3

when you got no idea for anything but the romance, even tho its supposed to come later on..(cringe is awaiting your reading)

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏The weather was gloomy with possible rainclouds in the late afternoon. School had finished, students were outside awaiting for their parent's arrival. Ali was with Viktor, as usual and as expected, chatting away. "Do you want to come over to my house to play some Detektif Jebat today? You could also stay over," Viktor asked, eyes glued to his tablet, his thumbs tapping rapidly as he navigated through the game's latest mission, barely looking up as he spoke.

Ali blinked, pulled out of his thoughts. He hadn't even heard the full question. He paused for a moment before shaking his head lightly and sighed. "Sorry, Viktor. My dad's away this month, and I've got to handle the house stuff." He offered a small smile, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

Viktor barely looked up, too absorbed in his game. His thumbs tapped furiously against the screen. "All good, " he mumbled, eyes locked in. "Next time, maybe. I'm about to defeat the enemy anyways"

Ali let out a quiet breath. Figures. Viktor was always in his own world when it came to Detektif Jebat.

Viktor's tablet chimed as the game declared his victory. He grinned, finally glancing up at Ali. "Alright, I gotta head—my mom's already texting like ten times. See you tomorrow!" With a wave, he jogged off toward the pickup lane, bag slung over one shoulder.

Ali stood alone for a moment, adjusting the strap of his backpack.Then came a voice—light, steady, unmistakably hers. "Hey," Alicia said, stepping up beside him. "You walking home?" "Yeah, like always." "I was wondering... if you'd want to go together? We live pretty near too." she said, her voice growing slightly softer.

"Oh, now you're asking me to go with you, despite all the past times you rejected my proposal to walk together?" he teased, raising an eyebrow.

Alicia didn't miss a beat. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."

He glanced at her sideways. "Desperate how?"

She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. "Just figured it'd be... less boring. That's all."

Ali smiled, the corner of his mouth tugging up. "Sure. Less boring sounds fine by me."They started walking, the sound of footsteps and light chatter fading behind them as the school emptied out.

...

They walked side by side, not a word between them. The silence wasn't awkward—it was loud, the kind that pressed against their thoughts and made every footstep echo louder than it should. Neither knew what to say, or maybe neither dared to. It was not a long walk, but it was long enough for the gloomy weather to turn into a heavy drizzle."It's starting to rain..." Ali mumbled, his voice cutting through the rising patter like a quiet blade."I don't have an umbrella. Do you?" she responded quietly, her voice carrying a hint of uncertainty.

The boy simply shook his head as the girl sighed. "My  house is just up the street. We can go there to get an umbrella," Ali suggested, then added, "...if, i have one."

"You can't be serious—you don't have an umbrella at home?" she said, a flicker of disbelief in her voice.

Ali scratched his head, looking slightly sheepish. "Well... my father might've taken it. He's on a business trip.""I guess we'll see, then."

...

At the doorstep of Ali's house, Alicia stood beside him, arms folded, watching as he fumbled with the keys. The rain had grown more intense, soaking their shoulders and pooling on the front steps.

"Do you even know which key it is?" she asked, one eyebrow raised.

"I do," Ali muttered, jiggling the wrong one in the lock. "Eventually."

Alicia huffed, more amused than annoyed, and glanced at the downpour. "Well, I guess I'm not making it home anytime soon. You better have an umbrella—or a towel."

"I'd definitely have a towel, but an umbrella is something I can't confirm..." He began, restarting the earlier conversation."You can't be kidding me..." She sighed, half-jokingly and half genuinely exasperated.

They stepped inside, the door clicking shut behind them. The familiar scent of home—something between books, warm air, and leftover toast—lingered faintly in the air.

"I'll go get a towel," Ali said, disappearing down the hallway.

She stood there, focus wavering, eyes fixed vaguely on the pattern of water dripping from her sleeves. Only when she felt something warm and soft on her head did she blink back into the moment.

Ali was standing in front of her, gently draping a downy towel over her hair. It smelled faintly of laundry detergent—clean, subtle, familiar.

"You zoned out," he said simply.

Her face didn't change, but her heart gave a traitorous little lurch and her ears grew warm. She clutched the towel tighter.

"...Thanks," she muttered.

Alicia finally peeled the towel off her head, the faint scent of detergent still clinging to it. She reached into her pocket and checked her phone.

The screen lit up with a bright yellow warning: Thunderstorm expected until 6:00 a.m.

Her thumb hovered for a second before she muttered under her breath, "...Oh, sh—"

She glanced at Ali, who was busy fussing with the air conditioning remote or pretending not to notice. 

Of course it would thunder all night. Of course she'd be stuck here. But... the idea didn't seem that bad.She glanced over at him as he continued to fiddle with the AC remote."Why are you turning on the air conditioning? Won't we catch a cold?" she asked, eyeing the remote in his hand.

"Well, your ears seem slightly red," he teased—far too casually."T-thats from the rain..." she mumbled, still audible to him. "Mm," he said, clearly unconvinced.She clutched the towel tighter, trying to ignore the warmth growing on her face.

"I'm gonna take a shower. You can watch TV or just rest for a bit."

Ali disappeared down the hall, towel in hand.

Alicia gave a small nod and sat down, eyes drifting around the room.

When he returned, his hair was damp, and he was in a fresh shirt and loose house pants. He slowed when he saw her standing by the shelf, quietly looking at a framed photo.

"You had chubbier cheeks back then," she said simply, turning the frame slightly.

He let out a soft exhale, almost a laugh. "Yeah, thanks for that."

