A/N: Here's another chapter. :) Yay! It's a little wordy I think, but I wanted there to be more detail and have the two ladies start to build a physical relationship. (not smutty yet) just getting comfortable with each other and trusting each other.
I have not procured a beta yet, so any and all mistakes or inconsistencies are my own so please bear with me.
I hope you all enjoy it. :)
Myka woke up half expecting to be in the bed alone again, Helena sitting somewhere else reading or writing; but instead when she rolled over, Helena was still sound asleep. There was something about the way she looked sleeping; like all the fear and anger that she may be holding in no longer existed, lines on her face that let the world know she had lived through so much were faded as she slept peacefully. Myka's eyes glowed in wonderment at the sleeping beauty in front of her; now noticing every little detail and putting those details to her memory.
A soft knocking on the door startled her, as though she had been caught doing something wrong, when really nothing had ever felt more comfortable and right. The door opened and Leena popped in with a broad smile on her face. She waved for Myka to join her in the hall. Myka nodded and lifted the blanket, slipping out of the bed and the room silently. As she closed the door, Leena's arms wrapped her up in a hug.
"Um... what's that for?"
"This is the first time she's slept through the whole night in ages! And you're to thank for that?"
"Me? I... I didn't do anything."
"You're good for her Myka. I mean it. I don't know what it is, but since you've been here... she's different."
Myka shifted uncomfortably, still not fully understanding. "I don't get it. What was she like before?"
"Angry all the time. She hid it well, but I could see right through it. She seemed to hate anything and everything, and man did her anger flare up when she found out who you were." Leena paused, putting a reassuring hand on Myka's arm. "I don't know what happened yesterday in the Orchard Myka, but she's healing." Before Myka could ask any questions, Leena took her hand and started walking. "Come on, let's get breakfast ready."
Everyone trickled in slowly, still wiping the sleep from their eyes. "Good morning!" Leena shouted and everyone kind of flinched at her chipper tone and bright personality.
"Leena, that's too much... we love you and everything but I need tea and Pete needs sugar." Claudia walked to the stove and made a pot of tea.
"Sorry." Leena looked at Myka smiling. "They're not morning people."
"Got it." Myka laughed and saved Claudia from burning herself since her eyes were still pretty much closed.
The sound of someone running around upstairs, caused everyone to look up and suddenly Helena was stumbling into the kitchen in a panic. "Myka!" She went up to the younger woman and grabbed her arm, pulling her aside. "I woke up and you weren't there, do you know what that was like? I didn't know if something bad had happened to you..."
"Helena..." Myka put her hand on her shoulder, attempting to calm her down. "I'm fine. I was awake and Leena knocked on the door. She needed help with breakfast."
"Did she just call her Helena?" Claudia whispered.
"Shhh!" Leena swatted Claudia away and watched the scene before them unfolding.
"I just... you need to tell me when you're going somewhere Myka." Helena let Myka go, looking around uncomfortably at the eyes staring at them.
"I'm sorry, I didn't think it would be a big deal."
"You're my responsibility and if anything happens to you, Irene will kill me." Helena said this, attempting to rationalize why she had been so worked up, when in actuality, she had been truly worried that Myka had left or been taken from them so soon. She realized the day before that she wanted to get to know this woman and teach her and learn from her. As much as she had hated the idea, she couldn't help the feelings this young woman stirred in her.
Myka nodded, agreeing that she would let her know next time she was going to do something.
Leena had been the only person who saw the true exchange of emotions between the two, the only person who heard the real words they had spoken to each other. "So... breakfast?"
They all ate, mostly in silence. Myka chose to sit next to Helena, partly hoping it would ease her worry and partly because she found the closeness comforting herself.
"Myka I'd like to take you out today. If you want to go that is." Helena whispered as she put another bite of breakfast into her mouth. Myka whos mouth was currrently full, nodded excitedly. She wasn't able to smile without losing some of her food, but Helena could see the excitement in her eyes. "Okay."
Myka chewed quickly and swallowed with an audible gulp. "Where are we going?"
"It's a surprise." Helena replied, finishing up her breakfast. Leena just sat across from them grinning from ear to ear the entire time. Helena happened to notice and mouthed 'what?' causing the woman to shake her head and focus her attention on Claudia, Pete and Steve.
...
"Still not gonna tell me where we're going?" Myka trailed behind Helena, able to keep up and not slip so often. She found a connection with the woman leading her through the woods and found it to be so undeniably wonderful. Everything about her was intriguing and lovely to Myka. She wanted to know her better, hear her stories and be near her always. It was an overwhelming feeling that caused her to slip up for the first time all day, but lucky for her Helena was right there to catch her.
