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But if it isn't you, and it isn't me, then there is only one more person I can think of.

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"TALANDA!" LUCAS CALLED out, watching as she ran out of sight, leaving him standing there confused

His eyebrows drew together, staring blankly at the place she disappeared to, concerned crevices forming on his forehead, trying to patch things up together.

He couldn't help but wonder why she had suddenly got so distant as well as the sadness he had seen beneath the shadows of her eyes.

It was more than sadness. It was different. There was no light in her eyes.

A subtle frustration surfaced inside him, his fists clenching in his hoodie pouch, still struggling to piece together why.

Something came to mind and he turned, spotting where Harvest stood by the fountain, his eyes seemed to have been also focusing on the place that Talanda had disappeared through, a slight clenched in his jaw, before abruptly turning away, making his way back into the crown.

Lucas thought about it for a minute, eyebrows creased together as he witnessed Harvest's behavior. It suddenly clicked, and he shook his head when he realized something.

Moving to go after him He stomped right by Daya who he had been too engrossed in finding Harvest to see until she spoke-

"Hey! Luca, let's-"

"No, Daya, let's not," he grunted, gritting his teeth but not sparing her glance as he firmly moved in the direction Harvest had gone, leaving Daya standing there.

----------------

The door to the gymnasium flew open, banging harshly against the wall, as Lucas walked in, eyes set on Harvest who sat unbothered by the noise, in the benches by the court.

"I sense trouble," Rangi sighed eyes following Lucas as he walked toward the boy casually flipping through the pages of a dark book.

Lwangi looked up at what his brother was referring to with a small huff of his own.

"It's about time," he commented, "let them sort it out brother before their winds create a typhoon," he replied, relaxing as they watched the confrontation.

"How long do you plan to punish her?" Lucas grunted as he stood right before Harvest, eyes on him.

Harvest didn't bother looking up, leaning back in his chair, one hand draped over his other, flipping through the book carelessly-

"I don't know what you're talking about, Lucas" he replied, still seeming unbothered.

"Cut the crap, Harvest, you know exactly what I'm talking about," Lucas fired back, his voice resounding louder in the gymnasium.

"Do I?" Harvest sighed, still not bothered, by it, but Lucas did catch the tension that was forming in his jaw.

The frustration that Harvest was known for. It only meant he was getting there.

"Talanda. What did you do to her?" he huffed.

To his surprise, Harvest froze at this, his gaze rising from the pages of the book he had been invested in, starting far out for a moment, this time his jaw visibly clenching before looking right up at Lucas, who held his gaze without any hesitation as the book shut closed.

Harvest adjusted in his seat, straightening his coat in the process,

"And what makes you think I did anything to her?" he asked, his eyes narrowing on him.

"I KNOW you did something to her, you've had her leashed to you from day one," Lucas growled back, "so I ask again, what the hell did you do?"

Harvest chuckled at the pathetic statement that seemed to amuse him. Before shaking his head.

"Don't confuse yourself further than you're already visibly falling apart," Harvest commented, raising an eyebrow at the sight of Lucas's deteriorating state, "and whatever's happening between her and me, is simply none of your business," he finished, his tone sounding sharp and defensive.

"It is my business because I'm not going to sit here and allow you to use her just to get to me," he huffed, his tone growing louder with each word.

Harvest scoffed, "The universe doesn't revolve around you, Luca-" he mocked.

This seemed to make Lucas angrier.

"I don't care what sort of thing you have with Daya, but leave her out of it."

Harvest couldn't believe his ears and yet somehow expected it. So the Gigan thought he was growing closer to Talanda just to spite him?

"You can keep Daya, please take her, drag her if you must" he pleaded, " I find she's extremely hard to get rid of. I never wanted her wanted her in the first place and if I wanted to hurt you, Lucas, trust me there are many, many ways I could," he casually replied, laying back in his seat as he looked back at the Gigan.

"I don't know the kind of game you're playing here Harvest, but you did something to her. I know she doesn't want me to meddle but that's only because she's scared of you. I can't see her upset anymore, because she doesn't deserve it. I might not have done anything about Daya, but TRUST ME, this time it's different," he threatened.

Harvest's jaw went rigid, the sound around him seemed to fade away, only the highest frequency reaching him, looking up at the Gigan in a certain array of disbelief, his tone was quiet but firm when he asked, "What the fuck are you trying to say?"

"Stay away from her Harvest, you've had your fun."

Harvest seemed to go numb, dark eyes trailing up to Lucas.

"We should interfere," Rangi commented about to get up but Lwangi's hand clamped down on him refuting him, "Not yet brother, just watch."

"That won't happen," he finally gritted, trying to hold down the feeling that was ripping inside of him.

"And why not?" Lucas gritted back, seemingly tired, yet his eyes seemed to be reading deeper into Harvest.

"Because she isn't angry with me, and she quite frankly, doesn't want me to." came the reply, memories from moments replying in his mind that warmed his heart a little and slightly cooled down the anger he was feeling building up, courtesy of Lucas Bowne.

Lucas chuckled at this, "are you saying someone willingly wants to be around you?" he mocked, though he was far away from being amused.

"Well, I think Daya would just love to answer that question," Harvest replied with a sigh, getting to his feet, "and what I'm trying to say is, the only one using her here, is you," he replied. blue eyes a deep sea.

LUCAS SCOFFED AT his reply, not at all amused by it, folding his arms, his hoody still thrown over his head as they helped shield him from the direct light that hung in the gymnasium.

