Killing a man tonight was not on my list of things to do, especially one of Joseph's men.
It was supposed to be an easy day, a small party at Shark Bait and a way to let loose instead of being all uptight about work all the time. Of course, things don't always go to plan. I just wish it didn't involve blood on our hands.
Having it involve Indigo just makes things ten times worse. As much as I've come to really like her, she has a habit of getting herself into trouble. Trouble with a capital T.
It's funny though because the more she does shit like this, the more it annoys Harry. I've never seen someone be able to get under his skin the way she does and she hardly even has to try. She might just become my new best friend.
Sorry Harry.
Despite my growing fondness towards her though, what happened tonight at the party shouldn't have happened.
If only Harry didn't act like a bratty little kid, we would have been long gone before Indigo stumbled upon us. I get where he was coming from but we both knew it was a losing battle. One look at me and he knew what my eyes were telling him, that is, until the asshole insulted the way Harry runs Shark Bait. As soon as he slandered Harry's work ethic, I knew Harry would be a loose cannon.
He...has a problem with that. You can insult anything about him — his clothes, his scar, his attitude — but what he won't stand to hear is when someone has something to say about the way he handles his aquarium. And his fish.
It's not even that Shark Bait is just work to him, it's more than that. This place holds significant value in his life and he'll never let someone talk shit about it or tell him how he should be running it, not even me. Shark Bait means a lot to the both of us really, but I know my love for it will never compare to the one Harry holds.
These fish are his life, he'll protect them until the day he dies.
I've known Harry for a long fucking time, and it's come to a point where I understand him better than anyone else. The same goes for him to me, we're practically brothers. We've spent a lot of time in the comfort of one another and even though it became something that just ended up happening because we were pushed together, I'm grateful for it. He's my best friend.
I fell in love with fish because of him, I became an aquatic veterinarian because of him, I'm still alive because of him. Putting myself through school was extremely difficult at times. Not only was I feeling pressure from the school, but I was putting a lot of pressure on myself. I wanted to do this not only for me, but for Harry. I wanted him to be proud of me. I hope he is.
I honestly wouldn't have gotten through school without him, letting me lean on him for whatever I needed. Whether he quizzed me on anatomy or let me label parts of him as if he were a common goldfish, Harry let me do it, but not without a few curses and complaints.
He pretended to hate every minute of it but I know he secretly loved it, especially when I'd bribe him to help me by buying another fish for his tank at home. It became a regular occurrence that I'd show up at his doorstep with cue cards in one hand and a fish in the other.
And without fail, I'd watch him with a smile on my face as he'd add the fish to his massive tank, lightly tapping the glass and rhyming off random facts about the type of fish I bought him as he watched the new guy get acquainted with his new home. He was like Darla from Finding Nemo, just as over-excited but way less aggressive.
I also knew that becoming a vet would get us an out, an out from Portugal. Portugal is our home, and it always will be, but the hurtful memories we created there were beginning to outweigh the good ones. It was time to leave and Joseph thankfully let us, but not without a few stipulations.
We live with those stipulations now, and for the most part we're okay with them. If there's anyone who can withstand Harry's moodiness and the whiplash he gives from changing them so rapidly, it's me. I've become accustomed to it now, it's practically a part of his personality at this point.
He's not always so hard-shelled but I don't blame him for being that way, especially recently. The way our operation runs still isn't the most ideal, and Pearl Heart knows that. They're sneaky fucking bastards but they'll never get the upper hand on us, I'll make sure of it.
Harry is my family. I like to tease that he's the plankton to my seahorse just to get a reaction out of him. Pissing him off is a favourite hobby of mine.
Only having him is probably also the reason why I've been the only consistent person to stay in his life. Even at Shark Bait he has a tendency to get rid of people after a while, but I've been here to watch it all happen right before my very own eyes.
I'm gonna have to see if it's the same with Indigo.
I don't know what the hell is going on with Harry and her, but it'd be in both our interests if they just fucked and got whatever it is, out of their systems. I wouldn't be opposed to joining in either, but that's up to them.
He acts as if he hates her and she clearly thrives off of getting under his skin, but I also don't miss the way he is with her or around her. I know he's attracted to her, I mean, who the hell wouldn't be? She's clearly gorgeous, anyone with eyes would be able to tell you that.
She caught me off guard the day I interviewed her. I don't know who I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't someone as pretty as her. Her tattoos, her smile, her eyes....everything about her was just so captivating. She sucked me in almost immediately and I'm not ashamed to admit that.
