Raiden

"Can you please tell me where we're going? It's making me anxious more than I already am." I spoke between huffs of breath. I didn't have my jacket on because we rushed outside the house without any previous planning.

"I'm sorry love. We're going to my house."

"What fo-" my words froze in my throat upon processing what he said. He called me 'love'.

A dangerous silence suddenly filled Thomas's Mercedes.

Did I like it or was I scared?

Frightened was I.

I didn't want love.

Dad's love brought us his death.

Mom's love brought us her absence.

Blake's love brought us what's worse than the latter two.

"I'm sorry it's a slip of a tongue" Thomas said. I didn't reply and he didn't say anything afterwards. I was hoping the silence takes it away.

Upon seeing me hugging my arms, he turned on the heaters. A few minutes later and the car was much more bearable with warmth.

I felt like I could sleep. I haven't known a good night's sleep in weeks.

Sleep in a warm car: a new entry in the new list of stupid things that might hurt me but I wanna do anyway.

Love: the very second entry.

I forgot how cold it is until I opened the door to step out of the car. I quickly closed the door again.

"No way" I said. "I wanna die, yes, but not this way."

"I really wish you'd stop saying that" he sighed, exasperated. He didn't like death. I was death.

He struggled to get his coat off, but he did eventually. He gave it to me.

I did not refuse. He was wearing a button up underneath a grey woolly vest. I was wearing a thin long-sleeved shirt.

I put it on and I couldn't count how many things I was feeling at the same time.

How silly it was to feel so much from wearing a coat, when you rarely feel anything? A lot of silly.

But for someone like me, who hasn't had much of anything in a long while, the silliness was pure pleasure. It was the closest contact I had of Thomas.

It wasn't the first time I wear his clothes, but trust me there's a huge difference in wearing something out of his dresser that hasn't been close to his body in God knows how long, and wearing something that was on him just a few seconds ago.

His warmth was still in it. His scent too. His cologne and his body. It sparked something inside me. A gnawing thought itching under my skin:

Maybe touching Thomas isn't that bad of a thing?

Touch him: a third entry.

When we entered the mansion, I felt a little dizzy. He led us to a living room/office combo. I've only been in his house once, and we went straight to his bedroom.

In normal times I wouldn't have come here. I would've asked a million questions before I stepped outside my house. But with all what had happened, I didn't care anymore.

I thought I didn't care about anything before, but somehow I managed to care even less.

Thomas disappeared inside, then came back shortly with a figure just as tall as him if not a bit taller. The same platinum almost white blonde hair. They resembled the Malfoys.

“Evening, Raiden” Mr. Red greeted me in a husky gruff voice. Something in the way he talked made me feel uneasy. Not that he was off or anything, but he just scared me I guess. Like there’s more to him than meets the eye.

"Evening" I said, half of my mouth blocked by the collar of Thomas's coat. I was really cold.

<><><><><><>
<<Thomas's P. O. V.>>

"When the shooting happened, it happened exactly when Raiden's class was 103, which is on the outer side and the one directly in range of the rifles.

We've been reviewing all security cam footage since the day the note was placed on Raiden's locker, no sign of Blake crossing to Rivertown.

And even though we cannot identify who did the shooting, we have footage that Blake was actually in Devil's Alley the day it happened."

I went over the videos myself over and over again. I couldn't find out who Blake had among us that's being his right hand. I was too close to putting a bullet in his damn head and end this all together.

I brought Raiden to discuss everything with him and update him on what was happening, but the poor guy fell asleep on the leather couch in dad's office 10 minutes after dad came in.

He hadn't slept since the incident plus having not slept a day before it, so I figured he passed out from exhaustion.

How do I fix a shattered heart and a bent mind?

"He's really strong" Dad said. He doesn't usually 'compliment' but he has an evident soft spot for Raiden.

"You think so?" the office smelled of old books that's been here forever yet no one reads them. It added a slight hint of mood relaxation to the room.

"He went through all that traumatising god awful life, and he's still pushing through. He must've found his anchor."

I passed my hand through my hair and let my head sink into the wooden desk.

"Don't stress yourself. We'll figure things out. You just focus on looking good for the masquerade next week." he had a way of 'dadding' things up.

"It's really happening, huh?" was having a bunch of people in one place a good idea after a shooting? I knew it was to raise money for the school and the families of the victims but ugh.

"Yes it is. You know your mom; always wanting to do things that are 'community helpful' but we all know she just wants to show off a new set of jewellery." dad sighed.

"Why did you even marry her?" it was weird telling your dad that, I know. But I was curious. He didn't like her not one bit. I don't remember the last time we had a family meal or a normal conversation.

There's no fighting or arguments, just nothing positive and uplifting either.

"I was young, dumb, and in love. Stupid"

"And why don't you guys divorce?"

"I would've but what's the point? I don't have any interest in relations or marriage or any emotional involvement so she being here doesn't make a difference. If she says she want I won't refuse it but long as it is at it is. Plus I have you."

"And Scarlet" I added. I swear sometimes he forgets he has a daughter.

"Oh yeah. Her too"

"I like how you're so honest about it"

"Well we agreed to be honest with each other since the day you snuck in my car to the Devil's Alley right?"

"You will never let that go will you?"

"Well I was mad at first and I still am mad for dragging you into the.. business of ours. But hey if it wasn't for that, he would have died."

I gave Raiden a look over. "You're right. One good thing is born out of one terrible thing"

"Always."

"Yeah"

"How long have I been out" Raiden grumbled.

"About an hour. I called Aiden and told him you're sleeping here"

"And who said you can decide for me?" he spoke in an edgy tone. He was about to throw an anger fit I could feel it.

"Well I guess my job here is done" with that dad was out of the office in a jiffy.

"I didn't decide for you I just thought-"

"THINKING IS WHAT RUINS THINGS" He yelled out of a sudden and was in my face within the flash of seconds.

"Why are you so mad about it? It's pretty late and I'm scared to have you in the street"

"So you're indirectly locking me up?"

"It's not like that. I care about you so much Raiden. Please get it through your thick head." I yelled back, despite not wanting to do that.

"Well I-"

"You what?"

To be continued...