Chapter 9 - Reciprocity

In the case of bees, the males are the ones who usually come to the aid of the queen and they do all sorts of things to protect their queen of the hive. They were the servants and the queen gets all the benefits. This is how I exactly felt with Lumina if it weren't for the debt that I owe her. I was a slave, a henchman, a pet and all of those other things that could classify as a lackey. I felt like I was being held against my will, but in some weird way I kinda like it. Whoa! Did I just say I like being her lackey? S**t, this must be worse than I thought. 

After a couple of minutes I actually made it in Lumina's neighborhood on time and I began to go to where she lives. I know where it is because I've been there once when she treated my wounds. The front door of her house looked different from the others, it had a shady brown color on it with a golden door knob. I made my way towards it, but just as I was about to knock on the door, I held back and moved one step backwards. Her father didn't know me and he might think I'm a creep (well most people do). Instead of knocking, I sat down on the small flight of stairs that leads to her front door and took my phone out. I opened the contacts section and I quickly looked for Lumina and after I found her I pressed the call button and waited for her to pick up. It took about four rings before she had picked up her phone.

"Kidel? Where are you now?" I heard her say to me.

"I'm at your front door." I replied to her.

"Then knock and come in here! Don't you have any common sense?" Lumina had replied to me. 

"Why can't you just come down here?" I asked her.

"I'm still preparing some stuff. Just go inside okay? My father will answer the door for you."  she had said as she hung up the phone.

Guess I have no choice but to meet her father. F**k, I'm not really good with socializing with people from the other side of the social quota. Most people on that side just see us as trouble makers and what not, but here I am actually attempting to communicate with the types of people that I didn't like at all. I got near her front door again and this time I knocked on it three times. 

"Just a second!" I heard a voice coming from the other side of the door. Shortly after that the door had opened and I saw Lumina's father standing in front of me. He was wearing an apron with a picture of a spatula on it, unlike the first time I saw him when he was wearing a corporate suit for business meetings. I guess he was still cooking dinner for the two of them. 

"Oh, you must be Kidel. Are you chaperoning my daughter tonight?" he had asked me.

"Yeah, I guess." I replied to him coldly. To be honest I was a bit ashamed to face him because I didn't look that much presentable to others. I was just wearing my signature black shirt, with baggy pants and skateboard sneakers. i also had my cut-off gloves on in case of combat. 

"Lumina! Your friend is here!" I had heard her father shouted. He faced me again and said; "Make yourself comfortable here alright? have you had dinner already?" 

"Alright, but I'll pass on dinner. I picked up some fast food on the way here." I replied to him and he went back to cooking in the kitchen. He was nice for some reason even to a person like me. I guess he just didn't know my life well that's why he was nice to me. That's how all people are, sadly. I had sat down on the couch present on the living room and rested myself for a little bit. It was a tiring train ride and this couch really hit the spot. I was just about settling in when I had heard a voice come up behind me. 

"Hey sleepy head it's time to go." the voice said. It was my slave driver Lumina. She was wearing a fitted red shirt this time with a logo of a familiar brand of clothing on it and she had black jeans to go with it and she wore her white sneakers as well. She had a bag with her probably it's where she kept her camera for her visual arts assignment. I didn't notice it before, but she actually had a nice body figure. The curves of her waist and chest were brought out by the clothes she was wearing now. Crap, I really have to stop hanging out with Samiel.

"Fine, I'm getting up already sheesh." I said as I got up.

"Dad! I'll be going now, I won't be gone long!" she had said to her dad.

"Okay! Be careful alright?" her dad said. "Love you honey!"

"Love you too dad!" she said as she made her way through the front door. I followed her and saw that she was waiting outside for me. We then started walking towards the park. It was not going to be that of a long walk because the Grand State Park was near the intersection of St. Marks district and Grand State district. Lumina was walking beside me while carrying her camera bag. I stole some glances at her and I saw her hair which fell evenly on her shoulders. I bet they smell good like fresh cut spring flowers. Whoa, did I just say that?! Damn, I REALLY need to find new friends other than Samiel. I was still glancing at her while we were walking when she had finally looked at me. I looked away from her to avoid suspicion. 

"The hell's wrong with you?" Lumina had asked me.

"None of your business." I replied to her quickly. I guess she hasn't noticed that I had been looking at her the whole time.

"Weirdo." she had said to me. We were almost close to the park, I guess looking at her really takes up most of my attention span and it dwindles time away just like that. We have now reached the park entrance, it was still open at night. We went in and I saw a familiar crater that had been near the park bench where me and Lumina sat. I guess the authorities haven't fixed up the whole I have caused here yet. My mind drifted to that instance when Lumina had seen me fight Noire in this exact same place. I said things to her that hurt her and I know I should not say those things to her again. I now turned to her and said.