Maybe it's the innocence in her face or the way she's not afraid to speak out in front of Harry that has him pining after her, but from what I can tell.....she's about to be dangerous for him.
Harry is obviously too naive at the moment to even notice whatever it is that's happening, even after the way he subconsciously mentions her every time we talk. Whether it's about her tattoos or her brightly coloured hair clips, he always finds a way to bring her up somehow. He doesn't acknowledge it though, he pretends like there isn't noticeable chemistry in the air between them. I'm just waiting for him to come to his senses, which hopefully is fucking soon.
I know that Harry's got Maeve to fool around with. I've walked into his apartment one too many times only to find them in compromising positions, but I think Indigo is something fresh, something new, and ultimately, someone Harry is having a hard time ignoring.
Indigo's different from Maeve though, Indigo doesn't just take Harry's shit. She can dish it right back and Harry likes that whether he knows it or not. It's so obvious to those on the outside. He's painfully oblivious to shit like this.
The two of them don't shy away from it though, if anything, they encourage it. Their little gun show a few minutes ago is proof enough of that. That little tease had my dick twitching in my pants. Images of her mouth wrapped around me like it just was around the barrel had my cheeks flushing. I shouldn't be thinking things like that about a fellow employee and newfound friend but fuck, Indigo was just too damn pretty.
Standing in front of her now, I can't help but to let my gaze linger on her lips longer than necessary. She looks good in my t-shirt and the slight flush on her cheeks is endearing. As my eyes trail down her neck, a dark hickey is prominent on the curve of it. I don't have to take any guesses as to who gave her that.
I do my best to ignore Harry's piercing gaze which I can feel on the back of my head, knowing he hates how close I'm standing to her right now. His jealousy is funny coming from a man who rants to me about how "god damn nosy" she is and "too fucking much" to handle on a daily basis. But I know him better than he knows himself, he's kidding himself. He just hates that he's attracted to her, she's a temptation that Harry refuses to indulge himself in.
She's been silent ever since I told her we need to talk, nervousness written all over her face which confuses me. I don't want her to not trust us, or me at the very least. I did just save her fucking life, and we're friends. She should trust me. I trust her.
"Indigo," I call out softly. Her eyes move from past my shoulder to find mine again, her bottom lip curling between her teeth. "We need to talk." Her head softly nods as her fingers play with the hem of my t-shirt, head bowed.
"You need to forget everything you saw tonight. You need to erase it from your memory and you need to never speak about it again. Do you understand?" I sternly ask. My tone of voice is harsh and cold — one I don't usually reserve for friends — but I need her to understand the severity of this all. Killing Joseph's men tonight fucked everything up for Harry and I.
I'm upset with her, immensely, but there's no point in making a huge fucking fuss about it now. What's done is done, and now we just need to clean it up. Indigo knows I'm upset, she can see it in my eyes. If we're the type of friends I think that we've become, then knowing I'm upset with her will hurt more than any words I speak.
"If you tell anyone, I'll kill your fuckin' boyfriend," Harry adds, making Indigo shoots daggers at him over my shoulder.
Boyfriend?
I had no idea she had one but I guess I should have known. Lucky bastard. My brows furrow as I take in the gun incident and the hickey on her neck. Why would she engage with Harry like that if she's taken? I don't like the pit in my stomach that forms at the thought of her being so heartless like that, so careless of her partner's feelings. That's not the Indigo I've come to know.
"Fuck off, Harry. Leave him out of this," Indigo fires back. I close my eyes with a sigh, knowing exactly what's coming. I don't even jump when Harry grabs onto my shoulder and pushes me to the side, letting himself duck down and get right in Indigo's face. "You're in no position to be making demands of me, Blue. If I were you, I'd shut the fuck up and listen to Zayn. Be a good girl and do as I say or I'll have to add another mark for you to bring home to show your boyfriend just how much of a little whore you are for your boss."
Christ.
Something snaps inside of Indigo. Her hands shove at Harry's chest, forcing him to stumble back. My eyes widen as she slides off the desk, reaching out to shove Harry again. He lets her push him again before his hand snaps out to wrap around her wrists, his grip tight. He quickly has her up against the wall, trapping her hands above her head in one hand while the other wraps around her throat.
