One day… it will end…
Or it will be the new beginning…
It was warm… and nice… Nice to show up on her fire escape on a broad daylight just because he could. Actually now he could show up on her doorstep as a normal person… but he forgot of being normal so completely… and hanging out on her fire escape was kinda their thing… so…
She shivered a bit in his embrace and he knew it had nothing to do with an outside temperature. Because of the way she'd tightened her grip on his hand and pressed herself into his chest. Because of her uneven breath and exhilarated heartbeat that reverberated through his body. She was worried.
- What's wrong? - it would've been a rhetorical question not so long ago… but now everything was OK… finally!
- Do you think they've bought it? The whole story? - she tensed a bit more and turned around to face him, touching his face with gentle gesture. She could not shake off the feeling that all of what was happening lately was too perfect to be real, that this dream of happiness will be snatched away from her… like it was so many times before. No, she could not stand to loose him now. Not again. Not ever.
He smiled kissing her palm, feeling his scar tingling under her soft touch.
- Why, do you think that me saving the whole bus of tourists from a bunch of terrorists is not plausible enough? You do know that it was broadcasted on the national television and I kinda have a whole American nation to back me up on this story?
She punched him playfully because it was NOT the part she doubted. THIS was actually the part that was true - some idiots chose the wrong bus to mess with and ended up being thrown out of it beaten and disarmed by Vincent. THAT was very cool!
He smiled, probably reminiscing about the same thing – he was so proud of himself. The feeling they both shared.
- No, Vincent, the other part is what I'm worried about!
His smile turned innocent and surprised:
- So you think that this new national hero being long-lost Afgan vet with progressive amnesia sounds fishy? I mean, he did came to New York to take part in pretty big international project aimed to treat such cases… and the fact that this project is supervised by my university pal Dr. Olson who owes me big time has nothing to do with his scientific credentials!
His tone became serious as he almost whispered to her:
- I mean, nobody should doubt my condition… but now everybody will be rooting for me to get "better"… most importantly, everybody KNOWS about my story now… and I can't just go disappear into darkness… no matter how much Muirfield would want that.
She hid her face on his chest listening to his heartbeat – this sound was so crucial to her life now… now when she'd heard it fading away too many times.
- That, Vincent… Muirfield… Do you think they've bought the whole "I'm cured" thing? Why won't they come for you now, when you're out of hiding?
He encircled his hands around her shoulders and kissed her hair. It smelled so good – wood and lilacs and something more… something like Catherine.
He was silent for a long time. No matter how joyful his mood was lately, he knew this was no joking matter. Especially to them.
- Yes, I think they've bought it. My blood samples were drawn at the hospital after the terrorists' attack, I've sent them samples myself. I can't say my blood results are very "normal" but nothing out of ordinary – just a healthy man, nothing too "beasty". And I didn't fudged out on those bad guys even though it was a kind of situation I normally would, - he chuckled on a word "normally" but not in a sad and "look-what-a-freak-I-am" kind of way… he was happy to leave it behind him at last.
- And it's not like they can steal me away now – as per program's rule I supposedly have a GPS-locator on me to avoid my "progressive amnesia" getting me in trouble. And I'm a public figure now. So… I think I'm not that interesting to them as I'm "cured" and not so dangerous to risk killing me…
She clawed his T-shirt, scratching his body with fingernails… For her it was absentminded action, something she did just to give her hands something to do. But to him this motion was doing too many things… and none of those things were appropriate to the seriousness of current situation. She was still worried and that needed to be addressed first.
- Catherine, it worked. The serum worked – it caused further mutation locking all the animal parts inside of my brain. But it will not show up on a screen test, nor in my blood work, nor in any other possible test they can run on me. I know – I did EVERYTHING already! And as far as medicine is concerned – I'm normal. Boring, actually.
He smiled again noticing her frown after the "boring" part. She'd never seen him as avarage – something she voiced right away:
- Vincent, there's nothing even relatively boring about you but I'd rather have you talk about that "inside of my brain" part… What do you mean? Is IT still not out of you? Can you still… black out?
What a careful choice of wording! She always was like this – trying to make him feel less of a beast that he was. So attentive… so caring… his Catherine.
- Oh, it's a bit too scientific… , - his voice trailed away seeing her raising her chin in a challenge gesture of "I-dare-you-to-say-I'm-not-smart-enough". He kissed her nose swiftly and said in a soft coarse voice:
- I'll show you.
