Your way begins
On the other side.
Take an ax to the prison wall.
Escape.
Walk out like someone
Suddenly born into color.
Do it now.
Chapter Thirteen: Onward Home
"I think I know how Alfred felt."
His voice was wistful; you gave him a smile. "What do you mean by that?"
He sighed. One look at you smiling at him like that and he had to turn away to hide his blush. "When he saw you moving away from him. And I was who helped you move in here. It seems our roles have been switched, eh?"
You watched him closely. His usually-sparkling red eyes were dull and empty today—there were no vigorous glints of humor, energy, or playfulness in those crimson irises. The frown on his face only added to the obvious notion that he was not feeling himself.
He seemed genuinely dismal to see you move back to California. He'd been the most... interesting neighbor you'd ever had, as well as a great friend. "I'll miss you, Zao." It was true. This had been your final chance to tell him.
He looked down at the grass, shading his eyes again. Just one peer into his face and you could see that his cheeks were burning red. Huh. You'd never managed to get him flustered before, or so you thought. "Are you... blushing...?"
"Pssh, no," He waved his hand and chuckled shakily. "A-Anyway, I'll uh, miss you too." He finally made eye contact and grinned.
Your heart began pounding just a bit faster.
His flushed face was undeniably adorable. That shy smile, that nervous twitch. You'd never seen him like this; was it really only because you'd told him something nice?
Sure, you'd often physically hit him or dismissed him, but you and he both knew you were only joking. Still, it was rare of you to be outwardly kind to him. This obviously caused him some discomfort, or possibly embarrassment—perhaps even an effect of affection? Either way, this side of him was cute.
What really caused your heartrate to quicken was the way he reached his arms out, welcoming (more like requesting) an embrace. "I'll miss you more than you think, tàitài~"
Face warming a bit, you grinned and stepped over to him. It was in that moment that you realized you'd never really hugged him before. How strange. You two were close friends, weren't you?
You wrapped your arms around his torso and pressed your face into his neck. If this was the first and last time you were going to hug him, you were going to make it count.
A feeling of intimacy quickly enveloped you—not because of the simple embrace, but because there was more skin-on-skin contact than you'd expected.
It being summer, you two were clad in sleeveless tops. Both your shirt and his were thin. You were able to clearly feel his six-pack against your stomach, his firm chest against yours, and the soft, warm skin of the crook of his neck that you laid your face into. His muscled, tattoo-covered arms instantly snaked around your waist and held on tight.
He squeezed you, and you did so back. Your heart pounded harder and a dizziness whirred past your head. You closed your eyes and saw stars; a weakness in your knees caused you to nearly lose balance. As you leaned more into him for support, he mused, "Mmm, I can feel your boobs on me..."
You inwardly groaned. "You just had to ruin the moment, didn't you?"
He laughed a bit as you pulled away, but he didn't fully let go. He kept you in his arms as you put a small distance between you and he. "That's my job. Now, hey—" He held you tighter as you made a feeble attempt to untangle yourself from him, "How, um... have you... always seen me?"
You shrugged, "Like a protective older brother?"
He... looked... horrified. "Y-... You're kidding..."
"Well, I guess. Like a protective older brother except for the times when you flirted with me."
Getting over the previous shock, he squinted, "And that was... all the time..."
"By the way," During his moment of bafflement, you managed to escape from his toned arms. "How come you always teased me anyways?"
At this point, he seemed close to his normal self. He held up a finger and answered, "Uh, different reasons. One, it was fun as hell. Two, you look cute when you're embarrassed. Three, I um..." He paused, and looked away. After a few heartbeats of silence, he quietly confessed, "I had a fucking crush on you—how could you have never realized it?"
A blush spread across your face. "Oh... I..." In the back of your mind, you'd expected it, but you'd been too busy with Allen and Alfred to acknowledge it.
