The A/N: Hey guys! Hope you guys love this one! As usual lately, this one was supposed to be longer too, but it was just so crazy long I had to split it up again. As always; reviews are the best motivation! :D Thanks in advance, love you guys, enjoy!
Disclaimer: Still dont own anything... unfortunately. Except of course my OCs and this awesometacular story... Fortunately. :P
Demetra lifted a brow as she watched Tala practically fly from the classroom as soon as they were dismissed. He hadn't even taken the time to put his books and things away, he had merely tucked them under his arm and made a beeline for the door.
"And where are we off to in such a hurry?" She thought curiously.
Normally she wouldn't be bothered to care in the least, but she'd rarely ever seen Tala hurry anywhere for anything. Not that the redhead was in any way lazy, the fact was; in the length of time she'd known him, Demetra had learned that Tala Ivanov only ever moved deliberately and with purpose, always confidently and at his own pace. Much like a seasoned wolf silently stalking through the forest, knowing full well there were a scarce few who were any sort of threat to him.
Demetra snorted indignantly at that thought; a wolf was a good comparison. Also much like a wolf, virtually the only time Tala hurried, was during battle when he was moving in for the kill.
"Wonder what's up with Tala." Spencer pondered aloud, staring at the door the redhead in question had disappeared through.
"Who knows, but he's been in another mood lately." Ian said a little wearily. "You know what he's like, we'd better leave him alone for a while."
Everyone agreed silently. Instead they turned towards their brunette classmate when Ian addressed her.
"Hey Demetra!" He said with a huge grin. "You wanna have lunch with us?"
Demetra took the time to finish putting her things into her bag, and get to her feet, before eventually looking towards the four looking at her.
"Why not?" She said simply.
After a brief cheer from Ian, Demetra slipped her bag over her shoulder before following the Blitzkrieg Boys out of the room.
Demetra listened silently while she ate, and as she did, she felt a pang of affection as her companions chatted around her. Not for the first or last time, she was reminded of her girls, and how comfortable she'd become around these hardened, young men; a bunch of guys a majority of the population were intimidated by.
"Awe man! That was seriously intense!"
"Yeah, Tala's always been pretty ruthless but I gotta admit, I thought for sure he'd finally lost it back then!"
Suddenly the conversation around her snapped Demetra out of her thoughts, and as such she cocked her ear towards them.
"What are you talking about?" She asked, trying not to let on just how curious she actually was.
The other faces at the table all turned towards her at the question, and as usual, Ian was almost immediately the first one to volunteer the information she'd requested.
"We're talking about Tala's world-wide rampage a while back. Not really sure what brought it on, but for a while it's like he went completely berserk!"
For a moment, Demetra's eyes narrowed absently on the table in thought, until eventually her mind seemed to produce a file from somewhere deep down, and thrust it in front of her minds eye. That's when a look of recognition crossed her face.
"I think I remember something about that." She mumbled as she recalled the memory. "I remember seeing something on the news about Tala of the Blitzkrieg Boys, and his worldwide path of destruction."
Her voice was still a little distant, matching the look in her eyes, as she continued to play back the images from a time that seemed so long ago.
"A bit hard to believe he got so powerful in such a short time..." Demetra frowned a little when she remembered her reaction to hearing the news about the redhead's rampage. While the rest of the world had been shocked and horrified, she'd been greatly impressed. "Tala was always a strong competitor, but towards the end of Worlds... he wasn't really at the top of his game."
The Blitzkrieg Boys exchanged looks, and a collection of amused expressions appeared on their faces, as they listened to their brunette companion talk. When she seemed to be finished, Kai spoke up with a smirk of amusement.
"Sounds like you've been following him for a while." He said teasingly, but Demetra also picked up on a hint of something else in his tone and expression. "That's the most I've heard you say about someone, other than family, since I met you... Finally getting a soft spot for a certain redhead, Demetra?"
Demetra wanted to say the other something she was picking up on was jealousy, but thought it impossible and thus easily brushed it aside; the thought of Kai Hiwatari being jealous, especially because of her, was downright laughable. It was easier still to brush the thought aside, when the rest of the blunette's comment sank in.
"I wasn't just following him, I was following you too!" She said, flustered. Though for once she was unable to hold back the hot flush that instantly flooded over her, especially when she suddenly realized what she'd said and how it sounded. "Not just you, I mean all of you- everyone - I mean all the teams!"
A vein throbbed in her forehead as Demetra watched the guys beside her, barely able to contain their amused snickers and chuckles - that or they didn't bother to try.
"Don't be stupid." She grumbled at them, though it only made their cheesy grins wider. "Obviously I kept track of the competition! That happens to be what any - would you idiots stop looking at me like that!"
Finally her companions burst into laughter.
"Awe, hear that guys?" Bryan teased with a grin. "I think she likes us after all!"
"Sure sounds like that to me." Spencer chipped in with a grin of his own.
"Admit it, Demetra!" Ian said with the biggest grin of all as he leaned a little closer to her. "You're really just a big ol' softie under all that cold, hard steel aren't ya?"
Feeling the vicious heat in her face and neck intensify, Demetra turned away from the others and closed her eyes.
"Of course not." She grumbled moodily. "Under all this cold, hard steel, is a vicious monster I keep locked up for the safety of the modern world."
Her face was still flushed, and she was still throbbing with embarrassed irritation, but her heart was throbbing too; once again with that increasingly familiar annoying tug of affection. More so, when the guys began to tease her like she were the kid sister they'd known all their lives.
Thoroughly flustered, more than a little embarrassed, and desperate to get the attention off herself, Demetra opened her eyes and narrowed them on her companions again.
"Tell me more about what happened to Tala." She demanded with a straight face. "They said he destroyed most of the blades he battled."
Sobering up finally, the Blitzkrieg Boys all looked a little somber all of a sudden.
"That's not true." Spencer said quietly. "Truth is; he basically destroyed all the blades he battled. I mean sure, some survived for the most part, but nobody got out unscathed."
"And it wasn't just the top ranking bladers he went after." Bryan added with a frown. "That's just the ones they showed in the media. He went after everyone, anyone with a beyblade who crossed his path!"
Demetra lifted an eyebrow at this information. She was glad they couldn't read her mind; else-wise they'd have been able to tell that back then, their team was among the precious few she'd ever really found worthy of anything close to respect. Tala had also been one of a handful whom she'd ever wanted to face across the dish - another had been Kai.
Albeit, back then the main reason she'd wanted to battle them was to prove she was better; to them, to the world, and to herself. Of course, coming from her, Demetra Nakamura wanting to prove herself to someone was just about the highest compliment she was able to give.
"Yea, but good ol' Kai here was his last victim!" Ian said with a huge cheesy grin, and he leaned over the other way then to playfully slap the blunette on the back.
A smug expression crossed Kai's face, and his smirk returned, as he turned to face the other two. For a moment his eyes flickered to the side, but they almost instantly locked back on Demetra again, and when they did they shone with a suspiciously mischievous glint.
"Obviously." He said cockily. "Tala knows he'll never come close to my league."
This time an amused smirk crossed Demetra's face too, and she turned to look Kai in the eye.
"I suppose it's common knowledge that your skills are superior to Tala's." She said a little teasingly as she got to her feet. She took the time to toss her balled up sandwich wrapper over Kai's shoulder, watched it land perfectly in the trash at the end of the table, and finally turned her gaze back to the still smirking blunette. "So basically, when I beat you, I'll finally prove I'm completely superior to you both."
Kai's grin and expression were wicked as his heated gaze burned into her, and Demetra felt a shiver of pleasure vibrate through her because of it.
"I'm ready for you whenever you come calling, Captain..." He replied lowly with a dangerous look in his eyes. "But you'd better know what you're in for before you come knocking on my door..."
Demetra was reminded of a full-bellied beast toying with it's prey. On top of that, the implications of his words sent another tremor through her, and she felt the heat rise in her again, this time from a completely different source.
Ignoring the heat, and the rapid increase of her pulse, Demetra lifted her chin and looked down at the blunette with a smouldering gaze.
"I think I can handle you, Kai-kun." She said steamily. She was more than a little pleased to see the desired flicker of emotion in the blunette's face.
Letting her words hang in the air, Demetra turned on her heel with a triumphant smirk and a very smug expression. While she was childishly congratulating herself for what she considered a mental victory, Demetra came to an abrupt halt a second later when she immediately found herself face-to-face with a solid object.
Incidentally, the solid object happened to be Tala, and once Demetra got over her brief surprise, her brows furrowed when she made note of the redhead's dark expression.
"Now what's his problem?" She thought wearily. "His moods change more frequently than a hormonal, pregnant mother."
"You haven't beaten me yet, Princess." Tala seethed threateningly. "And it'll be a cold day in hell before you do."
It was tempting not to retort, but he didn't give her the chance even if she'd wanted to.
His gaze looking as deadly and cold as jagged ice, Tala closed the distance between them. The look on his face made Demetra's self-preservation scream at her to retreat, but as usual her pride kept her rooted in place. She did however do her best to return Tala's intimidating look with fierce defiance, as he stared down at her with a more icy, frigid expression than she'd ever seen him wear.
"Kai knows he's the one nowhere near my league, and he's damn sure not superior. But you?" Tala'slip curled back in a sort of snarl then as he leaned a little closer to Demetra. "Don't make me laugh."
Demetra eyed him with a straight face for a moment, until eventually she sighed in mild annoyance.
"Your childishness and idle, subtle threats are beginning to bore me Tala." She replied wearily. "You know what they say; actions speak louder than words."
That said, Demetra took a step to the side, then one forward as she once again made to leave. But before she could get any further, Tala stepped in front of her.
"Running scared again, your Highness?" He hissed quietly.
Demetra's jaw tightened, and she gave Tala an unamused expression. Instead of answering him though, she stepped to the opposite side, but Tala once again cut her off. Her expression darkened then as she looked up at him. Tala returned the look with a challenging one of his own, but lifted an eyebrow when the brunette before him raised a hand between them, her palm tipped towards him.
"Get out of my way, Tala." She seethed lowly as her eyes bore through him.
To anyone else the gesture might not have meant much, but Demetra was positive the redhead remembered well the last time he'd cornered her like that on the balcony, and she wouldn't have been surprised to learn she'd given him a nasty bruise to help him remember it by. It wasn't like she claimed to be able to physically overpower him or anything, but Demetra was also sure that even without ice to aid her, she was more than capable of pushing the redhead back a notable distance.
Now, Demetra wasn't naive enough to think that Tala was afraid of her, but she was willing to bet his pride was too big to let her embarrass him by making him look weak in front of his team.
Tala locked gazes with the barely shorter brunette so close to him, and both gazes seared each other for a long time. Eventually though, a mean sneer crossed Tala's face, and he tipped his chin up to look down his nose at the brunette before finally stepping aside.
Without giving the redhead another word or glance, Demetra lowered her hand and moved fluidly towards the door. She'd nearly made it out, and even managed to both open the door and take a step through it, before Tala's words inevitably halted her in her tracks.
"You ever think that maybe the reason dear mommy and daddy left you behind all those years ago, was because even as a kid, they could see what a complete bitter disappointment you were gonna be?"
There was a collection of gasps behind her as Demetra's hand on the door gripped the edge of it so tightly her knuckles instantly bleached. The wounded warrior inside of her was howling with rage, demanding she whirl around and teach the arrogant moron a lesson she should have taught him a long time ago. It would take her seconds to put him on his back, she was sure of it, and with the element of surprise on her side, there was no way he'd be able to stop her in time. Tala might be stronger, but Demetra was convinced she was much faster. Yes, she could definitely take him down before he even realized she'd moved.
"Whenever you feel like you wanna kill him, just think of us and your happiest memory of us all together. Not even Tala can ruin that!"
"I'm laughing so hard because I've never seen you get so worked up over anyone before, especially some guy!"
"I know he really pushes your buttons, Dem, but just try and remember; you're Demetra "Knockout" Nakamura, there's not a man alive you can't eat for breakfast. Besides, the only people who matter already think you're a total badass."
"It's just unfortunate he's such a loose cannon, he'd make an excellent rival for her otherwise... Yes, well seeing as his sanity leaves something to be desired...Obviously I'll always choose Demetra's side."
As snippets of past conversations came back to her, from the people who meant the most to her in the whole world, Demetra felt the tension in her body ease. Closing her eyes, she took a deep calming breath, and when she did, the pent up rage flowed away.
"They're right..." She thought calmly. "I need to stop letting him get under my skin. Who cares what Tala thinks anyway. I've got my family, and their opinions are the only ones that matter."
Lifting her chin in the air like the redhead had done, Demetra released the door.
"Grow up, Tala." She said simply, right before the door finally swung shut between them.
For the first time in a long time, Demetra felt completely relaxed and calm as she ascended the final staircase that would lead her to her room. For the first time since meeting a certain redhead, she felt like she'd finally learned to deal with him, as well as control her own thoughts and emotions around him. As such, the Captain was in a relatively good mood, also for the first time in a while.
However, the latter changed rather quickly. As soon as her cell vibrated in her pocket, Demetra withdrew it and opened it with swift fingers to check the screen. When she read the words of her most recent text, she halted in her tracks as a dark expression clouded her face.
Hey Dem! Just checking in to make sure you're not forgetting about our cam date tonight! Oh and btw, everyone is dressing up, so you better too, or else! Love you, ttyl!
Demetra moved her fingers to reply, but before she had the chance, another text came through from her (most of the time) favourite brunette.
BTW before you come up with some lame excuse, let me remind you of that one time you owe me for. You know the one. I'm calling in that favour!
Demetra felt a vein throbbing in her forehead as she stared at the screen with an extremely annoyed expression. But of course, she did know what her friend was talking about. And so, feeling a little guilty at the memory, Demetra released a heavy, irritated sigh and finally moved her fingers for a short and sweet reply.
Fine.
Yay! Love you Demi, see you later! Mwah!
In seconds, Victoria had replied, and Demetra made a face at the response, before shoving her cell back in her pocket. After that, the journey to her room was an unpleasant one, as Demetra made her way down the corridor with a sour expression.
-;-
Demetra muttered and grumbled irritably as she sucked on the tips of her fingers. Her gaze was flickering between the laptop screen in front of her, and her reflection in the mirror across the way. Although her face was an expression of annoyance, her stomach was tying itself up in knots.
It was Victoria's birthday, and the younger brunette had guilted her Captain into dressing up for a video date before her big party party later. If that wasn't bad enough, Demetra had nearly driven herself to the brink of insanity trying to get ready for the whole thing.
As she looked herself over in the mirror again, Demetra growled irritably, but her stomach gave another sickening twist all the same. It was the first time she'd actually 'dressed herself up', and Demetra was annoyed to have to admit that she was next to useless in that department.
