Hello internet. So this story is probably going to have around five or six chapters, but we will see how it pans out. I hope you enjoy and I cherish your reviews like they are letters from a loved one 3 ~BionicOtaku
This could not be happening. It just couldn't. This was all just too surreal. It must be a dream. No. It must be a nightmare. How could this happen. How was she standing here, in the middle of the night with a cardboard box in her hands, and not a clue where to go. There was still some blood trapped around her nails and in the creases of her hands. Yekaterina had convinced Ivan to at least let her take a shower and pack up her things, but turns out when you are being kicked out of the only home you've ever known and desperately trying to wash the blood of the person you look up to the most in the world off your body, as it drips down your arms and leaves streaks of regret and shame, things like cleaning your nail beds get neglected. She hadn't meant to do it. Why would she? Her brother Ivan was the only man she had ever really cared about. Only person really, except for maybe Yekaterina. But Ivan was everything. Ivan was perfect. Ivan was her whole world. Her whole life everyone had asked her what happened in her head when she lost it but she never could tell. One moment everything would be fine, and the next she would find herself standing over a cowering frame with her knuckles bloody. It had been years though since an attack of that nature. Once she had been confined to the house with only her brother and sister things had gotten better. They never made her snap and always knew how to talk her down. That was until him. That filthy American.
Alfred was his name but Natalia never used it. She had only ever called him the filthy American. He had stolen her brother. When Ivan had first brought Alfred over the American had tried to be nice to her, tried to be her friend, but it was useless. Why would she want to be friends with the person who meant more to her brother than she did. He was funny. Natalia didn't think she had ever made someone laugh. He was kind. Natalia had once ripped a girl's earring out in third grade because the girl had said Natalia had beautiful hair. He had ambitions of working on a space station and going where no one had ever gone before. Natalia hadn't left her home in four years. But more importantly Alfred could give Ivan what Natalia never could, someone to love. She should have seen this coming, the blonde thought to herself as she replayed the events of the evening over and over again in her head. In the months since Ivan and Alfred had started dating, Natalia had felt herself start to unravel little by little. The every mention of the American would send electric shocks into Natalia's brain making her angry, making her crazy. Just the other week she had overheard Ivan telling Yekaterina about their date and it was fortunate that there was a whole chicken in the fridge for her to butcher otherwise the events of this evening might have happened much sooner, but she had managed to hold herself together a little longer, being satisfied with feeling of the knife cutting through flesh and the rush of cracking joints from their sockets.
Tonight though, there was no chicken, and even if there had been, Natalia didn't think she would have been able to control this episode. Nothing had even happened this time. Ivan had just walked through the door, a smile on his face like always. Only Natalia knew that this time it was there because of the American. Just like that the world around her clouded over with white hot rage, and her whole body shook with the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Ivan was a large man, but nothing could stop Natalia when a fit came on. She clawed and bit and pummeled. she had caught him by surprise and the tall blonde fell backwards knocking over a vase of flowers from the table beside them. The vase shattered into large sharp pieces. Natalia grabbed a jagged piece and gripped it firmly in her hand, cutting into the flesh of her own palm as she did. She sliced at Ivan with all her might, ripping through the cloth of his shirt, leaving gashes on his arms and face to match the blood already dripping from where her nails and raked over his skin. Yekaterina had heard the sounds and come running, managing to pull Natalia away from her brother. She writhed a swore and spat like an animal, like a monster, but then her mind cleared. The rage was gone and everything was silent. All that could be heard was her own and her siblings labored breath.
"I can't do this anymore Natashen'ka" Ivan choked out, as tears of pain and sorrow fell from his eyes, mixing with the blood that stained his cheeks.
"You need to leave."
And here she was standing on the street for the first time since she was sixteen. She wasn't helpless though. Her sister had given her enough cash to get by for a while and though she hadn't been out for so long she was not afraid. The only thing she had to fear was herself. She had briefly considering checking herself into a hospital, but then thought better of it. She could not trust them. They would never let her out. And while she could live with being a prisoner in her own home, she could not do the same in a foreign place. She had money enough that she could just go check into a hotel for the night. However that would imply that she was planning on sleeping which at this point she had almost given up on entirely. So instead she decided to walk down the street until she found a place that could offer her the one true salvation. Alcohol. She had walked maybe a quarter mile and turned a couple times for good measure before stopping in front of a bar with a brick exterior, a Swiss flag and a sign that hung in the window proclaiming it "Die Kleine Neroli Lilie" Natalia rolled her eyes at the name and the places entirely too charming existence, but entered all the same. At this point any vodka was an improvement on no vodka, even if it was not Russian. Natalia had expected the place to be empty, but to her surprise every table was occupied and there was lively conversation streaming through the air. Natalia was felt her heart start to beat faster and her palms begin to clam up, but she forced herself to stay calm and proceeded to walk over to the bar.
