Opalescent● MISHBIR VERSION

●Part One●

With a hood over his head, Abir  pushed through the hoard of shoppers to get to the alcohol, his hand had just wrapped around a bottle of whiskey when a melodic voice snatched his attention.

"Excuse me, would you mind helping me find the waffles?" Her stick scanned the ground, hitting his heel as it did, "Sorry" she giggled, "I can never watch where I'm going". These kind of jokes weren't everybody's cup of tea, but the last thing she wanted to be treated as was incapable, so she joked hoping that others would treat her normally rather than act awkward around her- which they normally always did.

Running his eyes discreetly over her, he smirked at the silver bangles covering her wrists that did not match with her baby pink pyjamas "You do realise you're in your night clothes, right?"

"Yes" Mishti smiled, "I only live across the road, fancied waffles" she usually knew her way around this shop, but they'd lately changed everything around which of course was a big nuisance. "I recognise your voice, do I know you?" She reached out a hand to touch him only to drop it when he hissed.

"Abir " he barked, slamming the waffles into her hand. "Don't touch me" he cringed, shuffling past her.

"Sorry" she shouted, turning slowly so she wouldn't knock anything. "I don't have germs, you know".

"That wasn't why I-" he shook his head, "Never mind" paying for the bottle, he headed outside, hand skirting over his facial features in distress.

"Ooh, that must burn" a man laughed into his hand, nudging his friend to look beside the shop.

Clenching his fist, he took five calm breaths, they weren't worth it, all he wanted to do was go home, drink himself into oblivion and sleep, life was better that way. Swearing under his breath at the onslaught of rain pouring heavy onto his back, he shook the drops from his hair and turned the other way.

The man watched his reflection in the glass of the window "Don't stare too long, it may smash".

Before he could approach him and show him what a smashed mirror really looked like, Mishti spoke up "Hey, that's not very nice" her anklets tinkled as she moved forward, "Apologise" she ordered, upon hearing no response she lifted her stick to hit them around the head, "I said, apologise!"

"Jesus" the man rubbed his scalp, "Sorry, there, happy now?" He stormed off, dragging his friend beside him.

Abir  spun on his heel, his face a picture of disbelief as he watched her brush dirt from her top from the puddle she'd just stepped in. Standing before her, he grabbed her upper arm causing her head to shoot up and brows to knit. Losing himself in the opaque of her eyes, he inhaled sharply, no one had ever stuck up for him that way, in fact, no one had stuck up for him at all! "Why?"

She frowned "Why what?"

"Why did you tell them off?"

"Oh" she smiled, finally understanding, "It's our duty to stick up for those who are bullied, no? Do you know who they said it to? I'd like to see if they're okay" Looking down at his hand still on her arm, she shrugged her shoulders, "Abir , is that you?"

"Yes," he moved his hand. "No, no I don't know who they said it to" he lied, for the first time someone had, had his back, he didn't want to ruin it now by allowing her to know why they'd said it to him.

"Aw," she pouted, "I was going to give them a waffle, do you want a waffle?" Pulling one out, she held it between her teeth and offered him the packet.

"No, thank you" he had to force himself to look away from her because in that moment he was finding it near impossible. Shielding her from someone walking past, he pulled her a little closer.

"Woah, where are we going?" She spoke while chewing, shivering when a drop of rain fell down the back of her top. Jiggling her body, she shuddered "Wow that was cold".

"What was?"

"Oh some water fell down my back, I- " she gasped loudly when his hand surfed beneath her top, pads of his fingers catching the splash of water and wiping it from her skin while fluffing her top. "Oh, uh thanks" she hid her face in his chest, rubbing at her now warm cheeks. "Anyway, I should um get going".

Looking down at his bottle, he sighed "I'll see you around, Mishti". Abir  unscrewed the lid, gulping back a massive glug.

Scrunching her nose up, Mishti tapped her wet hair "Are you drinking alcohol? It's only the evening" she pointed out.

"Yeah, what's it to you?" He snapped, so tired of her goody two-shoes act.

"Oh, nothing, can I have some?" She held her hand out.

A hoarse chuckle shook at his chest "You want some?" Now, that was unexpected. Handing it to her, he hid his smile as she sipped some then proceeded to cough loudly.

"Bleh" she wiped her tongue, "Bitter".

He chuckled again "You asked for it" he took it back.

She smiled sweetly "I know, I just wanted to experience something new, like drinking on a street corner" she looked down, "I missed a lot growing up, turns out people don't want to befriend a blind girl" she laughed somewhat sadly. "Have a very happy, drunken evening, Abir " then she was gone.

Looking over the street as she approached the flat, he smiled "Crazy woman".

"Oh dear" she fell through the door, knees scraping the carpet. "I think I'm drunk" shaking her head, she flung her legs upwards, waving them from one direction to another "One leg, two legs, three legs, four" she jumped at the sharp bang, "Who's that knocking on the door?"

Abir  looked down at her, a quizzical expression clear in his burgundy eyes "Mishti, are you drunk?"

"Noooo" she blew a raspberry, "Yes, yes I am" holding her arms out, she waved them too "Carry me".

Slinging her over his shoulder, he huffed "Which one is your apartment?"

"Oooh" she narrowed her eyes at what seemed like a dark red colour, "I like that door, there, I live there" she giggled again, whispering into his shoulder "I don't live there, but I will now, tee hee".

"Where's your key?"

Hiding it, she shrugged "Dunno".

Rolling his eyes, Abir slammed his shoulder into it then placed her down, balancing her against the wall "Let's get you into bed".

"I'm more of a sleep together on a third date kinda girl, but okay" she wrapped her arms around him as she fell into him.