Beware The Water

Buried with Time

Lux leaned against the couch, laptop open on the coffee table, textbooks stacked in uneven piles around her. The not even half written essay mocked her existence as the hour passed. Her fingers lingered over the keyboard, sometimes rubbing her thumb against the space bar in hopes of the next words magically typing themselves.

She took her glasses off, tossing them with enough force to slide across the table but still frustratingly gentle to not break them. The coffee was still warm when she went for a sip despite it sitting out for well over an hour- thanks to the heated coffee mug that Shorter had bought Lux the day before. He always found it weird how she let her hot drinks get cold and still enjoy it when it's well past its prime. Now her drink will be hot all the time and hopefully more enjoyable. Lux wiped her lip of the still heated coffee and almost smiled when pulling the pink mug away from her mouth. There it was again, the anxiety.

Eight days had passed and not once was Lux able to enjoy the things that would normally make her happy. Eight whole days and Arthur still hadn't made a move. Somehow it made things worse. Being forced to wait patiently for the pending violence was worse than getting it done and over with.

When Shorter had finally gone to bed, Lux was able to take advantage of how he's a heavy sleeper and make a late night call to Fang from the bathroom. She was able to get her to convince Arthur to let it stop at the three. No more bloodshed after that.

He wasn't happy about having to argue why the violence was necessary but he finally agreed. This wasn't about what he wanted. If more blood wasn't what Fang wanted, then killing in her name would mean nothing. He would be going against her and acting selfishly. He refused to put her through that.

Arthur's gang and the Chinese mafia being at each others throats wasn't anything new. Killing the others foot soldiers wasn't a rarity, and it didn't start wars and didn't shake cities. It just came with the territory. The violence was all contained and expected. The kind that stayed in its lane so the bigger enemy in blue would stay off of their backs.

Perfectly controlled madness. Yet it still felt like a ticking bomb.

Lux wanted it over. For the bodies to drop and be swept under the rug with the rest of the covered up skeletons.

Doubts and questions began to flood Lux's mind.

Would Shorter know what to do?

Should I tell Sing?

What if Arthur changes his mind?

Then her mind went to Sing, Viper, Hook, Sunshine and Smiley. Their faces. Their lives that they had opened up to her about, when they were still mysteries to many others in the gang. People... her.... Friends who didn't know they were standing in the shadows of the firing squad that she didn't warn them about.

The guilt got heavier with each passing day. She was forced to think about if the choice she made was right. Was silence really what was best?

Shorter was finally getting his life together. Even earning legit which Lux didn't think would happen so soon, and doing something he loves no less. If she were to have told him about this, there was nothing that proved Shorter wouldn't make an exception again to get his hands dirty. Keeping her mouth shut, protected his future instead of letting the truth ruin things for him.

Lux blinked the thoughts away when she heard knocking at the door. "It's open!" She called out from her seated position.

Viper let himself in and looked around the room. A few things had changed. The pink watermelon candle was replaced with lavender. The air also smelled slightly of eucalyptus. There was a half folded pile of clothes on one couch cushion and a messy pile on the other, which explained why Lux was sitting on the floor. That pink mug next to the laptop with only two paragraphs typed onto it was also new. It looked like the self heating one in an ad he had seen on his phone the day prior. The curtains were also closed and the only light source was the warm color of the floor lamp. "Hm." He hummed. "Got your order." Viper started to reach into his jacket and stopped when Lux extended her hand out. "You still have the Xanax?" He asked, hand still hid behind fabric.