Broken Windows // Phan AU

Chapter Two: Questions and Answers

After a while of tossing and turning and numerous failed attempts to get some sleep, I give up and watch Netflix on my laptop until the crack of dawn. When a sliver of light begins to stream in through my bedroom window, I stretch and get up to watch the sunrise. It's particularly beautiful this morning. A vibrant shade of orange illuminates the sky with streaks of pink and violet. It calms me... until I remember the fact that my house was broken into only hours ago, and the person responsible is currently sleeping in my basement with my permission.

Shaking the self-deprecating thoughts out of my head, I go take a shower, get dressed, comb out my messy black hair, and then make some coffee to perk me up. The clock reads 8:32 A.M. Finding it difficult to distract myself, I decide to check on Derek a bit early to see if he's still asleep.

I try to stay quiet as I unlock the basement door and make my way down the stairs. When I reach the bottom, I find Derek wrapped in a blanket on the sofa, sound asleep. I just look at him for a few moments. His eyes are a bit red and puffy, as if he'd had a cry before falling asleep. The bandaid is still on his forehead where I stuck it just hours ago. Despite his rugged appearance, he looks peaceful. I don't want to wake him just yet.

I go back upstairs, leaving the basement door ajar, then I feed Nuki, take him outside to pee, and then start making pancakes as dozens of questions swirl around in my head. Where did Derek come from? Who punched him in the face? Is he really trying to hide from the police, or is he running away from someone or something else? Why did he choose my house as a safe haven? Can I trust him?

I'm flipping the pancakes over the stove when Derek appears at the kitchen door a few minutes after nine. "Good morning," he says, rubbing his non-bruised eye.

"Have some breakfast before you hit the road, alright?" I reply, setting a plate of pancakes on the kitchen table. "You want some coffee? I also have milk, orange juice, tea..."

Derek stares at me for a moment, almost taken aback. "Coffee. Er, coffee sounds good."

I pour a cup of coffee and set it at the table with a bowl of sliced fruit and a bottle of maple syrup. Derek sits down slowly at the table and looks at me again before starting to eat.

"What? Has no one ever made you breakfast before?"

"I just didn't expect you to. That's all."

I sit down across from him with a plate of my own. We eat in silence for a few minutes before he asks me a sudden question.

"Do you feel sorry for me, or something? Is that why you're treating me like this? I mean... I broke into your house last night, remember?"

I hesitate before answering. "I know. I remember."

"Then why didn't you kick me out? Why did you lie to your neighbour to save my ass? Why didn't you take that golf club and smash my face in?"

"I thought your face had gone through enough already."

"So you do feel sorry for me."

"I... just... yeah. I dunno. I believed you, for some reason. Your whole story about being screwed over. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Shit happens, I know that. I've been there."

Derek sets his fork down and exhales, shaking his head and smirking to himself. "No you haven't. Not where I've been."

"Where have you been?"

"Places... that are behind me now. And I'm never going back."

"Then where are you going from here?"

"So now you're the one asking all the questions," he remarks, then takes a sip of coffee. "Truthfully, I haven't got a clue."

I sigh and finish up my breakfast, then carry my dishes to the sink. Derek follows with his dishes and helps me rinse them off and put them in the dishwasher.