Don't Even Ask

It's been a month since Ryan had been shot by a stranger. Seemingly a fallen angel who had been quite upset about Seraphina’s relations. But who knew, honestly? Luckily, he was a werewolf and recovered quite quickly, and compared to Zadkiel, who had also been hurt the same day, well Ryan was on his legs a lot earlier than him. Things between Seraphina and Ryan hadn’t been what they had been, and things had seemingly dissolved between them. He understood, the decision, even though he really wanted to be there for her through the tough times, but at the same time, whenever these tough times were hanging around, it seemed like he wasn’t a priority for comfort anymore. She had her brothers, and they were closer. Besides, Ryan also had to realize that his family would never fully accept Seraphina, which truly hurt. They only saw the person who had been responsible for one less family member.

He wasn’t really sure if it was the new year, 2022, but the year had seemed so dark for Ryan. Things had ended, others had started, and some things were in the process. As of right now, he was waiting in the park to meet Lexie. He stood by a bench scratching his neck a little while waiting. He could smell that she was on her way, but besides from that, they had agreed to meet at this spot. He paced around a little, not really because his mind was filled but because was a little impatient – even though it had been him who was early.
At some point a young female poked him on the shoulder, handed him a bouquet of flowers and told him that she was sorry about the accident, and then she left. It was extremely odd, and he blinked multiple times after the woman, trying to figure out what had been going on. Had she just read the newspaper a month ago and thought it was sad that he had been shot? Well, he understood that, but… Flowers?

Lexie got closer, and he turned to face her way – standing with a bouquet of flowers in his arms. The bouquet wasn’t just something small, it was quite long and somewhat big. When she got close enough he shook his head. “Don’t even ask,” he said and handed them to her. “I don’t do flowers, but someone clearly thought I did,” he said laughing a little.

February had been on rush over, she was somewhat happy to say the month would soon be over and it was so short. Everything from the fact that Adonis was living with them now, her father being extra aware around him - which was understandable, at least Adonis and Neil seemed to get along - then there was Elias who had been out fighting with River. Oscar who had attacked Melanie, and oh boy, that was only that part of the family. Then there was the whole thing with Sebastian. Well, he like the stubborn piece of trash that he was, okay he wasn't, but he rarely let anyone help him and sometimes it made her want to slap him across the face - finest sister move ever, not that she had, Ash didn't let her. But he was of course recovering on his own terms and she respected that and it seemed like Camila also helped him a lot - they helped each other.

What else was new under the sun, well she had been talking a little around with Ryan lately again. Which had also been nice, and with the whole Russian pack thing going on, it seemed like it was also nice for him to get some fresh air. So, when he had asked if they could meet in the park, she had said yes. After all, she had been out visiting Bash who was getting his ass back to work again - which had possibly been the hardest part for him. She had never seen him so low before, so stressed and tired out trying to find himself without the gifts he had been born with. So, she was walking towards the park.

Alexandra could see him from afar walking closer, her brows pressed a little bit by him standing with quite bouquet of flowers in his arms. "Is that so - oh," she barely got to finish her sentence as he handed them to her. "Someone clearly just wanted to do a nice gesture I take, what is it like being famous and all?" She knew it had been over the news when he had gotten shot, even if not by name the people on the street knew wide away. "But thanks, you mind if I just send them home?" She wondered but didn't wait for his reply, as she mumbled a little teleportation spell to get the flowers home and that way she at least had her hands free to greet him in a hug.

He nodded a little as she assumed someone was doing a nice gesture. “I have hated it all along,” he said shaking his head with a smile. He wanted no pity from strangers. Truly this wasn’t the biggest thing. Some people had believed he had died and had for almost a week made a memorial where he had been shot. As of things weren’t bad enough and had been smudged into everyone’s face. He had liked being anonymous and without social media, because now, he was used to being known and see what was going on. He had received so many texts and calls which had made him almost throw the phone away forever.
Ryan made a little gesture with his hand to tell her that she could do with the flowers as she wished, and just like that, they were gone. Both of them had their arms free and he wrapped his around her in a hug. “How has things been since last time?” he wondered as he let go of her.

