MATTHEW

"Let's do that again. I didn't get the rhythm quite right."

Matthew nodded, and setting the music back to the start, took up his place next to Eleni. He was teaching her a new piece, and she appeared to be enjoying it. He smiled with satisfaction.

It had been three days since Eleni had taken the pass card. Her daily regime was only slightly altered: she left to get lunch, and sometimes breakfast and dinner, but otherwise she stuck to the 4th floor and danced. Matthew's experience, on the other hand, was completely altered, because in between sets, they talked.

Matthew mostly enjoyed that. It was proving to be a solidly functional activity, as Eleni sought to excavate mundane but useful pieces of information from his brain, but he didn't mind that. He met frustration, however, in getting her to speak about herself or the life she had known and was starting to suspect that he could glean more about her when they danced together than when they spoke together.

The music started.

Flowing into the steps with ease, Matthew focused part of his attention on Eleni. A splash of grief, the grind of frustration with a glimmer of guilt, then a release that was almost painful. Her emotions found a home here, and Matthew found he often didn't understand why she felt what she did, but it made him feel closer to her. As the dancing progressed, she would sometimes settle into an almost meditative state that triggered a poignancy in his heart. It made him want to know more. It didn't happen this time.

"I really like that one," she said, nodding, when they had finished.

Matthew nodded in response, wondering if he could keep her dancing. However, she was already heading over to the wall where the metal water bottles were lined up. He joined her as she sat, reluctantly recognizing an opportunity.

G had been on his case. Concerned with Eleni's reticence in residing anywhere in the Towers but the room where she and Matthew danced, the man was impressing upon Matthew the necessity to encourage her to hang out more, or at least find out why she remained so withdrawn. Matthew hadn't done it so far, given how new their relationship was. So, the man who led the Towers had wrangled a promise from him that he'd start today. He'd already procrastinated the morning away, and knew that Eleni was bound to start asking questions any second now, so Matthew gritted his teeth and dove in.

"So, how about a break? Head downstairs maybe? Get out a bit?" he asked casually. Eleni eyed him.

"I get out at meal times. That's enough." He didn't feel anything of note from her as she spoke. The two days back dancing had also returned her emotional equilibrium, which was apparently iron calm, save for when she danced.

"It's another way to learn about the place you live now. Learn your way around."

"You've been teaching me. And I have the map." He'd provided that this morning after her barrage of questions about the DownMountain the previous day.

He opened his mouth to try again, but she headed him off.

"Actually, I have some more questions about this place." Matthew sighed but waited.

Setting the bottle down and taking out a snack bar, she began. "So, you've been telling me about the DownMountain, but there's another part, right? The UpMountain? Where you slink back to every night?" He winced at her unfortunately appropriate choice of words. "Why are there two?"

"Well, at the onset of the Devastation, when Magneto led his followers and the others he could save to the Montagne, they first built the DownMountain. It was built quickly, which is why is it just a set of reinforced, open caverns. Everyone lived here originally. Once they regained some form of stability," not much from the way history was told "they started building the UpMountain. It was planned and carefully constructed. The first part was completed just before Magneto's death. His loyal followers, the Brotherhood, the Hellfire club members, and the like, they moved there. Everyone else stayed here." Eleni took this in silently.

"And then they couldn't build anymore? To make this place better?" Matthew found himself non-plussed by that question.

"I don't know. The DownMountain has been repaired over the centuries, and they've made it larger. That section that I told you about on the other side of the station, the one that is unused at the moment? It's being rebuilt." He didn't mention that G and the gang often joked that, at the current pace of the construction, it wouldn't be finished until the next millennium.

Eleni took this in, then switched topics.

"Where does the food come from?" He felt a familiar flash of annoyance at the one-sided questioning that had made up a significant portion of their conversations in the past couple of days. So, before answering, he countered with a question of his own.

