XVII – Secret Randez-Vous
There were few things more boring and irritating than listening to the same two people talking about the same things, making the same mistakes, living the same arguments over and over. It was why Caterina refused to spend any second more than necessary between her mother and her butler. Her mother's, actually – the girl had to get used to correcting her mind from repeating a habitual but not very accurate sentence. The only purpose that butler ever had was to entertain her mother and distract her from her misery and loneliness. Yet, when her mother's servant brought up his 'brilliant' idea – and her mother agreed to it! – she felt her stomach turning. How stupid can lonely women be?! Because that's what her mother was.
'Yes,' her mother said without even thinking, 'what a splendid idea! I should have thought of this earlier.' Caterina heard the enthusiasm of an ill person receiving a permission to go through the hospital's yard for the first time in weeks.
Throwing herself on the bed, the girl gave a speech to whatever entity was out there listening about just how incredibly idiotic someone had to be in order to trust the idea of a proven liar. Why?! If he was lying about the robbery, and if he was playing victim, then he should have a good reason for that. And if it was in his advantage to lie, it meant he was anything but a victim. And so…
But Caterina stopped in the middle of her mental monologue once her phone buzzed. Picking it up, she saw Light's name on the screen.
'Can I come over? Or do you want to meet somewhere?'
Light's brows raised in surprise when he read her answer. He would have expected her to pull him into a crowded café, but instead, Caterina was asking him how much it would take for him to reach her. An unexpected but very welcomed change.
Caterina then walked out of her room and gave Vincent a long shopping list. The old man would have to fly in order to return with everything on the list in the following three hours, while her mother… well, she was just unimportant. The girl didn't see her, so she assumed the blonde to be in her room, possibly sketching her next collection or napping. Or perhaps she was watching another one of her soap operas. Either way, the auburn-haired girl would have more than enough time and space on her hands.
She threw herself in the armchair she had facing the glass wall and the city bellow, looking at her phone to see the time. Light said ten minutes, so by now he should be already in the building or maybe just waiting for the elevator. She had one foot hanging from the knee over the arm support and was bending her back over the other.
Anastasia heard. Of course, it would be a little difficult not to – Vincent didn't have the quietest voice, and so his frustrated mumbling could be well heard from just a few meters away. Not necessarily understood, but heard. Obviously, Rosa had something else scheduled for the day. She didn't often send Vincent away, even if Anastasia thought her daughter would have loved to do it more often. Yet, it wasn't her problem. No, her problem was different. Her problem was that she had swallowed the last pill in the morning, just before sunrise, and the closer the evening, the more it began to wear out.
In the mean time, just as the butler was grumbling and complaining about his task, Light walked right past him and entered the building. For a moment, he felt tempted by greed. How did it feel to live in such luxury your entire life, when others couldn't even dream of one night in such an expensive hotel? The girl refused a bet she seemed ready to make the moment he asked her to live with him and his family for a few days. The thought of not having servants and a breath-taking view must have been too much. Light found the thought amusing, but sad at the same time. It was tragic… It was people like her who ruled the world, with no idea of the lives most people lived. 'You're here for a different reason,' the Voice reminded him as the elevator opened its metallic doors silently and Light stepped in.
By the time he reached the last floor, Caterina had just finished her makeup – nothing too eye-catchy, just a small color correction and some longer lashes. She let down her wavy hair on one side as she went to open the door. Light hadn't rang any bell, he had sent her a text. It was a more subtle way of letting her know he was there – and really, everyone did that, right?
"My, that was fast," she said with a smile, skipping the useless greetings. They were talking most of the time anyway, so it was pointless to waste her breath on 'hello's and 'how are you'.
"I suppose you could say that I just couldn't wait."
Chuckling, she stepped away from the door and let him enter their newest apartment. Caterina considered it to be her father's and hers in equal measures, while her mother simply didn't exist in the scheme.
"And why is that? What's making you so anxious?" she asked, moving towards her room and waiting for her guest to take off his shoes.
"'Anxious' wouldn't be the best word for how I'm feeling, but truth is, I was curious. 'Impatient', rather." Light followed her, while looking around. He passed through a large living area, the kitchen was to his right, behind glass doors, and then there were several wooden doors. "Is anyone else home?"
