Another chapter, YAY! Oh, I should probably start warning about swearing and stuff like that, there is going to be a fair bit more than ususal in this and the following chapter. I hope it doesn't put you off too much. R&R :)
Chapter Twenty-Eight
"Some games are too dangerous for little Birdies to play," he snarls.
With Dark Ace's forehead firmly against my own, our noses clash together with each ragged breath we pull in and exhale from our lungs. I let my eyes flutter closed for a moment, trying to control this strange, pulling sensation in my chest – as if I am being pulled to him by and invisible force.
Don't do this! The voice of my conscience screams, completely horrified.
"Sometimes I like a little bit of danger, Talon," I breathe and our lips brush against each other, making whatever this feeling is grow stronger and more out of control.
I move my hands up his body, back to his shoulders, and a strangled groan escapes his throat. He shakes his head for a moment then begins to walk us backwards. I feel the bed against the back of my knees and Dark Ace lowers us down, hovering over me, with his arm still around my waist. Glaring dangerously at me, he lowers his face to my neck and runs his nose up to my ear, into my hair before resting his forehead against mine again. My mind is clouded, fuzzy, fuelled with lust and something else. I close my eyes, inhaling his scent, and I am enthralled, my hands searching for something, but grasping the bed covers tightly.
"Do you want this, little Birdie?" Dark Ace breathes roughly, making my eyes flutter open.
I blink a few times, not answering him, my breathing coming short and fast and I swallow hard, gazing up into his bright crimson eyes.
A sly smile makes its way onto his face and his expression changes. "No. No, you don't," he states, and all of a sudden stands up and re-buttons his shirt quickly.
I lie there for a moment, trying to straighten my mind out and regain my clarity.
What the fuck just happened?
I push myself up off the bed and literally run to the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and stepping into the shower – clothes and all – and turn it on, letting the freezing water wash over me. I ball my hands into tight fists, my nails biting into my flesh. I feel sick, disgusting. I could never want that man, there has to be some kind of explanation for what that was.
Comforting, that's what it was, I needed to be comforted and it would have happened with anyone regardless of who they were. Yes, that is all it was. I just miss intimacy, and wanted to feel something. Yes, that would be it.
I groan swallowing back the bile that rises in my throat and hit the wall of the shower, making a loud thump. I could not feel more sickened with myself if I tried. Heaving a sigh, I slide down the wall and sit in the bottom of the shower, covering my face with my hands ashamedly.
What came over me out there? Maybe I should just pretend that it never happened. That seems to be the best option. Nothing happened, nothing at all.
There's a knock on the door, and then Dark Ace strides in, not even bothering to check if I'm decent.
"What the fuck are you doing?" I shriek at him.
He rolls his eyes and hold up some folded clothes. "And before you bite my head off about me walking in here, I know you still have your clothes on," he says simply before placing the clean clothes on the vanity and exiting.
I sit for a moment longer before reaching up and turning the shower off, pushing myself up off the floor and stripping out of my drenched clothes. Grabbing a towel, I dry myself slowly and get dressed, hanging my wet clothes where I can before exiting the bathroom.
Dark Ace is sitting at the tiny breakfast bar with two glasses of water – one obviously set out for me. Without looking at him, I stride over to the bed and grab two pillows, throwing them down onto the uncomfortable couch.
"You can have the bed," I mutter, and sink down, my damp hair making the pillow cold.
"Would you like a glass of water? I got one for you," Dark Ace says, appearing to be unaffected.
"Don't play nice, Talon, it will get you nowhere," I mutter icily.
"Are you sure you don't want the bed?" he asks, persisting with this annoying nice crap.
"You know what? I will take the bed actually. You're back on the couch," I hiss.
Standing up, I leave the pillows and stride over to the bed, flopping down and propping myself up against the headboard. I reach over and press a button on the remote, turning the television on. I don't take notice what program is on, but it's a good distraction.
"We'll have to be awake before dawn tomorrow, I suggest you get some sleep," Dark Ace states coolly.
"Whatever," I mutter, trying to ignore him.
I hear him sigh and he walks over, taking a seat on the bed beside me. Instantly, my body goes rigid – good, that's my normal reaction.
"Look, about before –"
"Nothing happened, and whatever it was, it won't happen again, sorry," I snap, cutting him off.
"Calm down. It would have happened sooner or later, we have been constantly around each other since you have been in Cyclonia."
