Don Ferna (BWWM)

5.

TOBIAS

Should I compliment her sweater?

Or start with the weather?

He had no idea what to say to her as she glared at him while trying to catch her breath after the flight of stairs she had just dragged him up from.

"Princess—" A sharp sound suddenly filled the air and his right cheek stung in pain.

She had just slapped him.

He stared in shock with his mouth wide open and his palm cupping his cheek. She looked surprised as well. He would be lying if he said he didn't expect her to do something like that. She was a very dramatic person. But still...

"I'm so sorry I didn't think I would do that." She rushed to him, gently taking his bruised cheek in her soft palms. "Let me look at it—"

Smack!

She had hit him again. Way harder than before. So hard that he stumbled back a few steps (mainly to get away from her and avoid a third).

"Princess!" He exclaimed, holding one hand in front of him like it would do a thing to stop her as he tripped and fell into a bean bag chair.

His right cheek was aching worse than before and he had no doubt that her palm print would be imprinted on it.

"Don't fucking princess me!" She narrowed her eyes at him, making him shut up almost immediately. "I begged you, Tobi. I begged you and all I had was a fucking promise."

She was hurt. He didn't expect any less.

"I—"

"If you interrupt me one more time, I'll slap the stupid out of you." She pointed a long manicured nail at him. If it were a better time, he would have complimented it. He liked the shiny black polish.

He shut up.

"You left me." She sat at the edge of the bed, her eyes brimming with tears. "Right when I needed you. You just left." Her voice cracked at the end of the sentence.

Tobias sighed, running a hand down his face as he stood up and stopped to her level, his knees almost touching the soft carpet but not quite.

"I told you I would come back. I came back." He answered her lowly, taking her hand in his. "I kept my word, Enny."

"You're 8 years too late." Eniola said in the same quiet voice. "If you didn't realise, I don't need you anymore. You said it yourself. I can stand on my own. I am an adult." She bitterly repeated what he had told her all those years ago.

"Enny—" He couldn't finish his sentence. He didn't want his emotions to get the better of him. "I'll leave after the court passes a verdict." He said and exhaled.

Maybe she really didn't need him.

Her pretty eyebrows furrowed in surprise and light confusion. "You'll stay?"

The uncertainty in her tone dampened his mood. He had put it there. He hoped he would try to at least make it right.

"Yes." His voice was kind as he reluctantly let go of her hand and stood up. "Until the end of the trial, I'll be here."

She fiddled with her fingers as she looked away, her eyes looking a little less sad.

"I— I'm sorry I hit you. I shouldn't have done that." She mumbled an apology and he almost felt the need to laugh and pull her into a hug.

She hadn't changed.

"It's fine, Princess. I deserved it." Tobias said, standing awkwardly from across her. "I missed you and apologize for not trying to reach out at least."

"Yeah, I guess I missed you a little bit." She quipped and he just chuckled, deciding it was wiser to not bring up all the things she had done for his attention. "And I guess I need another hug."

He could never reject her and soon enough, he had her in his arms, patting her hair down as he felt some wetness on his shoulder.

A little bit?

~~~

Tobias noticed that she had left everything the way he did in the insanely large bathroom; she hadn't changed a single thing.

It warmed his heart in a way.

"Where are the wipes?" He asked her as she sat in front of the vanity mirror. He saw his reflection from behind her on the mirror and realised the top for his white shirt was stained with light brown powder from when she hugged him and he just popped open a few buttons.

He grimaced a bit at the sight of the bruises forming along the side of his face but smiled when he met her regretful eyes.

"They are on that dresser over there." She pointed behind him and he found them immediately, near a set of earrings.

"I didn't even realise you weren't wearing them." He gestured and she just shrugged.

"I guess I wanted to make a good impression. I didn't think you would like them" she answered and he just sent her a 'really?' look and took the set of earrings and wipes in his hands.

"Nonsense." He answered, dropping them on the vanity and proceeding to help her clean her face.

He gently wiped the soft moist fabric over her eyelids, eyebrows and the bottom of her lip. It didn't take him long to realise that she had used the make up to cover the piercing holes.

"Do you like them?" He asked, still cleaning sparingly on her nose. She just stared at him from the mirror. She had always enjoyed how relaxing it was watching him focus on doing something. She had missed that. "Well?"

"Oh. Yeah" She blinked. "What was the question?" She asked and he shook his head, laughing. He had almost forgotten how short her attention span was.

"Do you like them?" He was done with cleaning, now twirling the set of rings between his fingers and looking at her through the mirror.

"Yes, I do." She answered and he nodded, removing one from the set.

"Good. Now, let's fit them back in."

~~~

I know noone calls any of y'all Princess. And if they do, I'm jealous and I want that for me too.🧍🏽‍♀️