A/N: Woo Hoo! Again, heres another one! And so quick I might add! (Hooe I don't jinx it ;P) Anyway, not much else to say again except; enjoy and please take a second to drop a nice comment :)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Demetra's eyes narrowed as she surveyed the scene before her. It wasn't easy to make her nervous but the seemingly endless blur of white was beginning to make her a little uneasy. She'd be damned if she'd ever admit it, but she had no doubt she'd have been completely and utterly lost miles ago if not for Tala. It was truly amazing that anyone could find their way in this mess. The land was nothing but an expanse of shimmering white crystals, no landmarks, no visual aid whatsoever to assure you were going any way let alone the right way. Demetra frowned, she was beginning to wonder if they were even moving at all.
"How much further?" She felt like a child for asking. She had to swallow a growl as the sound of Tala's taunting laughter came through the speakers. But to her surprise, he made no comment.
"We're making decent time. We're already about half way there."
Demetra groaned inwardly. Normally her patience reigned supreme but honestly riding to the middle of nowhere with nothing to look at and only Tala ivanov for company (just as well she'd been alone for all the talking they were doing), it was downright the most painful torture she could imagine. Really, if they were only half there then she wasn't sure how she was going to survive the rest of the journey.
Setting her gaze forward, Demetra tried to focus on the horizon.
It had seemed like they'd been traveling for hours when eventually Demetra finally noticed that there was rapidly becoming much more white and much less blue – or any other color for that matter.
"It's getting pretty bad... are you sure we're almost there?" Again, she felt her insides clench at seeming weak and impatient to the redhead, and indeed anticipated his response. However, she'd much have rathered his childish teasing over the response she actually got.
"We've only gone about three miles sice you last asked." He replied, trying to sound annoyed, but there was a slight edge to his voice and Demetra's stomach knotted when he spoke again. "But it is getting a bit rough... I don't think we'll make it..."
Demetra felt her panic spike and had to bite her lip to keep from a less then desirable outburst.
"He better be joking!" She heard her inner self demand. "I will NOT die in the middle of Russia's damn wasteland with the last person on earth I wanna die with!"
Suddenly Demetra found herself hoping desperately that this was just the redead messing with her again.
After a few tense moments of no response from her guide, Demetra, shifting nervously in her seat, finally broke the silence.
"Do you really think we won't make it?" She asked, trying to sound casual, but she mentally cursed as she heard her own voice in her ears. She sounded nervous and she knew Tala would pick up on it.
As expected, Tala's voice was quick on the reply.
"What's wrong Nakamura, afraid of a few flurries?" He mocked accusingly.
Dametra growled.
"No." She replied as calmly as she could through clenched teeth. "But I'm smart enough to know that a whole lot of flurries at once isn't much fun."
Fully expecting another snide remark, Tala once again surprised her when his voice once more filled her ears.
"Yea, I really do think we won't make it." He said bluntly. "Actually, I know we won't."
Demetra once more felt her panic spike but before she could comment, she noted Tala change course and veer harshly to the left. Furrowing her brows in confusion, Demetra made to follow him, admittedly a little nervous and weary of becoming separated.
"Where are we going?" She blurted again, chiding herself for her constant childishness.
"There's a safe-house for times like this." Tala replied swiftly. "Storms are pretty bad here so there are little shacks like this one scattered along the route... this is the last one before the village and honestly if we make it we'll be lucky."
Demetra tried to take a few deep breaths. This wasn't happening. What was wrong with him, couldn't he at least try to say something comforting? Sure, she hadn't really expected him to be sweet and accommodating but the least he could do was not to be so morbid and negative!
So much for chivalry! Demetra snorted, she doubted the boy even knew what the word meant.
"There it is." Tala's voice suddenly cut through her paniced thoughts. "Pin it."
This time the brunette's blood pressure spiked in anger. That couldn't have been more then a few minutes, tops. How dare the redhead have her all panicked and nervous for no reason! He clearly knew exactly where they were and that they would make it.
