Fear and Reassurance

For a few agonising moments, nobody spoke. Anders stood next to Den, soaking wet and staring at this man who he had heard no good things about.

And he stood and stared back at them, smiling that disconcerting smile and acting as though this was a chance meeting.

It was Den who spoke first.

"You stay away from me," her voice quivered with so much emotion, it was hard for Anders to pinpoint exactly what she felt, though he definitely heard her anger. He hoped it was not terror he heard also.

Manny did not move away, nor did he seem to put off by her warning. He just shrugged his shoulders and put his hands in his pockets nonchalantly.

"Just thought I'd pop by and see how my favourite girl is doing," he tilted his head almost innocently at her and Anders was instantly reminded of Colin.

Both of these men were enormous wankers and they probably would have got along great.

But there was something else about him. When he talked, Anders felt it deep within him. He knew that voice from somewhere and it seemed to reverberate through his entire being, gripping his heart.

"I am NOT your anything!" Den spat violently at him, feeling herself losing control.

"Oh, don't be shy now. I'm sure Anders here would LOVE to know just how important we are to one another."

With sickening realisation, Anders realised where he knew this man from. Where he recognised his voice.

It had been one of the ones shouting at him when he got beaten up.

"I've been watching you two for a while now," Manny finally moved, taking slow, calculated steps to the side, circling them, "quite the interesting pair. Does he know everything about you Den? Did you spill your heart out and open your legs after a few glasses of wine?"

"Fuck you," she hissed out as she watched him, her eyes never leaving him like a cat watching a fierce dog approach.

Anders hadn't realised what was amiss until he looked around him.

The water had shut off completely. So when Manny took a step towards them, his foot landing on one of the shoots, Anders had a sickening feeling he had control over them. That he was pulling the strings.

Another step towards them and Den let out a very tiny, but scared whimper and this time, Anders acted instinctively.

He gently pulled her back and placed himself between her and Manny, feeling her hands hold onto the back of his shirt tightly.

Manny actually stopped, but he still smirked at them.

"Oh, so you do have balls? Funny, when we had you on the floor, you kept begging us to stop. Can't even take a couple of kicks and it was an old lady calling out from her flat that made us stop."

Upon hearing that revelation, that it was Manny who had him beaten up, Den's fear left and she suddenly moved again, intent on confronting him.
"You BASTARD!" She screamed and flew forward, though Anders strong arms wrapped around her and held her back.

His head lowered against the side of hers and he said, "Don't. That's what he wants. Don't let him win."

Den fought him for a moment before stopping, mentally agreeing that physically assaulting Manny in a public place was not a good idea.

"He's right you know. I love seeing you riled up. In fact," his hand came out of his pocket and he flipped open his phone, "it's one of the things I love about you."

Manny pressed a few buttons and smirked at what popped up on his screen.

"How about it, Ari? Shall I show him just what you look like riled up?"

Den paled and stepped away, feeling both faint and sick when she saw the phone he had. The one she recognised.

"You can't-"

"Nah," Manny, changing his mind, flippantly shut his phone again and tucked it back into his pocket, "maybe another day."

Both Den and Anders did not move when he took two steps towards them. But then...he suddenly moved, right to Anders side and smiled maliciously.

"Pleasure to meet you properly. We'll hopefully run into one another in the future. I can see it now."

Anders felt his skin crawl and his heart thump.

And the voice inside of him seemed to be crying out in pain, though he could not make out Fili's words. Just his agony.

Manny, saying nothing else and not even giving them a second glance, carried on walking.

They turned to watch him, but he did not even look back.

Just carried along his way as though nothing had happened.

When he was 13 feet away, the water suddenly came back on and soaked them anew. But neither one shrieked in surprise or laughter.

In fact, Anders felt Den begin to tremble and knew it wasn't because of the cold.

He gently pulled her against him and said, "come on. Let's go."

He heard her sob over the sound of the rushing water and placed his arm around her shoulder as he walked them in the direction of his flat, away from Manny.

He knew he should take her home, but his place was closer and he knew she needed somewhere to calm herself down.

Xx Anders' flat xX

The walk back had been silent, except for the occasional sound of Den's sniffs as she tried to suppress her tears.

When they'd finally got there, she seemed to have controlled herself and just mutely followed Anders upstairs and into his home.

"You go and take a shower. I'll bring you a towel and a shirt you can wear whilst your clothes dry," he'd directed her towards the bathroom, leaving her long enough so he could quickly change into dry clothes himself.

