The Fallen King | ✓

Chapter 18

~Chapter 18~

"Axel this is stupid. Let's just go home," I whined a few days later, shivering my ass off in the freezing British weather, after endless coercing from my family and Axel for me to leave the house.

He rolled his eyes at me, tugging me further through town, completely ignoring my very fair request. How was he not devastatingly cold right now?

"Lighten up, Freckles. This will be so fun." He had taken to calling me that over the past few days ever since he had seen my freckles. Apparently the monumental sight was worthy enough of a nickname but I wasn't sure if I liked it yet or not.

I highly doubted that but decided to play along, plastering a small smile on my face as I matched his rather fast pace. Somehow, we managed to avoid bumping into the masses of people moving around us, all too busy with their own lives to notice us, thankfully.

"Where are we even going?" I finally asked after another five minutes of weaving in and out of people.

Axel smiled knowingly at me as we reached a building I hadn't visited since I was fourteen. Memories of birthdays parties and my old friends flooded through my mind as we stepped inside, the warm air hitting me at full force. "Laser tag?"

Axel nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "I haven't been in forever and I thought it might help take our minds off of things."

You know, that wasn't actually a half-bad idea. I could've done with a distraction and destroying Axel in a game of laser tag seemed as good as any. "Hope you're ready to lose, Knight," I grinned devilishly.

He grinned too, matching my cocky demeanour effortlessly. "You're on, King."

~*~*~

"I demand a rematch," I huffed as we left the building, on the hunt for some lunch.

Axel shook his head beside me, an amused smile on his face. "Is someone a sore loser, Freckles?" he teased.

I scoffed, choosing not to dignify him with a response. We had been at the laser tag place for hours — long enough for us to play five matches. I'd won two but unfortunately, Axel had beaten me in three games so he was the victor, for now.

"You know what I could really go for," I said, changing the subject on account of my rumbling stomach.

Axel chose to go along with the topic of food which I was internally grateful for. "What?"

"A tomato and mozzarella panini."

"Why that when you could have a chicken and pesto one?"

I gasped over dramatically. "You did not just challenge the superiority of the best panini in existence. That's it, we're having them right now to prove you wrong."

Axel rolled his eyes at me but there was still a smile on his face. "Fine. I'll have the mozzarella panini if you try the chicken one," he proposed and I nodded with a sigh.

"Suppose that's only fair but you'll see my choice is far better in no time."

"Is that another challenge, Freckles?"

I nodded with a smirk. "You bet, Knight."

~*~*~

About an hour later I was internally cheering in victory as we left the quaint cafe. Axel had conceded that mozzarella paninis were better after his first bite but I had to admit that the chicken ones weren't half bad either, who would've thought. Maybe I'd have one again in the future.

"Okay, so we're one one, Knight. What's the deciding challenge?"

"I didn't realise you were so competitive," Axel laughed as we walked side by side down a quiet street. It was a wonder we hadn't been spotted yet but I wasn't going to jinx us by questioning it anytime soon.