Had so much fun writing this chapter! Seriously! Hope you have as much fun reading it =)
Vincent knocked at the window shield right when Catherine was entering the apartment. She motioned him to come in - sure thing the window was unlocked... why did she bother to close it then?
Vincent descended to the floor in one swift motioned and watched Catherine storming towards him. Storming, really, there was no better way to describe the way she came on him practically throwing away all her things including phone, car keys, her jacket...
Catherine stopped in front of him abruptly... and then it came to him like in slow motioned. Murderous glow of her squinted eyes, flaring nostrils while she exhaled steam, wide swing of her palm...
She slapped him. Hard. Just a bit harder and it would've been a pretty nice right hand hook. This girl knew how to throw a punch... oh, yeah, she's with a police force, should not forget that.
Vincent checked his jaw:
- Whoa there, Catherine, what the hell?
She didn't answer him and her hand went up for yet another swing. Vincent interjected with this one:
- Come on, stop hitting me, it's not funny!
In fact it would've been funny for the distant observer - tiny lady breathing with anger and making a huge guy in front of her trying to shrink.
- Why haven't you told me you and Alex broke up?!
- Oh... that... who told you?
Her voice was booming with rage:
- You should have told me! But no - I bumped in Alex an hour ago and it took her all of three sentences to tell me that you broke up A MONTH AGO and that - and I quote - you will make me "happy"!
She tore her hand from his and went back to pick up her stuff, throwing it furiously to the kitchen counter.
- Oh, yes, he did make me happy! So-so happy!
Catherine almost ran to him but didn't even try to touch him when she stopped before him... tears in her eyes. So beautiful... so much pain...
- Tell me, were my feelings so unbearable for you that you had to pimp me out to the first guy who came asking?
Vincent was bewildered. Had to do WHAT?
One teardrop traced its way down her cheek. She erased it quickly with her sleeve and clenched her teeth trying to keep it all in.
- The same day... the same day you broke up with Alex... you'd decided to get rid of all women in your life... so first you came crushing my nerves with you uncalled anger issues... and then convinced me to go to a date with Gabriel. Why? Do you get high on torturing me?
- Catherine, I... didn't...
- Shut up, Vincent! Shut the hell up! How could you?
She pushed him and he stepped back. She pushed again and he stepped back again. She needed it - he gave it to her.
He said quickly afraid she will interrupt him again:
- Catherine, listen to me... I wanted to tell you, but I acted stupid because I got jealous and when I came to apologize you started talking about your debt and... I didn't want you to be with me because of guilt!
There. He said it.
She made this strange sound - something between a giggle and a nervous gulp. Something hysterical.
- How many were there of you? Super soldiers, I mean.
- What? Why? What does it have to do with...
She sounded calculating... sarcastic...
- I should probably try to find them all, whoever has survived, you can't be the only one, right? I should offer myself to all of them to serve my apologies, right? Cause that how cheap I am, obviously! Would you pimp me out to them as well?
Vincent took Catherine by the shoulders and shook her:
- Catherine, you're crazy! What are you even talking about! Listen to yourself!
She retorted through gritted teeth:
- Let go of me, Vincent.
The moment his hands were no longer supporting her, Catherine almost felt to the floor. Vincent kneeled down before her concerned if she'd fainted but then she'd raised her eyes on him...
It was like is she had an emotional switch or something... One moment she was a furious warrior... another she was shredded to pieces... with agonizing pain behind her eyes at all times...
- Was it only Gabriel then? Was it fun for you? Watching us going on dates, thinking if he will go upstairs with me, what would he be like...
- Enough! - Vincent recoiled as if her words were poisonous snakes being thrown on him, - Enough, Catherine, stop this!
- I already did... Sorry to brake your little plan with my settlement, but Gabriel and I broke up. This morning... See, it wasn't so hard, was it? To say "broke up" out loud...
Tears were streaming down her cheeks non-stop now but she never-minded them. Her eyelashes looked like thorns now... about to prickle her soft wet skin...
Vincent raised his hand to dry her cheek... but couldn't touch her... didn't dare... His hand has fallen back down.
Catherine noticed this motion:
- Do I repulse you that much? That is why you tried to hook me up with Gabriel - so I will not bother you anymore?
- Stop with this nonsense already, will you?!
Vincent stood up and walked around to the empty spot behind her making her to turn around to watch him. He just needed some space to breathe...
- Why is it so hard for you to understand my motives? You always understood me better than anybody else - why stop now?
He kneeled again so he could look her in the eyes:
- I wanted you to have a chance in normal life, Catherine. Somebody whom you could bring to the family parties, introduce to your friends, go to a trip... to live not being afraid of his past...
Her voice was nothing more than a whisper... she probably didn't even realize he'd still hear her...
- When have I ever asked for all of it?
- No, Catherine, you may not ask for it now, but you will eventually! Everybody needs this! And I don't want you to hate me later for dragging you down, not letting you to find your future. I want what's best for you, don't you see?
Catherine jumped up again making him to follow her. Again with pushing and stepping backwards - she just had to be physical about everything she did today...
- Oh, do you? We've had this conversation before, remember? You don't get to decide how I should live my life - I do! You don't get to decide who's best for me - I do! You do not run my life as you see fit with my best interest in mind - I do, damn you!
- What if you choose wrong? How will I live knowing I stripped you of your chance to be happy?
- Why does it have to be about you?! How will YOU live? And what if this is MY decision to make? What if it is MY chance to risk it? You don't want to take up this chance with me - tell me, don't play it like it's for my benefit. You are not a noble knight; I am no damsel in distress!
Vincent dropped his head:
- You don't get it, Catherine. I live in a desolated warehouse on JT's paycheck, I spend my days trying to decipher DNA code that I don't even fully understand, I have a reward for my head and there are secret agent lurking around for me... I don't exist.
His voice was hushed and stumbling:
- I have... nothing... to give you...
Catherine picked from underneath to see his face. He looked so... lost. Oh, that man needed to grow a pair!
- Right, I see, you don't! Then give back! Give me back my heart so it would stop drumming your name! Give me back my mind so I would stop going crazy worrying about you, missing you, longing for you! Give me back my dreams so I would start to see anything but you in them, so I would be able to sleep at all! Give me back...
And then it exploded! A giant bolt of energy unfolded in the back of his head, travelling down his spine, spreading through all of his body, filling him with excitement and force and thrill... and happiness!
For the first time today he stepped forward. Vincent grabbed Catherine by the neck, his fingers getting tangled in her hair, yanking her head backwards. He brought their faces closer, his expression victorious, hungry...
- To hell with that! No! Now that it's mine I will not give it back! I traded it all for my soul, my heart, for everything I am... and I will not give you up to anybody now, even to you!
And with that Vincent crushed their lips together. It was not soft or gentle of romantic how he'd envisioned their first kiss to be. It was fierce, demanding... a claim. Love, and passion, and need, and pain swirled together to fill them with almost narcotic frenzy... and not that they were willing to get out of it at all...
So... where to next? Smut of fluff?