"How are you feeling?" I asked after we'd walked down the beach in silence for almost half an hour. I couldn't help but stare at her for the majority of that time. She had a thoughtful expression that would occasionally be broken by a small grin.
"I'm confused." She stated plainly.
"Do you wish to elaborate?" I prodded when she didn't say any more.
"Once I figure out what I'm confused about." She muttered.
"So, you're confused about being confused?" I asked with a chuckle.
"It seems so." She agreed with a shy smile.
"Perhaps we should start with what happened last night." I offered. The big picture was too wide for us to fully comprehend in one glance, so why not start with the smaller details first?
"That might be best." She said more confidently.
"Do you want me to start?" I asked when she, again, didn't continue.
"If you don't mind." She said looking up at me.
"Do you have a preference as to how far back I should go? Or perhaps what you want me to explain?"
"At the club, why didn't you dance with those two girls?" She asked after a moment of thought.
"You really have to ask that?" I snorted, but she continued to look up at me expectantly. "I couldn't dance with another woman that wasn't you."
"Why not?" She asked with furrowed eyebrows.
"Just the thought of anyone else in my arms is repulsive. I could barely continue on in a conversation with the two of them. There was no way that I could have stood their bodies pressed against mine. I knew that if anyone was going to be that close to me, they would either be dead soon or they'd be you." I explained.
"How could you know that?" She asked, her eyebrows still furrowed.
"I know because I love you," I stated. Her eyebrows rose in surprise. "What? I told you that this morning. I told you that last week. Are you really still surprised by it?"
"I don't know. Sometimes I think that I just dreamed it, you loving me, that is. 'Love fades. Mine has.' Those words replay in my head every time you say, 'I love you.'" She mumbled looking out over the vast blue ocean.
Her words stung deep. I regretted those four words as soon as they'd left my mouth. I figured they'd eventually lead to her happiness, but they actually led to our shared demise. I was trying to fix my massive mistake, but I'd already scarred her. She didn't trust me enough to let me love her again. She loves me, but she wouldn't let herself be in love with me.
"I suppose that I can't say, 'I love you,' anymore, can I?" I mussed. I could feel her body stiffen as she gripped my hand tighter. "If I can't say it, I'll just show you."
She turned to me to say something, but I quickly took possession of her lips, effectively cutting the words off before they could form on her tongue. She relaxed against my chest and looped her arms around the back of my neck.
Her tongue nudged my bottom lip, and I eagerly opened my mouth to allow it entrance. The cool waves lapped at our feet as we gradually sank into the shifting sand. My hands sat on the curve of her hips not really knowing if I should push for more. I was grateful that she was allowing this much.
She dominated the kiss. Her tongue pushed my tongue back when I tried to retaliate. Her fingers tangled in my hair, and her nails scraped against my scalp.
I felt a familiar sensation of my mind clouding over, and I knew I needed to break contact. With my hands already placed on her hips, I violently pulled myself from her grasp, both mentally and physically.
I averted my eyes to the sand beneath us and tried to catch my breath. I saw her take a few steps back as she, too, fought to control her breathing.
"I'm sorry." She said finally. She'd caught her breath, but her voice sounded pained.
"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." I said holding up my hands in apology.
"Don't say that." She replied quietly.
"Say what?" I asked meeting her gaze. I felt a peace settle around me as I saw a loving expression on her face.
"Don't say that you shouldn't have done that. You should have done that several times since being restored. You should have done that several times since showing up here. You should have done that several times since you woke up this morning." She said inching her way closer to me. "You, however, should have fought me harder when I took control of the kiss."
"What do you mean?" I questioned.
"I mean, we must live in harmony. That's what I said, right? When we broke each other out of our respective trances, we both contributed equally to the kiss. We moved together, as one. You initiated this kiss, but you let me take over. You didn't fight it hard enough."
"I can't fight you, especially when you take control like that," I replied glancing down at her lips as they curled into a smirk.
"Then you'll need to learn. We'll train, just the two of us." She said turning back toward the house. She held out her hand, and I didn't hesitate to slip mine into hers. The same sort of peace that filled me when looking upon her face filled me as the warmth from her hand spread through mine.