Ultimately, after a whole lot of wasted time trying to do it herself and failing miserably, Demetra had been forced to seek help by way of online video tutorials. In the end, she still thought she looked like she was on her way to work in the red light district. But she'd followed the directions to the tee, and the girls in the videos looked sufficient enough when they were done, so Demetra figured she'd probably done a sufficient enough job too.
To be honest, she thought the whole thing was way too much effort to be worth it, and she couldn't imagine how people did it every day. All she'd gotten for her effort had been hours of frustration trying to decide what to wear, a gaudy makeup job that made her feel like a circus clown, and three burnt fingers, as she'd stupidly tried to do something she clearly hadn't the skill for.
Demetra lifted a handful of curls and made a face as she observed the ends of them. As soon as Victoria saw what a mess Demetra had made of her long locks, the Birthday girl would think twice about ever asking her Captain to dress herself up again.
What were those awkward angles called again? Something about fish?
Looking up again, Demetra once again sized up her reflection and frowned. For a few moments she just stared, but eventually she growled and looked away.
"I look damned ridiculous!" She growled angrily.
Her gaze flickered towards the clock, then back to her screen, then she debated for a moment. Finally Demetra jumped up.
"I've got time." She told herself firmly.
Just enough time to wipe the gunk off her face, and hopefully somehow wrangle her unnatural massive mane into some sort of binding, at least until the video date was over so she could wash it. She'd just have to tell Victoria she simply hadn't had time to get fancy.
Unfortunately, things didn't go quite that way. Groaning loudly, Demetra turned to plop back down in her seat again when she heard the familiar ringing of said girl's call.
Taking a long, deep breath, Demetra tried to ease her buzzing nerves.
"I need to relax." She thought, attempting to calm herself. "It's only the girls, I know they don't care what I look like..."
Sighing heavily, Demetra settled in as best she could before moving to answer the call.
"You better appreciate this, Birthday girl..." She grumbled moodily.
Fully expecting the usual immediate over-enthusiastic response from the brunette, Demetra was a little surprised, and admittedly felt a strange mix of bewilderment and pride, to note the view that greeted her.
"Dear Lord, who taught you how to fight, Yusuke Urameshi?!" Oliver Polanski laughed heartily as he stared at the pair across him.
In a stunning, ankle-length fancy number and dressed to kill, for some unknown reason, Victoria had the Giancarlo boy on his back with her stilettoed heel on his chest. One hand was resting delicately and casually on her hip, and there was a supremely triumphant expression on her face.
"Oh please!" Victoria teased pompously. "Urameshi learned what he knows from my Clik-Clok!"
Both boys cracked up at that, but before either of them could respond, Demetra's sudden applause of approval made them all turn towards her. Immediately Victoria grinned wide, released the blonde, and bounded towards the laptop to dive into the chair in front of it.
"Demi!" She exclaimed excitedly. However she froze when she finally took in her Captain's appearance.
Chuckling behind her, Oliver helped his blonde friend off the floor, then approached the two brunette's as well.
"Greetings, mad-" A small gasp cut off the end of his sentence, and the greenette too froze when he set eyes on the Finnish Captain.
With a huge and dopey grin on his face, Enrique was dusting himself off as he moved to join his companions, but when he looked up, he halted, and his jaw literally dropped.
By then, Demetra could feel her face beginning to burn. But when she was sure the awkwardness and embarrassment couldnt get much worse, the door behind the three in the screen suddenly swung swiftly inwards, and another body soon joined them.
"Finally! What the heck are you three losers doin' in here? Or do I wanna know?"
"Don't be so crude, Johnathan." Said yet another addition.
On his way past the Scot, Robert Jurgen whacked the redhead upside the head.
"Ow! Damn it! One of these days!"
The German Captain simply stuck his hand back in his pocket, a bored expression on his face, as he crossed the room to join the others.
"Shaking in my boots." He muttered sarcastically with an unimpressed expression.
Rubbing his head and grumbling under his breath, Johnny glared at Robert before moving to see what everybody was looking at. When finally the two new additions had joined the small group, they looked at the screen, and just like the others, their expressions changed.
Robert seemed to be uncomfortable looking at Demetra, and yet he couldnt seen to look away. Johnny was a little less shell-shocked, though he did have an extremely surprised look on his fare. After gawking for a few brief moments, the Scot eventually let out a low, appreciative whistle.
"Now that's the kind of look that makes a man overlook a lousy personality."
Once again, Johnny received another attack, but this time it was in the gut, and this time it was given by the only female in the room. Though when he merely placed a hand to his stomach and laughed, it was obvious he wasn't particularly sorry.
Demetra was horrified to find that not only was Victoria not alone, she was also joined by the entire Majestics team. And every single one of them were staring at her like she were some strange and weird animal in an exhibit.
"Demi..." Victoria said breathlessly after what seemed like a torturous amount of time. "You look... Wow..."
Demetra felt the heat rising up her neck, but before she could formulate a response, the screen split itself again, this time into four squares. In the next instant the faces of her remaining teammates appeared before her too. To further her horror however, Demetra noted the many bodies surrounding her two remaining girlfriends as well.
"I should have known the White Tigers would want to wish Tori Happy Birthday." She grumbled in her head. "But who would have guessed the stuck up Americans would join in!"
She also wasn't surprised to see the Italian playboy, or the little French chef beside the other brunette, but she hadn't counted on the other two being there.
There had been mild chatter among the occupants of the other two screens, but as each of their gazes fell on the Finnish Captain, a hush came over the entirety of the group, as they all stared at the brunette with a mixture of expressions, mainly dumbfounded shock.
At this point, Demetra could feel her entire body burning with mortification, and she was more than ready to cut the feed and be rid of them all.
"Oh, wow, Demi!" Keisha cooed dreamily after an agonizing silence. "You look so pretty!"
"So beautiful." Kage agreed with a warm smile.
This seemed to snap the others out of whatever ridiculous trance they were in, and like a dam breaking, they all rushed to insert their own very unwanted two cents worth.
"There was once a time not so long ago, when I could silence most of these morons with one good look!" Demetra grumbled in her head with a fierce scowl on her face. "I much preferred when they were scared of me..."
Finally after a good long spell of pestering and teasing, Demetra had about as much as she could stand. Her face scarlet, the folded arms across her chest digging nails into her arms, Demetra was a ticking time bomb ready to explode. At last, one more poke from the Scottish Rogue ignited said bomb; Demetra's temper sky-rocketed and she finally snapped.
"ENOUGH!" She roared furiously, instantly tossing a blanket of silence over the entire group.
Narrowing her eyes at the camera lens to glare at everyone in general, Demetra gave them the most intimidating expression her burning face could produce.
"I dont know how many of you already know this; but the Nakamura name is a powerful one.." She said lowly, dangerously. "People have been know to disappear just from getting on the bad side of a Nakamura."
Her eyes narrowed, and they were practically glowing past her dark expression.
"So please, go ahead and mention something about my looks, or compliment me again..." She hissed threateningly. "I insist."
Utterly stunned, and with mixed emotions on their faces, everyone blinked at the Finnish Captain for a few minutes, until eventually the faces of her three teammates split into wide grins.
"Okay guys!" Keisha said with a laugh. "I think our beloved Captain has had enough compliments and fawning for a lifetime!"
"Yea, she's not used to so much love at once, you guys." Victoria teased. "Demi's used to people being frozen in fear instead of awe."
"And I much prefer it that way." The elder brunette replied bluntly. Her eyes were closed, arms were still crossed, and the scowl was still on her face, but there was still a light flush there too.
After another brief round of teasing and playful banter, Kage eventually shook her head and reached out to type a message.
Alright, alright. I think we've all had enough fun at Demi's expense for one night. Besides, it's getting late and I think it's time Cinderella gets to the ball.
Looking at the time, everyone realized they'd been talking for well over an hour, and did agree it was time they bid farewll. So, wishing Victoria Happy Birthday, bidding each other goodbye, (and in some cases, giving the Finnish Captain a few last teasing words), everyone finally left the members of Villikosto alone to bid farewell in peace.
After the remnants of their company had dispersed, the remaining members of Villikosto turned back to their Captain.
"But seriously, Demi..." Keisha said softly with a warm smile on her face. "You really do look so amazing..."
"Totally." Victoria seconded. "I mean, you're a knock out on the best of days, and maybe it's just cause we've never seen you so dressed up before but... you really do look like a superstar tonight."
Kage nodded in agreeance with a wide smile of her own.
"Seems like a total waste for you to be so dressed up for nothing though." Keisha said softly.
"Speaking of!" Victoria exclaimed enthusiastically then. "Since it's my birthday, and this is the first time I won't get to spend it with you girls, I want something from you all!"
Demetra groaned.
"Why do I get the feeling I'm not going to like this?" She grumbled. Victoria grinned wide before continuing.
"I want all three of you to go out tonight and celebrate my birthday for me! And don't think you're getting out of it Demi! To prove you actually went out and had some fun, I want lots of pictures from everybody!"
"I can do that." Keisha agreed with a laugh. "I've kind of already thought of that actually; I was a little bummed earlier cause I wont get to spend your birthday with you, so Max talked me into going out with him and the All Stars tonight to celebrate your birthday. I guess it wouldn't be too much trouble to take a few pictures."
"Same here." Kage said when the redhead was finished. "The White Tigers and I are going out later to celebrate too. I'll make sure to take lots of pics for you Tori."
Victoria turned back to her Captain when the other two were finished and gave her another huge, cheeky grin.
"That just leaves you, Cap'n!" She teased with a wink and a mock salute. "So you better find something to do tonight, and someone to do it with!"
Demetra made a face at that.
"Like what?" She replied in annoyance as she crossed her arms. "I'm in the middle nowhere, and the only ally I have is Breal. And I think it's safe to assume he's not going to waste his time running pointlessly around all night just because it's your birthday."
Ignoring her Captain's morbidness, Victoria continued without missing a beat.
"You can go down to the village." She suggested immediately. "And don't pretend like you don't have any friends there, I know the Blitzkrieg Boys have grown on you."
A mischievous grin lit the younger brunette's face then.
"And I know you're more than a little fond of a certain smokin' hott blunette." She teased suggestively.
Demetra snorted indignantly, feeling her face heat again, and didnt say anything in response as she looked away from the screen. A moment later, Kage cleared her throat to get her Captain's attention, and when the brunette looked back to her, the silent blader lifted her hands to speak. The look on her face was casual, but there was a mischievous glint in her eyes as well.
"I have his number. Do you want me to text him and ask if he's free to accompany you tonight?"
Demetra's entire body temperature rose this time, and when she looked away from the screen again, her face was so red, it was easy to see it through her makeup. In fact, Demetra was surprised the horrible stuff wasn't melting down her face. Although it was a tempting notion, the thought of going on a date with Kai was more than a little nerve wrecking, and if it was going to happen, she was going to be the one to make it so.
"That's not necessary..." She mumbled in embarrassment. "I already have his number..."
Looking out the corner of her eye, Demetra knew her friends were grinning like total goofballs, and had to resist a sigh of irritation at the sight.
"Good!" Victoria exclaimed excitedly. "Then you can ask him to go to the village with you! Or if not, then ask the Blitzkrieg Boys. I don't care who you go with, you just better go with someone!"
Demetra was just about to reply when suddenly she thought of something.
"Hang on." She said thoughtfully with furrowed brows. "Kage, when and how did you get Kai's number?"
All three of the silent blader's teammates looked at her, but all they got in response was a sly look and a matching reply.
"Top secret."
"Uh huh." Demetra replied bluntly.
The other girls laughed, and immediately after, transitioned into their usual chatter for a while.
After a while, Victoria gave her Captain a stern look.
"And don't think you can just bail to go training or something!" She warned scoldingly. "I'm calling Breal later to check and make sure you actually go out! And I want a full report on my desk first thing in the morning!"
This made the Finnish beauty smile in amusement in spite of herself.
"Yes ma'am." She replied with a smirk.
"Oooo! Ma'am, I like that!" Victoria cooed playfully, giving Demetra a playful grin to match. "I could get used to hearing that from you, Demi!"
This time the smile reached her eyes, and a tiny chuckle escaped Demetra's prettily painted lips.
"Yes well, don't." She said bluntly, the smile still on her face. "And aren't you running late for that ball, princess?"
"Only fashionably so, Demi, you know me." Victoria teased. Then a mischevious glint appeared in her eye. "If I recall correctly though, you're the princess, aren't you Demi?"
Demetra's face flushed, and a scowl took over it as she turned a glare on her brunette teammate. But before she could respond to the taunt, Keisha jumped on the new bandwagon.
"Maybe you should ask a certain redheaded Russian prince to accompany you tonight, your royal majesty!" She sang teasingly.
"Or maybe you should take me up on my offer to text Kai for you." Kage added with a teasing smile of her own.
"Or maybe we should call them both for you, considering how big of a chicken you are!" Victoria chimed in again. She was doing that stupid ditzy girl act again, the one she thought was funny but always got on Demetra's nerves. "That's it! That's what we'll do! We'll call them both, and you can finish getting ready in the meantime, and how fun will it be waiting with excitement to see who will show up at your door, right?!"
Demetra's eyes widened, and her face paled as a look of horror consumed her beautiful features; although she knew the younger brunette was hamming it up, she also knew the threat was very real.
"Dont. Even. Consider it." She threatened warningly.
"Done!" Victoria exclaimed as if her Captain hadn't even spoken. "OK, off to make some calls, then to party myself out of my stupidly expensive designer heels! Kay, night girls, bye Dem, have fun with your Russian beau, whoever that might end up being! Wink, wink! OK love you, have fun, Mwah!"
After her long winded, breathless string of nonsense, Victoria blew a kiss to her sisters and quickly signed off before her Captain could reply.
"Well, that goes doubly for me, girlskies!" Keisha said with a huge one hundred watt grin of her own. "Love you girls so much and miss you like crazy! Have fun tonight, especially you Demi! Better go issue an invite before Tori beats you to it! Night!"
Blowing a kiss of her own, Keisha waved at the two remaining girls, then left as well. Looking towards her final friend, Demetra gave Kage an unamused expression, and the silent blader laughed before lifting her shoulders for a shrug. This was followed by a small amused smile as she waved at her Captain, and then she too was gone.
Staring at only herself on the screen for a moment, Demetra considered everything with a growing sense of dread. Surely Victoria wouldn't actually follow through with her threat? Surely she wouldn't actually be that brave and stupid. After only a few brief moments, Demetra's face creased in another scowl before getting to her feet.
"I have to get the hell out of here." She grumbled bluntly.
Hurrying to grab a coat and the usual necessities, Demetra all but flew to and out the door, in her hurry to put as much distance between herself and her room as possible.
Demetra sighed heavily in annoyance as she made her way down the stairs towards the main exit. She was still in a foul mood, and her recent embarrassment was still burning her insides. But she had to admit, the mood was considerably lighter after talking to her girls, as always.