My eyes widen on their own accord, not missing the way Harry uses his hips to keep her in place. Her raised arms expose more of her bare legs, and I have to look away when I catch sight of the white lace trim of her underwear. I let out a quiet cough to bring myself back to the situation at hand, not sure how to go about it.
"How the fuck do you put up with him?" Indigo asks me, ignoring Harry's hands on her as she squirms. I quietly chuckle knowing she wouldn't understand my reasoning. She wouldn't understand that Harry and I have only had each other for years now, that he's my family, that he's the best person I know. She wouldn't get it, they never do.
"Beats me," I shrug, casually making my way over to the two of them. "Let her go Harry, this isn't helping," I add, attempting to pull his hand off of her wrists. "She started it," he retorts like a child, making me chuckle. Indigo rolls her eyes at his remark, bucking her hips against his.
"You're just not letting me go cause you're hard as a fucking rock," she calls him out, making my eyes drop to see a bulge in Harry's slacks. I'm quick to snap them back up and stifle my laugh, loving Indigo even more. For a second, I forget why the three of us are even here in the first place.
"And your little cunt is soaking through to wet my pants, shall we let Zayn confirm that?" Harry snaps back, tightening his hold on her neck. Both of their heads snap over to me and I freeze on the spot, unable to register what the fuck is happening.
Harry nods his head down to Indigo's hips, telling me to lift the bottom of her shirt up, my shirt. My heart pounds in my chest as I peer up at Indigo, needing her to tell me that this is okay. Her flushed cheeks and wide eyes scan my face before she gives me a nod, a light smile gracing her features as she mutters, "Yes."
The atmosphere in the room has shifted completely. The three of us have temporarily let go of what has happened tonight and instead, are letting ourselves indulge in something we all desperately want but never wanted to admit.
As I lower my hand down to where my shirt rests, I look at Harry and notice his jaw is clenched as his eyes stay glued to where their hips connect, his scar looking more prominent than ever. Ever so slowly, with an erratic heart and clammy hands, I lift the hem of my shirt up, resting it just below her belly button.
Her barely there underwear leaves little to the imagination, I even spot a pumpkin tattoo on her hip bone. I don't know how we got to this point so suddenly, but I'm not complaining about it in the slightest. If only Indigo knew how many nights I've dreamt about seeing her like this....
In response to seeing more of Indigo's flesh, Harry rocks his hips hard against her forcing a quiet whimper to fall from her lips. The delicate sound has my dick twitching in my pants. "Well?" Harry prods, "Go on then, see how fuckin' wet she is for me."
He shifts back enough to leave a little space between where their hips connect. I look back at Indigo, needing more confirmation from her. "Feel me," she chokes out, throwing her head back against the wall as Harry tightens his hand around her throat. "Merda" Harry whispers under his breath, watching as I trail my other hand between them, tracing the band of her underwear.
Her skin is softer than I imagined and the urge to ruin it with my mouth becomes stronger than ever. My dick leaks at just the thought of it alone. As my hand slowly moves down to where the three of us want it most, the room goes quiet. Indigo's chest harshly rises, both her and Harry watching my hand disappear between them.
I can't wait any longer so I cup her over her underwear, feeling the heat of her wet cunt in the palm of my hand. Harry was right, she's soaking right through this flimsy material. My fingers dampen at the feel of her arousal and my dick painfully throbs at just the feeling of her in my hand, wet and ready for Harry. For us.
"Christ," I mutter as my hand slowly rubs over her. A whimper falls from her pretty lips which only encourages Harry to buck his hips against my hand, pushing it harder against her cunt. I fist her shirt in my other hand as I rub her over the thin fabric, letting her soak my hand, encouraging it even.
"Such a filthy little thing," Harry groans, lifting his head up to catch my eyes. He flashes me a little smirk as he continues to grind on my hand before he looks over at Indigo, his eyes dropping down to the mark he left on her neck.
"Cheating fuckin' whore," he spits at her, sliding his hand down her throat to let his fingers put pressure on the hickey. Indigo groans at the pressure which only encourages me to move my hand faster over her. "The two of us are making you feel so good and neither one of us are your boyfriend. You poor thing, he probably doesn't know how to take care of you properly. Good thing Zayn and I do."
I start to sweat at the sight of Indigo squirming against the wall, her arousal now practically dripping off my hand, making a mess of her inner thighs.