"Mother…" the girl answered, her smile fading for a moment. "So, what's gotten you so 'impatient'?"
"Your messages. I thought since you were in no mood to answer me, I'd take the freedom to come over and ask."
The girl chuckled in both amusement and surprise. "Really? Didn't I reply?"
"Did you?" Light asked her in return, raising his eyebrows teasingly at her. As they were entering her room, the girl picked up her phone from her bed and showed him a sent text about V. and the way she 'got him'.
"I think. I mean, I could have just imagined it, but then why does my phone agree with me?" she asked him in return, mimicking his fake sense of surprise. To Light, she seemed in a really good mood. After all, she seemed to be enjoying playing his games with him.
"Ah, I didn't see that one… But I don't suppose your manners are going to let you throw me out now, am I right?"
Turning towards her tall windows covering one full wall and half of the other, Caterina threw him a look and a smirk. "Don't give me any ideas…" In her mind, she would have continued her phrase with an at least half-ironic 'sweetheart', but being in front of someone made things a little more difficult than talking on the phone.
"You do realize I'll be dragging you along, right?" Light asked in a serious voice, making her turn her attention back on him. "I can't return to hell empty-handed."
Caterina ran her hand through her auburn locks and threw them to the side, chuckling but still not completely convinced that was a joke. "As if."
"A sweet little angel like you might earn me a raise," he continued with a smirk, moving on and sitting in a leather armchair. Light let his hands feel the texture – it was the real thing, high quality leather which had its specific feeling and scent. He loved it.
Suddenly, it became clear why Caterina loved the top floor of the tallest hotels available. He glanced over the entire city, watching as everyone bellow had turned into fleas. For a moment, Light remembered a singular episode from his childhood in which he had spent a few hours burning ants with a magnifying glass. He remembered the feeling – he was above, they were bellow, unimportant and helpless - at his mercy. The Voice in his head had been the one who suggested that magnifying glass experiment long ago, and it was the one trembling with excitement from this strange feeling of power.
"My dear, I won't earn you any raise. If there is a devil, I'm his princess and successor. But it's cute you think I'm an angel."
Caterina was behind him, leaning over the back of the armchair. Her dark red hair was reaching down to Light's shoulder and he caught her scent again. It was a warm and woody scent, with some flowery accents – cinnamon, amber, roses, possibly mosque or… what was that? There was something he liked, something subtle but powerful and almost royal. In fact, Light was certain there had been a queen somewhere who wore a similar perfume. There had to be – this one was feminine, but not sweet like those girls and princesses often wear. It was almost bitter.
"Haven't we already agreed to avoid such struggles of power?" the good side of Light said, though the Voice was still present. The latter agreed it would be better to test just how much influence he had on Caterina.
"We have… But you've taken my seat," she whispered in a tone of amusement.
"I can see why you like it, but isn't leather rather… cold?" the Voice commented. His question wasn't really about the leather armchair, but rather about everything surrounding her. From a materialistic point of view, she had been spoiled like the little princess she thought she was… but material things are cold. They feel nothing and return nothing but her reflected image.
In the mean time, Anastasia was getting ready to leave. After a rushed shower, the blonde put on her makeup and made sure it would stay in place for the following eight hours or more. Dressing up in lace and silk, she threw on an A-line dress and held it close to her waistline with a thin hot pink belt. She threw her hair in a tall ponytail, pushing a little volume at the top of her head in a retro Barbie girl style that fit her so well, then messaged her beloved. In less than five minutes, she was sneaking out the door and into the parking lot. Anastasia didn't need a driver, she could handle it herself. And besides, the less people knew about it, the better.
Caterina didn't. She was too busy trying to figure out Light, of course she didn't hear her mother sneaking out. That had to be the last thing on her dizzy mind, all caught up in Light's strange games. The girl walked in front of him, arms crossed over her chest and a wannabe pout slowly turning into a half smile.
"I know what you're trying to do, but you won't."
"What have I done?" the good side of Light asked with a look of sincere and innocent confusion.