"D-Don't worry," He laughed with unease as he waved his hand again, "It wasn't a big deal, j-just a harmless little thing. I... I..." He used his raised hand to rub his eyes. A few seconds later, he uncovered them to reveal refreshed, confident ones. "Ahh, who am I kidding? I still wouldn't mind dating you, babe." He winked, a self-satisfied grin on his face. That was the Zao you knew.
Feeling comfortable around him again, you chuckled and poked his forehead. "That's impossible and you know it. But... thanks." Before you could change your mind, you leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.
Now, he was back to blushing madly. "D-Did you just..."
You backed away. Even you couldn't believe you'd just done that. "S-Sorry."
His face reddened even more—but once he got over his shock, a sly idea came to his mind. With a sneer, he replied, "You're not getting away with that."
As if all in one movement, he moved in and tilted your chin up with his finger, leaned in—and before you knew it—you felt his lips brush against yours.
Zao Yang's lips. On. Yours. Whoa.
...What?
Soft, sweet, hurried. A spark went through your body, even after those lips pulled away.
As you both stood staring at each other, his eyes lidded, cheeks pink, he licked his lips and murmured, "...I have such a boner right now."
Somehow, you were expecting a one-liner like that. Still, you blushed even more and shouted, "What?!"
Apparently, that would be one of the last things you ever say to him in person, because after you spoke it, he... took off running. "HEY!" You shouted after him as he sprinted away, "You stole that kiss!"
You could already hear his maniacal laughter in the distance. "Sorry babe! I still really like you, call me when you get back to California!"
You stared at his retreating back until he was gone.
The new guy who'd only confused you more regarding your loyalty to your best friend and boyfriend. "Zao Yang..." You said aloud, loving the way his playful personality flashed through your eyes as his name slid off your tongue, "Cliché as this is, I won't forget you."
A few seconds later, you heard someone approaching you from behind.
Henry's hand soon plopped down on your shoulder. "It's time to go now."
You nodded and turned around, "Okay."
As you began walking to the car with him, you took one last glance at the house you were leaving behind. After so much work of cleaning it up, fixing it, decorating it and living a whole new life in it, you knew you were going to miss it a little—even if it was cramped and repugnant.
A sigh passed your lips as Henry peered over your shoulder. "Why did Zao run away? Lauren and I hadn't gotten to say goodbye to him yet."
"Oh... he uh, h-had to do something..."
Henry could easily see through you. "_____, you know, I probably would've preferred if you'd dated Zao instead of Allen." He whipped out his keys from his pocket as you two neared the vehicle.
You let out a laugh and reached for the door handle. "Heh, I bet you think anyone here would have been better for me than Allen."
Though you still had lingering feelings for the tan-skinned rebel, you knew there had been someone else all along. And that person wasn't Zao either.
-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-
A week later, you were all settled into your new house.
You were back in San Diego, and currently living in the guest house of a moderately sized mansion.
It was a good thing your parents had known Alfred's parents for years. If it weren't for them, your parents wouldn't have had much of anywhere to move to. "Oh, we insist!" Alfred's mother had told Lauren, "My husband and I would love to help you and Henry back on your feet. Come live in our guest house while you figure things out."
The guest house was a two-story and—like everything else on the Jones property—was luxurious and beautiful. "We simply cannot thank you enough. You have truly blessed us; we really had nowhere else to go." Lauren had vocalized her thanks more times than you could count, as did Henry.
The promise of seeing Alfred again and basically getting to live with him was both exciting and nerve-wracking. Who wouldn't want to live only fifty feet away from their best friend? But think of it this way—what would it be like to reside so close to someone you'd always had feelings for?
As soon as he'd found out the news, he'd called you and basically foamed over how much fun the rest of the summer was going to be. "Dude, this seems unreal! I mean, you're gonna be living in my guest house? We can hang out every day! Movie night every night? Uh, I think yes! And hey, if you're still here when we start school, we can even carpool. We won't have to face junior year alone anymore, how great is this? I'm so glad you're coming home, _____!"
