Post by Icon Lady Eva Hikari on Oct 13, 2011 15:07:59 GMT -6
(Not televised)
You sure you want to do this?
Winding red tape around his wrists the former wrestler, turn bodyguard offers a shrug in reply. Getting back into the wrestling ring had been the furthest thing from his mind when he’d answered the phone this morning, but he never had been very good at saying no to Hikari. Still, it hadn’t taken long for him to remember why he’d been so in love with the sport originally. He was a skilled fighter, trained by and with some of the elite. A poster child for wasted potential, it had been a simple slip that had cost him it all. Biting the tape to sever it he’s struck by a strange moment of déjà vu as his gaze fell to the woman across from him. Eva was seated on the top turnbuckle, her legs crossed as if she’d perched herself in one of her office chairs. Her hands rested on the ropes either side of her, but he knew from experience that it wasn’t out of a need to balance. The woman was too graceful for that, the ring was her playground and she knew how to manipulate it to suit her purpose. Shaking his head to shift the image, as clear now as it was all those years ago, he stretches.
It’s my job to protect you, even if that does mean from yourself.....
Hah! Leon says that.
Hmm. Ready when you are then Nemi.
The sun had finally stagnated, throwing shadows into the twilight. Their brief existence would fade when the darkness came, the monsters and nightmare creatures granted life in the corners and alcoves would be swallowed whole by the night. For Eva it had always taken too long to drive them away, so it made sense that while the rest of her Yorkshire home was in relative darkness, her gym was flooded with light. Something granted otherwise only to rooms her children inhabited. It was one of the things that had always intrigued him about her......for a creature so at home with the darkness, she had moments where she’d do anything in her power to escape it. Springing from her seat she lands without causing the mat to move at all. Whether a testament to her ninja skills or a hint that the mat had very little give he wouldn’t know until it was too late. Though he suspected that either way, he wouldn’t really like the answer.
Do your worst.
Her smirk dared him to do it, while her eyes made it clear she didn’t believe he would. Maybe that was what prompted him to make the first move. Locking up with the former world champ he uses his weight advantage against her. Throwing her into the ropes he catches her eye as she rebounds, though the big boot he’d been attempting to bring her down with never manages to connect. Sliding under him, Eva grabs the leg he’d been standing on, dropping him down hard. Before he can realise what had just happened, she’s back on her feet, a boot to the back of the head his thank you for agreeing to wrestle with her. Taking a few steps back she returns to her stance.
I know you can do better.
Pulling himself to his feet he cracks his neck, if she wanted merciless she’d get it. Running a hand through his hair he was beginning to doubt his sanity for this. She was good, better than he remembered at least....
Nemi, I-
You what? Don’t want to hurt me? Then call it self preservation darling because I can assure you I have no such issue when it comes to causing you harm.
As you wish....
Charging her again he expected the sidestep this time, and countered it with an elbow to the face as she turned on him. Stumbling momentarily Eva was shocked, but not enough to let her guard down. She’d trained for too long, with too many talented people to allow a muscle head to elbow her in the face and make her call it a day. Sweeping his legs out from underneath him again she brings him down to her level. He lands hard on his knees, discovering in the process that the mat was indeed solid. Before he can blink Nemesis is back on the assault, a series of vicious kicks taking him down entirely. His heart jumps into his throat after a particularly hard kick manages to connect with his ribs. A few deep breaths would have been nice, but a luxury he wouldn’t be granted. Eva was stronger than she looked, stronger than he remembered at any rate. It’s why he found himself stunned when she’d dragged him towards the ropes, and not started kicking out at her until his right leg was well and truly tangled in them.
Give up.....
He had to laugh, he really did. Given the predicament he was in, with the knee that had caused his retirement at her mercy. Any sane person would have given in to her, but that’s not what she really wanted. Nemesis liked to make you beg, but she liked to be made to work for it.
Make me...
