A/N: One of my reviews asked about the duet. I got the idea from Episode 14 "Are We Having Fun Yet?" I am fully aware that Gymnastics does not have duets, but Sasha had to get the idea from somewhere, right? It was supposed to be something just for fun that Sasha and Ana did when they were younger. Nothing for competition, purely recreation. Besides, my Olympic Sport of choice (figure skating) does have duets. Pretend it is an AU for this one little thing.
Also, I know this is the third update in two days. It is also the last up-date for like two weeks. Sorry.
"Seriously? You think a huge rock on a promise ring is a good thing?" Ana looked at the engagement ring Sasha was trying to pass off as a promise ring with horror. It was a bigger stone that the one in her own bridal set.
"You think that this is too big? Maybe I should exchange the engagement ring…" Sasha said, ashamed.
Sasha and Ana had been looking at rings for an hour now. Both Ana and the sale's representative were trying to coax him toward the real promise rings, but he kept coming back to the engagement rings. Ana laughed internally at Sasha's stubbornness.
"Exactly how big are we talking, Mr. Big-spender? How much did it cost?" Ana asked playfully.
Sasha coughed out a number, but it wasn't clear enough for Ana to understand. Both she and Sasha had some money, but Ana didn't believe in spending it all on a ring. She asked again, but Sasha was suddenly very interested in Ana's up-coming interview. It would be the second of three and he knew Ana was sort of nervous.
"I think the elites and I should go with you for moral support. Then we can go into Denver and do some team building at a really fun place." Sasha stated. Ana got suspicious, but ignored it. Sasha was being secretive, so she decided not to ask.
"Sure, sounds fine. I'm not really that nervous though. They have to let me transfer, you know. It is whether or not I get the position that I want – that's what I am interviewing for." She hummed.
"What about this one? It is nice, simple, elegant, and doesn't scream 'engagement.'" The sale's lady returned with a sweet little ring that had a thin, rose gold band and one small stone. It was lovely. It was also the last ring in the "promise ring" section of the display case.
"Oh, it is beautiful and she could wear it all the time. Right? This stone is set well enough to endure brutal training?" Ana turned toward the sale's representative with a hopeful glance.
The lady nodded, but Sasha looked displeased. "It is the prettiest one from that section yet, but I don't know. It doesn't say enough."
"It isn't supposed to say that much, rebel, it is supposed to be a promise." Ana stated, with the nodding of the sale's representative behind her. After a few more encouraging words, Sasha decided to buy it.
The two siblings walked to the Ice Cream parlor down the street in comfortable silence. They got a Banana Split, to split. Sitting down, Ana started, "Payson told me that you gave her your 'all around.' I must say, I was a little surprised."
Sasha nodded and then took a huge bite of the ice cream to avoid answering the inquiry. Ana laughed at his facial expression when he realized it was a bit too much ice cream. Finally he swallowed and stated simply, "It was only to inspire her. I'll get it back."
Ana scoffed, "Yeah, when you're married. I don't think she plans on parting with it." Sasha looked at the blonde girl sitting next to him when suddenly another blonde, the object of his affections, waltzed in. She, Becca, and Kim were laughing.
"I didn't know the two of you had become so close." Sasha stated, motioning toward the other girl with a smile. Ana turned just in time to watch Payson order the most sinfully delicious, but calorie packed, ice cream on the menu. Ana giggled as Payson paled when she turned around.
"Don't worry, Pay, it isn't like your coach is sitting here or anything." Sasha laughed at her expression. Then he said to Kim, "Would your lovely family like to join us while we are breaking the rules?"
Kim smiled as she paid for the ice cream and then ushered the suddenly sullen group to the table where the two Romanians sat.
"Oh stop it you two. I won't tell that nasty coach of yours. This secret ice cream adventure will be our little secret. In fact, we won't even talk gymnastics!" Sasha promised. Payson and Becca looked relieved. Both girls were wearing bows in their blonde hair, making them look like twins. It was obvious they were having a silly day.
"Would you like to share the joke?" Ana asked after she had finally stopped giggling at Sasha's attitude. She felt Sasha slip the box that contained the ring into her purse and smiled. He was nervous!
