I can feel you all around me
Thickening the air I'm breathing
Holding on to what I'm feeling
Savoring this heart that's healing
-All Around Me, Flyleaf
What they had was strange, indeed. It was so deep, so strong within them, like a rooted fire that rested in their lips, their fingertips, their eyes, everything they used to touch one another. Neither could describe it. Neither could deny it. It was the clashing of flames and claws, of heart and soul. What more could be said?
Two months passed after that fateful day in the rain, when their lips met for the first time. They were careful, terribly careful, that nobody discovered them. It was agonizing, those long hours of the school day in which they were aloof as student and teacher should be. At the same time, both were grateful for the other's sharp tongue and teasing tendencies. It made not being together so much more bearable.
It was at their tutoring sessions that they were finally alone. That was when the flames were fanned into brilliant life. Sparks danced on their tongues as they spoke to eachother, spending as much time as possible gazing into eachothers eyes.
"Brian..." Scarlett whispered at one such tutoring session. The two had been going through the tedious process of reviewing the Black Death, sitting side-by-side at Scarlett's desk. Brian looked up, slightly concerned by her tone. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, really. It's just that the Cultural Trip is coming up in Spring, right?" She frowned, biting her lip. Four students were chosen for their academic promise to go on the trip each year. Since her tutoring sessions began, Scarlett had been able to raise her 'F' up to a 'B'. Did she qualify? Was it right for her to even ask?
"If you were wondering if you were chosen, I recommended you." The English teacher smiled, his amber eyes sparkling. "Ashton agreed that you should go, and so did old man Owen." Mr. Owen, the prinicipal, was an old friend of her father's. The two hadn't been on the best of terms lately, but it was a well-known fact he was still grateful for his help in the past.
Scarlett grinned, obviously pleased with this development. "Do you know who else is going?"
"Yes, I do. Faith and Stan Fureze, and Craig Winderland."
"Craig...?" Scarlett gasped, her eyes widening. Leah's ex-boyfriend had transferred to this school several days ago; Scarlett wasn't aware he'd be getting good enough grades to get into the Cultural Trip. "Is that a good idea?"
"What do you mean?" Brian's brows furrowed for a moment, and then he remembered what Scarlett had told him at one of their tutoring sessions about her sister's secret meetings. "Oh, that. Well, he's a difficult kid. He's very headstrong, so I was thinking you two would click instantly." He dodged Scarlett's fist by an inch. "Kidding!"
"Well, I don't see why he should be coming with us." Scarlett muttered. She'd only ever met Craig once, and that was when they were caught attempting to eloupe. He was kid about her age, with shaggy gray-black hair and baggy goth-style clothing. He'd seemed cold, distant, and all-together uncaring, but it was obvious from the way he looked at Leah how much he loved her. That was possibly the only time Scarlett had ever felt sorry for her sister. She had such a devoted partner in Craig, and it was terrible for her to lose him.
Now more than ever, she understood how terrible that must have been for her. She too had met a man like Craig, and knew she'd never be able to let him go. Just being with him set her blood to lava and her stomach to a butterfly pit. He was perfection. Handsome, annoying, bossy perfection.
"I'm not sure what it was about him." Brian leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest, his face falling into its usual brooding state. "The kid's got an intensity about him, I think. He's the kind of person you know would be loyal to the end, if he learned how to trust somebody. We thought he could benefit from this trip."
The girl nodded in understanding. That made sense to her. "What teachers are going?"
"Me and Ashton. Usually, we have three adults going, but we're going to stay with my family back in Texas..."
"No way!"
"And my sister will be there as well, and she's a teacher at a local school there, so she'll serve as our third adult."
"I'm actually going to meet your family?" She snickered. "Oh, that's going to be interesting. What's your sisters name?"
Brian frowned. "I have a feeling you're mocking me, Thundera. Honestly, you have good reason to. They're a... strange bunch. My sister's name is Tammy, but everyone just calls her Tam. It's a ranch, by the way."
"I knew you were a cowboy." Really, she was having too much fun with this. Learning about his family for the first time- it really was interesting. "Tell me more. Who else lives there?"
"Well, there's Tam's fiance, Rowan. My mom, Gracia, her... her husband, Ben," Scarlett couldn't help but notice the way Brian's eye twitched when he mentioned his mother, and how he'd referred to Ben as 'her husband' instead of 'my dad'. "Is he your father?" She asked softly, sensing it was a difficult subject.
