"I can't sleep, Mads," groaned Karmin over the phone as she rolled in her bed frustratedly.

"Drink some warm milk and honey," he offered quietly.

"But I don't like warm milk," she sighed, turning onto her back to stare at the ceiling.

It was the night before her big, and most likely, lethal fight with Ares, and her brain refused to shut down and let her rest. The blanket felt suffocating, and as much as her eyes felt heavy, her mind was buzzing. The walls felt as if they were closing in and although, she felt empty inside, her rapid beating heart was there to tell her otherwise.

There was a big, humongous, gigantic possibility that she was going to die tomorrow. Ares ran the streets of New York, and he seemed close with Judas. Although Maddox had never heard of someone dying in the fight club, her situation was a little unique.

Ares was powerful, and could easily cover up her death. Everyone in the club was terrified of him, so there was no worry about snitches. He had to have people that do all his dirty work for him. Cutting up her body in small pieces and distributing them into the river seemed highly likely. No one would care about a brown girl that went missing, anyway. Maybe it would be on the news for a couple of days until it died down, only for her to be replaced with another unfortunate case.

After all of these scenarios and ideas flooded her mind, she was scared out of her mind. The only person who could understand her predicament best with Maddox, so there she was, basically crying over the phone for her deadly fate tomorrow.

"How about some relaxing music?" Maddox suggested, yawning.

"Are you tired?" she asked softly. "You don't have to stay up with me."

"No, no," he rejected quickly. "I don't mind, Kar."

Karmin smiled to herself, hugging the pillow tightly. "What are we gonna do, Mads? I'm freaking out over here."

"What usually makes you feel better?" he wondered.

Hanging out with Viola, talking to my parents, and binge-eating, but those weren't the words that came out of her mouth.

"Seeing you," she whispered so quietly that he almost didn't catch it.

It went quiet through the line, only the silent night and the ticking of the clock to keep her company.

Did I say something wrong? Shoot, I shouldn't have said that.

Karmin sat up quickly, her heart racing again, but now, for another reason. "Hello?"

"Can I come pick you up?" Maddox asked abruptly.

"Uh, right now?" she stammered, glancing at the clock. Midnight.

"Yeah, right now. If you can, though. I don't want to get you in trouble," he added nervously.

Her parents were soundly asleep down the hall, and so was Aaliyah. She had never snuck out before, and she never thought she would be doing it for a boy.

But Maddox wasn't just a boy.

It couldn't be that hard. Her Dad was a deep sleeper nowadays, and her Mom had just come back from a long shift after work. They wouldn't know, and she would be back home way before they woke up.

"I'm in," said Karmin, grinning.

"I'm leaving right now," he whispered and then proceeded to cut the phone.

She gazed at her phone lovingly, throwing her blanket off of her. Karmin felt the excitement course through her as she rushed to her closet to find something to wear. She could've gone in her pajamas, but for some odd reason, she wanted to dress up.

She grabbed a white tennis skirt and threw on an oversized green jumper. Karmin threw her hair in a low ponytail, spritzing lilac perfume. Was I doing a little too much? Eh, my whole existence relies on being extra.

Once she was ready, Karmin sat on her bed impatiently. She gazed at her phone, waiting for him to message her that he was here. She tapped her feet on the carpeted floor anxiously. The rush of feelings was overwhelming that she couldn't tell if it was excitement or nervousness. Whether it was from having to sneak out or seeing Maddox in the middle of the night, she didn't know.

Minutes had passed when her phone lit up with his message. He was outside. Karmin sprang up from her seat and quietly left her room. She tiptoed down the dark stairs, wincing when the floorboards creaked. She held her breath until she made it down, only to have a heart attack when she saw a dark figure sitting in the living room.

"And where do you think you're going?" questioned Aaliyah.

Karmin swore under her breath, clutching her chest tightly. "I, uh... I'm going out," she stuttered.

