Dents

[+] New Genius

((This chapter contains mature or potentially triggering content. Reader discretion is advised.))

I fumbled around the room in search of my deodorant.

I was making a mess of things in the process. I tripped over the cord to a PlayStation controller and kicked over a stack of empty cans. My bath towel lay at the foot of the bed in a heap. A thinner towel was wrapped around my head.

I had shorts and a bra on, but I wasn't planning to put on a shirt until I found what I was looking for.

"2D," I called.

He had been rifling through a pile of his mildly worn laundry that accumulated over a week or so on my floor. When he heard my voice, he turned his head back to me and smiled joyously, tracing his tongue over the gaps in his teeth.

"Yeh, luv?"

"Do you know where my deodorant is? I can't find it anywhere."

"Nope," he responded.

He resumed digging through the pile of clothes in front of him.

"Even if I did, can't say I'd tell yew when yew're wanderin' 'round like 'at," he winked.

"Oh, jeez. Quit," I blushed, "I need to find it."

As flattered as I was, we had other things to attend to. I was too flustered to take the comment to heart. We were running extremely late. The limited remaining hours of daylight were dwindling away rapidly with each passing minute.

"Did yew leave et in my room?"

"... Probably. Thanks, 'D."

I opened my door and peeked around the side to make sure that the coast was clear. I took three lunging steps into 2D's room. I shut the door behind me. It felt sort of empty despite all the clutter. I thought it must have felt that way because he wasn't in it. My deodorant was lying on the floor near the nightstand. I retrieved it and snuck back into my room where 2D had been getting changed.

I'd forgotten to shut off the radio on the alarm clock. The voice of an unknown newscaster droned monotonously, too quiet to understand but too loud to ignore. I had meant to shut it off earlier. As I approached it I realized that whoever it was happened to be talking about us.

"2D! 2D, we're on the radio!"

I turned up the volume and dropped onto the bed, listening intently to the host detailing the newly released album. Through the crackling reception of the speaker, they talked about how it had soared up the charts all throughout the UK and America. It had even placed number one on a few of them.

It seemed that 2D found the chart topper he'd been searching for.

"Didn't yew say yew were in a rush?"

"Yes! Yes, I did say that."

I flung myself off of the bed and scrambled around for something to throw over the top of me. After I'd gotten dressed, I vigorously brushed my hair even though it was inefficient to do so that way. 2D squinted at me curiously. It must have looked as uncomfortable as it felt.

"Yew want me to - "

"Nope, I'm good. I'm done."

2D chewed nervously on his bottom lip.

"Yew sure... ? Looks sort ov knotted up 'n st - "

"I'm sure it's fine," I declared.

I waltzed over to the mirror to get a look at myself before we took off. Aside from looking rather washed out, I was passable. However, just as I turned I noticed a massive tangle of hair that protruded a few inches off of the side of my head. I sighed in defeat.

Decidedly frustrated with doing it myself, I kneeled down before 2D who already sat at the edge of the mattress with the hairbrush in hand. I never had the patience to do it properly. He always did.

"Thank you."

"S'no problum," he snickered, "S'pose we can't expect yew to do et yewrself."

"Hey!"

"I'm kiddin', silly," he said, latching on to a particularly bad patch and working through it starting from the bottom.

"I like doin' et enyways."

When he finished, he gently patted me on the head and held his hand out to help me up from the floor. The darkness of his eyes emitted a soothing warmth.

I hugged him, pressing my face into his chest. He hesitated for a moment in surprise, confused by my sudden lack of haste. Tentatively, his arms wrapped around me. I was absorbed in the sensation of his touch and the scent of smoke in his clothes.

"I'm so happy you're back, 'D."

"I would neva leave yew, Saoirse."

He held my head to his chest.

"I... I fink the last time, when I, uh... I - I was there, yew know. I was watchin' but I couldn't do anyfink, 'n I... "

"I know. I saw you."

"Was hopin' yew would. 'M so sorry fo' scarin' yew the way I did."

"It's alright. Don't apologize over it. I'm alright, aren't I?"

He swallowed. His eyes lingered down to my waist where the greenish bruise hid beneath my clothes. I turned his face away from it and kissed him. 

"I'm alright, 2D."

I meant it.

"But, really, how are you?"

He smiled at me. It was the same sweet, innocent smile that I'd come to love so dearly.

"Betta. A lot betta."