128

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

I doodled a Luca.

Also a few other characters but they're going to stay on the discord because they're even worse than this lol

-

Today was hell. Firstly, I couldn't see Aaron all day because he was recovering from surgery. And also everyone was acting super weird when they visited. It's like they don't know how to talk to me.

They never stayed long as well, meaning I spent most of the day just sitting there...in the darkness. Nothing to do.

Except contemplate life.

Honestly it was all very anxiety inducing, if I was on the meds, they weren't doing a very good job.

I mean I felt a bit floaty, but I'm pretty sure that could easily be the insane amount of painkillers I was on.

And Luca never came to visit. I'm guessing he didn't want to be alone with me. Or something.

It was terrifying every time someone came into the room. The staff would announce themselves, but Nate scared the shit out of me when he and Hunter came to visit.

He had crutches, so it sounded like the terminator was coming for me or something.

I was tempted to throw something in self defense, but then he laughed and gave himself away.

If he jokes around like that all the time I'll turn into a wreck of nerves.

Not being able to even stare at ceiling tiles is killing me.

After all that, I'm going to die of boredom.

I don't even know what the time is. Last time someone told me, it was lunch time. But that at least felt like a very long time ago.

I'm going to cry...of boredom.

Can you cry of boredom?

I don't know.

I froze when I heard very quiet footsteps approaching.

Bitch I swear to god...

"Riley..." Luca's voice made me give a sigh of relief.

Phew, not being murdered.

"Hey." I smiled in his general direction, and heard him sigh, before dragging a chair up.

Oh, are we going to have a talk.

He didn't say anything for several moments.

"What's wrong?" I eventually asked.

"... I'm sorry."

I frowned.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for?"

"You know I do."

"Luca..."

"I should have..." He sighed heavily. "I really wanted to help. But I didn't."

"Hey, I understand. That is exactly what I used to do. You just freeze. I get it."

"But that's not good enough. You were in danger, and I just...let it happen."

"Hey, I wouldn't have even had the courage to turn up if I was in your position."

"...I'm sorry. I care about you, of course I do. And I wanted to protect you. But I couldn't...I wasn't strong enough."

He didn't say anything else, just made sniffling noises.

Wait, is he crying?

"Luca, seriously, it's okay!"

He's adorable, but that's concerning.

"Do you really think it's okay? Are you okay right now? In your state?"

"Well, I mean, I could be dead."

"Great. Well I probably would have let that happen as well."

"Luca..." I huffed. "It's not your job to protect me."

"It wasn't Aaron's either but he managed."

"Are you seriously comparing yourself or something? Besides, the only difference was opportunity."

"I don't think so, I'm pretty sure I would have frozen in that position as well."

"There's no way of knowing what you would have done."

"No...only what did happen. And what did happen is that I failed you."

"As I said, not your job!"

"But you won't forget it."

"Rude, are you saying I'm judging you for it?"

"Not consciously."

"Wow. Well, I'm judging for this, right now."

"Not the bad kind of judging. You'll just remember that when it comes down to it, I'm not going to protect you. I'm not good enough for you."

"Luca, honestly..." I didn't really know what to say. "We're just going in circles. And you don't have to be 'good enough for me'?  "

"You know what I mean..."

"Why is that so important to you?"

"Do you really want me to say it again."

Right...

"I'm sorry, Luca." I sighed, not quite knowing what I meant by that.

He stayed silent for a while, contemplating something.

I jumped slightly when he gently grabbed my hand, then gripped him firmly back.

"Thank you Riley, for being so patient with me. And... forgiving me, over and over again. When you shouldn't have. I've crossed the line...so many times. You're right, I'm selfish, and unstable. And a control freak. And I'm not good enough for you. You deserve someone better. So I won't get in the way."

I frowned as he spoke, shaking my head slightly.

"That's not right." I complained, tensing up when he suddenly stood.

He leaned over me, before gently pressing his lips against mine.

I stayed still, until he moved away.

"See you later Riley."

"Luca, don't go." I complained, but heard his footsteps retreating. "Luca!"

