah.." he says while looking away.
Mari stifles a laugh, he finds satisfaction in how desperate Lox is to not get beat up. The way he looked away said everything.
"You're lying," he points out, his tone confident and cocky, yet casual. "You don't think I'm mean. You think my friends are me, not me." He states.
"You just said I wasn't as mean as them," Mari goes on, "and you're looking away.." he adds. "So tell me, Lox..what's the truth? Do you think I'm mean or not?"
Lox swallows, debating what to say before stuttering, "I-.." he swallows, then looks at Mari. "N-...no.." he mutters, his voice small and feeble.
Mari grins, pleased with Lox's answer. "Well, well, well," he says, leaning closer to him. "That wasn't so hard, was it? Why don't you answer with that same honesty when I ask the rest of my questions from now on, huh?"
Lox blushes slightly at the proximity between the two, "A-alright.." he agrees.
Mari hums approvingly, satisfied with Lox's response. "Good," he says, his eyes scanning Lox's face. "How old are you, anyways?"
"Twelve.." Lox mutters.
"Twelve, huh?" Mari repeats, his tone a mix of incredulity and interest. "We're the same age, then. You don't look like it."
"I-..I know." he mutters, "You didn't answer my question..."
Mari nods, "Right. What question again, exactly?" he asks.
"A-..are you gonna.." Lox pauses, eyeing Mari's jewelry once more. "Beat me..up."
Mari snickers, leaning in even closer to Lox's face. "That depends on you, kid," he says, his tone a mix of mockery and amusement. "Are you gonna give me a reason to?"
Lox's face flushes slightly as Mari leans in closer, but he scoots back in fear and looks around nervously, "I-I don't know-.." He says, his eyes darting between Mari and the world around him.
"Yknow, you're getting awfully flustered, kid." Mari teases, observing him. "Are you getting scared of me now or something?"
Lox swallows, "I-I don't know..kinda.."
Mari scoffs in amusement, "I don't get you, kid. I mean, you were saying you weren't scared of me, but now you're saying you are. Why is that, Lox? What's got you all anxious and nervous around me all of a sudden?"
"Y-your jewelry.." Lox mutters, eyeing Mari and his various piercings and rings. "It'd hurt-...if- if you were to beat me up, I mean.." He pauses, before continuing, "I said you weren't mean..I didn't say you weren't scary.." he mutters.
Mari chuckles, finding Lox's comment intriguing. "So my jewelry? That's what has you all shaky, huh?" he asks, enjoying the way Lox fidgets nervously. "You think my rings and piercings are gonna hurt you, that it?"
Lox nods. He looks so fragile, like a puppy or something, with those big, wide eyes and that soft, weak expression plastered on his face.
"So you don't think I'm mean, but you think I'm scary? As if I wouldn't beat you up, but I could?" He chuckles, "Interesting."
He smirks, taking the opportunity to mess with him, his innocence and frailty not helping. "You know, kid, my jewelry isn't the only thing that could hurt you," he says, his expression intimidating yet casually confident and smug, "You know what else could hurt you? Me."
Lox shudders, "W-will you..?" He asks, even though the two just went over this, Lox started to question Mari's previous answers.
Mari pauses, enjoying the way Lox squirms under his gaze. "Will I what? Beat you up?" He mocks, a teasing tone in his voice. "I might. Like I said earlier, depends on what you do."
"But hey," he continues, leaning closer to Lox's face again. "You've been asking me questions this whole time, kid. Time for you to answer a few of mine."
Lox doesn't say anything, just listens as Mari continues, "Why do you think I haven't beaten you up yet, hm?" He asks, his eyes locking onto his. "Why do you think I'm not punching you right now, like my friends would, according to you?"
Lox swallows, his eyes darting over Mari, scanning him. "I-.." he looks around, then looks down. Every answer he gives can be wrong, there's no telling, so he just goes for it. "I- I don't know...sympathy..?" he mutters.
"Sympathy, huh? You think I feel sympathy for you? You think I'm being nice to you out of pity?" He mocks, making Lox doubt himself. The truth was, no matter what Lox said, Mari's gonna tease him and make him think otherwise.
Lox swallows, looking away. He scoots back a little, "I- ph- I don't know-.." he says, scared he said the wrong thing.
