Love-Love || OLD DRAFT

five - three

A/N

Whoop whoop two updates back to back!! *facepalm*

....

I hadn't meant to learn as much about Aspen as I did. I honestly hadn't. I only wanted to break some rules with him, sneak into government buildings and maybe try to impress him with my ability to hear sculptures. What I hadn't meant to do was spend the night with him.

In jail.

"I can't believe I'm in a lock-up," Aspen said, for maybe the tenth time now. He was pacing the length of the small cell, while I sat on the ground, leaning against the wall.

I didn't reply, simply kept drumming my fingers on the ground to some song I wasn't able to get out of my head, though I didn't even remember where I had heard it.

"Ridge!" he cried all of a sudden, halting and turning to face me. It was clear with all the pacing and muttering, and recently, crying out my name, that he was panicking.

"What?" I said, half expecting - no, knowing - that he was going to blame me for this. After all, I was the one who had the bright idea of sneaking into the State Art Gallery in the middle of the night. And he'd be right to blame me too - I did sense the guards approaching, but I was really - really - engrossed in listening to him go on and on about this one painting he claimed was one of his top five favourites.

"Why are you so quiet? You're freaking me out more," he said. "Say something!"

"What?" I said again. It was a different Aspen I was seeking in front of me. And as much of a sadist as it made me, he looked adorable getting all nervous like that.

Aspen ran his hand through the gorgeous mess of his hair. "What am I going to do? What if my mom finds out?"

"Calm down, Aspen," I said at length. "You're going to be fine. My friend is on his way with the bail money as we speak. No one's going to know."

He took a deep breath and nodded. "You're right." He nodded again. "I'm overreacting. It's fine. We're fine."

We're more than fine, my head thought stupidly as he walked over and slouched down on the floor next to me.

"Will you be in trouble?" I asked when he sighed for the umpteenth time.

"Yes," he said instantly, then frowned. "No, not really. I just - I have issues."

"With being in jail?" I chuckled.

He narrowed his eyes at me. "You seem to be quite at ease, Ridge. Have you been in jail before?"

More than I can count, was the right answer. But I said, "Once," because it felt better than saying no.

"What for?"

"I broke into a departmental store with a friend because we were out of Cheetos and all the shops were closed," I shrugged. It wasn't a complete lie. Many years back, when Roux, Linden and I were lost and trying to find our way through the city, Lin and I had broken into a store to buy Roux some Cheetos. Of course we did not get caught, but it felt like the most harmless story I could give Aspen.

"Were you planning to leave the money?" he asked.

"What?"

"The Cheetos money. Were you planning on leaving it?"

It took me all my strength to not look at him like he was crazy. "Uh, yeah. Of course."

Aspen looked away from me, nodding. "I don't like thieves," he told the wall.

Was that supposed to make me feel bad? Because, lol, I didn't feel anything. Of course he didn't like thieves. Nobody did. Until they themselves were forced into situations when they had to steal. I didn't like stealing, I didn't do it for the fun of it - we thieves had our own reasons which the world simply chose to not consider. Not that I needed the world - it had long abandoned me anyway. I remembered a time when I was living life one punch at a time, until I learned to punch back. Life got easier since that day.

"I never knew jail looked so lonely," Aspen said after a good ten minutes of silence.

I gulped down the chuckle that almost made its way out of my lips. "What else did you think it'll be like?"

"I don't know." He looked pained as he stared at the grey wall in front of us. "It's so bare."

"I can see why that must bother an artist."

He turned to look at me. "I'm serious, Ridge. Do you think this is what they deserve for their crimes? Confined to four walls devoid of life, of feelings, of colours?"

"Where else will you put them? Disneyland?" It took me all my strength to not scoff.

"No, I mean..." He was struggling to find the right words, I could tell. "They're still human beings, aren't they? Is it fair to take colours away from them? It's just - it signifies so many things, Ridge. A reminder that they are still human, or... provide them hope, at least. Yes, I understand putting them in lock-up is for the well being of society, but isn't it plain cruel of us to snatch away what's left of their humanity?"

"What's left of their humanity," I echoed his words before I could stop myself. "Is that what you think? Of criminals?" I breathed out. "Of Gravel?"

"Gravel?" Aspen frowned slightly.

I knew it was too late to take back my words. On an honest note, I didn't want to. "Yeah. Do you think Gravel deserves unicorns too?"

I expected a scoff. An instant no.

"Of course. More so than others, I think," he said.

I gaped at him. I felt a jolt through my spine, and I almost panicked because it usually happened before I lose control of my powers.

To my biggest surprise, my powers did not burst through.

"I know what you're thinking," Aspen said, chuckling slightly to himself. "But, you know, from all that I've heard and seen on the news, I think..." he paused midsentence and shook his head. "Never mind."

"What? You think what?"

He let out a sad smile. "I don't know. Misunderstood?"

I stared at him.

He shook his hand dismissively and looked embarrassed all of a sudden. "I know, I know it's silly. And I know you probably think something's wrong with me." He let out a laugh. "I shouldn't have said anything."

"No," I breathed, my heart hammering against my chest for a reason I couldn't fathom. "I get it."

I did not get it. Did he just say I was misunderstood? That I deserved colourful prisons more than others?

I let out a shaky breath. "You cannot colour prison cells, Aspen."

He gave me a curious look before turning away to look at the grey wall in front of us. "We can try, can't we, Ridge?"