Unconscious Feelings

"Allow me to take you both back home," Ezekiel proposed after arriving on the dry land.

"No... You can't, Ezekiel. Your team needs you...," Athanasia pointed to Lucas with her thumb, "I will make do with this guy."

"You heard her, now give me your key," Lucas said, "I will drive her home then return your car back to the spot."

Ezekiel hesitated at first but pulled the key from his pocket.

The pain inside Athanasia's head slowly intensified, so she excused herself and walked ahead of them.

"I will see you two in the parking lots," Ezekiel said, stepping forward only to be blocked by his friend.

Lucas let out a low-sinister whisper, "It's fine. I'm here."

Lucas left Ezekiel without saying another word. When he saw how Athanasia hugged herself right next to the car, finding comfortable warmth from his jacket, he sped up. "Let's go," said Lucas before placing his hand on her back gently, signaling her to go inside the car.

Lucas drove quietly. But just for a moment. It was too quiet for his liking.

Switching his gaze from the road to the person beside him whenever possible, Lucas asked, "Are you okay? You are usually very loud."

"Wow. Thanks for asking," she laughed weakly along with her sarcasm, "Let's see. Almost drown, a bit cold. I'm perfectly fine."

"I wish your clumsiness would be the one to drown."

"I am not clumsy. I slipped."

"Same thing, Idiot."

"Will you stop calling me that?"

"When you stop being one, then I will consider it." He smirked looked at her in the corner of his eye, and said, "Shut up and sleep. I will wake you up when we are there."

Athanasia was too sleepy to argue further. She adjusted the seat and rested her eyes. Little did she know, enervation took over, and she was fast asleep the moment her eyelids closed.

Not wanting her to stay in that state anymore, Lucas drove faster, and it did not take long before they reached their houses. Instead of waking her up, he got out of the car silently walked to her house, and rang the bell.

"Lucas? I didn't know you would be back so soon," Lilian said as she watched the drenched man, standing alone, "And... Why are you all soaked?"

"I will explain everything later. But can you please prepare some warm baths for her?" He asked, gesturing to the car.

"Athy?? Oh, my goddess! What happened?"

"Later, Lilian. I will go wake her up. She needs her rest."

"Please bring her inside for me," Lilian said before disappearing inside, likely heading to the bathroom.

Carefully opening the car's door, Lucas observed her figure. He felt a faint discomfort in his stomach toward what he was seeing. Scarlet-pink lips were once the original color. Now was left with paleness instead.

Lucas gulped.

There was a brief moment when he felt his heartbeat become jagged when he was staring at her lips.

Mentally punching himself in the face, Lucas omitted the strange feeling he was having and focused on the task at hand.

"Princess... Wake up. We are here."

There was no response. Lucas tapped her cheek gently with the back of his hand. The coldness didn't surprise him anymore. After a few more attempts, Athanasia woke up and looked at him.

Your eyes are pretty, Lucas...

She had no idea why that was the first thing that came across her mind when their eyes locked.

"Come on. Let's go inside. Lilian is waiting for you."

"Yeah..."

Lucas trailed behind the delicate figure before him, providing safety if she swayed in a different direction. Though he mentally noted in his head to let her handle her own thing, knowing she wouldn't want to be treated like a fragile glass. Finally, reached the door and Athanasia turned around.

"Hey, Lucas..."

"Yeah?"

"Thanks..."

"Don't mention it."

"You go and get some rest too..."

"Yeah."

Lucas smiled to himself once the door was closed. Ruffling his damp hair, he went inside his house and took off his shirt. He was looking at his own reflection in the mirror as those crimson orbs drifted to the healed wounds on his back.

The battle scars represented both survival and victory. Something he was always proud of. Unlike his friend, not a single fault was left on the nobleman's form.

I wonder what she would think of me if she saw these...

Lucas brushed off his friend's envious feelings along with the foreign emotion he recently developed before exiting his house once more to elsewhere.

-

"Should we go check on Athy before we go home?" Jeannette asked while getting off the ship with Ezekiel's hand intertwined with hers as he was guiding her to the dry land.

"That was my intention, after all," He replied through the usual smile on his face was missing.

"Lucas is with her right now. He wouldn't let a thing happen to her," Jeannette comforted, hoping it would lessen his stress. To her surprise, she saw his expression worsen. "Ezekiel?"

"Ahh... I had something on my mind earlier, but do not worry. It is merely a trivial matter."

"Shouldn't Lucas be here to pick us up, though?"

"As a matter of fact, yes, he ought to be."

Just as he was about to reach for his phone, the car pulled over. Ezekiel was expecting Lucas, but in contrast to his assumption, an unfamiliar face stepped out of the door instead.