Mari smirks, Lox's fear only feeding into his sadistic humor. "You're stuttering, kid." He points out, "The thought of me beating you up getting to you? There's really no telling if I will or if I won't, hm?" He says slickly.
Mari leans forward slightly, slightly more, his face inches away from Lox's. "I could do it, you know." He murmurs, his voice low. "I could beat you up right now. But I'm not."
Lox swallowed, if Mari wasn't gonna tell him if Lox was right or not, he might as well ask for the answer, "W-..why?" He mutters. He was scared, it was visible in his eyes. He was scared like a fragile pup, but there was somewhat a flicker of trust somewhere, too. It was as if someone were to feed a neglected, stray, puppy on the streets.
Mari tilted his head slightly, studying Lox's face, finding him oddly strange. Why did Lox look at him like that? What was he feeling? Scared? Trust? Mari didn't get it.
"Why not?" Mari says, his voice softer as the conflict within him stirs deep down. "Why don't I beat you up? That's what you want to know, right?"
Lox moves his head up and down, nodding sheepishly.
Mari pauses, studying Lox for a moment and avoiding his question. Why was this kid looking at him like that? Why were his eyes wide and fearful, his body tense, yet there was some sort of chain of trust enlisted somewhere within him? He looks at Mari like he knows he won't hurt him.
Mari swallowed, masking his inner conflict and burying it deep within, putting up the same tough, nonchalant facade he's used to. He avoids the question and leans in a little closer to Lox once more, "Let me ask you something, kid," he murmurs. "Why do you trust me?"
Lox looks around nervously, ignoring the fact that Mari diverts from the question every time, "I don't know-..you're the first person to- to try and have a conversation with me..first in awhile.." he answers pathetically.
"Really?" He huffs, slightly amused by how lonely Lox is, "So, I'm the first person to talk to you like this? Everyone else just kinda beats you up or avoids you, hm?" he muses.
Lox just nods sheepishly, looking at Mari with those same puppy eyes. He found slight comfort in the way that Mari was crouching, on the same level as him instead of towering over him like the average asshole would.
Mari hums, appealed by Lox's answer. "So that's it? You trust me because I'm the first person to talk to you like this? That's why you act like some nervous pup around me?"
Lox nods once more, confirming the information Mari's gathered from this conversation. He scoots back a little, further away from Mari.
Mari pauses, observing Lox's constant shifting and squirming once more before saying, "You know, you really do act like a puppy," he teases, his tone mocking, mixed with a slight hint of..affection? "You're so jumpy around me, like you're terrified I'll bite you or something," he notes.
Mari chuckles, and looks at Lox more seriously now, his gaze piercing into Lox's. "Relax kid, I ain't gonna bite you," he murmurs, his tone now slightly softer than before. "At least, not yet."
Lox swallows, he doesn't know if she should back away or not if he should turn back to his defenses, or see how this unfolds and let Mari be somewhat intimidating without him quaking and shaking.
Lox eyes Mari, vulnerable and nervous as he struggles with his inner conflict. He's so unsure of himself.
Mari watches him struggle, it's almost entertaining. "You're shaking, kid." He says, his tone almost somewhat gentle. "You're shaking like a leaf, why is that?"
"I-..I don't know..scared..?" He mutters, even though he himself doesn't know if he's scared or not.
"Still?" He chuckles, "My rings and piercings aren't gonna hurt you..not unless I want them to, anyway." Mari assured him, his voice a little more gentle now.
He pauses, then a sly glint appears in his eye. "You think I'd hurt you, kid? Punch you or something?"
Lox swallows, he wasn't sure. "I-..I don't think so.."
"You trust me that much, hm? I get why you trust me...but why so much? Tell me that, scrap." Mari says, slight pity evident in his tone.
"You're..you're being gentle and..nice," Lox mutters, but was it really true? Or was Lox just that deprived of attention?
Mari scoffs, amused by Lox's reasoning. "So the fact that I'm being patient with you? That I'm not punching you in the face right now?"
Lox nods shyly.
"You must have a real low self-esteem if you're willing to trust someone because they're not punching you, let alone trust me," Mari says.