"It wouldn't have happened at all if you didn't want to win that little head game, Talon," I hiss, shooting him a death stare.
"It wouldn't have happened if you didn't want to win. As I recall it was you who started undressing me."
I sit there, my mouth agape. Of course, it was my fault. What did I expect would bloody well happen? "Your point is moot. As I recall, it was you who approached me. You laid me down on the bed. So, don't put this all on me," I spit venomously.
"I am not laying blame on either one of us; I was simply pointing out the extent to which you were willing to go to make me flinch. You are one great little actress, you had me believing that you actually wanted me to bed you."
Oh, if only you knew.
"So, I won?" I ask, tilting my head to the side, playing along, agreeing that I was acting.
"Not quite," he smirks.
"Oh, yes. My tantrum in the bathroom. Does it give you a warm fuzzy feeling inside, knowing that I just can't win head-games with you?" I ask, genuinely curious.
"You know what? It kind of does. But, you know what else?"
"What?"
"There is some kind of sexual tension between us, and I know you felt it. I know that is why you ran off and threw a little tantrum. And that is why I did not just rip your clothes off and fuck you," he states, keeping a straight face the entire time.
"Nice choice of words, Talon," I mutter. "There is nothing between us, it has been a long day, we're both tired and our little game just went a bit too far. End of," I utter, refusing to believe him.
A smirk replaces his nonchalance and he leans forward, his face only inches form mine. My breath hitches. "Oh yeah, there it is. You can deny it all you want, but eventually you will be begging me to take you to bed," he growls.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I mutter hoarsely, ignoring the uncontrollable feeling raging inside me, trying to burst out.
"Tick-tock, tick-tock." He uses his index finger to imitate the swinging of a pendulum and I narrow my eyes at him.
"Only in your wildest dreams, Dark Ace. I would never sleep with a man like you. In fact, you are lucky I can even tolerate you after what you have done to me. The sooner I am away from you, the better," I breathe, glaring at him.
A low chuckle reverberates through his chest and he leans back, eyes still locked on me. "Oh, you are such a joy to anger. But alas, it makes me woeful that you should remain ireful towards me after how splendid we were getting along earlier," he says mockingly.
I roll my eyes at him and he smirks. "What is wrong with you? You're mood swings are worse than a pregnant women's. One moment you're all, 'oh, I'm going to kill you Sky Knight, because I'm Dark Ace and that makes me Badass' and then the next you're all like 'but don't worry because I am going to be nice to you but still let you know I hate you, but I don't hate you, but I do, but let's be friends'. You're giving me a damn headache!" I admonish, smacking my hands on the bed exasperatedly.
"Well, I – like you – have quite a temper, and you happen to find it quite a hobby infuriating me on a regular basis. It's somewhat refreshing, as no other will talk to me the way you do – without fear of death. I am civil towards you, not friendly. But that is as much of an answer I shall give you…at least until you admit you feel the tension," he smirks.
"For the last time, there is no tension. Get over yourself," I mutter.
"So quick to bite, such strong denial," he taunts.
I flash my aura out dangerously, but he ignores it, continuing to taunt me. I grit my teeth and scrunch my eyes shut for moment, attempting to keep cool. He wants me to snap, I know it. An idea hits me, a sick, twisted idea, but it might just work. I cringe inside just thinking about it, but if it makes him stop, it will be worth it.
"You seem so sure that there is sexual tension between us? Let me prove that there isn't," I growl.
In a flash, I grasp his shirt and pull him forward, capturing his mouth with mine, kissing him hard, without emotion. He's taken completely by surprise, but kisses me back, his lips moving roughly against mine, one of his hands reaching up into my hair and grasping it at my nape. After a moment, I push him away, my facial expression indifferent.
"See? There is absolutely nothing between us," I state, my tone impassive. But if I had of kept going something would have happened…I cannot let on, knowing that Dark Ace already knows that.
"That was quite unexpected. But I stand corrected. Now turn off that television, we need to sleep, it's already midnight."
I switch the television off and crawl under the covers, and watch as Dark Ace slinks over to the couch and picks up the pillows before walking back over to the bed.
"What do you think you are doing?" I ask, raising my eyebrows.
"Sleeping in the bed I paid for. You're welcome to sleep on the couch if you want," he replies, shrugging his shoulders.
"Fine. Just don't touch me, Talon," I mutter, and roll over.
