Never Tear Us Apart - Paloma Faith

"Diego, you can pull over here." I said to him and turned to Klaus, "I live close by Klaus and I have some good liquor."

"Really?" Klaus said happily as Diego rolled to a stop, "You were always my favourite."

Klaus practically jumped out of the vehicle and I was about to get out too but Diego grabbed my arm to keep me in the car. I looked at him curiously but laughed when I saw him in that stupid mask.

"What?" He asked, offended.

"Nothing." I giggled and then tried to keep the grin off my face, "What do you want?"

"First tell me why you were laughing."

"It's just that ridiculous mask. You look like an idiot." I giggled and then coughed, "You know, more than usual."

"You didn't seem to think it was that funny when I was saving your life eight months ago." He snapped.

"I may not have said it out loud but believe me, I was definitely thinking it." I smirked.

"You know what? I don't n-n-need this. Get o-ou-ou."

I leaned over and patted his cheek, "Visualize the word Diego. You can do it."

He grabbed my wrist tightly in his hand and his eyes clenched shut in anger. We always bickered, always mocked, always fought – even physically a few times, like he and Luther did today (without the knife throwing) – but he never set out to hurt me intentionally. The way he looked now though, I wondered if he would take the opportunity to snap my wrist. He could easily do it if he wanted too. I half expected him too but instead, he shoved my arm into my chest and pushed me toward the passenger side door that was open from when I originally tried to leave.

I took that as my cue to get out and did so. As soon as I shut the door, Diego sped off and I watched him go. I wonder what it was he was going to say. I shrugged and turned to Klaus who was having another muttered conversation with whoever was with him right now. I hoped it was Ben. Ben was always a good influence on him. Klaus noticed I was there and gave me a wide smile.

"You're here! Great!" He wrapped his arm around my neck as we walked in the direction of my apartment, "I'm glad I got out when I did. All that sexual tension is suffocating."

Took his arm off me and dropped it, "What sexual tension are you talking about?"

"You and Diego of course. Duh. Now let's go get that booze you spoke of. I am just DYING for a drink."

I was about to argue with him but he took my hand and pulled me along. We walked a couple blocks before he realized he had no idea where he was going. I laughed at him and took the lead, completely forgetting about what he said for the time being. We made it to my apartment and started drinking our way through my liquor cabinet. It was really more of a cupboard above the stove but that was irrelevant.

I don't think I have ever gotten as drunk as that before. I say this because there is no way I would have taken anything Klaus gave me if I was in my right mind – especially if it came out of a baggy that he pulled from down his pants. I wasn't in my right mind though, so I took the pills. Shortly after that, I have no idea what happened.

I groaned as I turned over in my bed and promptly fell out and landed on the floor with a squeak. I let out another groan as I sat up, holding my head. It was throbbing and my throat felt dry and like it was filled with cotton balls. The light coming in through my windows were too bright and I couldn't handle it. I tried to grab my pillow to shove over my face but when I tried to grab it, I grabbed the soft leather of my sofa cushion instead.

Wait... I didn't have a leather sofa in my apartment. I opened my eyes and looked around and saw that I was in my office instead. I dropped my head to the side onto the sofa and groaned again, this time it was because of the disaster that is my office. There were empty beer bottles everywhere, the toy chest was open with broken toys in random places, and a few boardgames were tossed around. What the fuck happened last night? I struggled to get to my feet and had to lean on the arm of the sofa for support.

I finally got to a fully upright position when I noticed the files strewn across my desk. Oh no. Oh, no, no, no, no. I went over to my desk and sure enough, my client's confidential files were open. I vaguely remember Klaus and I going through them last night and mocking the more pathetic ones and crying over the heartbreaking ones. I could totally lose my license for this. Where the fuck was Klaus?

"Klaus?" I called, wincing at the volume of my own voice, "Klaus?" I called again anyway.

When I determined he wasn't in my office or anywhere on this floor of my building, I stumbled out of my office, closing and locking it behind me. I ignored the tipped over waiting chair and practically crawled up the stairs. When I got there, my door was wide open and I called Klaus' name again. He wasn't anywhere.

"Fuck. Where the hell did he go?" I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck as I looked at the disaster that was my apartment.

Clearly, we were both sloppy because it was much worse than what my office was. Instead of beer bottles there were empty liquor bottles all over the place. Artwork was knocked off the walls, half eaten homemade waffles were smooshed into the floor. Oh my god! There was a giant hole cut into my couch! I went over to it and almost cried – I really liked this couch. I sat on a thousand sofas before I found one that I loved. I plopped down and hung my head over the back with hands on my face. Why did I think this was a good idea?! Never again am I going out with Klaus!