"What kind of training can we do? It seems that if one of us takes control over the other, the other becomes entranced. Training is all about getting the upper hand." I said.
"Not really. Training is about getting better. Usually when you train, one is better than the other. The one that is lagging behind attempts to catch up. We're going to train until we're equally matched with no room for improvement." She said with a wide smile. I couldn't help but smile back at her.
"I think you have an unfair advantage, though, with the Darkness." I pointed out with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but my Darkness doesn't like being around your Light, and I doubt that your Light likes my Darkness. No, Comrade, this is going to be an even playing field. Just you and me. No help from supernatural forces." She said pulling me behind her eagerly.
She pulled me back into the gym and released my hand. She raised bother her arms and twirled around.
"Where do you want to start?" She asked looking up at me. I stared at her in wonder. There were so many things in which I wanted to be just as good as her, but I couldn't think of where to begin.
"Can we start with the kissing bit again?" I asked hopefully. Her smirk grew again as she stepped forward.
"Are you sure that's where you want to start?" She whispered placing her hands on my chest. I could see the golden glow of the sparks dance on her skin when she touched me. Her eyes danced with fire as she tilted her head further back.
I lowered my lips to hers and pulled her close by her hips. While the kiss was fantastic, as it usually was when kissing her, I was more cognizant of who was controlling the kiss. Her plump lips moved gingerly against mine in a silent question.
I made the move to deepen the kiss by gently nipping at her bottom lip. She opened her lips only to meet my tongue halfway. As my arms wrapped around her waist, hers looped themselves around my neck so she could run her fingers through my hair.
I moved one hand up her back to tangle it in her long tresses. I wanted her wrapped around my body, and as if thinking about it made it happen, she jumped to wrap her legs around my hips.
I quickly released her hair to place my hands under her ass to support her. It was as if we were in perfect sync with each other. We unknowingly took turns revenging the other's neck when we pulled back to breathe. Her legs tightened when my arms did. Her heart beat in time with mine.
I had unconsciously walked toward the nearest wall so I could run my hands all over her body without dropping her. Her soft skin and smooth curves belied her power, but in my hands, she was putty.
When we heard someone rushing down the stairs, I almost dropped her. Had her legs not been so tightly wrapped around me, she would have fallen on her ass. Sydney busted into the gym out of breath. I made a mental note to have her start endurance training.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt," Sydney exclaimed blushing as she took us in. Neither Roza nor I made any action to move from our position against the wall as we waited to hear Sydney's excuse for interrupting us. "There are a few Alchemists upstairs that want to install the hologram system. This is the only day they can do it, and if they don't get started soon it will be a few weeks before they can get back out here."
"That's okay," Roza said while looking at me. "We were just about to grab a shower."
I did nothing but nod. I had a feeling that Roza wanted me to join her in that shower, but I didn't want to make any assumptions. When I made a move to set her down, she tightened her arms around my neck and shook her head slightly.
I couldn't help the smirk that took over my face as I carried her past a shocked looking Sydney and up the stairs. Roza rested her head in the curve of my neck, occasionally placing a light kiss on my sensitive skin.
I ignored the murderous looks I received from Abe and Christopher and focused on the encouraging look I got from Kyle. I know they were all concerned about Roza, but only Kyle really understood that I was the key to her happiness. I think Jasper was starting to understand, but I think that also had more to do with Sydney than anything.
"Your room or mine?" I asked as I had last night, except she responded with the opposite answer.
"Mine." She mumbled against my neck.
"Would you like me to stay?" I questioned as I ascended the stairs to the third floor.
"Who else am I going to shower with? Christopher?" She retorted sarcastically.
"Over my dead body," I growled. I squeezed her ass a little harshly to convey how upset the thought of Christopher showering with her made me. She rewarded me with a sexy yelp.
"I'm still mad at you." She said with no conviction as I entered her bedroom. Her boxes from Turkey had arrived earlier in the week, so her room was black and white with bright accents of red. It seemed that her colors were black and red, but I suppose she was branching out considering her recent wardrobe.