I feel the depression of the mattress as he lies down beside me, and I try not to cringe.
"Goodnight, dear," he says and I hear the humour in his voice.
"Shut up and go to sleep," I mutter.
"Hey, little birdie, wake up." A soft voice is coaxing me from sleep and I try hard to not open my heavy eyes. "Little Birdie, rise and shine."
I stir, moving my head to the side, forcing back my wakefulness, grasping at the last thread of sleep.
"hmm?" I hum softly from the back of my throat when a soft hand brushes over my cheek.
"Hey." The soft voice continues to try and coax me awake and warm breath wafts over my face, forcing me deeper back into sleep.
"hmm." My voice is only slightly louder this time as what I think is a nose runs up my cheek, breathing warm breath onto me. I just want to sleep for a little longer, please, whoever you are, just let me sleep.
"Wakey-wakey." The smooth voice says in a sing-song manner.
I feel the corners of my mouth turn up in a sleepy smile, and try this time to open my eyes, turning my head back to its original position.
"Just a bit longer," I mumble through my disoriented state.
"We have go soon, wake up," the voice whispers gently. I feel a nose running along mine and I smile again, this time successfully opening my eyes.
My initial reaction is calm, then a moment later, my eyes and mind become clear.
"What the hell are you doing?" I croak, glaring dangerously at Dark Ace, who is hovering over me, an expression I've never before seen on his face – kindness.
"Waking you up, what does it look like?" he smiles down at me…A real smile.
"Um, it looks like…Date rape, that's what it looks like," I hiss at him, his face only centimetres from mine.
He scowls at me before leaning in closer so that his nose touches mine. "Get up, we need to get going if we're to reach Terra Namor by nightfall," he whispers, then does something preposterous – he plants a soft kiss on my lips then jumps up before I can punch him.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" I yell, sitting up and sending a weak blast of energy towards him.
He must of have expected me to react this way, because he dodges it and grins at me when it hits the couch. I throw back the covers and stand up quickly, striding over to Dark Ace, my aura glowing dangerously. I back him up against the wall and put my hand around his throat, using my energy to overpower him.
"If you ever touch me again, I will kill you," I growl, my voice sounding unlike my own – cold, evil, filled with hate.
"That's the spirit, now all you have to do is keep the same composure when we are negotiating with our friend," Dark Ace smiles at me.
"You-you…wanted me to almost kill you?" I ask incredulously.
"No, not kill me, I was merely testing you to see if you were up to this task," he shrugs.
"Don't do it again," I mutter and drop my hand, walking to the small kitchen to retrieve a glass of water.
I drain the glass and place my hand on the edge of the sink, leaning forward and taking a deep breath. I exhale slowly and close my eyes for a moment then stiffen when I feel him standing behind me.
"Don't even think about it," I breathe, but I stay put.
"Think about what?" he asks in a silky voice that makes my skin crawl.
"You know what," I mutter, dragging in another deep breath.
He ignores me and wraps his right arm around my waist, leaning his face into my neck. My breath hitches, but I instantly regain my composure and ignore his touch.
"If you wish to make it to Terra Namor alive, I suggest you stop harassing me," I say, keeping my voice level.
"You weren't complaining when I was waking you, when you were leaning into my touch, drawn to me," he whispers against my neck, then grazes his teeth just below my ear. An involuntary shudder runs through me and I grasp the bench tighter, my knuckles turning white.
"Well I am complaining now, take your hands off me," I breathe, trying to keep my equilibrium.
I hate you; I repeat the thought in my head, blocking him out.
"That's quite a shame, little Birdie. I was enjoying feeling wanted," he croons into my ear.
What? No, he's playing more head-games with me. I turn around and glare at him, my gaze stone cold.
"Stop with this. I do not want you; I hold no attraction for you. And I am most certainly not going to be playing any more head-games with you, Dark Ace," I state, narrowing my eyes.
He gazes down at me, humour etched into his expression, and sighs, leaning down close. "I think your anger is waning," he smirks.
"Oh no, I am far more experienced at holding in my anger than most," I mutter.
A contemplative look flits across his face then he grins again, leaning closer. Carefully he nudges my nose with his, before placing his lips upon mine, kissing me.
No! not again, bad Talon!
