A/N: Well, this took MUCH longer than I had hoped! Although it's physically lengthy, it is admittedly, unfortunately, a little more rushed than I'd intended; main reason being, I'm DYING to get chapter 16 out! I say 16 because originally this one was supposed to be longer (like you havent heard that before haha), but the last bit of this one was taking me ages (the reason this one took so long to get out), so I decided to put this much out for now. The majority of chapter 15 is therefor already written so HOPEFULLY, God willing, that one will be out within the next couple days at most too. After that is a chapter I've been so greatly anticipating FOREVER, and let me tell you; if you're shipping Tala/Demetra you should too! Hehe. I can (nearly) guarantee you will not be disappointed in it! :D ... Much the same as I desperately hope you will not be disappointed with this one haha.
As always, thank you so much for reading and thank you so much more to my lovely, fantastic reviewers, you guys make my days! Love you! :D
Alright! Enough idle chit chat! On with the show.
Disclaimer: I own my characters. That is all.
A satisfied sigh echoed from Tala's lips when he awoke in the morning. As he slowly faded back into consciousness, the after effects of his dream followed him into the waking realm, making him sorely reluctant to open his eyes and banish them. With his eyes still sealed tightly, he could feel Demetra's arms around him, was able to convince himself she was still holding him like he meant something to her, like he'd never dared to imagine in the daylight. It felt so damn good he wanted desperately to keep his eyes closed until the blissful sensation passed - if it did. If it didn't he would gladly stay there and pretend until he drew his last breath.
But, eventually, he was forced to admit that he couldn't cling to his dreams forever. Eventually, he'd have to get up and face the day; especially since Demetra was likely already up and waiting for him. In which case, he'd never hear the end of sleeping in past her.
So, more reluctant than he was sure he'd ever been about anything, Tala sighed in discontent and finally allowed his eyes to open. However upon doing so, he froze, eyes widening at the sight that greeted him; completely unable to believe what he was seeing. Staring at the familiar fabric before his eyes, he had to take a few moments to decide if what he was seeing, what he was feeling, was in fact real.
Eventually, still in a stunned stupor, Tala blinked a few times before carefully pulling back his head ever so slightly, looking up into the sleeping face above him, still in stunned shock. It was then he realized that one of Demetra's hands was buried in his hair, the other was draped around his shoulders, her hand resting comfortingly between his shoulder blades.
Noting his own arms wrapped securely around the brunette's waist, the fact that he'd woken up with his head in her lap, and the close proximity said face had been to her stomach (close enough to brush his lips against her), made Tala's heart melt into an embarrassing puddle of sloppy goo.
Looking back into Demetra's still sleeping face, noting the peaceful and serene expression on it, noting again the surreal position they were in, now more than ever Tala absolutely did not want to move. In fact, more than anything, he wanted to put his head back down in her lap, nuzzle himself into her stomach again like he had in his dream the night before, and stay there until she woke up and drove him out of it.
But that last thought made a shiver of dread vibrate down his spine, and in its wake a frown creased his face. As weep-worthily amazing as waking up in her arms felt, there was that little insecure fear nagging at him that it had been a mistake, that their position had been unintentional; after all, he'd been completely unaware of it, perhaps she had too. If that was the case, then he knew he simply had to separate himself from her, if for no other reason then he didn't want her to wake up and regret it. If he could help it, he wanted to preserve this moment in all its blissful perfection, preferably without tainting it.
So, with another sigh, Tala began the slow, reluctant process of untangling himself from Demetra's way-too-comfortable embrace. As he reached up to gently remove the hand on his back, the one in his hair, then slowly ease himself into a sitting position, Tala felt the irresistible urge to lean in and brush his lips across her flawless face, to brush his fingertips across those surreally stunning features. But deep down he knew this was a bad idea; Demetra was such a light sleeper, it was already a wonder she hadn't woken up, making him think guiltily she must have been exhausted from him having woken her up the night before. Still, he was unable to pull back without leaving her with something, so he settled on lifting her beautiful hands to press a tender kiss to the backs of her fingers.
Finally, still so reluctantly, Tala gently laid Demetra's hands in her lap and pulled away from her. Watching the sleeping figure another minute, he eventually forced himself to turn away from her. Lifting his arms for a wide stretch, Tala felt his joints pop and muscles stretch in relief, waited for the familiar pain and discomfort that always followed. But to his surprise, the later didn't come to him. Instead, when Tala lowered his arms again, he was surprised to note there was no pain at all. Rolling his shoulders experimentally, twisting this way and that a few times, his expression shifted into one of extreme surprise. For the life of him, he couldn't remember the last time he'd woken up not to feel his body full of aches and pains.
Just then, Tala remembered waking up to Demetra's hand on his back and he couldn't help but wonder.
"Did she do something to me...?" He thought in wonder. More importantly, had she done so on purpose, or had it been something reflexive she'd done, much like them ending up tangled around each other in the first place?
The thought made a wave of affection crash over him, and glancing over his shoulder at the sleeping brunette, a fond expression softened his features as he observed her another moment. Finally, Tala tuned forward again, pondered everything for another minute, then finally forced himself up off the mat.
-;-
When Demetra's eyes blinked open, and she'd managed to thoroughly wake herself up, the first thing she noticed was that she was completely and utterly alone. The second thing she noticed was that all the lights had been turned back on. Sitting straight up, her eyes scanned the area for Tala but there was no sign of him. This fact gave her mixed feelings; on the one hand, she was glad there had been no awkward scene first thing in the morning, but on the other hand, her gut twisted in dread not knowing what his reaction had been upon waking, or what it would be when she saw him again.
Eventually deciding there was nothing to be gained by sitting there fretting, Demetra stretched the stiffness out of her joints and muscles before hoisting herself to her feet. Making her way to the bathroom, she washed her face and hands, freshened up and did her business, then reluctantly exited the bathroom.
This time when Demetra returned to the training room, after noting Tala had apparently put the mats away, it didn't take long for her to spot the redhead she'd been searching for earlier. Taking a moment to observe him, she noted Tala sitting atop the snack bar counter, one leg pulled to his chest with an arm resting atop it, a large coffee cup in his hand. He seemed to be completely lost in thought, and as Demetra watched him, she couldn't help but think he looked so very cool, like a model striking a broody pose for some heartthrob magazine.
Part of her wanted to stand there and watch him until he noticed her, but the other more sensible part was disinclined to be caught, particularly when she admitted to herself how weird it would be if she was - nothing creepier than standing and staring at someone. So reluctantly, she forced herself forward towards the redhead in question.
Obviously having caught the movement in the corner of his eye, Tala's head turned to face her, and Demetra's heart went up in her throat, anticipating his reaction. But despite the wild array of reactions she'd expected, she was pleasantly surprised by the greeting she got.
"Morning." Tala said casually, making the brunette's entire body sigh in relief. Seeing as he seemed completely normal, Demetra decided she'd try and go for the normal approach too.
"Morning." She replied simply.
When she'd closed the distance between them, Tala surprised her again by reaching behind him, then producing a coffee cup he held out towards her.
"Black with honey, right?"
Demetra's heart leapt at the simple consideration, thrilled more than she'd ever admit about the fact he remembered this little detail about her, and at his thoughtful gesture.
"Yes. Thank you." She replied politely, doing her best to sound casually grateful as she accepted the huge disposable cup.
"No problem." Tala replied simply.
Demetra moved to stand beside him, leaning against the counter, and all was silent between the two for some time as they were both lost in their own thoughts. Eventually though, Tala spoke up to break the silence.
"How'd you sleep after?"
"After?" Demetra questioned, trying to keep her voice even as she wondered what he meant.
"After I woke you." Tala elaborated. "Most people have trouble sleeping once their cycle's broken."
Demetra relaxed once her companion had elaborated.
"I slept fine." She assured him. "At least as well as anyone can be expected to sleep in that sort of condition."
"Good." Tala said simply.
Once again all was silent between the two for a few minutes, until Tala broke it for a second time. This time however, his blunt question made the brunette beside him tense all over again.
"What did you do to my shoulders?"
Turning her head to look at him, Demetra tried to make her voice remain calm and casually indifferent when she answered him.
"What do you mean?" She asked with faux-nonchalantness. Briefly she wondered if her administrations the night before had hurt him, or otherwise worsened his discomfort, or if the position she'd put him into had caused his body greater strain. The thought made a tug of guilt begin to nag at her.
"I mean, I woke up in your arms with your hands all over me." Tala said bluntly, looking her pointedly in the eye and making her squirm. "Specifically, one between my shoulders."
Feeling a hot flush of embarrassment wash over her, Demetra shifted uncomfortably and lifted her cup to her lips. He'd stated it so bluntly, so casually, that for a few minutes, she wasn't quite sure how to respond. Instead, Demetra took the time to take a good long gulp of her coffee before finally lowering the cup and doing her best to look him in the eye.
"Were you uncomfortable?" She asked as casually as she could in return, somewhat avoiding the question. "Shoulders hurt?"
Tala gave a small snort and Demetra watched curiously when he gave said shoulders a roll.
"Actually no." He answered matter-of-factly. "To be honest, it's the first time in as long as I can remember that I've woken up without my entire body aching... It's been years since I woke up and felt this good."
The simple, honest confession made Demetra melt, and she felt her body and expression relax due to it. Without really thinking too much about it, she turned her body to face the redhead beside her and lifted her arm towards him. Turning to look at her again, Tala's face creased with curious wonder as he silently watched her reach for him, though he made no attempt to move; which once again made Demetra melt. Not so long ago, the mere suggestion of her invading his space would have sent the suspicious redhead scrambling away from her; admittedly with good reason.
"I did this." Demetra said plainly, slipping her hand over Tala's shoulder and sliding it between his shoulder blades.
Tala's eyes reflexively fluttered shut, and he practically melted under her touch as Demetra began gently massaging the sensitive area under her fingertips. Watching his face, a tender expression crossed Demetra's when she felt a shiver run down the redhead's spine, then noted him biting his cheek, and wondered if he was biting back a groan of pleasure - internally she couldn't help but hope for it.
After a generous session, Demetra eventually slowed in her administrations. Instead of abruptly cutting him off, she dug deeply into the well-developed muscles, which to her own pleasure, earned her a reward as Tala reflexively sucked in a sharp breath while a completely contented expression crossed his face. Slowly and firmly Demetra splayed her fingers outwards along his spinal muscles, then trailed them back upward, slid her hand along the back of his shoulder, then to the front, until eventually she pulled away from him.
Almost immediately, Tala's eyes fluttered back open, and through somewhat glazed eyes he blinked a few times as if coming out of a hazy drunken stupor, until finally he seemed to come back to his senses. Shifting in obvious embarrassment, he straightened and lifted his chin a little to regain some of his composure. Turning to look at the brunette beside him, he gave her an uneasy smirk.
"Wow. Looks like her pampered highness has got some hidden talents after all." He said cheekily, giving his shoulders another roll. "You're awfully good with your hands Princess. Makes me wonder."
Knowing he was just trying to get a rise out of her, Demetra rolled her eyes and lifted her now lukewarm coffee to her lips for a sip.
"Wonder all you want." She said tonelessly, immediately shutting him down. Then she gave him a mischievous look. "To think the Big Bad Wolf could be tamed by the pampered princess, with nothing more than a little shoulder rub no less. I can only imagine what the full treatment would do to you. No doubt I'd have you eating out of my hand, Wolf."
Expecting the usual reaction, Tala surprised her when a mischievous glint of his own lit his eyes as his smirk widened.
"I'm not gonna beat myself up over that." He drawled hungrily. "There can't be a man alive who wouldn't be eating out of a hand if it did that to him."
Stunned by his reaction, Demetra's brows lifted a little as she stared back at him in speechless silence. Tala leaned sideways a little and gave her a somewhat wolfish grin.
"How many times do I have to warn you not to tease wild animals, your highness?" He drawled in a low tone. "Or are you saying that because you're offering the Big Bad Wolf a nice little treat?"
Feeling her entire body flush now, it took everything in Demetra not to pull away and distance herself from him. Forcing herself to keep his eye contact, she consciously lifted a brow this time.
"Do you really think you deserve that sort of treat Mr. Wolf?" She drawled hotly in response.
This earned her a wide, toothy grin.
"Absolutely not." Tala replied in amusement. "But being undeserving of something has never stopped me from wanting it."
The corner of Demetra's lips twitched at his response.
"I suppose one can't blame an animal for its natural instincts. Especially when the object of desire is so damn desirable."
Something dangerous, mixed with something unidentifiable, flashed in Tala's eyes as he returned her stare, and after a few moments, he leaned back and turned away. Closing his eyes, he lifted a hand to thread it though his hair in a very un-Tala-like way, that was so completely endearing it made Demetra's heart throb.
"Tch... For someone who's supposed to be so innocent, you sure know how to dangle a steak, Princess."
Once again, Demetra was at a loss for how to respond, but thankfully Tala saved her the trouble.
"I think it's time we get out of here." He said pointedly, opening his eyes and straightening. "Something tells me being stuck in here with you much longer is gonna be bad for my reputation and my health."
Only partially joking, Tala lifted his cup to his lips and drained the cold contents while Demetra eyed him curiously.
"How, we've already tried?" She pointed out, deciding to ignore the latter part of his statement.
"Actually, there's a new piece to the puzzle this morning." Tala informed her. "I found it earlier while you were asleep. Come on, I'll show you."
Intrigued, Demetra lifted her cup to her lips to drain it as Tala leapt down from the counter, watched as he walked away, then made a face at the cold contents, before making to follow after him.
