17
the bad boy hugs
ATTENDING CLASS AFTER the emotional roller coaster ride she had experienced in the last days had changed Akari in a way she never thought she would. She felt a little awkward, out of place; Ha-eun had still not returned and she was without Julian Jones by her side, both seemingly weird for her. The classes went by in a blur and she scribbled the notes into her small book. She was a little glad theory was going to be over soon with only a few of practical clinical work left, having already done most of it.
She decided to hang out with Fleur during lunch but found out that she was on leave. Akari felt like she was having an especially long day because of all her classes and project work that she needs to stay behind for with a bunch of people. Dreading every second away from Julian Jones, she felt a little empty and bored without the annoyingly nice boy beside her.
She thought of going to Kappa Thi Theta's house and staying there with her fellow housemates for the rest of day but then decided not to do that. Without Ha-eun or Fleur by her side, Akari felt most comfortable in Kappa Thi Theta's house— which is why she can't go there or they will make her spill her secrets. They were all like a second family to her where she can be herself truly without fear. It was a safe space for everyone there.
Lunch was pretty sad and she couldn't find her housemates in the cafeteria so she had to eat alone. There were a bunch of torn posters of Julian Jones posted here and there on the eggshell-white walls. She ignored them, but it somehow comforted her, like a small bit of Julian was there with her— in a twisted sort of way.
She gulped down the boring looking rice down her throat, the buzz of the cafeteria being her only background music.
Akari thought of texting Julian multiple times but she backed out not knowing if he would be awake or if her text would jolt him awake. She didn't know what to text him either. Everything just felt awkward— not a weird kind of awkward, but the kind of awkward and shyness you would only feel around crushes.
"Hey Akari," Rebecca took a seat beside her and her cheery self brought Akari back to reality. "How are you doing?"
Akari nodded, taking in Rebecca's pristine appearance before speaking for the first time since morning, "I'm fine,"
Rebecca arched her perfect eyebrow. "Are you sure?" She narrowed her eyes. "You seem to be deep in your thoughts,"
"Oh," Akari shrugged, "Just Uni stuff," She sighed, "Lots of work left,"
"Right, take it easy," Rebecca patted her shoulder understandingly, "Med is hard, but you are almost there," She responded before a small smile sneaked its way onto her red lips, "Don't you get tensed, we are just a few days away from Oakland's Auction Event, it will be fun, you can de-stress there," She dived a spoon of noodles into her mouth.
"I almost forgot about that," Akari's eyes lit up in excitement, momentarily forgetting about how much of a dull boring day it had been. "When is it coming?"
Rebecca scoffed, placing a hand on her chest just to be dramatic. Akari rolled her eyes but she was excited nonetheless. "In about ten days," Rebecca looked at her in disbelief. "I can't believe you forgot," Rebecca smiled, "Don't forget to buy your dress, this year's theme is Masquerade," She whispered the last part into Akari's ear. "A one-night chance of feeling the sentiment of living the Sardanapalian life." She winked.
Only the inner circle of the committee knows the theme and they always reveal it five days before the event. The Oakland's Auction Event is one of Kappa Thi Theta's biggest and longest traditions where they sell rare, exclusive, unattainable, one in a million kind of items donated by rich or anonymous sponsors from the town. The money collected is then added to the bank for the end of the year animal organisations charity funds. It's a party the entire town tries to participate in due to its grand and posh gestures.
Almost everyone would be there.
It was one of her favourite events to attend to.
"We are already getting lots of things donated for the auction," Rebecca broke Akari's thoughts and Akari smiled, already excited about the day. The previous year's theme was the 80's and buying dresses for those were a heavy task in itself but it was very much fun. Masquerade sounded mysterious and intriguing, Akari was already fumbling her mind for dress shops to check. Truly, these are the times when Akari can feel her inner girly senses awaken.
Lunch was over sooner than Akari realised and she parted ways with Rebecca to go back to classes, counting down the hours till she goes to her apartment. With new information in her mind, she couldn't wait to go shopping with Ha-eun and Fleur for dresses as soon as possible. Her group project work was tidied up pretty fast with Akari rushing them and pushing them to finish it. It helped so no one complained other than giving her peculiar stares.
On her walk home, she noticed that there were lesser posters of Julian Jones everywhere than she had seen before. The town's hottest gossip was slowly and gradually dying down— still strong and present but at least it's making progress by going down a little. The fear or the thought of Julian being taken away was too much to handle that she immediately closed off thoughts like those, never even wanting to indulge in those.
The streets were empty and the sky was moody, particularly chilly which made her regret not wearing a hoodie or jacket. It was giving her the vibes of Monday blues. Akari sulked as she walked on the pavement, looking forward to finally jumping onto her bed and having Julian Jones beg her for snacks. Just the thought of his company relaxed Akari already.
Scrunch.