I do not flinch, I stand there, keeping my lips still, resisting the natural urge to kiss him back. I inhale through my nose and catch his scent, that sweet, disgusting, enthralling scent. The urge to close my eyes is overpowering, but I remain taciturn, waiting for him to get this stupid thing out of his system.
After a moment, he realizes that I am not going to reciprocate and a low growl escapes his throat before he pulls away and gazes at me.
"Are you quite done?" I ask, as if nothing happened.
"For now," he smirks.
"Get you're shit, Talon, go check out, I'll be waiting for you," I state, and push past him, making my way to the Switchblade across the parking lot.
Dark Ace is quick, and soon I see him striding across the parking lot towards me. I death stare him before taking a seat on the Switchblade and wait for him to jump on so we can just go. I cannot believe the disgusting audacity of this…man. I should report him to Cyclonis for sexual harassment.
Ha, like that would do anything. Why would she take my word over her man-pet's word?
"You ready?" Dark Ace asks as he throws a leg over the ride and sits down in front of me.
"Yes, let's just go," I mutter. There is no way that I am flying today; I want to keep this bastard where I can see him at all times.
How did I not realize it was him this morning? This asshole is the only person in the Atmos who calls me 'Little Birdie'. Best not to dwell, he was probably only doing it get a rise out of me, and boy did he. Lucky he is fast on his feet, otherwise he would have needed medical attention.
You did know it was him; you just didn't want to admit it, the little dark voice whispers menacingly.
No, no way. I will never have feelings for this man, not if all hell freezes over.
The day has passed uneventfully. A few times Dark Ace has tried to get me to take over, but I refused, not trusting him to sit behind me. In the distance, very far away, I can make out a small black dot – that must be Terra Namor. By the time we get there, the sun will have set and I will be a damn Popsicle again. However, that doesn't bother me, I'd rather freeze than have Dark Ace putting his hands all over me. A shudder runs through me when my mind drifts back to earlier this morning at the motel.
What the hell was he thinking? Why was he being nice? Making me angry cannot have been the only reason for him to do such a thing, could it?
The only way to avoid any accidents from now on is to not be in a confined space with him – I realize that now. For some reason, my body reacts to him in a strange way, yet my mind want's nothing to do with him. Maybe I should brush up on psychology, find out what is wrong with me. For now, I will not let my mind wander back to that incident. I will pretend that it didn't happen and was just a part of my usual dream. Yeah, that'll work.
Stifling a yawn, I lean back in the seat, and look ahead, watching as Terra Namor slowly grows larger, the closer we draw.
Finally, it is in full view, and Dark Ace takes the Switchblade down to land. We hit the ground hard just as the wings retract into the main frame and roll along for some distance before coming to a stop.
"It will be a quite a trek to where we are going, so I hope your shoes are good quality," Dark Ace says, pushing himself up off the ride and proffering his hand.
I contemplate whether I should take it or not, but he decides for me, grasping my hand and pulling me to my feet so forcefully, that I am pulled right into him.
"Watch yourself, Talon," I mutter when he begins to snake an arm around my waist.
"Sure you don't want one for good luck?" he asks, knowing that he is getting under my skin.
"I am quite sure," I hiss, stepping away from Dark ace and keeping my eyes trained on him. "I know that you are just trying to keep me mad, but I don't need to be, I will beat this poor guy senseless if you want me to, just stop harassing me."
"But I am having such pleasure, attempting to indulge in you, little Birdie, don't cut my fun short. It is a long trek, after all," he smirks.
"Why do I get the feeling that this is not going to be an enjoyable hike?"
"Oh, it will be quite joy…for me."
"Of course it will." I roll my eyes at him. "Well, let's get going."
Inclining his head towards a barely discernible path among the trees, Dark Ace gesture for me to follow. Grudgingly, I step forward, making sure to keep Dark Ace in front of me.
"Keep up, little Birdie, I don't want you to fall behind," he calls back over his shoulder.
"Of course you wouldn't Dark Ace," I mutter sardonically.
I fall into step beside him, occasionally glancing out of the corner of my eye to catch him smirking at me. I narrow my eyes at him and he chuckles down at me. Sighing, I continue onwards, straining my eyes to see in the obscurity. The path inclines as we amble on, and the trees become thicker, causing us to walk closer beside each other. Every now and then, his hand will brush mine, and I swear I hear him chuckle every time.
On the umpteenth time that his hand touches my own, I stop in my tracks, planting my feet firmly in the ground.
