My friend Peachmelba says I should dedicate this chapter to Teen Titans. She's trying to pretend she's not obsessed, but really she is. Anyway, after that moment of randomness, here is the new chapter:
Tala fingered the packet of matches in his pocket as they looked over the abbey from outside. Bryan stood behind him, watching silently, mind full of his own painful memories of the place. However, after reading Tala's diary, he knew that Tala's time here had been far worse. The abbey was deserted nowadays; abandoned, left to rot in the outskirts of Moscow. Together they walked inside, feet clicking along the silent corridors. Bryan knew instantly where Tala was headed, and had a good idea of why.
The 'guest' room of the abbey was basically Voltaire's room- the abbey never had any guests other than him. It only had prisoners, and none of them were welcome to stay in the luxury the room still contained. Tala's eyes gazed around, empty, flickering over the blood-red decor. Maybe it had been irony on Voltaire's part, choosing that colour for his room, but whatever it had been, it was still torturing Tala, even now.
One hand closing reassuringly over his shoulder made him turn. "He raped me. So many times..." His voice rose to a pained whine and he collapsed to his knees. "He made me his whore...his own personal, private whore...and he made me keep quiet about it..." Bryan sat on the floor beside him and Tala crawled into his lap. "Sometimes...he would...would invite..." Tala burst into noisy sobs that rang out loudly in the silent room. Bryan caught the word 'Boris' and understood.
Tala's intense hatred of the abbey became clearer- he was assaulted in training, experimented on by scientists, then at night while the others slept he became the abbey rent-boy. Bryan cursed himself for never wondering why Tala had so many bruises, for never enquiring as to why he always had bags under his eyes, why he always wore sleeves and would never let anyone see him naked...if he had asked...maybe...
"You couldn't have changed it..."
"But..."
Tala shook his head. "Don't think it could have been any different. He...he was sick. I'm glad he died. A heart attack was too quick a death for him...he was...sick...sick and twisted..." Tala produced the matches from his pocket and stood up. Bryan followed him to his feet. "Now?" Tala nodded and opened the box of matches. His slender fingers dipped in and plucked one out, twirling it before his eyes. With a casual flick he lit it, threw it onto the curtains almost carelessly. They caught fire almost instantly as Tala struck another match and another, until the room was blazing.
Bryan took his arm and dragged him away as the flames raged, scared Tala would become so enthusiastic about burning his bad memories away he would end up burning himself away in the process. They could hear the sound of crackling as they broke into a run. It was like escaping all over again, and as they burst out of the front doors they found Ian and Spencer waiting for them. Giddy with their daring, they all watched as flames spiralled through the abbey, engulfing and consuming it.
They watched it crumble, feeling inexplicably free. Now there was no more rock to hold down their memories, nothing to keep them living in the past, nothing to see but ruins of a long passed terror. Tala clutched Bryan's hand tightly, watching smoke roll up into the sky. "Never again." He whispered resolutely. "Never again." Bryan understood.
"It's finally gone..." The Blitzkrieg boys turned to find Kai behind them, tears running down his face. Tala gave up Bryan's hand and wrapped his arms around Kai, who had suffered in the same way he had. "Never again..." He repeated. "They can never touch us again, Kai..." He could feel Kai shaking, and he knew it wasn't because of the cold; Kai was wearing a thick coat and a jumper. It was fear, a nameless fear that only this place had the power to inspire. But now it was collapsing, crumbling and breaking before their eyes.
They went back to their house together, at last feeling fully liberated.
Tala scrubbed shampoo through his hair then washed it out, craning his head around under the showerhead to get rid of the suds. He stood under the shower for a minute more and then hopped out, snatching up a towel from the rack. He dried himself absently, preoccupied, then dropped the towel and switched off the shower. He breezed out onto the landing and found Bryan waiting for him at the top of the stairs, a lazy grin on his face. Tala ignored his appreciative gaze and walked past him.
"Come if you're coming." He said, knowing full well that Bryan would come, forced to by a mix of protectiveness and perversion. Bryan followed him to the door, then put his foot in front of it as Tala went to open it. "Tala, are you sure about this? People might...you know. And you might get ill, and-"
"Bring the date forward?"
Bryan gasped and moved, hurrying after Tala as he walked out into the front street, absolutely stark naked. Strangely enough, Bryan didn't mind just walking along with Tala. Quite the opposite- he liked it. It gave him a nice view of Tala's backside, and for that he was glad. They walked along a few streets, earning a few incredulous looks from people, then Bryan started to notice a blue-ish tinge in Tala's skin. "Tala..."
"I'm bloody freezing..." Tala said, forcing his teeth to stop chattering. Bryan took one look at his shivering form, and Tala's words echoed in his ears. 'Bring the date forward?' He stripped off his jacket and draped it around Tala's shoulders.
"Come on. You've done as you wanted. Now lets get back..."
"Bryan..."
