Shaw

B l o o d

The bus was always cold on a Friday night. No matter the temperature, season or amount of people on it, the bus remained cold to touch and cold to sit in. 

I was always alone on this bus. But since it was 9pm, I guess it made sense. 

But this time, this cold night, there was another person. A man at first glance, clouded in shadow and the smell of blood. Jerry, the driver, asked no questions simply because he didn't care. 

He was a large man, I could make out that much from back here, and sat slightly hunched over, his inky black hair in dissaray over his head. I crept into the seat just behind him, the rattle of the bus masking my steps. 

"You're bleeding" I said, peering at a tattooed hand that was pressed against his other forearm. The man- who had a striking profile- snarled at me, his chocolate eyes clouded in a haze of pain. Rude. I shrugged and tore off one of my sleeves, glaring at him when he moved abruptly away. "you're only hurting yourself" I murmured, pulling his leather jacket off. 

The man snarled again, primitive instinct controlling him. "Shut the fu*k up or die" I growled, tearing the other sleeve off of my top. The man furrowed his eyebrows before leaning back reluctantly, mocha eyes closing. 

Big mutt. I pried his hand off the arm and dabbed around his wound, wiping as much of the blood off as I could without causing too much pain. His breathing evened out and I grabbed the tweezers out of my backpack, squirting his wound and the tweezers with hand sanitizer. 

He didn't look like the type to go to hospitals, so this would have to do. I poked into the man's injury, startling him awake with a curse that echoed through the old bus. The look in his eyes told me all I needed to know about the pain I would feel after but I shrugged. 

I dug deeper and deeper until I felt what I had been looking for. The bullet was silver and covered in blood. I chucked it on the ground before tying my ripped up sleeves around his muscled arm. The man stared at me, hands clenching at his sides. 

"Get stitches or don't. I did my best" 

I pressed the button on the pole next to injury man and stood. I threw him my bottleof water, not at all surprised when he caught it perfectly with one arm. Shooting my gaze to his coffee eyes I looked him up and down. "Don't get shot next time" 

The only gratitude I got was a low rasp of a reply. "I'll try" 

I nodded and walked into the starless night. 

***********

He was at the bus stop the next day, arm covered by another leather jacket. It was 7pm. He looked me over, the light he was under illuminating his cold features. 

He was mixed, like me, but had a tasteful mix of asian and german features. Inky black hair that was shaved at the sides, angular eyes, jaw and cheeks that were too sharp, full lips that were too shaped to be normal. Combined with his strong, hard expanse of a body, he was too much of everything. 

But I had always been one to bite off more than I could chew. 

Angles, muscle and shadow. We stared at each other for a moment more, eyes unflinching in our assessments. 

"Why did you help me?" He rasped, voice gravel on my ears. I shrugged, stepping past him to wait for the bus. "Hell if I know" 

The man seemed unsatisfied with my answer. That made two of us. He ran a hand through his ebony hair, snapping his coffee gaze to me. "Don't come near me anymore" 

I scoffed, gesturing to the space between us. "You are the one who came here, not me" 

This seemed to anger him further. "Fu*ck." He growled, turning around on the spot, each step a stomp that seemed to be helping him decide what to do next. Please get on the bus. 

The bus came, Jerry waving Shadow Man and I on, before closing the doors and rattling off. I sat in a window seat, surprisingly not cold for once. Shadow Man sat in the aisle across from mine, staring into the aisle walkway. 

I sighed, ignoring the tension and went to sit next to his large form. Up close, I noticed a piercing he had through his septum. Yum. Shadow Man stared down at me, stiffening as he noticed how close I was. "Xerxes. But female" 

Shadow Man grunted, knee bouncing uncontrollably. "Shawshank. Call me Shaw" 

I nodded, sidling in a little closer. Shaw was radiating warmth. 

"Cold" I said, when he noticed me moving closer. Shaw nodded, before staring to the front again. A beat later, he raised his arm and put it behind my head, stretching along the back of the bus seat. 

He was so, inexplicably warm. 

SHAW

She was so cold. Xerxes leaned in a milimeter closer, most likely subconsciously, her long hair brushing my leathered leg. 

Xerxes. Persian name? She was tall for a woman, all firm slopes and bronze skin. Her mouth was always slightly pouted, that bottom lip and her dark sloe eyes creating a seemingly innocent picture. But by the hard set of her jaw and the constant grit of her teeth, I knew she was far from innocent. 

Greek brazilian maybe? "You look like you don't want to be here, next to me" Her voice called me from my thoughts. I glanced into her mudpie eyes. 

"I don't" 

Xerxes stiffened, almost imperceptibly a coldness coming over her features. Fu*ck. But I shouldn't be here, I shouldn't be with her. Considering everything I am, this was probably one of the worst decisions I had made in my life. 

But those eyes, those big brown eyes, had a hardness yet gentleness to them that made me want to know more. Know everything there was to know about Xerxes. 

All through the night, my wound throbbed、not from the pain but from the tingles of her touch. Calloused, strong hands. 

"Well. I will be getting off soon." Xerxes moved to stand, her jeans clinging to her strong legs. My hand snapped out, pushing her back down before she left, taking my heat with her. Let her go. Let her go. Let her go. Let her-

No. 

I growled, snarling at myself as I looked into her impassive, unimpressed eyes. "I hate myself for not wanting you to leave" I spat, the truth wrenched out of me by some unknown force. 

And the smile I was rewarded with made the ashes of my heart burn.