Define: BITTERSWEET (Define #1) ✓

Bittersweet: Nine

"You wouldn't be the first renegade
To need somebody."
- "Renegade," Big Red Machine ft. Taylor Swift

~*~

"IRIS, I'll be going somewhere later," Charles announced while eating his toast. I narrowed my eyes at him. The last time we talked, he said he wouldn't go out of the house. Maybe he got bored.

"Where to?" I asked as I took a sip of water. I decided to drink water for now and chill with the caffeine. It's going to mess up with my anxiety and myself if I would consume more.

"Just somewhere," he stated while looking on his phone. "It's a secret."

I shrugged and continued eating the breakfast he made. It consisted of eggs and fried rice. I was already in my office uniform. After breakfast, I would once again begin my day by walking towards work.

"Just don't forget to lock the door please," I reminded him. "We don't want to get robbed."

"That's it?" he asked then looked at me. "That's all you got to say?"

"What else?" I asked and looked up, thinking. "Oh yeah, there's a spare key underneath the carpet outside. Keep it a secret."

"And?" he asked while audibly tapping his foot on the ground. "What else?"

"Be careful on your way out," I told him before standing up and going to the sink. "If you get lost, call me."

"Come on. You're not going to ask me where I'm going?" he asked again. I turned on the tap water and grabbed the soap. I washed my hands thoroughly as well as my lips. Afterwards, I dried my hands and my lips with a towel.

"No," I answered while getting my make up pouch. "Even if I asked, you wouldn't answer me. You'd say it's a secret."

"Wow," he muttered, amusement present in his tone. "You know me so well."

I faced him with a teasing smile on my face, "Correction. I know you all too well."

~*~

"Hey girl," Hera greeted me. "How are you?"

"Hera!" I exclaimed with a smile as I turned to her with a sigh. "I'm okay. Just finishing this."

"Has anyone asked you out for Valentines yet?" Hera straightforwardly asked while repeatedly raising her eyebrows at me.

I shook my head, "No. And I'll probably just enjoy February 14 by myself."

"Good to hear you're still planning to celebrate," Hera stated with a smile. "But you do need to get yourself a boyfriend by now."

I chuckled, "I don't need a boyfriend. I'm fine by myself."

"That's the very same dialogue someone I know would say," I heard a familiar male voice coming from behind Hera. We both looked at the owner of the voice who just smiled at us.

"I know that person too," Hera agreed while nodding, their eyes looking at the person from across the room. I followed their gaze and landed on that person who never left his eyes on the computer screen. He looked so focused and like he couldn't be interrupted with what he was doing.

"It's really something Clark would say," Vincent, me and Hera's colleague who spoke earlier, commented, his gaze still not leaving Clark. "He would only say that because he's waiting on somebody."

"Who?" I asked though probably I shouldn't. They might think I was prying. "I mean, if it's okay-"

"Don't worry, Iris," Hera interrupted. "Clark is still waiting to find Jade, his ex-girlfriend."