"My father is dead." The English teacher said bluntly. It was obvious from his tone that he was done with that line of conversation. "Then there's Ben's sister, Russ. And my half-sister, Morgan."
"Is she Ben and Gracia's daughter?"
"No. She's my real dad's." His eyes narrowed to tiny slits, and his guarded expression hardened. "I... I have a half-brother, too... but..." He shook his head slowly, then sighed. "I have no idea why the hell I'm telling you any of this, anyway." He muttered. "It's none of you business, anyway."
Scarlett rolled her eyes. He was always like this. If a topic got too close to his heart, he would push her away, rejecting her concern. He preferred to face it alone. Three months ago, she had done the same thing. But he'd opened her eyes to so much more, and now he was blocking himself out. It wasn't fair. And she could see the pain he was hiding, the pain he'd buried beneath the surface for so long.
So, naturally, she did the only sensible thing. She scooted closer to him, and when he looked up to glare at her, she grabbed his shoulders and pulled his face to hers. It was these moments, these moments that almost never came, that made school days bearable. His muscular body against hers, his hands trailing down her back, pulling her closer.
He was always so gentle. He knew how that incident four years ago had left her afraid, had shattered her trust in men. But he was an exception. His every movement was with love, and nothing more. No lustful intentions, no dangerous thoughts. Just his lips on hers, his hands stroking her soft cheeks, running through her fiery red hair. He would never ask more of her than she could handle.
It always did kind of annoy him though, the way she took control in these heated kissing sessions. He was the experienced one, she was just a little upstart. But the way she dominated over him, her lips fighting against his for more contact, never ceased to please him at the same time it annoyed.
When Scarlett finally pulled away, he gazed into his eyes, deep pools of golden amber. They were still guarded. She couldn't expect to get such painful information out of him so quickly. But that didn't matter right now. He made her feel so safe. He taught her how to trust, how to love. She wanted to do the same for him. "You can trust me, Brian." The girl said softly. "You know I won't hurt you."
His eyes wavered, and lips parted for a moment, but he looked away quickly. "I told you, it's none of your business, Scarlett." He pushed her away, though it was obvious that every part of him was screaming not to. "And that's final." Muttering under his breath, he reached over to his briefcase and pulled out a slip of paper, which he handed to her.
"What's this?" She asked, somewhat annoyed at his stubborness but willing to wait. She ran her fingers of the paper's pale surface, and her skin paled when she read the writing at the top.
"It's a permission slip." Brian said, standing up and straightening his jacket. "Have your parents sign it so you can go on the trip." His voice was brisk, and he gave her a curt nod before he left the room.
"Damn." Scarlett sat back in her chair, her brows furrowing. Of all the things she'd faced in her life up to this point, the permission slip seemed to be among the most frightening.
Scarlett stood outside his door on Saturday morning, rocking back and forth on her heels, willing herself to harness enough courage to ring the doorbell. Wintery sunlight penetrated the thin clouds and swept over than land, which was unseasonably warm. Birds were chirping in the forest, and Brambleclaw sat mewling at the doorstep beside her.
She took a deep breath and raised her hand to the doorbell, then dropped it again. She couldn't do this, it was stupid. Here she was, early on a Saturday morning, dressed as though she was going to a wedding, asking her English teacher if he could drive her to see her parents. Normally, she's call on her own private driver, but she needed him there. She always did. She wouldn't tell her parents about their relationship, of course... he'd be just a teacher to them.
Brambleclaw suddenly began scratching at the door, and low mumbling could be heard from inside. "Jeez, Brambleclaw, I'm coming. Annoying cat..." The doorknob twisted, and Scarlett stiffened as the door opened slowly.
There stood Brian, wearing only a pair of baggy gray sweatpants. Scarlett couldn't stop her eyes trailing down, over his washboard abs, lean stomach, and finally to the tiny trail of brown hair that peeked out right below his bellybutton.
"Thundera?" Scarlett's head snapped up immediately, back to his face, a slow blush creeping over her cheeks. Leave it to Brian to have such an... attractive body.