With a subtle nod of her head, she grabs both top ropes as she jumps onto the turnbuckle. He knew what was coming..... saw from the glimmer in her eye that she’d break him again. As much as she’d changed in recent years the old Nemesis was still lurking just beneath the surface. In a blink she was airborne, but in that same instant he was free. The guard on his boot stays with the ropes as he rolls out of the way. Landing on her feet Eva runs towards him, he counters scooping her up and onto his shoulder. Smacking him in the back of the head, she swings herself around. Narrowly avoiding a DDT he again uses his weight against her, the Powerslam he connects with had more force behind it that he intended to use. Though it doesn’t seem to do much in the way of stopping the relentless energy Eva had. A move like that should have winded her for a good while, but the only indication that it had even hit was a slight heavy breathing as she flips back into her feet. Turning on her heel to face him she assumes a stance he didn’t recognise. She was smiling, though it wasn’t entirely innocent.
How the fuck did that not hurt?
Never said it didn’t.
His expression must’ve said it all because it earns what he was sure was the first genuine smile he’d witnessed from the woman today. Though it’s short lived, either that or the force of her foot colliding with his skull had knocked his short term memory out of him. He hadn’t seen her move, but somehow he was back on the floor. Rolling away from her he crawls for the ropes to pull himself up. He never gets off his knees before a force hits him from behind. Driving a foot into his back his arms are wrenched across his chest and pulled behind him. A modified Straight Jacket ripped out of her move list of a decade ago, he was trapped. Struggling could very well dislocate his arms and her foot in his back was only helping give her extra leverage. Leaning towards him so her mouth was by his ear she tightens her grip on him.
Give up.....
Through clenched teeth he tries to shake his head, tries to connect in some way or throw her off balance. The woman had spent the last few years wrestling small children into car seats, outfits and anything else they decided they wanted no part of at that moment. A grown man she had no problem hurting had no chance.
There are two ways out of this move sweetheart.....
He could feel her breath warm on his neck, sending shivers through him along with the shock of pain every time she increased her hold. It was clouding his mind, dulling the part of him screaming at him to quit.
Either way you break.
It was blunt, matter of a fact but it was correct. If he begged she’d have won in more ways than one, if he didn’t admit defeat she could very well rip his arms out of socket using his own weight to aid her. She’d help patch him up of course but that would put him out of duty as her bodyguard for a while. He couldn’t let that happen....
I give up! You win!
Releasing the hold Eva takes a step away from him. He’d held back, she knew this. Years spent fighting alongside and against the man had made her sure of that.
You held back...
Lying on his back he tries to catch sight of her, though from his position his vision was blurred by the overhead lights. His body ached, still protesting against him as he tried to stretch without really moving too far.
So did you, so I guess were both guilty of that.
Bit of luck too from the look of you. You’re knackered already?
It has been a few years and you’re quicker than I remember...
Yeah well...I’ve had a lot of years to train with people, a lot of chances to learn. If I hadn’t picked anything up by now I’d be tempted to call it a day.
Tossing her water bottle back into the corner she moves to kneel beside him. It was possible she’d done more damage than intended, and while she didn’t really care if she’d hurt him. It would be disappointing to have to find a new training partner so soon. Playing possum was one of the oldest tricks in the game, and one Damien had always been quite skilled in. He’d never been one for rules of competition, or fair fights. So it only really made sense that the second his former mistress was within arm’s reach he’d pounce. Pulling her over, he holds her by her shoulders, throwing her across the ring as if she weighed nothing. She lands badly, the force knocking the air out of her so her rise was slow. Though she did make it back to her feet, and was.....smiling. Eyes ablaze as pair circled each other. Locking up again there’s a power struggle, every move is reversed or evaded. It could have gone on for hours, were it not for a sudden beeping dragging the woman’s attention away from her opponent. A quick glance to the corner had been all it had taken to shift the momentum entirely. With Eva’s attention elsewhere Damien takes the initiative. A heavy boot to the stomach is followed up by a DDT, planting the woman on her head. Clutching her head with both hands and running through every curse word she had the pleasure of knowing, she didn’t realise he’d moved until he was already straddling her. With his hand on her throat her eyes opened, in the old days the “Last Rites” would have been game over for his opponent.