-;-
Standing before the main double doors of the training room, both occupants stared at the new contraption barring it. Stretched across the frame was a large, chunky rectangular piece of metal with two odd circular holes, and a square electronic pad either side.
"They must have snuck in with this last night while we were asleep..." Tala noted, shifting uncomfortably.
Both avoided looking at each other at this, as the same thought occurred to them; the thought of the tease-worthy view their so-called friends must have gotten.
"Must have.." Demetra mumbled under her breath agreeably. "They're a resourceful bunch..."
Another awkward silence ensued until eventually, Tala gave a cheesy-false cough before shifting again and straightening.
"This looks like something the tech bros would design." He stated confidently. "It's pretty incredible what they can do in a short time."
"Those pads look like scanners." Demetra observed aloud.
"I was thinking that too actually." Tala agreed, approaching said pads. "I'm pretty sure they're hand scanners but..."
Watching curiously, Demetra eyed Tala as he placed his hand on one of the pads, which seemed to scan it. A moment later, the pad turned red and made an unpleasant buzzing sound, which made the redhead frown. He then looked up at Demetra and gestured towards the pad on the other side of the door with his chin.
"Try that one." He instructed her.
Moving forward obediently, Demetra lifted her own hand to place on the scanner, only to receive the exact same response.
"Hm... It feels a bit like a puzzle." Demetra observed aloud, admittedly a tad excited. Personally, she loved puzzles.
"I hate puzzles." Tala surly grumbled. The blunt statement made Demetra helplessly crack a tiny amused smile.
"We're supposed to be getting along." Demetra pointed out. "Perhaps if we do it together."
Once again, Tala placed his hand on the pad in front of him, and Demetra moved to do the same. This time, the pads turned green and emitted a more pleasant beep when scanned together. With a hopeful breath, the two moved to open the doors, but the heavy metal refused to budge. Tala released a heavy sigh of annoyance.
His eyes falling on the odd circular indents in the metal, Tala eyed them for a moment, then reached into his pocket and withdrew his beyblade. Demetra watched curiously as he stared at it in consideration for a few moments before lifting it to insert into the slot closest to him. Her brows lifting when his bey seemed to fit, Demetra reached into her pocket to pull out her own bey. Reaching out, she copied Tala's discovery.
"Try the pads again." Tala suggested.
Once again, they let the pads scan their hands, and once again there was a pleasant beep following the green flash. However, the doors still wouldn't budge.
"Come on!" Tala growled irritably, giving the door a kick. "What the hell do you idiots want from us?!"
"We've got it right so far..." Demetra mumbled thoughtfully. "I'm sure of it... we're just missing something..."
Demetra stared at the entire set up for a few moments until a thought occurred to her. Eying the beys in the door, she eventually reached out and extracted hers. Staring at it for a few beats, she turned towards her companion.
"Tala."
When he looked up at her she tossed her bey at him, which he easily caught with a confused expression. She then twitched her fingers at him in a 'gimme' gesture. Furrowing his brow, Tala turned back towards the door, extracted his own beyblade, then turned to toss it to the waiting brunette.
Lifting the familiar red and white bey in his hand to examine for a minute, Tala eventually heaved a heavy sigh of annoyance.
"Guess this makes sense." He grumbled, reaching out to insert Demetra's bey into the slot his own had previously occupied.
This time, Tala realized, the beyblade he'd inserted seemed to fit much more snugly, as if it were made to house the red and white chunk of metal. Lifting his brow curiously, Tala gave it a little jiggle. His brows instantly shot up when the bey allowed the mechanism to twist like a key inside a lock.
"Huh." He said aloud, intrigued. Looking up at Demetra again, he gave her a little smirk. "Well look at that, she's just full of surprises."
"You could spend a thousand lifetimes with me, and I can guarantee I'd surprise you every singe day."
Turning away from her, Tala smirked at that response. Truth was, he didn't doubt it for a second; he hadn't known her for a year, and so far she hadn't ceased to surprise or amaze him yet.
"Alright, Einstein, I dunno about you, but I've had enough playing prisoner. What's say we bust outta here?"
"For once, I'm all too inclined to agree." Demetra replied teasingly.
The two placed their hands on the scanning pads and beys and looked at each other.
"Ready?" Tala asked.
"Exceeding." Demetra confirmed.
Looking forward again and holding their breaths, in unison, they both twisted the beys in their housings. To their combined satisfaction, the heavy locks gave way, and the barrier on the door opened with a pronounced metallic click.
The expressions on both faces were extremely proud and triumphant, and when they turned to each other, both raised fists to bump them against each other in triumphant camaraderie. Suddenly realizing it was the first time they'd actually ever allowed themselves to share a congratulatory moment, a sort of embarrassed look crossed both faces and they looked away from each other again. The two extracted the beys in the door and stared down at them, an awkward silence settling between the two, until eventually, Tala's voice broke it.
"Hey, Demetra?"
The super rare sound of her name on Tala's lips instantly sent a hot wave through her, and Demetra was sure her entire face must be flushed with it. Still, she was unable to prevent herself looking up at him, and was admittedly pleased to note that, although his trademark smirk was there, his expression was softer, borderline tender, and it made the wave that much hotter when it came again.
"Never been locked in with anyone before, and it damn well better not happen again." He said with mock annoyance. "But I'm not gonna lie... could of been worse."
Looking to the side, Tala lifted a hand to place at his hip in an awkward gesture and shifted uncomfortably, and Demetra was sure she saw a light pink tinge dust his cheeks.
"And I guess it wouldn't kill me to admit, in a way... kinda glad it happened."
Demetra eyed him for a minute, studied him, until eventually a soft expression lit her face as well.
"So am I..." She admitted softly. "I can't imagine either of us would have ever swallowed our pride enough to smooth things out on our own... I suppose we owe them for that if nothing else."
Looking back up at her again now, a mischievous grin lit Tala's face.
"Yea, maybe. But that doesn't mean those idiots don't have some serious payback comin' their way."
Demetra smirked too.
"My sentiments exactly."
"Well, I say we go make that happen." Tala said with a wicked look in his eye. It made Demetra chuckle.
"After you, Captain."
Turning back to the door, the two placed their hands on it and simultaneously pushed, a twinge of pride and relief coursing through them when it gave way and opened wide before them.
"Give it up rookie! I got no problem making a girl cry!"
"Who says I'm a rookie, huh?! Unfortunately for you, I got no problem making a boy cry!"
Demetra rolled her eyes, though there was a soft amused expression on her face. Hours after her and Tala had escaped their prison, both teams had gathered in the rec room for some good-natured competition. Currently, Victoria was sandwiched between Bryan and Ian on a large couch facing a massive screen TV, the three of them vying for dominance in the ridiculous martial arts video game they were all so fond of. Looking away from the trio some ways away, her eyes travelled to the table nearby, where Spencer was sitting with his hand to his chin, contemplating his next move as he faced off against Keisha in a game of chess. Demetra herself had been roped into a game of pool; her and Kage versus Tala and Kai.
"This is nice." Keisha said with a sparkling smile as she waited for her opponent to make a move. "Feels like we've all been friends forever, huh?"
Demetra felt a warmth inside at the comment, it being along the same lines she'd been thinking. In the time she'd spent with the Blitzkrieg Boys, she'd already grudgingly begun to think of them as a sort of extended family, so now with her actual family with her, it felt that much more sweet. She had to admit, she really liked the feeling, probably a little bit too much.
"I guess it's not the worst thing in the world having you spoiled rotten dames around." Tala voiced playfully. He then turned a mischievous look on Demetra. "See how much more pleasant things could have been if you'd have learned to play nice sooner, Princess?"
Demetra snorted indignantly, pointedly ignoring the cheesy looks she could feel from her girls at the redhead's dub.
"Of course. Because I was solely to blame for our time together being so stressful." She replied sarcastically.
"Good to know you're able to own up to your own shortcomings, your highness." Tala shot back immediately. Demetra felt a twinge of amusement at that, but she instead forced an unamused expression.
"Just shut up and take your shot, Wolf."
Tala chuckled and turned away from her to do just that. Demetra allowed the corners of her lips to twitch upwards just a little as she watched him lean over the pool table to line up his shot. This time she didn't notice the cheesy looks passed around the other occupants of the room, all knowing and pleased looks - all except for a certain blunette, who looked anything but pleased at the playful exchange between the former pseudo-enemies, particularly Demetra's almost affectionate dub.
It was at that moment Demetra received a text. Extracting her cell and opening the message, her eyes skimmed the words, her expression dropping a little as she took it in. Glancing up-and-over from her overly-competitive game, Victoria noted the look on her Captain's face. Without missing a beat, she looked back and focused on the competition again.
"Who's that?" She asked aloud, eyes once again glued to the screen as she addressed her Captain.
"Breal." Demetra said simply, her own eyes still on her cell as she replied to the message.
"What'd he say?" Keisha asked curiously. Demetra was quiet for a few moments, taking the time to answer and replace her cell in her pocket before eventually filling them in.
"He wants to know if I've made a decision about returning home."
"And have you?" Kage asked once she'd gotten the brunette's attention.
"Obviously you're gonna stay, right?!" Bryan said casually confident with a huge grin, his own eyes glued to the screen as he jammed theatrically at the controller in his hand. "YEAH! Take that you losers! Heh!"
"Dude! That was a dirty move, man!" Ian grumbled at his friend, hurrying to defend himself against the virtual attack. Then he tossed his own two cents worth into the conversation. "Of course she's gonna stay! You'd totally miss us, right Demetra!"
"I told him I haven't decided yet." She informed the group. "But just to clarify, miss is a strong word."
Having sunk three balls since the conversation started, Tala paused in lining up the next one, looking instead out the corner of his eye from under his lashes towards the Finnish Captain. He tried to gauge her reaction, but her expression was guarded, and he felt his stomach knot wondering about her true intentions. On the one hand, he was happy she hadn't immediately decided to leave. But on the other hand, he was uneasy over the fact that she hadn't fully decided to stay either. Deep down, his heart and self-preservation urged him not to get too hopeful.
Just then, the sound of defeat echoed from the couch, as Bryan threw his arms up in the air with a loud exclamation of irritated disbelief.
"That's so wrong!" Ian complained in agreeance. "I thought girls were all about make up, sparkly things and fashion magazines! It's not natural for you to be so good at this!"
Victoria grinned as she sat back in her seat with a triumphantly smug expression.
"Oh don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for all of those things!" The brunette crowed. "But a girls gotta have some variety in her life, you know!"
"Yea well you just got lucky, girlie!" Bryan grumped playfully. "I mean, Ian here sucks, but the only reason I lost was cause I was distracted by your lousy taste in music!"
"Yea right, you've never beaten me at this game and you know it!" Ian argued, then he turned the tables. "But you're right about the music though, it sucks! Man, thank God Demetra's taste in music isn't this terrible, or I'd have beaten my own brains out long ago! Yeesh!"
"Hey!" Victoria and Keisha both exclaimed with offended laughter. The former elaborated. "This music is awesome! It's classic, good for the heart! It's soul music!"
"Soul rotting maybe!" Ian teased.
"Heart-stopping." Bryan agreed teasingly "As in your heart'll stop itself to end the torture!"
While Tala tuned out the good-natured arguing over music choice going on around him, he stared unseeing at the pool table while Kage lined up her shot. Inside, he was replaying the topic of conversation earlier, and his thoughts on it; on the topic of the girls, or more specifically Demetra, finally leaving Russia.
That's when he made up his mind. He knew Demetra was on the fence about leaving, but he also knew that, no matter how much she loved her own home and might miss it, she'd also come to love Russia too. And he planned to bank his hopes on that love, and finally give her a reason to stay.
Standing in the middle of the room that had been her safe haven for the past several months, Demetra couldn't help but feel conflicted. There wasn't really a whole heck of a lot to look at, particularly attributed to her meltdown not so long ago. Still, she'd managed to save and salvage a portion of her treasures from the wreckage, and as she looked around at the objects scattered around the room now, a feeling of longing and warm fondness tugged at her heart.
Approaching one particular photo hanging on the wall, she stood before it, ignoring the sudden throb of her heart as she stared. As a pair of stunning polar blues stared back at her, she felt her heart race.
"It's amazing how quickly things have changed between us..." Demetra thought with mixed feelings. "And how drastically.."
The thought was an understatement; especially when she considered the place they'd started from, compared to where they were now. Once upon a time, a time when she'd merely observed them behind screens and from paper pages, long before she'd ever met them, The Blitzkrieg Boys had been a source of inspiration for her. She'd admired them, respected them, though it was a truth she'd never shared with anyone, and a fact only noticed by her ever-observant sisters.
And then she'd actually met the hardened Russians, and although the respect had remained for the most part, the admiration had quickly morphed into an intense rivalry, particularly after having met a certain hotheaded redhead.
That rivalry had soon turned harshly volatile following the events of the American tournament, specifically the match between the redhead in question, and the youngest redhead of her own team. In fact, the animosity had only gotten stronger and more dangerous the longer the two spent in each other's presence, and had lasted for quite a long stretch of time; right up until only recently, when things had finally taken a surprising (at least for Demetra) turn for the better.
Now, as she continued to stare at the heartwarming picture before her, Demetra couldn't help but marvel at the drastic change between herself and the feisty blader in question. She wasn't one hundred percent on her feelings towards Tala at the moment, and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to feel about leaving her current temporary home behind - because there was no doubt or denial that that's what Russia had become to her. All she knew, was that she no longer held such a terrible disdain for the redhead as she once had. In fact, she'd become quite a bit more fond of him as of late then she'd like, and if she were truly honest with herself, she'd be forced to admit that there had probably always been a little something in her heart for him, whatever that something was.
