●●●

Sometimes,

we push

the people

we love most

away from us,

to protect them.

●●●

It was all coffee,

Fucking coffee.

For fuck's sake.

Aaron shook his head as he watched her dose off, a ball of annoyance growing within him as he continued to glance at her every now and then.

He seriously thought that she took an overdose of nicotine, or a little too much of scotch to drink, because the reactions just seem to tell him that.

A pimp? he thought Really? A sigh escaping his lips as he watched the other students leave the bus - his azure eyes flickering to her occasionally as he grumbled.

How was she suppose to go home now?

He ran a hand through his hair before sighing again -something he always does when it comes to a mutation called Rose- before he started thinking of a strategy.

The thing he knew was that there was no way in this world he was going in her house - he may be rude and all, but he was a gentleman after all.

"For fuck's sake," He muttered, huffing in annoyance as his eyes fixated themselves on her.

It was as though the Lord was making him choose to either break his leg or sprain his ankle - none of which he wanted to do.

But before he could process another thought, his phone rang.

His eyes ran over the caller ID before he sighed, his day was just getting better and better.

"What do you want Luke?" Aaron grumbled, obviously not in the mood for sweet talk with his fellow friend.

"Where in God's name are you Aaron?" Luke asked -and Aaron could practically hear the grin in his voice- "You're missing out!" He continued, Aaron rolling his eyes when he could hear the party music in the background.

Was this the God damn time?

"Luke," Aaron started, letting out a sigh before his eyes settled on the blonde pony tailed girl. "I have some shit I need to sort out,"

"Like what?" He could even imagine Luke raising his eyebrow up as though challenging him, which kinda frustrated Aaron.

"Shit you would never understand," Aaron retorted, rolling his eyes at how small of a brain Luke could have.

"Well use protection," Luke said, chuckling as Aaron could hear him click his tongue. "It's about time you got some,"

"Fuck off Luke."

Why were girls so complicated?

☒☒☒

He honestly had no idea what to do - he was one of the few people left on the bus, and he was questioning whether Rose was still alive.

But the constant shuffling of her body and weird head movements made him conclude that she was still very much alive and breathing.

He watched as another girl left the bus, his eyes instantly flickering to the blonde haired girl before he let out a sigh - what was he supposed to do?

Leave her there? I wish.

Somehow manage to carry her on the side of her street? You don't even know where she lives.

Take her over to his house? No way in hell.

Wake her up?

And then he pondered on the last thought -contemplating whether he was willing to be near that jolly mutant- before he shook his head.

Why must he be such a good person?

His eyes then trailed over to the bus stop he was suppose to get off on before settling on the blonde haired girl as a sigh escaped his lips.

What to do?

He then got up (Something he honestly didn't want to do) before he stretched and draped his bag over his shoulder as he headed towards her.

He then called out to the bus driver to stop the bus, making a couple of heads snapped to his direction while some rolled their eyes and others clicked their tongues.

Fuckers, he thought, her floral scent finding his nostrils as he got closer to her.

S̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶c̶u̶t̶e̶ ̶w̶h̶e̶n̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶e̶p̶i̶n̶g̶.̶ ̶

He wanted to get this over with.

He gently slung her backpack over his shoulder, his head immediately snapping to the floor when he heard something fall.

His azure eyes then noticed the familiar cover of the Nicholas Sparks novel, making him stifle a groan as he bent to pick it up.

He noticed how several stains were on the edges of the book, and how several pages were bookmarked and folded, but what caught his attention was a stripe of neon yellow highlighter on the edges of a page.

His fingers flipped through the pages while his eyes scanned the highlighted quotes, questioning why this book was as messy as it is.

He then closed the book and kept it back in her bag - he didn't really care anyway.

He let out a small breath before he took her arm and slung it around his neck, groaning at how her fist collided with his collarbone.

God damn

He let out a breath before he adjusted her arm on his neck, jumping a bit to balance himself and her too (The last thing he wanted was to pay for her hospital bills) before he slowly started moving along the narrow aisles of the bus.

He gave the bus driver a small nod before he carefully lead them (Consisting of himself, the blonde haired girl, and the book that seems to fit the entire world - he thought that maybe it was a new kind of black hole) out of the bus, slowly taking every step as he steadied them again.

