CONTAINS CONTENT:
Language, sensuality.
{{Unedited}}
Marielle had walked away when she heard Austin calling to her. His voice was overwhelming and all-consuming in her head, sometimes. -Come to me… he’d begged and she’d started toward him. But why? To what end? Marille knew that if she went to him and actually made it to the piano and the bench that nothing appropriate could come from their interactions. Not now. He was too raw, and as much as every fiber of her wanted to care for him, reassure him, hold him, and love him, she knew that none of that would solve their problem; she was in love with him, and couldn’t be with him, end story. He had to continue to be molded, and formed, and forced into whatever direction he was going to go in… and while that didn’t come without support, that support couldn’t come from her, and most of his decisions had to be on his own.
She tore away from the building, instructing her feet to keep moving regardless of what she felt or thought, she could feel his mind honing in on memories of the two of them the last time they both sat at the piano and spoke to one another deeply- secret thoughts and desires still on the corners of their minds.
Nothing that she’d ever known in her entire life made any sense now, and for a moment, as she put her hand to the wall, leaned over, and cried silently, she had to remind herself not to be mad at him; not to give into the bitterness and the desire to wish she’d never met Austin Rancor, become close with him, or allowed him entrance to any part of her. Her mind moved over those feelings anyways. I wish I’d never let him take me out. I remember how attracted I was to him, even then, that first night over cinnamon lattes near the pier. I wish I hadn’t let him take me to the opera that night to see Madame Butterfly. Why did I? Why couldn’t I resist him? Why? Why couldn’t I just say no? She crumbled, she knew the answer. Because as he’d said in her mind, and now out loud, you’re not Vincent’s wife… you’re mine.
She was. She’d been Austin’s wife everywhere else. Vincent had mistaken the and wrongly believed that she needed help everywhere else, too. Maybe in some dimensions, she did. They were endless, and assuredly somewhere she was Austin’s slave, or maybe they were both killers together. Maybe their relationship was just tumultuous, or maybe somewhere they resembled the characters of a dark romance novel, him pursuing and capturing, her giving in eventually. But in most? They were in love, and good together.
Why was she so drawn to him from moment one? Why couldn’t she stop herself? It was simple; they were meant to be.
Her powers regarding him made no sense, and all the sense in the entire universe. Kingdom had said it, they were in love. That’s it. There was no magic. He was completely open to her and what she could do, and she wanted to be completely open to him. So even though she was more held back, that was the mustard seed that she needed to be able to move through him and create this bond.
And what did that say about Vincent? Vincent had lied to her so many times, and she had to admit, she’d lied back a bit… that was the problem, wasn’t it? There were walls, barriers.
But wasn’t that the way that relationships were supposed to be? Not lies. No one should lie. But, shouldn’t you be allowed to have some kind of secrets? Some kind of barriers? So, you could at least feel like you were… your own? Not in a prison of minds?
It was true that she didn’t always hear every thought that Austin had, and vice versa. There was some secrecy and control. She’d found that she could close herself off to him sometimes, and he’d found the same.
What he’d said earlier in the kitchen had scared her and reminded her of exactly why this decision was best, even if it was only for now.
He’d asked her when they’d come back from New York, If I come back in a year or two and you’re not with Vincent? Can we try this again?
Oh… how she wanted to say yes. Now she was marrying Vincent. So, the likelihood? No.
She felt a hand on her left shoulder and looked up into Hazal’s two-toned eyes. No words necessary. Hazal enveloped her in an intimate, sisterly embrace. “I’ll take care of it,” she whispered to Marielle, brushing through her hair, then pulled away, and went to Austin.
“Thank you,” Marielle said under her breath. Then she turned, having not even realized that Sabine had accompanied her, and was staring at Marielle, now.
“For what it’s worth… I know how difficult this must all be for you,” Sabine said, twisting her hands, awkwardly. “And I’m sorry.”
“I don’t really feel like I have anyone who can truly understand what this is like,” she explained.