"Tala, no matter how much you don't care about it, I'm not going to let you cut your time short by getting ill." He picked Tala up and slung him over his shoulder, more out of a desire to hide his tears from Tala than anything else.
By the time they got back, Tala was shivering uncontrollably and Bryan was terrified. He put Tala to bed and draped all the blankets in the house over him, squashing him in with all the hot water bottles he could find. As an added measure and also a comfort to himself he slid into bed beside Tala, encircling the redhead in a warm embrace. "Tala..."
"Shh." Tala nuzzled into him, lips grazing over Bryan's neck and collarbone. "I'm sorry for scaring you...I'm sorry for saying what I said...but if I don't put a brave face on it I feel as if I'll just...fade away..."
Bryan tightened grip on Tala's slim waist and shook his head violently. "You'll never fade Tala. You're too real to fade..."
"Am I too real to die?"
"Tala..."
"You can't hold me forever, Bryan..."
"I'm not asking for forever. I'm asking for as long as I can have...even though I know that's not very long at all..." Tala nodded.
"I'm yours for as long as I have left..."
Somehow it was a scant comfort.
"Tala...what are you writing?" Tala slammed his notebook shut.
"Nothing."
"It's not nothing, I'm not blind. What is it?" Bryan reached for the book, then overbalanced and fell off the sofa as Tala snatched it away from him.
"You can't read it. Not yet..."
"Why?" Asked Bryan, moving back up onto the sofa and leaning over Tala's outstretched legs. Tala shook his head.
"You'll find out when you find out, so there's no use asking until then." Tala slipped the notebook under the sofa and slid the pen alongside it. "I mean it Bryan. I really don't want you to read it. It's for...after..."
Bryan felt his mouth go dry at Tala's words. It was just under a week before Tala had to go into hospital, and Bryan knew he couldn't keep trying to push Tala's fate away, but it still hurt, and it hurt more every day. But his love for Tala grew every day, taking him to levels of happiness he had not imagined ever existing. He felt like a big huge ball of raw emotion, and it scared him and excited him at the same time.
"Anyway, it's Saturday today. I want to go out tonight."
"Yeah...maybe we can find a karaoke bar..."
"Two wishes at once? That would be nice..." Tala sighed and moved off the sofa, onto Bryan's chest. "You've taken me through all of those wishes...and you haven't cared about what kind of trouble it could cause you...I...thank you..."
"You don't have to thank me. I did it out of love, Tala. I want to make you happy. I want you to be happy before you..." He stopped suddenly. The word flickered on the tip of his tongue.
"Say it, Bryan."
"Before you..." There was a pause. "Die." Bryan clapped a hand over his mouth as if he'd somehow said something blasphemous. Tala laid his own hand over it, meshing their fingers and pulling Bryan's hand away, replacing it with his lips. "I love you Bryan."
"I love you too Tala..." He said desperately, feeling as if somehow, love was not enough.
"T-Tala..." Bryan took one look at Tala and burst into tears. Tala hugged him, flustered.
"Bryan, what's wrong? Bryan?" Bryan didn't reply, only covered his face with his hands. Tala shook him by the shoulders and he looked up, tears cascading over his splayed fingers. He slid his fingers down his face and they came to hang at his sides, curling into fists attempting to channel and control Bryan's raging feelings. "You're so...so beautiful..." He reached out his hands and cupped Tala's cheeks, drawing the redhead into a gentle kiss. Tala relaxed against him, smiling.
"Bryan, come on. Don't cry. We're going out, we're going to dance, and I'm going to find somewhere to sing karaoke!"
That had been two hours ago, and now they were at a disco, surrounded by smoke and flashing lights. Innumerable people came over to Tala and tried to dance with him, but he repelled them all with easy charm. However, when someone tried to do the same to Bryan, he ended up being terrified and blushing. The man was taller than him, tall and slim with well-defined features and expensive clothes. "What's your name?" He asked, a hint of amusement in his musical voice.
"His name is none of your business you fucking whore! Take your face away from my boyfriend unless you want me to rearrange it for you!" Sneered Tala, coming to stand in front of Bryan. Bryan smiled widely. This was Tala again, Tala who was full of fire and spirit, who was indomitable and proud and would never back down. The man glowered then walked away, and Tala grabbed Bryan's arm. "Come on, the bar over the road's doing karaoke!"
"Why do you want to do karaoke anyway?" Asked Bryan as he was dragged back out into the freezing night, watching Tala's shirt being bleached orange by the fluorescent street lamps. Tala shrugged, and dragged him into the dazzlingly bright bar on the other side of the road. Bryan could have sworn the white of Tala's shirt seemed to sparkle. It was a little too white, a little too close to something angelic for Bryan's liking. He tried to distract himself by drinking more vodka as Tala sang and danced on the small stage.
The rest of the night passed in a haze of sound, light, and alcohol, and before Bryan and Tala knew it they were home, in bed, making passionate love to each other as outside the dawn broke.
Review! Please! Imaginary hugs for all who do!
