Tangent | Soukoku; AU [✔]

64 ➳ stuck with you // n.c

the day had finally ended, but we're all now back in our rooms, which means that i am now stuck with my roommate and support of the team. for the entirety of the day, xyren would interact as normal with me and the others, but will not spout a single hitch of breath around me. perhaps it's for the best as we got really heated for the past few days, but now that it's just the two of us, the silence was deafening.

i immediately went to take a quick shower to gather my thoughts. as much as i dread the fact that this woman has trampled over my pride multiple times, the team has much to lose if she isn't in good terms.

i got dressed and went out of the shower, and upon turning right, there was xyren, drawing on the small and cramped hotel desk. she was playing soft music through her phone's speakers as her pencil glides through the paper.

well, say something, god damn it! i thought to myself. i stood there in front of the shower room door, finding myself staring at my roommate. i contemplated again and again, as i tried my hardest to muster something out of my brain.

"r-ren," i stuttered, swallowing a lump in my throat afterwards. "i'm sorry."

that's all i could say? really? my brain whispered in my head. honestly, this is much better than saying something lengthy and then something wrong comes out.

the black-haired woman finally turned her head to my direction, her usual sharp red eyes meeting my own. i froze in place -- i can't tell what's going to happen next, if she was going to even accept my apology, or if she's going to continue ignoring me further.

xyren closed her sketchbook before fully turning her entire body to face me, still sitting down in that sturdy chair. 

"you don't owe me an apology, nakahara," her monotonous, raspy voice echoed the four corners of the room. "i... just didn't know how to respond to you anymore."

i kept quiet, but i walked forward to sit on the edge of my bed so i can hear her better. xyren then proceeded with her words.

"i'm still not used with people, but i'll tell you this -- i am just determined to win with you all. it's just that-"

"the way i'm behaving is bothering you?" i interrupted, to which she nodded in response.

"this trip helped me understand people better, actually," while her voice sounds flat, somehow i can pick up some positive intonation with the words she just said. "and while i still cannot be like your former support, i think it's much better we just learn from one another rather than bickering whether one of us is right or wrong, hmm?"

she's right. maybe xyren has been uncomfortable about the fact that i may or may not be associating her with dazai, no matter how much i convince myself that she's miles better than him. it's probably the years of experience with him that stuck with me, and it is possible that i haven't moved on from it.

i hung my head low. there's this pang building up in my chest that couldn't fathom now, but it's actually refreshing to hear something like this, away from the usual male to male banter.

"so... we're truce then?" i spoke.

and for the first time, ableit for a millisecond, i heard a tiny giggle from this woman.

"yes."