"You okay?"
"Yeah, sorry just got distracted. I'm okay." They walked side by side up a rocky hill side. Helena helped Myka along the way.
"Well, we're almost there." Helena smiled, carefully pulling Myka along.
They ended up standing on a smooth rock formation together, looking upon a beautiful waterfall that emptied into a large pool about seven feet beneath them. "Wow." Myka was breathless, staring at the beautiful sight before them. "This is amazing Helena. I didn't know this was even here."
"It's been here longer than you have." Helena sat on the rocks, pulling Myka to sit next to her. She opened up the sack she had been carrying and handed Myka something to eat. "I come here sometimes when it's unbearably hot out."
They sat there eating for a while, talking and getting to know each other. Myka listened intently to every word that spilled from the Brit's lips. She adored every story, laughed and smiled every time Helena talked about a book or a piece of music that got her through her travels. She spoke of how often she had gone to Paris.
"Helena?" Myka's head was tilted slightly as she attempted to bring logic into everything.
"Yes darling?"
"You've been to Paris a lot… how… how old are you?"
Helena's body language changed, she stiffened slightly but relaxed quickly as Myka looked her over. "How old do you think I am Myka?"
"I don't know. I feel like, in order to have lived through all those adventures you'd have to be very old; but you don't look over 25."
"I'm 27 actually, but thank you. If you want the truth though, I'm about a hundred and fifty years old." She smirked and focused on Myka's eyes, the young woman's brain trying to figure out if it was all a joke. In the end Myka shrugged it off laughing.
"So 27."
"I think it's time for a swim." Helena stood up and started to disrobe.
"What!?" Myka shook her head frantically almost gripping the ground beneath her in a panic.
"A swim? Just take off your top layers and jump in. It's perfectly safe, I've done in a hundred times." She pulled her pants off and flung it to the side laughing. Before Myka could say another word, Helena jumped off the rocks head first, diving into the water with only a small splash.
Myka crawled to the edge of the rocks, looking over the edge. She couldn't see Helena and started to worry, then she jumped back when a splash of water hit her from the side. "What are you doing?"
"It's ridiculously hot Myka. Come on in, the water is amazing." Helena was just floating there and Myka didn't understand how. She simply moved her arms and stayed above the water.
"I can't." Myka hugged her knees into her chest.
"What do you mean you can't? Of course you can!" She shouted from the water.
"I… I don't know how to swim!"
Helena stopped treading water, dipping beneath the surface and popping up right in front of Myka. "You never learned?"
"No. If it's not a useful skill, my family doesn't believe it's important enough to learn. I had to beg them to let me learn mathematics and science. They think women don't need to know that, instead they wanted me to learn knitting and baking."
Helena's skin was boiling. How could they try to stunt such an amazing woman's abilities. "Myka jump in."
"I just told you I can't! I'll drown."
"You won't drown I promise." Helena swam back a few feet.
"How do you know that? You can't see the future can you?"
"I promise Myka, you won't drown because I'll catch you. I won't let you drown." She opened up her arms, waiting for Myka. "Now lose the clothes and jump in."
Myka sat there, contemplating Helena's promise to be there and catch her. She stood slowly and brought her hands to the buttons of her blouse. She made up her mind and undid all the buttons, pulling the top off and putting it by Helena's clothes. Her pants joined them and soon she was standing there in her cream colored under garments. Her breath had sped up and her hands were shaking as she stepped to the edge of the rocks.
Helena looked up at Myka and mouthed to her, 'I promise.' Myka counted to three in her head, closed her eyes and jumped.
She opened her eyes, and she was under the water. Before she panicked, a pair of strong and slender arms wrapped around her and pulled her above the water. She took a big breath, her legs kicking quickly and her arms trying to mimic what she saw Helena doing.
"Myka calm down love." Helena said softly, holding Myka closer to her. "Just relax, I've got you. I promise you'll be okay, just stay calm." Myka's breathing returned to normal and her legs stopped kicking as she felt Helena's arms wrap around her. She could feel Helena's legs kicking calmly around her own. Her eyes opened and Helena's dark brown eyes were studying her face. "You okay?" Myka nodded. Helena loosened her hold slightly, but Myka thought she was letting go and gripped onto Helena's neck. "Oh! I'm sorry Myka. I'm not letting go."
"What am I supposed to do now?" Myka whispered, looking at the water around them and trying to see how deep it was.
