I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 180: Caught

"Do you want me to go to the school with you next week?" Arlen asked after Ravi told him about the entrance exam for Asher as he put away the smoothie bottle.

"No. That is alright. I am not sure Ash would be comfortable with the two of us staring at him as he writes his exams."

Arlen chuckled, "True. It might be awkward for him. I hated writing exams. I could not wait for it to be over each time so that I could go home and play games. Did you like exams?"

"Of course." During exams, the sisters at the orphanage were particularly generous with the food served, they would get an extra everything and if they did particularly well, their chores for the summer holiday would be significantly reduced as compared to other children. Ravi looked forward to exams.

"So you were like an academic growing up."

"Not really. I was just in the middle. B’s and C’s. You?"

Arlen coughed and looked away guilty.

"Don’t tell me...bottom of the class." Ravi teased.

Arlen turned to look at him affronted, "Of course not. I only lost the first position once and that was the time that I got chicken pox."

Ravi was speechless, the way this person said he hated examinations and wanted to play. He blinked once and then glared at Arlen, "People like you made childhood miserable for a whole lot of people. Did you at least read for the exams?"

Arlen smiled, "Which answer do you want?"

"Forget it" He shook his head, looked at him, and shook his head again, causing Arlen to chuckle.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that I got a D in Chemistry for three years?"

Ravi thought about it seriously before he nodded his head, "I would take it. It was a low D, not a high D, right?"

Arlen looked at him and then whispered, "More like a large D..." His words were subtle yet obvious causing Ravi to raise his left hand to cover his face in mock embarrassment. He almost stood up to leave but Arlen pulled him back.

"I will stop. I will stop."

The two of them chuckled. Arlen held his hand, he loved holding it. Four fingers wrapped around his hand from the crook between his thumb and index finger, creeping to the center of his palm. His thumb rested against the knuckle of his pinkie, tracing it before he gently grazed his fingertips along the edge of Ravi’s joints as if he were carefully tracing the outline.

Arlen’s temperature was hotter than his and his hand was even hotter. Every touch made his heart spin as his throat throbbed.

"Arlen." He suddenly called his name and the other smiled at him.

He was oblivious. Oblivious to how dizzy he felt whenever he caressed his hand like this.

"I never thought you were the kind of person that makes such terrible jokes." Ravi confessed.

"I am a man full of special secrets." Arlen said, causing Ravi to burst out laughing.

"Special secrets indeed, aside from terrible jokes, What else do I not know?" Ravi asked, very curious.

Arlen smiled mischievously, "Now, it isn’t fair, that I be the only one showing my naked underbelly?

"Naked underbelly. By Chance, are you a fish?" Ravi said with a smile.

Arlen wriggled his brows, "It is a secret."

Ravi was dumbfounded by his serious tone and by the time he returned to his senses, the corners of his mouth had already curled up as he could not contain his laughter. With a ’pff’, everything broke loose and his body shook as he laughed. He really did not know how they had gotten here from the examination that Asher would be taking on Monday but he did not dislike it.

Without saying a word, he reached out his left hand quietly to find Arlen’s right hand, holding it naturally.

His biggest secret was no longer a secret, he really really liked this person. He liked him so much.

Arlen looked at him and raised their linked hand to place a pious kiss on it.

"Thanks for accompanying me for lunch today, Ravi. I enjoyed it so much."

It was 1;30 pm. Ravi knew that it was time for Arlen to go back to work but he did not allow him to go.

The hand holding his was dry and very warm, he could feel the strength of the hand that curved to hold his,m It was neither too light nor too heavy, just enough to keep a hold on Ravi’s hand and his heart.

He wished he could hold Arlen so closely similarly till there was no space between them, till there was no space for something else to intrude. Something like work, most especially.

"If you keep looking at me like that, I am not sure what I am going to do, Ravi."

The way he calls his name, like it was honey on his lips. It was enthralling. freeweɓnovel.cøm

Ravi felt like his throat was parched, he wanted to say it. Just tell him to do everything, anything at this point.

Their eyes met and Ravi felt particularly naked, like Arlen could see everything he was thinking, and that thought did not displease him.

"Lisa. That kind of thought process is dangerous. A vigilante? He is already a psychopathic killer. Choosing to kill criminals instead of innocent people does not mean that he is a good person or should be left unchecked outside jail. He just kills those people because he believes that they did not get the punishment that they deserve and it is his way to feel superior and feel like you are above the law and the law enforcement. Plain arrogance. He is not doing it out of a sense of righteous indignation, not like he would be right if he was doing it because of that either. No matter the reason a vigilante starts, their desire would inflate because of validation from the people and it consumes their humanity. In the end, they would be more dangerous than the criminals they were hunting. I say good riddance to him." It was Sarah’s voice, it was rare to hear her so agitated as the woman had always been a picture of calmness.

"Calm down. He is handsome though."

"You,..."

They were coming here, Ravi instantly removed his hand from Arlen’s grip, and for once, he regretted using self-healing for his registered ability, teleportation would have made this very easy for him. He hurriedly packed the lunch into his to-go list and looked up to see Arlen’s amused gaze. He thought this was funny, frowning, he ground his feet against Arlen who let out a groan.

"Eh? Is that...Captain."’

Lisa opened the door of the convenience store and looked left and right before seeing the two of them.

"Captain! Oh heaven! Ravi!!" Lisa’s face bloomed into a huge smile as she leaped forward to hug Ravi tightly.

"How are you feeling? Oh! I have missed you. I went patrolling with Officer Brown. Officer Brown." She repeated like it was just the greatest injustice that had ever been done to her and it might just have been. Draco and Lisa, Ravi felt a little pity for the patrol car.

Arlen stood up to pull Lisa away from Ravi, "Easy, Officer Johnson, Officer West is still not feeling better."

I am not feeling better. Ravi asked with his eyes but seeing Arlen’s innocent expression, he could only feel helpless and amused.

Lisa, who was pulled away by the scruff of her neck collar like a disobedient cat, looked at Ravi with almost watery eyes, "Ravi. I knew we should have come to visit you, I just don’t know why you chose to live in such a cursed place. Did you not come in because you are angry with us?"

"Officer West." A calm and gentle voice sounded as Sarah walked towards them. She looked at Ravi from top to bottom, "How are you doing?"

Ravi looked at Sarah, Lisa and then Arlen, "I am not feeling better," He forced out through gritted teeth and he could swear, he saw Arlen hiding his laughter and he wrote it down in his little green book.

"What is wrong?" Sarah asked, "Have you been to the Hospital? Do you need to see a healer?"

The entire questions thrown at him made him feel dizzy and he rubbed his head. At this point, what should he say, it was not like they had planned a getaway story or something like that.

Arlen had a little pity on Ravi and explained, "He is just coming from the hospital and he decided to stop for a drink before heading to the station. Coincidentally, I was having lunch here. I am just glad that he is alright. He can heal slowly, we are here for him."

Sarah looked at the two of them and sighed.

Lisa on the other hand believed every single word, "Take your time, I would help you with your reports. It was not easy for you."

Hearing her words, Ravi crossed out Arlen’s name from the little black book and shook both of Lisa’s hands, "Thank you." He even smiled a little for her.