Thinking Out Loud

Wake Up Call

I dont know why, but I posted this and then it got deleted so here it is again. I know with my luck I'm gonna come home later tonight and it'll be on here twice x_x Anyways, I've been on a Maroon 5 kick for the past week so you can expect more drabbles off their songs. If you havent heard this song before (shame on you) then it's off to the side!

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His shift ended sooner then it usually did, which Officer Ventus Strife thought was unusual considering he was usually out patrolling the streets until way past 6 at night.

The afternoon sun beat down on his messy blond head of hair as he stepped out of the station and made his way down to his car. Growing up, the last thing he thought he wanted to be was a police officer. Yet there he was walking across the black parking lot wearing his dark blue uniform and gun at his hip. It wasn't as if Ven had a larger dream to aim for. He floated by in his younger years, barely scraping by. Luckily for him being a police officer was something he wasn't actually terrible at.

Still, it wasn't a passion. In fact, the only thing he really had a passion for was you. Girlfriend since senior year in high school and still only that. He meant to propose, he truly did, but he just hadn't gotten around to it yet. Each month he told himself this would be the month he went out and bought a ring, but something always cancelled his plans. Life was a bitch.

As he slid into the white cop car and started it up, the radio began to blare orders for a nearby robbery. Ven grabbed the black walkie talkie and brought it to his lips.

"Strife off duty. Send for A. Sinclair."

A part of him felt bad for throwing his partner, Axel, under the bus, but not enough to stop him. The operator spoke back in a broken voice.

"Sinclair signed out an hour ago. Squallhart is on route."

Ven set the walkie talkie back in its spot before peeling out of his parking spot and heading down the road. As he drove all he could think of was fixing things with you. Lately things had been tense and he knew it was because he wouldn't take the step forward in your relationship. Getting off early today, on your day off, might push you guys in the right direction though. The two of you could get an early dinner, maybe hit the movies? Ven sighed and scratched the top of his head in frustration. It only made his hair messier, but he wasn't worried about that.

"This'll be the month." He said to himself. A promise to himself. He'd find the time to go get the ring. The thought occurred to him that he could've gone to the jewelers now as he pulled into the driveway of his and your small house in a cheaper neighborhood in the outskirts of the city. Ven turned the car off and got out. It was too late now. He was already home.

Home. The one story dark bricked house was cozy at least. It definitely wasn't a house to start a family in. He picked the newspaper off the front porch and made his way into the house.

Ven shut the door and paused in his step. The house was quiet. You were home weren't you? He saw your car parked out on the curb. He tossed the newspaper and stepped further into the house. His mouth opened to call out your name when his eyes danced over the police jacket thrown across the couch. His own jacket was sitting in the backseat of his car. Ven's stomach dropped, recognition filled his mind.

He propelled himself down the hallway looking desperately for you. This was a misunderstanding. This was him jumping to worst case scenario. This wasn't happening.

He could see the bedroom door was shut as he came up to it. All rationale fled his mind as he heard the sound of a deep laugh. Ven brought his leg up and kicked the door open. It swung open and slammed against the back wall. There was a startled surprise as Ven stood in the doorway.

"Ven?" You questioned and pulled the blanket up over your body. His hands shook with anger. Anger washed over him and all he could see was red, and that wasn't just because of his partner's flaming hair.

"You should be working still." Axel said as he sat up. His chest was bare as the blanket off his own bed covered his lower half. There wasn't even a look of regret in Axel's eyes.

"What are you-" Ven couldn't form a sentence as he stepped toward you. He buried his hands in his hair before the fury slipped from his lips, "What the fuck are you doing?!"

"Ventus, this isn't- this isn't how I wanted you to find out." You stammered. Ven wanted to argue, he wanted to scream and curse, but the look in your eyes filled him with an immense rage. There was shame. There was embarrassment. There was even pain, but there was no regret. Ven couldn't speak. His chest felt tight and he thought at any moment he would break into pieces on the floor.

"I fucking trusted you." He turned his hardened glare to Axel. "You're my fucking partner!"

Axel had slid his pants on while Ven focused on you. Now that all his attention was on Axel, the redhead stood and shook his head, "You have no one to blame but yourself."

"What the-"

"Sure in high school you were a catch, but now you're no one, Ven." Axel spat, "Dated her for how long and you're not man enough to step up?"

"I was going to. I was going to." Ven was seething.

"I love her. She loves me, and now, now you're finally out of the picture.

You shook your head, "Axel..."

"No he needs to hear this! I told you, you should have told him sooner!" Axel argued. He turned and began to rush toward Ven. That's when things went from bad to worse.

Ven's movements were swift, a quick arm movement and he had his gun out. An even quicker twitch of his finger and the room was filled with an echoing gunshot. Axel didn't even know what happened until he had a bullet in his chest.

There was a shrill scream and Ven was faintly aware that it was you. Movement as you scrambled out of bed over to Axel who was bleeding on the floor. Ven dropped the gun and rested his hand in his hair as he tried to grasp what he had done.

'Oh I'm sorry, darling.'

Your barely clothed figure was sobbing, draped over Axel's still body. Ven watched the tears drip from your face with a torn look.

'Did I do the wrong thing?'

He knew the law. Ven knew the law better than anyone. It was his job. His job that he was so good at. He wasn't good at his job because of his knowledge of the laws though. Ventus was good at his job because he never missed his shot.

'I don't feel so bad.'

Ven had conflicted emotions battling in his mind, but one thing was for damn sure: There wasn't an ounce of regret in his blue eyes.