"What are you doing, little Birdie?" Dark Ace asks and turns around to face me.
"I'm not moving from this spot until you stop with this bullshit," I hiss, glaring at him, hoping he can see my deadly stare through the darkness.
"Stop being so grumpy, you're worse than me," he complains, and steps closer, making a grab for my wrist.
"Don't touch me," I spit, recoiling instantly.
I hear his exasperated sigh and he steps closer still, causing me to take a step back – stupid move – I lose my footing and stumble back over a fallen branch. My arms flail out in front of me, trying to stop myself from falling, and grasp something. Whatever it is, it doesn't stop my from falling – I've already started going down. My back hits the ground and the wind is knocked out of me as something heavy collapses on top of my chest.
"Fuck!" I hear Dark Ace exclaim next to my ear.
I try breathing, but it comes in painful, strangled huffs and my lungs begin to burn. My hands clutch at the dirt around me as I begin to panic. Fuck, I can't breathe! I barely take notice that Dark Pushes himself off me, and pulls me in a sitting position.
"Hey, hey, hey. Calm Down. Just breathe," he says calmly.
That's what I'm trying to do, dumbass!
"Phoenix, look at me, you need to calm down or you're going to pass out," he scolds.
I look at him, his calm expression, but it does nothing, I still cannot breathe. My eyes widen further and I clutch at Dark Ace's jacket as he pulls me into his lap, stroking my hair.
"Shit. Alright, don't freak out. Just relax, you'll be fine in a minute," he says, remaining calm.
He's right, I have to keep calm.
My expression must still be manic, because Dark Ace leans his face in closer. "Listen to me, Phoenix, if you don't stop freaking out this is just going to last longer, okay?" he says in the calmest tone I have ever heard him use.
I nod my head, still gasping for breath. Finally, I feel my breathing returning to normal and I let go of his jacket, bringing one of my hands up to rub my chest. I swallow and take a deep slow breath, closing my eyes for a moment and resting my head on his shoulder.
"Are you okay now?" he asks, his tone back to normal.
I nod my head, feeling a dull pain in my back – must have landed on a rock or something. Dark Ace reaches up and brushes some of my hair off my face before sliding me off his lap and rising to his feet. Bending slightly, he reaches down and lifts me to my feet, brushing some of the dirt off me. I am still in a small state of shock but enough to not even care that he is touching me. An unsettled groan escapes my throat and I put my face in my hands, shaking my head slowly.
"Come on now, this little set back has costed us valuable time. We might have to camp out for the night," he mutters.
I hear him begin to walk, but I don't follow – I just stand there, wallowing in humiliation.
"Look, we have to get a move on," he urges.
"Just leave me for a moment," I mumble, suddenly feeling all emotional.
"Don't be stupid, I'm not leaving you alone out here," he states and begins to pace back towards me.
"I'm useless, I'll only cause more problems for you. Just leave, if you're lucky I might get eaten by a mutant bearcat," I utter quietly.
He sighs exasperatedly and removes his jacket, placing it around my shoulders. "What's brought this on all of a sudden?" he asks
"Nothing. I just…" my voice fades away, replaced with a dry sob. What is wrong with me? Is it this forest? It looks so much like home…
"I'll set up camp then. I can tell you aren't going to be able to beat anybody in this mood you're in," Dark Ace mutters somewhat irately.
I watch as he disappears into the trees, and I sink to the ground, wrapping my arms around my knees, and resting my chin on them. Up until this point I haven't given much thought to what my task entails, but now that I am so close, it is starting to bother me…among other things. How can I hurt an innocent? That's not me, if i do this I will never be the same. I can feel, already, how self-loathing I am becoming and I haven't even done anything.
"What am I doing?" I groan quietly, hiding my face.
A few minutes later, I hear Dark Ace emerge from the trees and stride over to me.
"I found a good spot to set up camp, come on," he says, and pulls me to my feet. He leads me through the thick undergrowth of the forest and we emerge into a small clearing, nicely protected by a canopy. It looks good enough, the ground is even and covered in leaf litter from what I can make out in the darkness, and it seems quiet, so no chance of predators ripping our throats out while we sleep.
"Are you able to start a fire?" Dark Ace asks me.
"Um, yeah," I reply quietly.
"Good. Wait here for a moment."
Once again, he disappears, and re-emerges with a few heavy looking stones and some kindling. Dumping it all on the ground, he begins setting up what will be the campfire.