"Oh, well, not really…it is kind of personal. We were shopping." Payson blushed. Immediately Ana and Sasha both knew what she was shopping for. Kim smiled at the knowing looks that the adults had.
"Oh, well, Sasha and I were just doing some shopping too. Ice cream is the perfect ending to a shopping trip, I would say!" Ana smiled, then added, "I was thinking, we should go shopping for the camping trip together. That is, if you don't already have your stuff?"
"No, that sounds great!" Payson said, smiling. She then turned to her ice cream and began eating it like there was no tomorrow. Sasha shook his head in disbelief. He would have never imagined his most disciplined gymnast eating a double fudge, double caramel, turtle brownie ice cream.
"So, I was wondering if you two would like to come over on Friday for dinner and a movie. I'll have Emily and Brian, and I was told how wonderfully you both know how to cook…or was that how horribly…" Kim said with a smile.
"Oh, can we watch Beauty and the Beast?" Ana asked hopefully. Everyone, but Payson, looked at Ana like she was strange.
"Why on earth would you want to watch that, Ana? You are an adult, not a six-year-old." Sasha chided. Ana pretended to pout.
"She's never seen a Disney film before. I told her it was my favorite Disney." Payson offered, then added, "I was hoping for Phantom of the Opera, personally, as that is my all-time favorite."
"Both?" Ana smiled sweetly at Kim who shook her head in disbelief.
"How about we let you borrow any Disney you want to watch?" Kim tried to compromise because she was sure her other guests wouldn't be fond of the two movie choices. Ana nodded in pleased consent.
"Onto other business, I think what the two of you are doing for the Kmetko's is very noble. Thanks. I just wish Emily would be honest with me about their situation. I would like to help more." Sasha stated.
"Emily isn't currently your biggest fan, Sasha, because Ana is your sister. This camping trip is bound to be interesting." Becca stated, adding, "Wish I could go."
"More than you know." Ana moaned. Then she brightened up, "Let's play a game! A get to know me game. We'll go around the table and tell one truth about ourselves that we think the others would like to know!"
"Then we can play 'Kiss, Marry, Kill'! This is going to be fun!" Becca chattered. Payson groaned, blushing, while setting her hand on the bench beside her.
"I don't know that one, but it sounds fun. You'll start it, but I'll start this one. We'll tell five things: favorite color, flower, season, book, and one other truth." Ana stated, then she turned thoughtful. After a second she stated, "My favorite color is definitely blue. My favorite flower is Antirrhinum boissieri,a type of snap dragon. Season is early spring. Favorite book is Ballad of the White Horse by G.K. Chesterson. The one other truth is that I am afraid of the dark." Payson giggled while Sasha rolled his eyes.
"My turn," said Kim who was sitting to Ana's right, "My favorite color is orange. My favorite flower is daisies because my girls pick them for me. My favorite season is winter. My favorite book is Phantom of the Opera, probably where Payson gets her obsession. My one other truth is that I have always dreamed of riding an elephant." Ana nodded, but the two girls giggled.
"Now me! I love the color pink. My favorite flower is orchids, season is summer break. Book is The Hunger Games. One other truth is that I have always wanted to be an actress, secretly." Becca sang.
"That is not a secret." Kim laughed.
Under the table, Sasha was subconsciously drawing geometric shapes on Payson's hand with his finger. She didn't seem to notice and Sasha did not even fully comprehend what he was doing. It was her turn to start and she was looking thoughtful before she started, "My favorite color used to be purple, but it is light blue now. My favorite flower is Lilacs. Favorite season is Autumn. My favorite book is Til We Have Faces. My other truth is that I really, strongly dislike being forced to go to ballet." She looked pointedly at Sasha, then Ana.
Sasha shrugged, "It is good for you, Pay." He removed his hand from hers and secured it with the other on his lap. It was only a moment before Payson's hand crept up and joined them. Slowly they intertwined their fingers as Sasha began, "My favorite color is green, I suppose. Flower is – this game is so silly, by the way – dandelion."
"But that's a weed!" Becca couldn't help but interrupt.
