Thug Like You

Chapter 22

Ares entered the house, pulling his hood off as he closed the door behind him.

"Ares that you?" He heard from the kitchen, stopping in his tracks. As he stood there contemplating going in or simply going up to his room to clean himself up and lay the fuck down, Assiana called out to him again and he sighed. Against the wishes of his aching body, he listened, making a U turn and bending the corner to enter the kitchen.

Assiana stood by the stove, switching one of the burners off before turning to him, the small smile she had dropping as soon as she saw his condition.

"Ares what the hell happened to you??" She asked, looking at his bloodied face.

Pity she didn't know it wasn't his blood.

"You called me for what Si?" Ares ignored her previous question, wanting nothing more than to take a shower and clean up whatever small injuries he might've incurred.

"...... I.." she wanted badly to push him to answer her. But as she thought about what she'd seen after following him months prior, she knew she'd answered her own question. "I made dinner. Was wondering if you'd eat with me?" She mumbled, expecting a no given the mood Ares displayed.

However, despite even that, Ares softened slightly after hearing her request. It had been quite a while since they sat and ate together, and the familiarity appealed heavily to him. He would never admit how much he missed the things he'd ruined between them.

Licking his lips, he nodded to Assiana's surprise and she smiled.

As she turned to share their plates, he sat down, taking his gun and knives out of his waist band as it was poking him uncomfortably. Placing them on the table, he fixed his hoodie.

"Your mom home yet?" He asked her, wanting to know if he should hide his weapons properly.

"Nah, she out with her friends or suhm. I realize she been doing that a lot lately. I wonder if she met someone." Assiana answered, speaking mostly to herself at the end. "Do your jobs always go till so late?" She asked, knowing it was well after 12.

Ares sighed, holding back a sarcastic reply, knowing his irritation wasn't with Assiana and as such she didn't deserve his bad attitude.

"I got school so yah most days it's later in the day or night. Sometimes I do day but I still be up late making up for the school work I missed. So it makes sense I do shit at night. I also prefer people not seeing me. So the dark works" he answered her. Assiana hummed in response, turning around with the plates and setting them down, only seeing the items he'd placed on the table when she sat down.

Her movements slowed as she looked at them and Ares looked up at her as he chewed on the spoonful he'd put in his mouth.

She cleared her throat before looking at him and giving a small smile as she focused on her plate.

"When we're done I'll help clean you up... if you want" she offered, scooping up some of the food off her plate and eating it.

Ares swallowed what was already in his mouth before clearing his throat.

"Would appreciate it sure." He answered her.

They continue to eat in silence and her eyes flicker from her plate to his gun, something that didn't go unnoticed to him but he simply watched for awhile. It was when he finished eating, that he finally spoke up.

"It's nuhn to be afraid of you know. It ain gone go off for no dam reason" he told her, picking his stuff up and placing them securely in his waist band and pockets, avoiding hurting himself.