Chapter 5: Decision
A/N: Okay, so sorry about the sadness in the last chapter. But it all goes somewhere. Now because this is my present to you, I am making it a little jollier. It starts out angsty however, because I have to win back a title xD
Disclaimer: I own naught and woe is me for that thought. (I'm the next Shakespeare… not…gosh that rhymed a lot!)
// No One Else Matters Star Struck Bastard //
Archie wasn't sure whether to run back to Atlanta and apologize and fix this mess, or go back and punch her. He promptly decided neither of those options was appropriate so he calmly walked back to Jay. His hands healed immediately, the only leftover of their fight was the plaster dust clinging to his old jeans and shirt.
Jay eyed him warily as he approached, "Hey Jay, do you want me to go to a hotel for the night?" Archie's question was innocent, hoping they would point him to the closest Holiday Inn or Sheraton.
"Sorry no. Didn't Atlanta just tell you? You're staying at her place. That's what she went into the kitchen for. Did you fall in the flour or something?" His tone was strong and brave, and Archie wasn't completely ready to tell him he had punched a hole in his kitchen wall and threatened his fiancée's best friend. Probably wasn't the best way to stay on the team, and get close to Cronus.
"I guess." He replied noncommittally. A night with Atlanta, wrestling with his anger, his fear and the delicious fruity scent that followed her wherever she went. How would he stand this?
Atlanta appeared at his side, silent and furious. Archie wondered if he had briefly seen a flash of despair and regret in her hazel eyes, or if it was just wishful thinking on his part.
"Archie is welcome at my house if he so desires. If not, he can stay here." There was no question in her voice. She did not want Jay's permission, she wanted to give Archie an option, and he was grateful for that.
"Atlanta, I could stay in your guest room if Archie doesn't want to. He could stay in my room here." Herry's voice was helpful, and if Archie wasn't mistaken, hopeful. He saw panic flash in Atlanta's eyes and before he knew he cared, Archie had spoken.
"Thanks Herry, but I will just stay with Atlanta. I'm sure you would be more comfortable in your own bed." Archie replied. The start of a smile hit Atlanta's face before she bit it off and nodded.
Herry's gentle smile at Atlanta infuriated Archie, but he also knew that the buff man was probably the sweetest being on the planet, and for dashing his dreams Archie felt guilty.
"So is it finally bedtime? Cause I am exhausted, and I need a shower." Neil asked. Archie hadn't noticed before that he was dressed extremely well, with what looked like a cashmere shirt and some sort of black pants. All the fabrics in this time were so different.
"I think I will need new clothes. I haven't seen anyone with jeans here." Archie muttered, thinking aloud.
Neil squealed, the most girlish noise Archie had ever heard a man make. "Oh good. I know exactly what you need!"
Archie felt fear rush through him at the looks of amusement Atlanta and Herry exchanged. A sick feeling went through him at a vision of himself in a clashing red spandex suit.
Twenty minutes later, he had on a normal outfit. Thanks to Jay, the orange sweatband and tye dye shirt had been refused, saying it was much too flamboyant for Archie. Archie had just been glad he hadn't had to look like something that had been vomited out of the seventies.
Dark grey pants that looked like jeans but felt much softer enfolded his legs. The shirt was a light blue, and was tighter than he would have liked, but a thin and breathable material. Luckily, Neil's shoes fit him, and they were fairly normal looking, considering what Archie now knew about the blonde's fashion sense.
"I'm telling you Jay, the sweatband would have completed the look." Neil was whining, and Archie finally wondered what the seemingly self absorbed man was doing on the team.
"Neil, why are you fighting against Cronus?" Archie asked bluntly.
Neil flinched but stared him down, an angelic and false smile appearing, "Being a rebel is so in style nowadays. Plus, do you know what type of modelling I can do with this built bod?"
Archie frowned, but before he could inquire further Atlanta pushed him out the door, and he watched it shut magically, seamlessly blending into the warehouse wall.
"Well, that was interesting." He commented. Not directed at the red head, but not completely ignoring her as he had promised to do.
"Oh, so you are talking to me?" Atlanta snapped. She fought the urge to cover her mouth and take the words back. Too cruel. He was giving her another chance.
He scowled, "I can't ignore you if I want to fight with you against Cronus. You have to know your team mates if you want to be a good team."
Atlanta wanted to apologize. Wanted to beg forgiveness and hug him and kiss him and take him home with her. Make him show her what she was missing. Make Herry forget about her, and start being her friend again, instead of whatever he wanted to be now. She just wanted something from Archie, something she knew he could give her, and something she could never name.
