Once a Gang leader Always a Gang leader

2

Xander

Aria and I spent two more weeks in London, went to Belgium for two weeks, and are now beginning our second week in Germany. In that time we've gotten more than ten calls from Josh and Max asking for help and telling us that things are getting out of hand. Finally Aria and I have decided that we should go back to help with the whole situation and then we can go back to traveling the world. But added on top of that Aria has been sick since we got here. We haven't been able to leave the hotel room much and even if we do we have to be near a restroom. Because Aria can't go more than 5 minutes without throwing up, I've decided it's best I go alone rather than put her through more pain. Of course she fought me the second I open my mouth and told her the idea but, after her spending the entire morning hovered over the toilet, she agreed.

Since my flight doesn't leave until around 8 pm we're trying to spend some time together outside the hotel room. I sit across Aria in an empty cafe, sighing softly as I watch her take a sip of tea slowly. I don't want to leave her. I know I'm coming back, but I don't want to leave her in a foreign country, puking her guts up. We've been having an amazing time alone, away from everything. I push my small plate to the side with some type of German pastry, along with my coffee and reach over the table holding Aria's hand. She hasn't gotten anything to eat because it might upset her stomach, but the tea has seemed to make things better.

"I don't want to leave you." I mutter softly as I run my fingers over her knuckles, trying to memorize every detail I can about her. I turn her hand slightly and trace her tattoo over the side of her wrist a bit below her thumb. Two small music notes together in back ink. Hmm... Music notes..

"I don't want you to leave either... I guess, the job's never done.." She sighs out and I narrow my eyes slightly still looking at her tattoo.

"Music notes..." I mutter again, "Why does that remind me of something?"

"What about music notes? My tattoo? Oh, look, one for my sister, one for my brother. I told you about them, remember?" She says moving my hand and holding her wrist, running her thumb over the tattoo.

"Yeah, when I kidnapped you, put you in the basement and we talked... You talked about your giant lily tattoo, and the song you- the song! That's what it reminds me of! The song you sang to your younger brother and sister all the time. Oh I completely forgot about it!" I say smiling, leaning back in my chair, I look at up at Aria to see her pouting slightly with the most annoyed look on her face.

"I thought you forgot about that damn song." She groans softly and I shake my head grinning.

"I remember you talking about the song but never actually singing it. Can you sing it to me, please? Pretty pretty please? It could be my send off, pleaseeee?"

"No." She huffs out crossing her arms, looking away.

"Aria, pleaseeeeeeeeee?" I get up and crouch down slightly wrapping my arms around her shoulders, resting my head on her shoulder, and swaying her slightly. "Please? Please?"

"Wait, wait, don't do that I might throw up." She says and I stop instantly, scrunching my face up.

"Sorry, but can you please sing it to me?" I groan softly and nuzzle my face in her shoulder.

"No and we have to go, you have to get to the airport." She says and I huff getting up, holding my hand out for her. She grabs my hand, getting up slowly, and we walk out of the cafe hand in hand.

"You know, I'm accepting the fact that you don't want to sing to me. I'll patiently wait however long it takes until you finally do." I say wrapping my arm around her shoulder, smiling.

"Aw, that's sweet, but I'm still not singing it." She laughs.

"Damn it." I mutter and sigh as we keep walking until someone bumps into my shoulder. "Oh I'm sorry-" I begin saying before the person quickly walks away and I raise an eyebrow.

"That was weird." Aria say and I nod my head leading her back to the hotel.

~

I sit next to Aria in the airport as we hold each others hand tightly. I know I'm coming back, but you never know what could happen. I sigh softly as my flight is called, both of us stand up and walk as slowly as possible towards the boarding area. I turn to Aria and hug her as tightly as I can burying my face in her hair as I close my eyes. She grips my shirt and I sigh softly, I don't want to leave. I shouldn't leave her... Why should I care if those idiots kill themselves? Fuck, what am I saying, that's my old gang out there.

"I'll sing the song to you when you come back, I promise." Aria says softly into my ear and I squeeze my eyes tighter, nodding my head.

"I'll hold you to that." I say as we let go of each other and I lean down placing a long soft kiss to her lips. I pull away resting my forehead to hers. "I'll see you soon, okay? I love you."

"I love you too." She says and I kiss her forehead walking towards the door with my luggage in hand and give the flight attendant my ticket. She allows me to go ahead and I step forward looking back at Aria to see her hugging her stomach, biting the nail of her thumb, staring at me with sad eyes. I try to get her to quit the damn habit of biting her nails, but she never listens. I laugh softly to myself and wave goodbye to her, trying to keep a smile on my face, to tell her it'll be okay, in some ways. She waves back and I turn around walking through the hallway into the plane.

I find my seat and put my luggage in the overhead, sitting down near the window. I close the open window and stare at the seat in front of me holding my hands together. My stomach drops as I hear the flight attendant telling us to buckle our seat, this is it, I'm really going back. I click my belt in and sigh softly. I hate leaving Aria alone, but- but I also hate that I'm leaving her alone to go back to square one. I'm going back to all the pain, loneliness, and screaming. I glance down to find my hand near my mouth, and the edge of my nail in between my teeth. I smile, at the thought of Aria and her habit, as I pull my hand away. That's the only thing keeping me together now, the thought of Aria, the thought of coming back to her.