I lifted my head up, "Holy fuck!" Straight ahead of me was a paring knife from my kitchen in the dead center of my TV screen, "I need to give Klaus a piece of my mind."

I chugged some water and took a much-needed shower. I put my hair in a messy bun, not caring enough to do anything with it, donned a pair of black leggings and an off should navy blue over-sized sweater. I threw on my black Ugg's and left my apartment, heading for the Academy. I'm hoping he ended up there.

I took a taxi. I never thought to get my driver's license because I didn't think it was necessary in a city like this. I typically liked to walk and if I was going somewhere that needed the aid of transportation, taking a taxi wouldn't do much to my bank account. Driving was tedious anyway and knowing me, I'd probably have terrible road rage.

When I entered the Academy, I called out Klaus' name and was about to search upstairs when Pogo hobbled into the foyer. Pogo was definitely getting up in years and I don't know how he out-lasted Mr. Hargreeves but that wasn't a priority right now.

"Hey Pogo. I'm looking for Klaus, have you seen him?" I asked.

"He was here just this morning. He came in late and slept on the sofa." I guess we had that in common, but at least I knew he was okay.

"Where is he now?" It was about three-o-clock now, I'd slept until noon.

"I'm afraid you just missed him. He stepped out with Five."

"Oh, okay." I said as Grace came into the room.

"Hello sweetheart. Would you like me to make you some lunch?" She asked.

My stomach grumbled then and I gave her a soft smile, "That would be lovely Grace. Thank you."

"Come with me. I'll fix you up something special." She said and I followed her to the kitchen.

She made me the best turkey sandwich I'd ever had with a homemade cranberry sauce. It was definitely what I needed after last night. I yawned after I took my last sip of water and decided to take a quick power nap. When I laid in my bed I shifted around until I found a position that was somewhat decent. I forgot how... not comfortable, these mattresses were. Was it only mine that was like this?

Curious, I got up and went into Allison's room and jumped on her bed. No fair, it was definitely squishier than mine. I tried Luther's bed next. His room was on the other side of Allison's. I jumped on his bed and regretted it immediately. Held my hip as I got off the bed. It was like jumping on to a wooden plank. How does he even sleep on it?

Klaus' room was next and I sat on his bed gently before laying down and deciding it was just like mine which was unsatisfying. I passed over Ben's room because it felt weird laying on a dead man's bed. I stood in Diego's doorway, hesitating to try out his bed. I shook my head went to lay down on it. It was actually very comfortable. Not as squishy as Allision's but definitely softer than mine.

I smiled as I stretched out and slid my hands under my head and under the pillow but stopped when I felt something. It was a book. I pulled it from underneath the pillow to look at it and saw that it was Catcher in the Rye. Not just any copy but MY copy that I found when I was ten. It was the first chapter book I had ever read on my own and the one I kept re-reading, making little notes in the margins.

It went missing when I was fourteen and I was so upset that I went on a rampage through the house. I would have continued too as well if Mr. Hargreeves didn't get angry and tell me not to be so upset over such trivial things. He said there was much better reading material in the world and that Catcher in the Rye was far beneath my level of comprehension.

He was right of course; I've read better and higher-level material but I still liked the book. It was special to me. It was also the only thing I brought with me from my old life. It was upsetting to have lost something of value. Now I find out this thieving idiot, had it the whole time? I was going to kill him. For real this time.

I left the Academy in search of him. It took a while and by the time I found out he lives in a gym that trains boxers, it was around eight-thirty. The lights were on but the doors were locked. According to the sign, it closed at eight. Someone was here though, so I knocked on the door until someone appeared. That someone just happened to be Diego. He rolled his eyes when he saw me and was about to walk away but I knocked incessantly on the door again.

He came back and unlocked the door, no doubt to verbally tell me to go away but I pushed past him and into the building. When I entered, I saw the space was pretty empty. There was a boxing ring a little to the side but still had room to walk around it. There was a section with mats on the floor and punching bags hanging from the ceiling. There were also a few weight machines in the corner to work legs, arms, chest, and back.

"What are you doing here Malia?" Diego asked.

I turned to him, pulled the book from under my sweater and threw it at him, he caught it easily because of his reflexes, "Why did you take this?

He looked at it and glared at me, "What were you doing in my room?"

"I went in everyone's room. You know what they had of mine? Nothing!" I snapped, "Why did you have this?!"

"What's it matter? It's a stupid book!"

"It wasn't just a book and you knew that! Everyone knew that!" I took a deep breath and asked again, "Why did you take it."

