I need you.
Blearily, Maktov stared at those three little words Thalia had texted him. When they finally registered, his heart hitched. His sleep-addled brain entertained a microsecond of fantasy, until reality sunk in and he muttered to himself, "Stop that."
Groping for his glasses, he slid them on and leered at the little screen. The words hadn't changed.
Sighing, he propped himself up in his bed, typing a return text: "What do you 'need' me for?"
A few moments later, a reply came.
"I was working on my animations to get them ready for tomorrow. Something happened. My program isn't working. I don't know what to do!"
Maktov groaned, pressing his head back into his pillow. This animation assignment was going to be the death of him. He'd only gone college, so he could either get a raise or get a better paying job. Not that he needed the degree, given his experience and skill, but it looked good and incessantly opened doors. And he needed all the help he could get. Not many wanted to hire a demon, let alone a shadow demon.
However, this assignment had chewed a fair amount of time out of his schedule. His routine was screwed. Going to bed too late, dragging his ass out in the morning with cricks and pains and lactic acid buildup. Or whatever it was that made him feel so godsdamn awful in the morning. And it wasn't as if he could just plop into bed at a decent time when he had work or homework to get done.
Luckily, his job was lenient when it came to when he worked on his assignments. Just as long as he logged them.
But now Thalia's computer might've destroyed her part of the project?
A small part of him seethed with paranoia. She probably didn't even do it. She probably thought if some big "mishap" happened, he'd take over the reins or something.
Maktov shook the thought away, knowing - logically - that wasn't true. Thalia, her attitude and awkwardness aside, seemed hard-working. What single mother wasn't?
Glancing at the time, Maktov stifled another groan. Eight in the morning. Fuck, he had missed a class. He had laid down around one, thinking he'd get a few hours sleep. He must've slept through his alarm. Gods, being old sucked.
Pushing himself up in bed, he replied to Thalia, saying he'd be there soon to see what he could do. Tilting his glasses to his forehead - avoiding the headache he'd get from using his dark vision with them - he maneuvered around his pitch-black bedroom with ease, getting dressed.
Shoving the phone into his jean pocket, he ventured further into the rest of his less-dark-than-pitch apartment. Light snuck in the living room, squeezing around the curtains tightly shut and casting thin lines of illumination across the floor. Once he gathered his equipment, found his wallet, and located his keys, Maktov opened the door. A semi-lit - and highly graffitied - breezeway greeted him, beyond which the sun blazed. He winced into the light, wrinkling his nose. A brief consideration of not going to Thalia's shot through his head, before 'I need you' danced across his thoughts.
Sighing at himself, Maktov stepped out and locked his door behind him.
---
Almost as soon as Maktov entered the home, Thalia was babbling.
"I was working on it this morning, after Taryn went to school. I got up to get some more coffee and when I came back, it had crashed. I thought it was on a screensaver, but it didn't come back on." Thalia ran a hand through her hair, fingers crooked and digging slightly into her scalp. Her eyes burned with unfallen, stressed-out tears. "I was so into what I was doing, I don't even know if I saved before this."
Maktov nodded and listened. He'd had problems like this in the past that drove home his frequent saving habit. Computers weren't his specialty, but he was known to get lucky with his patented 'fiddle with it until something reacts' move. Gently, he placed his bag on the kitchen table next to her computer and tablet. Sitting down, he tapped the touch pad. Nothing. He fiddled with the wires, the power cable, the connection between the tablet to the laptop. Nothing.
"I'm so sorry. I know you were concerned with having to help me and do your part, but I don't even know if my computer entirely died or-" Thalia's words cut off as she turned away abruptly, blinking hard. Tension warbled in her stomach, taut and unhappy.
Behind her, Maktov sighed. It was like a knife to her gut and she flinched.
"Just calm down. If you lost your work, I'll help. Can't control when a computer glitches." You could control when you saved your work, he sourly added to himself. Now wasn't the time, though. Even he could tell Thalia was in no shape to be criticized. "I'm going to hardboot it."
"Okay," was her small reply. He glanced at her, concern pinched at his face, but didn't say anything.
Maktov pressed the power button until the laptop flickered on. He sat back as it hummed to life, going through the process of waking up.
At the sound, Thalia turned, eyes on the screen. She prayed to any gods listening for her work to still be there, that her last few days of work hadn't been for nothing. Maktov moved as she typed in her password and went to her program. He leaned over her shoulder, his hand braced on the back of the chair. His proximity sent clashing, confusing sensations through Thalia's body.
After a moment, the file she was working on popped up, with a gratifying [Restore] behind the title.
"Oh gods," she gasped, finally remembering to breathe. After quickly saving and then looking over her work, Thalia let out a sigh. "Most of my work is there. Like eighty percent."
Maktov nodded, but neither stepped away nor let go of her chair. She felt his breath barely grace her cheek as he asked, "Will you still need help?"
"No, no, I don't think so." Thalia shook her head, feeling both relieved and extraordinarily ashamed. She had no clue why such terror clenched at her so quick nor why she texted him in a panic. Her heart still thrummed with fright in her chest, despite the sudden tiredness at her limbs. "Thank you for this. I suppose I must seem ridiculous."
"It's not like I did much." He released the back of her chair, taking a step back. Thalia risked a glance at him, watching as he stretched from his stooped position, arms over head. He groaned as some gratifying pops echoed along his spine. "Let's go get something to eat."
"Don't you need to get to work or something?" She'd been certain, if he answered her text, he'd have to rush off to wherever he worked or to a class soon after. He just seemed the type. But he was the first person she thought to contact and thoughtlessly took that risk.
"Day off." She didn't need to know he missed his class earlier.
Those two words made Thalia ease, just a little.
Maktov had gone to his bag, riffling through the contents to withdraw his wallet and cellphone. "I think we both need a breather. Unless you feel up to facing your big, bad computer again."
Thalia glared at him and his infuriating smirk, her lips puckered into a displeased pout. Her gaze flickered to her computer, giving it a double dose of glare. What a traitor it was, giving Maktov another thing to hold over her head.
He was making his way to the front door when he added, "You can treat me to breakfast, as a thank you."
"I already thanked you!" Annoyance flitted through her words as she got to her feet. She shoved her feet into a pair of sneakers by the front door and snatched her purse from the floor. Though she'd already eaten with Taryn, there was a semi-hidden eagerness to spend time with Maktov. Time without the tethers of their project.
Maktov's grin crooked across his lips as he watched her lock up, part of him relieved she hadn't said no to going out for breakfast with him. Peering at the complex's parking lot, he thumbed toward the lined up cars, "You happen to have a car?"
Genuine surprise crossed Thalia's face as she looked up at him. "You don't?"
"Don't need one," he replied, doing his best to keep his face indifferent. He could nearly see her curiosity bubble through her thoughts. Her attention warmed something deep inside him. Delight, maybe? Or amusement? Maktov didn't know, but it felt nice.
Thalia arched an eyebrow at him, expecting more from him.
His smile broadened in return, but he gave her no more answers on the topic. "So, you got a car or are we taking the bus?"
Comments (2)
See all