With all the traveling, post-stress and unpacking, it was no wonder that you hadn't gotten a chance to talk alone with him all week. Not only that, but you were ninety percent sure his mother had told him not to bother you or your family while you were busy moving in. After all, the four of you had just gone through major drama regarding the police and everyone's safety.
Now that everything seemed to be settled, you texted Alfred as you sat on a beach chair by their pool.
You: I'm by the pool, come hang out ^_^
A few minutes later, you heard the backdoor barge open. "Hey _____! You done unpacking and stuff?" He casually slipped out of his house and sauntered over to you.
"Yeah! Now we can hang out more." You stood up as he opened his arms to give you a welcoming hug.
"Yay!" He squeezed you tightly, and you could hear through just the word 'yay' that he was grinning like an idiot. "You never got to come over that often, so this'll be amazing!"
"I know, right?" You pulled away and sat back down on the beach chair. He looked for one close by and dragged it over to place directly next to yours, and plopped down with an excited exhale.
"This music's kinda fitting, don'tcha think?" He vaguely gestured across the pool to the backyard's large lounge area, which had speakers scattered across the property with 'Home' by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros playing softly.
The summer sun was slowly setting, the pool's water was glimmering, and the tall Redwoods surrounding the acre of land caused a crimson glow of shadows and light to dance with the dimming skyline, seeping through the tree's leaves and branches. The long, stripe-like beams of light mixed with the shadows, and as you examined them you realized how much your life had just changed. Your new home was beautiful, and it was with Alfred—who also felt like home to you. Nothing could ever be better than this feeling.
"Alfred..." You took in a deep breath. Alfred meant everything to you. And when someone was this important, they had to know everything about you—there was no room for hiding feelings or telling lies. "I'm... sorry about all this that happened. I know it really was all my fault. You warned me, I ignored you, and I really should have listened to you; I'm so, so sorry," You pulled your legs up and hugged your knees to your chest. With a curtain of hair to separate yourself from him, you continued to look down as you added, "I missed you so much. I knew he wasn't right for me and that... that..."
You heard a sigh. "_____, look at me."
Shakily, you did as you were told.
He sat cross-legged on the chair, facing you. "I'm... just so glad you're safe," He smiled, but it was small and his eyebrows were lowered with worry. You could tell that he'd spent many nights full of overwhelming concern for you.
The truth was that he knew everything. He was the first to know of Allen's previous charges, and he was technically the one who initiated the end of your relationship with him by calling Henry, with his lawyer father, to tell him about what could possibly happen in the future regarding Allen. "I forgive you. _____... you should know that no matter anything you do, or how you treat me, I-I'll still...—" He choked up.
You stared, "You'll still what?"
"Oh... I..." He adjusted his glasses. Then tousled his blonde hair. Fiddled with his Age of Ultron t-shirt. He cleared his throat. Three times.
"Whatever you're about to say, it can't be that bad; so might as well tell me already..." You joked lightly.
You had yet to notice the blush on his cheeks. Before he could change his mind, he hurriedly blurted out: "I love you. I'll still love you no matter what happens. Even if you totally ditched me for Allen when I told you he's basically the villain in our love story, I'll still want you. I... really love you, _____, and I thought you knew that but um, yeah. J-Just, like, reminding you. I love you, 'kay?" His face had heated up at least ten notches since his first uttered word and he attempted to smile, but the intense apprehension in his expression caused it to look forced and nervous.
The words hit you like a tidal wave. Yes, you'd been aware that he had feelings for you, but you weren't sure if they were still there, much less did you think he could love you. That was a whole new step from admitting "I like you" that day when he visited you.
"Alfred, I..." You looked down at your lap. How could you possibly respond to all of that?
If you knew anything at all, you knew you couldn't say that you loved him back.