"Is that an issue at the-," a sharp look from her stopped him. "I'm answering all of your questions," he pointed out. "Well, you know. Is it?" He wanted to know. She glanced at the doors and responded quietly.

"In the past, yes. There were several times they couldn't support the population. In times of stability, however, considerable investment was put into expanding water purification and nutrition resources," she replied quietly. He blinked for a moment at her language. She had sounded like professor or a politician. She must have been listening to the news somewhere.

"Um, I think it was similar here. They had hydroponics to start, but now there are indoor fields. Also, factories. All up beyond the UpMountain."

"People from here don't go there?"

"They do. DownMountainers work the production units."

Eleni was quiet for a moment, then switched to a different topic. Matthew nearly rolled his eyes, already tired of the activity.

"That big machine the man at the pass card office was using…was that a computer?"

"Yes."

"It was awfully big, wasn't it?"

"Well, there are stories of the technology from the 21st century, tiny computers and all, but that hasn't been retrieved yet. There are resource issues. The data saved from the Devastation has been carefully transferred over the years, but the devices described within haven't yet been reclaimed." He narrowed his eyes. "They have…?"

"They've reclaimed a bit more." She glanced at him. "I still can't believe you rely on paper books." She had asked for an update on his research on the bond every day and had been shocked to learn he had to visit a building and flip through pages to find what he was looking for.

That research had not proved very fruitful so far. The most useful thing he had learned was that there had been psychic bonds that formed in desperation; a situation that almost forced the bond between two people as a matter of survival. There were two examples, and they had both faded over time, once the danger that had instigated them had passed.

Eleni had been relieved to hear that but had also admitted she didn't want to wait and see if that would happen. So, his searching continued; he stopped by the library every evening on his way home.

"You know, G is a good source for this information as well," Matthew said casually, again trying to fulfill G's wishes. Eleni shrugged but didn't respond. "OK," he continued slowly, then decided to be more direct. "Hey, I have another question for you. And, not about the…other place." Eleni took a sip of her water.

"Depends on what it is."

"Why won't you come downstairs?" She coughed on a bit of her snack bar. "It doesn't make sense," Matthew pressed. "There's a lot more to be had outside this room, and you can still dance." There was a pause, Then, to Matthew's mild surprise, Eleni answered his question.

"I just don't want to." He raised his eyebrows. "I don't want to get too attached to this place."

"Why not? It's your home now." She looked away. He supposed she was having difficulty accepting that fact. "Look, G and his gang, they want to help you, too. And they are decent people. They've helped me stop acting like a sulking brat." He was willing to admit that now. "Why not give them a try? If you don't get along with them, well, then you know you come back up here. No harm done."

"I thought you said once I got the pass card I'd be left alone."

"I said G would leave you alone. Not me." He made a note to himself that G owed him for taking on this responsibility. Eleni shook her head in annoyance.

"I see them at meal times. It's not like I don't interact with them at all." Matthew knew the lie of that. Eleni apparently continued to keep to herself at the cafeteria. Matthew leaned his head back on the wall he was sitting against, frustrated.

"What if I'm there? And I'll stay." He was confident he could find a way to make it happen.

"Why does this matter?" she demanded.

"Because you're all alone up here. That's no way to live. And where do you sleep anyway?" His irritation was getting the better of him, and he had gone too far. That question shut her down.

She glared at him and looked away in pointed silence. Determination born of his growing ill temper kept him pushing. "OK, well, I'll just sit here until the end of the day, then figure it out."

Outrage and anxiety bloomed across the bond. He felt mildly guilty but did believe it was only the best for her.

Then she got up and walked away.

"Wha-? Eleni wait!" He had to run to catch up with her. "Where are you going?!"

"You going to follow me? Make me give up all my secrets?"

"I…I – no! I didn't mean that." His stomach went cold as he realized she had taken his irritated comment at face value.

She kept walking.

"Eleni. Eleni! I didn't mean that. I would never do something like that. It's…creepy."

She finally stopped, but only to turn her glare on him.