"You're right." Her voice was apologetic, the closest she had ever come to saying sorry. Archie seemed to understand her reluctance, her will and independence. He didn't curse her, he moved on.
"Why is Neil on the team if he is so concerned with just style?" Archie asked.
Atlanta looked up at him, once again feeling her heart thump at his profile. His nose was crooked, a slight imperfection on a chiselled face that screamed strength and power. His eyes were grey, a storm that threatened to break. A frown played along lips that Atlanta would have been happy to spend days staring at. The clothes that had been chosen for him were by no means unusual like his previous jeans, but the blue shirt clung to every muscle as if it had been sculpted out of clay.
"Don't be fooled by his appearance like he wants you to be. Cronus slaughtered his entire family in front of him when he was a child. His grandfather had hid him under the sink, and he had watched Cronus personally drag his signature scythes across his mother's and older sister's throat." She paused, whether for effect, or out of despair, Archie wasn't sure, "He has hated Cronus ever since. Neil would die to kill that man, just to avenge his family. He has nothing but rage and pain left, and he hides it behind superficiality and aloofness."
Archie felt like someone had punched him in the chest, or ripped his heart out, or told him his wife was murdered. Sympathy flooded him. Archie knew what it was like to have nothing left, and everyone you had ever loved dead.
"He deserves revenge." Archie whispered. Atlanta nodded and cleared her throat, attempting to disperse the lump she felt.
They reached her house slowly, taking much more time getting there than leaving for the warehouse. Atlanta explained about the houses, and how they were made of something similar to the silicon of his time, but hardened like diamonds. She told him about Cronus' ascension to power, and the lackeys he always had close to him like bodyguards. Giants, mostly, although she had heard he had some creatures from myths and times long ago.
Atlanta's voice was musical, and though they both talked to each other civilly and listened and laughed together, it was tense. Neither of them brought up their fight, or Archie's wife. Archie wished she would apologize, but he also knew he had reacted carelessly. Her whispered words of hatred echoed in his brain, lacerating what was left of his heart.
"Archie?" She murmured.
"Yes?" He felt like he was far, far away from these plastic houses and painful world and fearful people.
"Your wife…" She started, grabbing his arm and pulling him to a stop. "She wasn't stupid. She couldn't have been if you loved her."
Archie smiled, "No, she was very intelligent."
"And very lucky." Her voice was low, and almost unintelligible. "You loved her a lot. I can tell."
Archie nodded, not willing to speak of her or his pain again. Atlanta slid her hand down his forearm to grasp his hand. A trail of fire followed her gentle hands.
"I don't hate you." She stated, firmly, as if she expected him to argue. Her hand dropped his like it was a burning coal, and she started walking again, faster than before.
Archie stared at the ground, relief flooding him. As good as an apology, he thought, knowing that Atlanta would die rather than admit she was wrong.
A couple, much older than him glanced at them and smiled. One of the first people he had seen around here. The New Olympia had been busy and crowded and content, but this Old Olympia was almost deserted and so full of anger and terror Archie could taste it.
He caught up with Atlanta, not choosing to speak of their unofficial make-up. Instead, he decided to tease her, to see the spark of anger in her eyes and the blush of embarrassment or rage light her face.
"So you and Herry huh?"
She scowled at him, and Archie knew he had started another argument, "No. Herry and I are nothing thanks very much."
"That seems unfair to Herry. He is absolutely in love with you, you know?" Archie shrugged, "Not my business but he seems like a nice guy."
She smiled brilliantly at him, "You know, you are totally right!"
Archie felt his heart sink, and almost turned around to go beat on Herry. But her smile turned into a frown. "It isn't your business!"
Archie smirked, "Oh I see, have you dated before?"
"No!" She exclaimed, "I just, I don't want to date him."
Archie grinned, knowing he had her. Her eyes were blazing into him, and Archie half feared he would light on fire from her glare. A wonderful, tingling fire. She was clenching her fists and her cheeks were flushed so beautifully, Archie forgot himself.
"Why not?"
She sighed heavily, "He's a great guy; kind and wonderful and sweet and handsome and one of my best friends. But I just… I just…"
"You don't love him?" Archie felt relief hitting him and tamped it back with anger and thoughts of Mary's sparkling eyes. Nothing like Atlanta. He didn't want anything to do with the young red head. Only his wife.
"No, I don't. I just want to go back to when we were friends." He voice was tired and for that Archie wanted to apologize. She set her hand on her door and said her name, absolutely baffling Archie. The door swung open.