Once again, Demetra growled and listened to the redhead for the first time; she pinned the throttle to the max and shot after him, just as he was cresting a massive snow dune. She shot past him, flying the jump with a smirk as she sailed through the air. However, her smirk was quickly wiped from her face as she suddenly noticed the decidedly not-so-small 'shack' looming directly in front of her. Landing with a harsh thump, the brunette cut her handle bars hard to the left and both the ski-doo and trailer whipped around, narrowly missing side-swiping the building, and eventually came to a smooth stop perfectly beside the front step.
Demetra's eyes were wide and wild as her chest heaved, heart thundering like a caged animal inside it. Just then the sound of Tala's snowmobile cut through the heavy storm and a second later his light appeared, and both the redhead and his rig materialized out of the snow to stop beside her. Hurrying to compose herself, Demetra sat back casually on her seat as if she'd been waiting forever. Through his visor she noted Tala's eyes narrow ever-so-slightly.
"A little old for showing off aren't we?" Tala said humorlessly as she shut off his rig and got off to collect his gear.
Demetra almost choked. If that's what it looked like from the outside, then far be it for her to burst his bubble. Besides, much better for him to think she was showing off then that she'd almost accidentally put her rig right through their so-called safe house actually being cocky.
"What can I say?" She drawed cooly. "Some things you never tire of."
"Right." Tala said bluntly, moving for the front door. "Well, if you're that desperate to be cool, why don't you spent the night out here? That should satisfy you."
Demetra straightened and made a sour face.
"Pass." She mumbled, getting up to collect her things as well. "Hey what about our rigs?"
She waited for a response but none came.
"Tala?" Demetra asked, pausing in her efforts a moment. "Tala."
Looking over her shoulder, she noticed the door to the 'shack' open and through it she could see him moving around inside, helmetless. Rolling her eyes, the brunette collected her things and proceeded to follow the redhead.
Once inside the building, Demetra closed the door behind her as she surveyed the room. The shack wasn't quite as big as it had seemed from the outside but it was still a fair size. There seemed to be one large main room, the room they were standing in; which consisted of a table and four chairs, an island with a few stools, a few couches and a large fire place against the back wall; and three rooms towards the back of the shack which seemed to be a kitchen, bedroom and what she assumed to be the bathroom. Looking around it was obvious that the place had been decked out with many luxuries of home, and she had no doubt the Russians had indeed furnished for comfort. Afterall, in a place like this, who knows how long one might be stuck there.
The idea of being stuck here was a little unsettling, but the idea of not technically being stranded with no contact with the outside world was at least some comfort.
"There's food in the kitchen." Tala's voice rang out from the back of the room. He was busy flipping switches in a breaker box, which in turn made more and more noise and things came to life all around the building. "You can go get something if you want. When I'm finished with this, I'll light the fire and-"
"Why should I have to get the food?" Demetra asked with crossed arms and a stony expression. "Because I'm a woman?"
Tala stopped what he was doing for a moment and turned towards her as if she were crazy.
"What?" He asked incrediously. "Are you serious?"
"What?" Demetra mimicked. "Is that not something you've said?"
She changed her voice to mimic the redhead. "Not bad for a bunch of girls, they're girls going against men, of course they can't win! Girls are better off as cheerleaders then athletes. That's girls work, only girls do that, only girls wear that, act like that, have that, like that. Boys are so much better then girls."
She continued on, mockingly mouthing nonsense as she imitated someone rambling on.
Tala smirked.
"I may have said something like that once or twice." He replied in amusement. Then he sobered up. "But I didn't-"
"How about I light the fire, hot shot?"
Tala ground his teeth and turned back to the breakerbox. After violently flipping one switch forcefully to the side, a loud roaring sound was heard before all the lights finally came on. Slamming the door shut, he turned to a nearby shelf and grabbed something.