After all, you'd thought you loved Allen. You'd honestly, genuinely, fully believed you'd loved Allen at one point. Had you really? Probably not.
You'd tossed those same three little words around carelessly not too long ago. Each memory of the times you'd told Allen you loved him made you want to cringe. You'd cared about him, and you still did, but that was different from truly loving him.
You knew you cared very, very much for Alfred. You weren't sure what it was like to be in love; you were much too young to know for sure. With that in mind, you knew you couldn't tell Alfred you loved him, even if you'd had feelings for him for years now.
However, you knew Alfred's love must be real. His feelings possibly surpassed yours for him. He'd always been there for you, he'd never let you down, and he'd protected you even when he was hundreds of miles away from you. He always meant what he said.
He was truly your hero, and he was truly in love with you. That much you knew.
"Alfred... thank you... For everything." You adjusted your position to sit closer to him. Now face-to-face, you stared into his tense blue eyes. "Please, try to relax. I like you, I do..." He appeared as if he'd been about to burst from the suspense. Obviously he'd had no idea how you were going to react and was preparing himself for the worst.
"You still... like me..." He looked away just as his face relaxed from all the pent-up anxiety, "No way..." He murmured under his breath, just as a grin slowly formed.
You sighed with a smile, "I always have, Alfred. You already knew that, remember?"
"I... I'd just thought you'd changed your mind or something. But... hey, if we both know we like each other, can we kiss?" He tilted his head with that innocent grin on his face.
You squinted. "Uhmmm..."
"Hah! I'll take that as a yes!"
"That's true, laugh until we think we'll die
Barefoot on a summer night
Never could be sweeter than with you
And in the streets you run a-free
Like it's only you and me
Geez, you're something to see
Ah, home, let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you
Ah, home, let me go home
Home is wherever I'm with you"
'Home' became more audible as Alfred kissed you, slowly at first, before taking advantage of the chairs you were sitting on and pulling you into his lap.
All of his kisses were sweet and gentle. He handled you with care, much unlike the roughness Allen had always used around you.
In all honesty, you still weren't scared of Allen. You weren't angry at him anymore, either.
He was never the bad guy; all he'd ever wanted was your happiness. However... he wasn't the sanest guy out there.
You'd only called the police on him because you wanted to help him. You knew he wouldn't be arrested, and that he'd be taken to a mental institution to heal him. They wanted him to get better, too. Hopefully they would calm his desire to use guns and violence, and have him back out in the real world soon enough. You wanted to see him again, but not until he was emotionally healthy. Although, you didn't know exactly when you'd be ready to face him.
And Zao... well, maybe you'd visit him during Thanksgiving break, or maybe Christmas break. You were now friends with him on Facebook and talked to him from time to time, especially since Alfred still very much kept in contact with him.
Still, you had Alfred. The same person you'd wanted all along.
Love and feelings aren't always fair. Life gets in the way. The world is full of evil, even in the nicest of places—in the nicest of people. There was some dark inside of Allen, something that needed to be tamed. He wasn't a bad person, there was just some bad in the good. But Alfred? He would always be good. Like a true superhero often fought wars for.
"_____, Alfred! Dinner's ready, come in already!" You heard Lauren call from inside the Jones mansion.
"C-Coming!" Alfred called back.
You gripped onto his shirt collar. "Kiss me... one more time, please..."
He blushed a bit before complying. "I'll always be here to give you kisses." He pressed his lips to yours once more, then pulled back and cutely held up a peace sign. "Eheheh... now, time to eat!" He stood up and reached for your hand. "Let's go!~"
And so you both ran hand-in-hand through the forest-like backyard, giggling like dorks and ecstatic for both the promise of romantic relationship together in the future and, of course, an amazing meal in the very close future.
-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-
It was a week since you left your old house in the battered, run-down neighborhood in Texas.
Zao was sitting alone in his house.
