Chapter Five
"Do you wanna stay over tonight?" Victor asked as he carried the plates over to the sink, "I can take the couch and you can have my bed. It's late and you live the other side of the city."
I glanced over towards the kitchen. He's stood with his back to me, rinsing off the plates, so he can't see the divided look on my face. Normally, I'd insist on going home. I hardly knew the guy, and my trust issues were way too deep to stay in almost stranger's apartments. But I really, really didn't want to go back to my dark apartment where someone may or may not be waiting for me.
Besides, I remind myself, he's your soulfinder. He wouldn't hurt you.
He turned around and waited for an answer.
"Sure." I said, smiling at him, "Thanks."
He went to get some sheets for the couch. I tried to insist on him keeping his bed and letting me take the couch, but he wouldn't hear of it. He showed me into his bedroom, which was just as immaculate as the rest of his apartment. It was furnished in a similar way, simple black, white and grey.
"Come and get me if you need anything." He said, "I don't mind if you wake me up."
I smiled, "Thanks. Goodnight, Vick."
He left me to get ready for bed, closing the door gently behind him. I look around the room; Victor's bedroom. I'd always felt like you could tell a lot about a person by their bedroom, like their inner secrets just spilled out into this personal space. Victor's room didn't seem to show much about him, it was minimal and practical. Although, maybe that did say a lot about him.
I went into the en suite bathroom and washed my face, then realised I didn't have any pyjamas to change into. Not fancying going to sleep in my jeans, I cross to Victor's dresser and open a drawer. I find a shirt and slip it on. The oversized shirt comes down to my thighs and smells like Victor, like cinnamon and cloves.
I slip into bed and sigh at how comfortable it is. The sheets are silk and the comforter is so warm. It's quite possibly the nicest bed I've ever been in and it doesn't take me long to drift off into blissful sleep.
The next morning I roll out of bed feeling refreshed. I pull my unruly curls into a pony tail and then listen at the bedroom door for a moment. It doesn't sound like Victor is awake yet, so I slip quietly out of the room and walk down to the kitchen. He's fast asleep on the couch, looking peaceful but somehow still alert even when unconscious.
I rummage through the fridge until I find some eggs, then check the cupboards until I find a bowl, whisk and frying pan. I hum softly as I make the omelette, my signature - and only - breakfast dish.
"Ava?"
I jump and turn around to see Victor standing the other side of the island counter, staring at me. I smile at him, "Good morning."
"Is that my shirt?" He asked. I glance down. I'd forgotten that I'd basically stolen a shirt out of his drawer. I'd also forgotten how little of my legs it covered.
"Uh, sorry." I said, biting my lip. When I look up, he's still staring at me, but there's an odd look in his eyes, "I can change…"
"No," He said, his lips twitching, "It's fine. I was just a little…surprised." He smirked at me and added, "Pleasantly surprised."
I felt a blush creeping onto my cheeks so I turned my back to him, looking down at my eggs, "You want an omelette?"
I feel him behind me and his hands appear on my waist. I jump, my heart racing as I feel sparks of electricity rush around my body. To my surprise, nothing breaks and no body gets a shock. I regain control of my breathing and enjoy the warm feel of his hands through the thin material of the shirt for a moment before I turn around to face him.
We lock eyes and I find it hard to think of anything but him. My voice comes out quiet when I finally regain the ability to speak, "You didn't answer my question."
"I absolutely want omelette." He told me, turning off the stove behind me and moving the pan onto the worktop next to it, all without breaking eye contact, "But there's something else I have to do first."
He leaned towards me and my heart rate picks up again. My eyelids flutter closed and I wait, feeling his warm breath against my skin. Our mouths meet and he pauses, our lips barely touching. I realise that he's waiting for me, waiting to see if what he's doing it okay. I close the gap between us.
At first this kiss is tentative and sweet, but then something changes and it's raw and full of lust. Victor pushes me back against the counter, deepening the kiss. I don't notice the humming until I hear glass shattering. I break away from the kiss momentarily, "I'll pay for that."
He takes no notice and dips his head, kissing my neck. I roll my head back and sigh blissfully as his lips brush over my collarbone. Another light smashes, "I'll pay for that too."
He takes my face in his hands and rests his forehead against mine, "Stop."
He reunites our lips, pulling me back into the kiss. Then he lifts me up onto the worktop, which would have been sexy if I didn't knock the frying pan full of omelette flying onto the floor. I broke the kiss, laughter bubbling to the surface as I buried my head in his shoulder, "I'm sorry."