And once they were off the bus, he let out a breath as he adjusted her arm around his neck again - who knew this tiny girl would have such hard to work with arms?

He then limped to the nearby bench before he gently settled her and her bag down before he inhaled - what to do now?

"Rose," He said sternly, his tone strong as he slowly shook her. "You seriously need to wake up." He continued, groaning when he saw no subtle movements on her.

He ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, well what now?

S̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶a̶n̶g̶e̶l̶.̶

He needed to focus on how he was going to take this semi stranger safely home without actually getting in the house (Easier said than done), and the thought alone seemed impossible to do.

Just as he was about to sit down - her phone rang.

And it rang with the most obnoxious and cringe worthy tone he has ever heard.

Oh I'm a gummy bear,

Yes I'm a gummy bear,

Oh I'm a yummy, chummy, funny, lucky gummy bear,

Don't call me jelly bear, cuz I'm a gummy bear,

Oh I'm a movin', groovin', jammin', singin' gummy bear,

Oh I'm a gummy bear,

Yes I'm a gummy bear,

Oh I'm a yummy, chummy, funny, lucky gummy bear,

Oh for fuck's sake.

He rummaged through her bag with a grimace settled on her face as the song continued to burn his ears (This was single handedly the most hardest moment of his life) when all he wanted to do was set the damn bag on fire.

And when he finally found the phone, he checked the caller ID being someone called 'Chase'?

Who was Chase?

A boyfriend?

T̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶l̶i̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶i̶d̶e̶a̶.̶

A neighbour?

Or perhaps a friend?

Whoever this Chase maybe, he seemed like someone who could help. (Or maybe even a 'she', he wasn't a sexist or anything)

He answered the call, immediately placing the phone to his ear. "Hello?"

"Now who in Gods' name are you and where the fuck is Rose?" Chase asked, and Aaron could make out the raw fury and concern in his voice.

"Rose is here, and I have no idea what to do with her," Aaron shrugged, dwindling as he looked around him. "And I believe she needs your help."

"Who are you?" Chase asked, and Aaron could practically hear the guy running a hand through his hair.

"I'm Aaron - Rose's English partner," Aaron said, his eyes flickering to Rose again before she continued. "Rose is dead cold and I have no idea what to do with her."

"Well where in the hell are you?" Chase asked, immediately making Aaron look around him.

S̶o̶m̶e̶h̶o̶w̶ ̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶u̶l̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶e̶e̶p̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶e̶y̶e̶s̶ ̶o̶f̶f̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶

"On Saint Laurent street." Aaron replied, his eyes lingering on the street name as he sighed.

And now that he looked closely, this was a very barren and deserted street, and the cold vibes in the air somehow freaked him out too.

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶h̶a̶p̶p̶y̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶e̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ̶a̶l̶o̶n̶e̶.̶ ̶

"I'm close to there, so stay put," Chase said, making Aaron nod his head as a breath escaped his lips. "I'll be right there."

"Okay," Aaron shrugged, his eyes settling on Rose again. "Thank you."

"No thank you," Chase said, and Aaron could hear the ignition of a car in the background. "It's is well appreciated man."

"It was nothing." Aaron replied.

And with that he ended the call, plopping down right next to the blonde haired girl as he exhaled.

"What am I going to do with you?" He said quietly, his soft eyes watching as she inhaled and exhaled - something he hasn't seen a girl do in a long time.

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶l̶a̶d̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶s̶l̶e̶p̶t̶.̶

He didn't know what was there about Rose McLean that intrigued him, but somehow he didn't want to kill her anymore.

It doesn't mean he isn't annoyed by her anymore (She can get on his nerves so easily), but it just means that things have quieted down a bit.

He looked at the black leather watch on his wrist, sighing when he realised he was 10 minutes late for work.

He was going to get it from his boss.

But when his eyes landed on the sleeping beauty, he knew he didn't have the heart to leave her like that.

S̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶e̶s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶s̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶f̶t̶e̶r̶.̶

He could feel the sides of his lips twitch up, and that was when

every

single

nerve

in

his

body

went

into

turmoil.

His eyes widened as he could feel his heart stop - what was he about to do?

He then looked away from her, gulping down the little saliva in his mouth as he exhaled.

