Author's Note- Alright time for Chapter 3. Lots of FF like a promised! Although… it is a little angst-but not really….Anyway, I also wanted to thank yet again every single person who has taken time out of their busy schedules to review my story. It means the world to me! So- please keep them coming! Plus- sorry this is so late, had some problems writing the end to my satisfaction, but I really enjoyed writing it!
Disclaimer- Nope, not me…sorry not me. Chapter 3It's Electric
Fuu opened her eyes at the sound of a car honking outside. Gazing up with unfocused eyes, she stared at the white ceiling, trying not to think of anything. Light filtered through her open window and splashed rainbows across the furniture and walls. Shelves filled with books lined the walls, her dresser covered with old favorites that were so worn that the titles on many were unreadable. Besides a multitude of books, nothing else of personal value filled the room. Fuu knew it was easier if reminders of home were kept out of view, if kept at all. She had once tried unsuccessfully to throw the old photos away, but after reducing herself to tears stuffed them into a shoebox and threw them under her bed. They were the only link she allowed herself to the past.
She sat up carefully and groaned at the stiff pain that wracked her body. Glancing at the clock she sighed. It was 7, and she hadn't gotten to sleep until after 2. If that toss and turn of a night could be called sleep. All she had been able to do last night was think of the past, and of him. She had taken a long shower, trying to soothe her aching body and racing mind, and although the hot water had helped her body, nothing seemed to be able to still her mind. He danced behind her eyelids, waiting for the right moment to sneak into her thoughts. Him and that amazingly cute smirk. She put a hand to her head. He was the enemy! She couldn't think of him as anything else. Hopefully she wouldn't even see him again. Although, when she thought of that possibility, a slight ache filled her heart.
Putting her feet on the hard wood floor, she winced at the cold feeling. Staggering to her feet, she ignored the cold and walked to the nearest dresser. Grabbing her glasses, she put them on haphazardly. Pulling out an old pink sweater and jeans, she threw them on her bed. Fuu pulled her nightgown over her head, and for the first time looked closely at her body. A bruise alarmingly larger than her fist covered the left side of her chest. Bringing her hand to the purple splotch just above her breast, she touched it carefully. The soft touch was more than her body could handle though, and she fell to the floor, nearly blacking out. Taking deep breaths she wiped a stray hair from her face before standing up again. Her stomach lurched and praying that Emeraude was still asleep, Fuu raced to the bathroom. The hall was thankfully empty, and after a nice long talk with the toilet, she finally got her body back under control. She hadn't even eaten anything since last night, and was amazed there was anything left to come up.
Standing on shaking feet she glared at her reflection from under her bangs. Dark circles lined her eyes and her skin was blotchy looking and clammy to the touch. It was official. Not only did she feel like crap, but she also looked like crap. Wrapping a towel around her body, Fuu made the journey back to her room. Even though she felt awful, there was too much work to be done. She changed and made her way down the hall and to the kitchen. Looking at food however, made her nauseas again. She wouldn't be able to hold anything down. Fuu retreated into the living room, picking up a favorite novel in her room first.
Sitting down on one of the couches, she opened the book and turned to one of her favorite chapters. The heroine was stuck in a cave, angry wolves were all about, and her only hope was the dashing young love interest. She had read the scene hundreds of times, and it was still her favorite. Replaying the scene in her mind she leaned against the couch and closed her eyes. Of course, she was always the heroine, fighting for her life in an absurdly low cut dress. The hero was always one of the many attractive movie stars that was young and hot. Fuu played the scene out in her mind, smiling at the absurdity of it all. Finally, the darkness lifted, the wolves were scared away, and she raced toward the leading man whom she was destined to be with. Arms outstretched he pulled her close, his body softly enfolding her in a tight embrace. Pulling away she looked up into his face.
Ferio looked down at her, eyes full of mischief and something else that she couldn't quite make out. Her eyes widened at the sudden realization that it was him, and though she willed her body to move, it refused. His arms were strong and his chest like a rock. He leaned toward her, and she couldn't help but go up on her tip toes. His lips met hers tenderly, and just when Fuu thought her heart was going to leap out of her chest, she started and opened her eyes.
Looking at the clock, she groaned out load. It was 8:30 and she had fallen asleep. Picking the book up from her lap she set it on the end table. Rubbing her temples she blushed at the dream she had just had. What had gotten into her lately? Every time she allowed her mind to wander, it went straight to Ferio. She'd never had that problem with strangers before. Family yes, but to her strangers were more often than not a nuisance. She smiled again as she remembered the way Ferio had asked for a pen. Indignant at the time, now all she felt about the situation was a warm fluffy feeling.
