Chapter Ten: Where Sometimes The Path We Chose Isn't Always Right
Hot…so freakin hot…
Tea was tossing and turning in her bed, trying to get some more sleep but couldn't as the heat became unbearable to sustain with sweat covering her. As if being out in the desert wasn't hot enough. But that was not all the reason why her body was so hot.
Last night she felt like she had been zoned out, completely and all she remembered was going to sleep after the rooftop and then everything blacked out. Then the weirdest started happening. It was like she wasn't in touch with herself but somehow it was as if she couldn't control her body was giving off an odd vibe and she didn't know what it was.
And then there was that sense where hands were running down her body, removing her T-shirt and underwear and feeling something stick in and then pull out over and over. At first it felt like her own hands then another's, hard and slim but very callous entering her. But whose was it? What was that?
Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around the room. She saw to one side, Legato still asleep, side turn staring at the wall.
How can he sleep like that? I mean it so hot in here? Then again if he could sleep in a desert wearing that coat and jeans and stuff, then a hot room would have made no differences. She used the back of her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead.
My god I gonna dehydrated if I don't get some water. Better take off my clothes before they stick to me and hit the shower.
Speaking of which she noticed something funny and looked down to see she wasn't wearing her shirt or underwear only the sweatsoaked blanket that had covered her during the night.
Epp! She pulled the covers back on and looked over to see if Legato woke up but thankfully he did not. Last thing she wanted was to have another naked episode like last time.
She looked under the sheets again and then search for her clothes and found her T-shirt and panties lying on the floor.
"How in the world…" Why she was naked she was uncertain until the heat of the room hit her once more. Must have gotten too hot and she had tossed the covers aside and her clothes off and pull the sheets back up to cover herself.
Yeah that must be it, I got warm and decide to only sleep with the blanket. But then why did it sound so false in her mind. If she could have taken off her shirt, why also her panties for crying out loud!
Whatever, this was becoming too much for her right now and too early in the morning to think.
And besides, if I stay in here any longer I might end up turning into jerky.
Grabbing another set of clothes from her bag, she tiptoe carefully to the bathroom and closed the door, locking it so no unwelcome guest would come in.
Legato heard the bed creak on the other side and the soft padding of feet as they made their way to the bathroom and hearing the click of the lock inside.
He stood up in bed and listened to hear the shower running.
He had been waiting in silence, waiting and wondering if she bought it when he first sensed her waking up. She had seem surprised and confused but was still convinced and a part of her had been wondering halfway to the bathroom as to why she would have taken off her panties as well. He gave a light chuckle.
If only she knew. He walked over to the air conditioner and turned the button down to its normal temperature as if it would have made any change to the heat in the room. Once he did that he walked past her bed and saw something sticking out from underneath her pillow.
Curiosity getting the best of him, he plucked the thing out and went over to his bed and look at the object in his hand.
It was a picture of Tea in the arms of a young man. A man who looked in his mind too happy with her in his arms, his hands set low over her body bringing them close together in the photo. He glared coldly at the boy.
Who was he, this boy beside her? Was this the guy she called Seto? The flame of jealousy flared once more inside him as he stare at the picture.
He looked closely at him. The boy didn't looked all that special, simply ordinary, nothing so great about him. He looked almost to be Tea's twin brother or cousin instead of a lover.
Then again, maybe not the way he saw their arms were around each other. Why was he overreacting over this, this picture showing Tea with another guy? Why did he seem to have an unconscious dark feeling against him?
Maybe you prefer her to be in your arms then with this man? He lay down and stared at the ceiling. Could it possible, no it couldn't be! He wouldn't even dare admit that to be feeling something like that for something or someone. That would be admitting to have emotions towards a person, a human!
But yet…could it explain to him why he had the sudden urge to go and wrap his arms around her, to hold her, feel his hands run down her hair and breath her intoxicating scent and kiss those lips again and again, whispering her name while she looked at him with the same gaze towards the person in the photo.
Tea…He looked at his right hand, the one that had been inside Tea and gentle touch it to his lips, running his tongue over it. Even after a fore night they still had the taste of her special nectar. How was it possible, he would like to know? To know as to why this was happening to him out of the blue?