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶m̶i̶l̶e̶.̶

He was going to become weak.

☒☒☒

No one really knew the virtue of patience until a random car just comes up on you and claims that a b̶e̶a̶u̶t̶i̶f̶u̶l̶ sleeping girl is their best friend.

"You're Chase?" Aaron asked, an eyebrow quirked in question as Chase gave him a confused look.

"Yeah?" He said it more like a question, which made Aaron even more skeptical.

"You sound unsure," Aaron noted, his cold stare obviously making hairs on Chase's back rise. "And that isn't a really good sign." He said, his lips turning into a thin line as his tone became solid ice.

"Dude I've known her since I was 7," Chase said, running a hand through his hair as he exhaled. "Do you always do that? Make people feel uncomfortable?"

Aaron gave him one more cold glance before his eyes fell on Rose. "If a girl is in the matter, I don't see what's the problem with that." He shrugged, meeting Chase's confused stare. "I wouldn't want to give her to a random stranger."

"But I'm not," Chase said, flickering his gaze to Rose before continuing. "Honest to God."

Aaron looked at him. "Okay," He said, bending down to sling his bag over his shoulder. "Bring her home safely." He said, walking away, but not before saying. "There is a tracking device stitched in her bag, and I am going to knock on her house later," He continued. "And if I see she isn't safe at home, then may God forbid on what I am going to do with you."

And as he walked off, he could hear the contents of her bag fall onto the floor.

☒☒☒

"Aaron," Steve said agitated as he rolled his eyes. "We have a customer waiting, and I need to go clear up some stuff with Claire." He said, rolling up the sleeves of his shirt before he mumbled Fucking pipe.

Aaron let out a yawn before he rubbed his eyes, Why the fuck am I sleepy?

He sloppily made his way to the customer's table before grabbing the small notebook and pen from his apron pocket. "And what would you have today?" He asked, his eyes slightly drooping as he flipped on an empty page in the notebook.

"I'd like some coffee please,"

And he would recognise that voice anywhere.

His eyes instantly flew open as he met her warm brown gaze, making a breath hitch in his throat while a lump simultaneously formed there too.

P̶l̶e̶a̶s̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶r̶e̶c̶o̶g̶n̶i̶s̶e̶ ̶m̶e̶.̶

"Black?" He asked casually, noting down her order as he watched her nod her head.

H̶i̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶r̶a̶c̶i̶n̶g̶.̶ ̶

He was surprised.

"Cream?" He suggested, writing it down as she nod her head before he said, "It'll be ready in a few minutes."

He then walked off, his insides tickling with anxiety and excitement as he prepared her coffee for her, releasing a shaky breath every now and then.

He never really knew what there was about her, or what she could possibly have to offer, but she was something he couldn't put his finger on.

He didn't know whether it was how warm her eyes were, or how bright her smiles were, but it was messing with his brain.

S̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶m̶a̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶w̶e̶a̶k̶.̶ ̶

He took her coffee in hand, took a deep breath before heading towards her again, watching how engrossed she was with her book.

Pride and Prejudice

And by the sparkle in her eyes, and the constant highlighting of the pages, he concluded that it probably was a good book.

S̶h̶e̶ ̶l̶o̶o̶k̶e̶d̶ ̶s̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶a̶u̶t̶i̶f̶u̶l̶ ̶w̶h̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶d̶i̶n̶g̶.̶

He gently placed her coffee beside her. "Here you go."

Her warm golden gaze met him as she gave him a sweet smile. "Thank you,"

And when he watched her rummage through her purse, he shook his head. "It's on the house,"

She then shook her head. "No I have to-"

"You don't have to do anything," He said casually, wondering how cold his gaze must be compared to hers. "It's nothing," He shrugged, walking off, but not before hearing her say -

"Aaron, I insist."

He froze.

Every

single

reaction

in

him

stopped.

He couldn't move - his muscles, tendon and ligaments seem to have been hammered into place as he struggled to even breathe.

S̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶,̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶,̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶e̶s̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶.̶

She then gave him a soft smile before she pulled something out of her bag - the granola bar.

"And I forgot to give this to you today," She said, beaming as she offered it to him.

His eyes flickered to the protein packed bar - he didn't want it.

