4

When Azad came home, everyone else was sleeping, and the house felt lonely and silent, with only the dim hum of the fridge. But the feeling of Amarna's kiss, still stuck in his mind, left him unable to slouch onto his bed and just let sleep wipe away his daily worries.

He put a finger to his lips, closed his eyes, and the sweetness of their embrace washed over him, over and over – his minty toothpaste paled by comparison. Because she loved him back truly.

In those days after being apart from Melina, Azad just wanted to forget about his ex, and all the emotional turmoil it brought him. Return to normal, like how it was before he discovered he could care about another person so much. Let it all go away like some bad accident he could easily get over.

Nope, it didn't work like that. He sought that love again – looking for other girls who looked like they could provide those same feelings in him, of being deeply intoxicated in the other's person, as if they were a perfume and you would breathe them and let their scent slip through deeply into your soul. The girls in his classes though, they came off as shallow – always worried about their Instagram likes or skimping out on a pop quiz, and though he could charm and laugh his way into their hearts, he didn't want to, as he felt like it would result in him feeling incredibly awkward with their girly stuff.

One girl, Azad tried it out with, and she was a closet psychotic who kept comparing him with her favourite K-Pop band member, asking him to sing in fucking Korean like some high-pitched moron – "Nope, I'm not doing this!"

After a while, he gave up the search, though on occasion he'd find himself crying over a romantic-action anime that Melina recommended to him.

"Yuki!" he'd watch the pink-haired Yuno cry out. The plot was an average premise – Yuki's phone was able to predict the future, in the form of diary entries that he'd written himself, and he wasn't alone. What really elevated it though was the amount of devotion he'd see Yuno (his classmate) give over Yuki, as if she couldn't live a day without his existence. The sunsets they shared, even though it was just another day for the characters, were beautiful beacuse they were there with one another..

I feel weird. Every episode, I wanted to cry. Thinking about the show, the story.. didn't you hope that one day, you could find such a person who will complete your life? A person who would die for you. Alas, such a person in the world doesn't exist. After all, it's only a story.

And now, Amarna. An woman of a different generation than him entirely, who was as youthful and lively as a teenager. In her, another hope.

What was her last name again? Miller? Mueller? I'll have to ask her for next time..

Azad felt like he needed somewhere to pour our his feelings, so when he laid himself on his bed, he popped open his phone, opened up Discord (online chatroom/voicechat), and of his friends online, just one who's from America. It must be around 4pm there, but he gave his friend 'Titan' a call.

He watched Titan's profile picture vibrate, wondering for half a second if his friend is too busy to pick up, then he heard his friend's soothing, Tennessee-laden accent.

"'Sup, Azad?"

"Hey.. Titan man. Ever have one of those times when everything seems to be going right in your life for once?"

"Not for a while. Why?"

"I've gone out dancing. See, I can show you." Azad shared a few IG photos from the official troupe account, and in the group photos, you could make out Azad in the corner if you peer really closely.

"Ooh, nice," Titan went. Azad heard him clicking his mouse, and the mechanical clicks of his keyboard, and he knew probably that Titan was busy grinding to get his ass out of Silver in League. This meant Titan wasn't really giving him his fullest attention, which Azad really wanted. "This Leona's giving me a fuckin' headache," Titan went, "she's not displaying lane presence here. What the FUCK, Leona you brain-dead player! Use your ult and stun them! Goddamn."

"I also.. met someone," Azad went. "She's really nice. Lovely."

"Oh yeah?" Titan audibly slouches on his chair. "Tell me, what's she like?"

"The thing with her.. when she sits with you, it's like the sun is finally shining through all the grey clouds, and everything feels clear, and you're calm. I feel.. happy."

"Uh huh, and I don't suppose you got the name of this perfect girl.."

"Amarna," Azad said dreamily.

".. are you okay, Azad? The last time, you said Melina brought you down."

On Azad's spotify, a track from Freddie Mercury started to play – it's Mr. Bad Guy. Suddenly, Azad found himself nodding his head back and forth with an encouragement.

Don't look back on things from yesterday
Don't be sorry
Live for another day, another way..

"That was yesterday, bruh," Azad said, while his eyes could almost catch the glean of the upcoming morning. "Amarna is a different girl. Gotta give life another shot, you know?"

"Yep. You never know how tomorrow's gonna turn out- oh fuck, niceee! We're ahead now!" Titan was typing furiously on his keyboard, and Azad found himself laughing along with a light jest. His heart was filled with joy and peacefulness.

Azad watched the rain drip down on the bus windows. The clouds were moody, and he was going to stop by the coffee shop for a quick espresso. Weather like this soothed his spirits, though he didn't know why.

He went inside and greeted Rieke who tended the student patrons; convenience stores and drink shops love it when there's a school nearby, as there's always money to be made out of kids too tired by their studies, and yet too giddy with their buddies. She showed him his favourite seat by the window, where he had a good view of the one-storey cheap homes that captivated his mind with the laid-back scenery, its sense of innocence.