"He doesn't know that you like it slow at first," I hoarsely add, rubbing slow circles over her drenched clothed center, "That the teasing makes you even wetter." Harry groans. "And then, once you're on the brink of insanity," I mumble, picking up speed, "He doesn't know to go faster and be merciless with you. He doesn't know that you're a filthy fucking bitch who needs to be treated like the scum on the bottom of his shoe. He just doesn't fucking know how to make you feel good."
My hand moves faster over her, furiously rubbing as Harry grinds harder against us. Her little cries leave Harry and I speechless. I can tell she's on the brink of an orgasm but after what she caused tonight, I don't think she deserves to come. Not in the slightest.
As my hand begins to suddenly slow down, I give her cunt a little tap before swiping my fingers over her inner thighs, collecting as much arousal as I can. A little groan of frustration is heard from Indigo as I begin to pull my hand away, her hips lightly bucking as if to try and trap it there.
Needy girl.
Her mouth parts in shock once she realizes I'm not playing around, but I only wink in return. Harsh breaths leave all three of us, our bodies aroused but with no relief.
We move our gaze towards my hand, admiring my glistening fingers. Harry catches my eye and before Indigo or I can speak, he ducks forward and has his mouth wrapped around the tips of my fingers, sucking her arousal off.
I'm transfixed by Harry's actions, only minimally aware of Indigo's whimpers as she watches on with me. Harry's eyes dart between my own and hers, his tongue peeking out to lap it all up as he groans, the vibrations going straight to my dick.
He sends me a wink as he releases my fingers from his mouth, licking his lips as he locks eyes with Indigo, smirking when her face flushes red. Her hands are in fists above her head and the goosebumps on her skin are telling. She wants us just as badly as we want her. I almost feel bad depriving her of an orgasm. Almost.
While the two of them stare at one another, my hand drops the hem of the t-shirt to cover her again. I try to ignore the ache in my pants but I can feel the precome leaking out of me, making it hard to forget what just occurred. I shamelessly reach down and adjust myself in my pants, not caring that either of them are in front of me.
I know the three of us want to take this further but now isn't the time. We've got three dead men on our hands and Indigo still hasn't been informed of our next steps. We can't turn this into something more, at least not tonight. No matter how badly we want to.
"Was she wet enough for you?" She hoarsely asks the two of us, bucking her hips once more to force Harry to release her hands and throat, which he does. Wet patches grace the crotch of his pants. Whether that's from her or him, I can't tell. A smirk crosses Harry's lips as I dry my hand on my shirt. "She was."
A triumphant smirk arises on Indigo's face, her cheeks still as rosy as ever. "Lovely. If you want to know how tight she is though, you'll need to ask my boyfriend."
The sober reminder of him causes me to go rigid, Harry as well. "Do you ever stop talking?" Harry asks. He adjusts himself in front of us, jaw clenched yet again. "Only when his cock is in my mouth," Indigo retorts.
Jesus Christ.
I have to bite my lip in order to stop a grin that threatens to appear. Her crass words amuse me to my surprise. The banter between her and Harry is always entertaining to say the least, they never disappoint.
Harry clearly didn't like her reply based on his fisted hands and deep breaths. I stand beside the two of them as I watch him take a step closer to her, his hips almost touching hers yet again.
"Watch yourself. I run this place, I make the decisions, and I'm your fuckin' boss. Being a nosy bitch almost got you killed tonight and now, you've just sucked yourself into a life you're not nearly prepared for in the slightest. Your poor boyfriend is probably at home waiting for you, unaware that you sucked on a gun like it was my cock after witnessing a murder, a murder that you caused. You've just fucked up the rest of your life for good. You best listen to Zayn or we'll have to teach you a lesson and get you on your knees for the both of us, make you suck our cocks like the little whore you are."
My eyes almost bulge out of their sockets at Harry's words. He just about gives me whiplash with how quick he switches up. Only a mere moment ago he had my fingers in his mouth and now he's back to biting Indigo's head off. He's doing it to protect himself but it doesn't make his words any less harsh.
He's never spoken like that to anyone who didn't deserve it, but Indigo most certainly didn't. I almost feel bad for her, but she's tough. She's a little spitfire and if anyone can put Harry in his place outside of me, it's her. She's a challenge and Harry fucking hates that.
Indigo's flushed cheeks and lust-filled eyes are long gone, now replaced with a clenched jaw and narrowed eyes. "The way you talk to women is appalling. What, you didn't have a mother to teach you how to be respectful?" She spits, making Harry go rigid, "Shame, maybe if you did then you'd actually have someone be proud of the person you've become."
Oh fuck.