"What're you doing here?" He asked, opening the door wider to let her in. Brambleclaw rushed in behind her. Suddenly, a tiny orange creature streaked across the room, leaping atop Brambleclaw's broad shoulders and attempting to wrestle him to the ground. The tom appeared somewhat annoyed, but only had to sit down so the kitten slid down his back.
Scarlett laughed, kneeling down and holding out her hand to the ginger kitten, who immediately began chewing on her fingers. "Who's this little kitty?"
"I named her Squirrelflight." Brian told her, looking out one of the windows beside the TV. Again, Scarlett found herself drawn to his tanned, muscular back. "She showed up here right after your first visit."
"You never told me about her?" Scarlett pouted, holding the little fluffball.
"No, I didn't." The man sighed in annoyance, sitting down on the couch. "She was supposed to be your Christmas present. She just reminds me so much of you, and since you never really had any pets growing up... well, I was planning to teach you how to take care of her so you could take her back to your apartment. It must get pretty lonely there."
"Brian, you didn't have to... you know..."
"I wanted to." He issued bluntly. "So stop whining. She's still gonna be your present, whether you like it or not. I can just start teaching you how to take care of her earlier now." The smile on his face was warm, all traces any annoyance he'd felt the day before completely gone.
She couldn't resist this moment. It was too perfect. So she leapt up, moved quickly to the couch, and tackled the man. His protests were swallowed up by her kiss, and he leaned into it. Her hands trailed down his warm, muscular chest, feeling his heartbeat right beneath the skin. He was perfect.
"Wait, Scarlett," Brian whispered, sitting up and pulling away from her gently. "What're you wearing, exactly?"
"Hm?" Scarlett looked down, and remembered the beautiful dark satin dress she wore. "Oh... right, um, about that... I was here to ask you something..."
"Two points for honesty." Brian crossed his arms over his chest and looked at her quizically. "Does this have anything to do with your parents? Like, me driving you somewhere to see them?"
The girl sighed as looked away, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "Yes. I know it's dumb, and I have a private driver of my own, but... but I just..."
"Don't worry about it." Brian sighed and stood up, stretching. "I'm glad you came to ask me. First of all, I was bored. Second of all, it's good to know you finally trust me." He grinned as he walked to his room to change.
"I've always trusted you." Scarlett smiled warmly, her eyes soft as Squirrelflight leapt onto her lap. She pet the tiny kitten's downy coat, laughing as she closed her eyes in pleasure. "You're a silly little kitty, aren't you? I bet you give poor Brambleclaw all kinds of trouble." The young tabby tom mewled his agreement from his corner.
"She's just like you." Brian muttered as he stepped out of his room, buttoning up a well-ironed white jacket and smoothing out his black slacks. "The kid won't leave Brambleclaw alone. Every single time she sees him, she tries to fight him. But as you can see, Brambleclaw's a pretty freaking big cat..." He laughed as Squirrelflight attempted yet another attack on the brown tabby, but was brought down by one of his massive paws.
"How is that just like me?" She grumbled, glaring at the English teacher.
"Please. Thundera, you're always getting into things you can't handle." His tone lost its teasing tone as he looked at her, uneasiness and worry flashing brightly in his eyes. He was afraid, she realized suddenly. He was never afraid. He was Brian Garra, and he was her hero. "What do you mean?" She asked softly.
The teacher didn't reply immediately. He just sighed and looked away. "I'm a teacher, Scarlett." His voice was faltering. "You're a student. My student. Our... You and I... it goes against so many morals in society. It's just... not right... not to them."
"When have 'morals in society' ever meant anything to you?" Scarlett raised one eyebrow. So he hadn't told her anything about him. She had always been sensitive to people's feelings, their beliefs, and some of the underlying guilt they felt. She could see the guilt boiling within him, and she'd just hit a mark. She would say she was sorry later, as he had after many of his own verbal punches. It was how he'd rescued her. It was how she would rescue him.
But Brian would never let it be that way. Just because he'd saved her, she had no right to try and save him. She was snooping where she didn't belong. She was trying to reach his heart. "Shut up." He hissed, low in his throat, eyes narrowing to slits. "Don't try that with me, Thundera."
"Why not?" Scarlett stood up, raising her chin. "You did the same thing, Brian. You saved me, dammit! Why won't you let me do the same for you?"