"Vodka" She mumbled to the short figure that stood behind the bar with her back turned.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't get that." The girl behind the bar said as she turned to face Natalia. The face that met Natalia's own was one of the most amazing the blonde had ever seen. The girl must have been at least eighteen considering that she was working behind a bar, but her face and stature made her look younger. Her soft features and her green eyes glistened with innocence, however Natalia did notice several things that went against this innocent unknowing exterior. Such as her short haircut and finger nails, loose fitting jeans and, the biggest clue, her shirt which had the faces of Tegan and Sara emblazoned across it.
"Um, Hello?" the women behind the bar said waving a hand slightly in attempt to draw Natalia out of her poundering.
"Oh yeah, Vodka." The short haired girl nodded eagerly and took down a shot glass. As she poured however her hands shook and she ended up getting about the same amount of liquor onto the counter as into the glass.
]"I'm sorry about that. I don't usually work behind the bar, but my brother owns this place and our bartender is sick so here I am."
Natalia did not know to respond to this so she simply nodded as she threw back the shot and pushed it forward in a silent request for another. The shorter blonde behind the bar refilled the shot again, this time with slightly more precision.
"Are you from around here? We basically survive off our regulars, mostly family and friends so I don't talk to many people I don't know. It's exciting!" The little blonde blushed a little bit at this and took the shot glass once more, refilling it again.
"I am from near by. I don't get out much." Natalia answered before taking the third shot a tilting it back, however this time she did not push it back toward the small barmaid. "Oh I see, well it's nice to meet you. I'm Lili." The young women said, holding out her hand to shake.
"Natalia Braginskaya." Natalia answered, taking the hand in her own and giving in once decisive shake before releasing her hold. Lili's hands were soft warm. Natalia had felt the smooth calluses on the tips of Lili's fingers brush against the back of her hand sending shivers through her body.
"I don't go out much either." Lili said, taking a rag and beginning to clean the bar. "My brother worries lot and since it's just him and me I tend to only really go to and from school and spend most of the rest of my time here." Lili explained, as she ran her rag across the nozzles of the beer taps.
"What are you studying?" Natalia asked. Why would she asked that, she wondered to herself. It's not like she cared about this girl at all.
"I'm studying to become an MRI technician. When I was younger I wanted to be a doctor or a nurse, but my adviser in school said she didn't think I was cut out for a high stress environment and I think she was right. Plus, to be an MRI technician you only need a two year degree, but you still get to help people." The blonde paused a moment looking to the grandfather clock standing on the wall to her right. "Um, It's closing time so you'll need to go" Natalia immediately began to rise from her seat and prepare to pay and leave. "but, umm." Lili's eyes flickered over to the cardboard box sitting on the bar stool next to Natalia and then back to the taller blonde's face before furrowing her brow. "Do you have somewhere to go?" Lili blurted out, not sure why she was so nervous. Natalia just stood blinking, not sure what to say, but then settling on the truth.
"No." Natalia deadpanned, and went to pick up her box.
"Wait!" The green-eyed girl exclaimed quickly, throwing out a hand to stop Natalia. "You can stay here if you'd like. There is an extra room. and . and. And I don't want you to go back out in the scoffed at that "I can take care of myself" She said as she took out the envelope of cash Yekaterina had given her and put the money for the drinks onto the counter.
"No that's not what I mean. I'm sure you can take care of yourself but, well I…" Lili's words faded away as she realized she didn't really have anything else she could say. She didn't know why, but something about Natalia fascinated her, and the idea of that beautiful women walking out into the darkness of the city was unbearable. "I will accept your offer." Lili looked up abruptly at the long hair women across the bar from her, who was simply standing and waiting. "Okay then, I'll go upstairs and get the place set up for you. You just stay here for a minute." Lili said hurriedly. Natalia watched as the sprightly girl fled up the stairs. But then a sinking feeling hit her. What had she just agreed to? She couldn't do this. She couldn't let this tiny girl harbor an insane monster like her.