"All done, you just need to light it."
"Alright."
I walk over to the unlit fire and concentrate my energy on the dry wood. I can't even remember the last time – if at all – I used my powers to start a fire, but soon enough, it works, and the wood catches alight, starting out small, then growing to a nice size, perfect for keeping warm.
I see Dark Ace out of the corner of my eye, standing next to the fire - warming his hands, and I let out a sigh before pacing to a more obscure part of the clearing. Sliding my back down the trunk of a tree to the ground, I slide my arms into the sleeves of Dark Ace's jacket and pull it tight around me, trying to ignore the fact that it smells like him.
"Mind if I sit?"
Before I can reply, Dark Ace plonks his ass next to me. "What do you want? Going to lecture me about not being such a sook or something?" I ask, not looking at him.
"No, I was actually going to try and find out why you're mood suddenly shifted," he shrugs nonchalantly.
"Oh. Well, thank you for your concern, but you don't need to hear it," I mutter, picking up a twig and tracing through the dirt.
"Well, seeing as we are partners on this mission, don't you think I should know of any concerns you have that may hinder your performance?" he asks, placing his hands behind his head.
"Just leave it, Talon," I mutter, stretching out my legs and wrapping my arms around myself.
"Stop being so reserved and talk to me," he scolds.
"Fine you want to know what's wrong? I'm exhausted and confused, and you're not helping," I spit, pushing myself up off the ground and striding to the opposite side of the clearing.
Groaning, I smack my forehead against a tree.
"Stupid," I mutter, smacking my forehead again.
"You trying to give yourself brain damage?" Dark Ace asks from behind me.
"Leave me alone," I breathe.
Ignoring me, I hear Dark Ace step closer and fell his hand on my shoulder. I shudder under his touch, but make no attempt to stop him. "Not going to try and kill me for touching you?" he taunts.
"No," I sigh.
"Ruin all my fun," he snickers then turns me around to face him.
"Just do what you want, Talon. I don't care."
From the flickering light of the fire, I can see his expression falter for a moment. "What the hell has gotten into you?" he asks, apparently uneasy at my despondent mood.
"I don't know if I can do it. I'm not like you. I'm just a silly little Sky Knight who can't find anywhere to belong," I choke out, realizing this is true, and for so long, I just did not want to believe it.
"Come on, little Birdie, you belong in Cyclonia now. You're no Sky Knight – you gave up that title the second you decided to join," Dark Ace murmurs, looking right at me.
"Stop being nice, I don't like it," I whisper, looking away.
He sighs, and grasps my chin with his index finger and thumb, tilting my head to make me look at him. "Stop feeling sorry for yourself, Phoenix. You chose to do this, you can't just back out if you decide that this isn't the life for you," he admonishes, glaring at me.
Good, he's back to normal. Stepping away from him, I walk over and take a seat by the fire, removing his jacket. I'm going to have to suck it up and do as I'm told if I'm to have any chance of succeeding at my mission.
You're developing feelings towards him,that terrible dark voice whispers from the back of my mind.
No, I am not! I hate him with every cell of my being.
"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
"What?" I ask, as Dark Ace takes a seat beside me.
"It's an ancient quote. Penny for them?"
"Penny for what?"
"Your thoughts, little Birdie."
I hang my head down and shake it slowly a few times before a hollow chuckle escapes my lugs. "I'm going mental. I thought that getting out of Cyclonia would be a good change, but it's only making me worse," I breathe. And the fact that you keep being nice to me doesn't help at all, I add on as an afterthought to myself.
"It's gets easier. You learn to deal with it. Just wait until Master Cyclonis starts making you kill people - that's when you really think you're going insane," he chuckles.
"I can't wait," I mutter bitterly, fearing the day when I will have to take a life. "Why do you always address her as Master? Even when she's nowhere near?"
"Because, she is the ruler of the Cyclonian Empire, I respect her on the basis that her Grandmother took me in, gave me a place that made me feel like I belonged," he shrugs, picking up his jacket off the ground, and draping it over my shoulders once more.
"Will I ever belong there?" I ask.
"Maybe. It all depend if you get through initiation."
"Ugh, I am so sick of hearing that word. I'll be able to do this after initiation, I'll be able to that after initiation, but I can't do this before initiation," I complain.
"You know what we need?" Dark Ace asks, something of a grin on his face.