"It's an intrusion. It's controlling." Matthew stood there with his mouth open. He would never have used those terms.

When he didn't respond, Eleni turned and continued on her way. He caught up with her again.

"You're right. I'm sorry." She looked like she didn't believe him. "I promise I won't try to find where you sleep. I won't follow you."

"OK. I'm going anyway. Maybe I'll see you tomorrow." Matthew cursed internally.

"Elle, if you just want to dance then fine, we'll just dance. OK? No more requests today." She stopped and considered him for a long moment.

"OK," she said. And that was what they did.

The next day, there was little talking as well, as Eleni even passed on her usual interrogation. She also skipped lunch, again. G was not happy when Matthew told him the reason why. He urged Matthew to try to get her talking again to which Matthew objected.

"Look, it totally backfired, G."

"That's because you are an idiot. What were you thinking, saying you were going to find the place where she sleeps? That's called 'stalking', by the way. Look it up." The large man said as he paced his office the evening of the next day. Matthew cringed, the rephrasing making his irritated comment baldly abusive. "She stayed when you said you'd shut up and dance?" Matthew glared but nodded. "Good move, that. You should do it more often." Now Matthew rolled his eyes, but G simply went on. "Dancing…we can make that work. I have a plan."

So it was, the next day Matthew risked a new proposition to Eleni.

"Um…I teach some of the kids downstairs dance from time to time. They were wondering if you might show them a thing or too as well?" He smiled at her suspicious look.

"I thought we went over the whole going downstairs thing."

"I'll be honest. We would really like you to come down and join us as well. But this is just for the kids, I promise!" He smiled again, trying to put her at ease. "Please."

She gave an irritated sigh and looked away.

"You were better when you just danced." Her insult made him laugh, though it was a bit closer to G's comment than he liked. He continued to grin at her, and the cold looks she gave him, until finally she threw her hands up in defeat.

"Fine! I'll come down. Just to teach." Satisfied, Matthew accepted the compromise.

And so, after lunch at the cafeteria, Matthew tagging along as he always did, they joined G, Tray, Bright and Patches in the common room to wait for the kids to assemble. There were no other organized activities that afternoon, and the kids who were there amused themselves with board games, books or simple crafts. The crowd increased through the afternoon, as kids who had other activities during the morning came in to join their friends. Matthew saw Eleni watching them with mild curiosity.

G took advantage of the opportunity.

"Thanks for coming down to socialize with the little people, Elle," he said, jovially. She just gave him a look. Matthew felt her bristle slightly, he tried to signal G to stop.

"You should come out with us a bit. Hulio is performing tomorrow. It'll be a good time." Patches piped up. The man had positioned himself on the other side of Eleni from Matthew.

"No thank you," Eleni replied flatly. Trying to cut the awkwardness, Matthew took control of the conversation and took the attention off of Eleni.

"So, Hulio is moving beyond singing in the shower, huh?"

"Yes," Bright said eagerly. "We have bets on as to whether he'll be scouted or not."

"Really? I'll get in on that." Matthew had heard Hulio sing a few times for some of the kids who had an interest in music. He looked at Eleni. "You should hear him. He is really good. He writes his own songs."

"I'll think about it."

"Suit yourself," he replied, as he leaned over to Bright to get the details on the bet. While he was occupied, several kids came over to the group. Matthew recognized a couple of them and realized they had been in the dance classes he occasionally taught. They were looking at Eleni shyly.

"Um, are you doing the dance class?" Matthew was mildly insulted. They could have asked him, too. He was surprised to register a small glow of welcome from Eleni.

"Yeah," she said, and the kids led her away. Matthew made to follow, though he hadn't been included in the invitation, but G stopped him.

"Tray, can you tag along?" He asked the young woman, who nodded and followed.

"I could teach, too." G didn't seem to notice the comment.

"This is good," he murmured. "Hopefully, the kids will loosen her up a bit. We'll keep an eye on things and try to draw her back when they finish." Slightly disappointed, Matthew went to settle his wager and Bright promised to bring it to the person who was managing the bet.