"Perhaps I can change your mind," I responded passing into the bathroom. Much like mine, her bathroom had a shower and a tub, but her shower was bigger than mine with a large showerhead that rained water down from directly overhead.
"Mmm…how do you intend to change my mind?" She asked pulling back to look at me. I sat her down on the cold tile and watched as she shivered before pulling herself closer to me.
"I have my ways," I mumbled running my hands up her sides. This time she shivered at the contact, not at the temperature. I slipped my hands under the sides of her bra and began working it over her head.
Her plump breasts hung heavy as I discarded the flimsy material. She didn't make a move to stop me as my fingers hooked themselves in the waistband of her shorts. She placed her hands on my chest and gently traced patterns, leaving glowing trails in her wake.
She broke contact as I knelt in front of her pulling her shorts down as I went. She stepped out of the clothing and was left bare before me. I felt like I was kneeling before a goddess. I slowly ran my fingers up the outside of her legs watching mesmerized as the glowing purple sparks danced around.
Kneeling before her, my eyesight was right in line with her breasts. Her chest was heaving as she placed her hands on my shoulders to steady herself. She tilted her head back closing her eyes.
The higher my fingers worked up her leg, the deeper her nails dug into my back. Our intake of air increased as I moved my hand around the front of her thigh. She let out a moan when I rubbed my thumbs over her hip bones. I pulled her closer by her hips and placed my lips on her stomach, slightly above her navel.
My forehead was resting between the warmth of her breasts. Her fingers tangled themselves in my hair, and her nails scraped against my scalp.
"I love you, Roza," I mumbled against her skin. She tightened her grip on my hair, pulling my head back so I looked up at her.
"Don't tell me." She whispered huskily. "Show me."
"I'll spend the rest of my life showing you just how much I love you," I promised bringing my lips up to hers. I lifted her into the steady stream of hot water, setting her down before stripping myself of my clothes.
I stood outside the shower watching the water cover her body. She tilted her head up toward the water, closing her eyes and releasing a contented sigh. I found myself getting a little jealous of the water as I watched it glided down her perfect body.
She ran her hands up her stomach, between her breasts, around the back of her neck, and into her hair. She ran her fingers through her long locks detangling them as they soaked through. She shifted on her feet, bending one leg, and drawing my eyes to her legs.
Her right leg was bent at the knee, her toes resting gently on the tile floor. She ran her hands back down her body, passing over her shoulders and stopping just below her hips.
"Are you going to stand there all day gawking, or are you going to join me?" She asked tilting her head to the side and opening one eye to look at me.
"What if I'm enjoying the view?" I asked with a smirk, running my eyes along her body once more.
"I guarantee you the view is better up close." She responded using her finger to beckon me to join her. I gingerly stepped into the shower cubicle with her and shut the glass door behind me, trapping us and the steam inside.
Roza moved to the side to let my whole body under the spray. She placed her hands on my chest and spread the water across my skin. Despite the water's already scalding temperature, Roza's fingers felt like fire as they danced their way across my body.
"Shampoo then conditioner. While conditioner is setting, body." I said with a questioning gaze. She looked up at me with narrowed eyes but slowly nodded in agreeance. I reached behind her to grab her shampoo from the alcove in the wall. She placed a gentle kiss on my sternum when I moved closer to her.
I moved her from under the stream of water and squirted the wonderful smelling gel onto the top of her head. After placing the bottle back in its place, I worked the shampoo through her hair. She closed her eyes and released a moan.
She rested her forehead on my chest as I worked the suds all the way down her dark tresses. I could feel her breasts grazing my stomach as I fought to control my body and focus solely on her. I picked her up so she could wrap her legs around me and moved her under the water.
I couldn't tell if the moisture between her legs was from her excitement or the water, but either way, it was arousing. I supported her weight with one arm while the other worked the shampoo out of her hair.
Without opening her eyes, she reached behind me and grabbed the bottle of shampoo and dumped a little on my head. While I worked the suds out of her hair, she worked them into mine. I can see why she released a moan. Her fingers working in my hair, massaging my scalp, was erotic.
