Hidden Heroes

TW£ÑTŸ~5

A sudden breeze entered the room and my eyes fluttered open. I lifted my head from my desk and looked down at the work I procrastinated on before finishing it at 10 at night. I looked at my phone, it was 2 am.

I looked over at the window and I gaped at the open window with Jason sitting on the window sill. I pulled at the blanket that I didn't remember having around me when I knocked out.

"How long were you sitting there?"

"Longer than you'd like."

I rubbed my forehead with the back of my hand, annoyed but too exhausted to care. I tried to demand him to get out quietly so Max wouldn't wake up but he didn't budge. Finally, I grabbed him in and shut the window, shivering at the gust that blew past before I did.

He sat at my desk while I backed my stuff in my bag. I felt his intense gaze following me till I put my bag to the side and laid on the bed.

I looked him in the eye before closing them and sighing. "I'm really tired so if you could just say what you want and leave, I would greatly appreciate it."

He swung one of his legs over the other and fiddled with the arrangement of necklaces I had hanging up. "Just wanted to tell you I'm sorry for, um, being aggressive and not listening to you."

The bruises on my arm were fading now, I almost completely forgot about them.

"Took you a while. Don't do it again."

He stared at me, his eyebrows knitted together.
"That's it?"

I told him to turn off the lights and he did so, leaving the moonlight to be the only thing illuminating the room.

He repeated himself. "That's it?"

"Um, was there something you wanted to hear?"

I could see Jason's face as he thought in silence. "Well, no..."

"Then we're good." I flipped around to face the wall. "Close the window when you get out. Night."

I didn't hear him move and I grunted. I got up and grabbed his face so he could see me in the dim light.

"Jason, leave me alone."

"I don't get it," he spoke.

I lessened the force of my grip on him and opened the window. The strong wind had stopped now, just the slight rustling of leaves could be heard.

"If you're so mad at me, why don't you do anything? You always let me off the hook. If I were in your shoes, I would never let me hear the end of it."

I let go of him. He placed both his hands on my shoulders and I looked up at him.

"Why won't you get mad at me?"

"Is that what you want?" I asked softly. "Do you want me to hate you?"

I paused for him to comment but he didn't say anything. "I really want to hate you for what you've done but at this point, what haven't you done?"

He pressed his lips into a firm line before starting his way to the window. I tugged on his sleeve. "Knock before entering."

He smiled and stepped up on the window. "So you give me permission to come over?"

"Just don't be weird about it. I might just have to put a restraining order on you but I'm willing to give you another chance." I crossed my arms and moved my tangled hair aside.

"I might not be so forgiving the next time."

The temperature of the room dropped and I knew it wasn't because of the winter weather.
He nodded slightly before moving to the outside and hopping out. I shut the window behind him and locked it.

Just when I was headed to bed, the door creaked behind me and I turned around. Maximus was in his simple white tee and blue pajamas, looking tired but furious.

"What the fuck?"

I tried to explain but nothing was coming out of my mouth. "I, uh... I'm-"

"What are you going to say?" he barked. "You're sorry? You can explain? Well go ahead, explain what that arse was in your room."

I shut my mouth, knowing I couldn't give an explanation that would satisfy him. He pushed me aside and opened the window, scanning the perimeter before shutting it and glaring at me.

"Are you stupid?"

"He's not as bad as you think he is," I tried to reason.

"He tried to kill you! On multiple occasions!"

"Well he doesn't do that anymore, it wasn't his fault."

"That doesn't mean he can be trusted!"

"Stop yelling at me," I told him. "At least respect my boundaries, I'm going to be an adult in two years so what am I supposed to do if you continue to baby me like this? I can deal with it."

"No you can't. You won't understand, you never will! I lost mom, you think I can lose you, too?"

Maximus didn't seem like himself. He seemed more... unstable. His fists were shaking and his eyes didn't even seem to look at me. "Max, did you take your meds?"

He stopped shaking, he seemed distracted. "What?"

I put a hand to my head. "Of course, I'll get them."

"No, don't leave my sight. Follow me."

I followed him down the stairs and watched as he opened the cap to his pills and popped on in his mouth. He swallowed it without taking a sip of water and led me back upstairs.

"I expected better from you, Fable."

"That's a first. No one expects me to be able to do anything," I muttered.

"That's why I expect a lot from you," he commented. "To prove them wrong. Not to partner with someone who only wants to crush you. What made you change your mind so suddenly? You hated the guy way more than I do, now you let him in your room at 2 in the morning?"

I could have spouted a million things to him at that point. That Jason is a brat but he's not that bad. That he changed. That he doesn't have any intention of killing me. That it wasn't his fault. Sure, I didn't trust him but that didn't mean I had to be so cruel. Besides, Jason wasn't someone who would stop when you wanted them to. But I stayed quiet as Max tucked me into bed.

"You better still be asleep when I come to wake you up."

I nodded and he waved "bye" before shutting the door. I pulled the blanket closer to my face to fill the cold void in me that had suddenly appeared.

I always have to cause problems don't I? I can't just leave Maximus alone for a second and I can't make sense-full decisions. Sometimes I wonder if he would be better off if I weren't around. But then again, he says I'm the reason he does what he does.

I closed my eyes and for some reason, I started to dread waking up for school in the morning.

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A short one this time.

Lots of luck and other stuff 🍀