Nothing.

"Luca! Seriously!" I shouted in irritation.

What the fuck.

Seriously.

"Why were you shouting?" Aaron's voice asked, confusing me.

"When did you get here?"

"Just now, I passed Luca. He seemed upset, were you yelling at him?"

"No I...I wasn't." I sighed, feeling seriously...put off.

He can't just say that and walk away.

Bastard.

This isn't over.

"It really hurts."

"What?"

"My eyes...tears... really hurts." I raised my hand to try dab my eyes.

"Ah ah, don't touch." Aaron warned, then I heard him stumble a bit.

"What just happened?"

"Sorry...a bit dizzy."

Oh right, the surgery.

"Wait a minute...are you supposed to be walking around?"

"....No. But I heard you shouting."

"Oh...right. Well I'm glad you're here...don't really want to be alone right now." I sighed gloomily.

"What happened?"

"Something... personal."

"Alright. If you want to talk about it let me know."

"Thanks..."

It was silent for a little bit, until I jumped when he practically fell on me.

"Are you okay??" I laughed as I pushed him back up so he was sitting on the bed.

"...Sorry... extremely dizzy."

"Just lie down, should I call a nurse?"

"No." He chuckled quietly. "I'd get in trouble."

"Aaron." I smirked.

What the fuck.

"Just, give me a minute." He mumbled, and I shuffled to the side to give him more space.

"When did you wake up exactly?"

"Like...half an hour ago."

"What the hell, Aaron, you shouldn't be standing up let alone leaving your room."

"You've been on your own all day."

"I've had visitors."

"Right, like the one making you cry."

"Yeah, also, I'm not a newborn child?? I don't need constant supervision."

"I was thinking more on the lines of company rather than supervision."

"Uh huh, maybe you're the one that's lonely."

"... Maybe." He mumbled, seeming sleepy.

"Don't you dare fall asleep on my damn bed."

"Why not..." He shuffled slightly, seemingly getting comfortable.

"Aaron...are you kidding me."

He didn't say anything.

"Aaron!"

Is he okay right now.

I huffed, but I wasn't actually annoyed, before gently settling down at the very edge of the bed.

It was quiet for a while, before he suddenly shuffled up closer to me.

I grumbled slightly in complaint, and he chuckled before wrapping an arm around my waist.

"Do you really want the nurse to catch you in here."

"I'm allowed...as far as they know..."

"Wow, living on the edge."

"...Mhm..."

If it didn't hurt like hell I'd totally roll my eyes right now.

---

I snoozed for the rest of the day, not like there was anything else to do. Aaron stayed there the whole time, which I did like, because his touch made me feel safe... which was a hard feeling to come by in this darkness.

Sometimes when I was by myself I kept on feeling like my bed was in a sea of darkness, but with Aaron there I knew I wasn't in a nightmare.

I was woken slightly once by a woman's voice, and Aaron's. I assumed she was asking him to leave and went back to sleep, but when I woke up he was still there.

Eventually I was no longer able to fall asleep, and began to feel seriously bored.

I sighed in irritation.

"Something wrong?" Aaron asked, seeming wide awake now.

"Bored. How long have you just been lying there awake?"

"Not that long... I've got nothing better to do."

"Hmph, at least you have a phone, or eyes to watch things with."

"My phone is not that interesting..."

"Are you shaking?" I asked after noticing his arm was trembling a little.

"Just a little...painful is all." He mumbled, seeming a bit gloomy.

"Why don't you just take painkillers? What's the difference between that and anesthesia?"

"Uh... I'm not allowed to go without anesthesia?"

"Okay, what's so bad about painkillers anyways?"

"The side effects... possible addiction... unnatural... chemicals. Deaths caused by it."

"Deaths? You mean from addiction? Surely that isn't a risk for someone taking them at hospital for an injury. Those statistics are related to people at home who suffer from chronic pain, and also have addiction issues in the first place. If you're willing to take anesthesia which, debatedly, has more risks, you mind as well take painkillers."