I cock my head to the side inquisitively.
"Marshmallows."
"What?" I ask surprised, and quite shocked. That was…random.
"Yeah. My dad took me camping when I was a kid and we roasted marshmallows," he says, grinning at the surprised expression on my face.
"Trips down memory lane, another thing I can add to my 'Things-The-Dark-Ace-Secretly-Likes-Doing' list." An involuntary smirk forces its way onto my mouth.
"Well, I'm not keeping that a secret, it only happened once. We ate roasted marshmallows then some men jumped out of the bushes and slit his throat right in front of me. I think I was about five at the time." He says this as if he is talking about the weather and my mouth drops open.
How could someone just talk about that like it's nothing?
"I remember being scared at first, but then, I felt nothing. No sadness, no loss. I just found my way home. Turns out my mother was cheating on my father, and her lover didn't much like ol' dad, so he hired some guys to kill him. Mum was in on the whole thing too, and when I found out, I left and never looked back."
I feel like a goldfish. I keep opening my mouth to talk, but shut it when I can't think of anything.
"Actually, I guess I have been keeping it a secret – you're the only person I've ever told that to," he muses.
"Um. That's kind of fucked up," I mutter, shifting so that my right leg rests on my left and my left hand supports me.
"I guess it is, but it never really affected me in the sense of parental issues," he shrugs.
"After that you were never loved by anyone, were you?" I state rather than ask, knitting my brows together.
"I don't believe in such things, nor do I have time to find out if it exists."
"It exists. You just don't have the strength to knock down the walls around you, you're too caught up in ruining other people's lives trying to fix your own and you don't even realise it," I observe, unaware that tears are beginning to roll down my face. Angrily, I stand up and pace to the other side of the clearing, dashing the tears from my eyes, trying to rid the image of Dark Ace's expression from my mind. Initially it was shock, then something darker, emotional, pained even.
I may have just begun to break through his cold exterior. I know more about this man now than anybody else in the entire Atmos. I should talk to him, find out what he's thinking. Maybe if I scold him some more, he'll open up.
I turn on my heel, about to march right back over to him, and demand he talk, but collide with something. Dark Ace is standing right in front of me, I didn't even hear him behind me. Stealthy bastard.
"Don't you dare lecture me about trying to fix my own life when that is exactly what you are doing, little Birdie," he growls down at me. "Who lost their parents? Who betrayed The Storm Hawks to join Cyclonia? You obviously know nothing of love either."
"I have known love, and by god, I have felt heartbreak, you son of a bitch. So don't you dare lecture me. You've been a lost boy all your life, you have no idea how to love. You have no heart. You are just another Talon, doing his master's bidding day in day out, with no say in how to live your own life," I hiss dangerously.
His expression turns livid, and he pushes me against a tree, an arm resting on the trunk above my head and he leans his face close to my.
"And you live your own life, do you? You don't follow orders from anyone? All you have done is transitioned from one master to another. You are so sickened by the thought that you are just like me that you refuse to believe it," he snarls close to my face, his hot breath washing over me.
"No, I realize that I am like you. But only in the way of sequence of events, and even then, we are nothing alike," I state calmly, trying to gauge the anger in his eyes.
"You frustrate me like no other, Phoenix." He leans his forehead against mine, and sighs. "You remind me of myself and it agitates me," he growls.
"Ever thought of taking an anger management course?" I breathe, ignoring that pulling feeling in my chest.
My question elicits a hollow chuckle and he backs away from me, shaking his head slowly. "I fear you know too much about me."
"You know more about me than I know about you if it makes you feel any better," I mutter.
He steps closer again, until our bodies are touching. I expect the regular uneasy shudder, but it doesn't come; instead I feel relatively calm. Or maybe I'm just used to him invading my personal space now.
"When you were waking me up this morning, it was only to make me mad, wasn't it?" I ask, taking a deep breath.
"More or less," he breathes, angling his face closer to mine.
"And the constant invasion of my personal space?" I whisper hoarsely.
"Mhmm," he replies, edging closer still.
My heart rate increases, and my mouth goes dry. "And what you're doing now? You're trying to make me mad again?"
"Yeah," he growls softly, his lips brushing my own, making my breath hitch.
"It's not working," I croak out.
"Good."
Then his lips are on mine.
So, what do you think? Just a little bit of a cliff-hanger here, just to keep you lot interested. :P