"No, what are you really doing?" she demanded further as she pushed away her notebooks to get up.

Karmin felt her breath get caught in her throat. Did she know? "I don't have time to talk. I'm leaving," she sidelined, stepping forward to open the front door.

"I don't know what you're up to, but is it for Dad?" Aaliyah continued, hushed. "I know you're in some shit."

She didn't say anything but slowly twisted the doorknob. She didn't know what to say. Should she just tell her?

Aaliyah sighed tiredly. "Just be safe, Minnie."

Karmin smiled at her shakily. "I'll be home soon." She steadily opened the door, stepping outside into the cool wind. It was difficult to see the keyhole with the dark sky as she stumbled to lock it.

Like always, at the end of the street was Maddox and his car. She scurried down the road to him, grinning widely, and hopped into his car.

"Hey," she said softly once she fastened the seatbelt.

"Hey," he greeted back with the same tone. His eyes trailed her outfit, and she knew he wanted to comment on it, but he held it back.

Karmin bit her lip from smiling even harder as she looked up at him. "So, where are we going?"

"You'll see," replied Maddox aloofly as he sped down the street. "It's nearby."

She hummed in response. "Thank you for this. I really needed it."

Maddox shook his head. "I wasn't even tired," he replied dismissively, but then yawned loudly. "Maybe just a little," Maddox backtracked sheepishly when he saw her raised brow.

Karmin chuckled, leaning deep into the seat when her foot hit a bag that was situated on the floor. "What's this?" she asked.

"Oh, that's for you," he pointed, bending forward to grab the bag by her and lightly placing it on her lap. "I was going to give them to you tomorrow."

She scrunched her brows in curiosity and fumbled through the bag to find a plastic container. It was the same one she had given him awhile ago. Karmin pulled it open to be greeted by a waft of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.

"You made me cookies," she said dumbfounded.

"Yeah, that's kind of why I'm tired," he laughed shyly.

Karmin smiled at him and brought a cookie to her lips. It was soft and chewy with the chocolate melting in her mouth. "These are really good," she complimented through a mouthful.

"Logan helped me with Amalia and Sabina. It was fun at first, but then I just got yelled at for not sifting the flour correctly or cracking the eggs too hard," Maddox grumbled. "I ended up on cookie watch once they put them in the oven."

"That's hilarious," she chuckled. "You and I have to bake sometime. I promise I won't yell," assured Karmin.

"I don't know why, but I highly doubt that," he remarked teasingly.

"Okay, maybe I'm a control freak when it comes to baking," she grumbled.

"I can just observe," offered Maddox as he pulled into the parking lot.

Karmin sat up, her eyes flashing in recognition. The chained fence that kids would jump, the lifeguard's chair where her eighth-grade crush sat in, and the large pool that was covered in floaties during the summer. "The swimming pool isn't open for another month," she stated confusedly.

"Which makes it even better," retorted Maddox slyly as he exited the car. "C'mon!"

She shrugged, getting out of the car and following him to the fence. Maddox began to climb it as she gawked at him. He made it to the other end, waving her over. "If you fall, I'll catch you," he assured, smiling.

"Please," she scoffed. "I won't fall, but you could've told me where we were going before I put on a skirt." The last thing she wanted was to flash him. That would've been both horrendous and embarrassing.

"Right," he chuckled awkwardly. "I'll just turn around just in case anything... you know."

Karmin rolled her eyes and started to ascend the fence with ease once his back was facing her. Once she was close enough to the ground, she jumped and landed gracefully on her feet. She patted down her skirt and fixed her hair until she was satisfied with it.

Maddox glanced back at her momentarily, nodding his head in the direction of the pool. She followed him down there, past the closet filled with towels first aid kits. Karmin slipped off her shoes, sitting down at the edge of the pool. He plopped down beside her after rolling up his jeans, the both of them dipping their feet into the cold water.

