Lost Stars

Chapter Twenty Four

-Athena's POV-

I forced a pillow against my ears, squeezing my eyes tightly. I figured that the more I ignored it, the faster it would go away. However, it just wouldn't stop.

"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT!?" I boomed from my bed, still clenching the pillow. The torturous sound of knuckle against wood continued to stab into my eardrums. "Ugh!" I groaned. It had been awhile since I got a good sleep. It wasn't like I had been much before the knocking, but I had prayed that tonight was the night.

Even though the knocking was painful, I was stubborn. Because it was a particular bull-headed, stupid-helmet-wearing, edgy-hipster-leather-jacket, cocky, smirking outlaw that happened to be standing outside my door, I willed my body to stay laying down inside my hammock.

He wouldn't even reply back when I asked what he wanted or told him to leave or even threatened him. He would just continue to annoyingly pound on the door. I regretted showing him my safe house the moment I took him to it.

The knocking momentarily stopped. I sighed in relief, letting a smile break through. For a few minutes, my safe house was as silent as the dead. But, good things never last.

Knock, knock, knock.

"OH FOR FUCK'S SAKE!" I leaped from my hammock and to the door. With an hour of bent up anger behind me, I tore open the door. Red Hood was leaning against the threshold. He was in his whole biker gang get up, but without his hood. Instead, he only had his domino mask to conceal his identity. Lucky him. If I knew who he really was, I would tear off his head and knock on his skull.

With his arms crossed and one leg pressed against the wall, he looked like he hadn't been annoying me for more than an hour. In his hand, he held a burrito. He munched on it without even looking at me. Finally shifting his gaze to me, his lips slid from the burrito to rest in his expected smirk.

My fury fizzled away.

Sighing like a mother with a newborn, I pushed the door open farther. Red Hood pushed off the wall and strode in. He continued to eat his breakfast. He surveyed my safe house with silent eyes.

I blew a strand of hair out of my face. "Oh, so now you're gonna be quiet?"

He held up a single gloved finger before swallowing the last morsel of his food. His nonchalant attitude was infuriating and enticing at the same time. "I wouldn't of had to knock if you would've just let me in."

"Why did you come here anyway? You still haven't answered that," I shrugged off his sassiness and walked to my kitchen. Just like every other Gotham Vigilante, I always had a pot of coffee brewing. I sipped on a cup, cradling the mug in my hands.

Red Hood eyed my drink as I enjoyed the fresh energy it brought to my system. He licked his lips as he watched my coffee. I stared down at him. "I sure do love coffee after a sleepless and aggravating morning."

He rolled his eyes. "I brought you a burrito." He tugged open his leather jacket and pulled out an aluminum wrapped heaven. I reached for it, but he jerked his hand back. His eyes once again wandered to my coffee. I grumbled and begrudgingly poured him a cup. We made the trade and sat down at my tiny kitchen table.

We both enjoyed our breakfasts in an unusually normal way. Getting sick of the casual mood, I spoke up. "Remind me again why you're at my safe house at seven in the morning?" I finished off my coffee, "And I know it isn't to drink all my coffee." I took a side long glance at the now empty pot.

He chuckled. It was such a deep and rich sound. I couldn't stop the warm blush that clawed it's way up my neck and to my cheeks.

"I am here for business. I would never visit under any other circumstances," Red Hood answered, tugging out his laptop, "I found a lead on Black Mask's direct shipments. Up until two nights ago, his shipments have been impossible to track. But, we got lucky."