"Um...what." He seemed a little confused. "Didn't think you were so... informed on that."

"I'm not, I've just seen news stories about it, read articles when I'm bored. It doesn't take long to educate yourself about things like that. Especially if you need them."

"Ouch. Well, I guess my other points still stand."

"Side effects? Those are so rare, and usually not dangerous. If you lecture me about trusting hospital staff, maybe you should take some of your own advice. And everything is unnatural these days, even things put in food and water."

"Wow, okay, fine."

"What? You're going to change your opinion just like that?"

"Well, I guess my opinion is from outdated sources. My mother was the one that told me not to trust things like that but...well. She was....a little odd. I guess I was being stubborn." 

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go against your mother or anything."

"That's fine, parents are wrong sometimes, you know that more than anyone. Besides, I don't like arguing with you..."

I chuckled. "That was not arguing, that was talking. And you're seriously just going to take what I say to heart simply because you don't want to disagree with me? How about you do some research on it, I could be wrong."

"You're feeling a little savage today aren't you.."

"You're in pain, you idiot. Stop making yourself suffer just because you're stubborn."

"Okay, sorry, damn."

I chuckled as I turned around on the bed slightly. "What time is it...?"

"10.30."

"Ugh, but now I'm not tired and I'm going to have to sit here on my own."

"I'll stay."

"You're not allowed to stay overnight."

"Well I refused to leave earlier and she gave up so whatever."

"What."

"I didn't argue or anything, just politely declined..."

"Aaron, seriously."

"What? It's not doing any harm."

"Well, whatever, I need to get up."

"Why?"

"Aaron, I will kill you."

"Oh, right, do you want any help?"

"NO." I huffed, gritting my teeth as I stood up. "And don't sit there and watch me! You're making me self conscious."

"Right, wasn't doing that."

"Yes you were." I retorted before making it over the bathroom and shutting the door.

The bathroom was thankfully easy to get around, I'd rather die than have to have help, so I mapped it out in my head pretty early on.

Something is wrong with him, he's acting very...off.

---

He really did refuse to leave, the nurse came once, but quickly gave up, and said it would be fine. I don't know how he convinced her to do that, maybe he used puppy dog eyes or something.

I was sitting up in bed because I really wasn't tired anymore, my body clock was completely off, not surprising really, seeing as I couldn't see any light.

Aaron was still lounging on the bed, not leaving me much space to be honest, he was acting kind of... insecure.

"Do you have any other family?" I asked Aaron after a while of silence.

"Apart from my brother's? Not really..."

"But there is someone?"

"Well, I guess my mom's mother counts, we're not that close though. Language barrier."

"Oh? Where's she from?"

"She lives in Spain, so I don't really get to talk to her often. That and she doesn't speak English very well. She actually tried to get custody of me once, but was denied because she couldn't speak English."

"When your mother passed away?"

"No, before that. My mother loved me, but she knew she could never look after me. Her mother disagreed with her on that, she wanted me to stay with her instead."

"So your mother was Spanish too?"

"Uh, possibly. I don't really know who her father was, he was out of the picture a long time before I was born."

"Do you know any Spanish?"

"Not very much, I did try, but was always too busy."

"Okay, say something in Spanish then."

He chuckled. "Algo."

"Very funny."

"What?"

"That's 'something' in Spanish, isn't it."

"...Yeah, as requested."

"Do you really not know much?"

"Do you know much Polish?"

"What? Why would I know that."

"Well I'm only as much Spanish as you are Polish."

"...Okay, good point." I huffed. "Technically, you're more Spanish though, depending on your grandfather."

"Would you like to go have a DNA test so we can settle this?" He chuckled.

"Yes, go on then."

"Uh, well, I think it would be closed...it's midnight."

"Convenient." I commented and he snorted.

"Well, you wouldn't be able to see the results when they arrived anyway."

"Wow, rude. Low blow." I smiled. "Can't you say something cool in Spanish though? Try."

He huffed. "Um...tienes una...sonrisa muy bonita."

"Okay, I got 'have', 'a', something, 'very' something."

