"What is it?" Denise asked when she heard her and walked in. Denise followed Toni's gaze, and she, too, stood there frozen. A shady figure was standing there with his back to them. Toni was too stunned to speak.
"W-who are you?" Denise asked with fear in her heart.
The mysterious person turned around. He was wearing sunglasses, but they recognized him immediately.
"AJ?" Denise asked incredulously. If it was AJ, he looked really different. His whole attire was black, from head to toe. He wore a long black trench coat and his hair was dark. He continued to face them, not saying a word. They couldn't tell what he was thinking because his eyes were hidden behind those damn sunglasses. Finally, he removed them to ease their doubt. What they saw sent terrifying chills down their spines.
His eyes were…were so dark. Not only in color, but in personality. They lost their twinkle that Toni loved so much. As a matter of fact, his whole aura seemed to change. It was no longer positive and full of life. It now generated sad, cloudy, and cold vibes. They shivered. They didn't notice the healing cut under his right eye.
"Mom. Toni," were the first words to come out of his mouth. His voice showed no emotion. Toni didn't like this at all. She immediately took off up the stairs and slammed the door to her room (she now inhabited the guest room) while Denise walked up to him and gave him a hug.
"I knew you'd come back. Oh, what happened to your eye?" she asked as she gently touched it and he winced in pain.
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
"Ok," Denise replied hurt that he didn't want to tell her. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too. Excuse me, I have to talk to Toni." He gently moved her out of his way and he stepped up the stairs, his footfalls heavy and steady. He knocked on her door. "Toni, it's me."
She didn't answer him.
"Toni, please, open the door."
No response.
He turned the knob and found it to be opened. He entered her room. It was in total darkness. He turned on the light and looked at her. She was staring out the window, her face turned away from him. But he could tell that she was crying. The tears splashed against the sill.
"Toni, please talk to me." He knelt down beside her. The only response he got was the occasional sob. He took her hand and gently kissed it. "Please tell me why you're crying."
She turned to him, her crystal blue eyes saddened, and the fresh tears rolling down her cheek. "How could you just leave like that?" she whimpered.
"Baby, I had to."
"And why didn't you tell us anything? Why did you just disappear? You just left and didn't make any contact with us to let us know you were ok a-a-and we were stuck here wondering what could've happened! We didn't know if you had made it all right or if you planned on staying there or if the Daemoniacus somehow had gotten to you---I had these awful thoughts running through my mind a-a-and *sob* I didn't want to lose you…" She broke down.
AJ surrounded her with his much welcomed embrace. "It's ok. I'm here now. Everything's going to be ok," he comforted her as he stroked her hair.
"I just want you to hold me. Please, don't leave me again," she wept in his arms.
"I'm not going anywhere. I promise I won't leave you," he said. 'Yet.' He let her cry on his shoulder for as long as she needed to. A while later, after everything she held inside was let out, she broke away from his hug half way and tried to pull herself back together.
"Are you ok now?" he asked as he gently wiped her tears away with his thumb. She nodded. "Good. You now I hate to see you upset." He handed her a tissue.
"I'm sorry, I can't help it. I'm a very emotional person, especially when it comes to the people I love most in the world." She went to caress his cheek when she noticed the cut below his eye. "AJ, what happened?" she asked concerned.
"Don't worry about it, it's nothing."
"No, something happened. Tell me."
He sighed, " We got into a fight."
"Who's we?"
"The Desmondontidae and the Daemoniacus."
"You mean you actually fought as a soldier in battle?!"
"Yes."
"That's not a claw mark, right?"
"No."
"Do you have other injuries?"
"Yes."
"Where else?"
He stood up and carefully removed his coat. He winced as the cloth made contact with his sensitive skin. He revealed cuts, scratches, bruises, burns, and lacerations all over his arms, neck, and back. She stood up alarmed.
"Oh my God, AJ!"
"It's ok. They'll heal in a couple of days."
She tenderly slid her hand down his face and arms. A single tear drop fell. She hated seeing him suffer.
"Oh AJ, I love you," she whispered.
"I love you, too, Toni Tone."
She loved it when he called her that.
"You can stay in my room tonight."
AJ nodded and brushed his lips across hers. They stood there
foreheads
touching, noses gently rubbing against each other. Finally, their lips
met.
How she missed his sweet and tender kisses. He loved the feel of her
soft
and warm lips. Without breaking the long loving kiss they both missed
so
much, they scooted over to the door and closed it. Then, the lights
were
turned off.
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