Considering the choice she was being forced to make, and feeling completely conflicted and torn over it, thinking of Tala's own words and actions towards her since their time together, Demetra made a instant decision.
"It may be cowardly..." She thought ruefully. "But if I can't make the decision on my own, I'll leave it up to him."
Demetra already knew how her girls felt; she knew they'd all be fine either way; going home together, or going back to the new lives they'd made for themselves separately over the past months - much the same as she herself felt. She also knew, even though she wasn't quite sure the extent of those feelings, that she'd come to feel something a little stronger than friendship towards the redhead as of late. What she didn't know was how exactly he felt about her. While she was certain Tala also felt something towards her too, she wanted to know if whatever that something was, was worth delaying her departure for. If it was, she was more than willing to stay behind and explore it.
And so, ultimately, Demetra decided that if Tala gave her even an inkling that he wanted her to stay, then she wasn't going anywhere.
"Knock, knock! Are you ready to go your highness?"
Shaking herself out of her deep thoughts Demetra turned towards her door and gave the amused faces there an unamused expression.
"I'm sorry to tell you, you're not nearly as funny as you think you are." She bluntly informed the grinning redhead who'd addressed her.
Keisha giggled and tipped her head to the side.
"Guess it's a good thing I'm so darn cute then." She said playfully, her hands behind her back.
Demetra rolled her eyes and made to approach the trio at her door.
"What were you looking at?" Victoria asked her, making to approach the spot she'd been standing.
"None of your business." Demetra shut her down firmly, shooing the brunette back towards the door.
"Awe, you're no fun." Victoria pouted playfully, turning around to leave.
"You say that like it wasn't already common knowledge." Demetra shot back smartly. The comment made the three laugh.
As she followed the three out, only half-listening to their playful banter, Demetra made to shut the door, but something on her dresser caught her eye and made her pause. Staring at it for a minute, she eventually pushed the door back open.
"I forgot something." Demetra informed the three over her shoulder. "Go on ahead, I'll catch up."
As the girls did just that, Demetra walked back into her room and approached the dresser. Reaching out, she picked up the object that had caught her eye and lifted it to inspect for a moment. She debated on replacing it again, but something in her gut told her to take it along. So, deciding she might as well, Demetra slipped the small object into her pocket, not giving it much more thought then that as she turned to leave the room and catch up with her sisters.
-;-
"Awe, that sounds like so much fun! We need to come here sometime while there's one on the go!"
"Yea, it's worth checking out at least once in your life. No one can say Russian's don't know how to have a good time!"
Demetra's chest was tight with affection as she walked through the village with both her team and Tala's. As she so often had, she felt like a proud mother, watching her excited charges excitedly run wild in an unfamiliar playground. So far, she'd chased them around a majority of the village, watched them enjoy many of the things she'd come to cherish so much herself, and seeing their shared enthusiasm did her heart good.
"Hey! If it isn't little Mitri!"
Glancing to the side, Demetra's expression softened as she laid eyes on a familiar beaming, hulky blonde.
"Huh? Who's that?" Keisha questioned curiously as the man enthusiastically waved the group over.
"That's Yulian." Demetra replied, already making her way over to him.
With curious looks, the girls followed their Captain, tailed closely by their escorts.
"Long time no see little sister!" The blonde boomed when the group had reached him. "And Russia's pride and joy! How are you, you terrifying savages?!"
Stopping before him, Demetra couldn't help but notice how, strangely, without his bulky winter attire, the blonde looked even bigger than before. Though he was still wearing a pair of big heavy black boots despite the mild weather, this time, the blonde was wearing a pair of black and white cammo cargo pants, and a fitted black t-shirt that showed off his huge muscled arms, and made his already impressively massive physique look that much more colossal.
"I'm fine, Yulian." Demetra greeted politely. "It's good to see you again."
"Hey, Yulian!" Ian greeted, clapping hands with him, which was promptly followed by the rest of the Blitzkrieg Boys. "How's it going man!"
After a brief exchange with the boys, the blonde turned back to Demetra.
"And did you tell your brother I said hello?"
"Yes, I did." Demetra replied with a hint of amusement. "He told me not to talk to strange people, particularly ones who like to play with guns and smile far too much."
Yulian's booming laughter rang though the area.
"Ah-ha! Did he now?!" The blonde exclaimed with a wide grin. He then went off on a bit of a rant in Russian, playfully grumbling before reverting back to English again. "Well, I will remember that the next time he comes looking for a favour from me!"
He then looked between Demetra and Tala with a mischievous grin.
"So how about you two, eh?" He asked suggestively. "Any truth to the word on the grapevine?!"
"I doubt it very much..." Tala grumbled, his face turning a pale shade of pink.
"Depends on what the word on the vine is..." Demetra muttered, her own face flushed as well.
"Village gossip says you two make quite the handsome pair! Looks like you're pretty comfortable with each other now, eh?" He gestured to the way the two were standing close to each other, and it succeeded in making them shift uncomfortably, which in turn made Yulian laugh again. "Aw, looks like it is only a half truth! Don't tell me you two are still tiptoeing through the tulips! Come on! Enough already!"
"You tell 'em!" Keisha piped up with a wide grin.
"Yeah, ya see!" Victoria seconded mischievously. "Neither of you are foolin' anyone so just suck it up and get together already!"
Yulian laughed and turned to the two girls.
"Ha! Looks like little Mitri has more spunky friends! I like you! Who are you?"
Seeing that both her and Tala were scarlet now, Demetra took the opportunity to, hopefully, change the subject.
"These are my sisters and my team." She filled him in all too willingly.
Sticking out their hands with their self-introductions, unaware as she had been about the Russian men versus women handshake custom, Demetra was mildly surprised when Yulian enthusiastically wrapped his large paw around the girl's considerably smaller hands in succession.
"It is a great pleasure to meet you!" He said with a grin.
"You too!" Keisha beamed.
Her head cocked to one side, Victoria was eying the huge blonde with eyes narrowed in thought.
"Hmm..." She hummed thoughtfully. "You know... You look awfully familiar..."
Tipping her head to the opposite side and mimicking her friend, Keisha studied the man as well.
"Huh... Now that you mention it... have we ever met? You really do look super familiar..."
"Strange... I thought so too." Kage added, crossing her arms and placing a thoughtful hand to her chin. "I'm sure I've see you before... though for the life of me I can't think of where..."
Their comments surprised Demetra, and she looked at the girls with a matching expression.
"You think so too?" She questioned them curiously. "I told him he looked familiar the first time we met as well... It can't be a coincidence..."
Yulian puffed out his chest theatrically, placed one hand on his hip and the other on his chin as he struck a pose.
"Ah, it is just this beautiful face, it is a nostalgic face!" He said dismissively, hamming it up. "Surely we have never met, how do you think you could ever forget a handsome mug like this, eh!"
He then flexed his massive biceps and struck another pose.
"Surely you have never seen such a fine specimen in all your life!"
Rewarded with a chorus of laughter for his clowning, the girls decided to dismiss the thought.
"Yea, maybe you'r right." Keisha said with a grin. "I guess you just have one of those faces."
"More importantly, tell us more about the word on the grapevine!" Victoria insisted, leaning in conspiratorially.
Demetra and Tala both groaned as the group descended into good-natured gossip and fun-poking, and it continued for some time at their expense until finally the two couldn't take any more. Demetra opened her mouth to cut them off, not sure what was going to come out, but willing to bet whatever it was, it would be better than the torture of the past several minutes. Fortunately, Tala, also extremely flustered by their banter, beat her to the punch.
"As fascinating as this conversation is," Tala drawled sarcastically, his cheeks considerably red by now, "we don't have all day to stand around and listen to you and your deluded fantasies."
"Awe there is no joy in your soul, you old grouch!' The blonde pouted teasingly. "I'm the old man here, yet you are the stick in the mud!"
"It should be a comfort to know that intelligence isn't lost with my generation." Tala shot back good-naturedly.
"Bah! It is no comfort at all!" Yulian replied, making a face. "I would be more comforted to know your generation still has a sense of humour!"
This got a round of laughter, and eventually, after bidding a fond farewell to Yulian, the group moved on.
"Hey, is the dog sled place open?" Keisha asked excitedly. "I want to go see the team Demi always uses!"
"Well, they're not for rent this time of year." Ian informed them. "But they're still open for supplies and stuff. And we know the owner pretty well, so there's a good chance he'll let you see 'em."
While the two younger girls cheered, and the group made their way towards their intended destination, Demetra lifted her wrist to check her watch, and noting the time, her pace slowed a little as her hand went to the shoulder bag at her hip.
"Somewhere to be, Princess?" Tala asked playfully, having noticed her decelerated pace.
"Actually, yes." She replied instantly, surprising him.
Before he could question her, Demetra lifted her voice to address the group ahead of them.
"Go on ahead." She called after them. "I've got something else I want to do, so I'll catch up with you."
The comment surprised the entire Russian troupe, and the looks on their faces showed it as the group stopped to look back at her.
"Seriously?" Ian blinked at her. "You don't wanna go see your team? That's a surprise."
"You want some company?" Kai asked before Demetra could reply. Before she could answer him either, Victoria spoke up, moving to hook her arm through the blunette's.
"Actually, Kai, we were hoping you'd show us that place you mentioned!"
"Yea! I wanna see that too!" Keisha instantly seconded suggestively. "We can go see the dogs when Demi's finished."
Kai lifted a brow at them.
"Are you talking about the observatory?" He asked with a frown. "It's the middle of the day... there's not much to see in the daylight..."
"I'm sure it's still worth a look!" Victoria egged on, turning them forwards again. "Come on, show us anyway, please?"
His frown deepening, Kai glanced over his shoulder at Demetra before reluctantly allowing himself to be lead onwards again.
As the majority of the group continued on with small talk, the petite redhead then turned an innocent look on the taller one.
"Why don't you go with Demi, Tala?" She said casually. "You guys can catch up with us later! See ya!"
Not giving either a chance to argue or refuse, the little ball of sunshine turned and bounced after her friends, leaving the two behind staring after her.
When the group was gone, Tala turned back towards his companion with a casual indifference.
"So, what's so important you don't want to go visit your favourite hero?"
A fond expression graced Demetra's face before answering him.
"I do." She replied simply. "And I will. But there's something else I want to do first."
Lifting a brow at her cryptic answer, thoroughly intrigued, Tala followed wordlessly as she turned and headed off in an opposite direction.
-;-
"This is it."
Demetra looked up at the modest wooden door before her, stared for a second, then moved up the trio of shallow steps leading to it before knocking briskly. Stepping back, she waited for someone to answer, which didn't take long.
"Privet. Ya mogu van pomoch'?"
From his place several paces behind her on the level, Tala spoke up in Demetra's stead.
"Eto Demetra Nakamura. Ona ishchet Natashu."
Looking away from the redhead over her shoulder, the man at in the doorframe's face lit up in friendly recognition as he looked back at Demetra.
"Ah, Miss Nakamura!" He said with a heavy accent. "It is a pleasure! I have been wanting to thank you for what you have done for my little Tasha! She has been talking about you constantly!"
"You needn't thank me. It was my pleasure." She replied politely, thinking of the topic of reference, particularly the unpleasant person who'd caused it. "Truly."
"So modest!" The man beamed. "It is rare to see such fair qualities in ones so young these days!"
The compliment made Demetra uncomfortable, knowing her personality left much to be desired, but the man saved her the trouble of having to think of a response.
"But nonetheless, I wish to assure you of my deep gratitude, for what you have done." He made a disgusted face before continuing. "Especially concerning that rotten rat and his bad apples!"
Demetra didn't need to ask to know he was referring to Sergio and his pathetic goons.
"There was a time when they were not so much trouble, back when the Blitzkrieg Boys were a more present force in the Village... Ech! But nowadays they seem to have free reign of the place. Such a troublesome lot!"
Glancing at the redhead, Demetra noted Tala shifting uncomfortably, a deep frown and a guilty expression on his face. Obviously noting his discomfort, the man's expression softened a little.
"Ah, but you are growing boys, and famous also! It cannot be helped, is to be expected." He turned back to Demetra then. "This is a small village, and I cannot do much, but I am still the closest thing this place has to a mayor, so if there is ever any way for me to assist you, let me know, eh?"
A look of surprise crossed Demetra's face, and the man laughed.
"I take that face to mean you did not know this?" He said in amusement. "Ah well, as I said, it is a position that does not mean much here, but I am proud of it all the same!"
He then clapped his hands before him and looked round at the two with a kind expression.
"Now, I am sure you did not come to listen to an old man talk your ear off! You are looking for my little Tasha yes? You should find her with her friends at The Green. Tala will know it."
"I do." Tala confirmed, filling the brunette in when she looked at him questioningly. "It's a big open field at the edge of The Village, a lot of the kids play there."
So, thanking and bidding farewell to Natasha's father, the pair turned and left in direction of their next destination.
-;-
The pair found the little ones exactly where they were supposed to be, and fond expressions graced both their faces as they watched for a while. Crossing her arms, Demetra watched the children laughing and playing together, reminded of a time long ago when things were that simply joyous for her and her sisters - a very long time ago. Looking out the corner of her eye at Tala, who was leaning casually against a light post with crossed arms and a similar expression, she couldn't help but wonder if his thoughts had taken him to a similar place as well.
