Basically Strangers (revised)

[12 - Stranger With An Adult]

[12 - Stranger with an Adult]

It had been two days. The cannibal’s little factory was blown to hell. Arkin seemed reserved with you, but still began training you on how to shoot a gun. He had been sleeping on the couch, he wasn’t dressing himself around you, he wasn’t being flirty, he wasn’t doing anything that was usual for Arkin. There was a field just outside of the city. He’d set up a target, slowly making it smaller and smaller, and teach you how to fire the handgun he kept on him at all times.

“YN,” he said in a cold tone. “You have to focus. If someone was running at you, you wouldn't hit them before they got to you. I need you to-”

“And I need you to stop,” you hissed. Arkin was taken back. He glared at you.

“Excuse me?” he snapped.

“Excuse me? Fuck you. What’s going on?” you hissed. Arkin rolled his eyes.

“YN, you have to figure this out. You’ve missed almost every single target. You gotta-” You dropped the gun into the dirt at your side.

“Arkin, no. Listen to me, please.” He pressed his lips together tightly, but glared at you. “In the four months we've been living together, you have never once been mad at me. But now it feels like you’re always pissed off at me. What did I do? What happened? Please, Arkin.” He sighed deeply and put his weight on one hip. He didn’t look at you, only stared at the dirt ground.

“YN, it’s not you. Okay? I fucked up. I’m just mad at myself. Just-” You were suddenly in front of him, just about pressing your chest to his. “Stop it.”

“Why?” you asked. “Why, Arkin?” He suddenly grabbed your shoulders with both hands in a tight grip.

“Because I’m in love with you! I’m fucking in love with you, YN! And I fucking shouldn’t be! Do you know how fucked up I am!? I’m in love with a fucking seventeen year old! I can’t be-”

“Eighteen,” you interrupted. He froze, staring into your eyes. You could tell by his broken expression and stressed grip on your shoulders that this had been wearing him down.

“W-what?” His voice sounded as if it was about to break.

“My birthday was last week,” you said, looking down at the ground. “I didn’t want to bring it up. I thought it would be weird. I just….” You looked up at him and gently set a hand on his cheek. “Arkin, I-” He cut you off, burying your face in his shoulder and his face in yours.

“Please don’t be mad,” he whimpered like a kicked puppy. “Please don’t be mad, but… I have thoughts… a lot. And they all involve you. And I don’t know what to do about them. You’re a kid, but I…..” There was a long beat of silence. “I think I’m in love with you.” You wrapped your arms around you.

“I think I’m in love with you too.” He pulled away, sniffling to make sure he didn’t cry.

“God damn,” he laughed, his usual smile popping on his face. “Fucking hell, YN. I never knew your birthday.”

“You never asked.”

“You should’ve told me you were eighteen now.”

“Why?” You stepped closer. “What would you’ve done, huh? Slammed me against the wall for my birthday?” Arkin put a hand at the base of your neck and shoulder.

“It’s never too late, eh?” You smiled, he smiled back. “Let’s finish this shooting lesson then we’ll see.” You grabbed the gun off the ground a few feet away and automatically fired off four rounds, one right after the other, hitting the glass bottle several yards away.