Tea thought she heard something but believed it to be her imagination as she rinsed herself in the cold spray. Yeah I must be definitely thinking stuff out of the ordinary then. It seem to be going wild now so far, imagining dead husband back from the grave to take a shower with you, hearing voices in your head telling dirty thoughts with another guy, feeling possessed and tasting the taste of something spicy and exotic.
Spicy? Exotic? Wait a minute. She stuck her tongue out and trailed it around her mouth. Yep they tasted something all right.
What was wrong with her? How was it that they tasted so different unless… There was only one way to find out.
She turned the shower off and quickly grabbed the towel off the rack and dried herself off in the stall before stepping out and pulling on the clothes she brought in. Combing her hair with her hands and once she finished she unlocked the door and stepped out into the room.
Legato looked up, not too surprised or so much as blink when she came out of the bathroom but when what he saw he never thought he would ever think twice of how his eyes would remain on her.
Tea wore a red halter top that looked tight along with black shorts with ebony knee high boots she strapped in there while changing.
The expression on his face was captivate by her standing there staring back.
Ok what was it? His eyes seem to be staring hard at her for some reason. The two held the staring contest long before Tea spoke.
"Take a picture, it'll last longer."
He raised one eyebrow in her direction. Hmm she thinks that's cocky. Funny I prefer the real thing than some inanimate photo. And he thought back to the picture and of the young man in there, embracing Tea.
That man touching her… He clenched his fist but did not allow Tea to see.
Tea blew a strand of hair that fell into her eyes as she stared at him. "So what now?"
Yes what now? What could he possible want to do or say at her after what was happening inside him? These strange and awkward moment needed to be broken somehow but what?
By watching her place her hands on her hips, seeing the very noticeable curves, the way the shirt seem to stretch in place, cut above the stomach bringing him show of her navel. His eyes trailed down a bit longer before looking up at her with a questionable look on his face. "Nice piercing."
She blinked confused before realizing what he was talking about. "Thanks…"
She looked down at her stomach and saw the small white dragon with sapphires for blue eyes hung on her bellybutton while the other two hung on each of her ears. They were the symbol of Kaiba's special monster. The Blue Eyes White Dragons…a gift from him before their last time together.
She looked up and saw him still staring at the one on her stomach. "What were you expecting, that I have pixies craved on instead?"
Legato shrugged, "Whatever goes on your body is your decision." He was surprised that he didn't see that on her before but guessing from way back in the bathroom or since the room was so dark last night and his eyes were more focused on well…he was just surprise to see them.
In a way, they do seem attractive if you like girls with marks, tattoos or piercings on their bodies. He didn't hear what Tea was saying as she was waving a hand in front of his face.
"Hello, earth to Legato! Hey!" She snapped her fingers and that seem to catch his attention. He blinked and saw her arms cross and scowling right at him.
"Honestly, why don't we go do something instead of staying in this room all day having a staring contest. At least let's go explore! I don't know this place, but since you might, I think it would—" He stood up and walked past her towards the bathroom and gave the door a hard slam, locking it. She stood where she was for one second before turning around, not believing what just happened.
'Oh, ice cold.' Her conscious winced. Tea fumed silently as she stared daggers at the closed door.
"Fine be that way, I'll go exploring by myself, no help from you! Is this the thanks I get for helping your ass back in the desert?" She yelled as she grabbed from out of her bag a red jacket and grabbing the doorknob. She gave the door one last glare.
"Well next time you get shot in the head, don't come looking for 'Nurse Tea' to fix you up. Let someone else find you!" And then stepped out to head into town by herself.
'You know, you should have probably waited until Legato was finished and asked once more if he could take you. I mean—'
Shut up, shut up about him! I don't want to hear anything about him, Legato Bluesummer. Not one word!
Tea was pretty much still angry as she made her way out of the inn and walked down the street under the morning suns. But after walking under the heat she started to mutter to herself. "Man, being stuck in a desert, having little sleep and shitty dreams, and hanging with a guy who's look sexy but is an ass…"
Wait did she just call Legato 'sexy'. Her brain must be getting fried from being out way too long in the sun.
And her feet were starting to get blisters. She decided to take a seat under a nearby shaded bench.
The shade felt good and her temper had cool down to a faring depth at least she was able to be calm and enjoy seeing the people coming and going. She saw them dress in Western-modern dressed people coming out of the sandy adobes that were either their houses or their shops.
