oxygen | druig

Chapter XX

Her hand was tangled inside his hair, gently
brushing through the brown strands with her fingers.

Druig had his head placed in her lap, his arms wrapped around her waist, crossed behind her back.

He had his eyes closed, and even if he had reassured her just a minute ago that he wouldn't fall asleep, Persia picked up on soft snores wailing the silence.

A smile pulled at the corners of her lips and didn't allow her to drop it.
She had her eyes glued to the boy.

Persia never really realized how unrelaxed he held his face, all that time.
Until now.
Eyelids softly resting, no crease to his brows. Lips not pulled up.

It didn't look like him, yet exactly like that Druig she knew.

Her fingers travelled about his features, tracing their outlines.
It almost felt like little electrical shocks whenever the tips faintly touched the skin.

A vibration caused her head to flip, torso jumping back.

She knitted her brows and panic-struck tried to find the source with her eyes.

Druig made a sound which only caused her to be more nervous.

She put her hand under his head and lifted him off her, so that she could get up.
Then she placed his head back down on a pillow she grabbed.

On tiptoes, Persia rushed through the room and finally found the device which wouldn't stop making those awfully loud tones.

She held the display in front of her eyes, staring back at it in confusion.

Unknown number.

Maybe it was Maya.
Her finger pressed the green button and she held the speaker to her ear.

"Hello?" she tried lowering her voice, quickly walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind her.

"Hello? Persia is that you?" a familiar voice asked, but she wouldn't have expected it.

Persia swallowed, the calm vanishing from her chest.
"Ikaris?"

"Persia, are you okay?" he asked, the worry behind his voice seeming too real.

"How did you get my number?" she avoided his question, forcing her voice to sound as monotone as she could.
Her throat ran dry.

"Sersi gave it to me, she's worried." he paused, "We're all worried."

Persia pushed her tongue between her teeth, taking a breath, "I'm alright."

"Are you with Druig, did he do something?" he urged, accent slithering between his words.

She swallowed, pushed her lips on top of one another. "I told you, I'm alright."

There was no way she would tell him what happened, what was happening in that moment.
For the first time she had something to herself, she would keep it to herself as long as she could.

She felt like it was going to ruin it.
Ikaris already ruined it by calling.

A sigh resounded through the speaker, "Persia, I need to speak with you in private."

Her gaze rushed down to her hands which balled next to her body. "And that can't wait for tomorrow?"

The man at the other end of the line responded quickly but was aware of her rising tone.
"No, it's important. Just you and me."

Persia scoffed, then quieted.
"I honestly don't want to speak to you."

She picked up how he took a breath, fell flat.
"Yes, I understand that. And I'm so sorry you had to find you this way, we-"