The kitchen door opened, and Emeraude walked in dressed for work, her body barely visible through the scarf and parka she wore. Emeraude hated the cold weather.
"Good morning." her voice was pleasant, if a little muffled, "Sorry I didn't wake you, you looked like you could use the sleep."
Fuu nodded. If she thought she didn't look good, she wondered how horrible she looked to those around her. Fuu picked up her book again, and headed back to her room. She didn't want to seem rude, but she had to get going. Besides, lately Emeraude had been able to get Fuu to open up about certain things, and she couldn't risk spilling the beans because she was a little emotionally unstable at the moment.
"Wait." Emeraude spoke quickly, and Fuu turned, "Are you okay?"
The voice was questioning, but not pushy. Fuu could feel tears pool at the back of her eyes. Was she okay? Was she alright? No! Of course she wasn't okay. She lost her family, her friends, everyone she'd ever cared about, and now some stranger whom she couldn't figure out knew about her secret. And she was having dreams about him! She was not okay!
"I'm fine."
The hollow words sounded false even to her ears, but Emeraude only nodded.
"Well, I should be home around six. Do you want to get dinner or something? My treat?"
Fuu forced a smile, part of her wishing that Emeraude hadn't dropped the subject so quickly.
"I'm not sure when I'll be back. That's okay, I'm sure Zagato will be more than happy to eat with you. Maybe next time."
Emeraude smiled back, but Fuu could tell it was false. Emeraude left, the door clanking behind her, and Fuu once again berated herself. She was a horrible person. Why did her roommate have to be so nice?
Fuu had been planning on going to her room, but instead she took a slight detour into the bathroom. Looking into the mirror, she pinched her cheeks in an effort to restore some color. It was useless. She was a living corpse. Throwing on a jacket, she made her way out into the biting cold.
Taking the local subway, she sat in the last box, and waited for the fourth stop. People littered the car, each lost in their own thoughts, and Fuu shut her eyes in contemplation. This wasn't something that she was looking forward to, but it had to be done. Stepping out into the cold once more, she turned the block and walked with stiff limbs.
She stood outside the bank, hesitating before going inside. Less than 24 hours ago, events in this place had changed her life. Fuu wondered if anyone walking by could see it on her. If it was obvious that she was robbed, that she was a freak. Tightening her arms around herself, she clenched her fists in determination and went inside. Light elevator-like music wafted throughout the warm building, the words inaudible. People milled about, filling out forms and keeping to themselves. Behind the counter, a sea of green worked leisurely, counting out change and making deposits. It was as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened last night.
The blood that had stained the floors was gone, and all that was left was the light smell of disinfectant. She looked at the station that she usually worked at, the one that she had been at last night. When she was at home, the whole thing had seemed surreal, but now that she was back, she could feel her heart race, and the gravity of the situation weigh in on her. It was still to hard to think about, and though she knew that it was unhealthy to not face it, at the moment she couldn't. Unconsciously her hand strayed to the large hidden bruise. It still hurt. Walking up to the only teller not helping someone, she tried her best to smile at Mary.
Mary was not her favorite coworker. She was loud, brash, and a horrible gossiper. With bleach blond hair, and way to much makeup, her and Fuu were polar opposites. At seeing Fuu, Mary's eyes lit up like it was Christmas, and Fuu shrank back, her smile dying on her face. She should have waited for one of the other tellers.
"Fuu! Oh my Lord! It is you! You know, everyone is talking about it. Are you okay!?"
Mary's eyes skimmed over Fuu, and Fuu knew that Mary was only asking because she wanted to hear about how awful she was. How traumatic the experience was for her. Mary could just look at Fuu to figure out how she was doing.
"I'm doing fine." she spoke softly, "Is Kurt in?"
Mary scowled at Fuu's lack of explanation.
"Yeah, he's in. I'll go get him." She turned and walked into the back for the manager, pausing several times to whisper into different peoples ears. Fuu felt all eyes turn on her, and she looked at the floor. Today was not starting out very promising.
After being ushered into his office, Fuu immediately got down to business. Kurt was surprisingly understanding when Fuu told him that she would no longer be able to work there. He nodded knowingly and offered to write references if she needed them. Thanking him profusely she got up to leave, thankful that he hadn't commented on how pale she looked, or how much her hands shook. She didn't know if she would ever be able to enter a bank again without looking over her shoulder.
