Perfect. [Completed]

Chapter 56. Glimmering Hope

Xara's POV.

It felt like the time itself froze, refused to go as I watched my... Who was he to me? Not my roommate, that's for sure. Not my companion, not my friend. An ally? Yeah, probably, we did have a common goal and had to work together to achieve it.

Anyways, I watched my ally pour the milk from the bottle into a pan and put it on the oven up warm it up. His movements were short and sharp, no more sliding around, no more rest. His back was tensed, almost as if he expected me to attack him or to scream at him any moment. Needless to say, I wouldn't do any of those.

"Why?" I asked timidly, kind of scared of his answer. Did I really want to know the true reason of his return? I guess not, but-but I needed it. I knew I did. "Why did you come back?"

Romeo sucked in a deep breath and didn't even turn his head to look at me. Instead, he took the pan and poured the steaming warm milk into a cup for me to drink. Something sharp stabbed me under my ribs and I had to look away to hide the prickling in my eyes. No, I couldn't let something like this make me cry. I couldn't. Not as long as I had my dignity with me.

"You were screaming." He finally explained, carrying the cup back to me. I bit my lip and took it from his hands wincing at the speed with which he curled his fingers so as not to touch me by accident. Did he really hate me that much?

"So?" I huffed tiredly and looked away. The redhead tilted his head I could feel the gaze of his eyes burn my cheek slightly, and then the couch next to me sank. Huh? I raised my eyes, and something warm spread through my chest when I saw him sitting there, on the couch, next to me. Not on the floor anymore, not like a slave or a ragdoll! A small smile made its way on my face. Finally.

"What do you mean, 'so'?" He asked hesitantly and frowned just a little. "You-you were screaming. I had to help."

I shook my head and took a sip of the milk. The awesome taste filled my mouth and I exhaled in true relief. Amazing. The best thing I had ever drank!

"You didn't have to." I replied grimly. "You-you could've just gone to Beacon Town and had a good life there. You could've forgotten about me, like I will forget about you... Someday."

"And why would I do any of those?" The guy stared at me, and in his eyes I saw neither hatred nor disgust. It made me shivers. How good was he at hiding his emotions so that even his eyes - the mirror of his soul - didn't show all the rage he felt towards me?

"You hate me." I answered shortly. There was no more bitterness, I wasn't angry at him. I couldn't blame him. Most likely, I hated myself as well.

Romeo took a deep breath and then placed his hand on my knee. I froze. What? My eyes looked at his hand with dirty bandages around his wrist, with mud stuck under his fingernails, and it was both the most amazing and the most painful of the things I had ever seen. He was staying so close to me, he was willingly touching me, but... But it definitely made him loathe me more.

"And why do you think that way?" He inquired. I sighed and rolled my eyes, drinking more of the milk. Really? Did I have to say all of those out loud?

"Why wouldn't you?" I answered with a question of my own and attempted to move my knee away so as not to bring him any more dissatisfaction. Didn't work out. Startled, I looked as he was holding my leg in place, gently but firmly.

"That's not a proper answer." The redhead shook his head, and I felt something inside of me rise when he looked at me like that. Barely blinking, almost scanning my body down to my very soul and looking at everything I had hidden, everything I had attempted to abolish, to lock in my soul without a way out. "Once again, why are you so convinced I hate you so much that I would leave you all alone to deal with your nightmares?"