"Fine." He said as calmnly as he could. "You light the fire and I'll get food."
Demetra reached up and caught something out of the air, a large pack of matches Tala had tossed to her. She watched as the redhead stalked towards the kitchen muttering to himself, then tured to face the fireplace with a frown.
"What is wrong with me lately?" She asked herself, shamed. "Why am I acting so childish? What is it about him that makes me so…..stupid!"
Shaking her thoughts aside, Demetra stripped off her gear, leaving only her boots, jeans and sweater. She then approached the fireplace and knelt down on one knee before it. However, she gave pause after pulling out a match.
"I don't know what to do." She thought in horror.
Sure, there was wood and matches but how to make a fire? Should she just throw a log on in the hearth and hold a match under it until it catches? Should she go get some gas from her snowmobile and toss a match on it? Should she rub two sticks together to create a flame? Where the hell was she supposed to start?
After staring, debating and chewing her cheek for a long time, Demetra finally decided nothing was going to get done with her staring at the stuff, so she might as well try – and quickly before her obnoxious tour guide came back.
Demetra grabbed the smallest log she could find – which was still rather large – and put it in the hearth. She then struck a match and held it under the log. She waited for the log to catch fire but nothing was happening. Finally the match burned down and she had to strike another, but this time a draft of wind from the chimney blew out her match and she had to yet again light another one. This went on for some time and Demetra quickly realized that she wasn't going to start a fire this way. She was just debating on exploring the gasoline idea when a snort from hebind her made her stop and seeth in dread. Turning slowly to look overher shoulder, Demetra cast a weary glare on the redhead.
"How long have you been there?" She asked seethingly.
"Long enough." He said with a smirk. "And that has got to be the saddest thing I've ever seen."
He was leaning one shoulder against the wall with crossed arms and a cocky smirk as he looked on in great amusement. Demetra immediately wanted to throttle him.
Uncoiling himself from the wall, Tala stalked towards his companion and her poor attempt at a fire and leaned down to slip the pack from her hand.
"Gimme that before you waste them all." He said, crouching down then in front of the fire.
Demetra watched with involuntary interest as the redhead grabbed a few sheets of paper from a stack beside the wood and shredded it. He then put it in the center of the hearth and broke some twigs off some other logs, threw them on the paper and made a small tee-pee around it all out of smaller logs.
"Damn you really are spoiled aren't you?" He asked rhetorically as he reached for the matches again. "You've obviously never done this before. I bet you've never had to worry about a fire or the cold once in your life did you? Always had someone to light your fire and keep your rich tush from freezing, put hot water bottles in your beds, draw you a hot bath when you come in from outdoors. You probably don't even know the meaning of the term frostbite so you?"
Grinding her teeth, Demetra's eyes narrowed on the Russian. Though she was loathe to admit it (and no way in hell would she ever admit it out loud), but the redhead was right – except about the frostbite, she obviously knew what that was. Not once, not ever, even in the orphanage, had she ever had to worry about lighting a fire or keeping warm – there was always someone else to take care of it.
Demetra frowned deeply, wondering now just how many other things she took for granted that were always handed to her. She'd always prided herself on being independent and learning everything about her surroundings, but then how had she never learned such a simple task? Just what else had escaped her radar?
Fuming now, Demetra watched in extreme annoyance as Tala struck a match and inserted it into the opening of the tee-pee he'd made. In seconds the paper had caught ablaze, and the fire began to roar to life. Once more the brunette felt and uncomfortable sensation deep down but try as she might she could not hold it back and it spewed from her mouth on reflex.
"Congradulations, Ivanov. You've finally found something you're better at then I am. I suppose that compensates for some of the things you're... lacking."
