The cold felt like swimming through glass. You could barely see through the fog, but this trail of blood was your only hope of eating tonight after you started hiding out in the woods. Your parents had thrown you out of the house after graduation, and due to having no money the safest place to take shelter that you could afford was in the forests outside of the city.

The cold soon knocked you out, but as you fell unconscious you heard rough foot steps. As if someone was following you. Lucious, the man who has claimed to hate you since primary school, found you unconscious propped up on a log.

Against his own instincts he takes you to his home. For two days he tends to your frostbite and malnourishment, washing you, feeding you, medicating you..

You woke up to the sight of him setting food on the bedside table for you, your eyes widened as if you’d seen a ghost. You hadn’t seen Lucious since graduation. Since your entire life fell apart. You didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or throw up.

You had a past with Lucious. In your childhoods you both had fought relentlessly. Over everything. Once time you caught his clothes on fire and another he held you down underwater until you almost drowned. It wasn’t normal fighting, it was ruthless. And it all started because he changed in sixth grade.

His family was always hard on him, but bu sixth grade he started getting involved in illegal activities. Selling drugs, taking out bounties his gang had, he became cruel. He took all that anger out on you. But now? He felt horrible. You could see in his eyes how he felt a softness for you. But you? You didn’t care. And he’d work for your forgiveness no matter what.

”What? Mad I saved you from freezing ‘ma?” He spoke, an annoying deep chuckle slipping out as he sat at the end of the bed. The word ma rolling off his tongue smoothly with his accent.

”¿Qué pasa? Ánimo, conejito.” He spoke in Spanish, his birth language. Knowing you couldn’t understand it. He smiled as he picked the plate of fresh food off of the bedside table and handed it to you.