Eventually, at one point when she'd turned in their direction to toss the ball in her tiny hands towards a teammate, Natasha's eyes fell on the pair observing, and her little face lit up. Dropping the suddenly forgotten toy, she instantly made a beeline towards the two.
"Demetra!" She cheered gleefully when she was before the brunette. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see you." Demetra informed the little girl, uncrossing her arms. "And Peter."
"Really?!" The little blonde exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. The teens watched her turn and lift her hands to cup her mouth and call over her shoulder.
"Piter! Oni prishli, chtoby uvidet' nas!" She called excitedly. "Podoydi syuda!"
Among the group of small bodies who'd stopped to watch the exchange, little Peter blinked a few times before eventually dashing forward towards the three. This got the other children chattering excitedly among themselves.
When the little boy had reached them, Demetra opened the bag at her hip and reached in to pull out two large, flat objects wrapped in brown packing paper. Separating them one in each hand, she handed one each to the little children.
"These are for you." She informed them kindly.
Their eyes wide, the children excitedly tore the paper off and gasped at the presents in their hands. Demetra had taken the liberty of making two large prints of their picture together from the night they'd met. She'd also signed the glass, as well as left a brief individual message to them both, written in their native tongue.
With teary eyes, the two looked back up at her, and the look on their faces melted the brunette.
"Thank you so much!" Natasha said through watery eyes, hugging the frame tightly to her chest. Beside her, Peter nodded enthusiastically, his own eyes a little misty.
"Yes! Thank you!" He said, voice heavily accented.
"You're very welcome." Demetra replied kindly.
Removing a single tiny hand from its place wrapped tightly around the frame, Natasha reached out and gripped Demetra's hand, giving it a tug.
"Come play with us!" She encouraged pleadingly. Demetra gave her a soft expression.
"I'm afraid I can't today." She told the little blonde regretfully. "I've still got some things I have to do, and some other people I need to see."
Natasha released her hand and looked down at the frame in her arms, then looked back up at the tall brunette with a deep frown.
"Does this mean you're leaving?" She asked sadly.
Glancing out the corner of her eye at the question, Demetra noted Tala was still standing with crossed arms, and for all appearances he looked completely comfortably casual, except that there was an intense look in his eye as he stared at her as if awaiting her answer. Squirming under the redhead's piercing gaze, Demetra looked back to the blonde at her feet.
"I'm not sure yet." She replied softly, trying to make it sound casual, but even she could note the hint of nervousness in her tone, making her internally cringe.
For a moment, Natasha's pretty, bright eyes filled, and Demetra felt a twist of guilt, but a moment later, the petite girl beamed brightly
"Okay, I know you must go home... I am so glad I got to meet you! And I hope I one day get to see you compete for real!"
Demetra's expression softened and she reached out to gently place her hand atop the girl's head.
"I'm glad I met you too." She replied kindly. "And you never know, perhaps one day you will."
"Natasha! Are you and Peter friends with Captain Tala and Captain Demetra?"
The small collection turned and noted suddenly that the group of children had all gathered around them now, looking on with interest. Looking over her shoulder, Natasha gave the two teens a questioning look of confirmation. Amused, Demetra gave the blonde a tiny, single nod, while beside her Tala smirked and lifted his chin. Receiving the permission she'd been asking for, Natasha turned back to her friends with a proud, beaming smile.
"Yes!" She stated proudly, lifting her chin and placing her hands on her hips. "Yes we are!"
A chorus of impressed chattering erupted from the group of children, and looking at the beaming, proud grins on her two young friend's faces, touched Demetra's heart, which softened her expression considerably.
"How's it feel to be a local hero, your highness?"
Demetra turned her head to look at Tala, only to find him staring at her with his crossed arms, and typical teasing smirk. But there was something else in his face this time too, something warmer, something that looked an awful lot like fondness. A small, warm smile graced Demetra's face, attributed to Tala's appearance, as well as the touching scene around her.
"I've known worse feelings." She replied playfully.
Tala made an amused sound and turned back to the children, but Demetra didn't miss that softness to his gaze warm just a bit before he looked away, and the sight made something warm and fuzzy flutter inside her.
Demetra turned back to the children and watched their playful antics. She'd never really been good with kids - not that she'd ever really tried to be - and she'd never imagined she'd be anyone significant in ones eyes. But watching the little faces, listening to the little voices all around her sing her praises for, really nothing of real significance in her eyes at all, well, she certainly could think of worse feelings.
-;-
The walk back to rejoin their group was filled with small talk, a feat in itself considering it wasn't so long ago the two hadn't been able to be in the same vicinity without bickering; though all that felt like a lifetime away for the both of them now.
Finally, Tala got around to asking the question he'd been itching to ask her since the topic came up in the rec room the night before.
"So. How's your big decision coming along?" He asked, attempting to sound casual. "What're you leaning towards?"
"Who says it's a big decision?" Demetra replied teasingly, though there was an ever so slight hint of nervousness in her tone. "Perhaps my indecisiveness was only a front to spare the soft hearts involved."
Deciding to play along with the good-natured banter, an amused smirk split Tala's face.
"Now that's cold." He said, giving her a mock-stung look. "After all we've been through, can't even pretend you're gonna miss me."
His playful response earned him a little laugh from is companion, and it tugged at something inside him in a way he was only just beginning to get used to.
"Alright cry baby, I suppose I'll let you have that one."
That took Tala aback, and his expression showed it; a mix of surprise, offence and amusement.
"Cry baby?" He repeated, his face screwing up as he looked at her. "That's a first. You've got some nerve, you know that? And some kinda guts."
He lifted his chin a little to look down his nose at her.
"I guess you musta grown on me, cause I can tell you honestly, there aren't many people in this world I let get away with as much as I let you."
Demetra scoffed at that.
"Excuse me?" She replied in mock-offence. "Since when have you let me get away with anything?"
"I let you get away with more than you think, your highness!" Tala shot back instantly. Then he gave her a mischievous grin. "And while we're on the topic, just to clarify, when you say you're letting me have it, that mean you would miss me if you left?"
To his absolute delight, Tala watched a light flush stain Demetra's face as she turned away from him, and it made something annoyingly fluttery stir inside him this time.
"I believe I answered that last night." Demetra replied playfully. "Miss really is a strong word... Unable to forget might be more appropriate. Though not for a lack of trying, I assure you."
Tala was sure his response would have shocked her, maybe even stopped her heart and made her look at him in the way all those girls looked at their leading man in the movies, and he had it on the tip of his tongue. But before he had the chance to find out, Demetra halting stopped him, causing him to look at her with a small frown.
"What's wrong?" He asked, concerned by her sudden change in demeanour. Glancing down, he noticed she seemed to be fiddling with something in her pocket.
"There's something else I have to do..." She replied with a somewhat faraway voice.
Furrowing his brows, Tala followed her line of sight until his gaze fell on a building in the distance. Instantly he heard a voice in his head from a night so long ago, and yet so fresh in his mind it felt like it had only just happened, a voice that had sounded so much like his own and yet one he somehow knew wasn't.
"The next time you come here, you'll go in."
Feeling this time an unfamiliar squirming inside him, Tala looked back at the brunette beside him and observed her for a moment. His nerves spiking for some unknown reason, he wondered if this was next time.
"Want some company?" He asked, sure he knew the answer. But to his surprise, the answer he got when she tore her gaze from the distance wasn't the one he'd been expecting.
"No." She said firmly. "I want to do this one alone."
His frown deepening just a little, Tala eyed her for a minute, wondering if he should insist. But as he considered it, the squirming inside him intensified, and with it the feeling that he shouldn't push. Maybe this wasn't next time after all.
"Want me to wait for you?" He asked instead. Again her answer was instantaneous and a little surprising.
"No." She said firmly again. "Go on ahead and meet up with everyone... I don't think I'll be long."
Resisting a sigh, Tala looked away from her and stuffed his hands in his pockets to stop them fidgeting.
"Fine." He said, trying to keep the stung feeling out of his voice. "Let me know when you're done. I'll come meet up with you again or something if you want..."
Feeling another unpleasant squirming in his gut, anticipating her third shut-down, he was once again surprised by her answer, this time a pleasant one.
"I will." Demetra replied softly. "Thank you."
Looking back at her, Tala noted the rare tender look she was giving him, and it made his heart throb tightly in his chest. Without his consent, his own expression softened as he gazed at her.
"Sure." He said simply, his voice also softer then he'd intended.
Giving him one last look that made his already throbbing heart ache, Demetra turned away and headed off on her own, leaving the redhead to helplessly stare longingly after her.
As soon as Demetra entered the old beautiful church, she was instantly overcome with the warm peaceful feeling she'd felt the last time she'd been there, and the feeling succeeded in coaxing a warm smile from her. A deep, contented sigh seeped past her lips as she made her way inside.
Entering the inner sanctuary, Demetra noted it was just as empty as last time. She'd been hoping to see her companion from her previous visit, but by all looks and appearances, he didn't seem to be around. Then again, she hadn't noticed him before either. It didn't seem right to call out, but she really was hoping to see him. So, clearing her throat awkwardly, Demetra opened her mouth.
"Hello... Is there anyone here?"
Although she'd barely spoken louder than one would while normally addressing someone, her voice echoed through the hallowed walls, making it seem so much louder, and making her flinch uncomfortably. Still, she wanted to be sure, so she called out one more time.
"Joshua..?" She called, feeling awkward for it. Still there was no answer.
She was disappointed, but Demetra figured if he was around and available, he'd appear to her, so instead she settled for simply enjoying the moment of solitude in the peaceful sanctuary.
Making her way down the isle, Demetra eventually arrived at the pew she'd sat in on her first visit, and her hand reached up to rest on the back of it as she remembered the things that had been going through her head the last time she'd sat there. She thought of how much turmoil had been in her heart back then, how clouded and muddled her thoughts had been. She remembered her thoughts when she'd stood at the front of the church the first time.
"If only I felt this much peace outside these walls..."
Then she recalled the thought that had followed that one, her almost sarcastic comment to someone she was sure hadn't even been listening.
"Tell you what, you help me find the kind of peace out there that I feel in here, and I'll darken your door more often."
A small smile creased Demetra's face as she considered that thought now. Last time, she'd been all but driven here, this time it had been a willing, conscious decision. And also in oppose to the previous visit, this time her heart was considerably much more peaceful then it had been then; in fact, she was even willing to say that thanks to the night before, even though the usual stresses and concerns of her life were still there, her heart was currently more at peace then it had been in as long as she could remember.
Running her hand along the polished wood, Demetra hesitated a moment before moving to slide onto the wooden bench. Sighing once again in content, she closed her eyes and let her thoughts begin to wander.
The darkness behind her lids didn't last, because as soon as she'd closed her eyes, Demetra recalled the scene of her previous visit as vividly as if she were reliving it again. The only difference was, for the life of her she still couldn't recall Joshua's face. But she could hear his voice in her ears as clearly as if he was once again sitting before her, offering her his sage advice all over again.
"The truth is; the source of inner peace is different for every person. The trick is, finding the source of yours."
She hadn't really understood that statement at the time, it had seemed like such an obvious and obscure piece of advice. But as Demetra thought back on all the events and scenarios that had transpired since then, she thought she was finally able to discern what he'd meant.
"Did you ever wonder if you're fighting the wrong battles?" He'd asked her cryptically. "Maybe even battles against allies you've mistaken for your enemies?"
At the time, Demetra had considered that statement the most ludicrous thing she'd ever heard. A battle was a battle, how could you fight it the wrong way? Surely no one was dumb enough to fight an ally? If there was someone in your life who acted like an enemy, that usually meant that it was because that person was in fact an enemy.
Or so she'd thought. But as she considered the turmoil between her and Tala, the position they'd started at versus the position they were at now, she realized she couldn't have been more wrong, she only wished it hadn't taken a total stranger to point it out to her, that she could have seen it for herself, and sooner.
"Sometimes, you find that yielding to the smaller battles, leads you to ultimately winning the war."
The smile crept back up onto her face again as his words continued to echo in her ears. He'd been right of course, he'd been right about everything. In fact, it was almost awe-inspiring just how well he'd hit the nail on the head for her.
Now more than ever, Demetra wished so badly that the man she'd been yearning to see was there, she wanted so desperately to thank him for his invaluable pearls of wisdom.
"Thank you..." She whispered aloud, settling for what she was able to control.
Demetra stayed in the pew for a long time; considering, remembering, meditating, until eventually she noticed the afternoon sun spilling though the crystal-clear windows. By the amber color, she knew it was nearing sunset, and that she'd already been in there for hours. Knowing she was likely being missed by now, reluctantly, she forced herself to her feet and made her way back down the isle towards the exit.
Once again, just like last time, Demetra paused at the door when her eyes fell on the offering box and the worlds inscribed above it.
"She placed a penny in the plate. And so, her offering was greater, because she gave all she had."
At first, she thought little of the message, having already seen it. But reaching into her pocket for her wallet, Demetra's fingers brushed something else, the something that had caught her eye before leaving her room earlier. Wrapping her fingers around the object, Demetra pulled it out. Laying it across her palm, she stared at the extra, seventh bracelet she'd made the night of the festival, the one she'd woven with attractive shades of red, violet and blue.
