A/N) Sorry for the unexpected pause in updates.
I hope more people read this story. SpeedDemon deserves the recognition.
Also this is dedicated to the only other full blown SpeedDemon shipper I know, as an apology for not letting you know I posted it in the first place. You know who you are ;)
"Irey? Irey come on, open the door Irey, please Strawberry, let me in."
Irey ignores her pleading father, wrapped up in her green blanket, except for a few sniffles that escape her, she's silent. She's a sniffly teary eyed burrito.
"Hey, Mr. West." Lian sounds out of breath in the hallway
"Oh, Lian - um – she's not really talking to anyone, she's been in there all weekend and –"
"It's okay Mr. West, I can deal with it – hey, my dad's outside, if you wanna go see him?"
"Roy? Sure, sure - um – but if you could just –"
"Don't worry, I've got this. Go, go."
Irey hears footsteps go down the stairs and then her door handle jiggles and she knows Lian is picking her lock – she doesn't know where Lian learned to do that – but they never tell their dads, she can't do that to Lian.
"Irey, hon, I'm coming in."Lian calls and opens the door cautiously, just in case a stuffed animal greets her face.
Irey sniffs and rolls away.
"Oh . . . oh no. Come on, when your dad said you were sad and locking yourself up I didn't think – Irey? Irey what's wrong?" Lian sounds worried and the bed dips when she sits down and gives Irey a shake.
Irey sniffles harder, then sits up abruptly. "I hate him." She declares too dramatically but she doesn't care. She feels horrible, she's allowed to be dramatic.
"Him – who him? Wait."Lian sounds like she's putting pieces together. "Irey, what happened? I swear, if you're talking about that tutoring freak - did he do something? I'm going to find him and I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"She declares and stands to maybe go do that.
Irey groans and falls back on her bed and covers her face. "I don't know what's worse, the fact that he's so mean or the fact that he's probably right."
"About what?" Lian asks sitting down again.
Irey gives her a watery scoff, "About me not being good enough soon enough to compete in the upcoming school music competition."
"He said what?"Lian asks her anger renewing.
"Lian." Irey sighs, "he isn't wrong, I've improved, sure, but to actually think I could compete and win against people who have been doing it for years? That's not realistic." She admits dejectedly, squishing her face in her hands.
"Screw realistic, you're Irey Freaking West, you make impossible easy. Now wash your face, get dressed, and let's go."
"Where?"
"I'm taking you to a recital so you can remember why you started this torture in the first place."
"I don't know Lian – I don't think we should be here."
"Shh – look you and I both know that this isn't my kinda thing, I'd rather be throwing someone on the mats or shooting with my dad, but this – this is a sacrifice I will make for you. Beside – "Lian grins like a Cheshire cat, "I heard this guy is the best. Almost up there with the greats they say," she snickers, "I was just interested because they said he's hot."
Irey rolls her eyes as she follows her friend to their seats, "a hot violinist? Really?"
"Hey, I just read the reviews." Lian defends herself with a grin, "now hush – it's starting."
"Okay, okay, I'm just surprised that you would –" Irey stops talking.
A straight backed, cold faced gorgeous boy steps out into the center of the stage in a obsidian black suit, his tie, emerald green, and he lifts his gleaming violin and then liquid silver spider webs of sound spill from it almost before he touches the strings with his bow and Irey can't breathe. For a moment she's stunned that it's Damian on the stage then the music takes over her thoughts.
She sits there, transfixed by the beauty and elegance of the music, in some places its thready and glitters high over their heads, in others it's deep like the ocean and full as it sweeps through her chest in a wave.
She can't breathe, she's not inside her own body anymore, she's floating, then she's sailing, then she's chilled. And she has never fallen in love with a song like this since –
"Mom." The word whispers out of her and Lian flinches.
"Irey? You okay?"
"Shhh– " Irey holds up a finger and waits, as if she's at the edge of a cliff and she's anticipating a jump, only she's not afraid of falling because she knows something will catch her and – there – the notes switch and she feels the jump and the notes become air under her wings and she's flying.
And just like that she can breathe again and she has tears streaming down her cheeks and when everyone stands to applaud she's right there with them because she hates him – she thinks he's a cold heartless robot but – but his music . . . his music is spectacular and she wants to be like him, she wants to play like him – she wants to create magic for people like that –
She wants to make her mom proud and she wants to play her a song that she'll feel all the way to heaven.
"I don't care what he says- "Irey whispers so only Lian can hear her as they clap for him, "I will win and I'm going to play at Dewberry Hall if it kills me. Or him."