At first some stared in her direction, noticing a woman with a piercing on her exposed belly button, her unusual clothes with her pants rolled up. None of those women had their bodies showing that much skin and being unaccompanied by no man with her.
Ok, newsflash people, it's hot out, so put on some shorts on or something! Tea watched as some turned away as she looked towards them and sighed.
Well this really was the pit! She supposed that maybe she really did landed in some sorta weird twilight zone. Tea yawned and blinked sleepily. A few z's would do her some good and hopefully not let her have any run-ins with either nightmares or Legato or both even for all she cared! She unknot the jacket around her waist and pulled it on as she needed something comfortable to lie in.
Man not the best place to recline but at least I can be not sitting in the same room with him!
She laid herself out, stretching her whole body on the bench and eased herself in a resting position where she had folded arms behind her head and closed her eyes for a few minutes. Much better!
She sighed then allowed herself to fall into the peaceful slumber of her morning nap.
"Uh where is he! Man I tell you, I can't stand that guy sometimes. We turn our backs for one second and then he decides to go and disappeared. If the chief got any words of this, we're both screwed!"
A petite dark haired woman, followed by a taller one, was so angry that the crowd dissipated from standing in the way of the smaller one. She was burning red, not because of the sun, oh something more.
"WHERE THE HELL IS THAT ASSHOLE! WHEN I FIND YOU I'M GOING TO HOGTIE YOU AND MAKE CERTAIN YOU NEVER ESCAPE FROM ME!"
Nobody in the vivacity could ignore that loud out cry as the people all stared at the women who were the only ones able to say that. The brunette gave a burning glare and people decided it was best to let them be on their way!
"When I get my hands on him. I'll-I'll—" She then started to walk in a faster pace as she went searching still for the dumb blond guy that she and Milly had to be tagging everywhere in every freaking city! Milly followed while trying her best to calm the small insurance girl.
"Now now Meryl calm down, I'm sure we'll find Mr. Vash, he could be in a bar, catching another Sand streamer, sleeping on that bench over there, or…" Meryl stopped and both she and Millie looked at one another than at the person sleeping over close by the door of the nearest bar.
So that's where he's been! Meryl thought guessing the idiot went and drown himself in alcohol while she and Millie searched all over for him. Well time for some payback!
"Oh Vash, you're gonna get it now!" She stormed over the bench and then grabbed the red shirt and then started shaking and yelling at the bastard.
"VASH YOU NO GOOD BASTARD SONOFABITCH! I FINALLY FOUND YOU AND YOU'RE PROBABLY STINKING OF ALCOHOL AT THIS TIME! YOU ARE SO DEAD MISTER, DEAD OR ALIVE FOR SIXTY BILLION DOUBLE DOLLAR VASH THE STAMPEDE YOU DON'T DESERVE TO BE WORTH THAT MUCH FOR THAT IDIOTIC BRAIN YOU HAVE YOU DAMN BASTARD!"
Meryl was shaking until she thought she heard the eyeballs rattling in the skull of Vash the Stampede. Milly inched closed and then seeing something that Meryl in all her anger didn't, started tapping her on the shoulder, saying, "Um Meryl…Meryl, I think you should stop!"
Meryl turned and glared at her tall friend. "No I won't stop. Vash has caused enough problems as it is and I'm giving him reasonable punishment!" Meryl continue to throttle the poor person until Milly grabbed both arms and held them tight.
"But Meryl that's not Mr. Vash!" Meryl, while struggling to escape her friend's grip and continue her torture on Vash, stopped when Milly said it wasn't. "What do you mean Milly, that's Vash all right! I mean come on, who else could it be—"
Suddenly both women stopped their arguing as a voice that came from the bench, a woman's voice yelled at them.
"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM WOMAN, GOD I FALL ASLEEP FOR ABOUT TWO MINUTES THEN I'M BEING CHOKED TO DEATH BY YOU! WHAT ARE YOU SOME CRAZY WOMAN OR SOMETHING, GOD IS THE WHOLE WORLD AGAINST ME!"
Both Meryl and Milly, Meryl's face drain of her emotional angry to a rather pale color as she stared at a young girl who looked to have been through the worst shit storm of her life, her hair disarrange all over her face, her clothes tousled from Meryl's thrashing on top of her. The girl blew out the brown bangs and stared coldly at the two with dark blue eyes. "What the Hell was that for!"
