Mated to the Rogue *DISCONTINUED*

E I G H T E E N

I was laying back in my bed, breathing so softly I almost didn't get enough air on every inhale. I hadn't responded yet, and he made no new attempt to get a response; we sat in silence, separated by miles in reality but together in fantasy.

He yawned into the received, reminding me normal people don't call each other at 1:30 am but... we're not normal.

I released a sigh through my nose, rubbing my sore eyes in the dark. I closed them, draping an arm across my face and pretended he was right next to me.

"I'm sorry it took me so long to respond," I said quietly. I didn't actually know what I was planning on saying when I went on this spur of the moment calling session.

"I understand. You must have a busy life." He said this quietly as well. There was a peaceful atmosphere in the air, and neither of us wanted to disturb the intimacy by speaking too loudly.

"Yeah..." I started a little reluctantly. "I wanted to call you, I was just...doing other things?" The second part of the statement wasn't really a statement, and I felt guilty for not being able to give him a straight answer.

"It's fine. Priorities, right?" I could tell by his tone that is was not fine.

"You are a priority. It's just-I was with my friends all day and I couldn't call you then and when I came home I had to study for a stupid calculus test for hours, and I totally missed your texts."

"Ok," he said softly. Was I imagining the hurt in his voice?

"Wait, don't take it in a bad way," I said, almost pleadingly. Where is all of that 'I won't sit in the back seat in this relationship' courage when you need it?

"Really, Lia, don't freak out. Academics should come first." I was slightly off-put by how calm he was being.

"No, you pretty-eyed dumbo. I want you to be first, and just because you are doesn't mean I'll slack off in school."

A pause. And then:

"You think I have pretty eyes?"

"We both know you do, don't act so surprised," I teased playfully.

He chuckled lightly. "No one's ever told me that before," he mused.

"What? Impossible."

"Trust me, it's not. My parents' weren't the compliment giving type."

"Weren't?"

"You know they-" he paused, then lowered his voice even more. "Ya' know, left me..."

"Yes," I said, almost as quietly. If we had been face-to-face we would be leaning towards each other, trying to catch what secrets the other was sharing. "I know."

"I haven't had the means nor the desire to contact them since then. They could be dead, for all I know." He said he didn't want to speak to them, but I could faintly detect the underlying sadness that seemed to settle around him whenever he spoke of his past.

"No one has ever said anything about your eyes, though? Like, not even a stranger on the street or something?"

"Would you go up to a random man and tell him his eyes were 'pretty', Lia?"

"I guess not..." I trailed off, still finding it slightly hard to believe, but letting it drop for now. "What did you do today?"

"Boring things. Work, mostly."

I nodded absent-mindedly, forgetting he couldn't see me. "I wish you were here with me."

"Me too, Lia," he murmured and then yawned. "Me too."