One.....Two.....Three.....Pinfall M’lady.
Well done......first this lifetime that.
Heh....
Trailing his fingers away from her throat, they linger at her chain. She rarely wore jewellery in the ring, injuries were common enough without things able to catch. Even her wedding ring had been removed through fear of destroying it. Medics cared little for sentiment when something was obstructing them after all.
You still have this?
Making a move to grab the pendent away from him, he was quicker. Exhaling as much as she could with him still holding his weight against her she shakes her head.
I cling to things, it’s a terrible habit.....
Depends....
Shifting his weight he lets the chain fall through his fingers. Instead taking the woman’s hand as he sits up and pulls her with him.
On whether it’s really the things you cling to, or the people connected to them.
Don’t suppose it matters either way, its unhealthy. It’s the physical manifestation of collecting skeletons to keep in the closet.
That’s one way of putting it.....It really depends on why though. If you wear the locket I gave you out of any desire to relive that time....
That would be unhealthy. I wear it because I always have...
But why?
Because I’m a strange and complicated creature, and you will not question me!
Running a hand through his dark, limp hair his eyes remain with her, though he makes no effort to move.
I’m off the clock and you’re not holding a whip, forgive me but I don’t have to do shit right now.
He may have been entirely serious in his tone but Eva couldn’t help but laugh. She’d known the man for a long time and could count on one hand the amount of times he’d stood up to her in any way.
When did you find your spine?
When did you lose yours?
Ouch.
So why do you still wear it?
Why is it important?
Because you’re avoiding the issue, that’s usually the clue that its something I should know.
And what are you basing this theory on?
Our relationship? It may not have been entirely conventional but we shared everything a couple would.
Our bodies isn’t really everything.
Mind, heart, soul? Don’t even try to give me that look Nemi. I know how I felt and I know I wasn’t alone in that. We can make believe that we were nothing more complicated than a mutually beneficial fling-
Enough!
Why does it kill you so much to think about it?
It doesn’t kill me! You’ve just romanticised the memory and made it something it wasn’t. I cared, I trusted you, but what happened between us......its dead, its gone, and its never coming back.
........is that why you wear it? To remind yourself that there was a time and place where you were everything? Where there was someone who genuinely put you above everyone else?
Heh, and where did you cook up that one?
I didn’t have to.....I’ve seen it in you. In the wary expression every time your husband doubts you. In every snide dig you two take at each other.....
The look aimed at him could have said many things, none of them good. He carries on regardless though, aware that by doing so he’d end up paying for it.
I watched you break when he outright refused to accept his whore would do anything as low as attack you. In all the years I’ve known you, for every hurdle life has thrown, I have never seen you as afraid....as alone....as you were then.
You spend a lot of time watching me.....
You spend a lot of time vanishing off the radar. It’s my job to come and find you whenever you do. You employ me to ensure the safety of you and yours.
So you see a lot....
I see enough, I make a point not to invade your privacy unless I have to. The point I was trying to make is, you should be his world....
His world is a complicated place.....I feature in it somewhere but right now...I’m not even sure where. I can be pretty damn certain its below her though.
Are they...erm...
Fucking? Odin knows.....though I very much doubt it. She’s the wrong gender for a start...
But you an him? I mean? The twins?
Are his, but again complicated. I’m apparently the exception to the rule.
Pfft, so what’s he do? Turn the light off and aim for a hole? How the fuck does that even work? The man a moron!
He’s not exactly fond of you either darling. Though he is my husband and you should show him some respect.
Looking away from her for the first time since their conversation had began he shakes his head. He was annoyed, his judgement clouded by his own resentment towards a man who had as far as he could see, the perfect life.
Why? What has he done to deserve it?