“Except him,” she gestured with her head toward the office building. “Which is why it’s impossible. You want someone to understand, but the only person who can understand is the very person that you want to get away from,” Sabine said.
Marielle smiled softly, which melted into sadness as she nodded. “I often forget how well you know me,” she chuckled.
Sabine took a brave step forward. “I don’t need to know you, or be a reader to see what is happening or how this has affected you. I might not have liked it, or agreed with some of your actions…” she sighed and looked off, “-yes, we all know about your affair,” she explained. Marielle swallowed. “I didn’t sleep with him,” she said, meekly as she stared at the ground.
Sabine’s gaze hardened on Marielle. “You don’t think that what you two have isn’t a tad more dangerous and intimate than that?” Marielle let out a long, ragged breath. “What is closeness, Marielle? Is it an exact act? I don’t exactly have an exact, scientific act when I am with John,” she said, boldly, straightening her spine. “It’s amazing, but it’s not exactly the dictionary definition or scientific explanation of what love making is.”
Marielle quirked an interested brow. “Uh… forgive me for sounding bold but what is that like?” she dared.
Sabine glared for a moment, but the left corner of her mouth crept up in a salaciously smirk. “Hot,” she replied, bluntly. The two couldn’t help but giggle. “Unlike anything that I’ve ever experienced. And yes, it is satisfying and what it is, is fine and we’re okay with it.” That’s all that she’d say about that. She took another step toward Marielle, and for a moment Marielle almost recoiled, she was so used to Sabine being hardened to her. “My point is, you don’t exactly need that. I think that you know it, and I think that you’re lying to yourself. Were you physical? No. Were you physically inside of him, causing him intense pleasure and emotional security, release, and God even knows what else that does to him?”
“A lot,” Marielle admitted with a heavy, distant sigh.
There was a short pause. “Answer me a question,” Sabine said. Marielle met eyes with her. That was fair, she’d just asked Sabine a personal question, after all. “Why did you choose Vincent?”
Marielle’s eyes glittered and she looked off toward the courtyard, her gaze framing the fountain. “I can’t answer you that question, right now.” Marielle swallowed hard and looked down. “I have an answer deep within myself, but even I won’t allow it to be unlocked and truly examine it,” she explained. Sabine narrowed her eyes at Marielle for a moment. “I love him.” She looked out again at the courtyard, and Sabine followed her gaze. “My story with him isn’t over, and…” She twisted her fingers together nervously. “I don’t know when it will be, but I am prepared for life with him if it’s that. He has changed a lot for me, and wants to do it again,” she explained.
Sabine nodded, looked at her askance, and Marielle was shocked when Sabine lifted a hand and cupped Marielle’s cheek. “Listen to me, because I understand that we have not had the best relationship in the last few years. You were once my very best friend, sister, even… I’m cold, and I understand. I lost Jeanine-,” Marielle’s eyes watered at the mention of her name. “We both did, really, didn’t we?” Marielle nodded through tears, and Sabine sighed, her eyes like she was realizing for the first time that this had affected Marielle and probably Han more deeply than she’d ever considered. “Morgan and Peter’s deaths caused me to lose any ounce of compassion that was left for this life and this world.” She took in a ragged breath like what she was about to say was like trying to hold back a dragon with no weapons and barely any strength. “I love you, Marielle.” Marielle couldn’t stop the sob that broke through her throat. “And I will not always be able to say it, or show it to you, and I’m sorry. I have had to deal with my feelings regarding you and Morgan, how you played a part in his death even though I forgive you, and how I was jealous of you for having him first…Now, Vincent.” Marielle narrowed her eyes at Sabine. She nodded slowly, “Yes, I see the resemblance. It brought up a lot of things for me that I wasn’t ready to deal with.” Marielle sighed. There was a pause as Sabine dropped her hand. “I’ve found peace in my husband. I just want you to find peace, too even if we are never friends the way we were before, and even if you know that I can’t express to you what I did in college, and before.”