Eventually, with no other options, and knowing her friends were one hundred percent serious with their threats, Demetra acknowledged that she was forced to take the night off. After a brief internal struggle, she eventually decided to head down to the village after all. And while she was down there, she might as well play tourist for a little while.
At first Demetra had toyed with the idea of asking the Blitzkrieg Boys to join her, but it hand't taken her long to dismiss that idea - some might call it chickening out. She wasn't exactly accustomed to asking people for their company. And the thought of asking Kai to accompany her as the girls suggested; well, needless to say, that was way out of her comfort zone.
So in the end, Demetra had decided to go alone. She knew Victoria's threat wasn't an empty one, it was well within the limits of something the bold brunette would do. But whether or not she actually did it, didnt matter; Demetra didn't plan to be around for either of the Russians to find her anyway. Besides, she was pretty confident the girls wouldn't actually reach out to Tala, and if they contacted either of the other Russian bladers, well really, that probably wouldn't be an altogether bad thing. It would save her the trouble of having to ask, and truth be told, she'd probably enjoy their company a little more than her solitude - just this once.
Particularly if company meant a very magnetically attractive blunette.
Forcing back the flush creeping up her neck at that thought, Demetra pushed the irritating images from her mind, just as she reached the bottom of the last flight of stairs. Throwing her coat over her shoulders, she'd just slipped her arms through, and was tucking her hands behind her neck to pull her hair outside the coat, when another familiar voice gave her pause.
"And where are we off to all alone in the dark?"
Relieved that for once it wasn't the usual irritating redhead, Demetra released her hair to fall down her back, then gave her sleeves a tug as she turned towards the familiar approaching blunette.
"Out." She said bluntly, doing her damndest not to flush again at the sight of him; especially when she remembered the recent conversation concerning him.
Kai's expression was slightly teasing to match the tone in his question, but when Demetra turned to face him, he halted in his tracks and froze as he stared at her. Demetra watched the normally stony-faced Kai's eyes widen, followed by a look of shock, mixed with another unidentifiable expression, which took hold of his features.
Unable to move under the piercing and magnetic draw of his stare, all Demetra could do was squirm as she watched those heart-throbbing eyes watching her, and did her best to look annoyed instead of like the skittish rabbit she felt like.
Finally, after an agonizing length of time, Demetra this time watched Kai swallow hard, then seem to pull himself out of whatever the hell had suddenly come over him. A teasing expression came over his face again, and he even smirked, but there was still an intense fire burning in his eyes, and it made Demetra shiver in a strange mix of fear and desire.
"Looking good, Captain." Kai said lowly as he continued to approach her. When he was directly in front of her, he lifted his chin a little and tilted his head to the side. "Don't you know what happens to pretty things when they're left unattended?
Demetra felt another shiver run down her spine, but this time she hid it well behind a bemused expression.
"Don't you know what they say about pretty things?" She countered softly, lifting an eyebrow. "It's the pretty things you should watch out for."
Kai's smirk widened to resemble an amused grin.
"Pretty sure that's not how the saying goes." He teased with a low rumble of amusement.
"Does that matter if it's true?" Demetra replied with a lifted brow of her own. "Roses, for example."
This time, it was a definite grin that spread across Kai's face before he chuckled lightly.
"Touché." He replied simply. "Cliche and cheesy, but I'll let you have it."
Demetra watched Kai's expression soften then, and noted it change to something that looked suspiciously like affection. After a few moments, he looked down for a minute before looking back up at her with an unreadable but still soft expression.
"Tala was pretty out of line earlier..." He said softly.
Demetra frowned and looked away from him.
"I don't need your pity, Kai." She said, crossing her arms as a somewhat dark expression clouded her face for the second time that day. "And I don't need a Prince Charming to come to my rescue."
"Hey... look at me..."
Almost grudgingly, Demetra turned her head partially towards the blunette and gave him a defiant expression. She expected him to chuckle, or laugh or tease her like usual, but to her surprise, there was a serious expression on his face now.
"You OK?" He asked softly, surprising her yet again.
Demetra stared at him for a few moments, then sighed wearily and turned away from him.
"I'm fine." She said coldly. "If I had to shed a tear for every time Tala said or did something out of line, I'd have drowned us all by now. I know you and your team think you're really tough, and that you pack a powerful punch, even with every word that comes out of your mouth, but it'll take a lot more then some childish comments to break me down."
Demetra began walking away, but a gentle hand on her arm made her stop again. Looking over her shoulder, Demetra's breath caught slightly to see Kai's face dangerously close to hers, staring down at her with a complex expression.
"I'm not the bad guy..." He whispered huskily, causing a shiver to run down Demetra's spine when his breath brushed past her ear. "Believe it or not... I am actually on your side."
Taking a moment to still her traitorous heart, Demetra eventually sighed heavily and forced herself to look forward again.
"I know." She eventually replied softly. "And believe it or not... I am actually grateful for it."
That said, Demetra gently slipped her arm out of the hand gripping it, and began walking again.
"Where are you going?" Kai called after her.
"The village." She replied simply. After a brief pause, she heard his voice again.
"Care for some company?"
For a third time, Demetra paused, though this time she didn't turn around, and Kai didn't approach her again. After a long silence, debating, she eventually answered.
"No." She said quietly, not even sure if he'd heard her. "I could use a night to myself..."
"I get it." Kai replied, apparently having heard her after all. "You know my number if you change your mind."
Although she could feel his eyes on her the entire way out, Demetra didn't reply to the devastatingly handsome blunette this time. She simply proceeded forward for the last time before finally exiting the building.
It barely felt like an exaggeration to say that Demetra had a thousand and one things on her mind as she left the facility. Like so often as of late, her mind was full of a chaotic assortment of things; including and yet not limited to; beyblade, training schedules, school work, her friends and family, and a certain team of Russian bladers; particularly one maddening redhead. And to top it all off, tonight, she had the added annoyance of Victoria's demand on her mind.
"I should have asked the Blitzkrieg Boys to come with me..." She thought with a deep frown. "Or at least sucked up my pride and accepted Kai's offer. All I had to do was say yes, damn it!..."
Demetra released a heavy and irritated sigh then.
"I could always take enough pictures of the village to convince Tori I actually went out, but I'm never going to hear the end of it for going alone..."
She'd already gone a good distance when Demetra suddenly noticed that the weather had taken a turn for the worse. Pausing in step for a minute, the Captain's nuisance thoughts were finally banished when she made note of her surroundings. Her brows furrowing, Demetra stared ahead of her for a moment, then looked around. After a few minutes of this, she turned a little to look behind her, and her frown deepened. In what couldn't have been more than a few minutes, a full-out blizzard had picked up; so thick and heavy that not only was Demetra unable see more than a foot or so past her own face, she also had no idea which direction she'd come from.
Turning forward again, Demetra worked her jaw for a minute in thought. On the one hand, she could press forward and hope she found her way, though she knew this wasn't the most brilliant idea; even though the village wasn't very big, there was still a chance she could end up getting lost, and she didn't want to give a certain redhead the satisfaction of knowing she'd met her demise in such a way. On the other hand, she could wait a few moments to see if the storm passed enough to be able to find her way; after all, it had picked up rather quickly, perhaps it would die out just as fast.
Almost as if tempting her, Demetra felt the wind suddenly pick up, and a violent shiver ran down her spine when she felt it cut through her clothes like a knife and chill her to the bone. With another heavy sigh, Demetra reached to yank her hood up over her head and pulled her coat tight around her. Looking around for a minute, her silver eyes narrowed as they glanced around for some sort of inkling of a proper direction. Just then a tiny dot of light pierced through the blinding snow. It was so small, Demetra had no idea where it was coming from, never mind what the source could be. But seeing as she had no other option, she only hesitated a moment before making the decision to trudge forward towards it.
As soon as she was close enough to realize where she'd been led, Demetra paused in her step for a second time, and stared ahead of her with a slightly amused expression.
"You've got to be kidding me." She said aloud bluntly.
Looking behind her, Demetra realized the weather was as bad as ever. In fact, if she didnt know how completely ridiculous it was, she'd almost swear the bitter cold wind was corralling her towards the light. Turning forward again, Demetra hesitated another few moments before finally caving with a heavy sigh.
"Alright.." She conceded under her breath. "What the he-"
Demetra pursed her lips to cut off her sentence, as a sudden rush of guilt came out of nowhere, followed closely by a hot flush of embarrassment. Deciding to ignore both, she finally pushed forward again towards literally the only destination in sight. That destination just so happened to be the very church that had fascinated her the first time she'd explored the village with the Blitzkrieg Boys.
Trying not to think about much else other than getting out of the weather, Demetra forced herself to cross the threshold of the big wrought iron gates, ignore the near-immediate feeling of safety that enveloped her, and ploughed onwards up the stairs. When she'd finally reached the front doors of the huge building, she paused long enough to look over her shoulder at the storm (which, ludicrously seemed to be lingering at the gates), then turned and forced herself to open the doors and go inside.
As soon as the door shut behind her, Demetra inhaled sharply as an inexplicable, overwhelming sensation of peace and calm washed over her. Sighing heavily in content, a smile graced her face as she ventured, a little more willingly now, into the massive building.
Noticing that her steps were silenced by the soft carpet under feet, Demetra paused a moment right before she entered the inner Sanctuary. She intended to wipe her feet and shake her clothes free of snow, not wanting to trail it through the church out of respect, but when Demetra looked down at herself, she noticed that not only was she completely dry, there wasn't a snow flake to be seen. In fact, looking behind her, she noted that there wasn't so much as a drop or flake behind her either.
For a while, Demetra began to wonder if she'd passed out, and her over-taxed mind had concocted some sort of weird dream to try and cope with it all. Even after she'd shaken her head and decided to continue on, she still hadn't entirely convinced herself she was awake.
Reaching up to unbutton her heavy coat, Demetra looked around as she slowly made her way up the isle between the many rows of pews. The church was tall, and elegant and beautiful. But more that anything; with its almost entirely wooden interior, comforting lighting, and modest decor, it felt like being welcomed into the home of a beloved friend after a painfully long absence. Taking a slow savouring breath, Demetra inhaled deeply, and sighed in content when she finally exhaled. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she was sure she could smell the soothing scents of cedar and pine as if everything had just been built - though it was clear the church had been around for quite a while.
As she made note of the interior of the church and all the feelings it evoked in her, many of Demetra's thoughts from the outside finally caught up to her. And with the usual buzz of irritating words and images, came also the familiar deep frown to accompany it.
Sighing in frustration now, Demetra closed her eyes and took another deep breath; hoping the soothing scents would once again soothe her mind as well as her body, but admittedly not really expecting it to. After several deep breaths, Demetra's annoying thoughts did indeed slowly die away; like turning down the volume of a television, and in her relieved surprise, she felt the tension drain away with it.
"If only I felt this much peace outside these walls..." She thought as her expression relaxed again.
Admittedly, Demetra wasn't in any way a religious or spiritual person, but she did somewhat understand some people's need for it - it just wasn't for her. In fact, from her experience, Demetra had learned that the only ones she found she could count on; were her family and herself, everyone else was always, in some way, out for themselves.
Eventually opening her eyes and looking up at the supposedly inspiring words written on the wall, Demetra gave a small depreciating smile in spite of herself.
"Tell you what.." She thought, mostly jokingly. "You help me find the kind of peace out there that I feel in here, and I'll darken your door more often."
"Peace is easier to obtain on the outside, when you find something to help you maintain it on the inside."
Looking over her shoulder at the sound of the new voice, Demetra furrowed her brows when she laid eyes on a new figure standing near the back of the church. He was a little taller than average, with a kind and gentle face.
Surprised to see anyone standing there, Demetra stared for a minute, but she was surprised more so when she noted how far away the man was. She figured the acoustics in the building must be superb, because it had sounded very much like he was standing directly behind her. Her brows furrowed then when she realized something else.
"Did I say that out loud?" Demetra thought in mild confusion. After a few minutes she brushed the thought aside. "He's probably just good at reading people..."
Shaking the thoughts aside, Demetra relaxed as she replied to the man.
"I suppose that's true." She said eventually, turning to fully face him now. "I hope it's alright that I'm here. The door was unlocked, and there was this-"
Demetra paused and bit the side of her cheek. This what? This freak storm, and the light of the church, which both seemed to lead her there? It sounded too ridiculous to say aloud, even if it was true.
A strange glint shone in the man's eyes, one that looked suspiciously like amusement, though the smile on his face was warm.
"You don't need to feel guilty about being here." He replied calmly. "The doors to this place are always open, and they don't bar themselves to anyone."
"Thank you." Demetra replied, relaxing now. She paused again however when she realized she had no idea who she was even talking to. "Father? Reverend?... Rabbi? I'm sorry, I don't know what I'm supposed to call you."
This made the man chuckle, and Demetra felt a warm wave wash over her at the sound; his laugh was the essence of peace, and reminded her of the calming sound of a rushing river.
"I've been called a lot of things by a lot of different people." He said with a wide smile of amusement. "But you can just call me Joshua."
"Joshua... Alright." Demetra replied. As an afterthought, she tacked on a simple introduction of her own . "My name is Demetra."
Again a strange twinkle sparkled in Joshua's eyes, and his smile seemed to noticeably widen.
"It's a pleasure to have you with us, Demetra." He said kindly. Taking his hands out of his pockets, he gestured one towards the pews. "If you're not in too much of a hurry, why don't you join me for a chat?"
Hesitating a moment in thought, Demetra eventually moved forward and soon found herself in one of the pews. Once she'd chosen a place, Joshua approached her and took a seat directly in front of her in the next pew forward. Turning sideways, he linked his fingers together, then rested his elbow on the back of the seat before offering Demetra a cheerful smile. It was only then she was able to see his eyes, and the sight of them took her breath away.
Joshua's eyes were a shocking kaleidoscope of mystery; they seemed to have thousands of facets, each one reflecting a thousand thoughts and emotions all at once. Unable to look away, and ashamed of herself for the disrespect, Demetra got the unnerving impression those eyes could see not just through her, but into her.
"So. What brings you here, friend?" The person in question asked cheerfully. "Something on your mind you need a strange ear for?"
Scrunching up her face at the saying which oddly tickled her funny bone for some reason, Demetra gave the man before her a look.
"Actually... I didn't really come here on purpose." She said lowly, feeling a pang of guilt. "I suppose it's probably one of those you wouldn't believe me if I told you, sort of things..."
Joshua lifted one knee on the bench and appeared to make himself comfortable, and Demetra had to smile at the theatrics.
"Oh, I don't know." He said somewhat teasingly. "I've seen and heard some pretty unbelievable things. Try me."
