Life is Funny Like That

Twuntee-fyv. Broken and Bright

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The night that Adrian rushed through the door was something Kimmy was least expecting for a quiet Thursday, especially considering it was his day off; the entire week in fact. 

Kimmy's shock was visible at the trembling sight before her. Pale and scared, Adrian's face was a familiar, yet heartbreaking image. She hadn't heard a thing from him since the last day he worked and now he stood in front of her, making wild motions with his hands.

Adrian mumbled a string of words that came out as, "Phone, I need your phone. My dad isn't okay, he's-he might be dead, but Adelaide doesn't know-she doesn't know mine isn't-mine is dead, Kimmy, I need your phone."

Her phone was out of her pocket in two seconds and Adrian's labored breaths and shaky hands were all she could see.

He attempted three times to dial the right number before successfully getting it to ring.

"Adelaide, my phone died, is dad okay?" he rushed and his shaking only grew more violent.

Kimmy's fingers clenched around the rosary beads in her pocket, and she could only think to silently pray.

"Okay, okay, okay. Bye." Adrian breathed and handed the phone back to Kimmy. His father was apparently stable for the moment. 

"Does Daffodil know your phone is dead?" Kimmy asked, pocketing her phone. She gazed at him carefully as if the first sign of danger would send him running.

"Daffy..." Adrian flinched. "I-she must hate me by now."

"Call her or better yet, go to her house and explain," she ordered.

"I can't, Kimmy, I can't-I don't know how to apologize for the past few days." And his slowing breaths began to pick up their pace again. "What if she-I mean I-how could she forgive me?"

"Don't be a fool."

"I should fix my phone first-I don't know how to talk to her yet."

He was out the door before she could speak.

"Why must I be the middle man?" Kimmy mumbled before dawning her jacket and leaving the diner in Levi's hands.

They stand in the doorway, Daffy still huffing and Adrian becoming wet from the dripping clothes he embraces.

All of the worry, all of the panic he felt when his phone died and his life-line was cut; it's all insignificant. Kimmy was right. He is a fool. He didn't trust that Daffy's love was genuine and resilient. Regret has a bitter bite.

Adrian rests his chin on her head.

"I'm so sorry. I promise I won't do it again."

They hold onto each other long enough for Daffy to catch her breath. She looks him over, checking for any remnants of his anxiety attack. Besides the spaced twitches, he's back to normal.

Adrian smirks at her as his hand strokes the frizzy tangles of her hair.

"Look at us," he murmurs, his face inches from her forehead. "I really wanted to be the one that comes running to save you from something but you keep beating me. You always end up saving me first. Do you have to be the knight in shining armor every time?"

"Well, maybe if you call me more often, you can have a chance at the whole saving thing." Daffy peeks around Adrian into his apartment and sees a bag of marshmallows lying on the small counterspace of the kitchen. Seeing his red-rimmed eyes and dark bags, she flings the idea of going home out the window.