It was a cloudless night sky with the stars hidden from the city lights. The crescent moon hung in the atmosphere, casting a little light on the waves of the pool. There was a slight wind as her strands of hair danced in the air. The hint of traffic was like background music with nothing but the occasional car driving by to keep them company. Although it wasn't exactly soundless, the night was serene.

"Do you take all your girls here?" Karmin asked jokingly, but she really wanted to know. She knew all girls would be swooning over him with this move.

"What girls?" he wondered, laughing at himself. "And besides, that's Rhys's thing."

She felt... relieved? Yeah, relieved.

"Damn, you got to give Rhys props, though. Girls love this shit," she remarked, swinging her feet gently in the water.

"Does that include you?" he whispered hesitantly.

"It definitely includes me," she smiled, feeling Maddox inch closer to her. Her heart fluttered as she did the same until their legs touched.

"Karmin," called Maddox as he turned his head to her, meeting her brown eyes. "I'm sorry for the way I acted the first few weeks we met."

"Oh, you don't have to apologize," she said, shaking her head.

"But I was kind of an asshole," Maddox added. "Not intentionally. I'm just not good at making friends," he opened up, now staring at his fingers. "I never needed to. I always had Rhys. I –"

She cursed mentally when her phone rang, cutting him off. She annoyedly grabbed it, seeing the name flashing in white. Why was he calling her at this hour?

"You should pick up Leo's call," murmured Maddox with a look of disappointment on his face.

Karmin nodded frustratedly and pressed the green button. "Hello?"

"I didn't think you would pick up," exclaimed Leo excitedly.

"Is there something you need?" she asked tiredly.

"I was hoping you could send me the answers to the Soci assignment. I haven't had the chance to work on it since I've been at practice the entire day," he explained.

Karmin gripped her phone tightly. "That assignment was given out a week ago," she deadpanned. She had finished the day it was given out, knowing very well she wouldn't have time with all her fights.

"I've just been super busy," Leo said haughtily. "That reminds me. I don't think I'll be able to write the second paragraph. You don't mind writing it, do you?"

She sighed, gritting her teeth. "No, I don't..." faltered Karmin as she glanced at Maddox, who busied himself with staring at the moon. The light emitted on his handsome face from the hollow in his cheekbones to the arch of his jawline. "You know what? I actually do mind," she said firmly.

"But, I thought you understood," Leo stammered. "You're smarter than I am, Karmin."

He emphasized her name, something that would have made her weak in the knees before, but now, it just flared anger within her. "I don't understand, actually. You can finish the assignment by yourself."

"You'll do the essay, though, right?" he said.

"Yes, I will be doing the essay. My essay," she shouted through the phone, causing Maddox to jolt. "We're no longer partners. Figure out another topic. May I suggest the lack of funding in university sports?" Karmin mocked.

"You can't do that!"

"But I already did," she sassed. "You have an entire month. That's plenty of time."

"Wait, just let me –"

"Goodnight, Leo. I hope you bomb your essay, and with the way you write, I don't fucking doubt that," Karmin replied calmly, and what, she ended the call.

She exhaled sharply, feeling content with herself. That was a long time coming. I couldn't believe I had a crush on that loser. He was just using me for my work. I wished I had realized that earlier.

"Is everything okay?" asked Maddox.

"It is now. Leo's a complete tool like Rhys said," she said, shrugging.

"I'm sorry he didn't turn out the way you wanted," he apologized, but Karmin didn't think he meant it.

"It's okay. I have bigger things to worry about like the fight tomorrow."

"I'll be there, and so will Viola and Rhys," Maddox said.

"I know, I know. I just can't get rid of this feeling that something is going to go wrong," she said, shivering from the wind or the thoughts of tomorrow. She couldn't tell.

"Well, has this helped?" he wondered, referring to their late-night escapade to the swimming pool.

"Uh-huh," she hummed, glancing up at him with promising eyes, "but there's something else that would make it even better."

Maddox arched a brow. "Like what?"

