exotic | k.th

2 ‣ captain

Your apartment.
> 2:45 A.M.

"Aria's deep asleep." Joni tells you as you poke your head in the small pink room to see your little sister sound asleep on her bed. Joni is the girl who lives next door; she's the closest thing you've had to family for practically eight years now. She watches Aria, your little sister, for you while you work. She brings her back over to the comfort of her room at night to sleep and stays until you get back.

Joni is a stay at home mom with two kids of her own, a two-year-old toddler and a four-month-old baby. Aria recently turned nine, and since she spends a lot of time at Joni's place, she helps out with the babies as much as she can. Joni's husband gets back from work in the late afternoon, so while Joni waits for you at your place, he watches their own kids.

They're a nice couple, really. You don't know what you'd do without them. You wouldn't be able to work, wouldn't be able to take care of Aria. She'd be taken from you—to die with strangers. Aria wasn't supposed to live past seven. She has a condition that will kill her eventually since it hasn't done so yet.

It's hard for the both of you. There are so many medications, so many trips to the hospital, so many machines, so many needles, so many pills. Some days she'll look healthier than you, other's she'll be turning gray and struggling to breathe. At these heights, the doctors say it could all be over any second. Just like that.

"Thank you so much, Jo." You walk her to the door, giving her a hug like always. She returns her daily smile, telling you there's no need to thank her and walks back over towards her apartment where her exhausted husband must be waiting for her in the couch, half asleep. You wait until she closes her door to step back into your own place. It's always so quiet at this hour.

After a quick shower and a change into comfortable clothes, you go and check on Aria. Sitting next to her bed, you reach over to place your finger gently beneath her nostrils. Small, warm gusts of air brush over your skin. They're consistent.

That's a great sign. You smile, relieved. "That's good, kiddo." You whisper. Usually, you like to stay here for an hour or two. It's simply the paranoia. If it were up to you, you'd never sleep. You'd stay here all night, just in case.

In the morning, Aria is the one who wakes you up. She has her backpack ready, packed with toys and meds. She used to back a change of clothes, but now she's old enough to just walk over and get them if she needs them.

After rushing to get all of your stuff ready, you go drop her off at Joni's place, say hi to her and her husband who also leaves to work while it's still dark out, and leave praying you won't be too late.

— • —

Cruz Strip Club & Bar.
> Hours later.

Today isn't really a busy day at work; the place is surprisingly empty. There's still quite a few people, but not as many as there usually is on this particular day of the week. You find the absence of drunk, smelly individuals a bit odd, but don't think much of it after a few seconds. Either way, better for you. You get paid the same. Hanging out with Deena at the bar is much more enjoyable, anyway.

"Darling," Deena nods over to someone behind you, "look." You turn to see a handsome man waving you over—for an order, you assume. He's dressed casually; his dark hair falls handsomely over his eyebrows and he smiles at you. He looks young, maybe only a bit older than you. Or he may even be your age, you can't tell. It's a nice change from all the older creeps.