Nyctophilia

7

She wasn't bragging, she didn't even sound like it. She was just sharing her genuine satisfaction of doing something for herself with the money she'd worked for. She didn't want a tap on the back, no, she just wanted for someone to listen to her. Nothing more.

"That's. . .independent of you," Azriel complimented, making sure not to put too much effort into his tone, knowing deep down that he meant his words. It took a lot for him to fight off a smile that threatened to overpower his impassive mask as he looked into the twinkle shimmering in the girl's eyes. She was happy that he'd said something nice to her.

"What about you? Did you break your cell phone too?" Nyx asked. 

"I'm not as careless as you," he informed her with mild amusement tinting his voice. 

Something in the nyctophile's features changed for the span of a breath. Her smile faded from her cold lips and the crinkles by the corners of her eyes vanished, but it was short-lived.

She attempted to return his joke, making sure to add a bit of playfulness in her tone, "And I'm not as reckless as you,"

The raven monster, though, did not take it as a joke. 

He narrowed his eyes at her, "What makes you think I'm reckless?" 

Nyx knew there was nothing she could say to conceal the meaning behind her words, a meaning that she had not even intended to give away, so she decided to be honest. She allowed her gaze to trail down to his hands, catching sight of his naked knuckles and the bruises on them for the first time since she'd known him. The flames in her eyes dulled at the sight. She dared to take one of his hands in her own, feeling the frosty contact of their skin against each other's. 

Azriel waited for her to answer without pulling his hand out of her gentle grip.

"You hurt yourself. . .sometimes others too." Nyx's voice matched a whisper while she skimmed her fingertips over his busted knuckles, unconsciously treating him like he was wafer-thin ice.

This time, Azriel couldn't stop himself from snatching his hand back to himself. His face had hardened, a cold mist swam in his hooded eyes. "I'm not a fucking lunatic to go around beating people up. Every person that I've gotten into a fight with deserved it. They find a twisted kick in provoking those who're easily provoked. That's just how the damn world is, no one can watch anyone live in peace," he told her, his tone harsh. 

He didn't know if his anger was directed at her or toward those who had prodded the monster within him.

Nyx didn't flinch or step back. She only stood there with a softness in her tangy eyes that made Azriel want to shake her awake. He wanted to yell at her about how if she kept going like this, if she repeatedly allowed people – him – to treat her like shit, she'd be the one standing on the edge of the cliff.

"Why do you let them get to you?" Nyx trod carefully, keeping any sort of negativity absent from her tone.

The raven monster took an alarming step closer to her in hopes of intimidating her. He only felt a spark of irritation alongside a tingle of relief when she didn't move away. She continued to stand her ground. 

"Listen," he began, his voice stormy. "I'm not you. I don't have whatever it takes to let people say bullshit to me and let them walk away with it. I have a rule – don't bother those who don't bother you. As long as they stay far away and within bounds, I'll do the same. The moment they decide it'll be fun to get in my face for no fucking reason whatsoever, I'll strike back just as hard and put them back in their place,"

Holding Azriel's challenging stare, Nyx brought her hand up and placed two fingers on his chest. A wave of goosebumps crawled up his body the moment her cold tips came in contact with his naked skin that his jacket had failed to conceal. She gently pushed him a step back, wanting to release the tension that had settled between the pair.