Walking down the street, Fuu stopped at a vender for a pretzel and coffee. It was already past noon, and she felt her stomach was finally starting to act normal. Eating it daintily she licked the salt off her fingers before getting down to business again. She wouldn't survive the month without a job, and set herself up for the task of finding another. Stopping at different department stores and restaurants she filled out and collected over 20 applications by the time she was done. She nearly walked into a bank as well, but found that she couldn't bring herself to enter the building. In fact, just trying nearly brought up the pretzel that she had just eaten.
The cold started to get to her, and she called it quits for the day. Rubbing her hands together, she got onto the subway, the whole time wishing that she had worn gloves. Her face was slightly numb and she worked her mouth in an effort to warm it up. The temperature was dropping as darkness fell on the city, and Fuu was looking forward to being inside a warm room. Being just past 5, the subway was jam packed with people on their way home from work. Shying away as best she could, she was thankful when it came to her stop.
Pushing past everyone she fought her way off the subway, and began the short walk to her house. Feeling a slight dampness on her face, she looked up at the sky. Snowflakes fell onto her nose and eyelashes, and she smiled her first genuine smile in a long time. Pausing a moment, she watched the light snowfall land on street lamps, buildings, and people. Letting herself into the complex, she waved at Earl, who was watching television. He waved vaguely with one hand, but kept his eyes glued to the screen. Waiting for the elevator, she listened to the news program that Earl was enthralled with.
"And just to let everyone know that tonight is a great night to stay in and hunker down. The storm should hit around 6 and last throughout the night, creating 8-10 inches in snowfall. In other news Robin has recently-"
The elevator binged and Fuu stopped listening to the news anchor. She hoped that Emeraude had gotten home early, being stuck in a storm was awful. Stepping in Fuu leaned against the wall and shut her eyes. She hadn't realized how tired she was.
Fuu opened the door haphazardly and took off her now soaked boots. Scrunching her toes she realized that her boots had leaked, and the socks needing changing as well. Having wet toes was a pet peeve of hers. Looking down, she noticed a pair of men's shoes next to Emeraude's. Figuring that Zagato had come by for dinner she walked to her room and shut the door. Taking off the sopping socks she put on her favorite pair of bunny slippers and sighed at the warm feeling. Having warm feet really was the best feeling.
Pulling off her jeans and sweatshirt she opted for sweat pants, a tank top, and a zip up sweater. Fuu called it "the comfy look". She looked down at herself, and noticed that the bruise was visible above the neck of her tank. Zipping up the sweater, she couldn't wait for the bruise to fade. Sitting on the bed, she felt a resounding growl resonate from her stomach, and knew that she needed food. Biting her lip she thought about what to do. She didn't really want to bother Emeraude and Zagato, who were undoubtedly in the kitchen. It wasn't that she didn't like Zagato, but she didn't want to be invited to dinner. Right now, she just needed to be alone. Her stomach growled again in protest, and Fuu gave in with a large sigh.
She ambled over to the kitchen at a slow pace, not really wanting to face Emeraude or Zagato. Standing in front of the door, she listened for voices. Low and inaudible, she didn't know what they were talking about. Biting her lip in determination, Fuu took a deep breath and opened the door.
Emeraude stood at the stove, a boiling pot of noodles and sauce cooking in front of her. She smiled at Fuu warmly, and Fuu smiled back. She was glad that Emeraude had gotten home safely. Emeraude grasped the wooden spoon laying on the counter, and put her attention into stirring the half cooked dinner. Looked like pasta was on the menu. Turning to Zagato, she fixed a polite smile to her face. Zagato was a nice guy, and even if she didn't want to talk, she would do her best to at least no be rude. The smile died and her mouth opened in shock when she saw green hair. It wasn't possible. There was no way it could be. Thinking she was hallucinating, she blinked again. He didn't move. She stifled the scream that was threatening to explode from her. Ferio was sitting in her kitchen, a mirrored look of shock on his face. Ferio-was-in-her-kitchen! Her mouth which was already gaping, fell open even more.
"Fuu?"
His eyes seemed more golden than she remembered, and his deep voice rolled over her like silk.
"Oh shit."
Her voice was little more than a whisper in the now quiet room. Emeraude looked startled at Fuu. Fuu rarely if ever swore, finding curse words vulgar and not needed. Fuu had swore not even meaning to, the situation becoming more than she could take. Emeraude glanced between the two of them, unsure of their connection.
Fuu took a hesitant step back. Of all the horrible things that she thought could have happened, this wasn't even on the list. Why was he here? How did Emeraude know him? Through the haze that clouded her mind, only one thing was relevant. She had to get away. Taking another step back she bumped into the now closed kitchen door. This was not happening! Her breath came out in gasps, and she unexpectedly felt very dizzy. Putting a hand to her head, she watched Ferio like a hawk. He stood slowly, the slight movement making her even dizzier.
