Endgame 13
There was a rose in a vase on Vicious's desk in the bedroom of his Martian loft. It had been recently cut, and dew was suspended from its flesh, showing tiny distorted reflections from around the room.
There would be roses, and guns, and there was a swirl of gold hair and a falling body. She saw the boy's face, the one who had only just joined. Corso. Julia told herself it was just a vision.
Julia sat on Vicious's bed, her shoeless feet tucked behind her. Vicious was reviewing paperwork for the day. Julia was staring at the rose. Ever since the fight he had been aloof, as though he needed distance to look at her. She kept seeing him peer at her from a distance. She hardly talked to him until they had come to his apartment. He'd poured her a glass of wine, looking over the bottle at her like he was trying to appraise her. He'd taken her chin between his forefinger and thumb and tilted her face towards him and said, "You're so beautiful. You're like a statue." Then he left her in his room. Julia didn't like wine. The full cup sat opposite to the rose. Julia hated roses more than she hated wine. She was beginning to hate everything with the hue of red in it. She had a fleeting image of Spike's false eye. Even his real one had a red undercurrent. Red meant trouble, she was sure of that.
She became aware of Vicious's frame in the door. She hadn't heard him come. She hadn't sensed his presence. Something was off-balance. She turned to him. He was in loose pants, but his bare skin looked threatening rather than unprotected. Julia looked at her knees and smiled ruefully. "It's all or nothing." She had a knife in case this didn't work out.
Vicious stood before her. Her head came up to his stomach. She wasn't going to say this looking up to him. She was going to look him in the eye. She stood. "Vicious." His eyes were unreadable. She hoped she'd get the translation soon. There was a long pause. Vicious was waiting. "I left the door open for the ISSP to come in and get rid of the Komodo organization. I've been providing them with information about the Red Dragon Syndicate. I'm a spy."
Vicious smiled. His eyes were still unreadable. "I know."
His eyes locked on hers. Julia's eyes tilted upwards as she ran through the possible scenarios. The intelligence man she'd killed must have told him. Vicious must know why he wanted Corso dead. Vicious caught the movement, and then her eyes returned to his. "We can still." She didn't finish. She couldn't ask him to cater to her idea before he had even judged her.
Vicious tilted his head and brushed his fingers across his face. "So, you love me enough to tell me the truth? Is that what I'm supposed to believe?"
"I'm a free agent, Vicious," Julia replied. "My agenda changed."
"You have agenda, Julia?" He cradled her face in his spider-like hand and brought it closer to his. Then how can I tell you're telling me the truth?" He brought her face closer. They were exchanging breath. "I suppose I should be able to tell by your eyes." He stared at her from a distance no more than centimeters long.
She grasped his hand with her own and glared back.
"Tell me, Julia," he whispered. "Tell me everything."
"What do you mean?" she asked. Her other hand started to go for her knife, but Vicious caught it and pinned it against the wall. His body was pressed against hers.
"Who else is working with you?"
Julia's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you saying you work alone? I wouldn't want to say I was working alone if I were you, Julia. Not if you aren't."
Fuck it, she thought. "Vicious. I work alone." She'd misjudged him from the start. She wouldn't think about leaving him until she was gone, wait until she was far away for the pain. She'd leave as soon as possible, and warn Spike on his way before she left.
All the tension melted from Vicious's face, and he backed away. "You chose him. You chose him over me. You're covering for that bastard!"
"Who, Vicious?" Julia asked brazenly. "What bastard?" They both knew she knew perfectly well who it was.
He smacked her. She didn't make a sound, just closed her eyes and opened them when he was done. "Who the fuck are you? You think you're lord of all things? I don't revolve around anyone, Vicious, and I won't revolve around you. I'm not gonna ignore other people's needs in order to pass some goddamn test of yours. So you knew the whole time he was a spy. He nearly got killed for you. He lost an eye for you. And you wouldn't even go back for him. So who fucking betrayed who here? It's all relative."
Vicious was staring at her from a face bowed with anger. She could feel it coming from him like fire. Like a furnace you can warm your hands against. He wrapped his hand around her head and pulled her into a rough kiss. His hands fixed on her shoulder and enclosed around the straps of her dress. Julia pressed her hands against his body, and they fought their way down to his hips and hooked around the rim of his pants. Vicious brought his hands under her legs and lifted her over to where his bed was. He dropped her onto his bed and she rose immediately into his kiss. They twined into each other, braiding their skin against each other like a rope, until they were completely entangled. Their passions fought to exhaustion in their bodies, and when they were done there was nothing left to say about anything.
They both stared at the freshly-cut rose on Vicious's desk.