She could imagine, sudden fame, well then try being the long lost princess returning home. But the whole thing with the shooting had held so many different rumors and stories, just one more reason to never trust what you read online. He had been dating Seraphina, of course his name was a bit more out there than the average person or extremely for one like Ryan. "I am surprised your phone is actually working still, I suspected it to have at least a few cracks or so," she teased a little bit, because honestly it would not have surprised her. "Good, but chaotic, but good," she nodded to confirm. February had been rather busy, "its a long story really," Lexie didn't wish to overthrow him with too much information that he most likely didn't even find interesting. "You?"

Ryan chuckled a little as she mentioned his phone. He took good care of it, especially since it wasn’t an old Nokia phone. Yeah, he knew those bastards wasn’t to get rid of. Sturdy old phones. No, the phone he had didn’t even have cracks. He wasn’t that clumsy, and he always put it back into his pocket if he didn’t use it. The less he used it, the less likely it had to get ruined, was his theory. Now, he did use it more than he imagined, but ever since Seraphina quitted social media, his usage had been falling drastically too, and now that they weren’t together, he only really checked his phone if he got a text or a call. Almost like before he met Seraphina, though back then he was only to be reached by the home phone.
He raised his brows a little as she explained that it was chaotic. It eased him a little that it was still good, because then it just had to be entertaining, right? “I got all the time,” he assured her. Not that she needed to elaborate immediately, but he wouldn’t mind getting the story at one point. He liked listening to others and figuring out what made them who they were. “Well, I’m more or less fully recovered,” he assured her, opening his arms a little so she could see how recovered he was. Now it wasn’t really because he had been that bruised, but it had taken a little while for him to get used to having been injured. That wasn’t really his style.

She chuckled a little but when he mentioned he had all the time, which she somehow appreciated but also knew it was a lot of family drama to place him. "Right," Lexie cleared her throat a little bit, knowing he knew pieces of it. The werewolf drama, yet perhaps he hadn't realized she was on the line of that one too now, given her family. But then again, she couldn't recall if she actually had mentioned all of her family history or simply just mentioned that she had met her family again. Not that it mattered in this second, like he said - he had all the time. Then waiting for his reply to her question, almost fully recovered. He looked mostly fully recovered to her, but she was also sure it took a bit more of a tool of one who wasn't used to the beating rather than someone who was. Like placing Elias in front of a bullet and he would most likely just look down at it then give a sigh before actually letting it face him - people were built different, okay maybe it wasn't fair using Elias as an example, but her mind did it anyways. "Good -" even if it wasn't the only injury he had had. There was the whole Seraphina thing as well, sometimes a broken heart wasn't the easiest thing to heal either.

She didn’t want to elaborate on the drama she was carrying onto, which he would let be completely up to her. He didn’t want to be pushing her to elaborate. Ryan wasn’t really used to being shot, no, and he couldn’t recall being thrown onto a car like that before. He was after all only twenty and not really the one to run into trouble. Beside from the trauma from being shot and thrown around, there was also the fact that Seraphina and he wasn’t together anymore. Which was fair because she believed she needed time for herself to heal and get better. It was complicated in Ryan’s eyes, but he tried no to take it too heavy, though it was difficult anyway. He licked his lips a little thinking about how he somehow felt that it was making his recovery slower. “You know, Riley just transitioned,” he said nodding a little. Riley had only recently elaborated that to the family and was in the middle of planning to get home, so he could continue his year. “He still goes by Riley,” he said nodding a little. He knew that it was news, but it might also just be a bad excuse for him to talk about something else than how he was doing, because honestly, he might not be feeling too well, compared to how his body had recovered. “I’m actually also going to a party tonight, you should come,” he said with a light smile, hoping he could make her join. Ryan had been the boy’s boy a year ago. Even though he hadn’t had a phone he had been one to go to private parties and enjoy himself with friends.