Both Meryl and Millie looked at one another.
Oh dear, they had mistaken an innocent person as Vash the Stampede.
Oh shit, what rotten luck they had gotten into.
It was around noon where Meryl, Milly and the girl that they accidentally mistaken as Vash, her name was Tea were sitting by a small café having lunch. Meryl was too busy thinking that she had made the worst mistake in her life while Milly was thinking either what was good on the dessert menu or about who would name someone as Tea.
She thought it was cute yet rather strange.
While they ordered their drinks, Tea remembered how about two hours ago where Milly and Meryl were both apologizing to her.
"I am SO sorry…it was a complete mistake, I mean I didn't think, I just, oh here let me help!" Meryl was busy smoothing the shirt that seems to stretch just a little too out and Milly was dusting off the red jacket that was on the ground.
How easily they made their mistake when this was a gal and she was so much shorter than Vash and the whole attire different than his. Plus she was a brunette, not a blond. Meryl and Milly, after they finished apologizing, decided to make amends and offer to pay for the dry cleaning on her clothes, or damage they done to them.
"It's ok, they were old anyways and beside I have more back in my room." She then felt her stomach gave a low growl and all three girls looked to one another.
"Sounds like you're hungry!" Milly exclaimed while Meryl and Tea both sweatdropped in her presence.
Just who were these two girls exactly? Tea took her time looking at them both.
The woman who attacked her from the left had short dark haired with light gray eyes wearing a white suit with a cape attached. The other woman was taller than her friend, almost as tall as Legato! She had light chestnut hair and clear blue eyes along with a sweet smile on her face, wearing a suit like a man's attire with a green and tan coat hanging on her shoulders.
Tea saw that the two must be a bit off but saw that they were about as normal as she could find in this place, and lunch did seem to sound pretty good up to the point.
"Yeah I guess I forgot to eat breakfast this morning and was planning to head to a café. Do you know where I can go to get some food?"
The petite woman next to the tall one nodded. "Yeah we know of a pretty decent one, it's got some good tastes even if it's a little expensive. But we're willing to treat as a sort of apology to you Miss um…"
"Tea, Tea Gardener and you would be?"
The small brunette pointed to herself, "I'm Meryl Stryfe and this is my associate Milly Thompson." They extended their hands and shook with Tea's as they walked towards the place for eat.
"So tell me why exactly were you um…what the word I'm looking for? Choking me to death?" Tea asked as the waitress returned with their drinks. Tea took a sipped of her ice water while the two seem to stare into their own drinks. Meryl sighed and said, "I thought you were somebody we knew and obvious how the mistake was and I was just too blind by my anger and…" She grabbed her glass and took a long sip. Tea looked over to Milly for her answer. She just kept smiling, "We just thought you were Mr. Vash!"
Vash? That name sounded familiar, exactly where did she heard it? Hmm, Vash…Vash… She started tapping her forehead wondering when she had heard the name. When no recollection came she turned to Meryl who was taking another sip of her water.
"Um just exactly who is Vash?" Tea later regret asking as Meryl spit out her ice water halfway in her direction, wetting her face and her shirt. Meryl turned red and started apologizing again and using her napkin to wipe the water off. "Sorry about that too, but you just completely caught me off surprised, for a moment I thought I heard you say you didn't know who Vash the Stampede was?"
Tea, whose face was dry but her shirt clinging wet to her chest used her napkin to blotch out the wet stain. "Yeah I did ask who he was?"
Both Meryl and Milly looked at each other with stunned face. This girl didn't know who Vash was, THE VASH THE STAMPEDE.
"Um Miss Gardener, are you sure you having heard news of the Humanoid Typhoon? The one who destroyed July city over 23 years ago? The Sixty Billion Double dollar reward on his head!"
Tea shook her head at all these questions and just when she was about to ask, their waitress return with their orders. Tea took her time eating as she wasn't thinking how her food taste, more of what she had heard these women told her.
A guy name Vash destroy a city? How did he do it? Did he planted bombs in every building then timed them all just to get them to explode at once in a huge explosion? But there must have been more ways to destroy a city than with just bombs. But how?
And what exactly did Meryl mean with sixty billion double dollars. Double dollars, what the Hell was that?
