Bloom (ARBAON #2)

Chapter Five

Chapter song- Brand New Me - Alicia Keys
WC: ~3.5k
Might start posting word count, just for my own records.

Writer's note — Wow, here I am with back to back chapters. Thank you guys for reading.

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Having Ira's eyes on me did something funny to my throat and I stood up, mumbling that I was going to the bathroom. I tucked in my chair, nearly tripping over my own feet and scurrying across the room. The furthest part of the room lead into a hallway where there were a few accessible washrooms. I hovered in the privacy of the hallway just needing a second to breathe.

Taking my phone out of my pocket, I dialled my voice mail and listened to the message Mike had sent me from the other day. I'd listened to it more than once already; the little piece of Mike no one could take away from me. A part of me told me I needed to get over him, that I needed to stop with this stupid obsession. It was nice to think that Mike and Ricky would break up and Mike would come running back to me.

But, it had been months and there had been no running. Maybe, I thought, in a strange moment of clarity, I'm just fooling myself.

"Hey—" someone gripped my shoulder and turned me.

My phone fell in the shuffle and I realized it was Ira who touched me. Up close he had a woodsy scent that didn't smell anything like motor grease, and his eyes were such a dark, bottomless blue. I thought I had hated blue eyes, that they were overrated and that Hitler's ideal man wasn't gonna be my ideal man but already the depth of his dark eyes were enchanting me.

"God, fuck— You don't have to look so afraid." Ira stepped back, crossing his arms over his chest. Yet, he sounded apologetic. He was taller than I gave him credit for, and built more powerfully as well. I wasn't the underfed twink I used to look like when I'd been sick but every pound he outweighed my by looked like pure muscle.

Is that how I looked when I was attracted to someone? Afraid? I pushed down my irrational feelings and put on an irritated face. "And why on God's earth would I be afraid of you? You're just a run of the mill, rude, inconsiderate asshole."

He grinned the maniac grin again, the one dimple making him look less crazy. "You know, there's something attractive about a guy who's not afraid to be mean to me." Ira's voice lowered to an intimate rumble. "Do you want to grab a drink some time?"

I blinked, once and then twice, my face burning. "You're crazy." I whispered. "Literally crazy."

Ira bent over to pick up my phone, handing it to me and making sure to brush my fingers.  "Are you even into guys?" I asked, not sure what kind of mixed up signals he was sending.

"I'm more of a heteroflexible kind of guy." he said softly, watching me like I was the most fascinating thing since sliced bread.

I scowled, but he didn't seem at all thrown off.

His expression sobered and he watched me for a few seconds. "Kev told me he wanted me to meet the two people who had changed his life over the past year. His new girl and his tattoo artist. After Amber...he changed and I'm talkin' like a one-eighty. Not all bad, but different. But, now, because of this girl and this tattoo guy, when he laughs I see the same old smile. A little crooked, but still there." Ira paused. "Am I wrong for being interested in one of the people who resurrected him?"

"I didn't do anything that Kevin didn't do himself." I said. "He got the tattoo, he did all the therapy, he tried to get better. I was just a background character in his recovery."

"Aww, you're humble, too." Ira teased. "Kev told me all about how you guys talked during his tat checkup, the fact you treat him like a person, and the pictures of Amber you've done for him. That all meant a lot."