He pauses, before something hits him. "No one's ever been nice to you before, have they?" He questions, his tone noticeably more gentle now. "No other kid has ever just..talked to you or treated you right, huh? At least not in a while."
Lox nods vulnerably, that same weak look remaining on his face.
Mari hums, god, Lox was so vulnerable and fragile. It was almost endearing. "So I'm the only one who's treated you kindly, huh?" He repeats, his tone now laced with pity and a slight drop of sympathy.
Lox swallows, before asking, "w-..what's your name?"
Mari smiles, "Oh, so you're asking for my name now, huh? Gettin' bolder, Kid."
He pauses, considering Lox's question. He could just mess with him and not tell Lox his name, but something about him makes Mari wanna answer. His vulnerability and innocence are oddly charming, and as much as Mari hates to admit it, it's getting to him.
"Well, Lox. My name is Mari, like Marijuana." He genuinely chuckles, slightly embarrassed. "Yeah it's a weird name, I know," he explains, his tone a bit dismissive. "My parents are hippies or something, they thought it'd be ironic to name me after weed or some shit." He shrugs, not really caring about his name though. "Doesn't matter though," he continues. "Everyone calls me Mari, and that's what you'll call me too, alright?" He says.
"Okay..Mares." Lox mutters.
Mari chuckles, amused by the way Lox butchers his name. He found it oddly endearing. "Close enough," he says, "You can call me that if you want, Lox," he says. With each passing second he found Lox more appealing.
Lox eyes Mari, he was definitely calmer than before, but still jumpy enough to notice his anxiety.
"You're a little more relaxed now, huh?" Mari says with a softer tone, observing Lox's calmer demeanor.
There are a few moments of silence, Mari observing Lox. He doesn't understand what he feels towards Lox. He was supposed to be beating him up, jumping him. Why was he giving this kid his name? And why was the kid trusting him?
Eventually, the shouts and calls of Mari's friends interrupt the silence. They were still looking for Lox, that's for sure.
Mari tenses up slightly, suddenly reminded of how his friends are still looking for Lox. Why did he care, anyway? He was supposed to be helping them look.
"Looks like my friends are still searching for you, kid," Mari mutters, his tone a bit more guarded now.
Mari notices Lox swallowing and getting chills, shuddering. "You're scared now that my friends are nearby, aren't you?" he says.
Lox nods, vulnerability and pleading evident in his eyes. "They're gonna jump me.." he mutters.
Mari scoffs softly at his comment, "Yeah. I was supposed to jump you, too." he says, his tone honest. "That was the plan, but I chose not to. I don't know why, but I just didn't feel like beating you up." He says, half-lying. That wasn't why, it's not that he wasn't in the mood, there was more to it.
"T-thanks..Mares." Lox mutters, grateful. It was odd how he was thankful for someone not beating him up, isn't that just human decency?
Mari doesn't think about it too much though, "No problem, kid. Just don't get too used to me being nice to you. It doesn't happen often." He says, in reality, it never happens. He just happened to be soft–to go easy on the kid.
"But you were this time...right?" Lox says.
Mari smirks slyly, "Yeah. Today. But that doesn't mean it's gonna become a regular thing now, yknow. If I ever do see you again, that is.
"Al..alright." Lox mutters, looking away. He felt a pang of disappointment stir within him.
Mari senses his disappointment, it's written on his face. Something inside Mari stirred, he didn't like seeing Lox get upset, for some odd reason.
"Don't look so disappointed, kid," he says, his tone a bit softer now. "I never said I'd never be nice to you again. I just said don't get used to it. That's all."
Lox nods, "sorry.." he mutters apologetically.
Mari swears, this kid apologizes for the stupidest things. He rolls his eyes at Lox's constant apologizing, "Stop apologizing so damn much, kid," he says, his tone a mix of irritation and somewhat affection. "You're worse than a girl, always sorry and whatnot."
Lox huffs defensively, "Hey-! I am not worse than a girl-!"
"Oh really? You sure about that? Because you sound and act like a girl. Always apologizing and stuttering like a scared little puppy." Mari mocks.
Lox blushes in embarrassment, "S-shut up! I ain't like a girl!"
"Oh, yeah? You're blushing right now, and you're getting all defensive..Sounds like something a girl would." Mari chuckles teasingly.
