Chapter 7: An Unlikely Bond

“Kairus,” she said, her voice neutral as she watched him take the seat across from her.

He sat down without a word, his expression unreadable. “I’ll eat with you, and I’ll go to class with you too…” he stated, placing his food on the table with a soft clatter.

Avyanna remained silent as they ate, the quiet atmosphere settling between them like an unspoken agreement. Kairus, too, refrained from speaking, focusing on his meal. The only sounds were the occasional clink of utensils against their plates.

Once she had finished, Avyanna stood up, pushing her chair back with a faint scrape. She was about to walk away when, out of nowhere, her foot caught on something. Before she could even process what was happening, she lost her balance, stumbling forward.

Everything happened in a split second. A sharp gasp escaped her lips as she braced for impact—but instead of hitting the ground, she felt a strong grip catch her.

Kairus had acted on reflex, his arms instinctively reaching out to steady her. However, his hand landed somewhere it shouldn't have—right on her gunshot wound.

A sharp, searing pain shot through Avyanna’s body.

“Damn! Can you please release me right now?” she hissed, her voice strained with agony.

“Huh? I can’t hear you…” Kairus trailed off, noticing something was wrong. His brows furrowed in confusion as he glanced down. Then, realization dawned on him.

“Wait, what—” he started, but he quickly let go as soon as he saw the blood.

Avyanna inhaled sharply, steadying herself before looking down at her shoulder. Her heart pounded as she took in the sight—her wound had reopened, and fresh crimson was seeping through the fabric of her clothes.

“I need to go. I’ll clean my wound first,” Avyanna said hastily, pushing past the tables as she rushed toward the exit of the coffee shop. The moment she stepped outside, the cool evening air brushed against her skin, but she barely noticed. She needed to take care of her wound before it got worse.

Without wasting another second, she took off in a sprint, heading straight for the nearest convenience store. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, a mix of adrenaline and the dull, persistent pain in her shoulder.

As soon as she arrived, she quickly scanned the aisles, her eyes darting around until she spotted what she needed. She grabbed a pack of antiseptic wipes and a roll of bandages, barely pausing as she made her way to the counter.

Just as she was about to pay, a voice called out behind her.

“Avyanna!”

She froze for a second before turning her head. As she looked over her shoulder, she spotted Kairus standing near the entrance, holding something in his hands.

She narrowed her eyes. “What?” she asked, her tone laced with mild irritation.

Instead of answering right away, Kairus closed the distance between them in a few strides. “Let me help,” he said firmly. Before she could protest, he reached out and gently took hold of her wrist, guiding her toward a small seating area in the corner of the store—a table and a couple of chairs tucked away from the main aisle.

With a sigh, she allowed herself to be led there. Arguing wasn’t worth the effort when she was already dealing with the pain.

Once they were seated, Kairus eyed her outfit, noting the long sleeves covering her injured shoulder. “I can’t treat your wound properly with your sleeves in the way,” he pointed out, his tone matter-of-fact.

Avyanna exhaled sharply, already knowing he was right. She hesitated for a moment before muttering, “Let’s go back to the café.”

“I’ll just go back to the apartment—” she started, but Kairus cut her off before she could finish.

Without much of a choice, Avyanna let out a quiet sigh and followed Kairus back to the café. The night air was crisp, and the city lights flickered around them, but she barely paid attention. Her mind was focused on the throbbing pain in her shoulder and the fact that she was now relying on Kairus for help—something she wasn’t entirely comfortable with.

As they stepped back into the warm interior of the café, the scent of coffee and pastries still lingered in the air. The place had quieted down, with only a few lingering customers scattered around. Kairus led her to a secluded corner, pulling out a chair for her before taking a seat himself.

“Alright, let me see,” he said, reaching for the small bag Avyanna was carrying, which contained the wipes and bandages she had bought.

She hesitated before finally rolling up her sleeve, wincing slightly as the fabric brushed against her wound. The sight of fresh blood seeping through the already stained bandage made Kairus frown.

“You should’ve been more careful,” he muttered under his breath, but his hands were gentle as he opened the antiseptic wipes.

Avyanna scoffed, crossing her arms despite the discomfort. “Says the guy who grabbed my wound earlier.”

Kairus looked up at her, unfazed. “I caught you. Would you have preferred falling flat on your face?”

She rolled her eyes but didn’t argue. Instead, she sat still as he carefully dabbed at the wound with the wipe. A sharp sting shot through her shoulder, making her clench her jaw, but she refused to let any sound of pain slip past her lips.

Kairus, surprisingly patient, worked in silence. Once he was done cleaning the wound, he unrolled the bandage and began wrapping it securely around her shoulder. His touch was efficient yet careful, as if he’d done this before.

“There,” he said, securing the final wrap. “It should hold for now, but you’ll need to change it properly later.”

Avyanna flexed her arm slightly, testing the tightness. “Not bad,” she admitted, glancing at him. “Didn’t know you were a medic.”

“I’m not,” Kairus replied, leaning back in his chair. “I just know how to handle wounds. Comes with experience.”

She raised an eyebrow at that but chose not to press further. Instead, she exhaled, feeling slightly more at ease now that the bleeding had stopped.

“…Thanks,” she said after a pause, the word feeling foreign on her tongue.

Kairus smirked slightly. “Don’t mention it. But it seems like you have too many bruises and scratches. Are you sure you’re okay?”

Avyanna glanced down at her arms, now that her sleeve was rolled up, revealing a few faint bruises along with the fresh wound. She hadn’t really paid attention to them before, too focused on other things. Her body had grown used to pain—it was just another thing to deal with.

“I’m fine,” she muttered, rolling her sleeve back down.

Kairus didn’t look convinced. He leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, his sharp gaze studying her as if he could see right through the lie. “You don’t get bruises like that from just walking around,” he pointed out.

Avyanna met his stare, her expression unreadable. “I never said I did.”

For a moment, there was a quiet tension between them, but Kairus didn’t push further. Instead, he sighed and leaned forward again, resting his elbows on the table. “At least try not to get yourself killed,” he said, his tone lighter but with a hint of sincerity underneath.

She smirked faintly. “No promises.”

And just like that, the silence between them settled again—this time, oddly comfortable.