Lyra smiles as she lies there, enjoying the sounds of the creatures outside her window. Not to mention the calm breathing of her son. She holds onto him for as long as she can. Time is fickle and passes far too quickly for someone like her. It feels like it’s only been a few seconds when a nurse walks in.

They smile softly at her. “It’s time for your lunch and when you’re done we’ll get you ready for treatment. Do you need anything before I bring it to you?”

“No. Thank you, Cor. Take your time.”

A small nod and they’re back out of the room. Lyra sighs and milks the moment a little longer. She doesn’t want him to leave just yet even though she knows he has to. All because he works so hard to provide for them both.

“I really hate to wake you…” Lyra sighs as she begins to try and rouse him. “Zye? You need to wake up, sweetie.”

There’s an incoherent mumble of a response. It has a smile picking up the corners of her lips. A moment passes before Zye yawns and begins to sit up. The pressure leaves her arm. Immediately, she misses it regardless of how much better proper blood flow feels.

He’s groggy with the glaze of sleep still covering his eyes. Zye sits up, stretches, and stands up. The bones creak and pop as he works out the stiffness. Once he has, he leans back over and kisses her forehead. “I’ll be back soon. Be good for the nurses.”

Lyra laughs and swats his away. “You’re the one always getting into trouble. All those poor boys you used to beat up.”

“They deserved it,” he says nonchalantly. He knows how she feels about him getting into fights. But they’re both aware that sometimes it’s unavoidable when there’s something different about him. Zye stumbles and nearly knocks over the chair as he makes for the door.

“Haa…Be careful, child. Otherwise, I won’t let you leave.”

“I will. And I’ll let you know when Callua can stop by next.”

He’s just about to leave. The door is open and the knob is cold against his palm. A thin gray shirt and worn out jeans aren’t enough to keep him warm on the inside. Nothing can when he hates to leave. It always takes a moment to step out and let the door shut behind him.

Looking back is impossible.

If he does he won’t leave. The emotion is already welling back up in his chest. Still sleepy, he can’t force it down as well. A smile is hard to put on so the frown settles in. If anything it keeps anyone from speaking to him or asking questions. He’s allowed to move through and back out into the world.

Not that it ever helps.

The wind feels stale in his lungs. The sky not as bright blue as it should be. Clouds are moving in and not the fluffy white ones he used to watch with her. Even the noises are nothing but static in his ears.

Leaving means it feels like living stops. It’s a routine to slip back into now; things to do, money to make, people to talk to.

He feels the phone vibrate in his back pocket. A reminder that it shouldn’t have been back there all this time. He plucks it out and takes a quick note to message Callua back. It’s something he’ll do once he gets to work. For now, it’s a matter of getting past the people coming up the sidewalk to get inside.

Parking spot found, he starts his bike and settles the helmet back on. It stutters as it tries to start yet manages to do so regardless. Another thing he has to take care of. Or perhaps it’s just not charged enough.

The motorcycle pulls out and he’s off to work. A quick trip that ends with him along the coast at the port. Just further in is a warehouse with plenty of vehicles parked along the side of it in the shade of the building. The large doors are wide open and show the vast amount of people in there working alongside the countless stations and shelving.

Zye parks furthest away and more towards the back. To him, it’s worth the walk. It also gives him a moment to sit there with the hum dying down, the helmet sitting on his lap, and his phone in his hand. The small device extends when he presses on part of it. The soft glow of the transparent screens adjusts to the outside lighting.

There’s plenty of messages from Callua mentioning that Daichi should be coming to the warehouse today. He replies quickly; asking if she’s free to go with him anytime soon and if she’s still here now. For a moment it’s tense as he waits for her reply.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to see Daichi. It’s just…complicated and right now he really doesn’t want to deal with complicated. He just wants to fall into the daily cycle so he can eventually get back to the hospital. Back to the one thing that’s giving him purpose.

He bristles up when he sees her reply. The fact that she’s still here means Daichi hasn’t shown up. Even so, he can’t delay forever. Zye turns it off and returns it to his pocket. The helmet is left on the seat as he makes his way inside. He knows if he’s fast he can get in, get an order, and get out. Maybe avoid everyone until Daichi is gone.

“Thought you weren’t ever gonna come in. What took ya?”

Zye glances over to the entrance where another stands. She’s shorter than him, most are seeing as he stands right over six feet, yet her demeanor has him looking down at her when it feels like he should look up. She vaguely regards him with her eyes; blue with yellow hues that she hides behind a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses.

“None of your business, Kat.”

Her laughter is a melody he could get addicted to. It makes sense that she wants to sing. Every time she speaks people can’t help but listen. Even so, she’s here like the rest of them for the same reason.

Chroma can’t have dreams.

“Well then maybe you don’t need to know what I heard.”

Zye finishes swiping in on the screen and turns to her. “More gossip?”

Kat grins wide. She finally looks up at him. It sends her light blond hair swaying behind her. It’s held back in a messy braid. The yellow gradually fades to a soft shade of cotton candy pink. He’s always thought the color fits her so well.

She brings a finger up to her lips with a wink. “Just saw Daichi around back. Apparently, he’s upset with you. Oh, and Soren said to see him first thing.”

“Thanks. Try not to mix up your deliveries again, okay?”

“I didn’t! That was the customer’s fault and you know it!” She yells after him with a huff. A sigh slips from her lips shortly after before returning to her job.