My back straightens and I immediately rush in between the two of them, putting my back to Indigo as I face Harry, placing my hands on his shoulders. This situation just took a turn for the worst with just a few words.
Indigo and Harry can't seem to decide where they stand. They want each other, and possibly me as well, but their words prove to be the opposite of that. They both need to get their shit together before this ends badly. Before one of them drowns.
With my focus solely on Harry now, I notice that chest is already heaving, his jaw is clenched tight, and his hands are in tight fists. He's almost shaking now in front of me, his eyes wired shut as harsh breaths puff out of his nose. Indigo had a right to come back at him like she did, she just didn't know the weight of her words. It freaks me out when he gets like this, sometimes it's hard to bring him back right away.
"Harry. Harry mate, look at me." I softly say, squeezing his shoulders in comfort, "Don't listen to her, yeah? You know the truth H. C'mon, look at me." My hands continue squeezing his shoulders and rubbing them, ignoring Indigo's presence completely. I almost forget she's here for a moment until she moves out from behind me.
This is why I'm his best friend. I'm the only one who understands Harry's personal life, I was there. I watched him go through some tough shit and get to where he is today, hence why I'm the only person he can trust to calm him down in situations like this.
There's trust between us.
"Is he- uh, is he okay?" She quietly asks. I continue to soothe Harry, ignoring her for a few more seconds before chancing a glance at her, seeing concern written all over her face as she darts her eyes all over his face. My eyes harden. I hate that she did this to Harry. "Go over to the desk. Now."
She wordlessly complies, quickly shuffling back over to the desk and perching herself back on top of it like she was earlier. I watch her pick at the bed of her nails before I return my focus to Harry, he needs me right now. "If you open your eyes right now I'll let you make fun of my seahorses for a whole thirty seconds with no complaints." I tease, smiling when his lips lightly tug into a small grin. "You should have started with that," Harry hoarsely replies, slowly opening his glassy eyes.
I stay silent as he relaxes his jaw, keeping his eyes on mine as he comes back down and blinking furiously to get rid of the moisture. Seeing him like this never gets any easier. I hate watching him go through this. A pang of hurt always courses through my chest at seeing him so upset. I wish I could take the pain away from him, he doesn't deserve any of it.
I also hate how this isn't a rare occurrence either, he gets almost as upset as he is right now when we lose a sea friend. Losing Lionel was hard for Harry, he was one of the first little guys to make his way into Shark Bait, he was here from the very beginning. Euthanizing him wasn't an easy decision and not one I wanted to make, but looking at his health from a professional's point of view, it was the best choice for him. Harry took the rest of that day off, hiding out with the cowfish before going home, needing time.
A deep sigh passes Harry's lips, telling me he's calmed down. "Hey mate," I whisper as I slide my hands off his shoulders, tugging on his cardigan. He looks exhausted, his black eye looks even darker in colour if that's even possible, and the cut along on his jaw looks irritated. He's got more injuries than me but he did it to himself. He's a protector, he has this urge to keep me safe no matter the consequences.
It's been a long fucking week.
"Thank you," he quietly whispers back, dragging his hands over his face before threading them through his hair. "I just....fuck, she gets on my last damn nerve. Do you think...." I'm quick to shake my head, dismissing his thoughts. "No. She looked a bit freaked out, I don't think she knew the weight of her words. Let's just get this over with, yeah? I know you're dying to get home and cuddle the fuck out of Reef."
My words earn me a hard shove on the shoulder causing my back to collide with the wall. I let out a laugh as my head shakes, pushing off the wall to head back over to Indigo who watches the both of us curiously. Harry scoffs from behind me but he's not slick. He didn't deny what I said.
Even if he pretends to act like he hates everything in this world, he has the softest spot for Reef.
Harry goes to lean against the ledge he's got Jewel on while I stand in front of Indigo yet again, resuming what I originally had in mind before Harry and her had a go at it. She looks over at Harry, her cheeks red as he scowls at her. "Are you ok—"
"Don't."
Her head is quick to drop, eyes landing on the desk in what I can only assume is shame. The atmosphere we're in has completely flipped. We somehow went from her cunt soaking my fingers to this. I think she knows she said something she shouldn't have but I don't want to waste any more time than we have to though, I have places to be.
