IMPORTANT - this chapter is all flashbacks.
AN: Thanks to Hannah Kelfrod, and to alleviate any confusions, Lila is not a vampire, nor an expirement... This chapter should explain it all.
Mistakes
When he cousin disappeared in connection to a mysterious 'black market', Lila knew something was wrong. Little did she know Abnormals were the cause. Apparently her cousin got on the wrong side of a deal. Desperate to find answers, she got mixed up in it. Then she ended up helping Tesla with his little 'expirements'.
*.*
"What do you want?" The vampire asked warily. It wasn't exactly every day a beautiful young woman stepped into his office, which happened to be secreted away underground.
"Some guys have been hassling me. From what I gather, you've had trouble with them too." The words rolled off her tongue smoothly. "The Cabal."
He suddenly realized he had been watching her mouth very closely. "Abnormals then," he said.
She nodded. "I want a partnership of sorts. I help you, and you help me by not letting them catch me. You seem to be pretty good at it yourself."
He smiled. "You have a deal. Assuming you have no problem with world domination."
*.*
"Bad day?" She guessed by the sheer amount of empty wine bottles. That, and the fact he was sitting hunched in a corner staring at the floor. Pouring herself a glass of wine, she came to sit by him. "It never ceases to surprise me that you don't get drunk."
He stared at his hands.
"Who is it?" she asked eventually, in a small voice.
"What?" he asked.
"The girl you're mooning about," she said, sipping the red wine.
He laughed quickly. "I haven't seen her in over 60 years." He frowned at Lila. His 'assistant' always made a point of not drinking around him. He tried very hard not to think about why. It complicated things.
"True love then."
He wondered if the wine was already starting to kick in.
"Does she love you?"
"No. At least, I..." he didn't know what to say. He always tried to convince himself that she did, it hurt to say 'no'.
She placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but then quickly left the room.
*.*
It was on another day, when she was much drunker, that she told him. "Nikola, I need to talk to you." She walked into his room.
He turned up from the equations he had been writing. "What is it?"
She sat down opposite him, on the other side of the desk. "I love you," was all she said.
When he didn't respond immediately, she went on. "I know you don't love me, but... Nikola..." Before he could say one word, she was moving around the desk. Her hands were holding either side of his face, her lips were pressed against his. When he pulled back, she said, "She's not here. I am."
It was later, when she weas lying in his arms, not saying a word, that he broke her heart. He was trying not to, but that made it hurt more. "I love you," he whispered.
She almost choked. How many times had she wanted to hear him say those very words? But something inside was cold, hollow. No matter how passionately he kissed her, it always felt empty. Something else was breaking, slowly and painfully, every time he lied. Then there was the part that took control, which only wanted him to lie more and kiss her again - the part which didn't believe him and didn't care.
"I love you," she said.
When she woke up, he was in the lab. She pushed herself up on one elbow. Then, softly, she began to cry. "I love you."
When she came down, unsurprisingly he was drinking. "Lila," he said without looking at her.
There was a silence. She shivered slightly. It was cold in the lab.
"This is where it gets complicated," he said softly. Looking straight at her hurt, but he did it anyway.
"No." she neared him, expression unreadable. "This is where it gets real simple. Because, maybe I know something you don't. I know you don't love me, never have... and never will. I know that every minute of last night was a lie." She was trying so hard to hold together. Trying not to tighten the grip she didn't realize she had on his arms. Trying not to cry. She was shattering the gentle, tender world of lies that she had tried to believe in last night. Like a piece of glass, once it was shattered it would never be whole again.
He was never going to hold her in his arms like that again, never going to believe he loved her. His eyes widened. She was shattering his world too.
"Here's the simple bit. I don't care." She waited. She waited for the feel of his lips against hers, the pull of his arms around her waist.
Soon, he was kissing her. He felt hot as his hand came around the back of her head, through her already tangled hair. Then, she felt the wall against her back. She tried to remember, I don't care. I don't care he doesn't love me. But she couldn't stop herself from whispering, "I love you."
*.*
"It's over," she said, stepping into his room.
He looked up. "I've always said it's your choise."
Though his words were kind, she winced. It reminded her that she had kissed him, she had said she didn't care. It reminded her that she had shattered his frail hope which was that maybe he did love her. It reminded her that she had pushed love out of it long ago. It also reminded her that she had said this before. 'It's over. I'm leaving.' It always ended the same way - on the bed. "I'll take my chances wit hthe Cabal," she said steadily.
He nodded. Each time he acted as if he believed her. He waited.
"They're after you too, you know. Your girlfriend is in Rome, lecturing." He d idn't bother to ask how she knew, and she went on. "I suggest you forget about me, and go and get her help.
Thsi part was new. He watched her intently now.
"I mean it," she said. "Go to Rome. Threaten her, kiss her, whatever it takes - just do it." she blinked.
He managed one small nod. "Lila," he said as she stepped out of the door. She waited, and their eyes met. "Good luck."
She grinned, then saluted. "You too, soldier."
He smiled sadly, then saluted back to the empty space.