"You're trying to get me, but it's not going to work." Her index dark red nail pointed towards him, but Light only chuckled.
"Why would I try to get you?"
Just like that, her smile fell into a shock for such a short moment, Light might have missed it in a blink. She turned on her heels and approached the glass wall, looking out the window.
"Right. Why would you? There's no reason." She answered him in a sharp tone, obviously feeling rejected in the worst way. The girl had no idea how weak she was becoming, perhaps it was why she didn't make any effort to hide it.
The darker side of Light found her reaction rather amusing. It was exactly what he had been hoping to see – a clear confirmation of his guess. Standing up quietly, he approached her and wrapped his arms around her, once again amazed by her small waist and how easily he could feel her hip bones and rib cage.
"I already got you," he mumbled in a low voice.
Chills sparked down her spine and the little hairs too fine to be seen stood up on command. Why was he doing that? Caterina thought of how weak she must be in his eyes. Her mother did the same when she didn't get what she wanted - she gave up and pouted. But this time, she didn't even realize what she had been doing. That was her mistake, when she deliberately stepped into the trap.
"You've got nothing, much less me."
Half a step and a little bit of force and Light had her caught between the thick window serving as a wall and himself. "Oh, but it sure looks different to me."
Light's two sides were on the same frequency. Although Light wouldn't have dared to do this, he didn't disagree or tried to stop his other half from taking over. The situation was opposite, actually. They could both agree it felt good to see the girl in such a tight situation… literally.
Embarrassed and angry from this sudden change, Caterina tried to turn towards him and push him off, but her lack of physical strength worked against her. It didn't take Light more than a few seconds to hold her wrists in his hands and back against the glass, his body holding her in place. For a moment, a scene from a film came to her mind when a man leaned against a window alike to hers and the glass gave in, sending him in the crushing embrace of gravity and eventually, into a puddle of blood on the asphalt.
"What exactly do you think you're doing?"
Light wondered if he should stop… He could read fear, panic and anger in her green eyes. It wasn't what he wanted, but his other side was enjoying the outcome. "Your tongue isn't as sharp anymore. What's the matter, Cat? Are you afraid?"
His eyes went to her neck, watching her pulse under her thin skin.
"In your dreams, darling." In a moment of confidence motivated by the pure horror of appearing weak, Light felt her muscles relaxing in his grip. She was no longer struggling to free her hands, no longer making any effort to get way.
"In my dreams, you are a little different. You disappoint me, kitty Cat. You're too pretty when you're scared, panicked… When your heart is pounding in your throat…" Lowering his glance on Caterina's neck and collar bones, he leaned down and spoke against her neck. "You're beautiful when you're so weak."
"It's you who is the weak one." Caterina tried her best to make it sound like a threat, but her legs were getting numb and her skin was crawling with little unwanted chills from his hot breath on her cold skin.
"Is that so?" Light smirked against her skin, not loosening his grip on her wrists the entire time to the point her fingers began to go numb. "How am I weak, if you don't mind? …But I think you won't mind answering me, since you don't really have a choice… 'sweetheart'," he mentioned, using Caterina's favorite pet name.
Her blood began to boil, slowly but surely making its way to her cheeks and clouding her mind. Every nerve in her body was a spark of electricity, as she rejected the situation and tried to fight it. "If my daddy finds out-"
"'If', yes… But he won't. You won't tell him, because you like it."
Frowning, Caterina began to tense again, struggling helplessly to push him away. "Would you get the hell off of me?!" she almost shouted, her pale red eyebrows frowning in rage and her heart pounding in panic and something else that she wouldn't admit.
Once his good side saw the chance, he backed away with the most heartbreaking expression of hurt and apology his innocent face could manage. He sighed to himself and let go of her wrists, taking another step back and standing at an acceptable distance from her. His eyes seemed sincere. In fact, Caterina was almost terrified of the sudden change, almost like a switch had been turned back on and suddenly, he was himself again… Or not? Who was he, anyway? The mean one taking any chance he could see, pulling her into traps and twisting her words, or the one staring back at her in hurt and regret?
