121 Armored (1/2)

It was the only good times he had in the building he called home. Now they were rotten.

The walls they'd pretend were closing in on him were squishing him to smithereens. But he wouldn't feel. He couldn't.

He hated it so much. When this week would come around. When the memories would wash over him and he'll have nothing to do but to be dragged along in them like he was dragged by her. He couldn't escape them. He couldn't escape her smile. It was the only thing keeping him alive, it was the only thing killing him.

Vixen took in a deep breath and let out another. He wanted nighttime to come. He wanted to recline into a corner where he couldn't be found. To return to his own home where he couldn't be found and where the memories wouldn't touch him. He wanted to return to his books.

He wanted to go back to the library.

*

Regan woke up to a nice human surprise. Antonin laying beside her, fast asleep. That wasn't to surprise, it was when she looked down to see their hands in each other. That was when she flinched. No, she jumped, pressing her back into her wall and inching further away from Antonin, her feet kicking him in the face.

”AHHH!” Reagan yelled. ”WHAT IN THE FUDGELORDS-”

Antonin's eyes flew open and he looked up to Regan, eyes brightening immediately.

”REGANNN!!” he called out. ”You're ok?!”

”Did you want me to be dead?” Regan smiled sarcastically. ”How nice of you.”

Antonin let out a sigh, his face practically falling down on her bed, burying his face in her sheets. ”Don't scare me like that ever again. You made me so scared that something might have happened to you.”

”What did I do to you now, dummy,” Regan chuckled, easing away from the wall and inching closer to Antonin.

Antonin looked up at Regan, staring into her eyes. He was scarred of the moment. He remembered looking into her eyes and just seeing an empty void. A vacuum of nothing and the fuzzes of grey when she looked straight through him. He was terrified about that moment.

He sat there, on the floor, looking up into Regan's eyes as she sat on her bed.

Regan stared right back at him, her eyes as bright as ever. She was looking straight into his eyes, green mixing with the light hazel of Antonin's eyes. It was a calming moment,, one Regan wasn't used to. She was drowning in his eyes as he did in hers.

Antonin let go a breath of relief, not breaking eye contact with Regan.

Antonin looked at her up and down. The images from earlier that day flooded into his mind. His eyes looked up at hers again, his expression laying in a stoic but commanding gaze, ”I just might this time.”

Regan flinched. ”What?”

Antonin looked away from Regan, closing his eyes and resting his head on her bed again. He wanted to go back to sleep. He was tired. Before his mind started to drift away, he looked up to Regan sleepily, ”How do you feel?”

Regan stared at him blankly. She quivered when she heard the question and jumped back. ”Did you do something to my body while I was sleeping?”

”You wouldn't be wearing clothes then,” Ryder rolled his eyes.

”How reassuring,” Regan sighed, covering her body with her blankets.

”Don;t worry, I didn't do anything to you,” Antonin reassured her.

”Then why are you asking if there was something wrong with me and if I was ok???” Regan asked, her head cocking to the side questionably.

”Do you not remember what happened earlier today?” Antonin asked, his eyebrow raising.

”N-no…” Regan muttered, looking away from Antonin. There was something wrong with him today.

”Good,” Antonin smiled.

Regan stole a glance at him, her heart falling when she saw his smile. There was something seriously different about him today. She felt warm from head to toe and Antonin- he felt different. Good different.

She didn't know what it was. Maybe his scattered hair or how the light fell on top of him softly and brought out his eyes. They seemed almost gold, like a treasure for her to look at. Maybe it was his nonchalant behavior. The way he was so chill this morning, not overbearing, not over cheerful, he was just chilling with her. With his wavy long hair and focused eyes that looked at her only.