He makes me happy.
When? When he’s telling you you’re wrong all the time? Every time you two have spoken recently you’ve ended up in a foul mood.....or worse.
Hmm
No Eva! There should be no “hmm”! Look at me....
Whether it was the shock from hearing him use her name, or the rarely heard hint of command to his voice she does as she’s told. Looking up she meets his gaze, her eyes always gave her away. She could only guess what he’d seen in them at that moment. What it was that prompted him to break every rule of their working relationship by leaning in to kiss her. Not that she did much to fight him off at all. Quite the opposite in fact, pulling him closer she deepens the kiss. His fingertips brushed her cheek as he pulled away. Staring deep into her eyes he takes a shaky breath.
I’m sorry....
Shaking her head Eva shrugs as she pulls away from him. Distancing herself right now was for the best, for both of them.
....What did you just feel?
Feel?
It wasn’t a difficult question, not to Eva’s mind. Though Damien seemed to be struggling for words, he never really had been big on those. Pulling herself to her feet, Eva perches herself on the top rope.
Warm.....soft....nice.....
Heh, see.....What you think is there, just isn’t. If you felt anything, and I mean really felt anything you’d know about it. There were no butterflies, no excitement, no desire do it again and see what other thrills you could give me. It was nice, but in this lifetime nice is not good enough.
So you’re holding out for the Disney ending?
I’m not holding out for anything, I have everything I could want with my husband. Why would I throw it away for “nice”?
He makes you miserable!
And I’m sure I upset him at times too. Were both more than capable of being bastards when we want to be, and if the good didn’t outweigh the bad do you really think I’d still be his wife?
Saying nothing he turns his attention to the mat, he could feel her watching him. Slipping off the rope she moves closer. Her fingers toying with the chain on her neck.
Damien.....I wear this because it reminds me of the night you gave it to me. Right before we stepped through the curtain, on what was at that point the biggest night of our lives.....
So you do think of me?
Yes, but not in the way you want me to. I think of what I did to you....How I broke you that night personally and professionally......I don’t remember what we had or what we were to each other. I remember the night I utterly destroyed a friend over a false title. This little chain is my reminder that no matter where you want to be in this world, no matter what is dangled in front of you. Nothing is worth stepping over someone you care about.
Heh, I suppose that’s all I can hope to ask for.
It’s all you will ask for, right now you’ve been granted too much already.
Pulling the chain from her neck she drops it at his feet. He still hadn’t looked at her, but he did look at the necklace.
You need to take a long hard look around you. Think about the direction your life is going and come back to me when you’ve discovered what it is you really want from it. If you want to be part of my life then you need to accept the role you have now, because you cannot be anything else to me. If you don’t or can’t then fair enough.....but it will mean the end of your employment with me. I can’t surround my children with people who would put them in harm....
I wouldn’t hurt them....
Not directly no, it’s not in your character, but with your attention so blindly on me who’s to say what could happen? You’re bloody good at what you do, don’t throw that away for some half forgotten failed attempt at happiness.
She was twisting the knife, but it needed saying. He needed to realise where he stood so he could move on from there.
I have to catch a flight in the morning....I’ll expect to hear your decision when I return.
Is that an boss command or a Nemi command?
Boss......Nemi doesn’t exist in this world.
Nodding his head slowly as if a weight had been dropped onto his shoulders he exhales through his nose. Not that she’d noticed of course. Rolling over the top rope, she lands on her feet. Gathering her things she shoots a look to her bodyguard. She already knew what he’d do, he’d be apologising before she left in the morning. He wanted happiness, and clinging to the past was his way of trying to grab it. It was strange, after all of the years spent stalking the darkness with Nemesis. He should have realised that the past held nothing worth keeping. Glorified memories and the pain dulled by the years, it was easy to forget the worst and focus entirely on the hallmark moments. He’d find his own happiness eventually, even if Eva did have to fix him up with one of Katrina’s friends. For now all she could do, would be to leave him with his thoughts, and work on finding a new training partner.