Akari's eyebrows furrowed as she looked behind, stopping her walk to see nothing but just her on the street. It was silent— too eerily silent to not feel uncomfortable. A small panic set in her chest as she quickly turned and set the pace to her apartment a little faster. She reached into her pocket for her phone, tightly holding onto it as she was practically speed-walking. With just a few turns left, Akari can easily escape into the safety of her apartment.
When she heard footsteps— so light but fast, coming from behind her, Akari's heartbeat rose. She gulped, turning a corner and caught the foot of the black-hooded stranger following behind her. It was too obvious that the person was trying to catch up to her. Right when she saw her apartment building, Akari broke into a faster speed, almost running, skipping a few steps and afraid of tripping down which would just denote her worst luck ever.
The footsteps were more loud and prominent, making a chill run down Akari's spine. With just a few steps away, she broke into a run, ears ringing and hearing nothing but her heartbeat as she sped to the entrance of her apartment, looking at the security guard who returned her look with a state of confusion.
"There's someone—" Akari turned around, walking inside and the safety of the gates in front of her gave her reassurance. However, there was no one on the pavement, not a single person in sight.
"Is everything ok ma'am?" The mid-40's security guard asked, looking in the direction where Akari was looking before looking at her. Akari let out a sigh, trying to calm herself down before she looked around once again, trying to spot any movement, any sign of human life but came to nothing.
"Yeah, sorry," Akari sighed, deciding to let it go before she walked to the lift. The security guard seemed concerned and gave her a pitying look. "Are you sure?" He asked, looking at the empty road and back at her again. Words didn't come out of her mouth so she nodded, gulping and started walking backwards, shifting her feet slowly. She brushed a hand through her hair, feeling the sweat on her fingers from the last-minute sprint and panicked state. However, the feeling of someone watching her as she turned her back never went away and it gave her goosebumps.
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"I MISSED YOU," Julian spoke, left cheek squished against the bed as he stared into Akari's face who was also lying on the other half of the bed, right cheek squished and eyes closed, trying to catch a nap.
The sentence made Akari's heart flutter but she didn't show it. "No, you didn't." Akari muttered, eyes remaining closed. "You just want snacks,"
"I missed you and your snacks," Julian spoke again and Akari groaned.
"Shut up, I want to take a nap," Akari shifted, facing the opposite side and pulled the blanket with her.
"Long day?" Julian asked softly this time and Akari could feel his form bending over her head, his breath falling on her ear.
"Yeah," Akari sighed.
"Is Ha-eun back home?" The question had a hopeful tone underneath it. Akari was confused a little but decided to answer it anyway, "Only tomorrow."
"So we got the house to ourselves?"
That's why. Akari chuckled a little. "Yes, we got the house to ourselves, go watch TV, I don't care, just make sure the door is locked," She snuggled into the blanket a little more.
"Ok," Julian hopped out of bed and Akari could hear him ruffling before opening the door to walk out of the room. She snuggled deeper into her blanket and finally let sleep catch her in its arms.
When Akari woke up, she didn't know what time of the day it was until she grudgingly looked into her phone. She could hear the faint sound of the TV running in the living room which alerted her about the presence of Julian Jones in the house. Feeling sticky and dirty, she decided to take a shower. After a quick shower, the sight of Julian Jones sprawled across the sofa with a plate of pancakes in front of him made Akari smile.
"You made pancakes?"
Julian immediately perked up to the sound of her voice, sitting up with eyes wide like a puppy before he looked at the plate of pancakes in front of him.
"Yes," Julian grinned. "Do not worry, the kitchen is clean,"
"So you know how to cook?"
"Pancakes are easy to cook," Julian gave her a judgemental stare to which Akari made a funny face, making him roll his eyes. "I do know how to cook," Julian crossed his arms across his torso. "There's a plate of pancakes waiting for you over there," He stated proudly.
Akari glanced at the kitchen table, looking at the decently stacked pancakes with Nutella over them. She grabbed the plate and plopped down beside Julian. "Where did you learn how to cook?" Akari asked, placing a bit of the pancake in her mouth and savoured the delicious taste of it.
Julian shrugged. "I just learned it by watching YouTube videos, I had to learn or else I would have starved to death, I lived in a trailer house...,"
Akari perked up at the new information.
"...for a few years," Julian gulped, his voice getting a little quiet as if he had said something too casually without realising.
"In a trailer house?" Akari couldn't help but provoke, eager to learn about Julian. The boy sighed, brushing his hand through his hair before looking at Akari who had pancakes full in her mouth. The sight made Julian relax and smile a bit.
"Yeah, I lived in a trailer house for a few years," Julian nodded, leaning against the couch. "I was alone so I had to buy food or cook it myself. So, I learned to cook." He gave Akari a timid smile. "My food tastes pretty good so I must be a cool cook," He raised his eyebrow, leaning in closer to Akari who shrugged.
"You should cook a lot more for me then,"
"Except Ha-eun is always here so I can't use the kitchen," Julian groaned. "Had to suffer the wrath of your ramen and pizza."