"A hug?" she mused, grinning at him now.

Maddox rolled his eyes but sighed. He opened his arms and said, "Alright, bring it in."

Karmin wrapped her arms around his waist excitedly. She hugged him firmly with her head on his chest. All her worries began to evaporate into the night wind with his body against hers. Touch was her love language for a reason.

"That'll be ten dollars," he mumbled into her head.

She laughed heartily, backing out of the hug to look at him. She still kept her arms around him. "Come on. Don't I at least get a discount?"

Maddox tilted his head, considering it. "I guess I'll give you the friend's discount," he drawled. "That'll be 9.99."

"You're so stingy," she poked, chuckling. "Do you have any other discounts?"

"Well," he pondered. "I got the always-giving-me-food discount. There's also the never-stop-talking-but-I-don't-mind discount?"

But those weren't good enough. I wanted to add one.

Like the I-really-like-you discount or the girlfriend's discount.

That thought surprised her, but it made sense. She was always so excited to see him. When meeting his family, she was nervous because she wanted them to like her. His rare smile pulled at her guitar-like heartstrings, and when he talked, nothing else mattered. She could listen to him talk for hours about his favourite books or how Rhys got on his nerves.

In the beginning, he bothered her to no lengths with his grumbling answers and misconceptions about her. She dreamt about punching him in his ceramic cheekbones, but now, she thought about kissing him.

Yes, Maddox was crafted from thunder skies and dark roast coffee. But there was so much more to him with his kind gestures and protective tendencies. Him sharing his winnings with his friends and breaking down his comfort zone for her.

Yes, Maddox was built from sharp raindrops and midnight trains. But, he had honey and spring fields in him.

Now, there were two ways to handle this. I could either ignore these feelings and act like nothing, or I could act on them.

"Maddox," she said quietly, lifting her hand until it was gently placed on his cheek.

He glanced down at her, confused. His arms were loose around her shoulders as he toyed with her ebony hair.

Karmin gulped nervously but pushed aside her fear. "Can I kiss you?" she asked softly.

This night really has me in my feelings, huh?

His eyebrows shot up in surprise, but his lips parted ever so slightly. His nature-green eyes trailed her face for any trace of jokes, and when he found nothing, he nodded. Maddox leaned his head down, his mouth hovering hers for a moment until he gained the confidence to capture her lips with his own.

Karmin's insides screamed with joy as she tightened her embrace around him. Their lips moved in sync, and all she could think was how soft his lips were like shea butter. She wanted nothing more but to sink into him, and that intensified once Maddox trailed his hands down to her waist, pulling her closer.

Her hands slipped into his charcoal hair, and suddenly all the fast-paced and deafening atmosphere of New York City perished. The cold water of the pool felt warmer with each squeeze of her waist and each tug at her lips. All that mattered was his hands on her and his mouth moving against hers.

They finally parted, breathing heavily from the kiss. She shut her eyes for a second, savoring the moment. Her heart felt as if it was going to melt as she replayed what happened. Her entire body tingled with ecstasy as if his kiss was a drug.

All she wanted to do was overdose on him.

She glanced up at him, his cheeks flushed and his hair a mess. Karmin wanted to say something, but abruptly, his eyes widened, glancing at something past her.

Karmin turned around to see a security guard holding a donut in one hand and in the other hand, a flashlight. She squinted her eyes, using her hand to block the blinding light.

"Don't move, kids!" he shouted as he began to jog towards them.

"Shit," hissed Maddox under his breath as he pulled Karmin up to her feet.

So, for the second night, they ran hand-in-hand.

***

Author's Note:

Hi!!

I bet all of you loved this chapter, huh? Now, what's the ship name? I realized that if we take the first few letters of Karmin and Maddox, we get Karma. I thought that was super cool!

I love how all my main female protagonists are the ones to make the first move... could never be me.

Take this chapter in and enjoy it because I got some stuff planned haha!

Until next time – m.k.t