Curiosity Kills the Cat (An IDFB Fanfic)

Chapter 5

Chapter 5
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Different
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Coiny's P.O.V.

She stopped midway. 

I could sense the confusion she had before she eyed me. Her brown eyes trailing down from my head to my shoes. The grip around the chef's knife tightened as she identified me. 

"You fucking bitch!" 

I nervously chuckled as she pointed the thing directly underneath my neck. My entire body tensed up as she spoke, anger engulfing every word. "What the hell do you want?!"

I couldn't say anything. Maybe it was the fear of death at the hands of an old friend or the fact that she was right. What did I want? I personally knew what I wanted to do but her? I was a threat just by appearing. She wouldn't believe it anyway.

"Speak up!"

I looked at the knife, centimeters away from piercing my neck to chocolate brown eyes that were practically encasing daggers. A nervous string of words left my mouth, "I– I just wanted to see if you were fine," I spoke up, my voice getting skittish by the millisecond. She seemed taken back, the once aggressive demeanor seemingly dying down to anxiety-ridden sight. Though it left as quickly as it came. 

"Stop lying! What do you want from me!?"  

I didn't say anything. My eyes were stuck to the blade in her hand. I just stood there, waiting for her to just impale me with it. But she didn't say a thing. She pushed back the strands of metallic hair, her face becoming more visible. I softly groaned, seeing as we might as well be stuck like this for hours. "Leafy. I'm not joking." 

She scanned me for a couple more seconds just before swinging her arm down – the knife in her hand now thrown directly at the ground – before it cut through a chunk of the earth. I could only let out a small yelp, startled by what had happened before me. "And how do I know you weren't followed?" I could sense the exasperation in her voice. 

"I–" My heart stopped. "I'm not sure." I stayed quiet as the girl pondered at my statement. We stood there in silence, the soft crackles of the bonfire as the only sound audible in the background.  She lifted her hand to the bridge of her nose, obviously wondering what the hell to do.

Leafy sighed, suddenly extended her arm towards me. I reached out, mildly confused why she wanted a handshake, but did so regardlessly. Right before touching her hand, she pulled back almost defensively as she scoffed. I awkwardly smiled, completely confused. "Your jacket."

I fumbled backwards, confused at her statement. "What?" "Your coat. I need to make sure TB isn't using you to track me." I blinked in response. 

"Oh, uh, yeah."

I slid out of the purple sweater and tossed it over to her. Leafy rummaged through the pockets, feeling every crease in the sweater. I couldn't help but analyze her. After months of not seeing her, she still looked the same, but different in some way. 

There were visible bags underneath her eyes that were no longer as bright as she once was. She no longer had a smile drawn on her face. And the most obvious difference was her hair. It was a metallic grey, almost like Pin's but different. It was more sparkly, probably due to the yoyleberries. Yet it was all so droopy. When I was back on the show, her hair seemed more in touch with her fun-spirited nature. Now she just looked, exhausted. Too exhausted. 

Leafy only hummed, just before tossing the jacket back to me. "You're clean," she grumbled. I began putting it back on just as she began talking. "Well, you can leave now." Crossing her arms, she made her way to the slowly dying bonfire. I stood there confused as I quickly readjusted the cuffs of my sleeves. "W–Wait. I'm not leaving just yet. I just got here!" 

She glanced at me through the corner of her eye, only responding with, "I'm fine. You got your answer, and now I want my privacy." She continued walking. 

She genuinely wasn't anything like I remembered. 

I snickered at this. "I just got here and you're immediately batting me off?" I let out a sigh. She ignored me. She sat down, near the bonfire watching the fire slowly consume the wood. Again, the crisp pops of the blaze swayed in the air. I kept my eyes to the ground. 

I really had risked my life to talk to her. And she just flicks me off like I was just some overgrown patch of grass. But she had every right to do so. I  suddenly appear and why wouldn't she be livid. 

The memories of everything felt like they were crashing down on to me. Everything wrong I did. 

"Leafy, I swear I wa–"

Almost instantly she stopped me. My gaze now on her, her voice shaky compared to her beginning statement. "I don't need to hear your stuff right now Coiny." Her sight was still stuck on the flames. Her hands were pressed against her arms, almost as if comforting herself. I could see the hesitancy she had to add on to her previous sentence. Her face scrunched up as she quickly inserted her nails down into her flesh. 

"Coiny."

I bit my lip as she tried to suppress her gasps for air. I softly murmured back to her.

"Yeah?"

She pressed the palm of her hand against her cheek. 

"I need you to leave."

I stepped closer, wanting to talk to her more. But then she looked at me. Her eyes were filled with anxious bitterness. I immediately stopped, leaving my jaw open, wanting to spew out words. But I couldn't. I could see the mental pain she was dealing with. My breath had stopped at the sight.

"Now."

I didn't say anything. I looked down to the ground, her weapon stuck in the dirt, waiting to be pulled out by its owner. I gave her one last glance before I turned around. 

I left without another word. 

A/N: Oh WHOOPS. I "ACCIDENTALLY" hit that 'publish' button. Definitely an accidental publish. I know I just ruined the mood but like, I'M ACTIVE??? OH MY GOSH.