I tap her outer knee, bringing her attention back to me. "Clearly Harry and I have other shit outside of running Shark Bait, there's no beating around the bush there. Now it's up to you to decide how you handle it all. You can't leave and you sure as hell can't open your mouth. Can we trust you? You've thrown yourself into our lives and we've killed people for you, Indy. You have no fucking idea what you've gotten yourself into."
"You can trust me."
A scoff emits from the side of the room. "Can we?" Harry asks, his arms crossed. "This is the third time you've been caught somewhere you shouldn't be. I can't tell if you wanted to get caught or you're just dumb enough to have been."
I agree with Harry. After he told me about her wallet incident, I couldn't help but to be skeptical of her for a bit. I didn't like that she was making me doubt her, she was becoming a friend of mine. She is a friend of mine. Nothing in her background check was suspicious and she's never really acted like she was either. It's only in times like these that I begin to wonder if she's putting on a facade.
Indigo lifts her head up to face us, shifting her eyes between the two of us. "I promise. Your secret is safe with me, and I'll do whatever it is that you need me to. I've always been a nosy person, I have been ever since I was a kid so it's only fair that it finally bit me in the ass." She emptily chuckles, "Just give me tonight to process it all, okay? I know I shouldn't be asking for anything but I've never witnessed a murder like that, never mind one that I....that I caused."
At the weight of her words, her head drops and I don't miss the stray tears that fall from her eyes, landing on her bare thigh. Her sadness causes a tightness in my chest, I'd rather see them glazed with tears of pleasure instead.
In the midst of this all, I forgot that she isn't from our world. What she's gone through tonight isn't for the faint of heart. She's been running on adrenaline and it's easy to tell that she's crashing now, letting everything she's been through consume her. From the murder, to her and Harry's banter, to her almost orgasm, and now to this, it's a lot for someone like her. Someone normal.
I glance over at Harry to see him watching her, a scowl still resting on his face. He seems to be in some sort of a trance, almost as if he's trying to read Indigo and I'm not surprised. It's clear that he doesn't trust her at all and he doesn't get what she's feeling. He doesn't understand.
This is all that Harry and I have really known. Typically the people around us are used to this type of stuff, the shootings and the killings, so we've never had to deal with someone learning how to cope with it. We're both pretty much desensitized to shit like this, we don't even bat an eye anymore. It's become a part of our day-to-day life. Doesn't mean I like it though.
He furrows his brows, his arms crossed over his chest and he looks like he's about to say something before his eyes catch mine. I subtly shake my head at him, hoping that he catches on to my idea of shutting up. They've fought enough for one night.
He shoots me a quick glare before he closes his mouth and I'm happy he complied. Turning back to Indigo, I watch as she quietly sniffles again, raising her hand up to brush away her tears. She looks so innocent right now, almost as if she doesn't belong here.
Because she doesn't.
It's not fair to her that she came here to be a worker, someone who just does her daily job and then goes home, but now somehow got herself involved in our lives. I know it was wrong of her to eavesdrop, but this'll just have to be a conversation for another time. One where Harry isn't going to lash out at her and Indigo isn't emotional.
I place my hand on Indigo's shoulder, catching her attention as she looks at me with red watery eyes. I muster up a small smile and grab her wrist to slightly pull her off the desk. "It's alright, yeah? Don't worry about it and just don't think about it, okay?" I try to keep my voice mellow to not spook her out even more, although what happened tonight should be making me anything but calm.
"I'm sorry." She meekly says again and I just shake my head, glancing over at Harry and nodding towards her silently as if to tell him that I'll deal with it. He hesitates for a moment, his gaze lingering on Indigo for a few extra seconds. Indigo is unaware of his gaze but I clear my throat anyway to catch his attention, raising a brow. His lips roll inwards before he gives me a curt nod, taking one last look at the two of us before quickly leaving the room but brushing close enough to me to let me tug his cardigan.
With just the two of us present in the room, I'm hoping that she'll feel more comfortable. I know that having Harry here made her nervous even if she will never admit it.
"You okay?" I ask her and she nods, sighing out quietly before running her fingers through her hair. "I think I am now. Thank you, Zayn."
It's been such a long and tiring day, I can evidently see it on her face and I'm sure I don't look any better. I can tell she doesn't want to talk about whatever just happened anymore and I'll respect her wishes, reminding myself to talk to her the next time we're at work and check up on her again.
"C'mon, I'll take you home Indy." I speak up and she quickly looks at me, hesitantly. I know she's probably also a little wary of me, and she has every right to be but I hope I can show her that she can trust me. I've come to consider her as a friend.