Her legs were like jelly beneath her, and she pitched forward unable to stop herself. Cursing her weakness, she closed her eyes, and braced herself for impact with the floor. Instead she felt strong arms around her, and landed on something soft. Trying to get her breathing under control, her nose caught the smell of leather. Cracking open a lid, she looked at what she had landed on. Ferio lay underneath her, his arms around her body in a protective gesture. Fuu's face rested in the crook of his neck, and without realizing it, she leaned forward breathing his scent in again. He smelled great. Her heart beat had slowed, and she lay unmoving on top of his body.
She rested there, and for once just let herself enjoy the moment. Something about Ferio disarmed her completely. When around him, she had the horrible urge to just spill all her secrets, to lessen her burden. Being so close to him was wonderful and she blushed at the close contact. She was sprawled out on him, and even through her clothes she could feel the heat of his body. Fuu hadn't let herself get this close to someone in a long time. Coming to the conclusion that she shouldn't lay there forever, she shifted her weight. His grip tightened on her for a second, and she felt her entire body pressed flush against him. The blush which before had been a slight, exploded across her face. Fuu's breath caught in her throat, and she squeezed her hands on the collar of his shirt in an effort to control herself. A moment later his hands left her, and she sat up quickly.
Clamoring completely off of him, she stood on shaky feet. What had she been thinking? She could not allow anything like that to happen again. What had happened to her escape plan? Fuu knew a blush still stained her face, and she looked at her feet in embarrassment. Plastic bunny eyes stared up at her sympathetically. Her blush which had finally begun to fade come back with a vengeance when she realized that she was seeing Ferio while wearing her Mr. Bunny slippers. Not that she wanted to impress him or anything. Ferio got up, and let his hands travel through his disheveled green hair. Fuu glanced at him from beneath her bangs. He looked shaken.
"Are you okay?"
His voice was rough. Emeraude looked between the two of them, her eyebrows scrunched up in thought. The pasta now unattended, she turned from one to the other.
"Do you guys no each other?"
Her voice was confused. Not that Fuu could blame her. She had just made a complete fool of herself, falling- having Ferio catch her- and then just lying on him like it was the natural thing to do!
"No." Fuu said, just as Ferio piped in with a clear 'Yes.'
Emeraude frowned and looked at them again, her expression of confusion turning into one of annoyance.
"Are you guys not telling me something?"
Fuu put a hand on her forehead. Now Emeraude would hate her. The idea of Emeraude hating her was too much for her to bear. Emeraude was the closest thing to a friend that Fuu had. And although she knew it was safest to have no close friends, she couldn't cut herself away from everyone.
"Emeraude, it isn't like that!"
Fuu took a step toward her, ignoring Ferio altogether.
"We just… ran into each other last night." The excuse was one of the lamest she had ever come up with, and she felt the need to fix it. "Not like ran into each other, like literally, but I saw him at work and…" She stopped mid ramble.
Fuu hadn't made this big of a fool off herself in years. What had she been thinking, trying to explain herself? Wasn't she not supposed to care? Shutting her eyes, she wished the world would just disappear.
"Ferio?"
Emeraude's voice cut through Fuu's mind like a knife.
"Sis, could just leave us alone for a little bit okay?" Ferio's voice was gentle yet persistent.
Fuu's mouth hung open, unsaid words pouring out. They were siblings? Emeraude always talked about her brother the cop, but the coincidence that Ferio was that brother was astonishing. What was the chance that the one cop who saved her life, who discovered her secret, was also her roommate's only brother? Emeraude could not leave Fuu alone with Ferio. Fuu didn't want to have to face Ferio alone. Snapping her head up, she looked at Emeraude with alarm., a small pathetic noise emitting from the back of her throat. Emeraude watched Ferio carefully, and nodded. Fuu's stomach lurched.
"Alright. I'll leave for a while, but I want to know what's going on."
She turned the stove on low before sliding around the kitchen table. Resting a hand on Fuu's shoulder she leaned close to Fuu's ear.
"It'll be alright, Im not sure what is going on with you and my brother, but he is a good person. It'll be okay."
Emeraude turned away and started out of the kitchen.
Fuu couldn't believe she was leaving. Why did she ever decide that she needed to eat? Why hadn't she just stayed in her room all night? Wanting to escape, Fuu grabbed the door after Emeraude and wretched it open.
"I don't think so."