After the class, Eleni, on the pretext of having a group of kids give her a tour, managed to duck back upstairs before anyone could waylay her.

"She's slippery, that one," G mused. "The dancing can get her down, but we need something to hook her." The man's eyes narrowed in thought. Matthew just sat and waited, not having any ideas. "Mattie, I have another favor to ask."

Once he received the request, Matthew left and headed home early.

The next day things were better. After dancing in the morning, Eleni started asking him questions again, for the first time in two days. This time, Matthew felt relieved, not irritated.

"How is it safe here? With everyone being mutants? I mean, I see it every day and it is not chaos, but what are the rules, what keeps people from using their abilities against others?

"It is forbidden to harm another using your mutant powers, or in any way, really. It's just like breaking any other law. People only use their abilities if they make sense to use in daily life or are harmless. More powerful mutants, or those who can be used for specific purpose can be contracted by the government. So, you'll sometimes see someone with super strength helping to build something, or someone who can freeze things creating ice. That sort of thing."

"What stops people like you from using your powers to control others?"
"It's generally accepted to be bad form. It would destroy the society."

"That's it? They're counting on some random person's sense of decency?"

"No. Like I said, there are laws, of course, and the punishments are severe if someone is found to have been controlling others using their powers. Or harming them in other ways." It had happened in the past, but he didn't think it would be wise to mention that now. "People understand it is not sustainable. I mean, think about it, if everyone were afraid all the time of what we could do to each other, what kind of lives would we be leading?"

Eleni looked at him levelly. "Probably something like what they lead at the Citadel." She spoke quietly, but for once didn't try to avoid the title of the place she had come from.

That gave Matthew pause. The Citadel had no tolerance for mutants. At the Montagne, they were taught about how this was a great injustice, especially as it was perpetrated by such weak beings.

Eleni cast a new perspective on it. It was all based in fear. Fear of what the mutants could do to them. Fear of what many in the Montagne would do to them given the chance. He nodded gravely, though internally he had difficulty reconciling those two perspectives.

They lapsed into silence, and Matthew was just about to suggest they return to dancing when Eleni asked another question.

"Why is this part of the DownMountain called the Sewers?" Matthew thought for a moment.

"Actually, I'm not sure."

"OK. Why is it different from the rest of the DownMountain?" That he did know.

"This is where people who come in from the Wastelands end up. If they are not powerful mutants. Then they go UpMountain."

"So, everyone here came off the Wastelands?"

"Or are descended from people who did. The Montagne has been keeping an eye on the Wastelands since the air purified a few centuries ago, and caravans started showing up out there."

"Caravans like yours?" He nodded. "I've never heard of people living on the Wastelands before. I thought it was impossible."

"Well, it is and it's not. Apparently, short travel, I don't know, a couple weeks, months maybe, is possible. But, you can't live out there permanently, even with supplies. They say that the oxygen levels are low enough it slowly weakens you, and if you don't have a source of food that is easy to get, you won't last. So, the people who live out there must have some kind of covered, sealed structure, and a source of oxygen. I don't remember living anywhere but here, though." He tapped the floor with his finger, anticipating Eleni's next question. "Now and then refugees show up. Usually something happened to the place where they were living, forcing them to move." A batch had come in a few years after he had arrived. He remembered G talking about it. "For a while, only the mutants were accepted in, so long as they made a pledge of loyalty to the Montagne. Now everyone gets let in, with the pledge."

"You mean non-mutant humans weren't allowed in for a while?" He nodded again. "I suppose that is no surprise," she muttered, disdainfully.

"It only changed a decade or so ago." The decision remained controversial.

"So, the people from the outside, and their descendants, are put in this not very nice area?" Matthew nodded, slowly. "The area around the station and in other parts are better kept." She pointed out, as if he wasn't understanding. He gave another reluctant nod. Eleni thought for a moment before continuing. "They aren't treated very well here, are they? I saw someone being harassed, and a couple of Grey Arms standing nearby did nothing."

