bloom. : a fireafy fic

Chapter Six

It was still dark outside when Leafy began to awaken.

It was freezing. The blankets were doing little to block the cold air.

She shivered and hugged herself closer, faintly aware she was naked.

She turned around and reached towards Firey, hoping to leech some body heat from him. She grabbed at the sheets for a while before realizing he wasn't there.

Her emerald eyes shot open.

She stared at his side of the bed for what felt like an eternity, hoping he would suddenly exist again in his place. Then, she reached out and palmed at the spot he was supposed to be.

It was cold. He hasn't been in bed for a while. She sat up and pulled the blanket around her body.

"Firey?" she called out softly.

Maybe he was in the kitchen, getting a glass of warm milk. It was still early in the morning.

She slid out of bed and walked out of the bedroom, looking around.

The apartment was dark. Smokey was fast asleep in his cat tree, undisturbed.

"Firey?" she called again, a little louder. She peered into the kitchen. Empty, dark. She looked towards the bathroom. He wasn't there either.

When she looked towards the door to the apartment, she noticed his keys were not on the table.

It slowly dawned on her. She slumped to the floor, hugging the blanket tighter against her freezing body. Her knees collided with the hardwood floors with a sickening thud.

He left.

He LEFT.

Her mind lurched. What did she do wrong?

She knew she was doing things wrong. So wrong. Who was she to question him? Why did she feel as if she deserved answers for a stupid question?

She should have been more open about her feelings. She should have given him more affection. Then he wouldn't have left. She couldn't believe this was happening.

Was he gone forever? Tears feel quickly, uninterrupted by the sound of her sobs. They were hot against her cold face, and the salt water made her cheeks start to itch. She wiped her face on the blanket.

She looked around, blinking through the tears, trying to come to her senses. Trying to think reasonably.

No, no. No. His stuff was still here. Maybe he was just mad at her.

She was going to change. When he came back, she was going to talk to him more. She vowed to communicate. She had to.

But why did he leave?

She cried softly now, kneeling on the floor, staring at the door.

She was cold. She missed him. She wanted him to come back.

The green haired girl looked at the clock. It was 5 am. Where could he go at 5 am?

She continued to watch the door.

Leafy figured she should get up and put on some clothing. She should look actually somewhat presentable by the time Firey returned.

Minutes passed. She still was cuddled within her blanket. She was hopelessly lost in ambedo. She wondered how she would react if he saw her like this. Maybe she should put on clothes; she looked quite pathetic.

Her mind hallucinated the doorknob turning and her ears perked up.

No Firey, but her nakedness was embarrassing her. She really should put on some clothes. She should get up and try to sleep more.

Despite her thoughts, she still did not stand up. Light began to stream from the windows and heat up the room, but she still wasn't budging. Her knees and ankles were growing sore and tired. It wasn't healthy to remain in a position like that for hours.

Hours.

Leafy looked at the clock and realized it was almost 10 am. She looked back at the door, and then down at herself. Had she really been sitting there for hours? Her mind quickly flipped through a mental calendar, and realized she had work today. Thank god she didn't go to that party.

She stood up, hissing from the pain in her knees and ankles. She had to get ready for work. She shouldn't have sat like that for nearly 5 hours. Was she crazy? The green haired girl took one last look at the door, letting the sour feeling of loneliness ferment within her.

She didn't even care to look in her closet for a matching outfit. Another green crew neck sweater, another pair of leggings. She pulled them on aimlessly.

She dumped food into Smokey's bowl aimlessly. The cat meowed, clearly worried. She gave a slight smile and scratched him on the back of his head in an attempt to reassure him.

She made coffee aimlessly. It was bitter. Yet, she didn't even feel like putting cream or sugar into it. She drank half of the bitter, black coffee before dumping the rest of it down the drain. She briefly looked at the pantry before deciding she wasn't in the mood to eat.

She gathered her wallet and keys aimlessly. She opened the apartment door, briskly stepped outside, and locked it behind her. As she turned the key, she glanced towards the steps, hoping to see Firey returning home, but there was no sign of the ginger.

As she walked to work, she searched the streets for any sign of her bright, fiery boy. He was unique enough to stand out in a crowd, but she was unable to spot him. She scanned both sides of the sidewalk thoroughly, making sure to keep her pace slow to be extra sure.

Nothing.

By the time she arrived at the steps of the library, she felt compelled to turn around and keep looking, but her responsibilities kept her tethered to her duties. She stepped into her workplace and clocked in. Book looked up and her face went pale with shock.

"Hey Book," Leafy mumbled.

"Leafy!" Book exclaimed, piercing Leafy's ears. "You look terrible!"

In response, the green haired girl looked down at herself and looked at her reflection in the window. She did look terrible, but she just shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe," she replied.

"Did something happen?" her coworker grabbed her by the shoulders and started to shake her. "Why do you look so sick?"

Leafy shuffled to free herself from Book's grasp. "Nothing," she answered. "I just didn't sleep very well."

"Are you sure?" Book leaned in closer and asked Leafy a question that shook her to the core. "Did Firey do something to hurt you?"

Her mind reeled. Why was everyone so certain that Firey would hurt her? He normally wasn't out of line. He was generally very friendly and sweet.

Did her boyfriend have the reputation of an abuser? Did he regularly assault his partners?

If so, when would he get fed up with her?