The way Rieke tended to Azad, it always warmed him – she'd say some encouraging words about school, or cheer his mood if he looked particularly downcast, but more so.. she'd always know what drink to give him, to start his day right ("It's a sort of knowing," she'd answer). Sometimes, ask him if he'd like to choose between say, a blueberry-cocoa cream latte, or the rainbow lemon spritz.

Then Azad would chill to his spotify, plugging in his earbuds and tune everything out while it was just him, the music and drinking something sweet. His thoughts so far had been whirling around a dozen different things – but most important, now he felt like he was a real somebody.

And then, he thought he heard Amarna's voice, and he dismissed it as just his imagination – considering being part of the dance troupe, and being still a high school student as two separate things, but beside him, by the corner of his eye he saw Amarna sit down, with her leather bag and fuzzy, vibrantly orange sweater.

"Hallo, what'll it be today?" Rieke went to her, as Amarna quickly glanced at the menu.

"Rainbow spritz," Amarna answered with her lively Spanish-accent.

Azad – this was an opportunity he could not pass up, so while Amarna was on her phone, Azad went over and on the opposite seat of her, he plopped himself down with his drink, surprising her.

"Oh, Azad! How lovely – you drink here every morning?"

"Most of the times.." Azad's drink was still swirling, and a bit of it dripped down from the edge. A couple of kids were starting a loud row at the table – most of them he knew, and he smiled and turned in their direction.

Amarna saw this; she was still relatively new to the town, but she thought and said, "You go to school with them?"

"Ja, I do."

"You're still in high school.. you look just around 20, 21. So mature for your age."

Azad was blushing – he was a man who could please someone. He remembered something he wanted to mention to her: "And you madamoiselle.. if I didn't realise any better, I'd thought you'd be in college."

"Am I that girly to you?" Amarna was guffawing, and then out came a wistful sigh. "You know, I hoped to never be like the other adults. They get older, more mature, and it's as if the weight of the world is on their shoulders. But I want to be as a nymph.. the water lilies rippling with my magic.."

Azad was hearing his buds shout out and have a ruckus; sure, he could go to school like it's any other day. I mean, it was almost finals, and then seniors' graduation.

"That last night," Azad went, "when we tried dancing.. I feel like we could nail it totally. We just, you know, gotta grow on each other some more, you know what I mean? Just those stages isn't enough."

"You mean, like hanging out?" In her eyes, you could see her getting piqued.

"Yeah!" Azad was sipping his drink, and in conjunction with the sight of Amarna, it was the perfect combination of icy sweetness.

Rieke came by to deliver Amarna's spritz, and she gasped as she saw Azad and Amarna together. "Azad-! You naughty boy, you didn't tell me you found another girlfriend!"

Azad wanted to shirk away. "No, we're -" He looked to Amarna for any suggestions.

"- dance buds! Friends!" Amarna said.

"Awee!" Rieke was smiling. "You two look so cute together, just wanted to say."

Amarna was grabbing Azad by the shoulder, grinning, pulling him close over the table, and Azad in his surprise could smell a faint hint of coconut from her, and moreso, he found himself gushing – and he reached for his own fruit drink and sipped the last remainders of it down, whilst Rieke grabbed her phone out and shot a quick photo of them on Instagram, complete with a lightly pink filter.

(#socute #bestcouple #RheingoldCafe)

Azad decided, fuck it, he didn't need another one of those last days at high school where everyone is just talking and looking forward for the summer – as Amarna was going out of her way to scout out for a new place to live today, and Azad could tag along, finding out more about her along the way. She had a van which she lived out of – "Excuse the mess," said Amarna – she pushed aside a sleeping bag from the passenger side seat and stashed the chocolate muffin chunks away in the glove compartment.

Azad went with her on a drive around town, and there were a couple places, modest flats or petite houses that were so empty, you had the freedom of envisioning how to fill the rooms with furniture. The realtors were nice, "Blah blah, this is the bedroom, nice view out the window eh?" and Amarna inspected the electrical wirings, the pipes in the basement, making sure there weren't any hidden bullshit. The whole of it all was relaxing, and Azad even had a joke dance-off with Amarna in the kitchen, while she pretended to cook an omelette.

Amarna eventually settled for the flat by the park, as it was relatively cheap yet a short walk to the malls and the community centres, and once they were done the ordeal..

"Azad.." she went, with her eyes alluring, "show me where you live.."

He was her personal GPS, telling her where to turn when it came to the more familiar streets of his neighbourhood, as he found her personal deck collection of Magic: the Gathering. She was a closet nerd, and Amarna delighted in confiding this fact to him – even though she looked initially shy to admit it.

By this point, it was a lush, cloudy evening, and Azad took Amarna walking by the apartment flats, and a nearby, derelict church. She'd put on her sunflower hat, and the insects were still chirping, alive, as she adored everything she saw around her. With Amarna, his own neighbourhood was a paradise, now that she was here.