The Grey Arm was the policing arm of the military. Matthew had heard that G had filled Eleni in on them during one of the lunches and warned her to steer clear of them. They kept the DownMountain relatively crime free, on their own terms.

Matthew finally nodded again, acknowledging what he accepted as normal every day.

Eleni gave a look of bewildered disgust.

"Why does that surprise you?" he asked, not sure he wanted to hear the answer.

"We had the elite and everyone else, but there wasn't this kind of disdain between those groups. Everyone had a right to a decent life, and the government helped make that possible, for every citizen."

"So, once they killed off the mutants, they had a perfect society?" he returned, sourly, and was relieved when she went silent for a minute, thinking.

"There were some groups," she finally said, "not mutants, others who were…discouraged. But they could still live decently. Provided they…stayed quiet." Her voice trailed off towards the end.

Matthew was about to ask about those others, sensing some hesitation in Eleni's response, but she returned to their earlier subject before he could. "Where did the people on the Wastelands come from? Are they just random groups that somehow survived?"

Matthew shrugged. "I don't think anyone knows for sure, but they are called the Remnants, and the general thought is that they are descended from Xavier's X-men and other followers—"

"The X-who?"

"The X-men. They were a band of mutant freedom fighters. Didn't ally with Magneto unfortunately, but they did do some good work for mutants in ancient times. You've never heard of them?" Eleni shook her head.

"They became these…Remnants?"

"Yeah, or at least the lucky ones who weren't in Haven when it was destroyed." He looked at Eleni sideways and added. "I hope that is one bit of technology the Citadel doesn't recover."

A massively destructive bomb had destroyed the coalition to which X-Men had belonged and their solution to the failing planet, as well as a large portion of a continent once known as Europe. It had also accelerated the downward spiral of the environment.

Eleni looked at him, confused.

"I was taught that the Montagne was responsible for that." Matthew turned his head to face her, and they looked at each other for a moment, both confused. Then Eleni looked away. "It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Matthew grunted in agreement, and suggested they start dancing again, which they did until lunchtime.

As G had planned, a group of kids was waiting for Eleni when they returned from lunch. They again asked if she would do a class, and again she agreed.

Standing next to her, Matthew elbowed her slightly, then raised his eyebrows. She gave him a dubious look, understanding his request, which he returned with one of exasperated pleading. He thought a small smile tugged at her lips as she turned back to the kids.

"Matthew's feeling lonely. Mind if he comes as well?" Muffled laughter came from G and the others as Matthew lifted his eyes to the ceiling. The kids agreed, however, and soon the two dancers were running them through basic positions, or basic steps, depending on whether they had come before or not. Tray came and watched, distracting the kids for a bit with her version of ballet. When the kids were obviously done, she caught Eleni and Matthew on their way out.

"G's got chocolate." That was all she said. Matthew narrowed his eyes and watched Eleni closely; that was the favor G had asked from him. Did the man really think it would work?

Eleni looked confused.

"What's that?"

"It's really good," he supplied. "Come on, at least try it." Reluctantly, she joined them.

Downstairs, they found G and Hulio. The small block of chocolate Matthew had brought was a smashed pile on the table in front of them. Eleni looked at it dubiously. Viewing it objectively, Matthew supposed that the pile of brown flakes had little to promote itself as it stood.

"It's a delicacy, Elle," G said, as he helped himself, "a perk of having a friend at the top." He winked at Matthew.

Matthew gave G a withering look as he picked up a piece put it in his mouth. He enjoyed the flavor as it melted on his tongue. Eleni, and after watching them for a minute, took a piece as well. She sniffed it, then put it in her mouth. Matthew registered pleasure, and was satisfied for a moment, thinking G's plan might actually work.

What came next, however, made his stomach sink. A deep sadness blossomed within her before she could stifle it. She turned away.

