I Missed You Today

Although it was irritating to be referred to by his work alias, Altair, it was a relief to Mono, knowing that psycho didn't know his actual name. When Mono was sure that the man had left, he took his hoodie off and changed back into his normal clothes. His outfit consisted of a short sleeve, navy blue track jacket with two white stripes on each sleeve, light blue cargo pants, and black fingerless gloves with light padding on the knuckles. He tied the same hoodie from earlier around his waist and slung his bag over his shoulder. 

With a gentle huff, he pushed his thick black hair out of his face and walked out of the room. When he stepped out, he saw the club owner, Zaiden, talking to someone. Aside from the workers, he had never seen his boss interact with other people. Mono silently approached, standing at a short distance as he waited for Zaiden to notice him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Zaiden noticed Mono and waved him over. "Hey there, birdy, you headin' out?" He asked sweetly, resting a hand on his hip. Mono awkwardly nodded, his eyes drifting over to the woman. She had olive colored skin and looked quite similar to Zaiden. Long black hair, caramel colored eyes. 

The woman gave him a gentle smile before turning to leave. "See ya tomorrow, Zay," she said, waving goodbye and walking out.

"I guess I'll also be seeing you tomorrow…" Mono sighed, trying his best to give a smile despite being exhausted. "Hey, stay safe, alright?"

Mono nodded, turning and heading for the exit as he stuffed his hands into his pockets. He shouldered his way out of the employee exit door, using his foot to close it again behind him. Walking to the back of the building, he pulled a helmet out of his bag, proceeding to place it over his head while approaching a pitch black motorcycle with multicolored LED's lining the wheel covers.

Opening his interface, he connected the motorcycle to it. The engine rumbled loudly, the sound filling the air. After a moment, the vibrations evened out, and the engine's sound turned into a steady hum. 

He started down the streets in the direction of his apartment building, speeding past the cars. He ignored the people honking at him, continuing down the street. 

Finally, he arrived at his destination and drove into the parking lot. 

After parking the motorcycle, he flicked the lever back to the original position, a clicking sound breaking the low hum of the engine. He hopped off, placing his helmet back in his bag. As he walked towards the door of his apartment, he lightly brushed himself off and stretched his arms. Unlocking the door, he opened it. 

When he stepped inside, he went to place his bag on the table. Suddenly, his blood went cold. He saw a letter on the table. The third one this week. 

Hesitantly, he picked it up and opened it. He winced as he opened it, not caring if the envelope was torn. 

The letter simply read;

"I missed you today,"

Mono stared down at the paper, his eyes fixed on the drawing of a smile. As he stood there, he could feel anger welling up inside of him, his face hardening as he clenched his jaw. Every muscle in his body seemed to tense as he focused on the simple drawing. 

Without a word, he turned and walked out of the room, his steps slow but deliberate. In the kitchen, he reached into a drawer and retrieved an oil lighter, its metallic surface cool against his skin. He flicked the flint wheel, sparks flying from the tiny surface before igniting a flame. With a steady hand, he held the paper to the flame, waiting until it had fully caught fire. In just a matter of moments after the paper had been dropped in the trash can, the paper was reduced to nothing but ashes. The flame flickered a few times in a row, slowly dying down. Soon enough, the small flame was reduced to just smoking embers. 

He sat down at his table, running his hands through his hair. Mono rested his forehead on the table, wondering what he should do. 

After having sat there for a few minutes, he lifted his head. Pulling up his interface, he called his brother, Xenos. 

"Hey," he muttered. "Wassup, Mono?" Xenos asked, sounding like he had just woken up. "Sorry if I woke ya, but I got another one," Mono told him in a defeated tone. "Shit…" his brother replied, clicking his tongue. Mono knew Xenos couldn't see him, but he nodded nonetheless. 

"You wanna stay over at my place tonight? I'm probably not gonna be there when you wake up, but I'll at least be there through the night," he offered. "Yeah, thank you," Mono sighed, leaning back in his seat. "Actually, do you want me to pick you up?" He asked.

"If it isn't trouble for you, sure," Mono hated asking for help, but he pushed aside his pride for now. "I'll be there soon. Try to relax for now?" Xenos told him. Mono let out a huff, a small smile spreading across his face. "I'll try my best,"

Xenos was the first to hang up, but before he did, Mono could hear him getting in his car. He got up and walked over to his couch, flopping down face first on it. After a moment, he remembered he left his curtains open. He quickly got up and looked behind his couch, pulling the blackout curtains closed. 

He simply sat there, staring at the curtains until he heard a knock on the door. Hesitantly, he opened the interface, messaging Xenos and asking if he was there. After a few seconds, Xenos yelled from outside the door. "What do you think?" Relief washed over Mono as he ran over to the door. He flung it open to find his brother standing there.

"...Did you really oil your hair just to come pick me up?" Mono asked dryly, gesturing to his brother's slicked back hair. "Come on, am I not allowed to look nice?" He shot back. "You never look nice," he muttered, folding his arms. A pouty look spread across Xenos' face as he pulled Mono into a choke-hold and messed with his hair. Mono cursed, struggling to shove Xenos off. "You shall never be free of me!" He replied, loosening his hold on his brother ever-so-slightly. "Bet," Mono managed, kicking Xenos in the knee. "Hey!" He squeaked, letting go. "Jerk," he muttered.

Mono grinned, lightly punching his brother in the shoulder. Xenos rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't we get going?" Mono asked in a playful tone. "Yeah, yeah," he sighed, folding his arms in an exaggerated manner.

After a few moments of silence, they both started laughing. 

"Shut your dumb ass up," Xenos said, nudging Mono's shoulder. "Hm… lemme think… ah, no," he replied jokingly. Rolling his eyes, Xenos slammed the door closed before slinging his brother over his shoulder. "Hey!" Mono screeched, trying to push himself out of his grasp. "Respect yer elders," he continued in a scolding tone. "Whatever you say ya fossil," Xenos retorted.

Muttering soft curses under his breath, he pulled his interface up, going to his home settings and locking the door. 

When they got out to the car, Mono struggled out of his brother's grip. Xenos, for a reason unbeknownst to Mono and pretty much everyone else, didn't seem to care that they were getting weird looks, or even about the fact that it looked like he was kidnapping him. 

Finally, he was set back on the ground. Despite the fact that it was only so they could get in the car, he let out a relieved sigh. The door opened on its own. Mono simply plopped onto the seat, waiting for it to close. 

The black leather seats were surprisingly comfortable. The car was sleek looking, with a dark, almost black paint job. It had a set of neon yellow rims that shone brightly in the darkness. At the front and back of the car, there were neon yellow stripes that wrapped around the headlights and taillights, illuminating them in the dark. 

Mono reached his hand up and turned up the volume on the car's radio. It filled the cabin with a low, static-y tune playing softly in the background. He leaned back in his seat, not saying a word, immersed in his own thoughts. The only sound in the car was that of the music playing from the radio and the occasional sound of another car humming past. The ride to the house continued in relative silence, neither of them speaking as they waited to reach their destination.