Fated (Bloodhound x Eve (OC))

Confession

"I regret how I left things between us. You wish to know what you are to me. Is that right?"

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Crouched in darkness. Her palms smashed over her ears. A hand on her back, reassuring, keeping her in place. Pops and bangs, still too loud. The fingers now on her shoulder gripping harder, nails digging in through her shirt. Her mother's sobs slipping between the cracks, reaching her, sinking in.

incessant dings and chimes, louder, unrelenting, jarring —

Eve sat up with a gasp, chest heaving, and reached for Bloodhound, but quickly realized where she was. She fell back into the pillows and grabbed her phone off the bedside table to silence the notification that continued to pull against her half-asleep state. Her weary eyes could barely focus on the screen, but she squinted and blinked until it became clear.

'Type 'Y' to confirm your participation in today's match.' the automated text read.

She smashed Y and turned back over in bed, snuggling deeper into her pocket of sleep warmth, snoozing her alarm another time or two before deciding she had wasted enough time. It was tempting to skip this match, to avoid Bloodhound and the others, but she had no real excuse.

Her ankle was nearly healed as far as she could tell. It hadn't hurt her in some time, but she'd still been gentle with it. Ajay had advised that wrapping it was no longer necessary. As long as she didn't land too heavily after the drop or go for any crazy stunts, she should be able to resume regular activity.

Eve swung her legs over the side of the bed, and immediately pulled her feet back up off the floor. The tile was cold beneath her feet instead of the worn wood she had grown accustomed to.  She sighed and forced herself out of bed, grimacing at the time. It was her own fault, as it usually was, that she now had a very small window to get ready for the match.

Her shower was quick and utilitarian – she didn't even allow the water time to warm up. She jumped into the cold stream and washed efficiently under the icy droplets. Just as the water approached the perfect temperature, she was done, ready for the next task.

Her phone beeped and she checked it, toothbrush hanging out of her mouth – the transport ship would be there in fifteen minutes.

"Shit," Eve cursed.

She spat out a mouthful of toothpaste and rinsed, then yanked her leggings up to her waist. She dressed and looked longingly toward the empty coffee maker. Bloodhound usually had coffee ready for her on days she was running behind. She shook her head. There was no use thinking like that anymore. Now, she was responsible for herself.

Eve patted herself from head to toe, taking stock of her gear, her Tactical and Ultimate, goggles. Everything seemed good to go. She walked outside to await the ship that would soon land in the large, open area outside her house. A wave of unease washed over her. It had been a while since she had been picked up from her own house, but she remembered from early on, that the same ship that picked up Bloodhound would pick her up as well.

She stared at her phone: five minutes until the ship arrived. Should she purposely miss this one and call for another right after? It was probably too late for that, and somehow, that might be more awkward. Besides, she was going to have to interact with Bloodhound at some point. Would she give in and apologize as soon as she saw them? She shook her head and repeated Loba's words over and over in her head like a mantra: 'remember what you deserve.'

A tiny, dark speck appeared in the pastel sky, the oranges and pinks slowly making way for the blue of a new day. The spot grew larger and the whirring of engines echoed throughout the area, displacing a flock of birds from the nearby trees. She lifted her arm to protect her face against the cloud of dirt and dust that arose. For some reason, she felt like she was a newbie again on her first day where she didn't know what to expect.