"Aw, but it makes an excellent tea." Sasha smirked as he squeezed Payson hand gently. With her free hand she had begun tracing the scalloped edges of her napkin. She was looking at it intently, trying to not give the fact that their hands were intertwined to her mother, Becca, or Ana. Sasha shifted slightly, moving their joined hands in between them, inching toward Payson's thigh.
"My favorite season is also Autumn. Book changes by the week, but I think it is Clan of the Cave Bear right now. You know it, Ana?" Ana nodded while an eye roll. She hated that book.
Payson and Sasha's hands reached her thigh and Sasha was making soft circles on her knee, hands still intertwined, with his thumb. He resisted moving her skirt up higher and drawing more elaborate shapes on her bare thigh. He was enjoying the feeling of her soft, perfect skin against his calloused fingers.
"Your other truth, Sasha?" Payson smiled up at him. Payson then resumed her tracing. She thought about getting a pen out of her purse, but she didn't really want to let Sasha's hand go.
"Hmm…I have always dreamed of dancing with someone I really cared about in the rain. I just haven't found that person yet, you know? Silly dream." Sasha said, squeezing Payson's hand soothingly as if to let her know that she was his partner. Payson blushed slightly while both Kim and Becca commented on how sweet that dream was.
"Okay, so I would kiss Orlando Bloom, marry Jamie Bell, and kill Michael Thomas." Becca started.
Sasha laughed, "The level nine? The one who has a crush on you?" Ana jabbed him in the side, which make him laugh harder.
"Yes." Becca said lethally. Then her face brightened, "Mom?"
Kim smiled, "I would kiss Mark Keeler, I married Mark Keeler, and I would kill Jody McNeil." Payson smiled at her mother's choices.
"Why?" Sasha asked, obviously to the last question. Payson and Kim looked at him like it was obvious.
"She had a crush on Mark Keeler in high school!" Kim smiled.
"Of course, I should have guessed. Payson, I am sure we are all dying to hear your choices." Sasha smiled, watching Payson blush. He was now massaging her little hand in his large one. She was very good at not being obvious about what he was doing. She seemed to be ignoring it completely.
"Yes, I am dying to know!" Kim and Becca said at the same time, causing the table to ripple in laughter.
"Okay, okay. I would kiss John Wayne, marry Montgomery Clift, and kill Galbatorix." Payson said this as seriously as possible. She glanced up at Sasha who was trying not to laugh. She had purposely picked actors who had passed on and a character from a book. Sasha smiled, squeezing her hand with good humor.
Kim whined, "Oh, c'mon, Payson!" Payson simply smirked and then raised an eyebrow at Sasha. He decided to have a little fun with her.
"I would kiss an Olympian, I would marry a Woman, and I would kill a threat to my wife." Sasha felt Payson tense and then relax with each statement. He looked down at her and then the three other indignant girls sheepishly.
Ana was last and she smiled, "I would kiss Andrew Lloyd Webber, I would marry the Greek god Apollo, and I would kill a rattlesnake." They all laughed at Ana's facial expression.
"Alright you guys, the Keeler girls have to go. Otherwise Payson will miss her morning run because she hasn't finished her Calculus final." Kim said, staying up. Becca laughed. Payson huffed, squeezed Sasha's hand, and then stood up.
"Have a nice night, girls." Sasha said, waving slightly. Ana and Sasha got up and walked to the car.
Once there, Ana began talking about how much she wanted to learn how to cook. Sasha shook his head at his sister's obvious annoyance that Kim now knew her biggest secret.
"Payson brings me food every once in a while. She is a fantastic cook." Was all he said. Once they got back to the Airstream, Sasha went straight to bed.
"Thanks again for inviting us over!" Ana gushed as Kim led the two coaches into her house. Emily visibly tensed seeing them. She, Brian, and Becca were playing Life. Payson was curled up reading Antigone for school. Ana followed Kim into the kitchen, determined to learn how to cook while Sasha plopped down on the sofa next to Payson. He was far enough away not to cause suspicious, but close enough to stroke her little feet that were tucked at her side.
"Good book, Payson?" Sasha asked.
