- Serena -

The next morning was still hot as fuck. The weather was driving me nuts.

It was 9:30 in the morning and there was another half an hour before we opened the cafe.

I stared at my ice cream mixture being mixed in the mixer while Roxy was doing up her waffle batter.

"Serena, did you even turn on the AC? I'm burning alive in here," she grumbled and I was already exhausted as it is.

"Yes I did turn it on, I don't know why it's taking forever to cool the place down," I breathed out and some frosted air escaped my mouth.

"Well check the air conditioner again," she eyed me and I rolled my eyes at her.

I strode to the air conditioner and turned it off before turning it on again, "What are you doing here so early anyway? You usually come here at ten on the dot."

Roxy shrugged, "Just wanna have my dose of eye candy before work begins."

"What do you mean?"

She looked out the glass wall to the restaurant across the street, "Other than the rude ass there yesterday, there was another guy. He's gorgeous."

I scoffed, I really wondered why Roxy was my best friend at times. We were polar opposites.

She was extremely outspoken and confident even on her worst days. On the other hand, I'm a total introvert and I will never be as proud and loud as Roxy.

The only thing we probably had in common was our disability to tolerate bullshit.

Yesterday was an exception, that rude guy was new in our town plus he's our neighbour. I don't want our time here to be difficult.

Moreover, we can always find some other time to screw him over.

"There! They're walking up now!" Roxy stared dreamily while I smiled and shook my head.

"That rude guy is crazy, he's wearing jeans and a leather jacket in this kind of weather. Is he sick?" Roxanne mumbled and I looked out the glass panel to see the two men walk into their restaurant.

She was right, he wore a brown leather jacket with a pair of jeans and I raised an eyebrow, "And here we are sweating our asses off."

She laughed and continued staring, "Look at the other guy, he's so buff. I bet he can rip off that flimsy singlet he's wearing."

I snapped my finger and bumped a little snowball to her head, "Don't get your panties in a twist this early Roxy. We still have a whole day ahead of us."

She glared at me but started pouring batter into the waffle-making machine and the aroma filled our cafe.

I looked back across, the sunlight glaring onto both men as they unlocked their restaurant. Rude man's hair blazed a beautiful dark reddish-brown while the other unknown man had dark brown locks combed back.

Roxanne was kinda right, they really were eye candy.

They were both well built, broad shoulders, tall physique, unknown man had toned muscular arms and surprisingly I was curious how rude man would look like under all that thick clothing.

Rude man turned and found me staring. I felt my heart stop a nanosecond. His harsh gaze seemed to soften as he looked at me. I bet he could see through my soul.

"Serena! Can you help me do a taste test?" Roxy called out and I blinked, returning back to reality.

I turned away, "Coming!"

I sneaked a peek back out but the guys were already in their restaurant, preparing to open for the day.

***

The day finally ended and it was official, our air conditioner was fried. 

"God help us I'll die in the heat!" Roxanne complained and I wiped the frosted ice off my face, "Yeah you can totally imagine how I feel."

She laughed and grabbed her bag from behind the counter, "The repair man will be here tomorrow so chill out. I'll see you in the morning."

I nodded and waved her out. I watched the last batch of the cream mix in the huge bowl and slumped on the countertop. The warm weather was draining my energy and with the little sleep I'm struggling to get, I'm surprised I'm not dead yet.

I flicked the lights to the cafe off and saw the opposite restaurant do the same from the corner of my eye. 

I looked over, seeing the rude man look back at me. His intense gaze was overwhelming, I could almost see the fire in his eyes. My mixer beeped, signalling that it was done with the batter.

I couldn't look away though. I've been feeling on edge the whole day since this morning's stare-off. It's like I can feel his eyes on me wherever I go.

But when I look across, he isn't even looking in my direction. I feel like I'm going crazy.

He held my gaze and I could have melted on the spot, my insides felt all weird. Then I remembered that he flipped Roxanne and me off, and I still have a huge bowl of ice cream to put in the freezer.

I looked away from his stare and settled the cream. I poured it into a scooping container and popped it in the freezer.

I rubbed my arms, relishing the coolness from the freezer and wiping down the goosebumps that appeared from staring at the handsome man.

Man, he had beautiful eyes, and his face was perfect. Ugh, I shivered though I didn't feel cold. Get yourself together, you're not Roxy.

I grabbed my bag and looked out across the street, the rude man was gone. That was fast.

I pulled the shades to the glass wall down and stared into the darkness. Well, if I don't want to die of heat tomorrow. I raised my hand and casted a thin enough layer of ice across the walls and floors.

I could instantly feel the cool air emit off the ice and felt much better. 