They passed by a set of double-rails which led to the driveways of first-class houses – in that area, he always liked walking through there just to feel chill, or to peacefully think after a long day. The pine trees were heavy with dew; this would take them off the road to Azad's home.

He showed her through the double-rails anyway.

The clouds were truly gathering, layers upon layers of it into dark, stormy wisps. You could start to smell the ozone which precipitates the rain. Azad began worrying that the storm would cut short their time together – here would be the part where any other girl would go: "Oh, I've gotta go, maybe we'll chat over the phone."

But instead, Amarna had her tongue stuck out, as she awaited the first raindrops which came down sparsely.

"I'm singinggg in the rain," Azad went, as he joined her with his arms stretched out. "Just singing in the rain-"

"It's a glorious feeling-" Amarna tugged his arms with hers and, before they knew it, they were embracing feeling wet. It went on for a while, and when they both were shivering from the wind, Azad showed her a place in someone's backyard, which had a swinging seat underneath the shelter of the trees.

Of course it wasn't permissible, but they had to get warm.

Amarna took off her boots and stockings, and curled herself like a cat, cradling Azad as she rested her face on his shoulders. A distant flash, and then a jolt of thunder. Some of the leftover rain dripped down from Azad's cheek. He felt himself getting hot from her embrace, and saw her face so close, eyes fluttering closed, like she'd already fallen into a dream.

And so, he ran his fingers through her silky hair, which dripped with wetness.

..

Amarna did not mind. In fact, it was soothing to be stroked like this, as when she would try and calm one of her kitties down – holding the little one gently in your arms, and slowly massaging around the neck. Soon, she was breathing calmly, and even held Azad's hand in hers, as if guiding where he should stroke next.

The wildness of the storm did not bother her. It reminded of those times when she'd be sailing in the open, where she'd accept anywhere the sea currents would take her.

She took Azad's hand over to her face. Letting him have a taste of her brow, her nose and cheeks, and then her lips..

They were so soft to the touch, like orchid petals, and as Amarna closed her eyes, she opened her mouth and wrapped herself around his index finger. The sensation jolted Azad, sending trembles through his whole nerves, and it was like this for a while with Amarna letting her tongue caress him – a whole within this finger. A little moan escaped her as she did so, with more of a longing to be felt.

And Azad, with his other hand – it was only his second time of such intimacy. Amarna's body was pressing down upon his crotch, so it felt very tense as he felt his erection grow, harder than to any porn video, but he didn't want to move or shift himself (disrupting it all). An involuntary shiver came up his spine, and Azad's free hand was fondling her breasts. When he groped, Amarna trembled, biting down his finger by accident.

"Ouugh," Azad went, and Amarna gently opened her eyes – as if about to say sorry for what she just did, and she went up to his uncertain face and kissed him, more fervently. Her heart was truly rushing, and with her hands tight around his head, as she drew back from the kiss, she saw.. how much he hungered for her.

They gazed upon each other, with so much possibility awaiting, and Amarna took a moment's glance at his pants; suddenly, Azad's phone began to ring, along with exploding with dozens of unread notifications (it must have lost the cell signal for a while) – shattering their shared reverie.

It was Azad's mom.

"Azad?! Where are you? The school says you didn't attend today and now it's raining donkeys!"

"Hi ma," Azad went, while Amarna gathered herself on the swaying bench and checked her own phone as well. "Sorry, I was with a friend, we were rehearsing for the dance today – I forgot to notify the school I was away today."

"Azad, are you outside!? Hurry on home, please! I don't want you to catch fever before your finals!"

In the background of the call, Azad heard his little brother squealing: "Azad! I got a pentakill with Rengar!"

"Yes," he went, grinning, "I'm just in the neighbourhood and I'm almost home.."

Amarna put her boots back on, while Azad was going through the notifications – some of them requests from Curse voice for chat, and his friend Kevin sharing the fun that he'd missed at school today (they were spraying silly string outside). She gazed curiously over his shoulder to see what he was looking at – adoring the fun, the joy she saw in those photos.

The sky was clearing, and bits of the evening sun shone through, rays of light tinging through the dew-laden pine branches.

"We can do the rest some other time," Amarna told him as a promise; they were there at his house, and bid each other farewell in a hug - she went off to her van.

The rest of the night, Azad felt elated, it was like he was half-distracted by how wonderful of a day he'd spent with her as he tried going over his school material – calculus, English, physics.. as he tried to distract his thoughts away with a match of ranked as Rengar, while his lil' brother shared his wacky Bronze IV build that got him that pentakill.

Then in bed, with his eyes about to droop, his phone had one more notification, and he opened it – it was Rieke over Instagram. She shared the photo with Azad ("For your pleasant enjoyment!") of him with Amarna together from the cafe, her winking with the peace symbol and Azad dragged along in her arm, smiling – and he could not help how his heart.. felt like it was going to burst from happiness.