"Sir, on behalf of Sir Lucas, I was sent to deliver your vehicle to you."

"Where is he then?"

"I am not quite sure. I am merely a staff working at an automobile company. He made his purchase at our company and proposed this request. I simply do as he ordered."

"I see," Ezekiel took the key. "Then, thank you, on behalf of my friend as well."

Once the staff took his leave, Jeannette disheveled her hand with Ezekiel as she pulled him toward the car and he let her do so without any resistance.

"Come on, let's go check on her," Jeannette said.

-

"How is she?"

"She is already asleep. I asked her to have her health checked too, but she refused," Lilian sighed as she poured tea for the guest.

"And I always thought I was the stubborn one," Lucas muttered to himself while sipping the liquid from the cup, "Is there any reason why she didn't want to do so? Beside her stubbornness, of course."

"Her health insurance is always under her father's monitoring. She said she didn't want to let her dad know what happened today."

"What a lousy excuse..." He clicked his tongue in annoyance before putting the mug down. With arms folded, he leaned against the sofa, treating Athanasia's house as if it were his own.

"And would you mind doing me a favor?" Lilian requested while setting another tray of cookies for him.

"What can I do?"

"I am going to shop for medical supplies. She will probably have a fever since her body is already heating up. So can you stay over until I get back?"

"Shouldn't I be the one to do the shopping?"

"I am sure she will much prefer your presence than mine, in case she wakes up and needs something." Lilian suppressed her giggle with the way Lucas tensed up at her suggestion. "I won't be away for far too long. So please take care of her in my absence. Like you always have."

His mind flooded with thoughts to the point where he could not even remember that Lilian had left the house for quite a while until a doorbell rang.

Lucas cursed under his breath to whoever interrupted the fantasy he had inside his head. Seeing the person in front of him fuels his rage even more.

"What do you want?" Lucas asked.

"We just want to check on Athy. We won't disturb her for too long," Jeannette said, peaking her head from behind Ezekiel.

"And I just want to discuss with you. About today." Ezekiel added.

"Uhh... Maybe you two can talk, but can I go see Athy?" Jeannette proposed, not wanting to get in the way, but Lucas stood in front of the door, blocking the entrance as he sternly looked at her.

"First of all, there is nothing to talk about. Second, Why would I let you in?"

Ezekiel stepped forward, shielding Jeannette from his friend's gaze. "Lucas... They are cousins. Let her see Athanasia. This is not your house."

Realizing that Ezekiel made a valid point, Lucas took a few steps back, letting them both in. Jeannette went straight upstairs, already knowing where her cousin's room was.

Lucas huffed and walked to the sofa, sitting leg crossed and Ezekiel found a comfortable place of his own.

"I'm sorry... about today," Ezekiel let out a sigh, "I should have listened to you."

"She could have drowned if we weren't there on her team. You and your infamous intellectual calculation failed once more."

"And once more, you fixed my mistake. That is how we can always cope with one another, is it not?"

Ezekiel extended his arm toward Lucas, calling for a truce. After a long pause, Lucas groaned and shook his friend's hand.

"You know, instead of shaking your hand, I kinda want to wipe my fist with your face instead."

"Truthfully speaking, I have a mutual feeling about that at a certain time."

Lucas smirked at his friend's remark, just as Jeannette descended the stairs.

"I see you two have made up. I'm glad."

Ezekiel turned to her. "That was an oddly quick visit. How is she?"

"She is asleep. I didn't want to wake her up. Maybe we should inform the lecturer that she won't be attending school tomorrow?"

"That would be the best option."

"Tell him about my absence too. I will be here, just in case Lilian wants me to do something for her," Lucas added.

"It would be nice if you can keep her company, Lucas. She seems to be drawn to you a lot," Jeannette giggled, and Lucas stole a glance at the girl.

"Perhaps we should go now, Jeannette." Ezekiel quickly got up and walked out of the house.

"What with you all of a sudden?" Jeannette asked the moment she got into the car.

"I need to get you home before it gets darker. Your aunt is going to be worried."

"She wouldn't be. She knows I'm with you."

"Still, we promised her that we would be home by 7 pm. Now it's almost 8 pm."

"Hey, Ezekiel... I feel Lucas wants to chew me up and spit me out sometimes. Does he have something against me?"

"I do not have all the answers to all of your questions," Ezekiel said, and Jeannette pouted. He chuckled as he gently caressed her head as he added, "He has nothing against you. It's just his personality. He is not all that bad if you get to know him."

"So, he is just socially awkward?"

"Something of such."