"Just trust me." Helena loosened her grip again and this time Myka let her. Helena's hands slowly trailed down Myka's arms until she reached her hands. "Now start kicking in circles very slowly, just take your time." Myka listened and kicked. She could feel herself staying above the water and smiled brightly. "I've got you." Helena said again, holding tightly to Myka's hands.
"I trust you."
Helena started to move, she let go of one of Myka's hands but took the other one with both hands as she swam around to Myka's side. "Now I want you to lean back a little okay? I'm right here and I'll hold onto you."
"Okay." Myka did as she was told and started to recline in the water, her eyes started to close. Helena's hands were now beneath Myka, resting on her back. "What are we doing?"
"You're floating Myka and you're doing a wonderful job." Helena's hands started to move along Myka's back. It was soothing and reassuring. "Open your eyes."
Myka's hazel eyes fluttered open, the green in them magnified against the green of the canopy of trees above them. The sunlight just barely shone through the mass of leaves. Helena arranged herself to float next to Myka, her hand still under Myka's body to let her know she was safe, even though Helena's hand was no longer needed there.
"This is beautiful Helena." Myka turned her head, meeting Helena's smiling eyes. "Thank you."
"You're welcome Myka."
...
The sun set and Helena made a fire.
"Are we not going home?" Myka asked, looking at the set up of blankets near the fire.
"We can if you wish, but I thought some time out here in your woods would be nice. We're safe here I promise."
The fire was burning bright, providing warmth and safety to both women. Myka closed her eyes listening to everything around her. She could hear owls and crickets, all sorts of creatures making soft noises in the distance. The wind was blowing against all the noise and blending them together like music. She stood and started to sway, dancing around the fire, to the music that nature had provided.
"What are you doing Myka?" Helena chuckled as the girl kicked off her shoes and let her bare feet sink into the ground.
"I'm dancing. You don't hear the music?" Myka started to dance to Helena who was still sitting there in awe.
"I do hear it darling. It's beautiful." Helena replied, knowing that the true beauty was in fact the woman dancing. "What?" She said when Myka stood in front of her, arms extended.
"Dance with me?"
Helena blushed for what seemed like the first time in years. "I don't dance."
"What do you mean?"
"I can't. I haven't danced in a long time." Myka chuckled, leaning down and taking Helena's hands, pulling her up. "Myka? I really can't…"
"Shhh. I've got you." She wrapped her arms around the smaller woman's waist and pulled her close, swaying side to side. Helena relaxed in her arms and swayed with her, putting her hands on Myka's shoulders. As the dance went on, their boldness and comfort grew. Helena's head was now on Myka's shoulder, her arms tracing patterns along her back and neck. Myka's hands were behaving similarly on Helena's hips.
Helena felt tears stinging her eyes as she buried her face in Myka's neck. She didn't think she would ever find someone who would challenge her in this life and make her feel so many complex emotions. After living her long life, she thought she had seen and experienced everything, but Myka was an enigma, a paradox wrapped in human skin. She was so much more than some people would ever allow her to be and Helena's heart ached at knowing that this woman might never be expected to do anything besides being a dutiful wife and loving mother. She could be so much more.
"What are you thinking?" Myka asked, able to feel Helena's mind racing.
"I think you're amazing." She answered honestly. "I wish you could stay forever Myka. I would make sure you did everything you're capable of doing because you are capable of so much."
"Thank you. That means so much to me and I wish I could stay forever too; but forever is kind of out of the realm of possibility. Everything comes to an end eventually."
"Not always everything. If you decided to stay… well, I've got you till the very end love." Helena looked up and kissed the corner of Myka's mouth, smiling against her.
...
They arrived back at the warehouse before dawn, getting inside just as Leena came down to the kitchen.
"Morning you two…" Leena paused, glaring at them questioningly. "You… something happened? What happened?"
"Nothing Leena." Helena blushed, taking Myka's hand and leading her upstairs. "We need to get cleaned up. See you for breakfast."
"See you in a bit!" Myka shouted as Helena tugged her behind her.
Leena watched them, something was different. Their short time together had already changed their relationship so much, and it was an overwhelming blast of breathtaking beauty that hit Leena hard. She could feel the difference, sense the change and now all she wanted was for the two women to admit it to each other and make the change permanent. She wanted so much for them to admit that it was the beginning of true love, but that admittance would come with the realization that there was a price to pay if they wanted to be together; and Leena could tell that they wanted to be together.
Thank you for reading this chapter. Sorry if it was a little long and wordy. :x I'm trying to get them to the point of being/admitting that they are in love or something like it. IDK. Anyway, please review and comment. I always appreciate the feedback. Love you all. XO