And then it hit her like a bolt, and suddenly she felt like a fool for not understanding it from the start. Staring at the beautiful colors, Demetra considered the bracelet and everything it symbolized. She thought of the warmth in Tala's eyes and the look on his face when she'd given him the one she'd made for him, of the warmth in her own heart every time she looked at the one he'd gifted her. She considered how volatile and rocky their relationship had started out as, how many twists and turns it had taken since their meeting. In a way, the bracelets had almost become a sort of white flag between them, something to remind them if they happened to forget, that there were things more important then the petty stresses they put themselves and each other through, that there were things more precious than the worthless things they often considered treasures, and that if they put in just the smallest amount of effort, it was not only possible, but almost laughably easy to get along.
Lifting her hand to push back her sleeve on the opposite wrist, she stared fondly at Tala's bracelet on her arm, suddenly looking more vibrant and beautiful then she remembered. Then she looked back to the one on her palm and brushed her thumb across it almost reverently. Yes, suddenly it all made sense, suddenly she was sure she knew them meaning behind the words on the wall.
"It's not about giving up everything you've got..." She thought, feeling a warm swelling in her chest. "It's about giving from your heart..."
Eying the treasure in her hands another moment, Demetra eventually lifted it to brush her lips across the soft strands, closing her eyes as she did.
"I understand now..." She thought, not entirely sure who's benefit it was for, but feeling the need to clarify it anyway. "Let this offering be a symbol of that understanding, of my vow; a promise to do my utmost from this day forward, to see that I always give everything I have from my heart..."
Opening her eyes again, Demetra gave the bracelet one final brush, then reached out and dropped it into the offering box.
Sitting at her desk chair, elbows resting on the handsome stained wood, hands steepled before her, Demetra was staring without seeing at her laptop screen as her thoughts wandered through the many exciting events of the past few days.
Swinging her chair around, Demetra's gaze swept the room, taking in the random assortment of memories collected there in. To most anyone else, the collection probably wouldn't look like much, but even the tiniest, seemingly insignificant objects were great treasures to her, because to her they contained memories of something special, of moments and times she wanted to make sure she wouldn't forget, even though she knew she wouldn't if given a thousand lifetimes.
Eventually her gaze fell upon the familiar white plush on her bedside table, and it was there her gaze lingered. As she stared, she was overcome with images, as she always was, of the night she'd acquired it, of the precious and treasured moments thereafter. She thought of the white wolf's match, of the one Tala had acquired at the same time. The last time she'd been in his room; when she'd been tending his fever, she hadn't noticed it, and she couldn't help but wonder if he'd kept his as well.
Thoughts of that night, of the plush and memories attached to it, as always, made her think of the person attached to it, and also as usual, it made her heart throb almost painfully. As she sat there thinking of the person whom had so thoroughly consumed her thoughts lately, Demetra once again found herself wondering if the redhead in question felt half as much for her as she'd helplessly come to think of him. Not so deep down, she wanted to stay and find out, but the inexperienced little girl inside her was afraid; that part of her told her to leave, because there was no way she'd ever come to mean as much to him as she wanted to, and if that was the case, it was far better to leave now and save them both the pain.
With a heavy sigh, Demetra closed her eyes to block out the plush, but to her dismay, its inverted image lit the inside of her eyelids in the negative anyway. Frowning, she thought back to her decision before going down to the village earlier, and now more than ever it solidified inside her; if Tala wanted her to stay, if he gave her the tiniest inkling he did, she'd agree in a heartbeat. But she needed to hear it from him, needed to hear him say it, needed to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was what he wanted.
Knowing she wasn't going to be able to force herself to concentrate on anything else until she'd dealt with her current dilemma, Demetra released another heavy sigh before finally getting to her feet. Though her mind tried to force her to change it, her heart refused to be ignored any longer, and easily managed this time to kick her critical side into submission.
Having made it to the door, Demetra reached out to open it without hesitation, but before she could take a step through, she brought up solid to find a bulky figure blocking her way. Startling a little, she blinked once in surprise at the familiar face before her. With an equally surprised expression, Kai was standing before her with his fist raised as if about to knock. After blinking at her as well for a second, a teasing smirk lit his face.
"Heh. Talk about timing." He teased. "I guess great minds really do think alike."
"Perhaps fortune favours the foolhardy is more appropriate." She replied cynically.
Kai released an amused snort at her response, then his expression softened.
"Looks like you're on your way out." He said softly. "Got a minute?"
No doubt noting the weary hesitation on her face, a wry smile quirked up the blunette's lips, though there was a bit of a stung look in his eye too, even though he was obviously trying very hard to hide it from her.
"No sneak attacks this time, promise." He teased. "I just want to talk."
A sickening feeling churned in Demetra's gut for some unknown reason, but unable to place, it she gave the figure at her door a small nod, and a little reluctantly stepped to the side to gesture him in.
Taking the invitation, Kai stepped past her into the room, and Demetra turned to face him, pointedly leaving the door wide open. Once upon a time, she wouldn't have thought twice about having someone in her room for whatever reason, it simply hadn't ever seemed of any consequence. But for some reason, with the thought that she'd just been on her way out to try and get her feelings across to the least likely person on earth, it suddenly felt wrong somehow to have another past, remotely romantic, interest in her private quarters, particularly when she was acutely aware of how said interest felt about her.
Demetra watched her undesired guest look around at the pictures on her wall, eyeing him studiously, though his expression was unreadable. However, when his gaze stopped and lingered on the one of her and Tala from that night, the expression was all too decipherable.
Finally, Kai's deep voice broke the silence, but he didn't look at her just yet.
"So have you made your decision?"
Demetra's expression flickered for a moment.
"About leaving, you mean?" She asked in confirmation.
Kai's dark eyes finally tore away from the frozen memories, fixing her with an intense, heated stare that made her breath catch.
"Are there any other important decisions to be made?" He asked her suggestively, his tone heavy and husky.
Demetra held his gaze for as long as she could until eventually she had to look away.
"No." She said quietly. "All other important decisions have been made for some time... And yes, I've made my decision."
"I see." Kai replied simply.
Catching the movement out the corner of her eye, Demetra was surprised to see the blunette making his way to the door.
"That's it?" She asked, unable to keep the surprise out of her voice.
"That's it." Kai confirmed bluntly. "You've told me everything I wanted to know. No point in taking up any more of your time."
Unable to decide what else to say, Demetra watched silently as the blunette made to leave, however he paused before stepping past the threshold of her room. Hesitating, he eventually spoke.
"I can't help but wonder what would have happened, if I hadn't taken no for an answer that night." He said without looking back at her, his voice low. "If I had insisted on accompanying you to the village... Seems like that's the night everything changed."
Demetra looked to the side and stared in a random direction, unable to look at him even though he couldn't see her. Deep down, she knew it wasn't just that night, that although that night had most definitely been a crucial point in whatever relationship her and Tala had fostered, she knew that things had begun to shift long before then. However, she also knew that admitting the fact right then wouldn't be doing either of them any favours.
"Why wonder about a moment in time you can't change or return to?" She replied evasively instead. "No matter how you replay it in your head, or how you try to convince yourself you could have made it turn out differently, you can't go back."
Kai released a self-depreciating scoff.
"I don't know, technology is pretty scary nowadays." He replied bitterly, obviously attempting a little humour. He was quiet for a while before continuing. "At least I know the moment I need to go back to soon as they finally figure out how."
A deep frown etching itself on her face, Demetra watched silently with mixed emotions as Kai finally left her without a backward glance.
Once again, the two resident teams were gathered in the rec room for some good-natured competition, and once again, there was a healthy round of playful bantering echoing around the room. Unlike last time though, this time Tala was staring without seeing as his mind ran wild with thoughts of the last few days.
He thought of the night spent locked in with Finland's most desirable beauty, of the many things that had transpired between them as of late. He thought of everything she'd shared with him, of everything he'd shared with her. And he thought of the irritating, but undeniable feelings he'd finally been forced to admit to himself were there. No matter how much he hated the idea, no matter how much he didn't want them, Tala knew he was stupidly good and deeply heartsick for the one person on earth he had no business so much as sparing a second glance.
And then he thought of his decision the last time he'd been where he was now; his decision to make sure he gave the brunette in question a damn good reason to extend her stay in Russia; more importantly, to stay with him. He knew it would be stupid and naive to think she'd never regret it, but he intended to do his damndest to make sure she spent the rest of their days together thrilled to bits she'd chosen him.
It was at that moment, thinking about her, that Tala began to wonder where the brunette was and what was taking her so long to join them. Briefly, he recalled a certain night long ago, when he was similarly waiting for her to join them; that time for a movie. The memory made a small smile threaten to split his face, particularly when he considered how it had turned out. Then his thoughts went to the night before last, or more specifically to the morning after to when the tables had been turned; to when he'd woken up in her arms. Unable to stop it, his mind began to wander with thoughts of wonder, imagining if this time things could end up similarly, or perhaps just a little better.
"She's gotta still be in her room." He thought, feeling hopeful at the idea.
He figured if he left now, he might be able to catch her there, or at least somewhere along the way. If he was lucky, being alone, he might just get the chance, to work up the nerve, to do what he'd finally convinced himself to, to say - or otherwise somehow manage to express - all the things he'd been dying to let her know for far too long.
Having decided, Tala uncrossed his arms and straightened from his place against the wall he was leaning on.
"I'm gonna go see what's keeping her royal highness." He announced to the other occupants of the room, turning to do just that.
"Awe come on! That's seriously not right!" Ian complained as Keisha and Victoria cheered and high-fived each other. Seeing that he and Bryan had lost their third consecutive video game against them, Ian released a heavy, irritated sigh before turning to the redhead. "Yea, fine. When you find her, tell her she's on my team! Someone needs to put these psycho little War Lords in their place!"
Tala chuckled at that.
"What are you gonna do if I decide to join the War Lord's team?"
Ian gave him a scandalized look in response.
"You wouldn't?!" He exclaimed accusingly.
From his place on the arm of the couch, his arms crossed, Spencer spoke up without looking at his Captain as the others started a new game.
"Hey Tal, if ya see Kai, tell him I'm waiting for that rematch."
That comment gave Tala pause as a knot of dread twisted his stomach. He hadn't realized the blunette was missing too, and the fact that he and Demetra were the only two not present, made something sickly unpleasant twist inside him.
"Yea." He said simply. Finally leaving the room behind.
-;-
Stepping off the uppermost step of the staircase leading to Demetra's floor, Tala rounded the corner that would lead to her room. A deep frown creased his face when he noted, not entirely surprisingly, a familiar blunette round the far corner from direction of Demetra's room. Looking him over, Tala felt a twinge of pleasure to note there seemed to be a displeased expression on Kai's face - that had to be a good sign - but the pleasure turned sour in his gut when the blunette looked up, seemed to notice him, before the displeased expression instantly morphed into a self-satisfied one.
"I'd ask where you're off to, but I guess it's obvious." Kai said tauntingly, stopping some feet from the redhead. Tala did his best to remain calm but his emotions were already getting the better of him.
"And I'd ask where you're coming from, but I guess it's obvious." He replied mockingly.
"You'd probably guess right." Kai confirmed smugly. "And I guess it's only fair to warn you, it's too late, you're wasting your time."
His brows furrowing, Tala eyed the blunette with a scowl.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"What do you think it means?" Kai crowed confidently. "I told you, you'll never be able to best me when it comes to her, Tala. I mean, do you really think you're what she needs, what she deserves?"
Tala's eyes narrowed as Kai approached him and stopped directly beside him.
"I mean, like I said..." He continued tauntingly. "Do you honestly think you can top a girl's first kiss?"
Tala's teeth and fists clenched at his sides, but before he could respond, Kai cut him off, not giving him a chance.
"Just give up, Tala." Kai hissed cruelly. "You'll never be good enough for her. So do the both of you a favour and just let her go. Only one of us will ever be able to give her what she needs, and that someone is me."
Jaw clenched so tightly it hurt, and balled fists shaking at his sides, Tala stared ahead unblinkingly, not trusting himself to speak, as Kai continued on his way, his footsteps fading away as he strode confidently down the hall.
"He's probably right..." Tala thought morbidly. "It kills me to admit it, but no matter how damn hard I fought, I've always been a few steps behind that moron... He's always been just out of my reach. She might think she wants me now, but is that only because she's so inexperienced? What if Kai decides to up his game, I mean is she really into me enough to resist him...? Would she want to..?"
"Well, if it isn't the Big Bad Wolf. What a coincidence."
Shaking him out of his thoughts, Tala's gaze focused on the approaching figure as the sound of her voice called to him. The still new, unfamiliar but not unwelcome dub felt bittersweet to his ears, and as a result, a small matching smile tugged at his lips.
"I was hoping I'd run into you." Demetra said, stopping a few feet from him as Kai had, though considerably closer.
Tala's heart ached at the sight of her - simultaneously both a good and a bad pain as he took in her profile, her words, and as always, her intoxicating scent.
"Were you now?" He asked, forcing a smirk. "Lucky for you, Princess. Here I am."
"Here you are." Demetra echoed, a smirk coming to her face as well. "I was actually on my way to find you..."
She hesitated a moment before seemingly forcing herself to continue.
"If you're interested, you might like to know I've made a decision about returning to Finland. Lucky you, you get to hear it first."
Tala felt stung at that and the words spilled from his mouth on reflex before he could even think to catch them.
"Second, you mean." He tried to sound teasing, but even he could pick up the bitterness in his tone. "I just met Prince Charming coming from your direction. Can't tell me you didn't share your final decision with him first."
Demetra frowned, there was a flicker of something across her features that Tala couldn't quite place, and it pricked his heart.
"He came by." She confirmed almost absently. "And he did ask, but I only told him I'd made up my mind, I didn't tell him what I'd decided."
Tala watched curiously as her gaze flicked away from him while she shifted uncomfortably, and dare he say, seemingly a bit nervously.