You sure you want to do this?
Winding red tape around his wrists the former wrestler, turn bodyguard offers a shrug in reply. Getting back into the wrestling ring had been the furthest thing from his mind when he’d answered the phone this morning, but he never had been very good at saying no to Hikari. Still, it hadn’t taken long for him to remember why he’d been so in love with the sport originally. He was a skilled fighter, trained by and with some of the elite. A poster child for wasted potential, it had been a simple slip that had cost him it all. Biting the tape to sever it he’s struck by a strange moment of déjà vu as his gaze fell to the woman across from him. Eva was seated on the top turnbuckle, her legs crossed as if she’d perched herself in one of her office chairs. Her hands rested on the ropes either side of her, but he knew from experience that it wasn’t out of a need to balance. The woman was too graceful for that, the ring was her playground and she knew how to manipulate it to suit her purpose. Shaking his head to shift the image, as clear now as it was all those years ago, he stretches.
It’s my job to protect you, even if that does mean from yourself.....
Hah! Leon says that.
Hmm. Ready when you are then Nemi.
The sun had finally stagnated, throwing shadows into the twilight. Their brief existence would fade when the darkness came, the monsters and nightmare creatures granted life in the corners and alcoves would be swallowed whole by the night. For Eva it had always taken too long to drive them away, so it made sense that while the rest of her Yorkshire home was in relative darkness, her gym was flooded with light. Something granted otherwise only to rooms her children inhabited. It was one of the things that had always intrigued him about her......for a creature so at home with the darkness, she had moments where she’d do anything in her power to escape it. Springing from her seat she lands without causing the mat to move at all. Whether a testament to her ninja skills or a hint that the mat had very little give he wouldn’t know until it was too late. Though he suspected that either way, he wouldn’t really like the answer.
Do your worst.
Her smirk dared him to do it, while her eyes made it clear she didn’t believe he would. Maybe that was what prompted him to make the first move. Locking up with the former world champ he uses his weight advantage against her. Throwing her into the ropes he catches her eye as she rebounds, though the big boot he’d been attempting to bring her down with never manages to connect. Sliding under him, Eva grabs the leg he’d been standing on, dropping him down hard. Before he can realise what had just happened, she’s back on her feet, a boot to the back of the head his thank you for agreeing to wrestle with her. Taking a few steps back she returns to her stance.
I know you can do better.
Pulling himself to his feet he cracks his neck, if she wanted merciless she’d get it. Running a hand through his hair he was beginning to doubt his sanity for this. She was good, better than he remembered at least....
Nemi, I-
You what? Don’t want to hurt me? Then call it self preservation darling because I can assure you I have no such issue when it comes to causing you harm.
As you wish....
Charging her again he expected the sidestep this time, and countered it with an elbow to the face as she turned on him. Stumbling momentarily Eva was shocked, but not enough to let her guard down. She’d trained for too long, with too many talented people to allow a muscle head to elbow her in the face and make her call it a day. Sweeping his legs out from underneath him again she brings him down to her level. He lands hard on his knees, discovering in the process that the mat was indeed solid. Before he can blink Nemesis is back on the assault, a series of vicious kicks taking him down entirely. His heart jumps into his throat after a particularly hard kick manages to connect with his ribs. A few deep breaths would have been nice, but a luxury he wouldn’t be granted. Eva was stronger than she looked, stronger than he remembered at any rate. It’s why he found himself stunned when she’d dragged him towards the ropes, and not started kicking out at her until his right leg was well and truly tangled in them.
Give up.....
He had to laugh, he really did. Given the predicament he was in, with the knee that had caused his retirement at her mercy. Any sane person would have given in to her, but that’s not what she really wanted. Nemesis liked to make you beg, but she liked to be made to work for it.
Make me...