"…I was right, then…" he began, as his darker side was pulling the strings. "I should've known. A girl like you could never look at someone like me." His eyes went from her to her side, as he was distracting himself with the breathtaking view of the city.
For a long moment, Caterina simply stood there in shock, unsure of what she should believe. If her understanding was correct, Light was trying the sea with his finger- no, that sounded wrong. He wanted to see if she felt anything… Did she? Her heart was screaming something in her thoughts, but she had long agreed with herself it would be best to ignore its constant bugging.
"It's… not what I mean, I just…"
Light shrugged and put on a broken smile, turning towards the door. "Don't worry. Well, I guess I'll go now."
"…I guess. But I didn't mean that, I just don't like you controlling me-" she tried again, as Light was taking his time crossing her room.
"I'm sorry if it seemed that way. I don't want you to see me as weak, because I'm already too poor for you. So… I thought I'd have a chance if I appeared strong, 'daring' as you've put it. I didn't want it to feel like I'm controlling you, I just thought you liked that."
Faced with such blunt honesty and his big brown eyes, the girl swallowed her pride and ran into his arms. "I don't care of what you have, I already have more than enough of dead, inanimate… cold objects…" she mumbled, eventually answering his question from a few minutes earlier. That leather armchair was terribly cold, and so was her room, with the fur-like carpet and laminated floor. She had already been spoiled by her father in all the ways money could spoil her, but sooner or later she knew it will no longer be enough.
Faced with such clear victory, the darker side of Light began to smirk. The girl was clinging to his back, pressing her body against his, so he wrapped her in a tight embrace and began rubbing her small back. The one who labeled everyone as weak or strong was herself one of the weakest, even if she tried to present herself as strong. She was weak mentally for believing him. But then, it could only mean one thing. He had her.
Caterina noticed. He was manipulating, he was turning her words against her, he was proving her just how weak she could be. She hated it, she despised it, but she didn't hate him. She was more tempted to direct her hatred towards herself for allowing him to turn her into her mother.
"Wouldn't it be better if we simply were…?" he asked in a low voice, still holding her and with his chin over her head. "Without any judgments and struggles, without labels… without irrelevant fights…?"
"Mm-hmm…" she agreed, "but I think I hate you. I don't get you. You confuse me."
Light pulled away enough so he could look at her, and when she refused, he turned her face towards his with his hand.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to make you feel bad in any way, I just wanted you to give me a chance. There's not much I can offer you, after all…" Although the darker side of him was well aware of what was going on, he still meant every word. Yet, Caterina wasn't really convinced that she should trust him.
The girl looked away again, taking a step back. She crossed her arms and sighed. "This isn't going anywhere. Soon, we'll be at each other's throats again."
"That doesn't mean we'll be holding knives…" At the moment, neither of the two could tell for certain if it was Light or his darker self that spoke.
"Then…?" the girl asked. For once, she was afraid of the answer, but damn curious to find out. Suddenly, his text messages returned in the back of her mind. 'Curiosity killed the Cat… Is the kitty sure she has eight more lives to waste?'
"I can hold yours and you can hold mine," his darker side spoke in such a calm voice, Caterina failed to notice the change.
Taking advantage of that, but also being more cautious, Light's hand went around her neck. He felt her swallowing her saliva, then slipped his hand under her hair. With just enough force so he wouldn't scare her away, he pulled her back in his arms, his other hand going from her waist to the low of her back.
Shorter than him, Caterina reached for the collar of his shirt instead and pulled him down. In the back of her mind, she knew he was bending down over her, but she wanted to believe she had the necessary force to drag him to her level. Her hands went from his shoulders to his neck as she traced her fingers over the main veins pulsing under the skin. "And now?" she asked in a low voice, afraid of talking too loudly as if it would have some catastrophic effects.
Anastasia was asking herself the same question once she saw herself in the Green Snake's office. And now… what? He was smoking as usual, taking his time smirking and scanning her body. Would he ask her to dance? The blonde was worried that she might have lost her flexibility and grace after the pregnancy. She also worried that she was no longer as pretty and doll-like as she was when she was seventeen.
"I have the money. Look, we both know why I'm here, so why don't you just give me what I want-" she began, only to be stopped by a long trail of smoke blown her way. The Snake sat up from his chair and walked towards her.
