Running || A Garrance Fanfic

Chapter Eighteen

Garroth's POV

"How did you pay for this exactly?" I ask as Laurance unlocks an apartment door. He just chuckles and grins at me.

"I know people." He turns back to the door. "And by that, I mean your brother helped a bit."

"Vylad?"

He rolls his eyes: "No. Zane, obviously."

"Pretty sure he wants you dead."

"Wouldn't be the first time." He chuckles again, opening the door and grabbing his pine green suitcase which was leaning against the wall beside him. I follow him into the apartment, dragging my own blue one behind me.

"Welcome..." He turns to me dramatically. "...to Jurassic Park."

"'Dork-topia' is more like it," I joke and he grins.

"That's only 'cuz you're here."

"Whatever, Laurance." I roll my eyes at him and look around the room. Decently sized. A kitchen, dining table, living room, and three other doors which I only assume are bedrooms and a bathroom.

"And you're sure you can afford this?" I question.

"Like I said, Vylad's helping out some. We're fine," he says, leaving his suitcase in the middle of the room and flopping onto the couch.

"Why did he even agree to this?" I lean my suitcase along a wall near the kitchen and walk over to where he is.

"He...uh..." I notice his face turn a light pink. "...just...wanted to? F-For no particular reason?"

I think about that for a second, then shrug.

Sounds like him.

"Okay." He breathes a small sigh of relief but I brush it off. "So...is there a plan for today?"

He shrugs: "I've been driving for the past four hours, so I'd rather not go back in the car right now. Other than that, I'm up for anything."

"You know you could have asked me to take over driving."

"You didn't know where we were going," he points out. "Besides, I like driving, I just need to have a few hours without being stuck in a cramped vehicle."

"That makes sense."

I take a look out the window at the city around us. I'm honestly surprised Laurance dragged us here considering how he's been acting whenever it's brought up.

Scaleswind.

I still haven't gotten answers as to why he's been acting the way he has been lately, but he promised me he'll tell me eventually, so I'll wait a bit longer.

"Are you gonna move over some, or...?"

He glances up at me with this obviously fake annoyed expression and lets out an over dramatic sigh, sitting up against the arm of the couch. I sit beside him, facing the TV in front of us, but my head is turned towards him. He's making that calm and genuine smile he hasn't made as much as I'd like him to.

"Will you tell me 'why Scaleswind' or is it another vague answer?"

The smile grows into that mischievous smirk: "What do you think?"

"That you're a prick."

He laughs: "Yup, that sounds about right. You know me too well, Gar."

I smile at him: "Two whole years and you haven't changed a bit."

"I got hotter."

"Whatever you say, Laur."

"You're not denying it~"

"Because you're exhausting to talk to."

"Or you're admitting it's true, but you're too scared to tell me."

"Are you that desperate for attention?"

He pouts, light pink dusting his cheeks: "Shut up."

I chuckle and move a bit closer to him, putting an arm around his shoulders.

"You're very handsome, Laurance," I tell him and his pink blush gets a little redder. He laughs it off.

"We both know you're just saying that to get me to shut up, but okay."

"I mean...I am..." I joke and he playfully shoves me, "...but I also kinda mean it..."

He averts his eyes to the floor with a tiny smile on his face.

"Thanks," he mutters quietly, as if embarrassed.

This is something you wouldn't know about Laurance unless you've known him for as long as I have. He doesn't show it much in public, but he can get kinda insecure about himself from time to time. Of my knowledge, I'm the only one who knows this about him, so I have some practice helping him out with it. It's not crazy or something he deals with often, but every now and then I do something to help make him feel like the amazing person he is.

Even if he gets on my nerves a lot of the time.

"Anyway," he starts, moving so that he's closer to me. It's just now I realize I still have my arm around him, but I'm too lazy to move it so I leave it there.

He probably doesn't mind anyway.

"Do you wanna just chill out today and then grab food or something later? We can go walk around tomorrow if you want."

"Yeah. I'm not in a 'walk around' mood today."

"I'm never in a 'walk around' mood."

"I know." I smile. "Wanna watch TV or something?"

"Duh." He grabs the remote from beside him and switches on the TV.

And it feels like nothing ever changed about him. About us. We're the same as we've always been, and that relieves me.

Except I don't move him when he rests his head on my shoulder...