You're The Music That's Been Playing In My Head: Book Four

Alt. Luka and Y/n Short

Story inspired by image above

"Mission accomplished," I report to Betterfly as I land in an alleyway hidden from prying eyes to de-transform.

"Good work Alt. (s/n), take the rest of the day off, I'll have Scarlettebug and Paw Noir do the rest."

"Tell them I said not to fuck up since I won't be there to clean up their mess."

Paw Noir lets out an unimpressed chuckle. "Very funny."

"Thank you," I snicker. "Flaake Evaporate."

I hand Flaake her snack, giving a small scratch behind the ear.

"I promise we'll get the Supreme's gag off you soon."

Looking around, I step into the light, letting my displeased mask fall upon my face to avoid suspicion. I then keep an attentive gaze on everything around me.

"Here, let me help you with that," I hear, my gaze turning to Juleka, who is helping an old woman who had dropped her groceries.

"No, get away!" The woman cried swatting at Juleka untrusting of her.

"I just want to help," Juleka again says, handing back a fallen apple.

The woman snatches the apple back but lets Juleka help.

I shake my head. It was so disappointing. This was the world the Supreme wanted, one where people had to distrust others and fear others' intentions. My ears pick up silent footsteps next, and I turn to see a guard rounding the corner.

"Shit," I curse under my breath as I rush toward them.

Grabbing Juleka's wrist I start to tug her away.

"(y/n), what are you doing?" She asked, pulling against me.

"Juls you need to leave, there's a guard," I whisper when we hear him call out to us.

"Hey! What's going on here?!"

"Act like you're fighting me. Now!" I whisper, urgently. 

Unfortunately, she doesn't get to fall into character as the guard approaches, noticing what is going on.

"Are you helping this woman?" He asks angrily, Juleka freezing in fear as she stutters.

"Wha...No I—"

"Answer me!" He cuts her off when I answer.

"No, she wasn't I was. She was trying to steal from the woman before I intervened. Right?"

Her watery eyes meet mine, silently pleading me not to do this.

"Admit it, you were stealing!" I press her again and she squints her eyes shut tightly as she yells.

"Yes! I was stealing from this frail old woman before she had to annoyingly get in the way."

"I see, get out of here then," The guard says, and we watch as Juleka takes off, I mentally sigh as the guard turns to me. "You know the consequences of helping people."

"I do," I agree, meeting his stare with a serious face.

"Name."

I give a fake name.

"Seeing as this is your first offense, you'll be given the first punishment," He lifts his weapon and hits me across the face with the butt of it, knocking me to my knees.

My hand goes to the stinging section on my cheek, feeling warm blood seep onto my fingers as I hiss in pain.

Satisfied with the kicked puppy look I was giving the fuck; he walks away satisfied. I stumble to my feet and look around feeling a pair of eyes on me. I soon meet a pair of familiar blue eyes. Luka. He had seen me get hit by the guard. I give him a crooked smile with a two-fingered wave before cupping my cheek and heading back home. 

❅❅❅ 

I lay underneath the shade of the tree I was under, leaning into the trunk, arms crossed. My gaze never left (y/n)'s frame from across the park as she talked with her friends, Juleka being one of them. The image of her being hit by that guard this morning played in my mind as I tried to decipher the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach it had caused. I had gotten the story from a bawling Juls when I got home, (y/n) had taken the fall for her good deed.

It doesn't make sense, why would she do that? I'm grateful she did but it doesn't make sense. None of her actions for the past few weeks have.

I was struggling to understand what she was getting at and it was starting to frustrate me. First, she gave me back my hoodie free of charge, then suddenly I felt like I was seeing her everywhere unlike a few weeks ago keeps managing to catch my attention, and each time I noticed something new about her that I didn't see before and before I knew it, I was technically hanging out with her from time to time and she was tolerable.

Then there was last night, the first time I hung out with her alone. I just wanted a pick me up from the vending machine, and yet I asked her to walk with me and then we reached the bridge, and I... 

I press my burning face into the back of my hand. The image of her face pops up, relaxed, eyes closed, her soft-looking lips slightly parted as she waits for me to make my move.

To think I almost kissed her! 

I let out a sigh as I got up and made my way over, stuffing my hands in my pockets. As I approach, I can hear my sister crying as she repeatedly apologizes to (y/n) while clutching her shirt.

"Juls seriously, it's ok. This wasn't your fault," She reassured, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"B-But you got hurt..." Juleka blubbers, holding back tears.

I flinch upon hearing this and my gaze falls to (y/n)'s cheek. Sure enough, she had an adhesive gauze pad taped to her cheek, slightly tinted red. My body tenses at the sight.

Why did it bother me so much? 

"It's not that bad, it'll heal, I'd much rather you don't have it," (y/n) again reassures her.

"I'm sorry..." She apologizes again.

"Come on Juls, she said it was alright, no more apologizes," I say, squeezing her shoulder reassuringly.

She looks up, takes a breath, and nods as she wipes away the last of her tears.

"Luka, hey," (y/n) greets me.

"Hey..." I purse my lips. "(y/n) I wanted to..." I trail off.

Wait...What did I wanna say to her? 

Images flash through my head of last night and this morning.

"I wanted to..." I try again, gritting my teeth when she stops me.

"Luka. It's ok," A soft smile spreads across her lips, the very same one that gives me that comforting warm feeling.

"Uh...Yeah. Cool," I ruffle my hair awkwardly. "See you," I walk past her.

How is it that she knew what I was gonna say when I didn't even know what I was gonna say? Have I really grown to like her so much that I've let my walls down enough for her to read me like that?

I shake my head and look up at the clouds passing by.

No, this is probably what she wants, to get in my head. Because the fact of the matter is, you and me, we're not the same. 

Author:*reading intently* What happened?!

Alt. Luka: You tell me! You're the author!

Right. Shit. You go back to your overthinking your relationship with y/n, I'll go back to procrastinating lol. *whispers* Though I am excited for the next short.