𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 (𝙵𝚞𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝙱𝚡𝙱)

Track 40 | 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗲𝗮𝗺

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"I'm so fucking sorry," I whimpered, clasping my paw over my mouth as I watched Ari plug up his left nostril with a bloody tissue, which was really just some rolled-up toilet paper we found in the bathroom stalls. I felt so embarrassed that I could fucking break down and cry hysterically.

"It's okay, Harvey," Ari chuckled as if it were no big deal, squeezing the tip of his nose and tilting his head back to stop the blood from gushing out.

We were alone in the bathroom together, but we could tell someone had just been here because of the smoke wafting in the air, likely the emissions of a blunt, a cigarette, or a vape pen someone was using. Ari stared at himself in the mirror and laughed at the sight, pushing the hair out of his face to get a clear picture.

"Fuck," I mumbled, noticing the blood stains on his beige-colored graphic t-shirt. I scrounged for more paper towels from the dispenser on the wall and soaked them in tap water using the sink in front of us. I grabbed his shirt and began to dab the towel against the stain, trying to wash the blood out. I was sweating bullets.

Ari removed the tissues from his nose and looked down at me. "That's not gonna work, you know," he attempted to notify me as I scrubbed harder, blotting and smudging the red stain, spreading it and making it look even worse.

"Jesus, oh—Oh, my God—Ari, I'm—" I stammered apprehensively, my hands jittering as I ditched the towel and began to rub my fingers into the shirt. I don't know why I thought that would work. "Oh, fuck..."

"Harvey, calm down, it's okay," Ari assured, tossing his bloody tissues into the nearest trash can.

"No, it's not okay, I—Fuck," I grumbled anxiously, only for Ari to firmly grab ahold of my wrists, stopping me from doing any more.

"Harvard," Ari stated sincerely, eyeing me with an intense glare. "It's okay."

I sighed and sunk my head low with shame. "I'm sorry, Arizona..."

"You don't have to keep saying it. It wasn't your fault." Ari smiled faintly, loosening his grip on my paws. He then grabbed the edges of the sink counter with his palms and lifted himself up onto it, sitting with his legs dangling over the edge. "Besides, I appreciated the gesture."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I might be going deaf, but I'm pretty sure I'm not blind," Ari smirked, slouching over with his paws fastened to the edge of the counter, his feet gently kicking back and forth. "...It looked to me like you were trying to kiss me back there."

Even though I probably—most definitely—broke his nose, he still looked hot as fuck, all roughed up and bloody and shit. There was something about him; that no matter what condition he was in, he would always look flawless. Or maybe that was just how I saw him.

"Uh, yeah..." I chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of my head. God, I act like such a fucking dork. To him, I probably looked like every socially awkward nerdy male love interest you'd see in those dumb teen romance fiction novels. 

"I'm flattered," Ari spoke softly, staring at his paw as he scraped his nails together. "But, I'm a little confused, I thought you wanted to keep this thing a secret?"

I took a deep breath and crossed my arms. My eyes wandered around the room. "...I dunno what I was doing," I admitted, staring at his shoes as they gently swung back and forth. "I wasn't really... thinking straight. I guess the moment, just, came and..."

"...It felt right?"

I lifted my head up and looked at him. He was giving me that same, soft gaze; the one that could put all my fears to rest while also making me squirm with excitement, all at the same exact time. He was Medusa, and I, his newly-turned stone.