"Dad told me to take it." Diego finally said.

"What? Why would he... I don't believe you." I said, shaking my head, "He was a cold, unfeeling man but he wouldn't concern himself with something so insignificant." I looked to the ring and gripped the bottom rope tightly in anger.

"Well, he did. He didn't tell me why either. Just told me to get it and throw it away."

I didn't turn back to him. I was too frustrated to even look at him – too angry. I needed to hit something. I looked at the ring before me and got an idea. I was always grateful to Mr. Hargreeves for what he gave me but I should have realized what he took, even if it was something as small and meaningless as a book. Diego wasn't the one I was angry at for once but he would still be the perfect outlet.

Without turning to him I said, "Fight me."

"What?"

This time I did turn to him, "I said, fight me."

"Because of the book?" He seemed confused.

"Not because of the book, just fight me." I demanded.

Diego shook his head, "I'm not going to fight you."

"Scared to get your ass kicked by a girl like when we were kids?" I taunted.

He glared, "I know what you're doing and it's not working. I have work to do. Show yourself out."

"What? Mopping floors?" I laughed mockingly, "Oh how the mighty have fallen."

"Leave Malia. Before you get hurt." He snapped.

I walked toward him with a derisive smirk, "You want to fight me, I know you do. I saw you in the car last night." I walked around him, "You wanted to hurt me. You had my thin wrist in your hand and you were thinking about snapping it." I saw him gritting his teeth and leaned in to whisper in his ear, "Weren't you?"

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'll fight you." He muttered.

"Good." I kicked off my Uggs and walked toward the ring as I took off my sweater, leaving me in a black spaghetti strap shirt, "Take off your knives by the way. This is going to be a good clean fight. I want you telling everyone that you can't beat me without them."

I hopped up into the ring and turned to him as I stretched my arms across my body. He took off his knife holsters as he watched me stretch. I held one foot up behind me to stretch my leg, then repeated the process with the other one. Diego joined me in the ring once his shoes were off. I jumped around a little, testing the surface. Diego just stood there watching and waiting. I was practically buzzing.

"Last chance to back out." Diego warned.

"Why would I do something silly like that?" I asked as I lifted my fists and got into a fighting stance.

"You asked for it."

"I'm well aware."

Then it began. I threw the first punch that he easily dodged but I was expecting that and swung my leg around to kick him. He caught my leg but I used that as leverage to lift myself in the air and use my other leg to kick him in the head. I got him right in the cheek and knew it would leave a bruise. I quickly got back into my starting stance as he regained his footing.

"Lucky shot." He threw out.

"I'm about to get a lot of lucky shots then."

"We'll see."

The fight continued. I switched from offence to defense and back faster than you could flick a light switch but then again, so could Diego. We were taught the same after all. We each got a couple good hits in but I was getting more frustrated now. He was starting to read my movements more easily and it was putting me at a disadvantage. I needed to get him angry and distracted.

"So, why'd you take the book?" I panted, dodging an attack and throwing one of my own. He blocked my right hook easily.

"I told you already." He grumbled, sweeping my legs out from under me.

I fell hard on my back and rolled away quickly before he could follow up. I flipped to my feet, "Because the old man told you too, I know. Why'd you do what he said? You hated him."

"I don't know. I just did." He tried an upper cut but barely skimmed my chin before I kicked him in the stomach, sending him back.

"Nah, I know the reason." I said, pacing around him, "You wanted his approval. You wanted him to be proud of you. To look at you as something worthy instead of the disappointment he usually sees."

"Shut up." Diego said quietly, coming at me but I jumped out of the way again.

I was playing keep away so I could continue talking. I was getting to him, I know I was, "What? Am I right? You wanted to be daddy's little boy."

"Stop it!" I jumped out of the way again.

"You wanted to be the new Number One, I bet." I taunted.

"I S-S-S-S-Sai-Said, ST-ST-STO-STO-"

"S-s-s-s-s-s-sorry, I d-d-d-d-don't unders-s-s-tan-n-n-d." I mocked.

Finally thinking he was angry enough, I went in for the kill. I tried a left hook this time, sure it would work but my eyes widened when he grabbed my forearm. He caught it with his right hand and the bottom of my neck with his left and pushed me all the way into the corner of the ring hard. The air was knocked out of me with the action and I breathed deeply.

"I wasn't expecting that." I said, panting heavily.

"S-stop mock-king my st-stutter." He said lowly, squeezing my neck just a little tighter. He wanted to say more, I know he did but he didn't want to stutter anymore either.