He lifted me off the counter and looked down at me, "You know, if it wasn't for the whole bound by fate thing, I'd swear we were cursed."
I look down at the omelette, which is scattered across the floor, "It might be a blessing in disguise. I'm not the best cook…"
"Okay. How about…" He lifted me up onto the island counter, checking first that this one was free of anything I could knock off, "You just sit there and watch me make breakfast, and I can watch you look absolutely ravishing in my shirt."
I fingered the hem of the cotton shirt, "You don't mind that I took it?"
"You do make a habit of stealing my clothing." Victor said.
I rolled my eyes as I realised I still hadn't given his coat back, "I'm going to give everything back."
"I'm sure you will." Victor said, "I've got a lot of powerful friends at the FBI that deal with little thieves like you."
I burst out laughing and he turned around to face me, eyebrow raised, "Something funny, Miss Lane?"
I tried to keep my face straight, but I was unable to keep my lips from twitching, "If you want it back that badly, I can just go change right now."
"You will absolutely do no such thing." He told me, frowning. I smirked at him, my turn to raise an eyebrow, "If it weren't entirely impractical I'd never let you wear anything else again."
"Fine." I said, "What's for breakfast?"
-o.O.o-
Later that day, I rushed into work over an hour late, trying to fit my hair into some sort of bun as I burst through the back staff entrance. To my dismay, Lindsay is waiting for me.
"Where the hell have you been Ava?!" She demanded.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I said, "I overslept. I'll work late."
"And we were supposed to get coffee before work." Lindsay said, hands on hips, "You were gunna help me find an apartment?"
"Shit, Linds, I'm sorry. I totally blanked." I said.
She sighed, "I hardly see you anymore now you're hooking up with Victor."
"Okay, we are not hooking up." I corrected.
She raised an eyebrow, "Where were you this morning?"
My mind drifted back to the steamy make out session Victor and I had shared up against the kitchen worktop this morning after he made me the nicest pancakes of my life.
Lindsay nodded at the look on my face, "I thought so."
"Okay, so I was with Vick and totally blanked about work." I admitted, "But we're not hooking up. Not in the sense you're thinking of, anyway."
"I don't know why you aren't." Lindsay said, "If a guy that hot agreed to date me, I wouldn't even wait until the second date."
"Lindsay!"
"What?!"
I rolled my eyes and started my shift, trying to avoid Lindsay as much as I could. She kept asking me to set her up with one of Victor's brothers, but I thought somehow that the only unmatched Benedict brother left, Will, was probably holding out for his soulfinder and, whilst I loved her to bits, Lindsay definitely wasn't that.
After work I braved going back to my apartment. A quick search told me that whoever had been here last night was gone, but every lightbulb in the whole place had been shattered - even my beside lamp was destroyed. I was more than used to having to change lightbulbs, what with my gift being what it is, so I bought some from the local store and spent the afternoon changing all of the lights. Then I called the super and had him change the locks on my door, because whoever came last night obviously got hold of a key somehow.
I sent Lindsay another apologetic text promising to meet her to look at apartments the next day, and then I text Victor but I didn't get a reply. He was probably working, or visiting his family over in Wrickenridge.
Five minutes later, when my phone buzzed, I grabbed it so quickly I almost fell off of the couch. But it wasn't a reply from Victor; it was a text from Damon.
Ready to talk yet?
I put the phone down with a groan. Would he just leave me alone?!
It buzzed again.
It's not like you've got anything better to do. Loverboy is busy.
I glared at the phone, then tapped out a reply.
I don't want to talk to you, Damon.
There was silence for a few minutes and then he finally replied;
Not yet. But you will.
He didn't text me again so I pushed it to the back of my mind. There was no way I'd ever want to talk to Damon. For one thing, he was annoying, arrogant and altogether a complete asshole. For another, I wasn't interested in whatever he had to say about my family. As far as I was concerned they didn't exist anymore, and I wanted them to stay buried.
A/N: Hey! So sorry it's been a while, but I needed to rethink where I was going with this story. It's back on track now though and I'm going to pick it back up, so I hope you're all still enjoying it and don't hate me too much for taking a few months to update!
Nominations for the Finding Sky Fan Fiction Awards for 2015/16 are now open, I'd love it if you guys could nominate/vote for this story, it would be so awesome :D If you have a Finding Sky fanfiction you think I might like then go ahead and recommend it to me! If I like it, I'll nominate it for an award! Here's the link for the awards; (www.) (fanfiction) (.net)/topic/187591/146092870/1/#146092886
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