The Queen's Back

After Ava went upstairs, Joseph took a careful look around the living room where she lived.

The space was simply decorated, mostly in shades of white. After surveying it, he sat down on the couch and waited for Ava to return.

He touched his cheek absentmindedly; it was bleeding slightly-Bud had hit him hard.

But he thought it was worth it since Ava had brought him here.

When Ava came down with a first-aid kit, she noticed the corners of Joseph's mouth lifting into a small smile.

The sight made her guilt deepen just a bit more, and she hurried over to him.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know why he snapped like that, making you take a punch for nothing," she said apologetically, opening the first-aid kit and sitting beside him.

"What are you apologizing for? I took the punch, but I gave one back, too," Joseph replied, frowning slightly.

He didn't like it when Ava apologized to him. It made him feel like she was aligned with Bud, leaving him on the outside.

But Ava was his girlfriend, not Bud's.

"Alright, alright-keep still and lower your head so I can treat it," Ava said, dipping a cotton swab into antiseptic. She reached for his cheek.

Joseph tilted his face towards her hand as instructed.

They were sitting close, and Joseph could smell the fresh, clean scent that seemed to cling to her.

His heart sped up just a bit.

Ava dabbed the cotton swab on his injured cheek.

Perhaps it was because it was Ava's first time doing that, so it seemed she wasn't used to treating wounds gently. Joseph couldn't help but hiss in pain and leaned back a little. Seeing his reaction, Ava quickly apologized and said, "I'm sorry, I didn't realize I was being rough."

overreacted,"

her touch, and soon she was placing a band-aid on his

brief thought about

dismissed it, though. There was no use worrying about someone who had other people to take care of him. "Alright," she said, looking at the band-aid on Joseph's cheek.

face look a bit less polished. "So, do you mind?" he

her head. "What would I mind? It's nothing. Do you want some water? I'll go get you

his breath brushed against her, making her a little uncomfortable.

instinctively wrapped around Ava's waist, and his chin rested on the inside of her neck. "Don't move. I want to hug

his breath against her neck

extraordinarily intimate proximity. Her hands were tangled together, unsure of where to go.

up. This position felt too intimate and somewhat

Joseph reluctantly released his grip on her waist,

Joseph's lap and sat to the side,

living room fell into an extraordinary silence. Even

few moments,

in the corner and realized he had been acting a bit edgy today. After instructing her

of politeness, Ava walked him to the

hers. She urged him, "It's getting late. You should go home now!" "Well, give me a hug, Ava," Joseph replied,

curly and felt nice to the

hug was

of Ava "I gatta go. I'm going into the crew tomorrow, so we won't have much time to see each other. If you have time, you

I'll try to come by when I can," Ava

schedule would be. She felt a bit restless since returning to the country and was looking for work. Making money was one thing, but passing the time felt more pressing, and she just felt so bored when idling away the days. When

the car, Bud dropped the cigarette from his hand and

up

had just begun to realize that he was in love with Ava, but after seeing her so close with another man tonight, he understood his feelings had deepened. As Maxwell

to