"Are you sure?" She asks after a moment of hesitation and I quickly nod, starting to walk backwards towards the door. "Of course. Maybe I can convince you to finally get that tattoo we talked about in your interview on the way there."
She laughs and I can't help but to grin to myself, happy that she's seeming to come down from whatever she was feeling earlier. She grabs her shoes from off the ground and phone from off the desk before we make our way out of the room and away from Shark Bait, feeling the cool chill of the night outside.
I'm quick to get us both settled into my car and let her input her address into my GPS system. As soon as the directions pop up, I pull away from Shark Bait and take her home. I can see why she came here to work, it was convenient for her and not terribly far from her place.
Our entire ride is filled with easy conversation and I make note to not bring up anything remotely close to what happened tonight. I'd hate for her bad mood to come back again and we can always deal with the bigger stuff at a later time.
I'm glad I'm the one taking her home tonight and not Harry. Poor Indigo would be in a puddle of tears if he was the one driving her, I don't doubt for a second that he wouldn't spend the entire car ride reaming her out and she's already sensitive as is right now. She's lucky it's me, I'm the more calm one of the two of us.
As I pull up to the front of her complex, I put the car in park and shut it off. I look over at Indigo to see her eyes scouring the streets, her fingers curling around the end of my t-shirt. "Hey, I'll walk you up. You're okay." I tell her, causing her to shoot me a grateful smile as she nods her head. "Thanks."
I get out and meet her at her side, letting my hand rest against her lower back as I walk behind her letting her lead the way. This area she's in is different from where Harry and I live, it's more of a student area — cheaper rent and busier streets. It's late now though, most definitely the middle of the night, and the sounds of drunk students laughing and yelling down the streets is still as loud as ever. I don't miss the way Indigo tugs at the hem of my shirt, clearly uncomfortable.
Before I can say anything, she quickly shuffles us inside her building and up the stairs. With every lift of her leg, my shirt rises a bit higher on the back of her thighs, resting at the bottom of her ass. It takes everything in me to not look. She's already freaked enough.
It's silent between us as she comes to a stop at what I presume to be her door, her hand sliding into the back of her phone case for her key. "I'm sorry about tonight, truly." She whispers, turning around to fully face me. My hand slips from off her lower back and I'm quick to shove it into my pocket. Indigo looks up at me with those big brown eyes of hers, and I almost melt on the spot.
She's so goddamn pretty.
"I just- I don't know, I didn't mean for any of this to happen and I know my apology is useless but I consider you a friend and I don't have many of those and I just....I don't want to lose you. I like this bond we've formed and I'd hate for my stupid fucking decision to ruin that."
I can feel myself fully soften at her words, whatever annoyance or anger I had lingering within me is slowly disappearing. I know she didn't mean for any of this to happen, it isn't her fault and I can tell she truly feels awful for it.
"It's okay Indy, we're still friends, don't worry about that, okay? Nothing that happened today is going to affect that, so you just go inside and forget it all happened. We can talk about it all later." I give her a reassuring smile and she reaches out to squeeze my arm, nodding her head. The warmth of her hand sears through my shirt.
"Okay." She says quietly, turning around to open her door and slip inside. She stands behind her door and smiles at me, a genuine one taking over her face. "Goodnight, Zayn."
"Night Indy." I quietly reply, giving her a smile of my own before she shuts the door, leaving me alone in the silence of her hallway. With one last glance at her door, I let out a deep sign and turn around to walk back down to my car.
Tonight was unexpected. It was supposed to be an easy night. It wasn't supposed to be a complete shit show. And now worst of all, we have more to worry about than what we already had on our plate. Things such as Indigo and Joseph's three dead men.
I sigh to myself, running my hands over my face as I let out a quiet groan from the safety of my car. I can feel the exhaustion taking over me, and I know I'm going to crash soon. I drive myself home quietly but my mind keeps running over what occurred tonight.
If there's one thing I learned from tonight, it's that sometimes we don't see things coming and life can flip so fast in just a matter of seconds. I'm afraid that Indy will flip our world upside down and we won't see that coming either.
I'm afraid that maybe she's a silent tsunami, waiting for the perfect moment to cause mass destruction and drown us in her sea of trouble. Trouble with a capital T.
Author's Note: Ugh, we love Zayn!!
Shark Bait has gotten so much love recently, and we're really thankful for all the support we've received from you all!! We love you guys, see you Thursday <3
A & S