"It was a pretty easy phrase."

"Well, excuse me, I don't speak Spanish, nor learn it."

"Maybe you should."

"You know what, maybe I will, and then I'll get better than you at it and make you a fool."

He laughed. "You'd go that far to show me up?"

"Mhm, besides, it's a beautiful language."

"Sure."

"You don't agree?"

"It's my mother's language, so I'm biased to like it. Although, she didn't like it herself."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know, it was part of her...oddness. She liked to pretend she was from nowhere, had no heritage. I bet her mother was pretty offended at that."

"Seems like they had their issues. Your mother sounds like a very unique free spirited individual. I bet she was beautiful too."

"Well, if you look on the bright side of her oddness, I guess she was."

"I'm sure you got your beautiful kind natured soul from somewhere."

"...Uhhh." He chuckled awkwardly. "If you say so."

"Are you sure you dont want to go to your own bed? I'm sure you're tired if it's midnight."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Why not?" I shuffled down onto the pillow to be at his level. "What's wrong? You've been acting a little unusual."

"What do you mean..."

"Why are you in here all the time? Not like I want you to leave or anything. But, surely you want to be in bed recovering, especially if you're in pain."

"I don't want to leave you on your own..." He replied quietly.

"Why not?"

"I don't want to lose you."

"What? Aaron, I'm perfectly safe here."

"Are you?" He asked, making me a little nervous.

"Uh, I hope so, why would you think otherwise?"

"I don't know... maybe that bastard had something up his sleeve, a failsafe."

"Um, pretty sure he'd be too arrogant for that, besides, he did what he came to do."

He sighed heavily. "Well, what if he managed to organize something, in revenge."

"Aaron, you're paranoid...and now I'm paranoid, thanks."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to lie."

"No, it's okay. Just don't worry about it." Really wish I could see right now. "And uh, maybe don't leave, just yet." I suggested nervously and he chuckled.

"Wasn't planning on anyway."

How did I never think of that possibility. No...that's impossible.

That's way too unrealistic... right.

Yes, he couldn't do that. Besides, hospitals are safe, they wouldn't let a stranger in or know where my room is, especially at night.

He's in jail at the moment, and there's no way he could organise such a thing, let alone find someone with the ability and reason to do it.

Yep...

"Damnit Aaron, you've really set me off now."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."

"It's okay. Besides, I appreciate you caring enough to...worry about that kind of thing."

"I won't let anything happen to you, as long as I'm here." He sighed sharply. "I know I've said that before, but, I'll try harder to keep you safe."

"It's not your job to keep me safe, and it's not your fault either. I know that when you're with me, you do protect me. I'm not going to hold the moments you're not with me against you, you can't be by my side all the time." I smirked. "Also, I'm not a baby that needs protecting all the time."

"You say that with a bullet wound and a bandage around your eyes."

"Well, these were unusual circumstances."

"Unusual circumstances... kinda follow you around."

I sighed. "Yeah... but I'm still happy the way I am."

"Really?"

"Yes? Despite my current predicament, I'm still ten times happier than I used to be. No, a hundred times." I chuckled.

"You must have been pretty miserable then."

"You do tend to be when you're being tortured both physically and mentally every day." I bit my lip. "At least I have you guys now."

He sighed, seeming pretty gloomy.

"Well, anyways." I smiled. "How about some more Spanish, what else do you know?"

He chuckled slightly. "Okay, let me just refresh my memory on a few words first."

"Uh...ok."

Oh right, phone.

"... If you need to look it up I'm not sure it counts as what you 'know'." I chuckled.

"Hang on, I just need to make sure I've got the right word."

"You know I wouldn't know otherwise right? You could literally just say gibberish and I would be none the wiser."

"Well, I want to say it right."

"You're not going to insult me are you?" I smirked.

"No, it's good practice to get it right."

"Ah right, that makes more sense."
Of course he's taking it seriously, as he does most things. It's endearing I guess.

"Tu alma brilla como el sol"

"Ooh, you said sun....what are you talking about?"

"Guess."

"I literally have no

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net