"My dear, I think we've agreed to some other services… haven't we?" The man was circling her like prey.
With that single phrase, Anastasia's mouth was sewed shut. She had agreed to do anything he asked of her, as long as it happened there and remained between the same four walls. She began to feel strange, the only spot of white in a black, green and dark brown world.
"Why don't you leave this white beauty out of the way? We wouldn't want it burned, no?" The Snake moved his cigar dangerously close to Anastasia's dress. Without complaint, she undid the little belt and reached behind to undo the zipper of the dress.
"Oh, don't give me that look, doll face. I'll give you what you want, but before that, you're going to give me everything you've got."
Going over to an old-fashioned pickup, he put on some old music, the kind that Anastasia had grown up listening back in her parents' living room. He didn't need to voice his request – Anastasia already knew the Snake had no need of her. The one he wanted was Sia, her old teenage self with no self-esteem or living feelings, the one that spent her nights in bars and danced until she got too drunk to remember what happened. Years later, she couldn't recall any other morning besides when the Dragon decided to spare her.
"And now…" Light mumbled, leaning in towards his red-head. Caterina saw more than enough films filled with scenes like that to not guess what was going to happen, but she never actually lived one. Trying her hardest to shake off the panic, the girl kept her hands around his neck and pulled him closer.
The Voice in his head was the one in charge – the other side of Light would have shied away from this. But his other half had no such useless feelings like shame or fear. He had already made Caterina confirm his power over her against her will, he had no thought of rejection left to hold him back. Pressing his lips on hers, he pulled her in and lowered his arm from her back to her hip. While Light was more than happy with just that, the Voice wanted to see again just how much she would allow him.
But perhaps for once, there would be a no in a long row of yes. As the teenager tried to feel the base of her spine through her clothes and played with the edge of her shirt, he felt a slight pain on his neck. Caterina's hands were still around it and one of her nails was threatening to pierce his skin, did he dare to continue. Instead, he kept his hot palm counting the vertebrae of her spine, losing count and starting again. A moment later, the pain was gone and he could feel her thin fingers relaxing in their hold of his neck.
The girl leaned back and let out a hot sigh against his lips, relaxing one arm and letting it hang from his shoulder. Her green eyes stared into his and Light thought it was the first time since they've met he had caught a hint of fog, some strange and unusual mist. For once, it was difficult to read her.
"My question is still valid…" she mumbled in a much less demanding voice, simply stating the fact.
Light chuckled, deciding this would be better in order to keep her in that less threatening state. "Now… I guess I haven't planned this far. I thought you'd send me away in handcuffs before I had the chance to hold you."
"Well, obviously I didn't."
"I think I can get a pair from the station the next time I'm helping."
The fog cleared the moment Caterina understood his 'joke' and her blood began boiling to her cheeks again. Light on the other hand was growing more comfortable and shameless around her, seeing how she failed to set any strict borders between them.
"I'll pretend I didn't hear you." Her arms went from around his neck to his shoulders, pushing against him in order to reach a safe distance.
"So you're no longer waiting for me to arrest you?" he asked in a playful tone, throwing back her words from earlier.
"I thought you were waiting for me to surrender," the girl tried to turn the situation around.
"We both know that was only a joke meant to pass another moment, to kill another second…" Light looked at her with a smirk. "I could take over the world before you surrendered," he continued on an amused tone.
"At least we can both agree to that," Caterina mumbled with a half smile. "I won't ever surrender, and you won't ever rule the world."
"How can you be so sure?" he asked in a low voice. "Perhaps I will, one day."
"Then, here's your answer. The day you rule the world, you'll have me." Caterina began to smile with a bitterness of a loser and the nostalgia of her mother. "I will finally surrender. Because we both know both of these scenarios are just as improbable."
"Don't get so caught up in all this," Light chuckled. "It may be improbable, but keep tempting me and I'll build up the ambition to actually do it."
"Oh, really?" she mocked him. "And what else do you want to be promised in order to try? Or more importantly, how will you even attempt it?"
"I don't know… Your daddy's precious fortune and connections would be a good start, don't you think?"
