Unco

It's been a routine for them.

They'd meet on this secret place of theirs, situated high enough that they were able to overlook the whole city. One'd spill and just monologue all of the problems they faced during that day, and the same would be done by the other.

They were just strangers who vent to each other without strings attached and they both couldn't help but think that it would be for the best if things stayed the way it currently was. 

"So?" Noah started. One word would enough for the both of them to understand what the other implied. "Just the usual," Aria paused, eyes focused on the cityscape that sat before her. "... Things have been rather drab for me for the past few days. Nothing exciting exactly happened." 

Noah just chuckled. "I wish that was the case for me. Just awhile ago, I got fired 'cause the store apparently got 'too much' workers and they decided it was me that they should just kick out," the ginger complained as he fiddled with the buttons of his shirt. 

"Life sucks for you, huh?" Aria laughed, her blue optics twinkling as the moonlight provided even the slightest bit of luminescence for them. It was currently nighttime, the hour of the day in which the duo silently agreed to meet.

"Yeah, but am used to it," nonchalance laced his voice, truly confirming what he had just said. "I wish that was the case for me," Aria repeated what her company had stated not too long ago. Noah rose an eyebrow at her peculiar statement. "You got bored and that's that. How could things be hard for you?" He questioned her.

She shook her head, crouching to hide her face in her crossed arms that were propped on top of her bent knees. Aria remained quiet, unmoving, and Noah was starting to feel uneasy with the silence, that was, until he noticed the color of her skin. "Hey, you're looking really pale. Ya sure you should be going out like this instead of resting?" He asked, feeling concerned for this person whose name he didn't even know.

"It's nothing." That was her reply. It should've stopped at that, yet he couldn't keep himself from being worried because of this girl. He knew it was irrational, after all, he didn't even know her nor did he have personal ties with her. "A'ight. But if you're feeling unwell, you could hit up a ride with me. It'd be a nuisance to take a stubborn girl to a hospital," and at the term 'hospital', he noticed that she immediately stiffened, yet he decided to brush that action of hers off. She could've had bad memories in the said place and he wasn't one to pry, so there's that.

"Mama said to never trust strangers, so bold of you to assume that I would even want to go with you," and the mood lightened up once more. "I'm just trynna be helpful," he snarkily retorted, puffing out air from his nose. This elicited a giggle from her for she found humor in his childish behavior. 

"But how will you get on with life though? No job, no money, no food either," she pointed out all of those things causing him to furrow his brows in distaste. "You think I'd survive with just one job giving meager pay? Of course I have backup. This dude is prudent, you know." He pointed at himself, his white pears showing as his mouth turned into a proud grin. 

"Yeah, yeah. Mr. Wise Man."

"Hey, why d'ya sound so skeptic, huh?"

And before they even knew it, a few weeks had already passed. They were gradually becoming closer, but not to the point that they'd know each other's aliases, a fact that somehow caused Noah to feel quite distraught. He played with his hair once more out of habit before finally plopping himself down on the place where he usually sat next to her, specifically, the ground.

He checked his watch time and time again, checking whether a minute or an hour had passed. This was, uh, to say the least, quite strange. Usually, she'd be here first before him, but it seemed that the opposite had taken place now. He knew it was ungentlemanly of him to be quite tardy, but hey, it's not like he was obligated to go here or something.

Half an hour had passed and she still wasn't there. Guessing that this would be the first time one of them hadn't shown up, he was readying to right himself before stopping himself once he heard the pants of someone near him. "S-Sorry, I'm late." Her voice wasn't exactly the best that it had been. It was hoarse, throaty, and even a nincompoop would arrive to a conclusion that she was, in fact, not in her best condition.

"You shouldn't have come if you're debilitated," he scolded the ravenette as he immediately went up to her side and supported her frail-looking body before finally letting her lounge on the floor. He wasn't an idiot. During the course of the week wherein they'd meet each other, he noticed that she was looking thinner and thinner and bruises were forming themselves up on her skin.

"I'm okay, don't worry." Yet her words of reassurance were futile when it came to serving its its purpose."How could I not? Just look at you!" He was trying to remain as reserved as possible but he just couldn't do it. Especially with how stubborn this girl was being.

"I said I'm fine, damn it. I... just don't want to talk about it." Her voice was small, he noted. Heaving out a breath, he just looked at her disapprovingly. How obstinate could this lass be? Was she blind for her to not be able to see how bad she was faring?

"Okay... So, how was your day?" He hesitantly asked. He was constraining himself from just bolting upwards and dragging her to the nearest clinic as soon as possible. The only thing keeping him from doing it was because he didn't want to step past his boundaries.

"..."

He couldn't understand her. If they weren't going to even converse, why would she even bother going to this place when she would just gain nothing from doing such an act? 

"What if one day, I just cease heading towards this area? Will it make you sad?" 

"Of course, you idiot!"

"Why?" 

"W...Why?" He didn't know why he stammered. Perhaps he didn't know what the answer was? Or perhaps he knew the meaning behind her implicit wordings. 

"What? Are you terminally ill or something and you have a few days left to live?" He wanted to laugh it off, but the atmosphere wasn't being kind to him for he received quietness instead. 

Silence means yes.

"Forget that. So? The manager of your new workplace hasn't fired you yet?" Changing the subject. Noah gritted his teeth. He was beyond frustrated with how she was being an enigma. How she was acting like a code he needed to decipher before time eventually runs out.

No. He needed to be cool. He couldn't just lash out on her because of his ill-temperedness when it came to these things. He finally opened his mouth to provide an answer, "Yeah, I'm surprised as well." Such a bland answer. Though how could he be the jester that she is when this stranger was hinting that she was actually in a worse condition than he initially thought?

Things eventually went back to normal. They talked the night away, yet this time, they took even longer than they normally would. He observed that she was quite hesitant to bid her farewells. 

Now all alone, he glanced at the city one last time before making his way back home. This time, with dread clawing at his chest, as if it was telling him that something terrible would soon occur.

He should be a clairvoyant or something. It's the fifth day that he had arrived here yet it's also the fifth time that she didn't appear. 

He regretted that his train of thoughts before only regarded her as a measly unco. If he somehow came into terms with his feelings and finally admitted to himself that he saw her in a different light, that he saw her as a friend, a confidante, then maybe he would've tried to actually get to know her more. 

His eyes darted towards the night sky, each star providing phosphorescence to the view above him, though the moon stood out the most. He sighed for the nth time, closing his eyes before finally standing up. Another day without her appearance.. Well, maybe tomorrow, she'd show up, maybe even say that she was on a vacation and that's why she couldn't make it.

For all one knows, the reason why she had been delaying her goodbye's hitherto was because that was actually the last time they'd have the chance to see each other.

Placing one last look at the place that held the memories of the two, he now embarked on his journey to head back to his apartment.

It really was a shame that he didn't even know her name.