"Let go of my neck Diego. It's getting hard to breathe." I said quietly.

He smirked then, realizing he had the upper hand after all that ridicule. He'd never kill me but there was enough animosity there for him to make me pass out. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"I said let go." I demanded.

"What are you going to do about?"

"You know what I'll do about it." I warned.

He hesitated briefly before narrowing his eyes, "You wouldn't."

"I would... I will... If you don't let go." I said but he didn't and it was getting even harder to breathe, "Fine, it's your night-"

I didn't finish because his grip swiftly moved from the front of my neck to the back, as his other hand moved from arm to my waist. He brought me forward and slammed his lips on mine in such quick succession that I barely registered what happened until it was already done. His lips were a little chapped but still soft even though the kiss was anything but.

Diego pulled away at my lack of response and just looked at me. Our faces were about a foot apart but I was staring past his ear unblinkingly in shock. I never expected something like this to happen but I... didn't hate it. In fact, I don't think anything has made more sense than this. Diego called my name softly and I finally focused back in on his face. I could feel his one hand still on my waist but his other hand fell from my neck to rest gently on my shoulder.

My arms, that were previously limp at my sides, moved and I wrapped them around Diego's neck pulling him closer to me. I leaned up slightly so that our noses brushed and our breaths mingled. The hand on my waist smoothed around to my lower back, pulling me impossibly closer. My eyes were half lidded now, like I'm sure his were.

"Can we try that again." I asked quietly.

He didn't reply verbally. He just brought his lips to mine again but gently this time. This time I responded in kind and the light pressure turned stronger as we deepened the kiss. He brought his hands down past my ass and to my thighs, lifting me so I could wrap my legs around his waist. He pressed me back into the corner post to use as leverage so his hands could wander and wander, they did.

I moaned deeply into the kiss as his hands met the skin of my mid back and I scraped my nails along the back of head, causing him to shiver. Diego left my lips to kiss down my jaw and my neck, to my collarbone and his slight scruff felt amazing against my blazing skin. No guy I've been with has made me feel half of what Diego was doing with a single touch. Everywhere his hands touched felt like fire and I wanted to feel more of it. I brought his lips back to mine and was about to take his sweater off when a staticky sound killed the atmosphere and said there was a shooting at a department store downtown.

Diego pulled away slightly and I let my feet fall to the floor to stand once again. He didn't let me go as he cursed the portable radio sitting on the floor beside the ring. He leaned his head down, his nose brushing my cheek as he breathed heavily.

"I don't want to leave." He said quietly, "But-"

"You're saving lives baby." I repeated what he said in the car last night.

"Yeah." He said and stepped back to look down at me.

I smiled, "Duty calls and by the sounds of it, it's important."

We got out of the ring and got our stuff. I put my sweater and boots back on as he put his combat boots and knife holsters back on. We passed the mop bucket on our way to the front door and I wondered if he would get in trouble for not finishing his job. I asked but Diego said it was fine. We walked out and he locked the door behind us.

We stood awkwardly beside his car that was parked on the street. There was something I had to know before we parted ways. I should have asked it before but I wanted to be angry and his answer may have changed that.

"Diego, why didn't you throw the book away?" I asked.

"It just didn't seem right. Throwing it away when it seemed so important." He replied, "I thought I'd give it back to you one day. When you were nicer."

"What do you mean when I was nicer? I was always nice!" I exclaimed, "You're the one that had all these little snide comments from the moment you met me. You made it hard to be-"

"You were no walk in the park either. Let me tell you."

I scoffed, "Whatever. Go save lives or whatever it is you do."

I turned to walk down the street but Diego grabbed my hand and pulled me back towards him, giving me a deep kiss. It still made my knees weak despite how quick it was and when he pulled back, he had a stupid smirk on his face.

"I'll see you tomorrow." He said as he walked around his car to the driver's side, "And don't pretend this never happened!" He called out to me as I continued to walk down the street.

I just waved my hand in the air behind me as I walked. The gym was on a side street and I was going to need to get to a main road in order to get a taxi at this time of night. I thought about asking Diego for a ride but he had a job to do.

When I finally got a taxi, I took it home and nearly cried again when I saw my apartment. I forgot it was such a mess and I didn't want to deal with it at all. So, I decided to stay at the Academy until I worked up the energy to actually clean this place. I only had one pair of clothes to change into there, so I grabbed my mini suitcase and stuffed it with a few outfits, all of which would go with my trusty converse. I looked around my apartment one last time before leaving. Maybe I'll hire a cleaning crew to clean it up while I'm not here. That seems like the best option. Yeah, that's what I'll do.