Harry curses under his breath after kicking the wall in the corridor. He brings his right hand's fingers to the split skin just under his right eye and then winces. "Fuck." If there's one thing he hates, it's fighting. Fighting is useless so he makes it a habit not to get too irritated with people and not to irritate other people to the point of wanting to throw a punch at him. "What the fuck?"

"I know you. I fucking know what you've done." The man's voice is sharp and almost familiar. It's all a blur after that, being shoved against the wall and kicked between the legs. It's a low blow but it's extremely effective.

The side of his neck feels just as much pain as the throbbing on his face, yet his knuckles have been completely untouched, which doesn't feel fair at all. He was jumped. Half upset and half wounded, he drags himself to Valarie's door and thinks about what he's about to do before knocking one her door. It's 2 in the morning but apparently people tend to be up this late.

The first punch is to his collarbone, and it stings like being stabbed with a knife. Something definitely shatters there but he's too wrapped in confusion to really be concerned. The man above him gets in his face and then kicks his torso. "You're a piece of shit and I swear to all damn gods that I'll kill you for what you've done."

Harry pushes his hair from his eyes and barely manages to shrug his shoulders. "I don't even know what you're talking about?"

"You're a dirty man, you little shit. I've seen you and now you're done. Done."

He starts knocking harder as the pain in his chest starts to grow. He knows that means she's getting closer to the door, but she's not getting close fast enough. The burning confusion in his head starts to gnaw at him even harder than before that when she finally opens the door, all he can say is what's on his mind. "What the fuck just happened, Valarie?"

Her eyes grow wider and her mouth parts in surprise. "What happened to your face?"

Harry rolls his eyes. "What's wrong with your boyfriend? Why did he- what the fuck did I do? I don't even talk to the guy, I've never even had a solid conversation with him, I don't-"

"Caspian did that?" Valarie opens her door wider and takes a small step forward. "Are you sure?"

"No," he spits out sarcastically, wincing when she cowers back a little bit. "Sorry."

"I don't know why he would just jump at you like that, he's not a very violent guy."

"Well he sure had me convinced otherwise."

Val frowns. "Can you please chill with the attitude?"

"Sorry." He touches the gash on his face and frowns deeper when he feels all the blood just below his cheekbone. "He said he knows what I've done, which makes no sense because I don't do shit." He takes a moment to shut his eyes and focus on his breathing, not liking the racing feeling in his chest. When he reopens them, he takes notice in the tired look on Valarie's face. She's got on a heavy- looking sweatshirt that ends mid-thigh, and mismatching socks that are half on and half off. Her hair is an absolute mess of tangled curls that don't really look like curls anymore; still soft looking nonetheless. "You look really nice, sorry for waking you up."

"Thank you, sorry that my boyfriend beat you up." She turns her back to him to walk into her apartment, but leaves the door wide open. "Can you come in? There's a draft in the hallway."

When he's inside and the door is closed, he follows her to her living room where there's a lit candle burning on the middle of the floor. Where he would expect there to be a couch, there's just a yoga mat, and by the television there are two empty shelves with stacks of books on the floor. It looks like her living room had just been raided through. "Nice place," he lies.

Valarie rolls her eyes. "I'm in the middle of cleaning and organizing."

"Okay." He bites the inside of his cheek. "So, uh, your boyfriend. He punched me a couple of times."

"What dirt does he have on you?"

"Nothing."

She turns to take a glance at the ring on his left hand. "Maybe-"

"That's not it. Nobody knows that." He moves his gaze to the strewn books on the floor, and is almost thrown off by the titles of half of them. He nearly walks over to pick one up but a thought pops into his head. "Do you think he thinks there's something going on with us?"

"We just met."

Harry smirks to himself. "There's chemistry."

Valarie almost laughs. He hears the hushed pause before she speaks. "You're funny."

"Really," he turns to her with complete seriousness. "He threatened my life and I don't even know what happened." One specific book that he's got his eyes on looks more worn than the others. Dyslexia: Word War. "I don't like that he has the key to the building."

"He's my boyfriend."

"I know, and it's great that you've found love, but he's after me, Valarie. I know we've only just met and that you and him have known each other for however long, but I don't fight. It's just not for me. He attacked me."

"I'll talk to him."

"Oh my shit," he whispers under his breath, running his hands down his face only to bite down on his bottom lip in pain after touching the inside of the cut under his eye. "Then he'll know I snitched on him. If you talk to him, he'll wait for me on the corner."

"I'll think of something, okay? Now I really have to sleep, so can we continue this conversation-"

A heavy knock on the door makes them both freeze.

"Valarie?" Caspian's voice is thick with aggression. "Open the door."

Harry turns to her slowly. "Wow." He can't fathom how unlucky he is, standing in the living room of the girlfriend whose boyfriend just used him as a punching bag.

"Hide in the closet in the hallway." Her tone is rushed but quiet.

How unlucky he is to now have to hide in a closet that he doubts is clean. He drags himself to the hallway and opens the small door to the left, pleasantly surprised when nothing falls out. After stuffing himself in the small space, he hangs his head and shuts his eyes against the darkness.

After a moment he hears the now familiar voice of Caspian. "That new guy," he nearly spits out. "I don't like him."

"Calm down, Cas."

Harry slides down the wall to get comfortable.

"Even his vibes are fucked."

"What are you-"

"He's dirty with blood, Val." What did he see? When did he get the chance to see anything?

He feels his chest ache. Harry sits up in his spot and starts to pick at his bottom lip anxiously. His legs start to feel almost weak. He's not a careless person when he does what needs to be done; the letter he got clearly stated the repercussions of being reckless and irresponsible.

"Are you crazy?" She sounds too nervous.

Harry considers bursting through the closet but he wouldn't know what to do.

"He is. There are pictures."

He feels sick to his stomach, feels the space behind his eyes begin to fill with pressure. His fingers close tightly, chest only tightening even more. "Sorry," he whispers softly under his breath, just in case Valarie is feeling the same way. He can't imagine talking through this kind of pain.

"Pictures? What are you talking about?"

"I met this guy. Some man that showed me some pictures, said your Harry is running from him."

What the fuck is happening? Something begins to climb up his throat. Water, it has to be water. He hasn't eaten anything all day.

"What was that sound?" Caspian's voice is sharp now. Alert.

"Nothing."

There's a pause. Did Harry make a sound? He can't focus on anything except the pressure in his throat.

"Someone's here."

"It's three in the morning, who would be here?"

Footsteps.

"Who's here, Valarie?"

"Nobody."

Getting closer. Harry doesn't bother standing to his feet. Whatever happens, happens.

The door opens and the dull light is the first thing to hit his eyes. "You've got to be kidding me."

[unedited]

[hoping to update again, sooner. thank you so much for your patience, i've missed writing so much. i know this chapter isn't very long or eventful/detailed but if everything goes as planned then the next chapter will be kinda better.]