smoke and mirror - anonymous

Chapter 14

A soft pitter patter hit the windows of the warehouse, a gentle rustle of wind accompanying the rain. The tender air was cut as a snore echoed the room - not just a small, quiet snore either.

A throaty, loud and embarrassing snore.

Dahlia's short hair was ruffled up and her eyes were puffy - she felt a pang against her head as the exposed lights hit her eyes. "Fuck me..." She mumbled, rubbing her eyes and sitting up a little in the bed. She froze as she realised who's bed she was in.

Pushing the sheets off her, she let out a sigh of relief as she saw that she was still fully clothed. Smoothing her hair out, she squinted her eyes at the glasses on the nightstand. Huh, Foster must've brought them up to her. She slid them onto her face and walked towards the open door.

Her bare feet hit the cold wooden planks, causing her to cringe slightly at the sound. Where the hell was Foster? She began walking down the stairs but stopped as she heard someone in the kitchen, her hands gripped around the banister as she leaned over it - catching a glimpse of Foster and Falon.

Falon was cooking up what smelt like bacon and eggs, and Foster was leaning against the bench. Stepping down another step, she saw the mask in his hands as he fiddled with it. Hm, what were they up to?

She accidentally put her weight onto the foot that was floating over the lower step - causing her to fall down the stairs. There wasn't much of a chance to stop herself from toppling to the ground, her horrible reflexes definitely came into play.

"Jesus." Foster chuckled, poking his head out of the doorway, shaking his head at Dahlia. "Send me a post card next time." He teased her, nibbling on the bacon in his spare hand.

Huffing, she stood up and placed her hands on her hips, trying to play it cool as she ignored the throbbing of her ankle. "Who's mask is that? Isn't yours in your room?" She quickly changed the subject, stepping into the kitchen, trying her best to ignore Falon.

The corners of his lips curled up as he stared down at the mask, which seemed smaller than his own. "It's yours." He said bluntly, which only confused Dahlia further. She frowned and perched herself up onto the table top.

"You live here, you help us. You're part of the team. And you'll need it for-" Foster paused for a moment, his eyes falling on Falons discomfort. Sighing, Foster shook his head. "You two need to work this little tension out, because it's fucking up the dynamic." His boss pants were on and he wasn't going to let his teammates just get away with hating each other.

Dahlia wanted to know why she'd need the mask, but she knew Foster was right - how could she be part of the group if her and Falon didn't even speak to each other. "I'm gonna leave, and come back in half an hour. Don't make me extend that time, I won't be happy." He scolded, looking between the two. Handing Dahlia the mask, he raised a brow.

She took the mask with a sigh and watched as he left the room.

The pair sat in silence for what felt for hours, but in reality was only around 3 minutes. That was until Falon broke the silence, "You're thirsting so hard for him." He looked down as he cracked an egg onto the pan, his comment making Dahlia huff.

"Is it really that obvious?" She breathed out an embarrassed laugh, a sound she didn't think she'd ever share with Falon again. She watched him cook the egg, the smirk on his lips growing.

"Oh, yeah. Dante hates it." He gossiped, clearly avoiding the real issue they were facing. Dahlia chuckled and ran a hand through her hair a little.

Another wave of silence fell on the pair as they both fought the internal battle of what to say to each other. Falon turned off the stove, sighing a little - his breath shaky and nervous. "I'm so fucking sorry- I- I don't even know what I was thinking." His voice cracked as he turned to face Dahlia, his chocolate eyes glazed with a layer of tears.

Dahlia felt a sting at her eyes as she saw him, she slid off the table and practically fell into his arms as she hugged him - her short arms wrapping around his ribs. She opened her mouth to say something, but couldn't find any words to use - a dryness overcoming her.

Falon embraced the hug, wrapping his arms tightly around her frame, his chin resting on the top of her head as he felt her body shake as she cried. "I feel so alone. I just-" She started to speak, her internal thoughts coming to the surface.

"It's so scary." She whispered, the side of her face buried into his chest.

"I know." He rubbed her back, soothing her. "But you're strong, so, so freakin strong." He chuckled, a happiness filling him as he realised he had gotten his best friend back.