Running || A Garrance Fanfic

Chapter Nine

Aphmau's POV

Garroth has blocked you.

I nearly spit out my water as I read that. Aaron sees me shaken up and looks over my shoulder at the screen. He raises an eyebrow.

"What?" he asks before pulling out his own phone and going to messages. He gets the same message.

"Why would he block us?" I ask.

"I'm not sure. You should go see Zane. Maybe he knows something."

"Yeah, good idea." I get up from the table. "I'll be back."

I leave the house and head across the street to Garroth and Zane's house first. Not even bothering to knock, I open the door and enter the house.

"Zane!?" I call up the stairs, not hearing any response. I figure he's at Kawaii~Chan and Katelyn's, where I should have gone to first. I exit the house and immediately spot Zane across the street, heading to my house. I call out to him and he looks over. I run over to him.

"Were you blocked, too?" he asks as soon as I'm close enough.

"Yeah. Do you know anything about it?"

Zane doesn't respond at first, his gaze towards the ground.

"...It's Laurance." He looks back up. "I'm not sure how he's involved, but I know it's because of Laurance that Garroth's gone missing. Look."

He pulls out his black cell phone and shows me his texts with Garroth. It's clearly obvious from Garroth's reply that Laurance plays a huge part in his disappearing act, not that I'm really surprised. I expected this.

"Well, at least he's okay," I say but Zane doesn't look that convinced.

"He. Blocked. Me. Me! His brother! I swear, when I get my hands on that Laurance, I'm gonna-"

"Zane, calm down. This isn't Laurance's fault. He probably doesn't even know what's happening. Here-" I pull out my own phone. "-why don't I try texting him? Maybe he'll help us out."

He still doesn't look convinced, but I text him anyway.

Me- Hey, Laurance? I have something serious I've gotta talk to you about.

I wait a second, then send another text that might make Laurance a bit more inclined to check his phone.

Me- It's about Garroth.

Not even five seconds pass by when I get an alert, but it's not a text message.

Laurance has blocked you.

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Laurance's POV

I place my phone face-down on the coffee table beside me and turn back to the TV. There's some random cop show on that Gar, Vylad, and I are watching. Zianna didn't want to be subjected to gore and gunshots so she went upstairs to do something else. What that is, I'm not sure.

"You get a text?" Garroth whispers from next to me. I let out a frustrated sigh.

"Aph has such a low opinion of me." I pout and he snorts.

"Why is that?"

"She thinks that just by saying, 'It's about Garroth' -" I completely ace an Aph impression. "-that I'll instantly want to help. Does she really think I'll just drop whatever I'm doing just because you're involved?"

"Yes," Vylad answers, eyes glued to the TV and eating a bag of chips. Garroth laughs and I just shoot Vylad a glare.

"Gimme those chips," I growl, reaching across Garroth to steal his brother's chips. Vylad looks over and holds the bag out of my reach.

"Mine!"

"Hand em over, Vylad." I hop off the couch and approach the brunette. He gets up too.

"Never!" he shouts before running out of the room. Being the mature adult I am, I obviously run after him, ordering him to give me chips. Garroth watches from the side, smiling and not-so-subtly judging us. I eventually catch him and rip the bag out of his grip, fishing out multiple chips and eating them in front of him. Vylad falls onto the floor dramatically.

"Nooo! Why Irene why?!"

"Muahaha!" I toss the bag back to him and sit back on the couch next to Garroth. He gives me a look.

"What?" I ask, innocently, and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm living with two children..." he mumbles and I gasp.

"Excuse you. I am an adult, good sir."

"I find that very hard to believe."

"Oh yeah?" I smirk. "Well, take this!"

Before I even register what's happening, I find myself pinning Garroth to the cushions of the couch. He looks up at me, shock, confusion, and a pinch of humor written in his crystal blue eyes.

"What are you doing?" he questions with a slight smile. I feel relief flood through me at the smile.

At least he doesn't think this is weird... I think. Or he's just really good at hiding it.

"Are you going to take back what you said?"

"Never in a million years, Laur."

"Then I'm gonna keep you here until you do."

"Dude, who in their right mind even wants to be an adult?"

"You think I'm in my right mind?"

"I-" He hesitates. "-eh, good point."

I smile and we hear a small click from the side of us. We look over and see Vylad with his phone out, taking pictures. He spots us looking at him and quickly hides his phone.

"Why?" Garroth asks him and he just shrugs innocently.

I get the sudden feeling this is the start of something either really good, or really terrible.

"Can you get up now?"

I look back down at Gar who is looking at me expectedly. I smirk again.

"Nope." And I let myself fall onto his chest. It's surprisingly comfortable and I find myself just listening to his steady heartbeat. It's soothing.

"Irene, what have you been eating? You weigh a ton," he jokes and I pick my head back up.

"Do you want me to get up? Because this is not the way."

"Maybe not, but this is."

He uses his superhuman strength to push me off of him and I fall onto the floor with a thud. I groan and sit up with crossed arms. I suddenly feel really cold.

"Rude." I stick my tongue out at him.

"That was entertaining," Vylad comments, walking over to us. "Now move, Gar. That's my spot."

Garroth rolls his eyes, but sits back up in his original spot. I'm still sitting on the floor, hugging myself and wondering why the heck it got so cold all of a sudden. And why no one else seems to be affected.

"Laur, what're you doing?" Gar asks and I come back to reality.

"Huh? Oh. Nothing," I reply, getting up and sitting back next to Garroth. As soon as I sit down, I don't feel as cold.

Oh no... I think, now unable to focus on the TV. It's back...and it's stronger than ever.