In Between Love and Hate
Author's Note: Sorry it took me so long to update. I've been busy with a myriad school works! But I really tried my best to update this story, even if it's short. Anyway, thank you so much for the reviews. They are the reason why I still continue this one. Please keep on reading and reviewing. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar. Jim Cameron does.
Chapter Four
The rising sun was a sight to behold, Grace thought. It was like a ball of fire emerging from the shadows of darkness, enlighting the busy world. The rain has finally stopped, leaving traces of misty leaves in the surrounding areas.
"Grace, breakfast's ready," a cold voice from behind her said. When she turned around to face him, his eyes glowed with a somewhat healthy color of turquoise blue.
Miles crossed his arms as he plainly stared at the rising sun. It was majestic, seeing a big star suddenly appearing to lighten up everyone.
But what made him smile... Was seeing Grace. It was happier beyond words, seeing her so alive, glowing as the light of the sun touched her fair skin. She was so beautiful.
"Yup, I'm coming," Grace muttered softly, and she couldn't help but to smile when his face twitched quickly to another direction, as if he was staring at her but really doesn't want her to know that he is.
She is aware, that every second that passed, she starts to feel uncomfortable with him around. He was so kind, so gentle... So sweet. And she doesn't want him to be such, because she might get used to it. And maybe time will come; she'll miss him being sweet.
It has only been a day. Just one day that she knew him, just one whole day that she got to know what he felt inside, of who he really is, of why he is that kind of person. But she simply didn't care... Because she enjoyed being with him and having him nearer to her as possible.
Is she... Falling inlove with him..?
But her inner self remained intact, as a part of her softly whispers something in her ear. 'No, Grace. You're not falling for him because you already fell for him before. The feeling is just coming back because you finally saw him again,'
The feeling is... Coming back?
Grace closed her eyes.
"No, Mom! I will not wear that pink dress!" Grace mumbled, crossing her arms and rolling her eyes to show her extreme disgust to the dress lay up in her bed. "It's just so gay. I love the jeans more!"
"No, sweetie, this dress is perfect! Come on, wear it now," her Mom, Ellen Augustine said with authority, but Grace continued to roll her eyes and made a face. "Grace, I said now!"
"No!" she was about to leave the room when her father entered, eyes showing that defiant composure that she has inherited from him.
"What in the world is happening here?" her father yelped, his hands on the either side of his hips. "We're gonna be late for mass, and you're not dressed yet, Grace."
Grace glared at him. "I'm dressed now, Dad."
Her father raked his watchful eyes at her, toe to head. "So you call that a dress? That's jeans, Grace Augustine. Why don't you just wear that dress that your Mom bought for you?"
"I don't like it,"
"What's the 'like'?"
She pouted. There's no use fighting the person from whom she got her stubbornness from, she knows that. She loved her father deeply, but of course there were times when she hated him so much; there were times when she would force her to do what he wants- anything she despised, anything she so hated, anything she is against of.
In the end, she wore the dress that her Mom bought, but she put on a pair of rubber shoes in contrast with the beautiful pink dress.
After attending the mass, the Augustine Family quickly returned to their home because her mother's friend is going to visit them. Grace immediately got rid of the dress, thanks for this reason.
Grabbing the seed bag, shovel, and sprinkler from the garage, young Grace ran out of the small country house and hurried to the wide clearing she usually gone off to. She needed to plant, it is a responsibility within her that she so obviously liked and enjoyed.
Grace loved plants; planting gave her reason to live, and so does that oxygen that these plants give off. She knows she could make a difference by simply doing this.
When she reached the clearing, she was more than ready to spread her arms and feel the soft breeze coming from the trees around her. But she pouted a little when she realized that the breeze she felt was given off by just a few trees. 'How could they do this to Mother Nature?' she'd always thought.
Gathering all the necessary equipments she needed, Grace started to plant. While doing so, she just couldn't resist the urge to whistle with the wind.
But her little happy moment was suddenly ruined when a blonde boy suddenly called up to her. "Hi! What are you doing here?"
Her eyes fluttered open.
'That blonde boy who helped me plant those tiny seedlings; the blonde boy I fell inlove with... That blonde boy is Miles Quaritch,' Grace silently thought. She still found it hard to contain the realization in her head. She just remembered waking up, planting, falling inlove, and then he was gone. And now is back again.
He is actually with her. But he was not the same blonde boy anymore. His hair is now black, and he is already a man.
A man who made her fall inlove over and over again.
She still couldn't believe it. Over the years, she longed to see him again, to catch even a single glimpse. She knew they promised to meet again, but that didn't happen; instead she found herself imprisoned within that hope for all throughout those years.
Years have passed, and yet she still loved him deeply.
After contemplating everything she needed to process in her mind, Grace headed to the kitchen to eat the breakfast that Miles has prepared for her: omelets and pancakes.
She smiled at him, and she smiled back. "Hey... Thanks for this,"
"You don't have to thank me,"
"No, I should. You've taken a really good care of me for the past 24 hours. I think you could really make a good brother, even a husband."
"Well, I hope you're right," Miles stared at her as she took a bite of the pancake. "I like taking care of people I love,"
Grace paused at that. She eyed him, and while she did, his eyes were only focused at her, staring at her with those incredulously cool blue eyes. His irises showed that impossible look of concern and emotion.
"I like taking care of you. I know I've never told you this earlier, but... When I'm with you, I feel that somehow, you already have a deep place in my heart."
Silence engulfed them. The shifting of the air around them was the only audible sound.