"Eleni?" G asked. Matthew stopped himself from shaking his head knowingly; it was hard not to let on that he had a private window into Eleni. Instead, he schooled his features to confusion and motioned for G to stay where he was. He followed Eleni back up the stairs. She didn't go to the room where they danced.

"Eleni?" She stopped for a moment.

"I need some time alone. Please go," was all she said. She stood there, waiting, and he realized she expected him to leave. He didn't want to.

"I…I felt your sadness. Maybe you shouldn't be alone." A flash of anger.

"I believe that is my choice." Silence. Matthew didn't move. "So, you are going to follow me, force me to give up all my secrets." Her tone was bitter as she echoed her previous sentiment. He now regretted the threat he had made three days earlier.

"No. I'm sorry about that. I was…irritated. I will never do that, Eleni. I promise." He hoped she believed him. He exhaled in resignation and accepted that the way to continue to repair that break was to do as she asked now. "OK. I'll go. Take care of yourself." She didn't move or speak. He left.

His mood thoroughly down, he left the Towers and headed UpMountain to do some more research on the bond. Maybe he would find something that would prove his integrity to Eleni.

It wasn't until he reached the train that it hit him. Sadness, despair, love, loss. It took his breath away, the suddenness of it, and he had to choke back tears. He suspected she had been waiting until he was some distance away before letting her feelings go. He also suspected he would have felt the powerful emotions from anywhere in the Montagne, and probably far beyond.

The pain lingered. He knew she was crying and wished he was with her to comfort her. The pain was unlike the grief they had shared. He couldn't put his finger on how it was different, but it was.

He didn't block the sensation in any way, but let the emotions wash through the bond as they would. He tried to understand, to figure out how he could help, but came up with nothing.

CITADEL 3020.08.01

DAVE

Dave lay on his bed in his room at his mother's house. It was done in cream and beige, with swirling accents, as much of the house was. He had spent considerably less time here than at his father's penthouse over the years, and the room held little that said it belonged to him.

He had been careful to lock the door when he entered, even though his mother was at an event this evening. Her absence was reason he had chosen this night to dig out the box he had left hidden in his suitcase and stuffed at the back of his closet.

Now, he flipped through the thin pile of photographs that the box held. It had been difficult for him to look at them for a while: the memories they triggered had sent him into waves of grief. He had learned to manage his emotions, and for the most part could now gaze at them calmly, keeping her alive in his heart.

Finding the photo he wanted, he paused. He had taken it soon after getting a phone with a camera built in, brand new technology, on his 17th birthday. No, that wasn't right. He reordered his memories. They hadn't been together on his 17th birthday. He winced at the memory of the stupid things he had been doing then. No, he had taken it as soon as he could after they got back together that fall. Almost a year ago. That thought felt like a lie. It had been a lifetime ago.

Eleni was dressed in her school uniform, a long-sleeved white button-down shirt and tartan plaid skirt. The scarf on her head was grey. He was similarly dressed, but in long dark blue pants. His tartan tie, a match to Eleni's skirt, had been removed and was somewhere outside the picture. His shirt was unbuttoned at the top. They were both smiling up at the camera, a slice of his arm visible on the left where he held the phone to capture the two of them. His other arm was around her shoulders, and her arms held him, one across the front of his chest to clasp the other at his shoulder.

It had been a dangerous picture to take, and after printing it out in his room, he had deleted it from his phone. This was the only copy he had.

His thumb came up to gently brush her face in the picture.

"Elle, I'm doing something big. You would probably laugh at me if you knew, tell me it's pointless, but if it works it will change everything. I haven't even started, so I don't want to say too much, but I wanted to tell you. Wherever you are, would you wish me luck?"

He touched her face once more, and, holding back tears, he brought the box up to put the photos away. A white rectangle, camouflaged against the white bottom of the box, caught his eye. Another picture. He eased the photo out with his fingernail and flipped it over.