Marielle nodded, biting back her tears. “Thank you.”
Sabine gave her a strong nod, and straightened as if putting her mask back on. “I know you never meant to hurt me. Which is why I forgive you,” Sabine explained, referring to Morgan.
“I didn’t. I never wanted to hurt you. When he told me that he wanted you I only encouraged him, told him to run to you.”
“I know. He told me.” She shifted, awkwardly. “Thank you for helping me choose my dress and supporting us.”
“I never would have missed it for the world.”
“I know. That’s why you’re a good friend… I on the other hand, am pretty shitty.” Marielle chuckled at this. “I’m not exactly the best at helping for wedding stuff, but if Vincent is your decision, and you need help, I’ll do my best.” She stepped away and went on to the office building, following Hazal.
“Sabine?” Sabine turned and looked at her over her left shoulder. “I love you, too.”
Sabine tried her hardest to show no emotion, but Marielle saw the flicker of a smile in her eyes as she turned and continued in.
At two o’clock as Vincent had requested, everyone met in the training room to a surprise… one of the training droids was standing in the middle of the room at attention, immobile. Klara was tinkering, and she turned to Vincent – who was standing up in the balcony area as he had during training – and gave him a strong nod.
Vincent turned to the room, looking everyone over and taking note. Marielle, Austin, Jamie, Han, Wei Ling, Klara, Tayane, Sabine, Chamber, John.
“Thank you all for coming, everyone who is here,” he began.
After he said this, the door opened a final time and Hazal came in. “Sorry, I’m late.”
Vincent nodded. Then gestured to the single droid in the middle of the room. “Klara has been wanting to show this off since we met,” he said with a chuckle, as he dropped his hand. “We’re calling this KAY/O… He was a droid that broke down at the beginning of the year, and Klara worked on him until he became, how do we say?” He looked to Klara.
“We can call him a toaster,” Klara chuckled.
Vincent smiled at her, and shook his head adoringly. “He’s programed to be on our side. Consider him an extra team member.”
“What?” Austin said, looking the machine over.
-You feel less scared… Marielle whispered, interrupting his thoughts.
-I had some time alone with Hazal.
She smiled softly. She wanted him to be better and feel better, so this was nice.
“He’s programmed to respond to us as team members, and them as enemies.”
“What can he do?” John asked, curiously tipping his head at the shiny, metal man.
“Klara, activate him,” Vincent said, gesturing.
Klara put a code into a panel on KAY/O’s back, and closed it, stepping back. “Activate,” she said aloud.
The machine began to move, tilting his head back a little and then turning to look at Klara. “Hello,” he said in a deep, rich voice. “What do you require of me?”
“Will you train with us?” she asked.
He seemed to pause, processing her words. There was a faint whirring sound coming from somewhere within him. “I will train with you.”
Klara smiled and nodded to Vincent. “Ready to go.”
“KAY/O, can you show them cannister?” Vincent asked.
The android turned toward the opposite wall. “Let’s do this,” he said. Then he pulled something shiny from his left arm above the wrist that looked like an extra-large oval pill, and hurled it at the wall. “Flash!” He hurled it, sending it soaring and it blinded everyone in the room, momentarily.
“Yo, we all have abilities like that, though.” Jamie said.
Vincent smiled and lifted an open palm at KAY/O. “Suppressing!” He said, and something began to pulse around them.
With each pulse, everyone could feel their abilities grow weaker; no one was able to use them. It lasted for what felt like forever, before it lessened.
Marielle gently rubbed the side of her head as a dull ache subsided. The look on Austin’s face told her that the same had happened to him. That going to be annoying for the other side.
Vincent snapped, and was suddenly among them again. “Okay, let’s do our best to get through a few runs before six o’clock. At that point, everyone go home, eat well, rest, and be here no later than seven AM tomorrow.”
Vincent gave them instructions about how the trial run was going to go, and Austin found himself drowning out his voice. –Are we going to be able to work together?