H̶e̶ ̶n̶e̶e̶d̶e̶d̶ ̶a̶ ̶r̶e̶a̶s̶o̶n̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶t̶a̶l̶k̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶t̶o̶m̶o̶r̶r̶o̶w̶.̶ ̶

All he was capable of doing was craning his head to her before he said quietly. "It's alright Rose, I got this."

"Thank you for what you did today," Rose said softly, smiling as she still offered him the granola bar. "It means a lot to me."

He nodded his head and then he walked off, feeling his heartbeat accelerate before he placed his hands on the counter and leaned on them.

W̶h̶a̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶s̶ ̶s̶h̶e̶ ̶d̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶?̶

☒☒☒

"What the fuck is up with you?" Luke said as he observed Aaron, quirking an eyebrow up in question as he noticed how quiet he really was.

"Shut up," Aaron mumbled, rubbing his temple before sighing. "What's the problem now?"

"Well considering that I practically trashed the entire kitchen and probably flooded the entire bathroom, you didn't even yell once." Luke said, crossing his arms before he continued. "And if anything, you even started to clean up my mess rather quietly which now that I think about it, do I need to call a therapist or do I have to beat the devil shit out of you?"

His azure eyes then flickered towards his friend. "How about you go to sleep?"

"And bringing me to my next point, you are being rather nice to me," Luke said, giving Aaron a weird look as he continued. "Now who are you and what have you done with my friend?"

Aaron groaned. "This is why I hate it when a thunder storm strikes - I'm stuck all day with you."

Luke grinned. "Don't worry, I called the rest of the squad over."

Aaron sighed before running his fingers through his hair. "You make me sick."

"And seeing you being all kind and cool makes me sick." Luke commented, cringing before he smirked. "So what's her name?"

"Who's name?" Aaron said in monotone, giving his friend a blank look.

H̶e̶ ̶d̶i̶d̶n̶'̶t̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶ ̶L̶u̶k̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶k̶n̶o̶w̶ ̶a̶b̶o̶u̶t̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶.̶ ̶

"Tristan saw you at work today," Luke clicked his tongue as that smirk never escaped his lips. "And he said that you looked quite cosy, and hmm, what's the word again?" Luke smirk widened even more. "Happy,"

"Well Tristan's full of shit," Aaron shrugged, getting up from the sofa as he headed to the fridge. "And besides I am happy." He took out a water bottle and unscrewed its cap before gulping down.

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶e̶l̶i̶e̶v̶e̶ ̶h̶i̶s̶ ̶o̶w̶n̶ ̶l̶i̶e̶.̶ ̶

Luke let out a humorless chuckle. "Sweetheart, if you're happy, then I am a fucking psychopath." He then snickered. "I doubt I ever saw you smile."

Aaron gave him a look. "I don't have to smile to show I am happy."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Yeah sure," He said sarcastically, instantly rolling his eyes when suddenly, the door bell rang.

"It must be the guys." Luke grinned, before practically running for the door.

Aaron rolled his eyes, he was never going to understand Luke's mood swings.

He could hear few of the words being exchanged (Which was kinda weird since the guys always barged in like they owned the place), but when he heard Luke say How about you stay for a while? he knew something was terribly, terribly wrong.

And when he saw how massive Luke's grin was, and how mischievous his eyes were - that was the end.

Because when his eyes landed on a certain brown eyed girl, he couldn't move.

What the fuck was she doing here?

His throat became dry while he could feel his heart rate lower - what was she doing here?

"She came over and gave us these lovely cookies," Luke said, and that was when Aaron noticed the huge tray of cookies in his hand. "And who am I to let a beautiful lady go back without a refreshment first?"

Aaron stifled the series of colourful words that were about to escape her mouth, before turning his attention back to the blonde haired girl.

"Good morning Aaron!" Rose said, beaming before her eyes flickered to Luke. "And it was nice meeting you Luke! It's very kind of you to let me in."

H̶e̶ ̶w̶a̶n̶t̶e̶d̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶r̶i̶p̶ ̶L̶u̶k̶e̶ ̶a̶p̶a̶r̶t̶.̶

"It's my place," Aaron said blankly, watching how Rose nodded her head as that smile never escaped her lips.

Luke gave him a look. "It was my pleasure Rose,"

"But I don't want to be a disturbance, so I think I'm just going to-,"