The memories rushed in.

"She's getting good, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is," 13-year-old Dave replied, not really paying attention to his father's words. The conference room had been cleared, the tables turned on their sides and pushed to the edge of the room in an orderly fashion. The chairs were stacked besides them.

In front of him, on the hard floor at the center of the room, Eleni danced. She wore a confection of pale white tulle that floated down to her calves, the top made up of cloth of the same color and thin straps over her shoulders. She spun, leapt and drifted across the floor to the music. Her mother stood on the other side of his father watching as well.

The truth was the dancing hardly registered with Dave. It was the dancer who captivated him.

Her performance drew to a close, and they all applauded.

"Excellent, Elle. You are very talented," his father said as she came over. She gave a small smile and thanked him. He looked at her mother in pride, who smiled and drew Eleni to her in a hug.

A short while later the two adults left as they did, and the children sat side by side on the floor in front of one of the overturned tables as they did. It was the evening before a Rest Day, and there were only a couple other individuals left in the surrounding offices.

Dave was eyeing the distance between himself and Eleni. He almost rubbed his head in memory of a painful encounter they had had a few weeks back.

"Did you really like it?" she asked.

"Huh? Yes! It was really nice." She gave a small smile. It was a game for him to make her smile, or even better, laugh. He tried harder. "You were far better than the dancers we saw at the ballet."

He had begged his father to take him a few months back. It had been a performance he knew Eleni and her mother were attending as well. However, to Dave's disappointment, his father seated them separately from the women, up in a private box. The young teenager had spent more time trying to figure out where the girl and her mother were sitting down below than watching the actual ballet. He had seen some of it, however, and felt he could answer truthfully.

Eleni looked him square in the face, her head cocked, her eyebrows raised, her eyes flat, and he knew he had been wrong.

"They were professionals," she said like he was an idiot. She looked forward again, and he realized he had just missed a perfect opportunity. "They were amazing. I want to dance like that someday."

"You will, Elle! You're going to be the best." The distance was good, he decided, and kept his head turned towards her. She rolled her eyes, but then looked down and turned serious.

"If I could perform like them, just once…that would be enough. That's my dream." He hummed in something like agreement, still turned in her direction. After a moment, she noticed him staring at her. "Is there something in my ear again?"

"No," he said, blushing at the reminder of another failed attempt. He looked forward and sighed out, giving up. "I'd like to see you perform on stage," he said honestly. He leaned his head back against the table and turned it towards her.

She looked up at him, then leaned her own head back against the table. "You would?" He didn't answer.

He leaned forward and kissed her.

When he pulled back, her eyes had gone wide with shock. The moment lengthened, and he panicked.

"Elle, I like you. Like you more than a—"

"A 'sister'?" she finished for him, having recovered.

"Yeah." She turned her head forward again, but her eyes kept flickering back to him. He had never been so nervous in his life. "Do you like me? I mean, a lot?" His hands, resting in front of his knees, were gripped tightly together.

"I don't know." Silence.

"Maybe, you could try and see?"

"I don't know..." she repeated but more hesitant this time. Another long pause. Dave's throat went dry.

"Do you want to?"

She looked at him again, then slowly leaned forward and kissed him.

Dave lay sideways on his bed, tears drenching his pillow beneath him. In the photo, taken before their parents had disappeared, he and Eleni were sitting side by side in front of that over-turned table. White tulle cascaded down in front of her. His father had given her the dress for her 13th birthday, which had taken place a few weeks prior to that night.

She had found that she liked Dave, a lot. They had snuck kisses from that point forward, and held hands hidden behind their bags as they sat in front of the table. Having grown up together, they already knew each other well, and otherwise their relationship had been much the same. To Dave, however, that acknowledgement that there was something more between them had been special and exciting. In retrospect, it was precious.

Tucking the photo back in the box under the others, he returned the sparse collection to their hiding place. He turned out the light but knew he wouldn't get much sleep that night.