He was seventeen, living alone, a high school dropout. He was an emancipated minor; his parents and family were living in Beijing. His mother and father had sent him here because they were sick of his bad behavior. They wouldn't stand to have a drug addict for a son.
They'd disowned him, basically—they wanted to pretend he was never their son. It still hurt him every day, but it had gotten much worse lately. The pain never stopped, and there were added reasons to his distress as well.
As he sat on the floor with his back against the staircase rails, he turned his military cap around in his hands, staring at it and reminiscing his childhood back when his father gave this hat to him. It was special because his father had worn it in his days as a Chinese military soldier.
All of the blinds in the house were shut, so almost no light fell into the home, except for the cracks between the shades. It was cold, and the place was messy. He sat in the darkest side of the room and blew smoke from his opium pipe, hoping the drugs would take his mind off you.
You. It was you who was causing more sorrow for him than his parents lately.
He had a depressing life and he knew it. His only friends—and connections to the outside world—were Allen and Oliver.
And now, Allen was gone.
Alfred had never been here.
He had some other acquaintances that he saw at parties, like Matt, Flavio, and Alexa, but those were mainly Allen's friends. Zao had tried to befriend Kuro, but he and his group wanted nothing to do with him. Every girl he met at parties only wanted drugs or sex from him, pretty much.
Maybe he wanted a relationship, or a girl to laugh with. He got that with your friendship.
You'd truly been the only light in his life—at least for a while.
He could only deal drugs to make money for so long until it hit him of how badly he needed to change.
You were the one who made him realize it.
He had to thank you for that. Nodding to himself, he slipped on his hat, put out the drug and stood up. He then walked out the door and headed over towards Oliver's house, passing your old one on the way there.
He needed someone to talk to.
He was thinking about calling his parents, maybe moving back to China to start fresh—hopefully live a better life.
Taking in a deep breath, he knocked on Oliver's front door.
Almost too soon, it opened up.
"Oh... hi Oliver, old buddy." He smiled fondly, and Oliver grinned back in return. "Do you think you could talk with me for a bit? And... maybe help me move out?"
-D-E-A-D-L-Y-A-T-T-R-A-C-T-I-O-N-
The ceiling in here was nice.
At least, that's what Allen's current thoughts were.
He was lying on his back, looking at the therapist's office ceiling. The couch beneath him was comfortable, and he was able to relax a bit.
The therapist was sitting in a chair across from him. Tapping his clipboard, he asked him, "Are you angry with her for what she did to you?"
He didn't have to think about it for too long. "Nah. I'm not mad at her."
"But how do you feel about her now?"
A pause. Allen yawned and stretched a bit as he finally answered, "I still love her, silly. She's my Dollface."
The therapist sighed. "What... does that even mean?"
Allen regained composure. He glared at the ceiling as he slowly smirked, "It means... I'll see her again... sooner or later."
A.N.: Not exactly meant to be the sweetest ending. The main genres of this story were Angst/ Drama/ Thriller, remember?
Allen was not evil, but he was not innocent. He wanted to kill, but we don't know if he would have gone through with it. Either way, he needs mental help, and he's getting that thanks to Reader.
Heh, I actually planned for Reader & Alfred to get together since the beginning.
...Is it weird that I feel more bad for Zao? ;; - ;;
This story was inspired by the many police cases in which a young girl, usually around the ages of 13-15, is having a hard time in her life and—out of spite—begins an unhealthy relationship with a dangerous older man. This eventually leads to the murder of her parents because, 99% of the time, they don't allow them to be together.
Obviously, I took a different turn here, because plot twist: The 'bad' foster parents actually cared about you in this story. Also... I couldn't bring myself to make Allen kill anyone. I don't see the 2Ps as evil—just misunderstood—and I have my fair share of good-hearted 2P fanfics.
Hnnn, now I really want to write a sequel where Reader sees Allen again >_< Anyway... won't you comment, dollface?
(And keep an eye out for Zao's alternate ending!) :D