"I wanted you to hear it first."
"I refuse to lose to that jerkoff one more time!" Tala thought, feeling a sense of savage fury-tinged possessiveness engulf him suddenly. "Especially when its something I want so damn bad, something that should have been mine a long time ago!... And it will be mine! I'll make sure of it!"
Suddenly feeling very much like the Big Bad Wolf she seemed fond of referring to him as, Tala's gaze was smouldering as he stalked towards her, closing the distance between them in a few short strides.
"Did you now?" He heard himself growl huskily, a predatory look on his face as he stared down into entrancing silver. "Let's see if I can guess what you've decided, Princess..."
Completely captivated by the look he was giving her, a look Tala himself knew she'd never seen from him before, Demetra's eyes were locked on him unblinkingly, a little wide, as he reached out to hook his fingers through her belt loops.
As he backed them up, for once with his own back to the wall, Tala was supremely pleased that she made no attempt to flee when he tugged her against him. His mind a flurry of thoughts, a hurricane of emotions, a potent mix of instinct and scorn was the leading force behind his almost thoughtless drive.
Fingers releasing her loops, Tala's hands slid slowly across her front, around her hips, until they reached her backside. Brazenly splaying his fingers across the swell of her bottom, he gave the soft flesh under his fingers an intimate squeeze as he pressed their hips criminally close.
A soft, sharp gasp burst from Demetra's lips, and as his hands massaged and explored in ways he knew she'd never felt before, Tala watched her face flush, her eyes glaze, as she stared back at him like a doe in headlights. He watched her bite her cheek, felt her reflexively press herself into him, watched her eyes lid a little as her hands slid up to splay across his chest.
With her body fitted so intimately close to his, Tala could feel Demetra's heart already thundering against him, and it gave him mixed feelings, made his own heart ache painfully for multiple reasons. On the one hand, he so desperately wanted this, wanted her, wanted to believe she wanted him too. But on the other hand, Kai's maddeningly poisonous words echoed in his head and heart, driving the beast inside him insane with the implications behind them. Besides that fact, he was all too painfully aware no one had ever touched her like this before, had never made her feel like this. It was only a natural reflex for her to react the way she was, and he knew he had no business doing the things he was doing, never mind what his own body intended to demand of her. But this time, knowing the truth didn't stop his animalistic reflexes from carrying out his own selfish desires.
Unable to look her in the eye any longer, and wanting to drive the hated blunette's words out of his head, Tala leaned down and latched his lips onto the sensitive, tender flesh of Demetra's neck. Once again, he heard her suck in a sharp intake of breath, and it made made that sickly bittersweet feeling inside him intensify.
Applying pressure, Tala's lips suckled and nipped, tonguing sensitive pleasure points until the brunette was writing and squirming in his arms. With her pressed so tightly to him, the sensation of her moving against him was another bittersweet feeling and more than once, Tala had to clench his teeth to retain control of himself.
Giving her bottom another sensual squeeze, Tala's hands slid upwards, slipped under her shirt, traced slow and provocative circles across her heated flesh while his mouth worked at her neck. Continuing the journey upwards, teasing her hips, her sides, Tala's hands eventually made their way to her front again. Now, when his fingertips brushed the bottom of her bra, just under the swell of her breast, Demetra's hand shot up to cup over his, halting his brazen exploration.
"What are you doing..?" She accusingly choked breathlessly.
Tala had little trouble picking up the heated desire in her tone, but there was something else there too; nervousness, and perhaps just a little hint of fear, and it made his stomach knot sickeningly because of his own actions. He didn't want her to feel uncomfortable, didn't want to hurt her again, and he sure as hell didn't want her to be afraid of his touch.
But it still didn't stop him.
"This is the reason you wanted to seek me out isn't it Princess?" He growled huskily against her neck. "This is what you wanted... what you've been wanting. Am I right?"
The hand so dangerously close to forbidden territory, extracted from under Demetra's shirt and lifted instead to cup the back of her head. Burying his fingers in her hair, Tala used it as leverage to tilt her head back, moved down to latch his lips onto her exposed throat, began to press and suckle forceful kisses to the sensitive flesh.
The fact that she hadn't answered him, hadn't denied his suggestion, and had made no move to pull or push away, made the beast inside Tala roar predatorily, made the desperate hunger inside him almost unbearable. The forceful kisses made their way down her throat, nipping and suckling, until Tala reached her breasts. Tongue slipping past his lips, Tala dipped it between her cleavage, giving her a sensual lick that, to his pleasure, erupted a sharp gasp from Demetra.
"Tala..."
His name on her lips sounded like a heated sob, and when her hands fisted in his shirt, Tala felt the knot in his stomach twist sickeningly again. He knew what he was doing was wrong, knew the drive and feelings behind his actions were severely misguided, and it wasn't how - never mind where - he'd wanted this preciously irreplaceable, intimate scene to go down. His entire consciousness was screaming at him to stop, but his stupid, stubborn pride refused to be kicked to the curb this time. This time, it was determined to prove just how much control he really did have over her; this time it was determined to find out once and for all just how badly the stunning creature in his arms actually wanted him.
"Screw first kisses." Tala thought bitterly, ignoring the part of him going ballistic with the insistence to put an end to it before it was too late. "That moron might have taken one petty first, but I don't have to take anything from her, she's gonna offer me up everything I want all on her own!"
Determined to prove that fact not just to his nemesis, but also to Demetra as well as himself, Tala pushed past the sirens and warning bells and forced himself to continue.
Nosing aside her shirt, Tala nuzzled more forceful, suckling kisses into the tops of Demetra's flawless breasts. By now her heart was hammering so forcefully in her chest, he could see her flesh pulsing before his eyes, feel the strength of it through his lips. Making his way back up her chest, her neck, he came to a stop at the place he'd learned on their pseudo-date was inarguably her sweet spot. Once again, a pleasured sob ripped from Demetra's lips when he attached his mouth to the juncture between her neck and shoulder, slid his tongue past his lips to dig deeply in the sensitive flesh, accompanied by pleasure-inducing nips.
The heat was rolling off the brunette in waves, and with her reflexively shivering and squirming against him the way she was, Tala wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be able to control himself. However, when Demetra's hands slid up to burry themselves in his hair, when she applied pressure to the back of his head, leaned down to give the curve of his ear a hot little lick, the words in her heated voice was like a bucket of ice water over him.
"Tala..." She breathed breathlessly. "I think... I might-"
That was the moment his heart and mind finally managed to override his instincts, the moment Tala realized it had to stop before it was too late - hell, truth be told, it very likely already was far too late.
Before she had a chance to finish, to utter whatever shocking revelation she'd likely been about to say, Tala bit down hard on the area beneath his mouth. The piercing, wounded cry that instantly ripped from Demetra's lips felt like a gunshot to his chest, and Tala had to swallow the bile that immediately surged up his throat.
Reflexively, Demetra shoved him away from her, her hand instantly going to her injured neck as she stared at Tala through wild, crazed eyes.
"What the hell did you do that for?!" She exclaimed in an accusing demand, her heavy voice cracking.
Seeing as he'd already gone this far, Tala figured he might as well see it through. There were only one of two ways the following moments could go; one, she would be totally pissed at him and deck him again (which wouldn't be the worst thing he could think of), or two she'd call him on his bluff and give him a taste of his own medicine. Either way, one thing was sure; Tala was about to find out once and for all just how exactly the brunette really felt about him.
Despite his urge to vomit at his own repulsive actions, Tala forced the predatory look on his face again.
"What did you expect from me, Princess? Being a total tease for this long." He growled lowly, giving her a heated look. "I think it's time you quit dangling that steak in front of my face, and let me have what I've been waiting for all this time."
Demetra's face was a storm of emotions, confusion at the forefront.
"What are you talking about?!"
A malicious smirk creased Tala's face as he stared intensely back at her.
"You already gave away one first that should have been mine." He growled hungrily. "But there are plenty more left for me to claim."
A mixed look of shock and repulsed horror crossed Demetra's face, intensifying when Tala closed the distance between them again, reached up to place his hand around her neck. His thumb slid up to press under her chin, forcing her head to tilt back again, once more exposing the vulnerable sensitive flesh of her throat to him.
"I'm tired of waiting, your highness." He growled dangerously. "And I'm tired of pretending, and playing along with your little goody-goody act. It's time you give me what's clearly been mine all along."
Tala dipped his head down, intending to capture her lips, but Demetra's hand on his chest forcefully shoved him away again. When he looked into her face, he noted the expected fury in her expression and it filled him with a twinge of relief - anger he was used to, anger her could handle.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" She snapped furiously. "If this is a joke or a test, you jackass, it's not funny and you're failing colossally!"
"Like ripping off a bandaid, Tala.." He told himself morbidly. He then forced the sleazy smirk to widen.
"What's the matter, Princess? Not what you were hoping for, what you expected? Hoping for some deep, disgustingly sweet love confession from me? Sorry to disappoint, but that kinda vomit-inducing cheese just isn't in me."
A cruel laugh bubbled past Tala's lips, and he reached up to place a hand to the side of her face this time, traced a thumb along those oh-so-kissable lips he pinned for so desperately.
"But hey, what's the problem, you were gonna offer yourself up to the big bad wolf anyway, right?" He leaned down into her face until he could feel her rapid breath against his lips. "I might not be the Prince Charming you always dreamed of, but why deny yourself the pleasure of letting me devour you anyway?"
Fully expecting her to strike him, Tala waited for the impact. But what she gave him instead, blew him apart more explosively than any physical attack she ever could have delivered him. Her hand still on the unwarranted wound he'd given her, Tala watched Demetra's beautiful silver dollars flood to the threat of overflowing, and it succeeded in finally wiping the dark expression off his face, as he stared back at her with a mounting panic.
"Oh God!" Tala thought in fierce alarm. "Is she gonna cry?!"
Needless to say, it was absolutely not a reaction he'd considered or thought possible in his wildest dreams. Not for a second did he even think to consider there was anything on God's green earth he could do or say to make the fierce, emotionally depraved Demetra Nakamura cry.
"Demetra..." He choked, reaching for her again with a pained expression this time. "I-"
Slapping his hand away cut him off - the hand she'd been covering her wound with - and Tala's eyes widened when he caught sight of the damage he'd done. Among the tiny red polka dots he'd peppered her otherwise flawless skin with, the bite he'd given her stood out like scarlet blood on freshly fallen snow. It was a vicious, gruesome, crimson mark, already starting to bruise, and focusing his gaze on it, he could easily pick out the actual teeth marks he'd imbedded into her skin.
Completely horrified at himself, Tala watched helplessly as Demetra backed away from him, looking at him like he were evil incarnate - which right then, he was beginning to feel like he actually was. Noting the look of repulsed horror on her face, Tala thought he might actually vomit.
Clenching his teeth against the bile that rose in his mouth, Tala reached for her again, but Demetra reflexively jerked away from him. Without a word she turned on her heel and walked briskly away in direction of her room again.
Rooted in place, Tala stared wide eyed as she disappeared around the corner, and right then he realized that without a doubt, he'd just made the biggest, incredibly idiotic mistake of his life.
Back in her room, Demetra's door slammed shut with a loud bang as she threw herself against it. Chest heaving violently, she stared without seeing as the recent events played out before her wild eyes.
Feeling like she was looking through someone else's eyes, her vision a sickening haze, she stumbled unconsciously forwards towards her bathroom. Once inside, Demetra looked in her mirror, and once again felt like she was looking through someone else's window as she took in her reflection, because no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't for the life of her recognize the person she saw there.
The girl she was staring at was as white as a sheet, was roughed up, tousled, looked completely insane. This girl looked weak and frail, broken and frayed around the edges. She was trembling like a frightened rabbit facing down a starving wolf. There was no way this girl was her.
Silver eyes rolled over her body, gaze falling on the spattering of angry red marks scattered across her exposed flesh, stopped on the savage bruise forming on her neck. She stared at it with an intense sense of painted disbelief, cringing when the memory of the moment she'd received it came back to her. Lifting trembling fingers, Demetra flinched when she touched the wound, instantly rewarded with a sharp pain beneath her fingertips.
Biting her lip hard, her vision blurred as she replayed the recent events over in her head, unable to believe they'd actually happened. She recalled how she'd felt in Tala's arms, how she'd felt during the whole scenario. Undeniably, the things he'd done to her had felt good, but deep down she knew it had only been because she'd never felt those kinds of sensations before.
Thinking back, Demetra felt a sickly churning in her stomach as she recalled the sensations. It had been nothing like the moments she'd so often fantasized about, nothing like the way Tala'd made her feel that night in the bar. That night, being in his arms, the way he'd made her feel, the tender and sensual touches and sensations he'd given her, had felt so blissfully sweet, so heart-throbbingly beautiful. That night, although he'd been passionately generous in his administrations, he'd been so gentle, so considerate. This time had been a stark contrast to how he'd made her feel back then, this time he'd been excessively rough, and dangerously suggestive. It was like he'd become a completely different person. Like he'd actually become the big bad ravenous wolf she'd taken to teasingly calling him.
Feeling her stomach lurch, Demetra swallowed the bile that rose in her throat and turned away from the mirror.
"This isn't how a Captain is supposed to look..." She thought nonsensically. "I need to cover it up... There must be something to cover it up... If I cover it up it'll go away..."
Stumbling towards the door, Demetra left the bathroom and made her way towards her closet, intending to look for a scarf, some makeup, a turtleneck, for something to make what had just happened go away - something she couldn't bring herself to admit wasn't going to work.