Lox rolls his eyes, but deep down he likes this playful banter. It was something he had never gotten to experience with someone.
There are a few more meadows of affectionate silence; Lox vulnerable and weak, who could crumple at any sudden second if Mari did wrong, and Mari tough and casual, eyeing Lox carefully, treating him as if he were some delicate piece of ancient glass. He acts like he doesn't care about him, but deep down he's intrigued. Lox is special to him, in some weird odd way, considering the two just met in these circumstances.
Mari finally speaks, "You gotta get outta here, kid. They'll beat your ass if they find you chatting with me, yknow."
"I know.." Lox mutters, "I-.." he looks around, before surprising Mari by asking, "Can I crash at your place? I don't have anywhere else to hide.."
Mari raises an eyebrow at this, taken aback by his request, out of all things, he was not expecting..that. He finally manages to regain his composure, "You don't have anywhere else to hide, so you're asking if you can crash at my place?" He says, a hint of skepticism in his tone.
"Kid, we just met, and you're asking to crash at my place? You trust too easily, man. You have no idea what my intentions are whatsoever, and you're willing to just risk it all? You ballsy or stupid?" He snickers, amused and dumbfounded.
Lox quickly regrets his choice, wishing to take back his words, "S-shit, sorry..nevermind- it's a stupid request anywa-"
Mari chuckles softly at Lox's nervous reaction, feeling a pang of sympathy. "Relax, kid." He says gently, interrupting him. He continues, his tone now more reassuring. "I wasn't saying no. I was just surprised you wanted to crash at my place, that's all..I mean, you hardly know me, and we've never spoken before today. Why do you wanna crash at my place so bad?" He questions, still amused,
"I have nowhere else to go.." Lox admits, slight shame in his voice.
Mari chuckles, softening slightly at his words as he observes the glimmer; the truth, in Lox's eyes. He realizes he eventually has to come to a choice.
Mari huffs, "Damn it-" he mutters, sighing, before begrudgingly deciding, "Alright, kid, fine. You can crash at my place. For a little while at least, just so you can hide. I don't want you getting your ass beat by my friends. I mean, I could care less, but jeez Lox..ya make me feel bad for you." He says, eyeing Lox, scanning him and his injuries as he mutters the last sentence.
Lox's eyes widen slightly at Mari's agreement, before he quickly says, "R-really? Thank you..Mares." He weakly thanks.
Mari scoffs playfully at the nickname, still not used to it. "Yeah, yeah. Don't mention it, kid." He mutters, slight affection in his voice. "Just..make sure you don't cause any trouble or anything, got it, scrawny?"
Lox nods in response, agreeing to Mari's conditions.
Mari studies him for a moment, still unsure about this whole thing. But he's not heartless, he can't just leave Lox out here defenseless against his friends who want to beat him to a pulp.
"Alright, come on then." He mutters, standing up and reaching his hand out to Lox's. "Let's get outta here before my friends find us.
Lox eyes Mari, surprised at the offer of physical contact. Lox hasn't been offered positive physical contact in a while, it takes him a few moments of looking like a helpless runt to regain his composure and thoughts. He hesitantly reaches his hand out, taking Mari's for a split second as Mari lifts him up.
Mari shuddered internally, he wasn't the fondest of physical touch. Quite the opposite. The action both sent shocks through each other's souls, but neither mentioned anything of it Just one was more visibly affected by it than the other.
Once Mari lifts Lox up, both of them pull their hands back, releasing their grip on one another.
"They won't know that you're gone?" Lox asks curiously.
Mari shrugs, "They'll assume I had to go home or something, they won't mind. And if they do? I don't care."
Lox nods, admiring and idolizing Mari and his uncaring attitude. If only he could be as tough as Mari, he makes it seem so easy.
Mari sighs, still conflicted about letting Lox stay at his place. "And don't touch my stuff," he adds firmly. "No going through my things, no rummaging through my drawers, none of that. You just crash on the couch and keep to yourself, got that, scrawny?"
Lox nods obediently, willing to do anything that Mari tells him to in order to just have somewhere to stay, even if it is only for a little.

[chapter 2 in the workz and almost done 4 those who r interested :b]