With a subtle nod of her head, she grabs both top ropes as she jumps onto the turnbuckle. He knew what was coming..... saw from the glimmer in her eye that she’d break him again. As much as she’d changed in recent years the old Nemesis was still lurking just beneath the surface. In a blink she was airborne, but in that same instant he was free. The guard on his boot stays with the ropes as he rolls out of the way. Landing on her feet Eva runs towards him, he counters scooping her up and onto his shoulder. Smacking him in the back of the head, she swings herself around. Narrowly avoiding a DDT he again uses his weight against her, the Powerslam he connects with had more force behind it that he intended to use. Though it doesn’t seem to do much in the way of stopping the relentless energy Eva had. A move like that should have winded her for a good while, but the only indication that it had even hit was a slight heavy breathing as she flips back into her feet. Turning on her heel to face him she assumes a stance he didn’t recognise. She was smiling, though it wasn’t entirely innocent.
How the fuck did that not hurt?
Never said it didn’t.
His expression must’ve said it all because it earns what he was sure was the first genuine smile he’d witnessed from the woman today. Though it’s short lived, either that or the force of her foot colliding with his skull had knocked his short term memory out of him. He hadn’t seen her move, but somehow he was back on the floor. Rolling away from her he crawls for the ropes to pull himself up. He never gets off his knees before a force hits him from behind. Driving a foot into his back his arms are wrenched across his chest and pulled behind him. A modified Straight Jacket ripped out of her move list of a decade ago, he was trapped. Struggling could very well dislocate his arms and her foot in his back was only helping give her extra leverage. Leaning towards him so her mouth was by his ear she tightens her grip on him.
Give up.....
Through clenched teeth he tries to shake his head, tries to connect in some way or throw her off balance. The woman had spent the last few years wrestling small children into car seats, outfits and anything else they decided they wanted no part of at that moment. A grown man she had no problem hurting had no chance.
There are two ways out of this move sweetheart.....
He could feel her breath warm on his neck, sending shivers through him along with the shock of pain every time she increased her hold. It was clouding his mind, dulling the part of him screaming at him to quit.
Either way you break.
It was blunt, matter of a fact but it was correct. If he begged she’d have won in more ways than one, if he didn’t admit defeat she could very well rip his arms out of socket using his own weight to aid her. She’d help patch him up of course but that would put him out of duty as her bodyguard for a while. He couldn’t let that happen....
I give up! You win!
Releasing the hold Eva takes a step away from him. He’d held back, she knew this. Years spent fighting alongside and against the man had made her sure of that.
You held back...
Lying on his back he tries to catch sight of her, though from his position his vision was blurred by the overhead lights. His body ached, still protesting against him as he tried to stretch without really moving too far.
So did you, so I guess were both guilty of that.
Bit of luck too from the look of you. You’re knackered already?
It has been a few years and you’re quicker than I remember...
Yeah well...I’ve had a lot of years to train with people, a lot of chances to learn. If I hadn’t picked anything up by now I’d be tempted to call it a day.
Tossing her water bottle back into the corner she moves to kneel beside him. It was possible she’d done more damage than intended, and while she didn’t really care if she’d hurt him. It would be disappointing to have to find a new training partner so soon. Playing possum was one of the oldest tricks in the game, and one Damien had always been quite skilled in. He’d never been one for rules of competition, or fair fights. So it only really made sense that the second his former mistress was within arm’s reach he’d pounce. Pulling her over, he holds her by her shoulders, throwing her across the ring as if she weighed nothing. She lands badly, the force knocking the air out of her so her rise was slow. Though she did make it back to her feet, and was.....smiling. Eyes ablaze as pair circled each other. Locking up again there’s a power struggle, every move is reversed or evaded. It could have gone on for hours, were it not for a sudden beeping dragging the woman’s attention away from her opponent. A quick glance to the corner had been all it had taken to shift the momentum entirely. With Eva’s attention elsewhere Damien takes the initiative. A heavy boot to the stomach is followed up by a DDT, planting the woman on her head. Clutching her head with both hands and running through every curse word she had the pleasure of knowing, she didn’t realise he’d moved until he was already straddling her. With his hand on her throat her eyes opened, in the old days the “Last Rites” would have been game over for his opponent.