"You should shower too," he added after a beat, walking over to hand her a towel. "Bathroom's just down the hall."

She didn't move. "I don't have any clothes."

Ali paused, then turned back toward his closet without a word. After a minute, he returned with a clean shirt and a pair of pants. He handed them to her without making a big deal of it.

"They'll probably be loose, but they're clean."

She took them, quiet for a second. "Alright."

And with that, she disappeared down the hallway....

Alicia P.O.V.:

I stepped out of the bathroom, towel slung around my neck, the fabric of Ali's borrowed shirt brushing my knees. The living room was quiet.

He wasn't in front of the TV or anywhere else, really—just slumped on the couch, fast asleep.

His hair was still damp.

Of course it was. He always half-dries it and calls it done. Typical.

I hovered for a second, standing awkwardly near the couch. He looked... peaceful. Younger, maybe. No smirk, no teasing look in his eye, no smart remark hanging on his lips.

Just him. Asleep. Quiet.

I should've just sat down and minded my business. I should've.

But my eyes kept going back to his hair. Still wet. Sticking to his forehead. And the room was cold. He turned on the AC like a maniac and now he's going to sleep like that?

I glanced at the towel still in my hands.

No. Absolutely not.

This was how trouble started.

I stood there for another three seconds, trying to make my feet move away. They didn't. They moved closer.

Fine.

I crouched beside the couch and slowly brought the towel up to his head. Carefully—gently—so he wouldn't wake up. My hands worked on their own, quiet and precise, dabbing at the ends of his hair, smoothing down the messy bits.

It wasn't even that wet. I could've left it. But...

There was something about seeing him like this, unguarded and still, that made it hard to look away. Harder to tell myself none of this meant anything.

I told myself it was just to keep him from getting a cold.

Just a person concerned for her friend.

Just that.

But a little voice in my head whispered,

Liar.

Normal P.O.V.:

Once she was done, Alicia folded the towel neatly and set it aside.

There was no reason to linger, but her knees ached a little from crouching, and—well—leaving felt abrupt.

So she stayed.

Settling down beside the couch, she leaned her back gently against it, close but not touching him. The soft hum of the air conditioner filled the room, steady and calming. The storm outside pattered lightly against the windows now, no thunder—just rain.

She let her eyes drift shut.

Just a moment. Just to rest.

The warmth from the earlier shower still lingered on her skin, and the borrowed clothes smelled like detergent—clean, unfamiliar, but not unpleasant.

It was quiet. Safe.

...The next time she stirred, the room had dimmed. Somewhere beyond the curtains, the sky had slipped into early evening.

A soft groan came from the couch above her.

Ali blinked slowly awake, stretching an arm up with a yawn. His voice was hoarse from sleep."...What time is it?"

Alicia reached for her phone, squinting at the lock screen."Seven. Almost."

"...We slept?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

They both went quiet again. Drowsy. A little awkward. But not the bad kind.

Just... soft.

"Well... the rain's settled down," Ali said, glancing at the window. "Do you want to head home?"

Alicia hesitated, fingers tightening around the hem of the borrowed shirt. "Um... I guess staying the night couldn't hurt? Unless—" her eyes flicked to his, "you're not okay with it."

He blinked, a little surprised by her uncertainty. "I'm okay with it," he said quickly, voice even. "Just wanted to check in case you weren't."

She gave a small nod, gaze softening. "Then... I'll stay. Just for tonight. I have a spare uniform in my bag too..."

Ali let out a small, almost relieved laugh. "Guess that settles it then."The girl then offered to cook, and the boy plainly agreed to it, out of hunger. And maybe curiosity.

Ali blinked as Alicia rolled up her sleeves and headed toward the kitchen like she owned the place.

"You sure you know where things are?" he asked, half-laughing as he trailed behind her.

"I'll manage," she replied smoothly, already opening cabinets. "It's not my first time cooking in a stranger's kitchen."

He raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

She found a pan, opened the fridge, took mental inventory. "You've got eggs. Some greens. Instant noodles—of course. This'll be simple."

"You cook often?" he asked, curious now.

She gave a small shrug, her expression unreadable. "Someone has to."

That shut him up.

She turned the stove on with practiced ease, as she placed a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

Ali watched her move around his kitchen like she belonged there, and something about that made the house feel less quiet. Less empty....

They sat cross-legged on the floor, bowls in hand, a small tray of simple dishes between them. The TV murmured softly in the background, but neither was really watching.

Ali took a bite and blinked. "Whoa. This is... actually good."

Alicia looked at him suspiciously. "Actually?"

He looked sheepish. "I mean—I didn't expect a proper meal. You made this with, like, three ingredients."

She didn't reply, only took a spoonful for herself, expression cool as ever.

They ate in comfortable silence for a moment before Ali spoke again. "So, do you always cook like this? Or am I just special?"

"You're lucky I didn't burn your kitchen down," she replied dryly, though a small smile tugged at the edge of her lips.

Ali grinned. "I'll take that as a compliment."

The rain had settled outside, just a light patter now. Inside, things felt quieter. Not awkward—just still, in a way that neither of them minded.

"You really live alone a lot?" he asked, more gently this time.

Alicia didn't answer right away. "Sometimes," she said eventually, not looking at him. "The General has... things to do."

Ali nodded, not pushing further.

She glanced at him. "You're not bad company, though."

He blinked, caught off-guard. "Oh. Uh—thanks."

"Don't let it get to your head."....

[2003 words] 

﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏Welp, reference to one of the 'Our Secret Alliance' chapters. but i  kind of changed it. Also, its now 2003 words, excluding this section. 1 vote please??