Sighing a little wearily, Demetra decided to just go ahead with it. So what if he thought she was crazy? If he did, she could just leave and forget all about him.
"Well... I was actually on my to the village when this freak storm just..." Demetra hesitated, glanced up from under her lashes, and noticed that Joshua seemed to be genuinely interested, and it made her relax enough to continue. "It seemed to just materialize out of nowhere. And I know this sounds completely ridiculous, but... The only light I saw was the church light out front, and the storm seemed to... push me towards it, I suppose..."
Looking up at Joshua again, Demetra noted that he still looked attentive and in no way judgemental. After waiting a few moments to make sure she was finished, he finally spoke.
"Are you looking for an opinion, or just an ear to listen?" He asked with a kind smile now.
"I wasn't really looking for an opinion..." Demetra replied, considering. "But if you have one... I wouldn't mind hearing it."
"Weather is a funny thing, isn't it?" Joshua answered in response. "Sometimes it seems to have a mind of its own. People seem to think they know how it should behave, and then they get upset when it doesn't."
He gave her a playful look after that, and it made Demetra smile.
"That's more of an observation I suppose. An actual opinion is this;" Joshua leaned a little closer then and lowered his voice in a conspiriatorial way. "People rarely end up here unless they need something."
That tickled Demetra's funny bone too and she couldnt resist a comment.
"What about the regulars?" She asked cheekily. "Don't they come to give thanks?"
"And what do you think they're giving thanks for?" Joshua returned smartly without missing a beat. "What they asked for last time, that's what! And to ask for something else!"
This time Demetra laughed and Joshua smiled again.
"Don't you think those people need something too?" He asked gently this time. "Some of them might act like they've got it all figured out, but they're just as much in need of something as the people beside, behind and in front of them. Now, I happen to know that nothing happens by chance, so if you really want my opinion, here it is; I don't think it was by chance you're here tonight, Demetra."
Staring at the man for a moment, Demetra eventually gave him a small smile.
"Well, that's one opinion..." She said a little playfully.
Joshua laughed at that, then lifted his fingers to pretend to crack his knuckles.
"That was easy." He said with a grin when he was finished. "What else have you got? I'm just getting warmed up!"
Amused beyond compare, Demetra's smile widened considerably as she lightly shook her head at the man. Admittedly, she felt more comfortable around him then she ever had a stranger in her entire life. In fact, she couldn't help but think that if she'd had the chance to know her father, maybe talking to him would have been something like this.
Looking down at the back of the pew for a moment in consideration, Demetra eventually caved. What did it matter if she bared her soul to this man? He didnt know her, and something told her he wasn't the judging type. So, taking a moment to sift through her chaotic flurry of thoughts, Demetra tried to snag one in particular that might do her some good to share with someone.
Then Demetra remembered Joshua's words from earlier.
"You mentioned inner peace." She said, tipping her head slightly to one side as she observed her companion. "I'm sure it's a question you've heard more times than you can count, but I'm hoping that only means you've perfected an answer by now..."
Receiving only an amused smile, and another attentive expression in response, Demetra continued.
"How are you supposed to find inner peace, when most everything both around you, and inside you, feels like a war zone most days?"
"Ah. Although, it's always worded differently, that is indeed a question I've heard more than a few times." Joshua confirmed thoughtfully. Yet it didnt take him long to answer, as if he really had perfected it. "The truth is; the source of inner peace is different for every person. The trick is; finding the source of yours. Sometimes, identifying the thing or things that you most often take up arms against, and learning how to either defeat them or get them under control, is the easiest way to find the peace you're looking for."
Chewing her cheek for a moment, Demetra once again stared at the back of the seat in front of her in thought. Eventually, her lips parted and words spilled out without her entirely meaning them to.
"I hope there's another path to peace for me..." She said softly. "Because I already know the source of most of my battles, and knowing it hasn't made it much easier up until now..."
There was silence for a few moments, until Joshua spoke up again, once again with a voice that reminded her almost painfully of the father she's often imagined but never knew.
"Did you ever wonder if you're fighting the wrong battles?" He asked her gently. "Maybe even battles against allies you've mistaken for your enemies?"
Feeling an indignant stab, Demetra made a face, prepared to deny the accusation with everything she had, but she couldn't force the words out of her mouth. Instead, the question spun around her mind like a broken record until she was forced to give it its due.
"Tala is the battle I'm constantly fighting!" She thought with a sour expression. "Not that I don't think fighting with him is pointless, it's just that it seems inevitable most days... And it would be a far stretch to consider him an ally!"
She tried again to deny the accusation against her, but still Demetra's tongue wouldn't cooperate. So, resisting a sigh of irritation, she continued to roll the thought around in her mind a little longer, until eventually some sentimentally began to bubble to the surface.
"We do make a fine team though..." She thought, almost affectionately, as she remembered their partnership during her first ever paintball game. "And I suppose he's tolerable from time to time..."
Although it killed her to admit, Demetra also couldnt deny that there was a definite draw to the irritating redhead, as much as she really wished there wasnt.
Eventually, Demetra released a heavy sigh and looked up at Joshua.
"I suppose it's a possibility..." She finally admitted softly. Instead of looking smug, Joshua gave her a sympathetic smile this time.
"You know, I've known my fair share of people who were in your predicament, and I've seen a number of various outcomes. But from my point of view, would you like to know what I find usually works best?"
Demetra blinked at him, then frowned a little, almost afraid to ask.
"What's that?"
There was another twinkle in Joshua's eye, but his expression was still soft when he replied.
"The best strategy for your sorts of battles is usually a white flag." Seeing the expression on Demetra's face, Joshua laughed. "Believe me, I know better than anyone how hard it can be to burry the hatchet someone's already buried in your back..."
His expression softened then.
"But I'd also like to think that I know first hand better than anyone, how rewarding it can be sometimes to lay down your weapons and your pride, and let your enemy have the battle..." His smile widened again. "Sometimes, you find that yielding to the smaller battles, leads you to ultimately winning the war."
Swallowing hard, Demetra weighed Joshua's words carefully. They resonated inside her, and she was shocked to realize that they seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear; and as such she swore she felt her soul sigh in content.
Eventually, Demetra looked back at her companion and stared at him for a few moments. To his credit, Joshua held her gaze with a kind expression, and let her study him until she was satisfied. Finally Demetra's own expression softened before voicing her response.
"So what you're saying is; I need to pick my battles." She said a little playfully. Again Joshua laughed.
"In a short and sweet sense, yes." He replied with a wide grin. "And while you're picking your battles, perhaps you should make a better evaluation of your friends and foes... You might just be surprised to find your strongest ally amongst your greatest foe."
Furrowing her brows, Demetra couldnt help but stare in wonder for a moment, and not for the first time, she was amazed at Joshua's accuracy. Before she could question him however, Demetra watched her companion turn his head and stare at the opposite wall. A moment later, another wide smile appeared on his face, this one a mixture of expressions.
"Looks like its time to go." He said with a hint of amusement.
Demetra watched Joshua get to his feet and make his way back to the centre aisle.
"Oh." She said a little awkwardly. "Do you need to leave?"
There was definite amusement on Joshua's face this time when he stepped out of the pews and turned to face her.
"No, but it would be in your best interest if you do." He said, gesturing down the aisle. "Come, I'll walk you out."
"Are you kicking me out?" Demetra asked, a little shocked this time. Joshua laughed again.
"Of course not." He said kindly. "You're always welcome here, friend. Whenever, and for as long, as you want. For tonight, though, you've got other plans."
Getting to her feet, Demetra approached Joshua, and followed beside him as he indeed walked her out. Looking up at him, she gave him a somewhat confused look.
"I do?" She questioned with a lifted eyebrow.
"Of course you do." Joshua replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You just don't know it yet."
Intending to question him, Demetra's thoughts, words, and step, all came to a halt as abruptly as her companion suddenly did. When she looked forward again, she gave a little start as she realized they'd reached the back of the church, and stared in disbelief, wondering how they had gotten there so fast.
"Here we are. Turns out we're both needed elsewhere, so this is where I leave you, friend." Not giving Demetra a chance to wonder too much about yet another head-scratcher, Joshua tuned to smile down at her again. "But I look forward to your next visit, so don't be a stranger. For now, enjoy your night, I'm sure it will be one you'll never forget."
"I don't know about that." Demetra replied a little wearily, continuing towards the door when her escort stopped. "Though I do usually enjoy my solitude, so... we'll see. Thank you for lending me an ear."
"It was truly my pleasure." Joshua replied earnestly. "And I hope you manage to make an ally out of that enemy of yours!"
Demetra snorted at that, unamused.
"Again, highly unlikely." She said, still wearily. "I-"
Turning to look over her shoulder, Demetra stopped when she realized Joshua was gone. Blinking a few times in bewilderment, she eventually shook her head, chalking it up to a strange night, before turning back to leave again.
Seeing the table by the front door on her way past with a locked dropbox on top, Demetra paused and eyed it for a moment before approaching.
"I should make an offering..." She thought, chewing her cheek.
After hesitating for a moment, she reached into her pocket for her wallet and pulled out what she thought was a generous amount, before depositing it into the box. Certain this was sufficient, Demetra replaced her wallet and turned to walk away, but something made her stop and look back. She stared at the box for a moment, considered the bills she'd slipped inside, and couldn't help but the feel like it wasnt as sufficient as she'd thought. It wasnt that she could take it back, it was too late for that, and that wasnt what she wanted anyway.
Looking up at the wall, Demetra read the words written above the box.
"She placed a penny in the plate. And so, her offering was greater, because she gave all she had."
Demetra's brows furrowed in confusion now. What was that supposed to mean? Something told her it didnt mean empty your pockets, but no matter how hard she thought about it, she knew she didnt understand its true meaning. Intrigued, she turned back to the door and made to exit.
"I don't think I'm ready to join the ranks of the regulars." Demetra thought. "But I might consider coming back once or twice. It's not exactly the worst place in the world."
And truth be told, a certain curiosity had invaded her brain, adding more to the already chaotic storm of her thoughts, and with it came the desire to solve the mysteries she'd found there that night. Thinking of the fatherly figure she'd met, Demetra couldnt help but hope he would be there if she decided to come back.
All of a sudden, Demetra came to a jarring halt, and her eyes widened, when she realized something very important. Even though she'd only just left Joshua's presence, no matter how hard she tried, she could not remember a single physical thing about him. The only thing Demetra could remember about the man were the words he'd spoken, and the voice he'd used to speak them with.
For a long time, Demetra stood there in mild shock. But when she was finally able to pull herself out of her trance, and her brain had kickstarted again, she closed her eyes for a moment, gave everything a brief thought, then threw it all into one big pot and put it on the back-burner for later. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the blissful peace she'd been blessed with; something she'd rarely ever had the pleasure to, and hadn't in a very long time.
With a fond smile, Demetra pulled her hood back up, then turned to push open the front doors and finally expel herself back out into the harsh outside world.
Demetra reached for the front of her coat to fasten it around her again, but hesitated when she suddenly made note of the dead calm. A small smile tugged at her lips, and she let her hands down by her side as she took a moment to take in the peaceful sounds of the village.
Taking her time down the stairs, Demetra let the sights and sounds of the bustling village further soothe her already calm mind. She'd almost reached the bottom stair when she felt a sudden shiver run down her spine, and paused to wonder at the reasoning behind it. Suddenly her nerves were on edge, and she had the indefinite impression she was being watched.
Frowning slightly, Demetra's sharp silver eyes scanned the area, until her gaze almost immediately fell on a face that had nearly become more familiar than her own. Leaning against the gate outside; looking like he thought that him being there was the most natural thing in the world; Tala was side-on with his face turned towards her. Feeling the tension she'd been feeling most of the day instantly return again, Demetra's back straightened, and her chin lifted, as she gave the person staring at her a cold look.
Seeing her expression, an amused and taunting smirk split Tala's face.
"I see you're still in one piece." He said tauntingly. "Maybe your soul's not quite as black as it seems after all."
Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Demetra instead looked away from Tala and finished her decent down the stairs.
"Says the one who's avoiding the entrance like a vampire." She said sarcastically without looking at him. "What's wrong Tala, afraid you'll burst into flames if you set foot on holy ground?"
In her peripherals, Demetra saw Tala shift uncomfortably for a moment, before eventually snorting indignantly and unfurling himself from the gate. Ignoring him, Demetra brushed past Tala, intending to continue ignoring him until she'd forgotten he'd ever disturbed her peace in the first place.
Unfortunately, things didn't always go as planned, and Demetra's were instantly derailed when she suddenly felt a hand on her arm. Before she could react, Tala had spun her around, and a small gasp escaped her, as he pushed her back against the fence all in one swift movement. Momentarily stunned, Demetra stared a little wide-eyed up at Tala. Evidently he was quicker than she'd given him credit for.
She wanted to blame her breathlessness on the fact that he had caught her off guard yet again, but as soon as Demetra focused on the redhead, she was instantly stunned when she took him in. From what she'd gathered about him, Tala didn't usually seem to be the type to dress up, but that night he was dressed to kill, and just for a moment Demetra imagined he'd dressed himself with her in mind - he certainly looked like he'd been snooping in her deepest fantasies.
If it was just the way he was dressed, Demetra was sure she could have fairly easily managed to contain herself. But as it happened, as soon as Tala stepped forward to press himself closer to her in a way she was becoming all too familiar with, Demetra was unable to resist inhaling sharply through her nose. As soon as she did that, a new and intoxicating scent overwhelmed her, completely overloading her senses; so much so that her eyes fluttered feverishly for a moment.
"Fine, I'll admit it." Demetra thought, trying her damndest not to melt into the redhead. "But only in here; Tala Ivanov, you are inarguably one of the most maddeningly attractive men I've ever known. If you weren't such a complete pain in my -"
Demetra cut those thoughts off, refusing to even think it to herself, and not because of her bad language.
Obviously not hearing her thoughts, Tala finally opened his mouth to speak.
"I want something from you..." He whispered heatedly, leaning down into her face. "And neither of us is leaving this spot until I get it..."
...::: Earlier that day :::...
"Man, sometimes you really go too far..."
"Yea, that was pretty low, Tala." Spencer added, agreeing with Ian's sentiment.
Tala snorted indignantly, ignoring his team as he walked past them to get his lunch. On the outside, he looked completely calm and collected, completely unbothered over then scene that had just occurred. But when he bypassed his friends, Tala cringed as his own words rang out in his head like a bad record continuously skipping.
"You ever think that maybe the reason dear mommy and daddy left you behind all those years ago, was because even as a kid, they could see what a complete bitter disappointment you were gonna be?"
Tala's stomach knotted sickeningly.
"I didn't really mean to say that..." He thought with a guilty grimace. "But it's fine, it clearly didn't bother her that much anyway... and she's obviously more than used to me by now..."