"So what pictures are you going to take here?" I asked her as I took my box of cigarettes out of my pocket and took one and put it in my mouth.

"Just some random everyday objects, but from a different angle I suppose." she had replied to me.

"So I guess I'm just going to sit here then." I replied to her as i sat down on a bench present in the park. 

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Lumina POV

I had never knew that he would agree to chaperone me while doing my project for my visual arts class, but then again, I knew that he had a debt to pay to me. He was under my control and I felt like an evil genius trying to control my pet cat. Kidel had left my side as he sat down on the park bench on which where we sat down on the day that he had a fight with Noire. I moved on forward and found some interesting objects to take pictures of. I found this huge tree not far from where Kidel was staying and I immediately took a picture of it from a unique angle. Photography had always been one of my favorite things to do and that was the reason why I had taken visual arts as an elective class this year. I like the concept of capturing memories through a digital lens. Memories that I can keep tangible as long as I have this camera of mine. 

I found some fireflies flying over the pond in the park and I took a picture of that too. I had captured it perfectly and I had just needed to fix the light settings in my computer to make it look perfect. I just needed one photo now to complete my assignment for that class. I looked around the park and then I finally found what I needed to take a photo of. I saw the broken monument that Kidel had blasted out of anger when we had fought here before I left him. I could use this to explain emotions in art through pictures and I immediately took a picture of it from a side angle and it looked perfect. I now had my three photos so i kept my camera in my bag now and I made my way towards where Kidel is. I saw him sitting on the bench, smoking a cigarette. I always hate it when he smokes because the smell is irritating and it could give him all sorts of diseases and what not. I went near him and immediately took the cigarette from his mouth, threw it on the ground and stepped on it.

"What the hell??!" I had heard him shout.

"I don't like you smoking when you're with me." I said to him.

"Since when do I take orders from you?" he had replied to me as he took another cigarette from his box. I attempted to take his box of cigarettes from him but he moved away from me fast.

"I just hate the smell of second hand smoke okay?" I said to him. He was enjoying this because he knew that it irritated me when he smoked, but no matter I still have a trick up my sleeve.

"Well, nothing I can do with that." Kidel had replied to me as he lit the cigarette with his blue flames. He was so cocky with that flame powers of his, and yet, he actually looked good tonight. His eyes shone in the night, those red orbs of his which were fierce and powerful at the same time. His blonde hair which rose on one side was brighter than ever. He wasn't that much muscular but his lean body was very suitable for his stature. I felt my cheeks heating up as I looked at him and I eventually sat down next to him on the bench. I then notice him throwing away his cigarette when it wasn't finished yet. He stepped on it firmly and he held his head.

"What's wrong?" I asked him.

"Nothing." he replied as he sat back up. "I just get head aches like these when I smoke too much." he added.

"Must be the nicotine. You should stop while you can." I replied to him.

"Whatever." he replied to me smugly. He seemed out of it though, even if it was only his second cigarette of the night. Probably he was smoking before we met up so he has had this head aches as a consequence. I looked at him and he seemed really buzzed for some reason. Suddenly something happened that I did not expect, his head fell on my shoulder out of nowhere. I urged to move but his head was too heavy so I just stayed the way I was in order not to disturb him. Was he feeling sleepy? I didn't know, but all I know was I felt my cheeks heating up again. Kidel was actually resting his head on my shoulder. 

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Kidel POV

I was so light-headed right now, probably from the cigarettes that I have been smoking before I even met up with Lumina. My mind was still okay but my head seemed to feel lighter than usual. I was resting my head on something hard, but it did not feel like concrete, it felt like a shoulder. Oh s**t, don't tell me that I was actually resting my head on HER shoulder? I suddenly realized this and immediately I removed my head from her shoulder. I saw her face, her eyes were the ones that stood out, those blue eyes of hers. 

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-"  I tried to say to her but she interrupted me.

"It's okay." she replied as turned away from me. "I told you that cigarettes are bad for you." she added.

"Alright. I'll take it easy from now on." I replied to her. I guess I really did like her if I am feeling guilty like this. She cared about me in a non-conventional kind of way. I then noticed her looking at me. She was examining me and somehow, her witty demeanor had changed to a more calm one.

"Why?" she had said out of nowhere.

"Why what?" I asked her.

"Why'd you step in when Noire was harrassing me?  Figuratively of course." she had asked me.

"He was going to hurt you, and I just could not allow that to happen." I replied to her, then I saw her hide her blush a little. It was kinda funny to see Lumina like this rather than her bossy self.

"Oh.." she had said. 