As soon as it was out, Demetra screwed up her face. Why had she said that? It was so juvenile and stupid. Why did she bait him so? Why did she let him bait her? Sure, she despised him and everything he stood for but that had never gotten in her way before, afterall Tala Ivanov was not the first person to ever have gotten on her bad side. She was Demetra Nakamura! Feared far and wide; calm, cool, collected, patient, intelligent, wise beyond her years, master of her own emotions, a bloody monk when it came to keeping herself together! All of these things normally described her but Demetra was disgusted to admit that around this infuriating individual, she just wasn't herself – whatever the hell that meant.
Thinking of the redhead, Demetra turned her attention back to him but she was a combination of relieved and a little miffed that he seemed to have absolutely no reaction to her bait at all and instead continued to tend the fire.
"Well why should he have a reaction?" She scolded herself. "No mature being would respond to that, except perhaps to laugh."
Admittedly, she was glad the redhead hadn't turned lest he see the state he'd indirectly put her in. Damn it, he even caused her emotions to go all haywire without even saying anything. Demetra sweatdropped and placed a hand to her forehead.
"Oi... this is going to be a long bloody vacation." She thought with slight embarrassment. "Alright Demetra, smarten up. Stop acting so immature, you don't need to stoop to his level."
Just then a movement from the direction of the fire caught her eye and the brunette turned to see Tala very slowly rising to his feet. She watched him curiously for a moment but when he turned slowly aound, the intense expression and heated look in his eyes made her breath catch and a hot wave suddenly unexpectly wash over her.
With slightly wide eyes, Demetra stood paralyzed in place as the redhead stalked slowly and silently towards her like a wolf stalking its prey. When he was nearly upon her and Demetra could swear she could feel the heat of his gaze, she unconsciously swallowed hard and reflexively took a step back. But Tala didn't back off and in a moment he had her pressed against the wall.
Demetra couldn't breathe as the redhead's body pressed criminially close to hers, his arms were braced either side and above her head and if his face were any closer she'd have to cross her eyes to see him.
"You have no idea what I can compensate for..." He growled huskily. "And I assure you, there is nothing I... lack!"
A hot wave rushed over Demetra's body and in it's wake her body seemed to pulse and fluter with a hellish heat that would not cease. She felt her face burning, her vision suddenly foggy, and try as she might she could not tear her gaze from the face shamefully close to hers.
A devilish smirk crept up one corner of the redhead's face as he took in the girl before him. Suddenly the proud and mighty Finnish warrior didn't look quite as fierce anymore. Indeed, she looked very much human – and all humans have weaknesses.
"Uncomfortable, princess?" He asked lowly. Demetra tried to swallow again but her throat had gone so dry it was no use.
Why couldn't she breathe? Why was her heart threatening to beat itself into an attack? And most importantly; why the hell hadn't she pushed him away already?!
Lifting a hand to do just that, Demetra placed it on the redhead's chest, meaning to push him away, but a fair, firm hand wrapped around hers just as she applied pressure and lifted it over her head. Demetra's eyes widened and Tala's smirk followed suit, extending now to the other corner.
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted attention Miss Nakamura? Isn't that why you wanted to be all famous? Isn't that why you're so desperate to get to the top? To have people falling all over you like this?"
"No..." Demetra seethed honestly, though her breath hitched when she spoke. "You're so wrong, Ivanov... you know nothing about me..."
Tala's free hand left it's place above her head and trailed tantalizingly down her cheek, her shoulder, her arm. And soon the other followed suit and Demetra felt her knees buckle slightly at the feel of the redhead's hands roaming hotly and shamelessly up and down her body.
"No?" He asked with a heated expression. "I think I know you well enough..."
Demetra chewed her cheek, desperate to get a hold of herself. Her body in complete chaos and not knowing how to identify her current emotions, let alone deal with them, Demetra closed her eyes and tipped her head to the side, hoping to block the redhead out and ignore him til he tired of his game.
But Tala was having none of it.
"I don't think so." He growled, reaching up to snatch her chin. Demetra gasped and her eyes flew open again as he jerked her face to the front again to look at him. "I won't let you stand there and imagine someone or something else. You will not block this out. You will not block me out."