"I'm sorry I don't know how to cook much," Akari stuck her tongue out. "Ha-eun is not good either," She added. "Fleur is good though but she doesn't live here," Akari shrugged.
Julian nodded and for a second, Akari thought about how he knew all about her friends from all the conversations they had together, yet none of her friends knew about Julian Jones. It kind of saddened her a little but she pushed it away.
"Why were you living in a trailer, Julian?" Akari's tone softened unknowingly, testing the waters to see if she can sink in.
"I didn't like staying in the house my father lived in. So, I took the trailer we had and left. Stayed there for the rest of the years." Julian shrugged. Akari noted the way he called it 'house' and the tone he used when he said 'father', like talking about some third person.
"You and your father," Akari slowly spoke. "Don't seem to have a good relationship...,"
"We don't," Julian pressed his lips into a thin line, firmly saying the two words and Akari felt uneasy hearing the strong negative tension in his words that it made her a shiver. A few seconds passed and Akari watched him as his expression changed. "How's the pancake? Tasty?" Julian asked, pulling the strands of his hair on the back of his head lightly, a gesture he does when he feels particularly shy or reserved— Akari had noticed. She decided that's the end of the conversation and immediately praised his pancake cooking skills, lightening up the mood.
After a few hours of eating pancakes and watching random television shows, they both decided to go to sleep. Akari took the couch and Julian took the bed. She didn't seem to notice that Julian was trying hard to ask her something but was too shy to ask her. Akari fell asleep on the purple couch with a soft smile on her face.
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"NO!" HIS VOICE rang all over the room.
Akari woke up, stunned as she looked at the bed. Julian was tossing and turning around, eyebrows scrunched in fury and teeth gritted, grinding against each other. His eyes were closed and Akari immediately walked towards the bed, holding his shoulders down before shaking him. That was a wrong move cause he tried shaking Akari off of his body, letting out groans that sounded like he was in pain. Akari hovered over his body, bending down as she used all of her strength to hold down his arms.
"Wake up, Julian." Akari softly whispered into Julian's ears. "It's ok. It's me, Akari. You are safe here."
The struggle gradually stopped but his eyes remained closed. He was breathing heavily like he had just run up and down a hill. Akari gulped, "Julian?" She asked softly and after a second, both eyes opened to look at her. There was a second of fear in them before they vanished, replaced with relief. His shoulders sagged, mouth open as he took in deep breaths.
Akari let out a breath she didn't realise she was holding. Julian's hands slowly grabbed hers and before she could realise what was happening, she was pulled down against his body and he hugged her. "Sorry," Julian whispered, voice raspy and sleepy, sending a shiver down Akari's spine and causing butterflies to erupt in her tummy.
Akari relaxed, placing her head in the crook of his neck and breathed in the scent of her soap, making her smile a little. "Are you ok?" Akari asked.
"Yeah," Julian breathed out, hand brushing through his hair before he turned to look at her. The proximity and position made Akari's heartbeat increase. His lips were inches away from her forehead and she could almost feel them. She tried to keep her face as normal as possible but it was an impossible task to accomplish. "Can you stay here? Sleep beside me," He softly asked and in the dark, she couldn't make out his facial expression.
"What?" Akari immediately sat up, realising her thighs and butt were resting on Julian's tummy. "Why?" Her eyes darted everywhere, feeling shy yet intrigued.
"You told me..." There was a pause. "...that Ha-eun used to sleep beside you and comfort you until the nightmares stopped..." Julian said, and Akari nodded, trying to make sense of what he was trying to say but she knew that her answer was already 'yes' even without the explanation. "And, as my doctor, isn't it your responsibility to take care of me—"
"Am I still just a doctor to you Julian Jones?" The question blurted out of her mouth even before she could stop it and she gasped, eyes widening and feeling her ears ring hot. A few seconds of silence passed and suddenly— her world became upside down, she squealed, eyes closing on instinct until she opened them to stare at Julian's brown ones. He was hovering over her with her back placed on the warm bed. Akari's heartbeat skyrocketed just like that. She held her breath, deciding to just remain silent until whatever happens next.
"You are my special little doctor,"
"S-Special what doctor?" Akari asked and she could feel the teasing tone in his voice and the smirk on his lips. Akari was sure her cheeks were flushed pink with the way she was stuttering. He yawned, lying beside her, hand over her hips and his face in the crook of her neck, leg over her legs— Akari stiffened, feeling her heart threatening to come out of her chest.
There's no way she can catch an ounce of sleep like this.
"Sleep," Julian whispered and Akari could feel his breath on her bare shoulder due to her shirt riding down a little, exposing the skin. It gave her goosebumps and she swallowed, trying her best to relax even though she felt like she was melting everywhere inside.
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How cute is Julian? their bond is increasing day by day. What do you guys think? Please comment. Don't be a silent reader.