"You don't have keys anymore?" He asked.
She laughed, a wonderfully pleasing sound, "You can still buy them but I have a hand/voice recognition technology. Safer, except Cronus can bypass all security, and therefore has free access to my house."
Archie gaped at her, "But, your house should be safe!"
Atlanta set her coat on a bench that looked strangely like cotton, but felt more like metal. She locked the door with a word, and puttered herself into the kitchen, letting Archie follow her like a lost puppy.
"My house is safe. Cronus doesn't know who I am, the only person he recognizes from the team is Jay, and Jay lives at the ware house. Which, by the way, is the safest place in the city. Odie designed it."
Archie stared at her, watching solemnly as she grabbed some strange food he didn't recognize. Her hair was dishevelled because of their fight and training, and for the first time he realized she had wall plaster dust all over her face, and it was probably all over him still. Despite her ghostlike appearance, she was beautiful, incredible. He walked to the kitchen and wet what looked similar to a cloth.
"Atlanta," He murmured, turning her to face, "I didn't mean to hurt you when I got angry."
She shrugged, "You didn't hurt me."
He smiled at her strength, but he knew she had hurt feelings, and while he wasn't exactly happy with her, he didn't want her to be offended either. "I meant, I didn't mean to scare you."
She scowled, "I wasn't scared."
He laughed and wiped her face with the cloth, trying to be gentle. He brushed the plaster out of her hair, resisting the urge to bury his head in it and just breathe.
"Yes, you are very brave." He snorted, "Anyway, I don't hate you either."
Finally she smiled, "Thank you. Could we just forget the fight?"
Archie thought frantically, trying to find a reason to hate her when she smiled at him. He couldn't even use her foolish and mean words about Mary, because she had apologized. He couldn't hate her. She was too damn beautiful to even try.
Hell, he wasn't even sure if he could stop himself from loving her.
"Yes." He whispered, "Forget the fight." He pulled his hand to her shoulder and dusted that off, leaving a fine powder on the floor. He touched her other shoulder, about to do the same when he caught her glance. She stared at his eyes for a long moment, and he held himself still, his hand still on her shoulder. Fires blazed on his hand, and Archie begged himself to step back, to move his hand, to run away, to kiss her. Kiss her until he forgot the eyes of his wife, and the responsibility of killing Cronus, and the training with Jay. Kiss her until he forgot the world, forgot his life, forgot himself. Kiss her until she knew nothing else but him and his lips, and his entire world was based upon the scent of her hair and the taste of her tongue.
She broke the spell, "Would you like to watch a movie?"
He didn't answer before she grabbed his hand and dragged him into her living room. Archie flopped to the couch, reasoning with his head, which hurt; and his heart, which hurt even more. Something about Atlanta was absolutely unbelievable and wonderful and beautiful and he was being spellbound by her. But every time he looked at her he wanted to kiss her, but he also saw the face of his wife, delicate, heart shaped and lips so luscious he could have written novels about them.
The couch was incredibly soft and plushy, and Archie wasn't shocked when Atlanta leaped towards it and sunk so far in, he feared he would have to dig her back out. She grinned at him impishly, and Archie smiled back, fearful but decisive.
It had been at least nine centuries since Mary had died, and she had probably remarried after him and lived happily. That pleased Archie, but it still felt wrong to be sitting here, desiring a woman he had just met. But Mary would have wanted him to be happy, and that was the only thing that pushed him towards what he was about to do.
It had been one thousand years exactly since he had last seen her, last held her, and last kissed her. A lifetime –many lifetimes- and it was now his last shot at this. Mary had made him feel loved, safe, wonderful and happy. She was his haven, his home and his soul mate.
But this was another life, and Atlanta was a different woman completely; perhaps he was also different man. And the spunky red head made him laugh and smile, something Mary would have liked.
"After we kill Cronus, I'm not leaving. I don't want to die anymore. I will live out the rest of my natural life."
She smiled, and turned to him as the previews came on. "That's good. I hope you know natural lives are quite long here."
Archie laughed and stretched his hand out and caught hers. She blushed red, something Archie delighted in. Her fingers automatically twined around his and he felt the heart that had broken fly in joy.
"The longer, the better."
She leaned over to his shoulder, left her hand twined with his and stared at the T.V screen. He breathed in the scent that had been torturing him and silently put Mary to rest. She would have wanted this.
He wanted this...
No, he needed this.
// The Best Thing About Tonight Is Were Not Fighting //