'Does he still remember me? Us?' Grace silently thought while she gauged his expression. He was serious.
"Uhh, just forget I ever said that. It's nothing important, right?" Miles said, and Grace nervously nodded. "Anyway, are you going to work today, or you still want to rest?"
It took Grace a minute before she could answer. "Y-yes... I'm going to work today,"
"I can give you a lift if you want. I checked your car earlier and found out that the engines are not roaring. It might be broken," Miles grabbed the pitcher and poured himself a glass of orange juice, all the while chewing the piece of apple that he bit.
"No, no... I'll just commute. You've already done so much, Miles. I'm gaining a lot of debts from you," Grace grunted a silent chuckle.
He grinned. "Okay, then. Of that's what you want," he stood up and stared lovingly at her. "I think I'd better go now. Just call me when you need something," With that, he headed for the door.
"Got it, thanks." Grace stood up as well and followed him on his way to the front door. He opened it and turned around to face her.
"Bye, Grace." he muttered.
"Goodbye, Miles."
Grace followed the trail of the drop of the water that ran down her fair skin. She has been in the shower for an hour and still she hasn't finished because she couldn't stop thinking about Miles.
What if he knew her? What if he realized that she was the girl from his childhood? Would things still be as good as they are now? Will he still be sweet and caring? Or worse, does he love her still?
Questions kept bugging her one after the other, all those coming from her intense thinking of Miles Quaritch. She'd never realized of how much problem his presence has brought her.
Grabbing her towel, Grace decided to end her mind's suffering from over thinking. She wrapped the towel loosely around her frail body and then headed to her room.
She opened the cabinet and looked for a blouse and jeans- things that always make her survive an entire day.
Grace spun around, placing the blouse and jeans on her bed, and then sighed at the sudden smell that crossed her sensitive nose. Miles's scent still hovered around the room and she found it a little distracting.
"Well..." she placed her hands on her sides and frowned. "Goodluck for the day, Grace."
Miles let his eyes linger a bit on Grace's apartment before finally igniting the engines of his car.
His twisted brain is sinking into an abyss of questions. He doesn't have the slightest idea why on Earth did he said that Grace has a deep place in his heart. He found it a little embarrassing, but he really has no idea why Grace makes him feel that way.
She's driving him crazy.
Her very presence questioned her view on women. Hoe he loved stroking her hair, running his fingers along the bridge of her nose while she's sleeping, the incredible feeling he had when his lips are pressed against hers.
There were times when he would just find himself staring at her direction, thinking, hell, 'I think I know this woman,' but he could not remember anything; not a word, not a glimpse of her being with him before.
He loved taking care of her, he loved her smile, the sound of her voice, the way she acts, the way she dressed - they were all driving him mad, and far away from the sane person he always was.
Miles sighed, turning his attention to the road before him, his hands firmly clutching the turning wheel of his car.
Abruptly, his phone rang. He grabbed the wireless earphone and placed it on his ear, then pressed the 'answer' button. "Hello?"
"Miles!"
A smile instantly flashed on his handsome face, suddenly erasing all his errands and confusion. "Hi, Liz. What's up?"
"What's up? Hey, have you forgotten that you ought to pay me a visit yesterday? You didn't come. I waited for you,"
Miles looked up, trying to remember his last conversation with his charming little sister. And then it rang a bell. "Oh sorry, Liz. I forgot about that. Next time, perhaps? I just had a..." he thought of Grace. "busy schedule."
"Maybe you had a date with your girlfriend,"
"How many times do I have to tell you that I don't have a girlfriend and I'm not interested in having one?" he smirked.
"Okay. Do visit me, would you? But I gotta go now. I still have classes. Love you, big brother!" And then the line crackled.
Miles sighed at his sister's cute and charming mischief. She may be 15 years old but is still very immature and childish.
When their parents died, she was the one who took care of her, along with some maids. They may be rich, their parents had left them a great fortune but he doesn't have the idea on how to manage their companies.
And so he decided to sell them, gaining an even bigger amount of money and deposited the on banks, naming the accounts to Liz.
He needed to ensure that a bright future awaits his sister even when he's gone. Because who knows? He's a soldier. He may die sooner or later, and death may be very unpredictable. He would not have any clue on how he would die; maybe through a thunderous gun bullet, maybe from a stab of a dagger, even less imaginable if his death resulted from two poisonous arrows struck through his chest.
Miles chuckled at the thought of his last idea.
Tired and restless from a whole day of work, Grace closed her eyes and sat on her swivel chair, waiting for the glass of water he asked Max to get her.
Though the recent news that Mr. Robert Selfridge announced thrills her, the day has been so tiresome that she could not bring herself to celebrate.
"The Eye of Gaia", a telescope of a billion pixels spotted a moon that can support life as we know it. Cosmonauts have just landed and are now starting to explore the said moon, analyzing whether the small chunk of rock can really support life.
But what made Grace excited is the fact that if the cosmonauts have proven the moon to be habitable, a few RDA scientists will be sent there to investigate its fauna and flora. And she is reportedly included.
In a year or two, she'll be able to step into a new world which previous generations could only dream of.
Grace smiled. Seconds later, Max came running with her glass of water on his trembling hands.
When she finished drinking, she decided to gather her things and go home to have some rest.
As she stepped out of the RDA Building, she can feel that she might not be able to go home early. Miles Quaritch stood beside his car, eyes glued to her, arms crossed before him.
They smiled at each other.
Please Review :) Sorry if it's a little short. :/