The redhead's hands trailed over her body to her hips and gripped firmly. His fingers slipped beneath her sweater and shirt and something between a gasp and a tiny whimper escaped Demetra as his cold, smooth digits brushed the sensitive creases on her hips leading down into her jeans. Biting her lip, Demetra cast her gaze to the side, hoping to hell the redhead hadn't heard her.
No such luck.
"What's this?" Tala taunted on hearing the tiny rebel sound. "Enjoying ourselves, are we?"
Demetra felt another hot wave wash over her but this time it was embarrassment. However, it didn't last long before the uncomfortable, suffocating heat returned.
"Of course not." She spat breathlessly, scarsely even sounding convincing to herself. "Get off me, Ivanov."
Tipping his head slightly, Tala brushed his cheek beside hers.
"Liar." He whispered hotly and the feel of his breath dancing across her ear chased a violent shiver down the brunette's spine and made her knees buckle threateningly again. Much to her chargin, Tala didn't back off but instead pressed himself as close as their bodies would physically allow and teasingly caressed the sensitive flesh of her hips and sides. His fingers trailing slow, lazy and tantalizing circles across her sensitive sides, her back, shoulders, and down again.
Noting the increased pressure to her lip biting, Tala smirked again and leaned down into her face once more.
"You think you know what it's like to want something?" He breathed huskily. "You think you understand what it's like to want something so bad..."
He leaned in until his lips brushed hers and Demetra felt her eyes flutter half-mast as she stared up into deep cerulean blue eyes in a trance.
"...you can taste it..." He finished.
Demetra felt like she was going to pass out. Both Tala and her emotions were wreaking havoc on her body and the lack of control terrified her.
But, completely aware of the state the redhead had put the girl in, he continued mercilessly. Tala's hands gripped her thighs and gave them a squeeze, massaging intimately. Demetra took a sharp intake of breath between clenched teeth and unconsciously she lifted her hands to Tala's shoulders and gave them a squeeze.
Something flickered in the redhead's face for a moment but quick as it had come it was gone and the cocky, confident and steamy expression returned.
"Look at you..." Tala breathed huskily. "So proud, so hauty, so serious... not such a pillar of strength right now are we?"
Despite her state, Demetra managed a growl at the redhead, which only made him laugh. Leaning down again, he once more pressed his cheek to hers and whispered in her ear while his hands spread hot lava up and down the bare skin under her shirt.
"From right here, right now..." He whispered, sending another tremor down her back. "You look like any and every other girl I've ever had throw themselves at me. All hot and needy and full of lust... I could have my way with you right now and I bet you'd just stand there and let me wouldn't you?"
The redhead pulled back and looked into her face again, smirking at the flushed cheeks but violent eyes. Leaning down he made a teasing snap towards her, just barely missing nipping her lips and instead grazing them brazenly.
"My hands all over you..." The redhead demonstrated his words with action. "Pressed so close you can't help imagine what I feel like under here. You love this don't you?"
A heated look unlike any other took hold of the redhead then and Demetra gasped once more as he darted downwards, making her hear jump and only at the last second stop mere millimeters from her lips.
"Look at you, just waiting for it..." The redhead stated rather then asked, reaching down again to squeeze the brunette's thighs. This time a tiny moan escaped her lips and she quickly bit her lip before forcing a glare on her torturer. "You're not even trying to resist."
"Damn you...!" She hissed, only half-heartedly. She was far too befuddled to put any real venom into it just then.
Not actually receiving a negative answer, Tala grinned evilly now and his hands left her fleshy legs and trailed up her body to cup her neck and the bottom of her jaw. Once more he leaned in and his breath on her lips made her entire body shudder and lest her legs finaly give out, she reached up and wrapped her hands around his biceps for support, almost moaning again when she felt the surprisingly lean and hard muscles underneath the cloth. An image flashed in her eyes of Tala hoisting her up with those toned arms and pinning her the was he was currently, and it made her insides flutter and heat sickeningly, causing her to once more bite her lip hard.