He touched is fingers to her temple, dug them to her hair and pulled a bit so she raised her head to level up with his. They were so close; their breaths were mixing in one and grew deeper. The moment she thought he would finally close the distance to kiss her, he moved pass her lips to kiss her in the neck. Quick barely noticeable touch – and her nerve system went instantly on fire.
His fingers kept moving though her hair, making her shiver… in a good way this time. His breath on her shoulder… his scratching stubble when he kissed her clavicle… his closeness in general… it was too much to take…
Until he moved away looking all nonchalant and relaxed. She was almost fooled into believing he hadn't meant what he did… when he brought his face close to her, eyes to eyes.
- See how my arises are dilated? That's because my brain had already told my body what are all the possible ways we could've go on from here… and my body reacted as if it is ALREADY happening by releasing a stream of hormones appropriate for this kind of… activity.
She gasped trying to calm herself down… and to conceal her disappointment with having to do so.
- That was… that was quite a good presentation… but what does it have to do with my question?
He took her little hands in his big ones and continued with the explanation:
- When I was created they'd change my blood's DNA… but haven't given me any control over it as my brain was still unaffected by the mutation. So whenever my human brain sent adrenaline rushing thought my system my half-animal blood reacted pretty normal for a beast – like "best defense is offense".
- And now? I mean, you've said it yourself – your blood tests normal, you don't have any animal DNA there…
He smiled mischievously:
- I said it tests normally, I haven't said the last part. Blood is produced by a bone marrow but it's the brain that commands it to produce blood specifically for organism's needs – rich on white cells to cure infection or rich on red cells to raise an oxygen level or things like that.
He paused a bit collecting his thoughts, looking for the best way to explain it simply.
- Let's just say that there are STILL parts of me that are purely animal. But now they are controlled by me, my conscious thought. My brain sends a signal to my body that I need to tap into that secret reservoir of strength and speed and super senses – and my bone marrow produces those extra-special cells that mix with my own blood turning me into what I was before. Once I don't need that, I switch off "the beast mode", my liver filters the blood – and it's totally normal again, no foreign residue whatsoever!
She shook her head in disbelief… and in a worry:
- But… does it mean you can lose it again in your "beast mode"?
- No! No! – he almost shouted scaring away some birds from the top of the staircase. He bowed his head and closed his eyes. His lips were moving but she couldn't hear a word. It was like if he was praying.
He raised his head and his expression was rough… almost angry. But then his face features softened and he said with only hint of a pain in his voice:
- Catherine, I SWEAR to you that I will never be THAT again! I will never let THAT THING come near you! IT will never have a chance to harm you!
She sighted – there's still so much to do to make him trust himself the way she did. Completely.
- Vincent, I don't think you could ever hurt me even BEFORE! Why would I think that now that you are in control of your inner beast? I'm more worried about you hurting yourself… or more so – exposing yourself when you have such convenient cover story.
There was a lot of scientific proud in his answer:
- What kind of a doctor would I be if I said I was cured if I wasn't? I AM in control of myself, in every "mode". And by my shier will I can decide how much of a beast I want to call to the surface. Like now… I've called enough of him to hear your pulse speeding… is there something wrong?
So they were back to the beginning of this conversation. But this time her answer was not worried… more like playful:
- Well, let's see. We've successfully escaped Muirfield and you are out in the open and protected by the nationwide fame. My boyfriend has a controlled beast inside of him which will protect him if Muirfield will strike again…
She didn't get to finish her speech as he broke it with his kiss. That was long, savoring kiss, it planted seeds of heat and desire inside of her and when he tore apart from her the fire in their eyes matched.
- So I'm your boyfriend now?
She nodded quickly but then added:
- For the lack of better word, you are for now. But I think we've kinda past that stage… not sure where into… but I'll take whatever comes. Are you in?
That last part was about the fact that she got inside the apartment through the window and was calling him to join her. He hopped from the stairs and was beside her in no time. Really quickly actually. Perks of having inner beast.
Her expression was suggestive:
- There's only one thing I need to know now…
- And that being…
- During your little presentation about hormones you've mentioned something about your brain picturing the outcome beforehand…
He gulped loudly as images flooded his mind – so vivid, so real, so mesmerizing…
Her voice sounded calm. Almost too calm. Futile pretend considering he could feel her body heating up towards his…
- Can I maybe have a pick at those possible outcomes?
And that was a closing act of her pretend. He swept her away from her feet to press her to the wall, to enclose her with his body, to trap her inside of him, to bind them.
To hell with animal DNA – SHE was running through his veins, reviving him with every touch, every sound, every moment…
The forever of moments was ahead of them. And he would tame any beast to earn his beauty. Including himself.