Middle Ground
Chapter 11
A/N A few hours late, due to endless chaos on the public transport system, here they are :)
He watched her come in through the window with practised ease. Every time she did that, he could do nothing but be in awe.
She was so powerful.
He could see it in the way she moved. He'd never thought of her as particularly graceful, but she really was. Had she always been or was it something she'd acquired over the years?
He smiled and walked over to her. He walked up behind her and she turned around as if she'd felt him approach. She returned his smile and put a hand on his chest and he tugged off the glove that adorned it. He was glad to see it go, glad to see the tell-tale green that had become his favourite colour.
There were less words between them sometimes. Sometimes there were no words at all.
He moved to hug her but froze at the sight of her shoulder at the same moment she froze in what he imagined was pain.
"What ...What the hell is that?"
She grimaced, but it wasn't at the pain this time.
"Fiyero.."
She pulled back slightly and held her hands up in a placating manner.
"Fiyero, I'm fine."
His eyes narrowed.
"You're not fine. That is not fine."
He walked around her and pulled down the top of her dress. She pulled back, startled and turned to look at him, eyebrows raised.
"I'm sorry, but that needs to be cleaned. You need help."
She shook her head a little.
"I'll be fine. It's just a graze."
He ignored her as he undid another button.
"Who did that? Was it the Gale Force?"
She made to move away from him but he held her in place with an arm on her shoulder.
"No, or well...not your department. I was...working. Someone saw me. They took a shot and missed. I'll be fine."
She could almost hear his teeth grinding.
"That doesn't look like they missed."
She wanted to turn around again and face him, assure him she was truly fine, or would be anyway, but the hand on her shoulder only pressed down harder.
"Like I said; a graze."
She took his arm and removed it from her shoulder so she could turn around.
"And I'm fine."
His jaw was still clenched but he nodded.
"You will be, as soon as you turn around and take off that dress."
She merely raised her eyebrows but it was in amusement this time.
He rolled his eyes, clearly not ready to share in her amusement.
"Oh, you know what I mean."
She sighed in frustration but gave in.
"Fine. But no dramatic crap anymore. I've lived through a lot worse, believe me."
It was his turn to raise an eyebrow.
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
She cocked her head and held herself away from his touch, a slight note of warning in her voice.
"Fiyero..."
He nodded in impatience and nudged her in the direction of a chair.
"Yeah, yeah. Just sit down and let me take a look at that."
She did what he told her without further protest but it didn't calm his temper in the slightest.
He tried not to let his anger show but his jaw was starting to hurt.
He'd need to unclench it sometime in the near future. He forced himself to take a deep breath and rolled his shoulders.
Someone had shot her. And they hadn't missed, no matter what she claimed.
What if they'd gotten her? What if they'd actually managed to shoot her? Kill her?
What then?
He tried to clear his mind of such thoughts as he returned to where she was sitting with a cloth and a first aid kit.
"Now hold still. I know how difficult that is for you."
He could almost feel her shooting daggers at him.
"You're one to talk."
"Yes well, I am not the one that's been shot."
She huffed and her shoulders moved. He tightened his hand on her good shoulder, trying to keep her still. Oz, this woman was always moving.
"Fiyero..."
"I know. A graze. I don't care. Make of it what you will, you were shot."
"But you're making me all better."
Her tone was mocking and it got on his nerves.
"Next time it might not be."
Her patience was wearing thin, the way it did when it was about her.
"Yes, well. I knew that when I signed up for this job."
"Did you?"
She didn't turn to look at him. She just fell silent and stared straight ahead.
When he'd finished, he ran his fingers softly over the bandage and pressed his lips to the back of her neck. She shivered and he tried his hardest not to notice.
"There."
"New and improved?"
"Nope. Just bandaged up."
"Thank you."
He nodded.
"Fiyero?"
He glanced at her. There was too much in her eyes that he didn't want to see there, and too little of what he did want to see.
"I'll be more careful, if that helps. This doesn't happen a lot. I'm good at what I do."
"I have no trouble believing that. In fact; that's what worries me."
She frowned as she shrugged back into her dress. Not that she'd ever taken it off. Only a peek at her shoulder, and he'd been too distracted at her being shot, to truly notice.
"Why?"
"Because I think you take more risks than you need to. Unnecessary ones."
She frowned a little and her tone was dismissive.
"Why would I take unnecessary risks?"
He moved to stand behind her and buttoned up her dress.
"Because you feel you have nothing to lose."
"I don't." A shrug accompanied callous words;"Except my life. And only I can determine the value of that."
He fastened the top button and clenched his jaw in frustration, fear and annoyance.
"Not only you. And you have me to lose. In case that makes any difference."
It came out bitter, as he had meant it to.
She didn't look at him, because he didn't deserve it.
"It does."
I will try to post the next one this week but I better not make any promises. If you enjoyed it, please let me know :)
If you didn't, feel free to let me know as well!