76 If

"Sigh...why do I even try?" the girl muttered through bites of spaghetti.

Vixen stared at her for a second, his eyes resting on her lips again.

Brianna caught his gaze and slowly leaned away from him, "what is it this time? Another playing around with my feelings session?"

Vixen grabbed the napkin and raised it up to her lips, stopping when she flinched and continuing after she gave a nod of approval. He wiped off a piece of spaghetti and sauce on her lips and pinched her cheeks after.

"Not everything I do involves hurting someone's feelings," Vixen huffed, tightening his pinch and shaking her cheeks as he dropped the napkin back on the table.

"My apologies, Mr. Gentleman," Brianna blushed, "your actions prove otherwise at times."

"Not my problem," Vixen shrugged, playing with his phone but not turning it on.

Brianna watched his movements while swallowing her spaghetti.

"You came late today. Again," Brianna muttered, "it's the third time this week… in fact, you haven't been on time in a few months but you always leave my room on time."

"Sorry for not being able to spend time with you, mother," Vixen teased.

"Oh COME ON! I can accept a friend zone but seriously?? Mother zoned?? I don't even want to be like your mother," Brianna pouted, leaning over the table to lightly hit Vixen on the shoulder.

"Just calling you by what you seem like the most to me," Vixen shrugged, "besides you are older than me."

"Literally one year and 5 months deference," Brianna sighed.

"It's enough," Vixen smirked, "at least you aren't grandma."

Brianna opened her mouth to refute him but backed off when she realized he was right, "I seriously hate you," she sneered, easing back into her seat in front of her table.

They sat in silence again.

"What's the reason you were late," Brianna asked.

"New patient," Vixen replied blankly.

"New patient?" Brianna's face perked up in surprise.

��I don't want to repeat myself," Vixen retorted.

"You mean you've been spending extra time on the new patient than on me?" Brianna asked.

"Sure. Call it that,"

Brianna gave him a sideways glare before continuing. "Why haven't I seen her yet? Last time I heard, new attendees were allowed to eat in the canteen with the others after their third month here. Has she not stayed three months yet?"

"She has,"

"Then why-"

"Shut up and eat," Vixen stuffed a biscuit into Brianna's mouth.

She leaned in and bit into it while keeping direct eye contact on Vixen, "what a meanie."

Vixen gave a nice smirk in reply before turning back to playing with his phone.

There was a shred of reassurance restored after Vixen's smirk but that was lost when his grim expression returned. Brianna continued to stare at him, his dank mood starting to reflect onto hers.

"Vixen… is something wrong?" Brianna asked, this time pure concern showing on her face.

She grabbed his hand and intertwined her fingers in them, then using her other hand to lift Vixen's face to look up at her. She looked up into his eyes, flinching at the blankness in them but still maintaining her confidence and compassion and channeling them through her eyes. "I want to help."

"Want to help?" Vixen sighed, waving their hands back and forth before removing her hand, "Help with what?"

"Hmph, how would I know?" Brianna sulked, "you never tell me anything."

"Exactly. Personal space is something that I value, I don't go around spreading things about me like I'm giving out food," Vixen sighed, patting her head gently, "if I didn't tell you anything 10 years ago, why would I start telling you now?"

Brianna opened her mouth to speak again before closing it and forming a frown on her face, "sometimes I hate the way you speak. Especially since what you say is right most of the time."

Vixen shrugged and took a bite out of a biscuit on Brianna's plate.

"STOP EATING MY FOOD!" Brianna slapped his hand away, and pulled her food away from him protectively, "you get paid enough to buy a freaking restaurant, you don't need to steal food from me."

"I drag carts of food for people all day and don't even get to eat from them? And then have to eat food two hours after the normal schedule. Don't be selfish," Vixen growled, eating the biscuit slowly in Brianna's face. He reached for her food, but instead ran his finger around the plate��s edge, "I could always hold back delivering food to you."

Brianna looked down at her food and bowed her head before Vixen in submission, "three biscuits," she wagered.

"Six," Vixen growled.

"Four,"

"Five,"

"Four and a half and that's final,"

"Fine," Vixen growled.

"Hehe," Brianna giggled, "it's today only deal though."

"Sure sure," Vixen smirked, "we'll see about that."

Brianna looked at her spaghetti and then back to Vixen. She planned to keep her question in her mouth but it ended out slipping out. "Is she bothering you?"

Vixen looked at Brianna and turned away, ignoring her question.

"I don't get it… why are you spending more time with a new admit than me?" Brianna asked, staring at Vixen desperately, "you aren't obligated to stay with a new person for longer than you need to! So why?"

Brianna stared into Vixen's eyes, pleading him for answers she wanted to hear as she asked the last question, "do you like her?"

Vixen turned to Brianna, a scowl slowly forming on his face. "And if I do?"