'It's definitely a new world after all.' She sighed as she tried to sort these things out in her mind. Maybe asking who Vash was wasn't such a bright idea. Now she decided maybe she should change the conversation. "Hey what are double dollars exactly?"
Legato was again lying on his bed, barely moving from his spot as he stared at the ceiling and above. He couldn't take anymore of this. This was driving him up the wall. She, Tea had apparently had been a gift from the Devil or Vash or both in his case as he couldn't take his mind off her. Or get rid of these strange feelings and urges.
God how do I bear this when I can't even seem to stop. He stare at the nothingness of the white ceiling, thinking exactly the same. He felt he wasn't able to control himself and if he didn't do something about them, sooner or later the urges were going to destroy him. Killing her had been his first motive but after that plan failed and his body became more uncontrollable aroused.
If only he could find some way to stop it, if his master would help solve the problem…
His head was hurting and he desperately wanted to go and grab some food and leave this place right now. But if he did, he would leave her to fend for herself without any support or help she needed.
So what, that bitch has been messing with my head too long from the start! "…Goddamn bitch! Why the fuck she here!" He picked up a lamp and threw it against the wall where it shatter into pieces. He had never in his life lost control until last night where he did the unthinkable. "Why didn't I kill her in the first place last night, what the fuck went wrong! She's nothing, nothing but a worthless human! They're all a bunch of shit!" As he thought back, her body naked, her nipples erected and her moans echoing inside his mind, the feeling of his fingers inside, it was becoming too much!
And the boy! Goddamn that guy, he was seriously in his thoughts as he had stared at the picture with a glare that would have burn right through the photo itself. There was an obvious gleam in the boy's blue eyes, smirking-like almost mocking Legato as he held Tea in his arms saying to him that she was his and his alone.
If the bastard were here in this room he would have personally torn the guy to shreds, mind control or not. The hot prick of jealous was burning inside him and making him feel the more he thought of the boy and Tea together, the more insane he would become by just staying here.
Staying here. Staying here in the same room with Tea that was the problem. He needed to get the hell away from here, he had to go somewhere, somewhere else and never see her so he could think clearer and never feel this-this whatever he had inside causing him to act this way. He would leave today and never look back. "Tonight…I'll do it tonight that what I won't have to face anymore of this." He said as he grabbed the door and headed to a saloon to eat.
Tea, after finishing lunch with Meryl and Milly, decided to go and head back to the inn since the suns was starting to set. It got dark pretty early, she thought as she walked. Maybe Legato would be at least less moody…but she doubt that.
Somehow he was much harder to figure out than what she would expect from any person. So many things about him were difficult to say whether she should trust him or not. A bad feeling was rising in her gut. She made her way to the inn and went up to the room to when she was about to open the door, gripping the knob and about to turn when she heard his voice. It sounded piss and something told her it would not be wise to go in. She lean close hearing him talk to himself.
"…Goddamn bitch! Why the fuck she here!" Something was thrown to the wall and a dull thud was heard. "Why didn't I kill her in the first place last night, what the fuck went wrong! She's nothing, nothing but a worthless human! They're all a bunch of shit!"
Her hand release the knob and started slowly back away.
Legato wanted to kill her? When and wait what about last night? She didn't know what happened as she had no idea but there seem to be a missing piece to the puzzle and it was all starting to pull into place. And if he had about to kill her like if he was going to choke her or smother in her sleep shouldn't she have woken up and struggled against if that happen. Something wasn't right. But if staying with him was going to get her kill she rather face the desert alone. She wanted to move desperately to run but the next words he said caught her attention.
"Tonight…I'll do it tonight that what I won't have to face anymore of this."
Tea back away, fear clutching inside her chest as she heard footsteps coming and she raced down the hall and behind a corner. She waited holding her breath as she heard the door open and shut then heavy footsteps descending down the stairs. When the last of those steps were gone, she slid her body down the wall and stared shakily from the corner.
"Why…why do you hate me…" She couldn't stay with him, who knows what he would do to her tonight if last night's plan had failed already. He might try again and she wouldn't make it out of there alive. She had to get the Hell away from here and him. Whatever it took she was going to get outta here and head out somewhere else, some place where she would at least never have to be around him again.
Now, I'll grab my stuff and leave before he comes back and go someplace far from here and never have to see him again.
Quickly she went to their room to grab her things and left quietly, heading down to the town to find transportation to another town.