I loved having her body pressed against mine. She fit so perfectly. She was made for me. I was made for her.
"Turn." She commanded, and I obeyed. Now it was my turn to close my eyes as she guided the water through my hair. I hadn't even gotten to lather her body with soap yet, but this was already the best shower ever.
She untangled her legs from around my hips and pushed me against the wall behind me. I opened my eyes in pleasant surprise to look down into her mischievous eyes. Before I could ask or deduce her plan, she attached her lips to mine.
She pressed her body tightly against mine, the heat radiating off the two of us just adding to the steam in the shower.
"You don't mind if we skip the body wash, do you? I have a feeling we're just going to get dirty anyway." She breathed heavily running her hands down my stomach. I felt my muscles quiver under her touch as I fought with my mind to come up with a coherent answer.
"I was hoping you'd suggest that." Was the best I came up with.
"As long as we're on the same page." She said before bringing my lips back to hers. I lifted her again and turned the shower off. She opened the door behind her so I could step out with the two of us. She managed to open the door to the bedroom without breaking contact, and I practically threw her on the bed.
I had a flashback to last night and hesitated momentarily before she beckoned me with a crooked finger. I was in a trance, not one controlled by the Darkness, but one controlled by Roza. I was at her mercy as she was at mine. We both had control of the situation, neither one overpowering the other.
We were in harmony.
I crawled my way up the bed until I was hovering over her. She wrapped her legs around my hips and flipped us. I could now tell that the moisture between her legs was her excitement, but she quickly poised herself to where none of her body contacted mine.
She took my wrists in her hands and held them out to the side. Her lips came down to my neck, and her damp hair slid easily across my chest.
I felt my stomach knot and twist, and I stilled instantly. She pulled back and looked at me questioningly before her eyes went wide.
She was off of me and across the room in her closet in less than a second. She was pulling on shorts and a shirt and tossing me my shorts from earlier before I could process she had moved.
"Strigoi." She said quietly pulling out her swords from thin air. "That feeling you had just now, that's what it feels like when there are Strigoi nearby."
I'd pulled my shorts on and caught the sword she tossed to me. I followed her soundlessly into the hallway. As she crept toward the stairs, I checked our backs. I cleared the hall behind us while she cleared in front of us, and we moved to the next floor doing the same.
My steps were in time with hers, not even needing a glance to know what the other was doing. The second floor was clear so we moved to the first.
I could hear voices coming from the kitchen, and I knew Roza could too. She was the first to make eye contact with Pavel who was instantly alert as he took in our stance. Christopher, Kyle, and Jasper were the first Guardians to respond almost immediately after Pavel.
The sun was still shining outside so I didn't know where a Strigoi could have been, but I continued to follow Roza as the tightening in my stomach became almost unbearable. When Roza had said that she could feel with Strigoi were near, I didn't think she meant it like this.
We crept down to the basement, cognizant that there were only Alchemists down here and if Strigoi really were in the house, they'd be defenseless.
Roza quickly made her way to the gym, the only sounds being the footsteps of the Guardians following us. Roza and I were silent. I heard quiet chatter from, presumably, the Alchemists as we neared the gym. They didn't sound distressed so Roza relaxed her stance slightly at the same time I did.
When we entered the gym, Sydney's back was to us, but the other three Alchemist stared wide-eyed as a host of Guardians filtered into the room with weapons drawn.
"Sydney, are you okay?" Roza asked quickly and quietly. Jasper quickly made his way to her side, his eyes darting around the entire room.
"Yeah? Why?" She asked concerned. She eyed all of us wearily, like the other three Alchemists, but I think her weariness was due to the situation not our presence.
"I felt Strigoi," I said looking around, tensing when I saw a pale figure in the corner. It was still, unmoving, but it was a threat nonetheless.
"We're running the simulation, checking to make sure it works." One of the Alchemists informed us. "These are holograms."
"Holograms? So, they aren't real." I sighed.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Roza muttered stomping upstairs angrily. I guess I couldn't blame her.
Their simulation did ruin a wonderful moment for us.