Again something flickered across Tala's face but Demetra didn't notice as his lips ever-so-slightly applied pressure so that an electric current passed through them, making the brunette's lips tremble.
"About that lesson..." The redhead whispered roughly, his own eyes half-mast now as well. Demetra's eyes finally fluttered closed, surrendering at last to the hypnotic allure in front of her, and waited in anticipation for the spell to finish.
"It's time you learn, Demetra Nakamura." Tala breathed tauntingly, his hands slipping a little now. "What it's like to want something... to really want something..."
His lips grazed hers for a moment and it was all Demetra could do to resist a small moan and keep herself from leaning into him.
"... and not be able to have it."
Demetra furrowed her brows in confusion but before she could question this, she felt the pressure and weight leave her and was suddenly cold. Opening her eyes again, she turned her head to see Tala already half-way across the room.
"Congradulations, kid." He laughed in great amusement as he receded, not bothering to look back at her. "You passed with flying colors."
The sound of the redhead's laughter rang through the building as Tala disappeared into the kitchen and it was then that Demetra's head cleared and she finally realized what had happened.
Her fists clenching furiously at her side, Demetra's teeth clenched as a long string of curses formed in her head.
"You bastard!" She thought savagely.
Tala thought he was so clever, so hot. But she'd be damned if she was going to let him get away with it.
"Make no mistake," She seethed in thought, glaring at the fire. "you're nothing to me, Tala. Nothing. And you will not get off Scott-free with this."
Sure, her body had betrayed her, but it was just a moment of lust, nothing more. She wasn't used to such advances and she'd simply been flustered, nothing more. Heaven knew, she didn't actually have feelings for the redhead or was in any way interested in her. It was just simply teenage hormonal reaction.
Convincing herself of this, Demetra finally pushed off the wall and made her way across the room to collect her things. Her head in the air, she moved through the building towards the room at the back, ignoring the kitched where the redhead was on the way past, and entered her destination before swiftly closing the door behind her.
Tala swiftly entered the kitchen and immediately made his way to the back where there was a large window. It was now relatively dark outside and the storm had subsided a great deal; by morning it would certainly be clear enough to make it to the village.
Throwing open the window, Tala leaned out it and took great, greedy gulps of breath. His entire body felt like he'd spent the last week in an amped up sauna and his breath was short. Though he was loathe to admit it, his little stunt in the living room had gotten to him a little more then he'd intended.
"What the hell is wrong with me?!" He seethed through clenched teeth.
It was only Demetra, not like he'd had some super-hot model or sex fiend under him. Just a spoiled, rotten, brat whom he had no intention of ever seriously taking anything from.
So then why the hell had it left him so hot under the collar?!
Tala clenched his teeth and reached out the window to grab a handful of snow. Reaching up, he bowed his head and plopped the handful of white powder down on the back of his neck. Hissing, the redhead braced his free hand on the windowsill and let his head hang while the snow cooled him down. Staring into the whiteness, Tala's thoughts once again went back to the scene across the house. He had intended to torture his travelling companion, teach her a lesson. But it hadn't quite gone as he'd planned. Admittedly, he hadn't expected himself to be so attracted to her, but he clearly had been; especially when he remembered the scorching look in her eyes as she'd stared up at him, clinging to him, begging him-
He shook his head forcefully to clear it, cursing as he noted that he'd once more worked himself into a foul state, for he didn't want to be aroused thinking of the only woman in his entire life he ever wanted to actually strike.
"Damn it!" He spat, muttering foul curses.
"It's just lust!" He convinced himself. "She's a hot girl, bitch or not, and it's been a while. But Hell will freeze over before I ever give myself over to that nutjob!"
Feeling the last of the snow dribbling through his now empty fingers, Tala sighed and reached up to slam the window shut before turning and making to gather up the food he suddenly was in no mood to eat.