Running || A Garrance Fanfic

Chapter Twenty One

Laurance's POV

The first time we met was at an arcade, coincidentally enough. It had been about a week since Cadenza and I were finally adopted by Hayden and his wife and school was going to start in less than a month. Cad was more than ready to start school and meet some new friends while I was just a big ball of anxiety. So many things had changed in my life during that month and it was beginning to get overwhelming.

I had spent most of my life in the arcade room at the orphanage: hiding away in the dark and trying to escape from his piercing glare. It was the only place I felt safe and it was how I learned to cope with all my emotions.

So, I left the house and walked to the closest arcade I could find.

For a while, I seemed to be the only person there without friends to talk to. There were so many people laughing around me, shouting at the games they were playing, and sloppily scarfing down pizza. I just played silently in the corner, not caring about whether I was noticed or not.

Then, I heard his voice as I was standing near a racing game.

"Mind if I play with you?"

I glanced over and saw him for the first time. Blonde hair falling in perfect strands over his crystal blue eyes, lips just barely upturned to form a smile. Suddenly, with just a look, I felt safe. I had no idea who this boy was, but he made me feel warm, something I hadn't felt in a long time.

"Uh, sure," I responded, hopping onto one of the seats and fishing a token out of my bag. The mysterious boy got on the other one and smiled at me.

"The names Garroth, by the way," he told me, holding a hand out for me. I grin back and take it.

"Laurance, but you'll soon know me as 'the champion' when I beat you."

His smile grew brighter which didn't make the warm, tingling feeling in my stomach disappear any faster. Garroth seemed to just radiate joy and warmth and I found myself quickly getting attached to it.

"I'll remember that when you're eating dirt, Laurance."

And suddenly, I didn't feel so alone. Garroth spent the rest of that day with me. We competed against each other on every game in that building and ended up losing track of who won what. Honestly, I didn't care whether I won or lost, just him being there was enough. It was weird how a complete stranger could have made me forget all my worries just like that, but Garroth did. We split a pizza and ended up becoming close that same day. I already considered him a great friend by the time I had to leave, already assuming he was soon going to become my best friend.

"Okay. Kiss, Marry, Kill."

"Oh boy." I chuckle. "Fine, do your worst."

We're just walking aimlessly around the busy streets of Scaleswind, talking about whatever the heck we want.

Garroth smirks: "Lucinda..."

"Not too bad."

"Dante..."

I make a face: "Ew." He laughs.

"And Travis."

"Okay..." I ponder my decisions for a moment. "Alright, I have a confession to make-"

Garroth raises an eyebrow, curiously.

"-I may have had a thing for Lucinda in the past," I admit and chuckles.

"Let me admit to you: you sucked at hiding that."

I laugh: "You know me. I don't like to hide these things. She's cute! What do you want from me?!"

He rolls his eyes.

"Dante...is basically like a brother to us. We've known the dude forever."

"True."

"And Travis...was a total pain when he moved in with us."

Garroth laughs again: "So, you're gonna kill Travis?"

"Less competition."

"And the other two?"

"Kiss Dante, marry Lucinda."

"Who would've known?" he says, sarcastically. I playfully push him in the side.

"Okay, your turn." I instantly get an idea and try to bite back my laugh.

"Oh no."

"Aaron...Kawaii~Chan..." I smirk mischievously. "...and Laurance."

He blinks: "What?"

"I'm curious." I shrug.

"Well, probably gonna have to kill Aaron because Zane would kill me if I killed KC."

"You wouldn't kill me?" I feel weirdly giddy when I say that. He glances at me with a smile.

"Obviously. You'd have to do something pretty stupid for me to even consider that."

I bite back a smile.

"I'd probably die for this, too...and it brings back a memory I don't want to relive...but I'd kiss KC."

"What memory?"

He makes a face: "Not important."

I brush it off when my brain registers what he's going to say next.

"And I guess that leaves me marrying you, Laur."

I hide my growing blush with a laugh.

"So, am I just the default to you? Don't want to kiss or kill me, so you'll just marry me?"

"Well, I mean we already live together and have since after college. Also, in the past week we've slept in the same bed twice, so I don't think it'd be that different from now."

I can't hide the blush anymore: "Oh...yeah. Right. Sorry about that..."

Garroth chuckles and throws an arm around me. Despite the cool autumn weather, he makes a warm feeling shoot through me.

"Don't apologize, moron. I really don't mind." He squeezes my shoulder reassuringly. "I want to make you feel safe. That's all I've ever wanted."

Butterflies fill my stomach and, without thinking, I blurt out, "How did I survive two years without you?"

He glances away with a smile and barely visible blush on his cheeks. He doesn't answer, and doesn't have to. Just him being here is enough. I lean more against him as we're walking.

And I know I'm never leaving this boy again. No matter what.