Despite him trying to convince himself his cruel words were no big deal, Tala knew that this time he'd finally crossed a line.
Stopping in his walk, he paused in thought for a few moments, chewed his cheek indecisively, then eventually heaved a heavy sigh before turning around and storming back to the exit.
Blinking at him in confusion, the Blitzkrieg Boys gazes followed the redhead as he blew past them again.
"Where ya goin'?" Ian asked in confusion.
"Not hungry." Tala grumbled simply.
Wordlessly, his friends watched him as he roughly punched the door open, leaving them with nothing more than the swish of heavy steel.
-;-
Tala sighed heavily in irritation as he proceeded down the hall that would lead him to his own room. He'd intended to go there from the beginning, but somehow his feet had carried him to Demetra's. After pacing and debating, and lifting his fist several times to knock, only to lower it and resume indecisively pacing, he eventually huffed in frustration and turned to leave the door behind.
Now, as he passed Breal's room, Tala noticed that the coach's door was slightly ajar. Not usually one to be nosy, he meant to pass the room and continue on his way, but something made him stop and, a little reluctantly, peer inside as he listened in on the voice.
Breal was busy shuffling through some papers on his desk as he spoke into the little device stuck in his ear.
"I know it's your birthday, but you know I do not have the time to waste on something so frivolous. Besides, I think we both know Demetra's more than capable of taking care of herself."
Tala cocked an ear at that and leaned a little closer with interest. He watched the blunette inside for a moment, the Coach seemingly only half paying attention to the person on the other end of the call, until something that was obviously said made him pause.
Breal released a heavy sigh of annoyance as he placed the papers in his hand down on his desk.
"Alright, fine." He caved, reaching up to rub the bridge of his nose. "I'll check in on her later, and if she's not gone out, I'll drive her out myself, promise. As for someone to accompany her, that I will have no part of."
After another brief pause, the blunette seeming to be listening to the other voice once more, he eventually spoke again.
"If she's going down to the village, then I assure you, there's nothing to worry about where safety is concerned. I can tell you for a fact, there isn't an unsavoury character for miles of these mountains."
Feeling a twinge of respect for the blunette at that (and ignoring the curious wonder at just how the Finnish Coach could know it), Tala tuned out the rest of the conversation and instead turned to continue on his journey to his own room, this time with a much different agenda in mind.
-;-
Tala made a face as he stared at the unfamiliar looking guy standing in front of him. For a long time he just stared as both he and the other guy sized each other up. After a while, he reached up and tugged at the collar of his shirt, watching as the guy in front of him mimicked him. Eventually both guys released heavy sighs of frustration and ripped the ties off their necks before throwing them on the floor.
"This is stupid!" Tala grumbled in annoyance, turning away from his reflection.
After brooding for a few minutes, Tala eventually turned back towards the mirror again and frowned at the unfamiliar image of himself before him. For some reason, he'd gotten it into his head that if Demetra was going down to the village alone, he might as well go with her, especially considering what night it was. And of course, if he was going to go though the trouble, he might as well put a little effort into his wardrobe.
So, after shuffling through the limited selection of 'fashionable' items in his closet, he'd eventually decided on a pair of black jeans with a studded belt, a black button-down and a pair of heavy brown boots. As an after thought, he'd even decided to do something he rarely did; spray himself with a little of his favourite cologne.
Working his jaw for a minute or two, Tala looked himself over one last time, before finally heaving another heavy sigh and turning to leave. On his way out, he grabbed a heavy orange-brown leather coat with a high collar off his bed, then turned to leave his room behind.
-;-
As soon as he left the facility, and the lights of the village came into view, Tala almost immediately regretted his brash decision. For a good distance he debated scrapping the whole idea and turning back.
"What the hell am I thinking?" He grumbled at himself wearily under his breath. "The village might not be that big, but she could be anywhere. What are the chances I'll find her by now anyway...?"
Besides, just what the heck did he think he was going to do or say when he found her anyway? It wasn't like Demetra was likely to greet him with open arms, and truth be told; he wouldn't be surprised if she threw something at him. Surely she must still be sore over his last comment to her that day.
Deep down, Tala knew he was just making up excuses; his words were cruel and uncalled for, but it was obvious the brunette hadn't been particularly bothered by him this time.
"I'll just look around for a bit, and if I don't see her, I'll head back..." He thought with a frown.
So reluctantly, Tala made his way down the small road that would lead him towards the village.
Not really knowing where to start, Tala was just toying with the idea of texting or calling the brunette to con her into telling him where she was, when something inexplicably drew his gaze towards the ground. Furrowing his brows, Tala paused in his step and stared at a set of prints directly on the path he was walking, leading to the outer edge of the village. Recalling a memory from their sledding trip, Tala pictured distinctly the image of Demetra's footprints in the snow from that night. Like so much else about the Finnish beauty, it was yet another detail about her that was permanently burned into his mind. Hesitating a moment, he eventually moved his foot forward to place a boot next to one of the prints.
"It's exactly her size..." Tala observed thoughtfully. Considering for a moment, he eventually shook his head with an annoyed snort. "Hundreds of people walk by here in the run of a day! These prints could belong to anyone!"
Ready to ignore the discovery, Tala lifted his chin and made to move in the opposite direction, towards the heart of the village. However, before he'd made it more than a few feet, some nagging feeling at the back of his mind urged him to turn back around. After a short internal battle, Tala eventually paused a second time and looked over his shoulder. For a few moments, he stared at the footprints, trying to convince himself they belonged to a stranger. Tala tried to turn and walk away again, but his mind and body both refused to cooperate with him, and the longer he stared, the more persistent the nagging feeling got. Finally, he was unable to ignore the feeling any longer and was forced to give in to it. With another heavy sigh, Tala turned back around to face the direction of the prints.
"Might as well follow them for a bit until I get a better lead." He thought in annoyance. "Not like I've got a better idea where to start..."
And so Tala followed the prints, expecting the trail to go cold at any second when he discovered them wiped by someone or something else's interference. But to his surprise, the prints led him all the way to a large building. Though, if he was surprised before, he was much more so when he realized where said prints had lead him.
"You gotta be kidding me..." Tala muttered under his breath with a mix of amusement and cynicism. "Well at least now I know they're not hers."
Turns out, the footprints had lead him to the gates of an old beautiful church, the same one that had so thoroughly caught Demetra's attention the first time they'd given her a tour of the village. And yet, Tala was unconvinced that the brunette had ventured inside; he just couldn't picture it being a point of destination for her.
So, ready to leave and try again, Tala turned, meaning to walk away. But once again, he felt a nagging feeling in his gut, more powerful than the previous ones. Once again turning to look over his shoulder, Tala eyed the large and beautiful building with a frown. For a few moments he debated on going inside, and even took a step towards the building to do so, but yet again, something inside stopped him; this time it was a sharp pang in his gut that froze him in place.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" A sudden thought rang in his head. "You dont really think you're worthy to enter such a hallowed place do you?!"
Making a face at the thought in defiance, Tala made to take another step past the gates.
"Hmph. I thought everyone was supposed to be welcome here..." He grumbled to himself.
Again Tala felt something tugging at him, but this time it was a different voice, and this time it had a much different tone.
"Of course everyone is welcome here. And the next time you come here, you'll go in. But tonight... just wait."
Bewildered at the strange thoughts in his head, sounding so much like his own, and yet having no idea where they'd come from, Tala backtracked a step until he was once more outside the gates. He stared at the church for a long time, debating, until eventually he sighed in defeat.
Swallowing hard, Tala turned his face away from the both awe-inspiring and yet intimidating place, and closed his eyes.
"Fine, I'll bite." He mumbled to himself before turning away from the building. "I'll wait a few minutes to see if she comes out, just to prove there's no way she's in there..."
Leaning against the gates side-on, Tala crossed his arms and closed his eyes, preparing for what he expected to be a long wait.
To his surprise though, the wait was quite short. Indeed, in what couldn't have been more than a handful of minutes, Tala heard the heavy old wooden front doors of the church give a loud creak, as someone emerged from inside. Opening his eyes to absently turn his head to look; expecting to see a stranger descending the front steps; the sight of the extremely familiar face standing on the top stair literally stole Tala's breath. His eyes widening considerably in shock, the arms across Tala's chest slackened, and his jaw unhinged without him noticing.
Seeming for all looks and appearances to be completely at peace with herself, as well as the entire world, was the very brunette Tala had been looking for, and yet hadn't entirely expected to find. He took the time to look her over, seeing as she didn't seem to notice him right away, (which suited him fine, because right then, Tala knew his brain wasn't functioning nearly well enough, for the effort it always took to handle a conversation with her anyway). All Tala could do was gawk openly as he watched Demetra looking around at everything but him.
Surely there wasn't a person alive who could honestly deny that Demetra Nakamura was a looker on the best of days, but right then, Tala was tempted to literally pinch himself to make sure he wasn't dreaming, because it wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to think the brunette had just stepped out of them.
Demetra had dressed herself in a pair of tall black, heeled combat-style boots, a pair of dark jeans that fit her so well it should be criminal, and a low-cut red shirt that teased just the right mouthwatering view, while being tasteful and still leaving plenty to the imagination. Overtop she was wearing a stylish black peacoat with a huge hood, while a heavy white infinity scarf completed the outfit.
The already masterpiece that was her face was fully painted for the first time since Tala had met her; her mile-long lashes seemed to be reaching for the moon and made her already stunning silver dollar eyes pop. Her flawless skin seemed to practically glow, and those kiss-me lips that drove Tala crazy, were painted a seductive shade of red that made it seem like they were just begging him for a taste. If all that wasn't enough, her hair was a mass of wild and sexy curls that made her look like she'd been up to no good, and wasn't the least bit ashamed of it.
"It's a damn crime for a woman to look that good..." Tala thought with a painted expression, and it was accompanied by a deep throbbing in his heart. "As if they don't have enough power as it is..."
It seemed like an eternity that Tala had been staring at the stunning brunette, and he was amazed she hadn't seemed to notice him yet, though he was extremely grateful for the fact when she began to descend the stairs. She'd nearly made it halfway when Tala felt another pain in his chest, this time a sharp one, and it was only then he realized that he hadn't actually taken a breath since Demetra had emerged from he church. Doing so now, he took a great and greedy gulp of air, forcing himself to make it silent, as he willed himself to breathe again.
Finally realizing what a state he'd gotten himself into, Tala straightened, swallowed hard against the sandpaper in his throat, and tightened his defences - just in time too.
Tala watched with morbid expectancy as Demetra stopped and seemed to tense all of a sudden, her eyes rapidly scanning the scenery, until not unexpectedly her gaze drew magnetically to him. In a strange mix of reactions, Tala's breath hitched, and his heart clenched painfully, when Demetra's beautiful silver dollars narrowed on him.
"And here we go..." Tala thought, steeling himself.
Not for the last time, he cursed internally for ever allowing his pride to make things with such a knockout go so sour in the first place. But, the fact was; he had allowed things to go sour between them. Or rather; he had never given them much of a chance to be anything but. And not for the first time, Tala found himself allowing his words to spew from his mouth unfiltered and unbridled.
"I see you're still in one piece." Although there was a smirk on his face, Tala inwardly cringed at his words for a second time that day, and cursed his apparent inability to say anything remotely close to what he wanted to. "Maybe your soul's not quite as black as it seems after all."
Also as expected, Demetra's response was very in-character as well.
"Says the one who's avoiding the entrance like a vampire." She said sarcastically without looking at him. "What's wrong Tala, afraid you'll burst into flames if you set foot on holy ground?"
There was a small tickle of amusement at that, but it was overshadowed by the discomfort Tala felt, as he recalled the strange thoughts that had come to him when he'd arrived there; or more accurately ever since their latest interaction earlier that day. It was while he was thinking about all these things, that Demetra took the opportunity leave. She might have gotten a good distance while he was in his trance, except for the fact that when she passed him by, the potent and heady wave of a scent he'd never smelled before, overwhelmed Tala and immediately shocked him out of his trance.
Feeling the feral beast inside him roar possessively, Tala whirled around on reflex, and before he knew what he was doing, he had Demetra pinned against the heavy gates surrounding the old church. Having completely been unintentional, it took Tala a second or two to decide on his next course of action. Figuring the damage was already done, so he might as well use it to his advantage, his decision was a quick one.
Tala's expression was fierce and his eyes were blazing as he stared Demetra down. He could tell he'd caught her off-guard, that she was more flustered at that moment then he'd ever seen her, and that there was a slight quiver to those kiss-me lips. Normally he wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of all three, but this time he had other things on his mind, and he wanted those first.
"I want something from you..." He whispered heatedly, leaning down into her face. "And neither of us is leaving this spot until I get it..."
Demetra's gaze hardened now as she no doubt tried to look intimidating. But pressed so close to her, it was easy to feel the dramatic increase in her heart rate, because Tala felt her chest rapidly rising and falling against him. The sight gave a small tug at both Tala's funny bone, and his heartstrings when an attractive scarlet flush suddenly betrayed Demetra's little tough girl act. He knew how his statement had sounded, and he knew what she was thinking because of it. A part of him wanted desperately to toy with her as usual, but this time he was determined to get what he really wanted.
"And just what is it you want, Tala?" Demetra whispered with a heavy tone and a slight hitch in her voice.
Ignoring the spine-tingling shiver that ran through him at his name on her lips, especially paired with that voice and the steamy look, Tala didn't hesitate to respond.
"Don't flatter yourself, princess." He said lowly and huskily, unable to resist the small taunt. "I know that look, and I can assure you, that's not even close to what I want from you."
Something flickered in Demetra's eyes, something that looked an awful lot like disappointment, and - he figured he must be imagining things - maybe even a little hurt.
Forcing himself to store the thought away for later use, Tala pulled his head back just enough to lock gazes with Demetra's big silver orbs, and pinned her with a hard stare. This time he felt Demetra's chest come to an abrupt halt, and he had to resist a smirk at the thought that he'd literally taken her breath away. Admittedly, the thought irritatingly made something stupidly warm and fuzzy squirm inside him too.
The way she was looking at him right then, Tala knew it would have been so easy for him to just take what he wanted; to finally give in to the beast inside him, to finally have something he'd been pining after for way too long.
The temptation was so strong, but as always, Tala somehow managed to wrangle his inner beast into submission. Once he felt enough in control again, he allowed himself to answer Demetra.
"I have two questions, and you're going to answer both."
It was clear he had surprised the brunette, and the look on her face portrayed just that. But after a few moments, Demetra's expression hardened again.
"You really do have a short memory don't you?" She growled angrily. "What did I say about cornering me again? Get off me. Now."
Tala knew Demetra didnt actually expect him to obey her, but when he stepped back he did just that, though his eyes still kept her pinned. Demetra eyed him suspiciously for a moment before eventually turning with the intention to leave. But this time Tala's arm shot out in front of her, forcing her to stop again and look back at him with a cold glare. Tala returned the glare with a hard expression.
