The Nuclear Reign of Strottimar [Part 1]

Chapter 15; Why Run

 Hansen sat me down at the little hole in the trunk cafe just below the hollow with a frighteningly bright look and his usual charming smile. I wasn't happy with him and I was starting to suspect he knew it. I'd only been here a few times in my life, but I knew the place best as Hansen's more so, private escape or his meet up spot with friends and girls previously. It was comfortable, equip with warm lighting, and small. The tea was top tier and served hot to soothe your throat. My favorite part was the white noise of the faint background chatter that seemed to distract my mind from the racing thoughts that swirled around between my ears.

I drew a breath and waited for him to speak first once we'd been served our tea. He wouldn't meet my eyes for a while, stirring his cup before letting out a sigh. "I wanted to really apologize for my behavior yesterday, for real this time. I'm sorry, Solstice."

He went quiet as I blinked slowly and took a sip from my ceramic cup. I didn't say anything, knowing his embarrassed expression that he had more to say. I wanted him to have more to say. "I've had all night to reflect, and I've been unfair to you, and your friends, and I've had no respect at all towards your thoughts. I've been awful to you all time stop and now we're here, I'm sorry. There's no excuse this time, my mind was too full of arrogance." he set his cup down and finally met my eyes with complete honesty.

"I am my father, and I know that, and I'm trying to change that. You keep me from being him," he grabbed my hand and curled his fingers around mine in a welcome way. "You help me with so much, I'm sure you realize you work too hard for me. I just hope that you can forgive me." he touched his forehead to my hand as I stared down at him, feeling something inside that made me feel special. I was at a loss from words, simply showing a faint smile and putting my hand over his once he'd lifted his head again.

His eyes seemed glossy before he gazed back down at the table again. "Ryu told me you were at Xander's this morning so I thought-" he stopped himself and drew a breath, something I'd taught him a long while back. To breathe. "Please say something, Solstice." he didn't sound demanding, hardly desperate, but simply just aching for some sort of comfort.

"You were stepping on my words last night, I wasn't sure if you'd be finished yet." I said honestly as his face went a little red. He nodded as I spoke again. "I understand your duties, if anything, I know your duties more than you would or will. I know that helping others is a priority but dismissing me as if I am an object wasn't part of our bargain. I am your caretaker, I'm your servant, I am not a slave." my mind pulsed back to what Ryu had said earlier. Slave, I was no slave. Not to Hansen Stevens.

"I know how important it is to you to be the hero but I feel like so brutally hunting down Ryu like that was wrong. I understand he attacked Mark, I understand his actions were extreme but we are negotiators, not barbarians. He was defending me and that was it, he isn't here to doom our race, he isn't here to cause any more trouble or harm, and he isn't a freak. Neither is Xander. I just wish you'd understand these things." I held his hands tightly now as he cringed at my words and held his tongue. His face was red as I leaned forward with a sigh.

Finally, after a long pause he lifted his head and spoke, his eyes still stayed away from my own. "My actions are my own fault, I'm really sorry." he flicked his gaze to me for a moment before letting his neat golden hair fall over his view. "I understand that I need to try harder to control what I feel."

"That's right," I said softly, adding on to his thoughts. "You've got a long way to go and a lot to learn, but I do too."

He swallowed and squeezed my hand again. "I owe Xander an apology, too, a big one, I've said nothing right to him all the time we've been acquainted." he muttered as I tensed a bit. "No, I think it's best to just leave him be, he's already formed his own opinions and he needs his time. He's got too much going for him now, and I feel like he wouldn't take your apology right." I tried my best to explain as he nodded and dipped his head again. "I'd understand. I think it's because he has such an intimidating position of power is why I act like this. Well, my father always believed that flates would never have such a position of power in lander grounds, but it just doesn't make sense. Times have changed, and I never really thought about it deeply before until now. I guess it's just always been in my head that he was wrong, nonetheless, my hatred for him makes no sense. He is just different from me, he isn't going to think the same and I should just leave it at that." he confessed with a sigh as I leaned back and let the words sink in.