Marielle shifted her weight awkwardly. -I’m okay working with you. Are you okay working with me?
-Yes.
Marielle noted that his answers to her for the last twenty-four hours were shorter and concise and didn’t often carry with them any begging, or pleading his case anymore. It was like he’d accepted what was going to happen, and this started to scare her.
-Don’t… he growled. -You made up your mind. Stick with it. Let me accept it.
-I’m not unhappy with my decision. I just…
-You love me. She was silent. -Marielle, I’m just trying to get through the next part, okay? Right now, everything for me is one foot in front of the other; the way that they teach you in training. And that is what you learn. You put one foot in front of the other until you make headway, or you’re dead. Get to the next day, the next night, the next hour, the next minute… the next second…. So, that’s what I’m doing. Either which way, right now, I’m with you. You’re still my best friend, even if you never want to speak to me again because of the complications.
She glanced down at his hand and the ring. -You’re also still married to me.
-And I will be for a while. Get over it. Let me get over it, too. The only other time in my life that I ever wore a ring, I took it off too quickly. I was too eager to get back to my life of debauchery. Let me have this in peace.
Their voices were escalating. -Thought you weren’t in love with Erin.
-I didn’t know what love was, Marielle. I was a kid. I was stupid, and full of hope and desire, and I thought that I could do it. Well, I couldn’t. I’ve told you this before. At the time, I liked her enough to let her call me husband without any real understanding of what that word meant. But I couldn’t let go of the rest of my shit, and my habits.
-Why?
“Because I was scared!” He boomed out loud, turning to her. The entire room went silent and glared at them. “I was… scared!” he continued, no concern for who was staring now. Marielle glanced around at the others uncomfortably, but he’d turned and gotten into her face. “I was an immature boy who thought that I’d found a forever toy, and wasn’t ready to give up my habits, yet.” His voice became more sedate. “I was scared. I was scared of leaving my world and my addictions behind for anyone.” He paused. “I’m not scared anymore.” He finished the rest in silence. -Now, I’m only scared of losing you.
All eyes flicked to Vincent, who sighed. “Okay, you two… time out,” he said with a shake of his head. He turned to Austin, stepping closer. “What did I say?”
Austin straightened his back, forcing himself to ignore Marielle now. “Sir?”
“What did I just say?”
Austin smirked and raised an eyebrow at him, “You said that for this trial run, the spike was going to me, and that I was going to run it down between the two columns there, which we’re pretending is the entrance to the courtyard as that’s the correct place to plant, sir.”
Marielle felt her chest drop; she didn’t know any of what Vincent had said. -Something else we learn in training, Marielle… how to listen to two conversations at once.
Vincent approached Marielle with his wrists behind his back, “Is that what I said, Marielle?”
Marielle nodded slowly, revealing that she didn’t actually know.
Vincent rubbed the space between his nose, removed his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on. “If you two are going to distract each other, this is not going to go well,” he sighed.
“I’m sorry,” Marielle whispered. “I’m so sorry, let’s start again?”
Vincent narrowed his eyes at her briefly, and she could feel the heartbreak radiating off him as he processed the situation. “Marielle, if something like this happens over there, there is no starting again. You don’t get a second round. You don’t overtime. You don’t get to switch sides.” He said gently.
She nodded.
Vincent stood for a moment, and repeated what he’d been saying – which Austin had been correct about.
Austin swallowed and looked away, but keeping his arm pressed against his leg, he lifted the fingertips on his right hand, reaching out for her. He beckoned her to respond in any way as he found her left hand in his mind’s eye, and stroked down the bone on the back of her palm that connected to her pointer finger, then down to the tip before going back up again to her wrist, where he gently wrapped his fingers around it and squeezed.
Her breath snagged in her chest, and her skin broke out into gooseflesh. She threw him a look that said, knock it off.
But they both knew that she wanted more.
He obeyed, more curious whether he could still touch her without actually touching her, or not. Oh, how he wanted to do more. He refrained.