There was a rose in a vase on Vicious's desk in the bedroom of his Martian loft. It had been recently cut, and dew was suspended from its flesh, showing tiny distorted reflections from around the room.
There would be roses, and guns, and there was a swirl of gold hair and a falling body. She saw the boy's face, the one who had only just joined. Corso. Julia told herself it was just a vision.
Julia sat on Vicious's bed, her shoeless feet tucked behind her. Vicious was reviewing paperwork for the day. Julia was staring at the rose. Ever since the fight he had been aloof, as though he needed distance to look at her. She kept seeing him peer at her from a distance. She hardly talked to him until they had come to his apartment. He'd poured her a glass of wine, looking over the bottle at her like he was trying to appraise her. He'd taken her chin between his forefinger and thumb and tilted her face towards him and said, "You're so beautiful. You're like a statue." Then he left her in his room. Julia didn't like wine. The full cup sat opposite to the rose. Julia hated roses more than she hated wine. She was beginning to hate everything with the hue of red in it. She had a fleeting image of Spike's false eye. Even his real one had a red undercurrent. Red meant trouble, she was sure of that.
She became aware of Vicious's frame in the door. She hadn't heard him come. She hadn't sensed his presence. Something was off-balance. She turned to him. He was in loose pants, but his bare skin looked threatening rather than unprotected. Julia looked at her knees and smiled ruefully. "It's all or nothing." She had a knife in case this didn't work out.
Vicious stood before her. Her head came up to his stomach. She wasn't going to say this looking up to him. She was going to look him in the eye. She stood. "Vicious." His eyes were unreadable. She hoped she'd get the translation soon. There was a long pause. Vicious was waiting. "I left the door open for the ISSP to come in and get rid of the Komodo organization. I've been providing them with information about the Red Dragon Syndicate. I'm a spy."
Vicious smiled. His eyes were still unreadable. "I know."
His eyes locked on hers. Julia's eyes tilted upwards as she ran through the possible scenarios. The intelligence man she'd killed must have told him. Vicious must know why he wanted Corso dead. Vicious caught the movement, and then her eyes returned to his. "We can still." She didn't finish. She couldn't ask him to cater to her idea before he had even judged her.
Vicious tilted his head and brushed his fingers across his face. "So, you love me enough to tell me the truth? Is that what I'm supposed to believe?"
"I'm a free agent, Vicious," Julia replied. "My agenda changed."
"You have agenda, Julia?" He cradled her face in his spider-like hand and brought it closer to his. Then how can I tell you're telling me the truth?" He brought her face closer. They were exchanging breath. "I suppose I should be able to tell by your eyes." He stared at her from a distance no more than centimeters long.
She grasped his hand with her own and glared back.
"Tell me, Julia," he whispered. "Tell me everything."
"What do you mean?" she asked. Her other hand started to go for her knife, but Vicious caught it and pinned it against the wall. His body was pressed against hers.
"Who else is working with you?"
Julia's eyes widened. "What are you talking about?"
"Are you saying you work alone? I wouldn't want to say I was working alone if I were you, Julia. Not if you aren't."
Fuck it, she thought. "Vicious. I work alone." She'd misjudged him from the start. She wouldn't think about leaving him until she was gone, wait until she was far away for the pain. She'd leave as soon as possible, and warn Spike on his way before she left.
All the tension melted from Vicious's face, and he backed away. "You chose him. You chose him over me. You're covering for that bastard!"
"Who, Vicious?" Julia asked brazenly. "What bastard?" They both knew she knew perfectly well who it was.
He smacked her. She didn't make a sound, just closed her eyes and opened them when he was done. "Who the fuck are you? You think you're lord of all things? I don't revolve around anyone, Vicious, and I won't revolve around you. I'm not gonna ignore other people's needs in order to pass some goddamn test of yours. So you knew the whole time he was a spy. He nearly got killed for you. He lost an eye for you. And you wouldn't even go back for him. So who fucking betrayed who here? It's all relative."
Vicious was staring at her from a face bowed with anger. She could feel it coming from him like fire. Like a furnace you can warm your hands against. He wrapped his hand around her head and pulled her into a rough kiss. His hands fixed on her shoulder and enclosed around the straps of her dress. Julia pressed her hands against his body, and they fought their way down to his hips and hooked around the rim of his pants. Vicious brought his hands under her legs and lifted her over to where his bed was. He dropped her onto his bed and she rose immediately into his kiss. They twined into each other, braiding their skin against each other like a rope, until they were completely entangled. Their passions fought to exhaustion in their bodies, and when they were done there was nothing left to say about anything.
They both stared at the freshly-cut rose on Vicious's desk.