"Because it's not the same!" He snapped back, his fists clenching til his knuckles were white. "That's not the same at all! And I didn't save you, I just..."
"You believed in me." Compared to his voice, low and growling at this point, Scarlett's own was soft as a dove's song. She was pleading with him, clasping her hands in front of her, gazing into his pained eyes. "I believe in you, Brian. So much more than you know. Why won't you trust me?"
Brian's lips parted, but no sound came out. He'd never thought for an instant that he didn't trust Scarlett. But now, as she said that, realization came flooding in. He didn't trust her at all, did he? He never told her anything, feared what she would think of him... Shame made him savage now, as he shook his head violently. "Idiot! It's not that simple, and it never has been. I don't live the rich little business life, I don't have it easy like you."
"You know that's not what it's like for me." Scarlett voice was calm, controlled, though her eyes wavered with hurt. "Don't say things like that when you don't mean it. And you know you don't mean it, Brian." She stepped forward, and he stepped back. "You don't have to tell me. Not right now, anyway. But when the time comes..." She held out her hand, the one he'd first touched at their first tutoring session. "I'll be right there, listening. And you'll trust me, just like I trust you."
The rest of the day was somewhat tense. Both had been forgiven by the other, and Brian drove her to her parent's mansion, two hours away.
Upon arriving, they were greeted by a small middle-aged woman with sandy-blond hair in a bobcut. She had a striking resemblence to Scarlett, mostly in her round face and sprinkling of freckles, and the two embraced warmly. The woman turned out to be Sandra Thundera, Scarlett's mother and husband to Fiorella Thundera.
The head of the Thundera household turned out to be a handsome, tall man with short red hair the same color as Scarlett's. He had a kind face, and shook Brian's hand heartily. The two clicked immediately, and Fiorella pronounced him perfectly worthy of being teacher to his beloved daughter.
When asked about the permission slip, both parents seemed uncertain. Brian could understand their uneasiness, after all, it was their hidden heir that was going on a trip twenty-four hours away to a ranch in Texas. They questioned both, but upon hearing that Brian would be chaperoning, Fiorella clapped his hands an proclaimed his daughter would be fine. She was, after all, tough as nails, just like her mother.
So it was agreed. Fiorella signed the slip with his graceful, fluent signature before handing it back to Scarlett. "You have fun, angel." He kissed the top of her head before leaving, and gave Brian one last friendly smile. "You take good care of her, boy. She's a special one, she is."
Don't I know it, Brian thought as they walked back to his care.
Mmm. Brian shirtless. XD Yummy.
Hmyes. Characters:
Mr. Owen- Onestar
Tammy Shaden- Tawnypelt
Rowan Clair- Rowanclaw
Russ Shaden- Russetfur
Maria Shaden (Brian's half-sister)- Mothwing
Hawk Garra (Brian's half-brother)- Hawkfrost
As most of you should realize by now, this story is FINALLY going to start following the events of the New Prophecy. *is shot* Sorry it's taken so long. I've just really fallen in love with these characters and wanted to develop them more. DX And the song at the beginning is the Scarlett x Brian official theme song. XD
A friend of mine in real life was wondering how I imagine the characters when writing about them. Well, here's a small list of the characters I imagine them to look like... (Hair, eyes, skin ect. color differences are implied)
Brian- Ichigo Kurosaki from Bleach, slightly longer hair.
Scarlett- Risa Harada from DN Angel, long and curly hair.
Tam- Tatsuki Arisawa from Bleach.
Craig- Ikuto Tsukiyomi from Shugo Chara.
Stan- Matt from Death Note... Goggles and all. XD He takes after his dad. (*Fortune Favors the Brave joke*)
Faith- Orhime Inoue from Bleach. Perhaps less... *ahem* Busty. o.o
My wonderful reviewers! I love you all!: Meiveva Sirenice (Ah, the crime makes the story, my friend.) , Nightkill (Who for some reason feels more sorry for Spencer than Scarlett... O.o), Queen of The Pens (I know, right? No, actually, I hated it. It was so corny. DX), Sparkheart of ThunderClan (Y U KNOW WHO I BE WRITIN' BOUT?), littlemisslibrarian (...Dude. A crocodile? *bows* You are my God. XD), leafpool1014 (Aaaand apparently I have rabid fans now. o.O)
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