Ferio's voice came out as steel, his hand forcing the door closed. Facing the door still, Fuu's eyes widened when his other hand rested on the opposite side of her head. Trapped between his arms, she thought vainly of an escape route. There was no way that he was going to let her go without some sort of explanation. And now that he knew where she lived, her only place of sanctuary had been stolen. Fuu wasn't clear on what to do, but she did know the first thing she needed was to get out of his grasp. She would escape from Ferio, leave the city, pick up her ties once more and resettle somewhere else. Twisting in his arms she faced him with a look of defiance. She would stick to her original story-That he had just imagined it all. She prayed that he would just believe her and drop it.
Looking into his eyes the words froze in her mouth. Determination shone in them, as well as concern. Feeling her body start to tremble, she tried to look away, but couldn't. That was when she realized the horrible truth. She didn't hate him, she didn't hate him in the least. Not only did she not hate him, she found herself unexplainably attracted to him. She had try to brush it off as just worry and hate, but her subconscious had known the truth the entire time. He hadn't screamed or gotten angry when she had shown him her power. He didn't call her a freak, or try to harm her. He had only been curious and confused. He had covered for her, lied to his own people, risked his life…for her. No one had effected her this much since she had moved there, and she wished deep inside herself that he felt the same way about her.
But she couldn't feel this way. She couldn't care for him. Fuu wasn't supposed to care for anyone. It hadn't worked in the past, and it wouldn't work now. Her own parents had turned on her, thrown her away like a broken doll, and a part of her was unsure she could ever trust anyone again with her heart. She couldn't survive being that hurt again.
His eyes softened as if reading her thoughts, and Fuu bit her lip trying to sort out her feelings.
Surprising both Ferio, and herself, she tentatively stepped forward into his embrace. Sometimes it was too much, to have to guard her heart. Giving in to a desire she wasn't aware of, she wrapped her hands around his waist and pushed her now tearful face into the crook of his neck.
Just for a moment, she told herself, while she got a grip on the fact that this wasn't meant to be. Just for a moment she would pretend that everything was going to be okay, and that they would live happily ever after.
Her tears continued to soak his skin, and the collar of his shirt, and Fuu tried to remember when she had started crying. She felt his arms enfold her in a tight embrace, and she leaned more deeply into him.
"Your going to be fine. I wont get angry, I wont do anything but listen."
His head rested on top of hers, and she felt the vibrations of his voice throughout her body. How was it that when he said that she believed him completely? Pulling her head back, he wiped the tears from her eyes. He tugged at her chin, and she glanced at him under dark eyelashes. Allowing her face to be tilted, she looked into his perceptive eyes, torn on the inside.
She didn't know what to do. Fuu was afraid to completely divulge a secret that she had been keeping for years. She was also terrified that when she told him, his opinion of her would change to one of disgust. Her hands tightened on his shirt as she spoke her deepest fear.
"You'll… you'll hate me."
Her voice was broken and raw. She didn't want to be hated. Her parent's eyes had turned hard as stone the moment they found out her secret. The years of love and understanding gone in an instant. That had been the worst day of her life. Fuu didn't want to see anyone else she cared for watch her with such loathing. If his eyes turned to on her in disgust, she wasn't sure she could take it.
"I could never hate you Fuu."
The words were soft, but to Fuu they rang loud and clear. His voice was filled with conviction, and her heart thumped loudly in her ears as they replayed in her mind. He accepted her without even knowing what she was. How could he do that when her own parents had known her their entire lives and still didn't except her? More tears fell from her eyes, and she felt a huge weight suddenly lift. Ferio didn't care that she was a freak. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so relieved.
His eyes shifted subtly, sharpening on her face and she felt a change in the room. The air felt charged and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She wasn't sure what was coming, but she held her breath in anticipation. His head bent toward hers, and she went up on her tiptoes.
Ferio's kissed her softly and sweetly, and she shyly kissed him back. It was amazing, and she pushed herself closer to him surprising him with her boldness. The dream she had dreamt hours ago fell miserably short of this experience, and she never wanted it to end. His hand touched the back of her neck gently, and he deepened the kiss.
Needing breath Fuu pulled away regrettably, resting her forehead in the crook of his neck again. She could feel his pulse race, and knew hers was as well. Fuu took deep breaths as she tried to grasp the situation.
"Wow."
He whispered, his own breath staggered.
"That was," her voice came out as a throaty whisper, her own ears not recognizing it, "Electric."
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! There you go, hope you enjoyed! I'm thinking 2 more chapters.....next time.....Fuu tells Ferio all about it- and what? Someone is trying to hurt Fuu???? Who? And why?? ; )
PS-I can't figure out how to make my spacing a little more staggered- can anyone help?