Stockholm Syndrome? ✔

S.S 35

Things were slowly getting back to normal in some aspects of my life. I was excused from soccer practice for however long I needed to process everything that happened, but I had made a decision to return to the pitch the week following my return to town. It was going to be different with Konstantin's absence.

Most people knew some of what had happened to him. They knew I was there. What they didn't know was that he'd tried to kill me and I'd watched him die. My teammates knew we didn't get along so the incident was probably a major talking point with lots of speculations. Some of my brave teammates were going to ask questions when I returned.

Classes were okay. We weren't a close-knit class like the relationship I had with my teammates so most people didn't talk or ask about the incident.

My mind focused on the present when I realized I had put more honey than I had intended to on the pancakes. It wasn't too much but the plate was being coated as the honey spilled onto it. I hoped Felix didn't mind.

I located a tray and put the plate of pancakes in and a cup of coffee. I'd made the pancakes for Felix only, deciding I would be okay with an omelet. I wasn't a big fan of pancakes. I enjoyed them, but unlike Felix, I didn't envision eating them every day for the rest of my life.

Rain was still coming down from the sky. I could see trails of water making its way to the ground on the kitchen window. It had increased slightly since I'd woken up.

I grabbed the tray with both hands and made my way to the bedroom, hoping Felix was awake. I walked in just as he turned to lie supine. He had a smile on his face.

"Nice dream?" I asked as I set the tray on the nightstand.

"I dreamt you kept your end of the deal, and you did", he said grinning as he sat up.

"I'm trustworthy", I said sticking my nose in the air.

"And awesome", he added.

I chuckled and shook my head. I handed him the tray and he placed it neatly on his lap.

"Is it raining?"

"Yep, started last night", I said. "It's not bad. It's actually really beautiful out there".

"I sleep like a baby when you are in my bed", he said before sticking a fork in his pancake.

"It's a good thing. You do need to rest", I said sitting on the bed with one of my legs tucked underneath me.

He took a sip of his coffee. "This feels so good and tastes even better".

"The package says it is Brazilian coffee. I just threw it in the cart", I said.

I'd gone shopping for my "getaway" with Felix. The guy may have been very skilled at protecting himself, but he was clueless at caring for himself. The last time I had come to the place there wasn't much food there. I came prepared, knowing Felix wouldn't bother with shopping.

"It's not scotch, but it is good", he said.

I was learning things about Felix little by little. The saying was true, you can never say you really know someone, but it's good to know more than less. As with my friends, the more time I spent with Felix, the more I got to know him.

He'd for 3 days straight complained about how there hadn't been Scotch on the hospital menu. I would have been appalled if there had been. He clearly had a taste for whisky, something I had never tasted.

"I borrowed your sweater. I hope you don't mind", I said.

"You seem to have a thing for big things", he said and winked suggestively.