Stray Kids Drabbles

A flicker of hope (8)

"I'll be right here waiting for you to come back," I.N promised you.

"I'll be really quick, I swear. I'll go so fast, you'll barely know I was gone!"

I.N let out a laugh as he watched you disappear into the maze of bookshelves at your local bookstore. It was Saturday and the two of you were out on a walk. When you realized you were near the local bookstore, you asked if you could stop by just to browse. However, your browsing had turned into book buying.

You ended up with three books in your hands and I.N offered to carry them while you were on the way to find a fourth. You loved books dearly. Back at your apartment, you had a few bookshelves full of books. You loved the adventure and escapism that words provided you.

I.N stopped to browse a section of books, but you were itching to go look at your favorite genre. You were bouncing on the balls of your feet so much that I.N let you go on ahead. You apologized, but he insisted. This was your element and you deserved to enjoy it.

So when you went darting in the other direction, I.N tucked your books beneath his arm. With his empty hand, he pulled out a book on the shelf and flipped it around to read the summary. Hearing a throat clear behind him, he spun around to come face to face with your older sister.

"Hi," he politely smiled at her.

"Hi. What are you doing here? I didn't think you were the book type?"

"I'm here with your sibling actually. They ran off to go find another book," he chuckled remembering how excited you were when you ran off.

Your sister rolled her eyes, "I can't believe the two of you are still dating. Don't you want to find someone better? They're such a huge dork and live with their head in the clouds. Wouldn't you want to be with someone more logical?"

"Not really," I.N shifted the weight of your books suddenly uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. "I don't mind it at all. It makes them really happy."

Without warning, your sister began to complain about you. I.N watched her with a blank look on his face. He couldn't believe she was talking about you this way. You hadn't done anything to deserve to be talked about like this. What was wrong with enjoying escapism? He did the exact same thing with music.

As your sister continued, I.N's eyes darted around the nearby shelves. He didn't want to be rude, but he wanted to leave this conversation as quickly as possible. He couldn't imagine talking to his younger brother's significant other in this manner.

"And if you want me to talk to them for you, I can," your sister announced. "If you're looking for a reason to break up with them, I can provide you with multiple reasons. Aren't you famous? There's plenty of fish in the sea. You should be finding someone that matches your vibe, not someone who spends their time falling in love with fictional characters."

"I'll keep that in mind," I.N mumbled. He didn't plan on it, but he wanted a way to leave the conversation. "I should go find them and get going."

"I'm sure you should," your sister's sarcasm dripped out like venom. "If you need something, go ahead and call me. Do you need my number? I can gi-"

"If I need it, I'll get it from your sibling," I.N suddenly snapped, annoyed by her arrogance.

Your sister nodded and disappeared around the corner. I.N let out a sigh of relief. He was happy that she was finally gone. He mumbled something beneath his breath and slid the book he had back on the shelf. He kept hold of the books you were planning on getting.

On the other side of the shelf, you bit down on your lip trying not to cry. You were coming back with your book and when you spotted your sister with I.N, you ducked behind the next shelf over. You heard the full conversation and it suddenly felt like someone squeezed your heart until it burst.