One.....Two.....Three.....Pinfall M’lady.
Well done......first this lifetime that.
Heh....
Trailing his fingers away from her throat, they linger at her chain. She rarely wore jewellery in the ring, injuries were common enough without things able to catch. Even her wedding ring had been removed through fear of destroying it. Medics cared little for sentiment when something was obstructing them after all.
You still have this?
Making a move to grab the pendent away from him, he was quicker. Exhaling as much as she could with him still holding his weight against her she shakes her head.
I cling to things, it’s a terrible habit.....
Depends....
Shifting his weight he lets the chain fall through his fingers. Instead taking the woman’s hand as he sits up and pulls her with him.
On whether it’s really the things you cling to, or the people connected to them.
Don’t suppose it matters either way, its unhealthy. It’s the physical manifestation of collecting skeletons to keep in the closet.
That’s one way of putting it.....It really depends on why though. If you wear the locket I gave you out of any desire to relive that time....
That would be unhealthy. I wear it because I always have...
But why?
Because I’m a strange and complicated creature, and you will not question me!
Running a hand through his dark, limp hair his eyes remain with her, though he makes no effort to move.
I’m off the clock and you’re not holding a whip, forgive me but I don’t have to do shit right now.
He may have been entirely serious in his tone but Eva couldn’t help but laugh. She’d known the man for a long time and could count on one hand the amount of times he’d stood up to her in any way.
When did you find your spine?
When did you lose yours?
Ouch.
So why do you still wear it?
Why is it important?
Because you’re avoiding the issue, that’s usually the clue that its something I should know.
And what are you basing this theory on?
Our relationship? It may not have been entirely conventional but we shared everything a couple would.
Our bodies isn’t really everything.
Mind, heart, soul? Don’t even try to give me that look Nemi. I know how I felt and I know I wasn’t alone in that. We can make believe that we were nothing more complicated than a mutually beneficial fling-
Enough!
Why does it kill you so much to think about it?
It doesn’t kill me! You’ve just romanticised the memory and made it something it wasn’t. I cared, I trusted you, but what happened between us......its dead, its gone, and its never coming back.
........is that why you wear it? To remind yourself that there was a time and place where you were everything? Where there was someone who genuinely put you above everyone else?
Heh, and where did you cook up that one?
I didn’t have to.....I’ve seen it in you. In the wary expression every time your husband doubts you. In every snide dig you two take at each other.....
The look aimed at him could have said many things, none of them good. He carries on regardless though, aware that by doing so he’d end up paying for it.
I watched you break when he outright refused to accept his whore would do anything as low as attack you. In all the years I’ve known you, for every hurdle life has thrown, I have never seen you as afraid....as alone....as you were then.
You spend a lot of time watching me.....
You spend a lot of time vanishing off the radar. It’s my job to come and find you whenever you do. You employ me to ensure the safety of you and yours.
So you see a lot....
I see enough, I make a point not to invade your privacy unless I have to. The point I was trying to make is, you should be his world....
His world is a complicated place.....I feature in it somewhere but right now...I’m not even sure where. I can be pretty damn certain its below her though.
Are they...erm...
Fucking? Odin knows.....though I very much doubt it. She’s the wrong gender for a start...
But you an him? I mean? The twins?
Are his, but again complicated. I’m apparently the exception to the rule.
Pfft, so what’s he do? Turn the light off and aim for a hole? How the fuck does that even work? The man a moron!
He’s not exactly fond of you either darling. Though he is my husband and you should show him some respect.
Looking away from her for the first time since their conversation had began he shakes his head. He was annoyed, his judgement clouded by his own resentment towards a man who had as far as he could see, the perfect life.
Why? What has he done to deserve it?
He makes me happy.