"I'll give you your space, your highness." He growled lowly. "But I meant what I said; you're not going anywhere until I get the answers I want."
Demetra stared at him for a long time, her expression clearly stating that she wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or amused. Eventually though she sighed in irritation and turned back towards him. With an guarded expression now, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes on him.
"Fine." She said grudgingly. "Ask me your damn questions."
Since the ball was already rolling, Tala decided to go with it before it hit a wall.
"First question; how did you get the American BBA to host that tournament? Did you pay them off? Or did your mafia family threaten them if they didn't comply to your wishes?"
This time Demetra looked extremely offended, but the almost childish expression that suddenly took over her face was almost charming, and it very nearly made Tala crack a smile.
"Excuse me?" She replied, her voice laden with offence. "Insulting my family is the absolute worst way to get what you want. Besides, that's three questions, you've gone over your limit."
Tala felt a growl rumbling in this throat and had to fight back an outburst.
"It's part of the same damn question!" He snapped in annoyance.
Demetra stared at him for a moment until eventually, to Tala's mild surprise, she actually answered him.
"My brother is an extremely well-connected and resourceful man." She said with an air of pride, as usual, when she spoke of the beloved blunette. "And for the record, bribing is far beneath him."
Tala narrowed his eyes at her in thought for a few moments before finally smirking.
"I get it." He said cockily. "You have no idea how he did it do you?"
Demetra narrowed her eyes at him and gave him a defiant glare, but Tala could tell there was at least some truth to his accusation.
"My patience has a time stamp, Tala." She growled threateningly. "And your time is just about up. What else?"
Tala snorted lightly in mild amusement, before sobering up and he pinning her with another serious stare again.
"Besides the obvious..." He said quietly, his voice a heavy whisper now. "...Why do you still hate me so much?"
Demetra's expression once again clouded with surprise, and Tala watched her arms slacken across her chest like his had earlier. For a long time, he watched the mixture of emotions quickly pass over her face like clouds on a windy day. It was obvious she was thinking long and hard about his question, and that there were a lot of thoughts going through her head because of it.
But for once Tala was patient. He was in no hurry; he didn't want to rush her along, because he wanted to give her plenty of time to come up with the best, the most truthful answer she could give him. That's what he really wanted; the truth.
Finally, after hour-long minutes, Demetra eventually responded, though she was staring off to the side instead of looking at him.
"Besides the obvious, hm?" She said sarcastically, with a hint of amusement in her tone and on her face. "You mean besides the countless insults, the constant irritation, the mind games? The fact that virtually every other word that comes out of your mouth makes me want to deck you?"
"Yea." Tala replied bluntly. "Besides all that."
He'd meant it to be slightly joking, but he was too focused, and instead it came out curt and to the point, as he stared at her and waited anxiously for her to continue.
Demetra was quiet for another few moments, but this time it didn't last nearly as long. And this time Tala's heart jumped a little when she turned towards him at last and pinned him with a serious gaze of her own.
"Besides all that..." She said softly, though there was a hard look in her eyes and on her face. "If you want the honest truth; I suppose the main reason I still feel this way... is because I still haven't forgiven you yet."
Her answer having caught him off guard, Tala stared at her for a long time, and to her credit, Demetra kept his gaze confidently with a small frown pulling at the corners of those perfect lips. He was deeply confused, and a little intrigued. Out of all the unpleasant things he had said and done to her, what on earth could have been the one thing that had crossed the line?
"Forgiven me for what?" He heard himself say automatically, unable to hold back his curiosity.
Demetra's gaze hardened now, and Tala's heart sank a little as he noted that she was giving him a look that she hadn't in a while, and for that moment he almost regretted asking the stupid question in the first place.
"For what you did to my family." She whispered forcefully, her voice laden with anger. "To the embodiment of innocence and selflessness."
For a moment, Tala just stared at her with furrowed brows, in genuine confusion and bewilderment. But that quickly changed when Demetra leaned in and pressed the side of her face to his, just as her hand lifted to slip around his back.
"I told you I'd repay you for that..." She whispered hotly.
A violent shiver shot down Tala's spine when her hand trailed down his back, directly over the permanent memento she'd given him. As she turned and took a step to the side, all Tala could do was stare blankly ahead of him while Demetra turned and began to walk away yet again.
"I swear on my life, I will repay you tenfold for what you did to her... And when I do, not only will it be a lesson you won't soon forget, it'll be a lesson you won't be able to forget."
Tala stared ahead of him in a sort of shocked daze with slightly wide and wild eyes. He remembered a moment not so long ago, when he was patching Demetra up after his unintentional attack. At that time, he'd been reminded of his father, the one person he swore he'd never become. He'd thought of all the times he'd watched his mother tend to her own wounds; both physical and emotional, and swore he'd never do that to any woman, no matter what.
But he had. On that day, Tala had considered Demetra, and the fact that not only had he left a mark on a woman, but he'd done it twice, and both times had been the same one. Back then, he'd considered her to be the first, and he'd sworn she'd be the last. But now, as that very person's words sunk in, they cut him to the bone. Demetra hadn't been the first woman he'd hurt, her tiny petite little sister had - and he'd nearly completely forgotten about it.
His eyes widening further, Tala's stomach knotted nauseatingly as the brunette's words echoed in his head like a booming accusation. He was shocked and appalled at himself for nearly managing to forget about his first mistake, but he was so much more stunned when he realized something very important; of all the things he'd done to her, of all the nasty things he'd said, the one thing that had kept the stunning Finnish beauty at arms length until now, even when it sometimes seemed like things were getting interesting, was not something he'd said or done to her personally.
When finally Tala had pulled himself out of his maelstrom of thoughts and emotions, and turned to look at Demetra, she'd already gone a good distance from him. Growling lowly to himself, he darted forward after her. In no time, he'd caught up to her and reached out to clap a hand over her shoulder. Successfully halting the brunette in her tracks, Tala moved around to her front and stared down at her with a wild expression.
"Are you talking about my battle with Keisha?!" He demanded incredulously. "Is that what all this has been about? All this time, after every damn-... This whole time, your nasty attitude towards me had nothing to do with anything I did to you, it's all because of a handful of minutes it took me to beat your half-pint teammate?!'
Demetra's expression turned darker after that than any Tala had ever seen on her face.
"Those handful of minutes were the longest, the most excruciating, and the most miserable damn minutes of my life!" She snarled lowly, furiously. "And you really did beat her didn't you? In every sense of the word!"
That one felt like a punch to the gut, and Tala swallowed against a sudden lump in his throat as his stomach twisted sickeningly.
"Yes, Tala." She continued angrily, still looking at him with that look he'd hoped he'd never see on her face again. "That's exactly what all this has been about. But you've got something wrong; it was something you did to me, because with a bond like ours, an attack on any of my family is as good as a kick to my guts..."
The look she gave him then was colder than any Tala had ever seen directed at him in his life, and it wounded him deeply to see it coming from her; even if he wasn't particularly surprised.
"You may have been battling Keisha, but I'm not an idiot, I know you wished it was me." Tala stared in silence as Demetra leaned into his face, and he might have enjoyed the view if it wasn't for the look of disgust in her beautiful silver eyes. "Offences against my family are not so easily forgiven, Tala... Or forgotten. And I won't soon be forgiving or forgetting you hurting her, just to punish me."
Once again, Demetra stepped past him and walked away, and once again all Tala could do was stare ahead of him, as her words mixed with his own tangle of thoughts in his head.
To say that Demetra had floored him would be an understatement, because for the first time in his life, Tala Ivanov was stunned completely speechless. He hadn't really been sure what to expect, but whatever it was, it was nothing at all like what he got.
For one thing, the brunette had been completely right; Tala had wished it was her facing him across the dish that day, and he had taken his anger out on the little redheaded pipsqueak when he didn't get the opponent he wanted - admittedly much more forcefully than even he admitted was necessary, and all just to get back at the Finnish Captain for snubbing him.
But Demetra had been wrong too; Tala knew what she thought the reasons were for him wanting to battle her back then, and he couldn't blame her for thinking them, but she couldn't have been more wrong. In fact, no doubt the Finnish beauty would be the one stunned speechless if only she knew the real reasons Tala had wanted so badly to face her across that dish.
Her recent words still whirling around him like a siren in a whirlwind, Tala's chest tightened painfully to think of the expression Demetra had given him to match said words. Unable to un-see that look, a deep frown creased Tala's face as the whirlwind kicked up a range of emotions he had trouble dealing with one at a time, never mind all at once.
There was guilt for a whole lot of things, many he'd never intended to have said or done. Regret, for taking his emotions out on Villikosto's tiniest little member, even knowing she didn't stand a chance against him. There was even a powerful swell of respect for Demetra, for being almost completely unbothered by crimes committed against her, and yet willing to stop time to exact revenge on anyone who even considered hurting her family.
It wasn't in Tala Ivanov to apologize, even if he wanted to. Although there was a storm of emotions whirling inside him from her response; and even though, while it was rare, he felt guilty as hell; it was still impossible for Tala to force himself to turn and chase after Demetra a second time, especially not to beg her for forgiveness.
With nothing else to do, Tala took a long, deep breath and steeled himself up. For a while, the sickening knot in his stomach, paired with the annoying sudden pounding of his own pulse in his ears, kept his mouth glued shut. But when his brain finally registered that he had to strain to hear Demetra's footsteps now, it finally jumpstarted and forced his lips to part.
"Hey, Princess!" He called without turning around. A scowl took over Tala's features when he heard the ever-so-slight tremor in his own voice. "Ever been to a village Winter Festival?"
His pulse still pounding wildly in his ears, it was hard to hear much else. But Tala's heart gave a little start when he distinctly noticed Demetra's footsteps come to a slow halt.
The following moments were truly agonizing, and Tala was irritated to realized that he was more anxious in that one moment, just waiting for some girl's stupid response, to a totally spontaneous question he hadn't entirely meant to ask in the first place, then he could ever remember being in his entire life.
His fists clenching at his sides to keep them from fidgeting, Tala clenched his teeth as well as he tried to will his traitorous heart back under his control, and thus allow him to resume breathing. He didnt even know if Demetra was still there, she might have departed while his entire body had been committing mutiny against him.
Finally unable to take it anymore, Tala forced himself to look over his shoulder. To his mild surprise, Demetra was not only still there, but she too seemed to be rooted in place, and also hadn't turned towards him.
Tala turned fully around and stared at the back of Demetra's thick, silky locks. Several times, he tried to say something, to prompt her to reply, but every time he opened his mouth, nothing seemed to want to come out.
Just when he thought the anxiety would kill him, Tala's breath hitched when Demetra finally turned partially around and gave him a hard glare. Her eyes were narrowed on him, and it was obvious she was trying to look threatening, but Tala could pick up the curiosity there as well and it nearly made him smile.
Frozen in place, Demetra stared ahead of her, trying to will her heart rate to remain stable for once.
"Why is he suddenly asking me about some random festival?" She asked with a frown.
As her thoughts began to run wild, she lost control of the reigns on her heart, and as usual it began to run away with her.
She remembered the Blitzkrieg Boys talking about something the village put off once a month. Apparently, they had a different themed sort of festival at the end of every month, lasting a few days total. She'd meant to ask them when the next one was supposed to be, but every time she'd thought about it, something came up, or the topic got changed, and it always slipped her mind.
"I suppose tonight must be one of those festivals they were talking about." She considered thoughtfully, trying to think of anything to slow down the steady acceleration of her heart rate. "Does this mean he's planning to ask me to accompany him?"
A whirlwind of questions and emotions tore through Demetra as she considered this. Why would the redhead willingly ask her to share his free time with her? Was he offering her the white flag, or was this just another one of his mean tactics? And for that matter, why the hell was the thought of Tala Ivanov asking her out such a big deal anyway? Why was the damn thought rattling her cage so much?
More importantly, should she say yes? Suppose Tala was offering her a peace treaty? Then it might not be such a bad idea to accompany him, ideally there might actually be a chance she might enjoy herself. On the other hand, even if he wasn't, and he really was attempting another mean joke, then so what? She'd just have to make sure she was ready for anything he could throw at her.
Besides, she could use him too. Victoria said she wanted Demetra to go out with someone, celebrate her birthday for her, and take lots of pictures. Tala might not be the optimal choice, but he was a definite someone.
Swallowing hard against her dry throat, and with it pushing down the mild panic that had been rapidly bubbling to the surface, Demetra forced herself to take a deep, calming breath. Lifting her chin, she slipped her hands into her pockets (lest the irritating redhead should see them quivering), and looked over her shoulder at him with as intimidating a glare as she could produce.
"No. I haven't." She replied simply, feeling a short and sweet answer was best; both to be on the safe side, and also so she could hide the quiver in her voice along with the one in her hands.
To her mild relief, though the ever-present cocky expression was on his face, Demetra noted a softness to Tala's gaze.
"Looks like a pretty fancy getup just to be walking around alone." A devilish grin came over the redhead's face then. "Unless you just got all dressed up for church. In which case I can't blame you; doesn't hurt to suck up as much as you can before it's too late, right?"
Turning around to fully face the redhead now, Demetra rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with an unamused expression.
"Did you stop me just to insult me, Tala?" She asked in irritation. "If so, you can study the back of my profile, and say whatever the hell you want to it as I'm walking away."
To Demetra's secret delight, a delight that made her chest tighten with affection, Tala laughed lightly.
"I'm more than familiar with your entire profile, Princess; front and back." Receiving only another unamused look in response, a grin of amusement crossed his face.
"Look, you're here, and I'm here." He said bluntly. "Might as well burry the hatchet for the night and let me show you how Russians cut loose."
At first, Tala's choice of words startled Demetra, particularly thinking back on a certain recent conversation. After that, her thoughts returned to Tala's proposal, and she felt her pulse quicken again. Working her jaw for a few moment and trying desperately to calm her buzzing nerves, Demetra eventually expelled an annoyed snort through her nose, uncrossed her arms, and gave the redhead her best stink eye.
"Fine." She said grudgingly. "Not like I have any specific plans tonight anyway."
Looking like he was fighting a smug expression, Demetra approached Tala and fell into step with him as he led her further into the village. After a moment or two, Tala looked down at her.
"By the way, you really do clean up pretty good, Princess." He said with a sly smirk. "At least you're not so hard on the eyes tonight."
Beside him, Demetra halted in her tracks, which forced Tala to stop as well. Turning towards her, he expected to get a tongue lashing and figured he was prepared for it. Demetra stared at him with an unreadable expression for a long time, until finally, to Tala's complete shock and utter soul-swelling delight, she did something he'd never seen her do since having met her.
Demetra cracked up with laughter.