"Besides, he really was an annoying person if you think about it." I replied to her

"Now that's something we can agree on completely." Lumina had smiled to me as we broke out in laughter. 

She looked beautiful today, her long black hair, her fair white skin, those blue colored eyes of hers. I looked at her more and noticed that her cheeks turn a bright pink. Just as I suspected, she was blushing again and trying to hide it from me.

"You're blushing again." I teased her.

"No I'm not!" she shouted as she punched me in my arm lightly.

"Whatever you say." I said to her as I held my arm. Damn she hits hard as hell. "I already told you before that you should stop thinking about me too much." I replied to her in a witty manner.

"Hmph. You're one to talk." Lumina had replied to me with a smug grin on her face.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked her back as I ruffled my hair. 

"If I had known any better, you care about me." she had said wittily. I hate her mind tricks as I felt my cheeks heat up and I faced away from her.

"W-what makes you say that?!" I said to her and I distinctly heard in my mind Samiel singing "Kidel's got a girlfriend". I'm going to give that guy a good punch in the face when I get back to the den.

"You saved me from Noire. If you didn't care then you could've just left me there alone to deal with him." Lumina replied to me. 

"I already told you, he annoyed me that's why I stepped in." I said as I tried to reason with her.

"Really now? Then why are you red all over?" she had replied to me as she pointed at my face. 

"You're just seeing things." I replied as I faced away from her.

"Now who's blushing huh?" Lumina had said as she let out a small laugh. "It's okay to admit it you know, I know I'm pretty." she added jokingly.

"Whatever makes you happy." I replied to her in a sarcastic manner. Well she really was pretty in my opinion.

I looked at my phone and saw that it was already 11.30 pm. Time sure flies by when i'm talking to her. 

"Look, it's getting kinda late. I have to take you back home." I said to her as I stood up from the bench we were both seated at. Lumina stood up as well and took her bag with her.

"Yeah I agree. Let's get going now shall we?" Lumina had said to me as she smiled afterwards. I love that smile of hers. 

We both stood up as we now started to walk as we left Grand State park in order to take her home.

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We had arrived at her residence as I walked her towards her door. It wasn't a real long walk and we just both kept silent and minded our own business before we got here. I walked her up to the stairs leading to her front door and I saw her look around her wallet for something. It was probably a spare key for the house. I guess her father locks the door to be safe. I saw her put the key in the knob and she had opened the door afterwards.

"Well, I guess this is where I leave." I said to her as I put both of my hands in my pocket and begin to walk away from the door. 

"Wait!" I heard Lumina call me.

"What?" I turned back to her. "I don't owe you anything anymore." I said to her.

"I know, but I was just thinking, do you want to hang out like this again?" she had asked me and to be honest, I was shocked when she had said that.

"Are you asking me out?" I had said to her and I could've sworn I saw her face turned a color that could make a tomato jealous.

"No, I'm just saying that can we hang out like this again any time soon?" Lumina had said to me. She was an assertive girl I have to give her that.

"Yeah I guess. I really don't have anything to do anyway besides the gang." I replied to her. "Just call me whenever ya want to hangout. I'm just a phone call away." I said to her as I smiled at her afterwards.

"Thanks. Anyway see you soon Kidel and good night." she had said.

"Good night too." I said to her and I saw her close the door of her house. I guess I need to make my way towards the station already and back to the gang den. 

I climbed up the stairs of St.Marks station thankfully the trains were fast tonight as I boarded one immediately and sat down on a vacant seat. I can't help but think that maybe it was actually good for me to hangout more with her. It's really beginning to show me that not everything that I had put behind me was really that bad. There were still people that made life interesting and I guess Lumina is one of those people. I took out my phone and began to type a text message to her.

Stop thinking about me so you don't blush often.    -K

I'd probably expect a punch in the face the next time we see each other, but what the heck I'd send this to her anyway just for the laugh.

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Lumina POV

I had changed to more comfortable clothes as I sat down in bed. Tonight was really fun, for I had spent hours with Kidel. We actually caught up in our conversations and it has been a real long time since we had talked like that. Sure he has changed in some ways, but the old him was still there even if he ran with a gang. I opened my bag containing my camera and set it down near me as I looked at the photos that I took. I knew this would get straight A's and I just have to edit it now. I stood up from my bed as I held on my camera and went over to the computer desk and sat down as I opened the PC. I put the camera down on the table and in an instant I heard my phone ring. It was my text tone. I grabbed my phone which was on the computer table and opened it and saw that Kidel had sent me a text.

top thinking about me so you don't blush often.    -K

I saw the text and let out a small laugh afterwards. 

You wish.     -L

I had sent my reply to him and I set down my phone on the table. If only he knew, how much I really thought about him since the day that he strayed away from school.