When? When he’s telling you you’re wrong all the time? Every time you two have spoken recently you’ve ended up in a foul mood.....or worse.
Hmm
No Eva! There should be no “hmm”! Look at me....
Whether it was the shock from hearing him use her name, or the rarely heard hint of command to his voice she does as she’s told. Looking up she meets his gaze, her eyes always gave her away. She could only guess what he’d seen in them at that moment. What it was that prompted him to break every rule of their working relationship by leaning in to kiss her. Not that she did much to fight him off at all. Quite the opposite in fact, pulling him closer she deepens the kiss. His fingertips brushed her cheek as he pulled away. Staring deep into her eyes he takes a shaky breath.
I’m sorry....
Shaking her head Eva shrugs as she pulls away from him. Distancing herself right now was for the best, for both of them.
....What did you just feel?
Feel?
It wasn’t a difficult question, not to Eva’s mind. Though Damien seemed to be struggling for words, he never really had been big on those. Pulling herself to her feet, Eva perches herself on the top rope.
Warm.....soft....nice.....
Heh, see.....What you think is there, just isn’t. If you felt anything, and I mean really felt anything you’d know about it. There were no butterflies, no excitement, no desire do it again and see what other thrills you could give me. It was nice, but in this lifetime nice is not good enough.
So you’re holding out for the Disney ending?
I’m not holding out for anything, I have everything I could want with my husband. Why would I throw it away for “nice”?
He makes you miserable!
And I’m sure I upset him at times too. Were both more than capable of being bastards when we want to be, and if the good didn’t outweigh the bad do you really think I’d still be his wife?
Saying nothing he turns his attention to the mat, he could feel her watching him. Slipping off the rope she moves closer. Her fingers toying with the chain on her neck.
Damien.....I wear this because it reminds me of the night you gave it to me. Right before we stepped through the curtain, on what was at that point the biggest night of our lives.....
So you do think of me?
Yes, but not in the way you want me to. I think of what I did to you....How I broke you that night personally and professionally......I don’t remember what we had or what we were to each other. I remember the night I utterly destroyed a friend over a false title. This little chain is my reminder that no matter where you want to be in this world, no matter what is dangled in front of you. Nothing is worth stepping over someone you care about.
Heh, I suppose that’s all I can hope to ask for.
It’s all you will ask for, right now you’ve been granted too much already.
Pulling the chain from her neck she drops it at his feet. He still hadn’t looked at her, but he did look at the necklace.
You need to take a long hard look around you. Think about the direction your life is going and come back to me when you’ve discovered what it is you really want from it. If you want to be part of my life then you need to accept the role you have now, because you cannot be anything else to me. If you don’t or can’t then fair enough.....but it will mean the end of your employment with me. I can’t surround my children with people who would put them in harm....
I wouldn’t hurt them....
Not directly no, it’s not in your character, but with your attention so blindly on me who’s to say what could happen? You’re bloody good at what you do, don’t throw that away for some half forgotten failed attempt at happiness.
She was twisting the knife, but it needed saying. He needed to realise where he stood so he could move on from there.
I have to catch a flight in the morning....I’ll expect to hear your decision when I return.
Is that an boss command or a Nemi command?
Boss......Nemi doesn’t exist in this world.
Nodding his head slowly as if a weight had been dropped onto his shoulders he exhales through his nose. Not that she’d noticed of course. Rolling over the top rope, she lands on her feet. Gathering her things she shoots a look to her bodyguard. She already knew what he’d do, he’d be apologising before she left in the morning. He wanted happiness, and clinging to the past was his way of trying to grab it. It was strange, after all of the years spent stalking the darkness with Nemesis. He should have realised that the past held nothing worth keeping. Glorified memories and the pain dulled by the years, it was easy to forget the worst and focus entirely on the hallmark moments. He’d find his own happiness eventually, even if Eva did have to fix him up with one of Katrina’s friends. For now all she could do, would be to leave him with his thoughts, and work on finding a new training partner.