"Him?"Lian's eyes widen, "who him? You don't mean – "
Irey turns and walks down the isle before Lian can stop her, "Irey, hey!" Lian hisses after her, "Irey are you talking about that guy! That's your mean tutor? Seriously?"
Irey's out of breath when she runs out of the building into the hot afternoon sun – she looks around and spots the suited boy coming out of the stage door and heading for a low black Porsche.
"Hey! Damian!" She shouts and he goes ridged and actually turns to look at her, she sees surprise on his face as she runs down the stairs and stops in front of him out of breathe and red faced, "I will do it. Just you watch – I'll practice until my arms fall off, and I don't care what you say. I'll do it." She pokes him in the chest and flounces away, pony tail smacking him in his face.
She see Lian stop in front of him too, glares at him and punches him in the arm.
"Don't you ever make her cry again you son of a –"
"Lian!"
"Coming." Lian snaps and throws one more glare in Damian's direction and runs after her friend.
Damian, for his part, is just too confused to move for a full minute.
The next afternoon Irey bursts into the classroom with her violin in tow and a giant determine smile on her face. "Hey there Damian – here I am. Ready to prove you wrong. Give me your best shot."
He looks at her and she stops – she suddenly can't help noticing dark circles under his eyes and she's shocked.
"You bounce back fast." He snarks.
Irey flinches, "Better than burning and not being able to rebuilt. What happened to you?"
"Nothing." He snaps and Irey stares as he straightens and lifts his violin, "now, if you really want to do this despite the high chance of embarrassing yourself, then I suggest you pick up your violin. Because I'm not going easy on you anymore."
She snorts, "Oh – oh you're serious? That was 'easy'?" She gapes at his audacity.
"It was child's play."
"Jerk."
He clicks his tongue at her and quirks a brow at her. "Lift the violin."
Irey licks her lip and relents. "I'm ready." She straightens herself in determination.
Damian's smile is absolutely chilling, "we'll see."
And she's suddenly not so sure anymore but – like hell was she going to tell him that.
"Bring it on robot boy."
She enjoys the utter confusion that cracks his cold mask for a moment a little too much, but it's short lived when she's suddenly launched into violin exercises that she was not privy to and she thinks she's going to die by the end of the session, but –
"You're a mess, West."
Her brain scatters in several directions, "did you just – you remember my name?"
He stops mid packing and glances at her, "we've been doing this for five weeks, what idiot doesn't know the name of the only other person in the room?"
She stares at his back as he casually finishes packing and lifts his bag on his shoulder and turns fully to her
"Look, you know you need to work harder."
"I told you I would."
"Fine. But three times a week for one hour each time, it's not good enough." He says bluntly.
Irey rolls her eyes at him, "I know that, I practice at home everyday." She feels defensive suddenly.
Damian nods, "fine – do you have any family member that can adjust you and guide you so you don't develop bad habits?"
She stiffens and goes silent, her eyes dropping to her feet.
"Well?"
Irey flinches, "I d –don't." the words burst out of her and she cringes at herself when he looks at her like she's weird. "I'm sorry, no – I don't have anyone at home to – to guide me." Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
He nods slowly, "okay then, then we'll have to move these practices to my home after school, five o'clock to six, everyday, except the weekends, you can practice at home then I'm sure."
"O-oh. Um – at your place?" Irey is actually surprised and her face must show it because he scoffs at her.
"I won't eat you, West. I am a professional, and this is merely a more efficient way to get the practice you need more often. Unless your ambitions mean nothing?"
"Are you goading me?" Irey looks at him in surprise at his willingness to even offer extra help for her ambitions and she can't help wondering what the angle was here.
"I want nothing from you. I told you on our first meeting, I want my GPA to remain perfect, and if someone I tutored in music actually wins a competition in such a short period of time –well –my collage application looks good now, but that will definitely add some extra – " He shrugs his shoulder in thought, "-extra proof of my brilliance."
Oh. Well – she doesn't know why she's disappointed by his reason but – what did she expect. That he wanted to help her because he's impressed by her ability to pick herself up and her undeterred determination? Of course not.
"Okay then, after school, your house, tomorrow." She agrees and forces herself to be fake professional and puts out her hand firmly.
He looks at her like she's a nut and she's sure she is but he takes her hand and she tries to ignore the warmth that swells up her arm and settles in her belly from the skin contact.
"Okay, well see you – thanks, bye!" She stutters and snatches her things, nearly runs into the door and laughs nervously as she rushes out of the room.
Her next problem doesn't come forth in her mind until she almost gets to the bus stop – how was she going to explain to her father about this situation?
Thoughts are appreciated.