NOW PLAYING........

                                                "caught on fire - holmes"

                                                1:35 ───ㅇ───── 3:47

                                                            ↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

"before i twist my arm & reach away"

"molecules ignite, i'm caught on fire"

"overload circuit buzzing, you & me"

"the way you kept your stare just slayed me"

the peacekeepers took us back to the academy, the building shimmering under the sun. i walk towards the classroom, nervous to see everyone's reaction to the coriolanus and i sneaking into the zoo. i fiddle with my hands and feel my arm sting. my face instinctively scrunches up. the weight of the potential judgment makes it hard for me to breathe.

as we approached the classroom, a whisper brushed against my ear, making me jump. coriolanus appeared behind me, his voice low. "relax, follow me," he urged, his hand on my shoulders. without fully comprehending my decision, i turned on my heel to follow him.

we went through the corridors, trying to be as silent as possible to avoid detection. my curiosity had the best of me. "where are we going?" i asked, my voice hushed.

"to the infirmary," he mutters, his eyes holding mine with an intensity that intrigued me. "your arm is bleeding through the makeshift bandage, plus i can't co-mentor with you if you die of infection."

the infirmary door swung open, and the sterile scent enveloped us. coriolanus gestured towards a bed, the crisp white sheets inviting me to sit. as he retrieved a first aid kit, i perched on the edge of the bed, feeling a strange mix of vulnerability and curiosity.

"huh, i would think that would be your dream scenario," i say jokingly. "to get me out of the way so you don't have to share every award, every achievement with me."

"i don't wish that," he mutters, looking around the room for the kit. "you push me to be a better person astrid, plus it would be unfair to win against you when you're injured, definitely not as fun."

"and there he is," i chuckle.

"sit down," he instructed, and i listened, my eyes never leaving his face. as he began to disinfect and patch up my arm, the silence hung in the air like a heavy fog. the pain in my arm became secondary to the atmosphere that surrounded us.

"thanks for helping me, right now and even in the zoo," i confessed, breaking the quiet. "i don't know what i was thinking, jumping into that truck."

coriolanus offered a half-smile, his eyes holding a certain warmth. "it wasn't the smartest move, i'll admit. but it was... adventurous."

adventurous. the word echoed in my mind, and i couldn't decide whether to regret it or secretly savor the thrill. coriolanus sat down right next to me and slowly held my arm towards himself. he dabs on some disinfectant and i hiss in pain, the wound burning. "almost done, it'll be okay," he says gently, his voice warm.

as he finished bandaging my arm, a silence lingered. coriolanus leaned in, his breath grazing my ear as he whispered, "you know," he paused, a soft smile playing on his lips, "getting into trouble with you might just become a habit i won't mind having, astrid." his fingers, deliberate, begin to brush against mine.

"yeah?," i mutter, breathless. my heart beat accelerates in anticipation of his reply.

suddenly there's a loud knock on the door. "who's in here?, come out this second," the unknown voice demands.

a/n-

getting on my grind again!!

all my love, forever,

rory.