Zye stuffs his hands into his pockets and makes for the office. The dislike for going inside is quelled when he shuts the door behind him. The woman sitting on the sofa off to the side pats the spot next to her.

“Fancy seeing you here.”

He rolls his eyes as he makes his way over to her, ignoring Soren who is busy finishing up a phone call. The delay is irritating. Seeing her makes it only marginally better. Since day one, Callua has been the only one that doesn’t set him on edge. She’s easy to read or at least she doesn’t act like she’s slinking around with dangerous secrets.

Callua scoots over on the couch to let him sit down. She smooths her long, beige skirt out over her legs before leaning over to him. Her voice drops to a whisper as to not disturb Soren. “He hasn’t shown up yet, I can stay until you get working if you want.”

“I can handle it.”

“Pff, sure, sure. I believe you.”

He raises an eyebrow at her. “You just want to piss him off again.”

“Hmm… maybe?” Callua flashes him a wicked smile before sitting up straight. She reaches back and tightens the tie holding up her long, pale green hair. “It isn’t exactly hard to do.”

Off to the side, Soren mumbles to himself now that he’s finished his call. “A bunch of idiots.” The chair swivels and he leans one elbow on his desk. “Now I can deal with you. I changed your schedule. There won’t be a problem.”

Callua gives Zye a knowing look as Soren turns away.

“If you need more than that leave me a message or don’t show up, either way, I have plenty of new hires right now.”

Zye is about to stand up when Callua is suddenly glued up next to him. One arm slips around to nestle up against his, her hand resting comfortably on his wrist. She’s one of the few people who get away with being this close. Especially when the door opens.

The first thing Zye sees is the look of disgust. Then again, if he looks again it also holds anger. Perhaps a twinge of jealousy? He never knows when it comes to Daichi. The man is a pepper shaker of emotion and zero calm.

However, he doesn’t appear dressed for work. Normally he’d be in more business-like attire. Today he’s in a pair of jeans, with a knee cut out, and a baggy, black and red checkered jacket that’s zipped all the way up. Zye will never know how he’s not sweltering in it considering how hot it is outside.

Daichi glowers at Callua, “You don’t even work here.”

She smiles sweetly at him in return. “It’s nice to see you, too.”

After a moment of leveling her orange eyes with his one blue and one green, Callua stands. She pulls away from Zye while giving a squeeze to his shoulder. The last thing she wants is to have to leave him alone with these two.

“I’ll see you later. Give me a call and we’ll figure out a date.”

Her words have more of an impact on Daichi than her actions. The look on his countenance is murderous. Callua, however, isn’t bothered in the slightest. She gives Zye one last smile before slipping out of the office. Something Zye wishes he could do as well. It’s been one thing after another and he just wants to work to forget about it all.

Thankfully, Soren doesn’t care to listen to it either. He jabs a finger toward the door, “Go work. And Daichi, keep it short. I need you back here in two minutes.”

Zye takes that as his signal to leave and leave he does. As quickly as he can, he slips around Daichi to get out the door. Of course, Daichi is on his heels in no time flat. He follows Zye to pick up a couple of orders then out to his bike. Zye’s just grateful Daichi doesn’t start in on him until they’re outside and away from eavesdroppers.

“You’ve been ghosting me for two weeks. But you’ll answer her calls no problem?”

He tries not to look over at Daichi. Busying himself with slipping the boxes into the compartment, Zye sighs heavily. “I’m not ready to talk to you about it yet. I’m still… thinking.”

“Is what I offered that bad?”

“It’s not if it’s bad. It’s not what I want.” Finally, Zye turns around. If anything he gives Daichi his full attention no matter how much he wants to run from the shorter man. “I like where I’m at right now.”

Daichi grabs for Zye’s hand only for him to take a step back toward his bike. “I told you I’d take care of you. What more do you want?”

Zye gets on the motorcycle at the sight of a few other runners leaving the warehouse to make their own deliveries. The thought of doing this in front of other people has his stomach dropping.

“Look, how about we meet up and talk. Text me a date and a location for sometime after next week. But I have to get working or—”

“I can tell Soren to let you go home. I’ll pay for whatever you’d make today.”

“Daichi, you know I can’t accept that. People will talk.”

A breeze brushes in off the water. The silence is filled with Zye slipping on his helmet and starting the engine until it gives off a glow beneath the seat. For a moment, Zye thinks he can get away from this situation with ease. One look at Daichi proves otherwise— that he can’t stall this out forever.

The wind has grayish-brown bangs dipping into an irritated and confused gaze. Daichi reaches back, rubbing at his neck beneath where the longer hair is tied into a low ponytail. He keeps his eyes on Zye’s, refusing to back down. The slow reach for Zye’s hand is shot down as quickly as his words.

“Even if I said it’s because I lo—”

“I’ll let you know when I’m free.”

“Don’t keep me waiting, Zye.”

As he pulls out, he’s not sure whether the words worry him or saddened him. There are lines he never should have crossed. He repaid Daichi’s kindness with allowing things to go too far. Accepting this job to work for him and Soren might not have been a great idea after all. Not when Daichi is sprinting for a finish line in their relationship.

A relationship Zye doesn’t even know he started. All of those lines were erased. The consequences of it have him remembering Shae. A better time is in his past and it has him finding it hard to make it till the evening.

The grass isn’t always greener on the other side after all.