The girl began to laugh and so was his lighter side. However, the Voice was already trying to draw the lines between these first few objectives. He was taking it seriously.
"You'll have to get there on your own. After that, we can negotiate. But tell me one thing… hypothetically, because I might die before you rule the world…" This time, she looked away but didn't repeat the mistake of turning her back on him. "What would be the first thing you did?"
Without even thinking, Light's both sides responded at once. "Reform it. Clean it, reorganize it, make it a better place."
"Details," the girl demanded.
"I would rid the world of criminals, the scum of society. I would kill all murderers, rapists, thieves, crooks, everyone that causes potentially lethal suffering. Anyone who murders, tortures, or pushes others towards insanity or suicide."
Author's Notes:
So, because TheDoctorsTrueCompanion asked, I will try to post longer chapters. For that though, I will be sewing up together two or three already written chapters, which means my beta will be working longer at each long chapter. If you do not get an update immediately after you post your review, it means the chapter is being proof-read by my beta. As I've said before, a lot more of the story is already written.
Because I'm having a little fun with original characters and I guess it will become confusing in a few chapters, here is a list of the characters that have appeared so far or will appear in the following ten chapters, along with some details:
The Dragon / Giuliano Amadeo / Padre / daddy (Caterina's father, originally inspired by Light, younger Toguro from Yu Yu Hakusho and Sakyou from the same Yu Yu Hakusho)
Anastasia / A. / Sia (Caterina's mother, former dancer, currently a designer, originally inspired by Misa and the music of Lana Del Rey)
Caterina / Cat / Rosa / Kitten / Rin (my ship for Light, trying to escape the fatality of turning into her mother, inspired by an old friend* and Katherine Pierce from the Vampire Diaries)
Vincent / V. (The butler. Hint: EEEEEEVAL lol; inspired by the thief in Tale of the Body Thief, written by Anne Rice**)
The Snake (owner of Green Snake*** bar, Anastasia's drug dealer, former protege of the Dragon)
Diego / the driver (the servant with a very close relationship to his boss (the Dragon) - yes, he gets a name :D and originally inspired by Watari and the charm of the fandom's interpretation of Matt)
King (former protege of the Dragon, mafia boss in China, will appear later; I'm still trying to figure out how this character came to my mind... I think he's got something from Nigel, from the film The Devil Wears Prada. He's... kind of important? Not sure yet if he will appear more than once)
bodyguards, photographers, waiters, cops, doctors, class mates and colleagues, others (don't worry about these, they will most likely appear once and they are not really important. Most of the time, if they don't have a name or a detailed description, they are unimportant)
Some characters will just be mentioned without ever appearing, like some relatives of Light; no need to worry about them.
Speaking of Light, the voice in his head will eventually be explained in the beginning of the third part. They're acting like two characters, but it's really just one. Hint: Light isn't very sane, and there are implied reasons because... let's be honest, there are no perfect families in real life, right? ...Okay, I've said enough. I don't want to spoil anything.
Let me know if I forgot someone or if you find any of the characters confusing. I will answer your question in the notes of the next published chapter. Until then, I hope you like it and I'll be waiting for your reviews and PMs.
* C., if you are still reading this story, I hope you don't mind I went a little Taylor Swift over us. Caterina was designed long before what happened. Though I can't guarantee your character will have a happy ever after, you are one of the few lucky people who got a main character in their image.
** Tale of the Body Thief is part of the Vampire Chronicles by Anne Rice. If it wasn't already obvious, I love that series and I recommend it to anyone looking for good vampire literature and who can find her books. From experience, start with the first or the second book, or one of the biographic novels (if you look it up, you will see what I mean) but never the third, since it's pretty confusing if you don't already know most of the characters. Tale of the Body Thief is possibly my favorite and a very easy read.
*** I used the symbol of the snake from the Bible as the traitor, the evil. I know the serpent has many meanings as a symbol, so I just wanted to clear up the confusion about this. As for the color green, I just thought usually, brightly-colored snakes are venomous and a green snake would camouflage better. It's just a metaphor for the character's role. His real name doesn't really matter since he's not an enemy of Kira.