"Hopefully the repairman gets here early in the morning, or else we're going to have another day dying in hell," I mumbled absentmindedly.

I walked out the doors into the humid night and kneeled down to lock up. I sighed, right fuck my keys are back home.

I took a deep breath and felt the cold run down my arm to my fingers, an ice key appearing. I quickly locked up and threw the key in the air, watching it vanish.

I looked at the restaurant, feeling the heat coming off it. They must cook up a storm in there.

I walked down the dark sidewalk back home, feeling uneasy. My core was churning within me as if warning me.

There was a dingy bar across the street, but I hardly ever had problems there. Since I'm always on this side of the road.

Tonight was different though, a drunk man was leaning against the glass window of a shop, on my side of the street. Mumbling to himself. He was holding a bottle of beer in his hand and I quickly looked away before he could make eye contact with me.

I created as much distance as I could between us but then I heard him shout, "Hey! You!"

I grimaced and started walking faster. Ugh please, I don't want to hurt anyone today.

Someone yanked my arm roughly and whirled me round to face him. The drunk man swayed unsteadily in front of me, his eyes half-closed and his tie roughly pulled out of position.

The stench of alcohol hit my nose, "Let go of me."

The drunk, suited man smirked at me, "Heyyy you're really sexy, shall I buy you a drink? Or shall I buy you?" He ran a finger down my cheek and I smacked it away.

I could feel the cold churning in my core and I tried to suppress it.

"No thank you," I turned on my heel to leave but he caught me again and shook my shoulder, 

"Why are you being so rude?!" He blinked and yelled loudly, throwing me off and waving his arm crazily.

Rude? I literally said thank you.

I regained my balance quickly, extremely annoyed with this idiot creating a ruckus.

"I need to be somewhere, stop grabbing me you fuck head," I snapped but he blocked me with whatever strength he had in his drunkard state.

"Come on, one drink won't hurt," he sneaked an arm around my waist and I swung my elbow back into his stomach.

"Fuck!" He stumbled backwards slightly and I raised my hand towards him, the cold running down my arm. 

But before I could even do anything, the bottle in his hand burst into flames and I stared in shock.

He flung the bottle away, eyes wide, the fire now spreading wherever the alcoholic fluid flowed.

"The lady said no," a low voice rumbled from behind the drunkard and I saw a dark silhouette behind him.

The broken street lamp cast a shadow on him and I couldn't see well, but I could see his hand glowing bright red like a fire had just been put out.

"I- I- just-" The drunk man spluttered incoherently while I continued watching the fiery man. If only I could take a few steps closer to see his face.

I stepped forward, nearer to the fire and to the man who created it.

The fire got bigger and the man tucked his hand in his pocket and looked up, the rim of his iris was the same glow of red on his hand before.

"F...F...Fi..." The drunk man was stuttering so badly, he was already on the floor trying to crawl away.

"Fire," I said out loud and the drunk man jumped up and ran for his life.

The shadowy man stepped forward but stopped just a distance away from me, the fire between us.

He watched me, eyes still glowing. He wasn't close enough for the fire to illuminate his features.

The fire was extremely hot and I was already standing way too close. But I wanted to see him, this man had powers just like me.

His glowing eyes didn't move away from my face. Then he turned around and walked away, the fire swirled up into the air and vanished in a literal puff of smoke.

I stared blankly, my mind in a shocked state. 

That man saved me. He had powers.

I quickly snapped up and ran after him, "Hey! Hey wait!"

He stopped abruptly and I did too, I had to measure my words carefully. He was dangerous, even though he saved me. I know how hard it was to control my powers before.

He stood in the dark while I stood under the street light, a short distance between us. He turned and I stared into his glowing eyes as they slowly dimmed out.

Did my eyes do that too? When I use my powers? What else could I do with my powers?

"Thank you," I stepped forward and he stepped back.

"No no no please," I put both hands up and he faced his hand towards me, a flame dancing on his palm.

I froze, it was beautiful.

"Don't come after me," he grumbled and I could tell he was a serious one.

"I just want to thank you, for saving me," I mumbled.

He gave me a slight nod and closed his hand, the fire sizzling out.

"You're welcome," he stood there for a few more moments, trying to gauge if I will do anything more.

I managed a smile and the reddish glow in his eyes died out.

When he was finally sure I wouldn't follow him, he turned around and walked away.

I watched him leave, his figure getting smaller and smaller, I could almost see the smoke that was trailing behind him. He turned down a street and I lost sight of him.

I took a deep breath to let the cold that was trapped in my throat trickle through every corner of my body. Will I get to see him again?