He'd slipped back inside with his back turned to the glass doors and walls for her privacy and placed the towels and shirt on the side.

"I'll leave them here," a sound caught his attention and he turned automatically, "Den?"

The sight that greeted him made his heart clench painfully.

She was sitting in the middle of the shower, under the spray, with her knees drawn tightly against her as she hugged her legs.

And she seemed to be trying to hide the sounds of her crying, but the walls were not waterproof.

All want to give her privacy fled.

He needed her to know he was there. He couldn't bear to see her so broken.

He came around, opened the door, and not caring that he had just changed clothes, stepped under the spray and knelt in front of her.

His hands prised her arms away from her knees and he gently pulled her forward.

"Come here," he said beseechingly, but he needn't have bothered. Finding comfort in his arms, Den almost threw herself at him and held on tightly as he wrapped her in his safe embrace.

"I want to kill him!" She sobbed and shook, letting all her emotions out, "I'll fucking kill him!"

Finding both her anger and pain were rising, Anders knew he had to calm her down. He wanted her to let it out and talk about it, but working herself into a murderous frenzy was not healthy.

Getting himself comfortable by sitting back on his heels, he guided her to sit against him.

Her legs straddled his hips and her head rested against his shoulder as he rubbed circles over her wet back.

"I know you don't want to hear it, but I promise it will be alright. I'm here. I'll not leave you and you don't have to go home tonight if you don't want to. If you want to stay, I'll be here with you every step of the way, but," he licked his lips nervously, despite the spray of the water keeping him drenched, "if you want to get away, I can help you. I'll hide you if you want and come with you or stay here...whatever you choose, I'll support you."

Den managed to calm her sobs down and pulled back far enough to look at him.

Her lips quivered as she opened her mouth to say something, but whatever it was must have been forgotten as soon she looked at his sincere face. His true words ringing in her mind and in her heart, she quickly ducked her head forward and caught his lips in a passionate kiss.

Her hands moved over him, grabbing the thick wet shirt as it clung to him and then roaming her fingers over his muscles.

His hands moved to her sides and when his thumb brushed against the side of her breast, she made a tiny noise that set him on fire.

He only stopped kissing her to pepper little hot kisses against her skin, sucking off the water where it lay on her neck and shoulders, as though he were parched.

When he reached her breast, his eyes took in the scar he had yet to properly see.

He winced at the pain she had described and felt his ire begin to rise. But he managed to quell it when he saw her nipples harden beneath his gaze.

Looking up into her half-lidded eyes, Anders slowly leant forward and began to kiss and suck at the skin.

Den had worried herself that when he would eventually see her scar, he'd be repulsed by it. But his attentive affections made her moan and writhe on his lap and the delicious friction between her legs was almost unbearable.

She wanted him. She wanted him to keep holding her, making her forget and feel safe and...so loved.

"I want you," she grabbed his face and brought it close to hers, "Anders, please."

Anders could see the fire in her eyes. And he would have been lying had he said he did not want her at that very moment.

But not like this.

Not when it was because she was emotional.

"Not yet," his hand slipped between them, resting on her thigh, "but...can I touch you?"

Den whimpered when his fingers flexed, brushing so close to her. The place she needed him the most.

"Yes," she said eagerly and moaned as his hand moved over her, rubbing her wetness around in firm circles.

Anders watched as her eyes shut and she arched her back, rolling her hips to meet his hand.

As her pleasure grew, he glanced down and enjoyed the way her breasts bounced slightly.

'God, she's beautiful,' Fili's voice said and Anders had to agree. He'd not been intimate with a woman he cared so much for in...so long. Perhaps never as much.

When his mouth closed around her nipple and sucked, Den clung to him and gasped.

"Anders!" She felt herself growing close to her orgasm and as the warm water cascaded down and over her body, she finally felt...anew.

She'd never experienced pleasure such as this before.

It was amazing.

Finally, with one last roll of her hips, Den came with a scream, overwhelmed at the wave that hit her.

She collapsed against Anders and he was there to hold her and wait for her to finish.

His hand moved back to her thigh and drew gentle, slow circles.

"I love you," he said for the second time that day, meaning everything in it. His promise that he wouldn't leave her. That they'd figure things out, together. That he truly loved her.

She pulled back with an exhausted, small smile.

"I love you."

They shared one small, quick kiss before Anders' felt the temperature turn slightly and not for the better.

"Let's get you out before you get all pruned," his hand stroked over her cheek and despite all the sadness and anger and bitterness, she felt...she actually managed a real smile for him.

"Yeah. I'm sorry about your clothes...again."