My King

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Arlo's PoV

      "Hey Arlo?" I looked up at John. I sat up a bit and turned to face him. He was looking at the ground, a strange look in his eyes.

      "What's up?" I ask, raising an eyebrow. 

      "Well... the nurse said she had found cuts and scars on your wrists." I tensed. "I didn't wanna bring it up around the others so I waited..." he trailed off. I looked at him for a long moment. "Can I..." he trailed off again, but I got the message. I hesitantly rolled my sleeves up. My arms where still wrapped in bandages, but they needed to be changed anyways. He got up and walked over to my bathroom. 

      "Under the sink in the back!" I called out to him, knowing he was looking for a first aid kit. He came back a few moments later. He sat with his legs crossed, facing me. I took a deep breath and held my arms out for him. He started undoing the bloody bandages and I winces as they were peeled away from my sensitive skin. I couldn't bring myself to look at him, I just couldn't. I should be stronger than this! I'm supposed to be able to handle this! Why can't I? 

      "I'm sorry..." he said softly and my gaze snapped up to meet his. "Don't even try and deny it, I know I'm the one who hurt you," he said, his voice was steady but his eyes told a different story. And I couldn't deny it. He did hurt me, but I hurt him too. He was just starting to open up about his true self and that happened. 

      "I am too... I can only imagine how betrayed you felt," I said miserably. He just laughed. 

      "Oh please. I shouldn't have taken Ash's advice. As great of a friend she is, she watches to much anime for these relationship things," he said and shook his head. I didn't even realized he had been disinfecting the cuts. Most of them had scabbed over at this point, but some were still sensitive. He let out a soft sigh and I looked back up at him again. "I should have let you explain, instead I just shut you out and let them hurt you." I wanted to cry. I guess he could tell, he stopped talking about it. He finished and started re-wrapping my arms in fresh bandages. "Tomorrow we're going to doc and getting those healed," he said and I nodded. I didn't want to leave the night on this. I reached forwards and grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into a kiss.

      "I love you," I said softly, burying my face in his neck. I felt his arms wrap around me and looked up at him. He trapped me in another kiss and I relaxed, melting into him. 

      "As much as I want to do this now we have school tomorrow," he said with a smile and I sighed, knowing he had a point. "I should head back to the dorm now." He smiled at me and stood up, pulling me with him.

      "See you tomorrow?" I asked and he laughed.

      "Well duh, now go to bed. We'll be waiting for you," he said with a fond grin. I smiled and kissed him goodbye before he left. I locked the door behind him and went to my room. I fell over onto my bed and closed my eyes. I smiled as I realized I was still wearing his sweater.

      John was waiting at the gates like he said he would. With him was Ash, Seraphina, Remi, and Brian. I walked over to them and John smiled. He slid an arm around my waist as we walked into the school. I could feel peoples' eyes on us as we walked, and I heard their whispers. The others did too. Ash's cracked her knuckles and her eyes lit up, glaring around the hall. It went dead silent and everyone pointedly avoided looking at us. Ash flashed me a smile before turning her attention back to Remi. Brian was texting someone behind us. Seraphina was on John's other side and the two were talking, I wasn't really paying attention to their conversation though. I was lost in my own thoughts. It felt... good, to know that these people actually wanted me around, and not just because I was strong or the King. Unfortionatly we had to seperate for our classes, seeing as I was I year ahead and in higher classes. Ash had dragged -literally dragged- John off to art or something. Brian acted as a bodyguard and took Seraphina to her first class, not that she needed it. I don't think anyone with any sense of self preservation would try and attack her while John was King. Mine and Remi's first classes where in the same hall together so we walked most of the way there together. No one tried anything, I guess news really did travel fast.

      The first 5 classes went by quickly and before I knew it I had a free period. Lucky for me, John also had this period off. The two of us found our way to the roof and sat there, snuggled together. I hummed leaning against him closing my eyes. He had his arm around my shoulders and his head resting on top of mine. He had fallen asleep almost the moment we sat down, muttering that he loved me. I looked up as the door opened and saw Ash walking towards us. She sat in front of me, legs crossed and looking at the ground. 

      "Arlo... I wanted to apologize for what happened," she said quietly, as not to wake John up. "I was just so worried that he'd be hurt again and I wanted to protect him. I know I overreacted and I didn't mean to hospitalize you." She chuckled awkwardly. "I don't really know what came over me, and I don't expect you to forgive me, but just know that I'm sorry. If you make John happy then that's really all I need to know," she finished. I smiled at her.

      "I understand, and I forgive you." I laughed a little. "Never thought there'd be a day when you apologized to me for something," I joked and she rolled her eyes with a grin.

      "I can understand when I'm wrong," she pointed out and stuck her tongue out at me. The door opened again as Remi and Seraphina joined us. I woke John up, as reluctant as he was to get up. He and Ash made us some couches with her ability. We all sat around for a while, just doing our own things. Remi was clearly amused, watching Ash and Brian rant about something. John and Seraphina where on their phones, fighting about glass in some game. I was exhausted. I -admittedly- didn't sleep well last night. I curled against John's side and he wrapped an arm around me again. I could see Ash giving me a sly look and stuck my tongue out at her. I inevitably fell asleep there, and I had the strangest dream.

     "Sir, it's waking up!" I watched as what appeared to be a man opened its eyes. His eyes... they were so strange looking. The silica was a light red, his eye color red, and his slit like pupils where a darker red. He was bound in chains around his wrists, ankles, waist, and neck. He had black horns curling from his head and a thin tail with a diamond shaped spike at the end of it. I watched as a shadowy figure stepped forwards,

      "What are you beast?" The figure asked and the... man? Hissed at him. I couldn't move as I watched the creature break through the chains and attack the shadowy figure before escaping somewhere. Sirens went off, lights were flashing, absolute chaos.

      I awoke with a start and took a deep breath. I looked up at John who was watching me, concern written all over his face. 

      "You ok?" he asked softly and I sighed.

      "Uhm yeah... why?" I asked and he shrugged.

      "You where twitching and mumbling something in your sleep," he said with a slight frown. 

      "Oh... just a weird dream I guess," I said. He smiled and ran a hand through my hair.

      "You say so cutie," he said playfully. I glared at him for a moment and fixed my hair. I pulled out my phone trying to distract myself, but I just couldn't get that strange dream out of my mind.

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1436 Words