𝐒𝐡𝐞𝐝𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬

20 | Lawbreaker

His tie freshly ironed.

My smirk turned soft.

Of course he looked immaculate, not a spot out of place would dare appear on someone as esteemed as the Dark Representative.

The subject of my observation suddenly spoke and scattered musings away.

"I'm passing on breakfast."

Ender watched with an unwavering stare, only sighing when I continued to look up in question. He seemed uncomfortable, his next demand surprisingly courteous.

"Join me."

 ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶«̶ ̶̶̶ ̶　　　　　　 ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶ ̶̶̶ ̶»̶ ̶̶̶ ̶ ̶

We were sitting by the same window crook as last time, viewing an ample amount of white snow that covered the inner courtyard. I had my head braced against the chilled glass, while Ender crossed his arms and leaned back against a wall.

I was tracing patterns on the fog, watching as my finger dragged nonsensical lines over its surface.

"Is that a dog or giraffe?"

"It's a butterfly." Narrowed eyes slid over to his stiff position, then looked back at my drawing with a frown.

He critiqued the artwork. "One that made contact with a fly-swatter."

"Just because something doesn't look like it's supposed to, doesn't mean that it isn't." I made an offended noise.

Ender lifted his eyebrow in challenge. "Sounds like an excuse for lack of artistic skill."

"Art is subjective," I countered impatiently. "You can't measure it, and everyone interprets things differently."

He paused. "I interpret your butterfly as a dog-giraffe hybrid."

"And that's fine—"

"Then why did you get defensive?"

"Because you say things so rudely," I snapped back, quickly composing myself with an inhale. "It's always your tone."

His face produced a scowl. "What's wrong with my tone?"

"You're so frustrating." I bumped my head against the windowpane.

"Says the girl who can't draw a simple insect."

My hand rubbed against the fogged drawing, erasing the image and allowing a clearer view of outside. "There, no more butterfly-dog-giraffe crossbreed!"

Ender's face was smug as he lifted a hand, extending fingers and moving them against a patch of fog near his head. Nothing was said as he slowly wrote—elegant and strong, just like him.

An affronted noise left me as I read the single word of neat cursive: Fool.

I swiftly reached over and smudged it away with a sleeve, leaning over precariously and ignoring the blasted grin coming from my antagonizer. The sudden motion of him grabbing my tie downwards made me gasp.

"Proper uniform protocol is to correctly wear your tie."

My searing glare was an obvious answer to his abrupt action. "Let go, or I'll take it off completely and put you in a chokehold."

"Kinky." Ender only wrapped it further into his closed fist, bringing me closer in the processes.

"Very ungentlemanly of you." The salacious answer made my cheeks warm, his close proximity distracting me away from everything else that held importance. "Let go."