Doppled in Gray [Discontinued]

Doppled in Gray [chapter eighteen]

‭CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

‭“Fifteen minutes until landing,” the automatic pilot chimes reassuringly into my ear. 

‭I sigh, making a fog on the silver walls of the hovership. The scene of hundreds of people laying down, as good as dead, ties knots in my stomach. I do not understand how people could want to do that to themselves. Living a lie seems wrong, even if it is just for a few hours.

‭“You look bothered. Something wrong, Daze?”

‭“No, not at all,” I lie.

‭“We never did talk about our feelings, if that is what this is about.”

‭I raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”

‭“I never told you my intentions.” 

‭“I think you made you intentions rather clear. You-”

‭“I love you, Daze, or at least, I would like to.”

‭My confusion reaches a pinnacle and I bury in my hands. Love. What does that even mean? Was it the way I sometimes just couldn’t keep my hands off of him? Could it be how I could look at him hard enough and suddenly see that glint in his eye that was only Haran? Maybe the way he could say something so sweet I can barely contain my affection for the words? I didn’t understand much of it myself. How can I possibly give an emotion so complex such a small four letter word to encompass its complexity?

‭“What does that mean?” I ask him.

‭“It means I would like to be in a relationship with you.”

‭My head finally turns to see him. Although he did not answer the question they way I wanted him to, I am still interested by what he has to say.

‭“Relationship? What do you consider us now?” 

‭“Friends?”

‭“I hope you don’t have very many friends.”

‭He fails at trying to withhold a laugh, but then abruptly stops when I raise an eyebrow at him. Haran returns my look with an added on awkward grin. 

‭“That’s not what I meant, Daze,” he assures me. 

‭“What do you say?” 

‭“I don’t  see a problem with it. So sure.” 

‭My eyes narrow at the smug look that appears on his face, but he just shrugs and smirks. I sigh, once again creating a white fog on the metal as we begin to land. 

‭It is not warm today, this is apparent as the wind kicks up sand and dust in big waves, making us ineffectively cover our faces. When a big enough dust of wing comes, the grains of sand feel like they dig into my skin. With Haran at my side, we both jog into the small coffee shop that hides NOIDD, not even bothering to nod at the hovership driver as he flies away to whatever his next destination may be. 

‭As I made  a beeline straight for the elevator that would take me down to NOIDD, I almost didn’t notice Haran casually stopping to order a coffee, spitting out sand into a nearby trash. I hesitate,  about to stay with him, but then shrug and step through the now open elevator doors in the corner of the tiny place. “

‭The elevator descends quickly and silently, albeit the occasional groan as I shift my weight. It feels good to be back in a place I am so comfortable with, like the usually weight I carry has been lifted of my shoulders. Nevertheless, when the doors open to the lobby and I see people running around with anxiety in their chest so heavy that they seem to hunch over while Captain waits in the middle of it all, staring directly at me, his eyes dark with emotions I cannot place, my heart stops. Zi stands behind him eyes slightly more wide than usual from fear.