Feeling like he'd suddenly been pumped full of helium, Tala expected to float away at any moment, and as such was unable to resist a fond smile; though he was quick to wipe it away before Demetra turned back towards him again with a foxy grin of her own, and yet the softest gaze she'd ever given him.
"You're lucky I'm not actually royalty, Ivanov." She replied cheekily. "If I was, I'd have had you beheaded for your disrespect long ago."
A wide grin split Tala's face then as Demetra approached him, and once again fell comfortably and naturally into step beside him.
"No you wouldn't." He replied cockily. "Without me, you'd have no one to push your buttons. How long do you think it would take you to get sick of everyone kissing your royally pampered rear end?"
This time Tala was sure his feet floated several inches off the ground, when Demetra laughed again, this time enough to spark a tiny little light in her eye.
"How true." She said with an air of amusement when she'd stopped. Looking back at the redhead, there was a devilish glint in her eye when she spoke again. "I suppose I'd probably find some use for you... Perhaps the royal foot masseuse."
Tala snorted with mock-indignation, but there was a small smirk on his face.
"You wish." He replied with a glint in his eye. "Just admit it, Princess; you're just looking for an excuse to get my hands all over you."
"You wish." Demetra repeated with a smirk as well. "There's just something about the thought of you at my mercy that I can't help but relish."
Tala's smirk widened to an amused grin again at that.
"Yea. I bet." He replied with a quick chuckle.
When Demetra fell into step with him this time and struck up a playful banter with him like it was the most natural thing in the world, Tala felt like he'd won the lottery. Biting his cheek to keep the stupid expression demanding to be free form emerging, he instead forced his usual mask of cool indifference onto his face, and tried his damndest to ignore the jailbreak his heart was attempting in his rib cage.
-;-
"So what's first on your itinerary of fun?" Demetra asked sarcastically.
Already Tala had passed a few things she thought looked interesting, and admittedly she was beginning to get bored.
Tala sighed heavily, and obviously with great annoyance, before coming to an abrupt halt. Caught off guard, Demetra stopped too and gave him a questioning expression.
"Look." Tala said measuredly, seemingly straining to keep his patience. "If you don't wanna be here, just say so. Or if you wanna go explore on you own, then go."
Demetra blinked in astonishment when Tala have her a hard stare, but there was something strange in his beautiful polar blue eyes as well, something she'd never seen in them before.
"But let me tell you, your royal pain in my ass! I can think of a helluva lot better things I could be doing, rather than dragging a dark cloud all over the village!" He growled angrily. "I'm not holding a knife to your throat, so if you've got better things to do your highness, then by all means; get lost!"
Demetra was momentarily stunned, and simply blinked at Tala for a few moments, speechless. Finally she was able to regain her composure enough to blink herself out of her stupor.
"Well, someone's a touchy." She teased with a small grin tugging at the corners of her lips. Tipping her head ever-so-slightly to the side, she observed him with great interest. "Who knew you were so sensitive, Tala."
When all she got for that was a highly unamused expression, the grin she'd been fighting finally broke free.
"Fine, I can agree to be civil for one night. Lead the way, Prince Charming."
Tala stared at her for a long moment before eventually sighing heavily and giving her a weary look. Though this time his expression did look considerably more at ease. And much to Demetra's surprise, a small smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as well.
"That's a new one."
With nothing more to say, Tala turned and began walking again. After watching him for a few moments, the grin faded to an almost fond smile, until eventually Demetra managed to wipe it off her face before moving to follow after her redheaded companion.
-;-
"Do you prefer sweet or spicy?"
Demetra's face scrunched up a little in confusion at the seemingly random question. Her and Tala had been walking through the village for a while, seemingly getting closer to the heart of the festival the further they walked. Although the silence between them wasn't uncomfortable, it had been very heavy, and Demetra had begun to wonder if agreeing to accompany the redhead had been a mistake. However, whatever she'd expected to break the silence, it hadn't been such a question as that.
"I'm not overly keen on sweetness." She eventually replied, looking at her companion.
Tala's expression creased in amusement.
"Figures." He said with a small grin.
Demetra made a face at him for that.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She accused irritably. To her surprise, Tala actually chuckled.
"Nothing." He said, cryptically. "Relax."
Narrowing her eyes at him, Demetra watched Tala veer to the right, and followed him with her eyes as he approached a stand that was wafting out a mouthwatering array of aromas. Watching for a moment, she eventually sighed irritably and followed him.
When she'd come up beside her companion, Tala was already speaking to a young man working the stand in flawless Russian. As she listened, Demetra felt something warm and fizzy bubble inside her, and without realizing it, her gaze softened as she observed the exchange. While she'd never really considered the Russian language to be unpleasant, she hadn't really thought of it as overly attractive either; it was so rough and harsh sounding. But listening to Tala's deep voice rumbling softly, she was more than content to stand there and listen to him speak for hours.
Being a little caught up in the exchange, Demetra started slightly when Tala finally turned towards her and handed her a steaming cup.
"Here." He said simply.
Demetra blinked once before reaching for the cup. Lifting it a little and breathing in the delicious scent, she had to resist a sigh at the heavenly aroma. She was just about to question him on it, when she made note of her companion pulling his wallet from his pocket and frowned.
"You don't have to do that." She said, feeling suddenly a little awkward. "I can pay for my own."
Confusing her once again, Demetra watched a scowl pinch Tala's features and stared at him in wonder.
"I know you've got money coming out of your ears, Princess." He growled, seemingly a little angrily. "But I think I can handle a couple drinks."
Demetra lifted an eyebrow at Tala as he paid the clerk, and accepted his own drink before turning and beginning to walk away. After a few steps, he stopped and looked over his shoulder, still looking angry.
"You coming?" He asked, almost sounding like a growl.
For a moment, Demetra looked at him, unsure how to react to his sudden and confusing mood. Eventually her frown deepened.
"What's wrong with you?" She asked, trying to sound annoyed, though the look on his face made her tone much softer than she intended. Demetra tried to convince herself she was seeing things, but she was sure there was a stung look on the redhead's face.
"Nothing." Tala grumped, looking forward again.
Demetra stared at the back of his head for a few moments, then looked down into her cup and once again breathed in the mouthwatering aroma. Feeling a warm sensation wash over her, she eventually looked back up at Tala again, then moved to stand beside him once more. Leaning ahead a little she looked into his face and noted the still sour expression.
"Hey." She said quietly.
Tala made a face and looked out the corner of his eyes at her.
"What?" He asked with a defiant look. It somehow reminded Demetra of a pouting child, and nearly made her laugh. Admittedly, it was almost charming, and pulled at her heartstrings.
"Thank you."
This time Tala turned fully towards her, and Demetra held his gaze as he seemed to study her face for a minute. Finally, he turned away from her again, and Demetra was surprised to note a barely-there flush stain his cheeks, which made that tug at her heart return again.
"Don't mention it." He mumbled, beginning to walk again.
The small smile was inevitable now, and Demetra had to lift her cup to her lips to hide it as she moved to follow her companion once again.
"So what is this?" Demetra asked conversationally when she eventually lowered her cup.
"Sbiten." Tala replied simply, lifting his own cup to his lips.
Demetra furrowed her brows.
"Is it?" She asked, mildly surprised as she peered into her cup. "It tastes nothing like the one I had with you all last time."
"There's different recipes for sbiten." Tala informed her casually. "That's why I asked if you'd rather sweet or spicy; that stall makes a few different kinds."
"I see." Demetra replied simply. "What kind did you get?"
"Mines a little sweeter." To her surprise, Tala held out his cup towards her. "You wanna try it?"
"What?" She asked, staring at him for a moment. "Are you serious?"
Tala looked at her then and gave her a look.
"What? Afraid it'll sweeten your sour soul?"
Demetra rolled her eyes.
"I'm just surprised you're offering to share."
Against anything she expected, Tala smirked.
"Not like it's the first time." He teased with a crooked grin.
Demetra remembered the first time she'd explored the village with the Blitzkrieg Boys, and when Tala had allowed her to taste his soup, from his own spoon no less. Funny how she'd barely thought anything of it at the time, yet now all of a sudden, it seemed so much more intimate, for some reason.
"True." She said simply.
Doing her damndest to resist a hot flush, Demetra reached out to accept the cup. Ignoring the ridiculous giddy feeling churning inside her, she took a sip of the drink and hummed in content as the warm liquid trickled down her throat, seeming to warm her from the inside out.
"Wow..." She said softly, taking a moment to savour the taste before offering the cup back. "That's delicious..."
A teasing grin tugged at Tala's face at that, and he kept Demetra's gaze as he held out his hand to accept his cup back. For just a few seconds, Tala's fingers brushed hers, almost exactly the same time Demetra felt a shiver run through her. The thought of their brief contact being the source crossed her mind, but seeing as they were both wearing gloves, Demetra deemed that impossible and so instead, decided to blame it on the chill of the air.
"Thought you weren't overly keen on sweet things, Princess." Tala teased.
"Im not usually." Demetra replied, biting her cheek this time to hold back the smile tugging at her lips. "But that really is good."
A wicked look crossed her face then.
"Drink up Tala, my soul's not the only one that could use a little extra sweetener."
For a moment, Tala just stared at her with an unreadable expression, but it was Demetra's turn to be surprised and delighted when this time he cracked up with laughter.
"I'm glad you know that about yourself." Tala said eventually with a crooked grin. "And since we're being so honest; I guess I'll admit a little sugar wouldn't kill me either."
A snort of amusement escaped Demetra then, and it made Tala's grin widen. But before either of them could further comment - even though the latter of the redhead's admission just begged Demetra for one, someone's voice interrupted them.
"Privet! Privet vsem!"
Hearing the new voice, Demetra tore her gaze away from Tala and looked to her right. There she saw a little girl at a little stall, waving at them and trying desperately to get their attention.
"Podoydi syuda!"
Halting her walk, Demetra looked up at Tala questioningly.
"What's she saying?"
Tala stopped too and turned to look at the little girl.
"She wants us to come over." Tala replied simply.
Turning back to look at the girl, Demetra paused for a moment before finally approaching her, which made the tiny blonde's face light up excitedly. When she was standing in front of the stall, the girl began to rattle off a string of excited Russian words, but when all she got in return was a blank look from the Finnish Captain, she immediately began to cycle through different languages.
"Deutsche?"
Another blank look.
"Italiana?"
Demetra shook her head.
The little girl hummed thoughtfully, her finger to her chin as she observed Demetra with narrowed eyes.
"Suomalainen?" She questioned, a little less sure now. This time Demetra's face lighted in recognition and the brunette couldn't help but smile a little.
"kyllä erittäin hyvä." She replied, greatly impressed with the little one.
Joining his companion, Tala stopped beside the brunette and stood with crossed arms. He sighed at the exchange and spoke up before the little girl could reply.
"She also speaks English." He said in a deadpan voice.
The little girl's face lit up again.
"Oh! I know English too!" She said enthusiastically. And although her Russian accent was very thick, her English was indeed very good. "My name is Natasha! I'm always happy to meet people from other countries!"
"I can see that." Demetra replied conversationally. "You're an impressive girl, Natasha. How many languages do you know?"
"Just a few." The little girl replied dismissively.
But Demetra had a feeling she was being modest. It was apparent Natasha knew at least five languages; already that was nearly as many as Demetra herself knew, and she was surely at least twice the little blonde's age!
"You are a very pretty lady!" Natasha continued enthusiastically. "Of course you are Finnish! I love Finland!"
Tala rolled his eyes. The girl knew how to sell it, that was for sure. And by the look on Demetra's face, it was clear she wasn't used to the theatrics, because she was clearly eating it up.
Obviously not hearing his thoughts, Natasha continued without missing a beat.
"I bet you have lots of friends!" She said cheerfully. "And what better way to show your friends you love them, then by giving them homemade bracelets!"
Demetra lifted an eyebrow when Natasha waved her hand over her table with a flourish. Her silver eyes looked over the multitude of objects in wonder. To her, it simply looked like a lot of string and shiny baubles, not bracelets.
"For one low, low price, you can make up to seven bracelets! What a deal!"
Now she understood. Demetra looked over the items one more time before giving the little girl an apologetic look.
"I'm afraid I'm not much of a... bracelet maker." She said a little awkwardly.
"Psh!" Natasha replied dismissively, waving a small hand at her. "There is no one way to make bracelets! You can make them any way you like! But if you really need help, you can look at these."
She produced a little booklet from under the table and showed it to Demetra.
"See! Easy!"
Demetra was just about to deny her again, but the pleading look in those big green eyes made her stop. After a while, she sighed and reached into her pocket.
"Alright, I'll give it a try." She caved. And instantly the little girls face lit up again.
"Da! Of course you will!"
Beside her, Tala shook his head as Demetra pulled out a few bills from her wallet.
"Sucker." He thought in mild amusement, though he felt a tug of affection towards his brunette partner just the same.
Demetra handed the little girl the bills and replaced her wallet back into her pocket.
"Oh, that's too much!" Natasha said, holding up her hand to reject the amount.
Trying very hard not to be nosy or judgemental, Demetra couldn't help but notice Natasha's appearance; and her brain sighed wearily at what it knew was going to be an inevitable outcome on behalf of her heart. The pretty little thing looked clean and tidy, and one might even say polished. But although her long skirt and pretty little jacket were also clean, with more than a few patches and evidences of multiple restitching, they both looked like they'd seen better days.
"It's all I have." Demetra replied bluntly. "And I don't like carrying change."
Demetra held out the money again, and after chewing her cheek indecisively for a few moments, Natasha eventually reached out and timidly took the offered money, seemingly reluctantly and looking a little guilty for it. She reached under the table and put the money inside a beat up old metal tin, her hand hesitating on it for a moment with a complicated expression, before eventually replacing it under the table again and looking up at Demetra with a brilliant smile.
"Well, this girl is not a cheat, and Papa taught me to value my customers!"
Demetra watched her reach under the table again, and this time pulled out a prettily decorated tin, before sliding it towards her with a brilliant smile. Natasha leaned ahead a little and lifted her hand to whisper to Demetra in a conspiratorial sort of way.
"I save these for my most valued customers!" She whispered theatrically.
Demetra resisted a smile, as the little girl reached to open the tin to reveal an assortment of pretty beads and decorations.
"Here! Use as many as you want to!" She said with a huge grin. "Just pick your string and you're ready to start! You can sit over there."
"Alright, thank you." Demetra said, moving around the stand to the side where there was a long table set up along with some foldable chairs.
Once she'd chosen a chair, Demetra sat down and looked over her materials thoughtfully. After sighing lightly, she reached out and picked up the little booklet Natasha had given her, then began skimming through the pages. Hearing the charming little salesgirl speaking again, Demetra looked up from the pages and turned back towards her.
"Aren't you going to make one too?" Natasha asked the redhead.