"Hey sourpuss, you in there?"
Freezing, Demetra turned with wide eyes towards the door and the teasing voice that came from beyond it. Before she could even thing to respond, the door to her room swung open, and three painfully familiar figures walked in.
Kage was the first to take in her Captain's appearance, and the sight made her bring up solid as look of shocked horror contorted her face.
"Hmph. See, I told you she'd be in here." Victoria told her girlfriends, only having glanced at their Captain. "Seriously girl, you are the most antisocial-"
The end of her sentence was cut off by a sharp gasp as the younger brunette finally took in her Captain's appearance and halted in her tracks as well.
"What, what's wrong?" Keisha asked in alarm, stepping around the two. As soon as she made note of Demetra's profile, a sharp gasp escaped her too, and her hands flew to her mouth as her eyes instantaneously widened and flooded.
"My God, Demi!" Victoria choked, her face scrunched up with a pained expression. "What happened?!"
Demetra opened her mouth and tried to speak, but nothing came out. After a few attempts, she bit her lip and stared helplessly back at them.
Lowering her hands from her mouth, Keisha stared at her Captain through watery eyes, her emerald orbs glued to the ugly bruise on her Captain's neck.
"D-did... Did Tala-..?" She squeaked, unable to finish. But then, she didn't have to.
The girls watched Demetra's beautiful silver gaze instantly flood again in response, confirming the inquiry, and instantly, the two younger girls' eyes blurred as well. Wordlessly, Kage moved forward and enveloped Demetra in a tight embrace, and for once, the brunette's arms instantly wrapped around the ravenette. Her eyes squeezing tightly shut, Demetra bit her lip so hard it threatened to draw blood, desperate to keep the humiliating waterworks at bay as she clung to her sister in a way she never had before.
Behind the pair, the two younger siblings clutched each other's hands tightly as they stared helplessly at the scene before them, completely at a loss for what to do as silent tears streamed down their faces in their Captain's stead. Never in their lives had they seen the elder brunette so vulnerable and broken and it was easily the most pain either of them had ever felt collectively.
Finally, unable to stand and watch any longer, the two approached their sisters and enclosed them in a tight embrace.
"I'm so sorry, Demi..." Keisha choked through her tears.
For once, the chattery brunette was at a loss for words as she simply tightened her hold around the others. Demetra didn't respond, but her hand went to her mouth over Kage's shoulder, and the muffled, alien sob that escaped her tore her siblings apart.
-;-
"I can't believe he did this..." Victoria's voice was soft and shook slightly as she stared at the aftermath of Demetra's traumatic event.
Having sufficiently calmed down, Demetra was staring wordlessly ahead of her at her reflection, while the younger brunette was busy tending to the physical marks the redhead in question had left behind. Unlike the last time she'd seen her, this time the girl in the mirror looked considerably more composed and in control of herself. In fact, she'd dare say this girl looked colder and more fierce then she ever had, then Demetra had ever seen her.
Currently, Victoria and Kage were busy repeatedly pressing a hot spoons to Demetra's neck, using them to will away the tiny red marks scattered across her skin. Briefly, she'd wondered how and why the younger brunette had learned this little trick, but upon consideration, she'd quickly decided she didn't care to know. Mostly she was impressed, and scarcely able to believe such a ridiculous thing actually worked; more importantly, how in the world anyone had ever thought of such a ridiculous remedy in the first place.
"I know right..." Keisha almost whispered from her place against the wall. She was leaning against it, hugging herself tightly, while intensely watching the happenings with misty eyes and a heartbroken expression. "I mean, I knew he was totally nuts but, I didn't think he was so..."
The redhead trailed off, unsure what word to use.
"Psychotic?" Victoria supplied angrily. "Savage? Disgustingly brutal?"
Keisha bit her lip.
"Yea, I guess..." She agreed in a small whisper.
At Demetra's other side, Kage's already grim expression darkened as she pressed her spoon to another tell-tale mark.
Not trusting herself to speak, Demetra's jaw clenched, the knuckles of her hands resting on the counter bleaching as she tightened her grip on the edge of it.
Finally, seemingly after an eternity, the girls seemed to be just about finished. Victoria put her spoon down, seeing as her side seemed to be blemish free again, and Kage moved to place her spoon to the final brutal mark left behind, seeing as it was on her side. But before it could touch her skin, Demetra reached up to take the ravenette's wrist and hold it fast. When the silent blader gave her a questioning look, Demetra returned it with a dark one of her own.
"Not that one." She glowered darkly.
"Huh, why not?" Keisha asked from behind her, a deep frown on her innocent face.
"Because I want to keep it as a reminder." Demetra said coldly. "It can fade as slowly as it wants. If I'm lucky, when it fades, so will every good thought or feeling I've ever had for the hateful monstrosity who gave it to me."
With troubled expressions on their faces, the girls stared at her silently, unsure what to say to that. They all knew, as well as Demetra herself did, that feelings didn't work that way. But they also knew that there was nothing they could say to dampen those feelings just then.
"Just as well..." Victoria said quietly. "I don't think it would work on one that, um... bad, anyway."
At a loss for what else to do, Kage's frown deepened as she too placed her spoon down on the counter.
Wordlessly, Demetra continued to stare at her reflection - more specifically, the gruesome mark in question. She intended to stare at it until the sight successfully killed all the hateful and unwanted feelings inside her, everything that she was certain had lead to such a colossal lapse of judgement in the first place.
"Well hell, idiot, and here I thought you couldn't get any more stupid..."
Tala's dark thoughts were so morbid, and his expression was so deep, it was a wonder his face hadn't cracked. From his favourite place in The Facility; the balcony next to Demetra's room, he was staring up into the star-scattered black sky in attempt to cool his riled thoughts and emotions. But unlike usual, the peaceful, beloved view did nothing to soothe his heart this time, because said appendage was thoroughly wrecked this time.
"What the hell was I thinking?! What the hell is wrong with me?!"
Replaying the gut-wrenching scene over in his head was like watching a fantastically sick movie, and every time he did, he found himself hating the villain he'd allowed himself to be more and more, until eventually he wanted nothing more than to beat the snot out of the vile demon in those scenes for daring treat a woman so detestably.
"I can't believe I made her cry..." He thought grimacing. His face immediately contorted in a fit of rage and disgust with himself then. "Of course she cried! She's human moron!"
Reaching up to tangle his fists in his hair, Tala clenched tightly, fighting the urge to yank it all out, surely it would hurt a helluva lot less than the crippling agony in his chest.
"Hmph! I guess that's one question answered!" He thought self-depreciatingly. "She must have had real feelings for me after all. And she probably would have willingly given me everything I wanted if I'd done it right!... Too bad I royally screwed myself out of that!"
Even after everything he'd gone through, Tala had never understood the drive behind taking your own life. Even in his early days, even when life was at his lowest, he'd still been unable to so much as consider the possibility on his own. Instead he'd had to rely on, to literally beg on hands and knees, for someone (or rather something) else to do it for him. However, right then, noting the intense agony coursing through him, looking over the edge of the balcony and considering, thinking if there was anyone out there who possibly felt worse then he did right then, Tala figured he could certainly see the appeal.
As if giving him a reprieve from his dark thoughts, a familiar sound he hadn't heard in a long time reached his ear. Blinking a few times to focus, Tala eventually made note of a dark silhouette with a flickering light approaching from the distance. Immediately, he recognized the shape and sound, and he had a funny feeling he knew where it was headed. Sure enough, a few minutes later, he watched with a grim expression as a massive monstrosity of a helicopter set noisily down in front of The Facility.
Bathed in the cold glow of The Facility lights, Tala watched with morbid fascination as the chopper door slid open and belched out several uniformed figures. Two took up position either side of the chopper door, three more made their way towards The Facility and disappeared inside. While they were gone, Tala made note of the new arrivals and their ride. All of them were heavily armed, and even in the near-darkness, Tala could see through the open door of the chopper that it was equipped with an impressive array of heavy artillery.
Moments later, the suits who'd disappeared inside, reemerged carrying several large pieces of luggage they handled like feather pillows. Tala's gaze was magnetically drawn to a particular piece, and instantly he recognized it as Demetra's. The sight of it made the knife already buried deep in his heart wrench painfully.
"Suck it up, moron." He chided himself with a face-splitting frown. "Like you've got any kinda right to be upset about it, never mind surprised..."
Of course, none of it was a surprise. What would have been a surprise, was if the Finnish beauty had actually decided to stay after what he'd done.
"Hmph... Doesn't matter, not like she was ever gonna stay anyway..."
Once again, something familiar broke him from his own self-destructive thoughts, this time a familiar voice.
"Hey Tal, the girls are leaving..."
Tala's face screwed up at the sound of Ian's voice, more specifically the words he spoke.
"I can see that." He replied in a surly tone.
"Yea well, come say goodbye." The small teen said, obviously trying to sound upbeat.
"I'll pass." Tala replied instantly. He was sure the last one Demetra wanted to see right then was him. Which was fine with him, because he wasn't so sure he had the guts to face her right then anyway.
"Come on, man..." Ian's voice said, considerably softer now. "I know it sucks to see her go but... it's not goodbye after all. You know you'll regret it if you don't see her off, so move your ass... we'll be waitin' in the lobby..."
That said, Ian turned and left, leaving Tala to mull over his words, until eventually, knowing the small teen was right, Tala heaved a heavy, self-depreciating sigh, before turning and following after him.
Once again staring round at the room that had been hers for what seemed like a lifetime, Demetra's face creased with a deep frown. She'd already brought her things to the main lobby, and even though there had never really been much there to begin with, looking around, she had to admit that the place looked totally empty, even though it was still nearly fully-furnished. She hadn't thought she'd had much, and technically she really hadn't; all her things had fit neatly into one large suitcase and a small carry-on. But it hadn't been until she'd taken all her pictures off the walls, carefully folded all the little trinkets and souvenirs she'd have considered pointless and useless only months ago, that she realized just how much such simple objects could make a simple living space a home.
"Hey girl... you ready?"
Turning around, Demetra noted the gentle expressions of the three beloved figures once again at her door. Resisting a frown, she instead forced a cold, emotionless expression as she tonelessly answered.
"Yes. I've been ready to leave this God-forsaken place for a long time."
Exchanging a complicated look, the girls turned back to her and gave her obviously forced, though concerned, smiles.
"Good..." Keisha said gently. "So... have you talked to Tala since... ya know?"
"No." Demetra said bluntly, a dangerous expression darkening her face.
"You're going to have to face him sometime..." Keisha prodded bravely. "In fact, you're probably gonna see him before you leave..."
"I don't care." Demetra replied coldly. "It will be a brief sighting, then I can begin to forget his existence until I'm forced to face him across a dish. And when that happens, it'll more than make up for the pain he's caused."
Shifting uncomfortably, there was silence among the sisters, until eventually the resident chatterbox spoke up to lift the tension.
"Well, since you're ready to go, I have a proposal for you!"
Demetra gave her fellow brunette a dull expression.
"Whatever it is, no." She said bluntly. Victoria gave her a mock pout.
"Awe come on, Dem! You haven't even heard it yet!"
"I don't need to, I know you." She shot back instantly.
"Well too bad for you, I'm not taking no for an answer this time!"
Heaving a heavy, irritated sigh, Demetra crossed her arms as she gave her spirited sibling a weary look.
"What is it?" She asked suspiciously.
"We're going to help you give that loser something to remember you by!" She stated far-too-enthusiastically for Demetra's liking. "When we're done, he's gonna totally regret his massive screw up for the rest of his miserable stinkin' life!"
"Is that so?" Demetra replied sarcastically, crossing her arms. "And just how do you plan to make that happen?"
Producing a million watt grin, Victoria lifted a heavy case at her side and gave it a suggestive jiggle. Making a disgusted face, Demetra lifted her chin defiantly.
"Absolutely not." She denied forcefully. "That never works. The only message it'll put across is that I care far more than I do. I refuse to give him the satisfaction. Besides, if I'm the only one dressed up, it'll be clear I'm trying to stand out and prove something!"
"Then we'll all get dressed up! That way it'll just look like we all just wanted to look nice for our departure." Keisha urged enthusiastically. "Come on Demi! It'll be fun!"
Receiving a dubious, pointed look, the redhead chuckled.
"Okay, maybe not so fun for you, but it'll be worth it, you'll see!"
"It's a completely idiotic idea!" Demetra insisted. She looked then towards her silent compadre, certain she'd at least have support on that front. "I know I'm right. Aren't I, Kage?"
Kage tipped her head from one side to the other in an indecisive sort of way.
"Well... It might make you feel better if nothing else..." The silent blader treaded carefully. "And I'm sure it'll definitely leave him with a sour taste in his mouth..."
"Unbelievable!" Demetra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in defeat. "Fine! But make it quick and don't over-do it!"
-;-
Standing before her mirror, Demetra's expression was the very definition of sour and displeased.
"I'm certain I specifically I told you not to over-do it!" She growled at her three siblings as she looked herself over.
The girls had forced her into a pair of knee-high tall black boots with white straps, a pair of white jeans that clung to her body like a second skin and accentuated her assets all-too thoroughly for Demetra's liking. The white halter-vest combo-type shirt she was wearing, one with big black buttons, offered a collective view of her toned belly, her shapely hips and sculpted sides, and a good, yet (somewhat) modest portion of her shoulders and cleavage. The only good thing she could see about the hateful shirt, was that the heavy straps covered the gruesome mark a certain Russian beast had left behind.