"Is that what hat you've been poisoning her? How the hell am I using her?" he asked, eyes narrowing on Harvest, actually interested in what low he would go to spread hate on his name, "No really, I fucking want to hear this."

Harvest's jaw clenched, "You tell me," he grunted back his eyes momentarily tailing to the twins who still sat comfortably in their seats.

"All I know is, it seems slightly weird to me that above anyone else you would decide to grow close to, you chose her," he paused, "a girl who just happens to be your little runaway girlfriend's roommate. I don't know about you," he sighed, glancing at the twins for a moment with a slight chuckle on his face, hand slipping into his quote, " but something about that smells... Rather fishy."

Both Lwangi and Rangi exchanged grunts that seemed to have taken note of what Harvets was saying, claiming some truth to it.

"DON'T" Lucas gritted out, his eyes brewing a low fury.

"DoN't wHaT?" Harvest mocked with an added chuckle, knowing he was getting to the spot.

"Don't twist this," He grunted back, "You know I would never use someone like that."

"Do I?" Harvest grunted back, moving past him slightly, before turning to face him casually,

"What I know is that you're pathetically desperate, and logically speaking, pathetically desperate people do pathetically desperate things," he replied with a careless shrug, seemingly amused.

Lucas took in a deep breath, trying to clear his mind, he knew Harvest was just trying to get under his skin, but dang it, he was so good at it.

"You can't," he finally gritted out.

"Can't. what?"

"Turn this on me," Lucas fired turning back, "she was upset and I know you had something to do with it."

"Typical." Harvest scoffed rolling his eyes, "What do you think I've done to her? And why do you think she is even worth having something done to? She's a mere student, a newbie at that. No special powers, nothing remotely remarkable-"

"And yet you just can't seem to stay away from her," Lucas finished, eyes set on him,

Harvest paused at this, staring at him in the eye, expressionless and stale yet throat dry, and heart and added beat.

One that Lucas could pick up quite well with his Amroq ears.

"Maybe I don't know the real reason as to why you're after her, but I know you make her uncomfortable and she can't say or do anything because you're her so-called Alpha, a right you don't even deserve."

Harvest's eyes snapped to him and Lucas chuckled.

"Yeah, I saw that. You forced her to be on your team and I just don't know why you insist on scaring her."

Harvest gritted his teeth but remained quiet, restless eyes on Lucas.

"I like her, and I like her a lot," Lucas expressed, which made Harvest's fists clench in his coat at the confession.

"She might not be remarkable to you, but she's special to me. And that's the reason why I'm asking you nicely," he paused at this, holding Harvest's gaze, "stay away, let her fucking breathe. Heaven knows your presence alone is suffocating, I can't imagine how it is for her when you stalk her like a shadow."

Silence passed between them for a hot moment, Harvest and Lucas still holding eye contact but this time, Lucas noticed that Harvest seemed to be considering what he was saying, something that crossed him as strange yet held out hope.

He guessed he would resort to his usual replies if he agreed, and Lucas would have to give him something in return or even worse, would owe him a favor.

It was the absolute worst, to owe a favor to a person you quite disliked, but for Talanda's sake, he would.

She had given him comfort when he had needed it the most, the best he could do for her was keep Harvest off her for as long as he could.

Lwangi held his breath, and his brother gave him a side glance.

"I can't," Harvest replied quietly, his tone was low and almost defeated but what surprised Lucas more was his answer. His gaze shifted to the Gigan, "and I won't."

"What do you mean, you can't?" Lucas huffed with a dry humorless chuckle as if he was unable to believe it all.

"Fine, let me put it out there, name your price," he huffed.

The sooner he finished with the favor the better. Probably something like letting him take the first play in the Inter-Color Games.

"There is no price," Harvest replied, "because you're right," he confessed, cutting him off before he could say anything

Lucas's eyebrows drew together, lips slightly open in surprise.

Unable to believe that Harvest had said that, leaving him utterly speechless as were the twins, who were still watching attentively, yet frozen, only to have their muscles stiffened to stone at Harvest's next words.

"She is special, special to me," he replied, eyes set on Lucas who stood before him trying to read anything that would be called him a bluff in his stone-cold blue eyes, but to see a glimmer, a warmth in them as he spoke took him off guard.

"and I don't believe she hates me as much as any of you say either," Harvest added, eyes searching his defiantly, then switching to the twins, his gaze shifting slightly with his thoughts,  "no-not after-" he paused a breathless feeling overtaking him, as he had tried very hard not to think of that moment since it had occurred.

It had given him a gooey feeling inside him he utterly hated and yet left him on edge and defensive- warm and buttery and all those things he quite despised... Things that made him crave a hell of a lot more.

"However, I did see how upset she was this morning, and I know someone is responsible for it," he added casually, "but if it's not you, and it's not me..." he trailed off, his gaze switching back to Lucas', "then there's only one more person."

A silent moment passed as everything clicked.

"Daya," All four of them said together.

Harvest nodded, eyes trailing to the twins, as Lucas let the name sink in.

"So," he began turning to the Gigan, "are you going to talk to your little runaway girlfriend...or should I?" Harvest asked, jaw clenching as his eyes met a thoughtful-looking Lucas.

He paused at this momentarily, before turning away, hands in his hoody pockets when he stomped off.

Marathons ran through his mind.

Harvest watched as he left, a tight feeling clenching at his chest momentarily. Lucas was going to be a bigger problem than he already was, it seemed.

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Let's learn to share boys 😃

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