Tala was standing just off to the side of the table, his arms crossed as he looked around with a hard expression. For a moment, Demetra was reminded of a secret service agent, or some sort of security detail, and the image tickled her funny bone.
Looking towards Natasha, Tala furrowed his brows and gave her an unamused look.
"I don't think so." He said bluntly.
"Oh come on!" The blonde egged him on teasingly. "It's fun!"
"No." Tala replied with a frown.
"There's nothing wrong with boys making bracelets you know." She continued, undeterred.
"I really couldn't care less about that." Tala replied bluntly.
"Is it because you don't have any friends to give one too?"
An annoyed tic had begun in Tala's forehead now, and as much fun as it was watching the redhead squirm, Demetra decided to cut in before the little tease bit off more than she could chew.
"Tala." Demetra said, trying to keep the laughter out of her voice. "I hope you're not in a hurry, because I'm probably going to be here a while."
She gave him a challenging look then.
"Unless you're afraid your bracelet won't be as good as mine. In that case I'd completely understand."
A red brow shot up then as Tala looked at her, and Demetra knew she'd pushed the right button. When a challenging smirk suddenly crossed his face, along with the curious glint in his eye, she knew he'd taken the bait.
"Heh. Fine." He said, reaching into his pocket. "I'll never pass up a chance to put you in your place, Princess."
"Oh, don't worry! Your girlfriend payed too much, you are on the house!"
Demetra's fingers fumbled in the bead box she'd been sifting through at that, and she cursed under her breath when several of them spilled out to skitter across the table. Ignoring the sudden burning in her entire body, she fumbled to pick up the scattered beads as she looked out the corner of her eye to try and see Tala's reaction.
Tala's face was screwed up, but Demetra was unable to tell if his expression was one of annoyance, anger, or something else. From there, it almost looked like there was a light pinkish dusting across his face, but she figured it must have been from the cold.
"She's not my girlfriend..." Tala replied lowly, almost a growl, as he whipped his hand out of his pocket. Demetra watched him pull out a few bills and slap them down on the table. "And I'll pay for my own, pipsqueak."
Although she'd felt a small stab of something unpleasant at Tala's denial - which was ludicrous, because it was true - a small grin crept up Demetra's lips again as she watched the exchange. To Natasha's credit, she seemed completely unfazed by Tala's frosty nature, and moved to collect his purchase with a cheerful smile and a little humming. When she turned back to Tala with the supplies, the redhead held up his hand.
"Just one." He growled in annoyance.
No doubt realizing it was useless to argue, she simply gave Tala his requested supplies and thanked him. Tala gave a small snort of annoyance in return as he scooped the items up in his hand, clenching them tightly in his fist, and moved around to go sit beside Demetra.
Pretending she was caught up in what she was doing, Demetra hung her head to let her hair curtain her face and busied herself with the bracelets. But her gaze followed Tala out the corner of her eyes as he rounded the side of the booth and moved to sit beside her.
Biting her cheek to hold back the small laugh in her throat as Tala began grumbling under his breath, Demetra lightly shook her head and decided to actually focus on the task at had.
For along time there was silence as the two worked on their creations. Demetra had wanted to do something original and unique, but as she stared at her supplies, she was eventually forced to admit she had no idea what she was doing, and required the help of the little booklet her sales girl had given her after all. So, flipping through the pages again, she choose the first design she liked, picked her colors and got to work.
By the time she'd finished her fifth bracelet, Demetra noticed there was a lot of blue, red and purple left, so she decided to make a bracelet with those colors, though she had no idea who it would be for. So far she'd made one each for her girls and Breal, all with their favourite colors, and even a matching one for herself. She debated on buying some more string to make ones for the Blitzkrieg Boys too, but flushed in embarrassment at the thought, figuring it wouldn't really be their thing.
Sitting back in her seat, Demetra looked over her creations. They were efficiently well-made and looked nice enough, but she was disappointed that they weren't a little more original. However, with her limited skills in the area, there was very little else she could have done. With a small sigh, Demetra looked out the corner of her eyes again at Tala. To her mild surprise and annoyance, he was turned slightly away from her, almost as if shielding what he was doing.
Pouting a little, Demetra looked back to her own work and chewed her cheek thoughtfully for a moment.
"I could make one for him..." She considered, feeling a flutter of something maddeningly familiar inside at the thought. "I'm sure he won't wear it, but I have no idea who else to make one for."
Telling herself she was merely considering the thought to thank the redhead, Demetra leaned forward in her chair again and got back to work.
This time when she'd finished, and stopped to observe her work, Demetra was pleased with the result. Whereas the others did have beads, they'd mostly just consisted of birthstone colors and some sentimentality. But if she were honest, she'd have to admit that she'd put just a little more effort into Tala's bracelet than the others.
Tala's bracelet was the essence of everything she thought of the redhead; woven with icy colors of various shades of blues, whites and greys, as well as a few tiny beads that resembled little chunks of ice, all to represent his icy personality. She'd also discovered two beads that were an uncanny match for Tala's beautiful polar blue eyes, and added them to the mix either end of the bracelet. Lastly, as a sort of after thought, Demetra had also woven a red thread through the enter of the design, because it reminded her of both the redhead's passion; both in the dish, and in life. And although she tried to deny it, it also reminded her of the secret warmth inside Tala that he kept hidden behind thick walls of diamond-hard ice, a rare sight that Demetra tried desperately to deny she was becoming more than a little fond of.
"Wow, those beads look just like your not girlfriend's eyes."
Demetra started a little, and looked up to see their little salesgirl standing between them, looking over Tala's shoulder with an innocent expression but a mischevious glint in her eye. Looking to the side as well, Demetra noted that Tala seemed to be finished, and was now sitting straight in his chair again, looking over the finished product of the bracelet laid across his palm. He was obviously trying very hard to pretend that the comment hadn't bothered him, but Demetra could see the barely-there crease of his brow, and the ever-so-slight downward curl of his lip, and she could tell he was both displeased and uncomfortable.
"Just a coincidence." He muttered before closing his fist around the bracelet.
For a few moments there was an awkward silence, until eventually Natasha leaned down between her two customers.
"Well aren't you going to give your not girlfriend her present?"
This time, Demetra watched with shock as a bright flush spread across Tala's face. However with it, his face scrunched up, and Demetra could see a vein throbbing in the redheads forehead.
"Don't you have something else to do kid?" He growled angrily.
Straightening again, Natasha looked up thoughtfully and placed a finger to her lips.
"Not really." She said absently. Suddenly her face split with a playful grin again. "But I can take a hint! I'll let you do it by yourself! Good luck!"
As she all but skipped away, humming cheerfully, Tala shot the little girl a glare before closing his eyes and releasing a sigh of irritation. When he opened his eyes again, he pinned Demetra with a small glare of her own.
Wondering what his problem was this time, Demetra tensed in anticipation as Tala glared at her, fully expecting him to lash out at her for God knew what. On reflex, she tensed a little and leaned away from him in defence when the redhead's fist lifted towards her.
Imagine her surprise, when Tala looked to the side before lifting his hand, and unfurling his fist to reveal the bracelet he'd made still laying across his palm.
As Demetra looked the object over, she couldn't help but marvel a little. Though she'd die before she'd ever admit it aloud, Tala's bracelet was so much better than hers in every way possible, and it was just the sort of unique that she'd hoped hers could have been.
The bracelet was about an inch in width and was woven with an array of reds, oranges and yellows, obviously meant to resemble flames; and it was woven so perfectly and expertly they almost seemed to be alive. The flames were on either end of the bracelet facing inwards, where Tala had strategically placed the two silver beads that were pointed out to look amazingly like her eyes; those he'd encased in elaborate and beautifully crafted decorative knots. Dead centre of the bracelet was a beautiful bead that looked like a little ember; so realistic that it looked like it might burn if you touched it.
Slightly breathless, and for once far too impressed to be envious or annoyed, Demetra stared at the masterpiece with an awed expression. That design certainly wasn't in the booklet.
"Wow..." She breathed, unable to hide her approval. "Where did you learn to do that..?"
Tala frowned, but there was still a light flush on his face.
"I learned a lot of skills in the Abbey days that might surprise you..." He replied lowly, averting his gaze from the brunette in front of him. "Just so happens, some of them tend to be useful in the real world from time to time..."
Demetra eyed the redhead curiously for a while, noting the way he seemed to be avoiding her gaze, and the way he seemed to be looking through a window only he could see - and whatever he saw on the other side of the pane seemed to cause him some degree of heartache. She got the feeling there was more to the story, but never really being one to pry into people's private lives unless it concerned her, Demetra decided to leave Tala alone with his own demons this time.
"I see..." She replied softly, completely unsure what else to say.
There was another awkward silence for a while, until eventually Tala released a snort of annoyance, and turned his face back towards Demetra with another glare.
"Are you gonna take it or not?!"
Demetra gave him a look of surprise.
"What?" She asked in disbelief. "It's for me..?"
Now Tala's face flushed scarlet, and Demetra watched, completely stunned, as he closed his eyes.
"Of course it's for you!" He snapped angrily. "Who the hell else would it be for?! I'm not about to make bracelets for the guys!"
Demetra stared at him for a moment, then looked back down at the bracelet in his hand. Suddenly she felt the overwhelming urge to grin like a fool, and had to literally bite her tongue to prevent it spreading. She was unable however to resist a small smile, which was accompanied by a sharp tug of affection towards the redhead.
Slowly, Demetra reached out and slipped the bracelet from Tala's palm, and one blue eye opened to look at her as its owner watched the brunette's reaction; unbeknownst to her, with a bated breath. For a long time Demetra stared at the thing she was holding almost reverently in her hand, with the most alien look of tenderness on her face. Finally, after an agonizing silence, against everything Tala expected, Demetra suddenly laughed.
Frowning deeply, he felt like she'd slapped him across the face.
"Your maturity knows no bounds, your highness." He grumbled sarcastically under his breath, still feeling stung by the brunette's reaction.
Demetra gave Tala a highly amused look, but instead of commenting, she simply lifted her own hand to offer him the bracelet she'd made him. Instead of accepting it, Tala crossed his arms and made a face.
"I'm a big boy. I don't need a pity party, princess." He grumbled in annoyance. "You don't need to give me one of your friends bracelets cause you feel bad."
Demetra rolled her eyes as she leaned to the side to gesture to the table in front of her. Tala glanced down and noted the handful of assorted coloured bracelets on the table.
"They'll have their own." She said with a small smile, lifting the bracelet towards him again. Then her expression softened a little. "Here. I had some left, so I.. thought I'd thank you."
She smirked then.
"I suppose I'm glad I did." She teased. "Now I dont feel bad."
Tala stared at her for a moment, having been caught off-guard. After a few moments, something flickered in his eyes, too fast for Demetra to catch, before he finally reached out and accepted the offered gift. Taking it back to size it up for a minute, Demetra tried to identify the flashes of emotion in his eyes, and attempt to catch a glimpse of his thoughts, but as usual he was guarding them far too well.
Eventually, Tala looked back up at her again, and Demetra blinked at him when he held the bracelet out to hand back to her. Feeling a sting of disappointment herself, Demetra was surprised yet again when he almost immediately offered her his wrist.
Seeing the look on her face, Tala smirked.
"What? Didn't expect me to wear it?" He asked teasingly.
Snapping out of her stunned trace, Demetra lightly shook her head, then reached out to fasten the bracelet around the redhead's wrist.
"Of course not." She replied with a teasing look.
Tala's smirk widened, and this time he accepted his own creation back from the brunette when she offered him both it and her own arm. He fastened it quickly and efficiently, but paused for a moment, still holding her wrist, as he looked into her face with an unreadable expression.
"Then I guess you don't know me as well as you thought you did, Princess." His voice rumbled softly.
Demetra was captivated by Tala's polar blue eyes, and staring into them made it hard enough to breathe. But when his chilled digits delicately brushed the tender underside of her wrist, her breath hitched and a powerful tremor rocked through her from her hair roots to the tips of her toes, leaving goosebumps in its wake and causing every hair to stand on end.
"I guess I don't..." She replied softly.
Releasing her wrist, Tala got to his feet, and to Demetra's shock, he offered her a hand.
"Shall we, your highness?" He asked with a smirk.
Demetra watched him for a minute, before eventually smirking in return, and taking his hand to get to her feet. The temptation to tighten her grip on the redhead's hand when he made to pull away was fierce, but it just wasn't in her to do so. So, after a moment, Tala released her, and the pair both slipped their hands into their coat pockets as they turned as one back towards the pathway.
Thankfully, there was no silence this time, and after bidding goodbye to Natasha, the two transitioned into a pleasant, albeit a little teasing, banter.
It must have been hours since Demetra had joined Tala for the night, but each and every second of them flew by for her. Never in a lifetime would she have expected Tala to be such a good tour guide. As of that moment, he'd been patient while she'd shopped for gifts and souvenirs for family and friends, and even led her to the best booths and tents in addition to doing all the necessary translating for her.
Once that was all out of the way, the two had somehow ended up sparking a sort of friendly competition with each other. For hours, they'd moved from game to game, trying to out-do the other, until eventually their competitive natures earned them so many prizes it was becoming a nuisance to carry everything. So, they were forced to quit and admit that, while their skill sets were clearly different, they were pretty much even where overall talent was concerned.
"This is ludicrous..." Demetra said as they walked, half wearily, half amused. "What the hell am I going to do with all this stuff?"
Tala shifted his load and grinned.
"You started it. As always."
"Excuse me?" Demetra replied, feigning offence.
Before she could continue, Tala interrupted her.
"Hey, I know those kids." He said suddenly, calling out to a small group of boys nearby.
When they approached him, Tala spoke to them in Russian. Once he was finished they all grinned and nodded excitedly before holding out their arms. Demetra was watching the whole exchange curiously, and when Tala handed all his stuff off to the little boys, he turned towards her.
"Give them your stuff. They're going to carry it back for us."
Lifting an eyebrow, Demetra didn't argue as she turned to hand the little boys the stuff in her arms. As one, they all immediately turned and lit off in direction of the facility.
"How did you convince them to do that?" She asked curiously.
"I told them they could each have a few prizes, just dont get greedy, and to make sure Kai Hiwatari pays them for their trouble." Tala turned a wicked grin on her then. "I also told them he'd pay them double if they deliver everything in one piece within half an hour."
Demetra chuckled lightly then and shook her head.
"You're braver than I gave you credit for, Tala." She teased playfully. "That or you're a whole lot dumber."
Tala laughed then too.
"I think I can handle Prince Charming."
Demetra gave him an odd look for that, but when all she got was a mask of cocky indifference, she let the matter go. Seeing as her companion had started walking again, Demetra once again fell into step alongside him; trying very hard to ignore how heart-wrenchingly natural it was beginning to feel.
