Damn, those three little words

Chapter 24

As the thunder outside grew louder, tensions inside the hotel room began to rise. Sting had just asked me what my problem was, and I had responded with a simple "nothing," but the look on my face must have given me away.

"You've been picking at your food for ten minutes now...are you emo?" Sting grumbled, clearly getting impatient.

I shook my head. "Just a lot going through my mind right now."

Sting huffed and sat back down. "Maybe everyone just needs to take a drink..." he suggested.

The rest of the room groaned out a unanimous "no."

"So all of you guys are emo now?" Sting teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Time and place. Have some decorum," y/n said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

The rest of us chuckled, but Sting just rolled his eyes. "You better be glad you're crippled and I like you," he said to her.

Y/n rolled her eyes. "This crippled bitch could still beat your ass for sure!"

Sting and y/n began to playfully brawl, with Sting teasing her about being a victim and y/n trying to tug on his hair. The rest of us watched on in amusement, but as the fight continued, I couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration building up inside of me.

"Hey, can you guys stop?" I snapped at them.

They both paused and turned to look at me, surprised by my outburst.

"What's the matter, Dobengal?" Y/n asked, her playful tone now replaced with a hint of concern.

"The thunder is getting louder and louder outside, and we're just sitting here bickering like children," I said, my frustration still evident in my voice.

The group fell silent, clearly taking in my words. Lector spoke up after a few moments. "Should we help?" he asked.

"No," Rogue said firmly. "Sting deserves this."

Sting groaned, but the tension in the room had eased up considerably. As we all settled back into our seats, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over me. Finally, we could all just relax and enjoy each other's company, even if it was just for a little while.

I make my way to the balcony, the sound of the thunder soothing my mind. I sit on the bench, taking in the view. I close my eyes, taking a deep breath.

Suddenly, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn around to see Dobengal standing there. He looks down at me, his expression unreadable. "Can we talk?" he asks, his voice low.

I nod, gesturing for him to sit next to me. He takes a seat, his eyes staring out at the ocean. We sit in silence for a few moments before he finally speaks. "I'm sorry for earlier," he says.

"It's okay," I reply softly. "But what's really going on with you?"

Dobengal takes a deep breath, his eyes still focused on the ocean. "I've just been thinking a lot lately," he says. "About everything that's happened in the past few months. And I don't know, it's just all starting to catch up with me."

I reach over, placing my hand on his shoulder. "You don't have to go through this alone," I tell him. "I'm here for you."

Dobengal turns to me, his eyes meeting mine. "Thank you," he says. "I really appreciate that."

We sit in silence for a few more moments, the sound of the waves breaking against the shore filling the air. It's a peaceful moment, one that I know won't last forever. But for now, it's enough.