Much to her dismay, her girls had really gone all out; even Demetra's nails were painted a glistening midnight black. Her face was painted tastefully in a way she'd never seen it before, a way she'd never have done herself; with a sexy-smoky effect on her lids, dark shades to sculpt her sharp features, and a dark wine red color on her lips. The effect made her look dark and dangerous and she had to admit, the longer she stared at it, the more it grew on her; if nothing else, it seemed to reflect how she was feeling right then. Even her hair looked different; down and whip straight for once, somehow with some height on top, her bangs swept backwards to help add yet further fierceness to the already severe look.
"It's too much." Demetra stated distastefully. "Far too much. I look desperate."
"You do not!" Victoria argued as she packed away her makeup kit, already prepared for the inevitable fight. "You look look hot! Like smokin' hot!
"Totally!" Keisha agreed with a wide grin. "You're gonna blow him away, girl!"
"I couldn't care less about that!" Demetra barked, her gaze sweeping over her refection one more time. Though internally, she had to admit, she was warming up to the idea that she might just be able to leave the redhead kicking himself with regret.
"If you really hate it, then change." Kage said encouragingly. "But you really do look fantastic, Dem. And besides, you don't have to be uncomfortable, we're dressing up too, remember? So it's not like you'll stand out much more than you always do."
That comment received an indignant snort from their Captain, but the brunette made no further comment as she continued to stare at herself with mixed feelings.
"So?" Victoria prodded. "Are you gonna wear it or change?"
Demetra debated for a good long time, until eventually she heaved a heavy sigh and closed her eyes.
"It's too late to do anything about it now." She grumbled moodily.
With her eyes closed, she missed the younger brunette lift her fists for the other two beside her to fist-bump, and behind her closed lids, she tried to imagine Tala's face when he saw her. She also tried to pretend it didn't matter either way, but not so deep down, she was sort of hoping the effort would be worth it.
As Tala reluctantly made his way towards the central staircase and the main lobby, his thoughts were a mess of dark and sickening memories and scenarios. When he passed a particular hallway, he was reminded of the ghastly scene that had played out there such a short time ago, and it made his stomach wretch violently. Then he passed another area that brought on a different memory, and his face screwed up as he recalled it.
"Are you completely out of your mind?! What the ever-living hell is the matter with you, you psychotic freak?!"
The accusation had come from Vilikosto's tiniest member, and admittedly, the fire and brave tenacity she'd cornered him with had actually impressed him. She'd come for him earlier that day, when he'd been unsuspectingly walking moodily down the hall towards the training room. He'd tried to brush her off, but the tiny thing was more fierce and a whole lot braver than he'd ever given her credit for.
"I don't think so!" She'd demanded putting herself firmly in his way. "You're not going anywhere until you explain to me exactly what you think made it OK to do what you did!"
Once again he'd tried to blow her off, but she'd grabbed his arm with enough force to actually make him flinch, and although he'd given her his best and most terrifying scowl, he'd only been met with fierce resistance and an iron grip he knew he'd be hard pressed to yank out of.
"What do you want me to say, pipsqueak?!" He'd growled savagely at her. "If you're hoping I'll break down and start bawling like a pathetic little piss ant, begging you to apologize for me and help me make it right, you're barking up the wrong tree, runt!"
Surprisingly, her expression had softened at that, and she'd actually released him. Seeing as her reaction had caught him off-guard, he'd decided to stay and see how it all played out.
"I'm not that naive..." She'd told him softly. "I just want to know why you did it..."
He'd watched as a pained expression twisted the petite redhead's face and it pricked Tala's heart, mostly because it spelled out for him all too clearly just how much damage he'd actually done with such a stupid and carelessly impulsive act. It hadn't been just Demetra, or even himself he'd hurt with his awful deed, he'd also wounded those closest to her, just the same as he knew he would have been wounded if something horrible happened to his own friends. It was the curse of family, of loved ones, to be subject to each other's pain, and it had taken that very moment to really drive it home for him.
"I mean, I really thought you... I don't know... that you actually liked her, Tala... Like really liked her..."
The knife in his chest twisted so hard it made him flinch as he'd watched her eyes get misty, watched the pained expression intensify as she obviously tried very hard to retain her brave face. Unable to look at her any longer, Tala looked to the side, a deep frown and pained expression of his own creasing his features.
"Alright, fine. I get it." Keisha said bitterly. "You don't wanna talk to me. But let me just say this you big idiot; I know you felt something for her, and I'm willing to bet you still do. But you have to know you really put your foot in it this time."
He'd felt her intense gaze bore into him, and to his shame, Tala was too cowardly to meet her gaze. Still, the little redhead mercilessly continued.
"I don't know, and can't understand for the life of me what was going through your head, or what made you even think that what you did was a good idea. But know this; if you ever hope to make this up to her, if there's anything left inside you that still wants something real with her after this, you're gonna have to find a way to give her the moon, because I can't imagine anything on this green earth you can do or give her to make up for the damage you've done this time."
Stepping past him, the petite redhead made to leave, but she din't fail to stick him with one final barb as she walked away.
"Hope that's some food for thought. Why don't ya chew on that for a while, Mr. Wolf."
Her words had been extremely sobering, and they'd ripped open a brand new gash in his already bleeding heart. Those words replayed over in his head as he made his way towards, then finally down, the staircase. The memory only disappeared when he stepped off the last step, and when he did, the moment popped like a pin in a bubble. Bringing up solid when his eyes fell on Demetra, Tala's chest instantly seized up, which made his breath halt in his throat.
"Oh hell..." He thought achingly, his face screwing up painfully as his gaze rolled over her.
Looking for all appearances like the ever-confident and collected, smoking hot bombshell she'd ever been, Demetra was standing with her head held high among the collection of bodies surrounding her, chatting animatedly with careless abandon like she'd never felt pain a day in her life. Looking at her then, surely no one would say she'd just had her heart ripped from her chest and handed to her on a platter.
Swallowing hard against the sudden sandpaper in this throat, Tala tried to force himself to breathe again, but it was no use. He was sure her girls had probably had a hand in her current appearance, because it simply wasn't in the woman to dress herself up like this, but that fact was a totally moot point, because the look had totally done the job it was no doubt meant to - it had all but stopped Tala's already fragile heart, and fully succeeded in making him want to kick himself with the suddenly stifling regret.
From the floor up, Tala's eyes rolled up the length of her, his heart aching more tightly the further his gaze rose. When he reached her shoulder, his gaze magnetically drew to the place he knew the mark to be, and he had mixed feelings to note it was sufficiently covered by the straps of her shirt.
As if to rub a little extra salt in his deep wounds, Tala felt another stab at his heart when he made note of her bare wrists; she'd even removed the bracelet he'd made her. Briefly, he wondered what she'd done with it, but he quickly forced the thought out - he didn't want to know.
As he stared at her with a torturous longing, the lyrics of one of Victoria's stupid, irritating girly songs came to him; a sickeningly appropriate, and extremely unwanted achy ballad that made him want to throttle the writers for ever creating it.
"It's inevitable everything that's good comes to an end. It's impossible to know if after this we can still be friends..."
After what he'd done to her, the way he'd treated her, Tala thought for sure he'd done irreparable damage, that he'd completely broken the brunette, completely ripped her heart out and served it up to her on a golden platter. He'd been sure the next time he saw her, the affects of his crime would be written all over her face, that she'd look miserable, and wounded and just as tortured as he felt on the inside. But looking at her now, Tala thought she looked more confident and alive, and terribly beautiful then she'd ever looked.
"What the hell were you thinking, idiot?" He scorned himself. "Like a woman like that would ever be held down long by someone like you... Don't know what I'm so sore about, someone like her was never gonna stick around anyway... Just as well she leave. Better now then later..."
Just then, those stunning silver dollars turned on him, locked with his tortured ones, and again Tala's breath caught in his throat. If that wasn't bad enough, he heard the stupid song in his head again, and then more than ever, he found himself desperately hating the jerk who'd written it.
"Maybe you should show a little mercy. The way you look I know you didn't come to apologize..."
Lifting her chin confidently, Demetra held his gaze for a while, and Tala found himself unable to breathe until she finally broke the stare-down, turned away and strode purposefully towards the door. As if released from a strangle hold, Tala gasped, inhaling deeply and sharply, his eyes glued to her retreating form as she walked away.
"There you are!" Ian exclaimed, only now having noticed him. "Come on man, they're leaving! Let's go see them off!"
He so desperately wanted to say no, he was going back to his room, he didn't want to see them off. But as if they had a mind of their own, Tala's feet moved forward, and before he realized what he was doing, he was already making his way towards the exit and following his team, and the subject of his woes, out of The Facility.
Once outside, Tala watched silently, still staring at the brunette bombshell, as the two teams passed around farewells, hugs and well wishes, as well as playful suggestions of butt-whoppings the next time they saw each other. As he continued to stare at her, Tala couldn't help but wonder if she'd done this, if she'd made herself so damn heart-throbbingly irresistible, simply to spite and stick it to him. As he considered it, he couldn't help but admit grudgingly that if she had, it had worked, he now regretted that one mistake more than he regretted anything else he'd ever done.
"Oh, why you wearin' that to walk out of my life..?"
Tala's jaw clenched tightly as the song that had been torturing him continued mercilessly in his head.
"Heh, guess you musta screwed up somewhere, huh Tal?"
Snapping him out of his torturing thoughts, Tala focused on Bryan, who'd spoken and was now teasingly nudging him in the ribs.
"Yea, couldn'ta been as smooth as we thought." Ian tacked on tauntingly. "Otherwise your girl wouldn't be leaving on a jet plane... or helicopter!"
His already tight jaw clenching tighter, Tala didn't respond. Instead he crossed his arms and dug his fingers into his biceps, an attempt to prevent his hands shaking and letting on just how bothered he was by that very fact.
Obviously not knowing how the Finnish beauty's departure was actually affection him, his friends continued to playfully tease him.
"Guess you didn't give her a good enough reason to stick around, Tal." Spencer teased with a smirk. "Maybe you should tried a little harder."
This finally succeeded in getting a comment, but not from the redhead. Tala's heart clenched as Demetra once again swung her gaze towards him and locked on.
"Not doing anything wasn't the problem, was it Tala?"
The icy, suggestive question sent an icy shard through Tala's heart. For the first time, the sound of his name on her beautiful lips felt like a fist squeezing his heart, especially when he took note of the look of poisonous disgust in her eyes. This time when he heard the stupid mocking song in his head, he actually felt a sort of kinship towards the writer when he noted the lyrics were painfully and appropriately relatable just then.
"I know there's nothing I can do to change it, but is there something that can be negotiated? My heart's already breaking baby, go on twist the knife..."
"Maybe you should of learned to play nice sooner." Ian goaded, still completely unaware of the gut-wrenching pain their words were causing the redhead. Tala really wished they'd shut up already.
Just then, Tala heard another familiar voice from behind them, and for the first time, he was glad to hear the deep monotone that usually sent a bolt of dread through him; if for no other reason than because it would bring a reprieve to the torture.
"Time to go." Breal said authoritatively as he approached the group. "Finish your goodbyes."
Doing just that, three of the four Villikosto girls offered the last of their farewells and turned to approach the helicopter. Once Demetra had given a brief final farewell, to Tala's bittersweet surprise, she turned back to him and approached. Feeling his heart leap with a dangerous hope, and shifting anxiously, Tala's breath halted for a third time that night as she stopped in front of him. To further his surprise, he startled a little when Demetra stuck her hand out towards him. On reflex, Tala instantly reached out to grip her fingers, knowing it was far too quick and eager, but not giving a damn right then.
Unexpectedly, as soon as his hand had folded around hers, Demetra jerked the redhead towards her and squeezed so tightly her nails dug into his skin, making him wince, though his gaze didn't leave hers for a second, and he didn't dare so much as blink as he stared into her stunning silver eyes. Leaning forward, Tala bit his lip when she placed her cheek beside his, when he was suddenly overcome with her intoxicating scent that always drove him wild, and right then he was supremely glad no one could see his expression from that vantage point, especially her.
"Your debt is hereby dissolved." She hissed in his ear. "You can keep all your deep, dark, secrets to yourself. Let them fester and rot inside your blackened soul until the day you die."
Releasing his hand with a forceful thrust away from her, Demetra spun on her heel afterwards and left him behind without so much as a backward glance.
Feeling like his chest was ripping itself open, like his mangled heart was going to explode inside him, Tala watched helplessly and longingly as she approached the chopper and moved to join her sisters inside. Feeling another prick of hope when Demetra paused at the door, it was quickly quashed when she soon disappeared inside without the backward glance she'd been considering after all.
The last one to board the massive monstrosity was Breal, and to Tala's displeasure, he actually made a point to look back. His eyes locking on the blunette this time, Tala crossed his arms and defiantly lifted his chin. He'd expected the cold Finnish Coach to look smug and triumphant, but to Tala's surprise there was a complicated combination of emotions storming across the man's face as he stared back at Tala for a long while, until eventually he tore his gaze away and boarded the chopper.
As the massive metal bird roared to life, one of the suits appeared in the doorway to slam it shut, and moments later it was lifting off the ground and making its departure.
"One more taste of your lips just to bring me back, to the places we've been and the nights we had. Because if this is it then at least we could end it right..."
By the time the irritating song reached its climax, Tala was too bone weary and emotionally exhausted to care how deeply it was cutting him. Instead, he simply let it run its course while he heartbrokenly watched the silhouette of the midnight black chopper become swallowed up by the darkness.
"Oh, Baby let me love you goodbye..."