"Sure, why not? I love Greek tragedies." She answered simply.
"She didn't finish her homework yesterday, so she has to do triple today. She has been working for three hours straight now. You might want to leave her be. Cause she got like way behind when she broke her back." Becca said. Sasha nodded, inconspicuously tweaking one of Payson's toes and then found his way to the hallway to look at the pictures there.
It wasn't long before he felt Payson pull at his shirt, nodding her head toward her room. "Want to see my trophies?" She asked, innocently. He nodded and followed.
She walked into her bedroom. It was very neat, nothing out of place. Sasha stopped at the door frame, feeling awkward, but refusing to go further. Payson rolled her eyes. She put the book on her desk, gathering up her Chemistry book. She told him the stories of each of the trophies sitting on the shelves next to her as she reviewed the chapters from the book, taking notes at the same time. She only paused to motion to a new trophy.
"Dinner, Sasha and Payson." Kim said, coming up behind Sasha. She was glad he was old fashioned enough not to enter a girl's bedroom. Although she knew she didn't have a thing to worry about, it is better to just avoid those situations.
"Coming." Payson said, standing up. As she passed Sasha she smiled and asked, "Will you help me study in the Kitchen for my history final while they are watching the movie?" He nodded.
Sasha chuckled ironically. He was about to help the love of his life with history homework. It made the age difference painfully obvious.
Dinner was delicious. Brian, as it turned out, was quite the comedian. Emily was still is a sour mood and Ana was killing her with kindness. Becca was chatting 10 thousand miles a minute. After it was over, Sasha insisted on washing the dishes while he helped Payson with her homework so everyone else could watch the movie. As it turned out, Beauty and the Beast was Emily's favorite, so the others conceded to allow Ana her choice of movies first.
Alone in the kitchen, Sasha and Payson did the dishes. Nudging each other slightly while Sasha asked questions about American History and Payson answered. He was impressed by her detailed completeness in her answers. She was already thinking very academically, something that most scholars learned how to do in college. She did not miss one question from the sheet of "possible questions" Kim had taped to the kitchen sink window for Sasha to read from.
After the dishes and counters were clean, Sasha reached for Payson's hand and pulled her lightly toward himself into a warm embrace. He kissed the top of her head and smelled her hair before pulling away.
"So, anything else you need help with, love?" Sasha asked, lightly. He still held her hand.
"Nope, I'm finally done with school for today. I have my finals tomorrow. Then, assuming I pass, I'll be a senior in high school." As she said this, Sasha once again was forced to realize how young she was. Although she was a grade ahead of the other elites. She was also much more intelligent. She was taking more advanced classes. He knew that her ACT and SAT scores were near perfect. She had a 4.0 in high school. Frankly, he was impressed by the small gymnast in front of him. He always marveled when he had to review quarter grades and the other three were barely passing while Payson seemed unchallenged.
"What classes will you be taking?" He asked, curious.
"Calculus III and Freshmen Composition online through the community college. I tested into Calculus III yesterday. Physics, Government, Economics, and Romantic History of Literature, Art, and Music – it is a History class. Do you have a college degree?"
"I do, indeed. I have a Bachelor's in History with a minor in Sport's Medicine." Sasha grinned, "What are you planning to major in while going to college?"
"Classic Literature. I told you, I like the tragedies. I want to go to a Liberal Arts School." Payson smiled, letting go of his hand as she sat down before the computer to show him the school. It was in Annapolis, Maryland. It looked like a good school.
"Well, I hope you get accepted then." He smiled, briefly deciding what it would be like to live there. Then Kim came into the kitchen to invite them to watch the second movie. It was going to be a Science Fiction movie that Brian brought with him. Luckily, Sasha was not too close to Payson when Kim came in. It was only because he and Payson were still reviewing the college website.
Emily and Becca were convinced by the mere words of cute boys. Ana, who hardly ever watched movies, was just excited to watch a movie. Payson and Sasha agreed, but were disappointed that they couldn't sit closer together.
After the movie, Payson excused herself, claiming that she wanted to go to bed early for finals. Sasha told her to not worry about practice tomorrow morning, promising her an evening run after finals were over.