Vincent watched them closely as they did their first trial run, keeping his focus on Austin and Marielle. Despite whatever it was that they just fought about, both joined forces as if in an unchoreographed dance. They spun, whirled, linked arms, moved one another out of the way of death to take the bullet for one another, or shoot the bot that nearly made their mark. His mind wandered.
***
Austin slammed his back against Vincent, panting as he fumbled, reloading his gun. “God, who’s attacking!” he shouted over the gunfire.
Vincent was holding Tour De Force and he looked over his left shoulder at Austin. “Mon Dieu! I have no idea!”
Liam growled from across the hall. “It’s Kingdom!”
“What the hell do they want?” Austin hissed, looking down at his gun as he finished the reload.
Marielle popped around the corner with her pistol, and Austin leaned forward, grabbing her forearm, yanking her against him, and planting a large kiss on her mouth before letting her go. She turned and nodded, looking to the eerie, empty, hall. “I think that they want me,” she whispered.
“They can die,” Austin growled, holding his pistol at perfect aiming level and practicing amazing trigger control. “No one lays a finger on you, except me. No one gets to be your master except me, do you understand, Masin?” He huffed possessively.
Vincent’s jaw tensed as he looked back at Liam. Liam rolled his eyes.
“I’ve understood that for a while,” she replied, tightly. “Not like I’d just let them.”
An explosion rocketed through the halls, and the building shook. Marielle slammed into the wall. “Marielle!” Austin pulled her up against him, again. “Vincent are we clear?”
Vincent was watching the opposite side of the hall as he leaned against Austin. “Oui.”
“Alright, this way,” Liam growled making a large sweeping motion with his hand slicing through the air.
The three followed him down the hall slowly until they made a left toward the stairwell, but they nearly tripped over Cory who was knelt with his gun drawn. “What’s going on?” he asked, popping up.
Hazal was right behind him, gun out, but other hand swirling in shadow, ready to send out Prowlers.
“I can’t explain it, but I think they’re after me,” Marielle explained. “I just barely got away when the attack began- It was all centered around that part of the building.”
“Like hell that’s happening,” Cory growled, shooting a glance at Austin.
Austin nodded.
“No one’s taking you, Marielle,” Hazal said sweetly.
Vincent looked down at Marielle who was between him and Austin and swallowed hard, “That won’t happen, we’ll die first,” he assured.
Marielle smiled at all four of them, adoringly. “My boys,” she purred, taking and squeezing Hazal’s hand, knowing how scared he was for her.
Austin’s face turned five shades of red. “Don’t push me, Masin,” Austin growled tightly, reaching down and taking firm hold of her wrist and yanking her toward him.
“Austin, your dickhead is showing,” Liam said, glowering at him.
All three of the others silently cracked up, shaking their heads and leaning against the wall as Liam ordered them to the stairwell, and down. “Stay together. Austin first,” Liam said, gesturing.
He tried to move Vincent in behind him, but Austin shook his head and pulled Marielle in behind him. “She’s not leaving me.” Liam gestured exaggeratedly as if saying be my guest, and Marielle fell in behind Austin, giving Liam a sorrowful look.
Liam understood, as did the others. It wasn’t her fault, Austin was just getting worse and worse, and their wedding was only weeks away. Everyone was concerned, no one was saying too much. Anytime anyone did, it fell on deaf ears, and Vincent was afraid that pushing Marielle too far in one direction or another would cause everything to tumble in a way that he didn’t want. He wanted the stars to align, for God’s blessing, and for the universe to tell him yes. Or, so he thought.
Austin and Marielle pushed down the staircase only to be met with five different black clad Kingdom goons ready for action.
***
Vincent didn’t remember quite how the fight went, or how they conquered everyone attacking, but what he did remember was almost identical to what he was seeing right now.
Austin and Marielle instinctively grabbed one another’s wrists, and used the weight of their bodies to whirl each other so they could throw kicks at the onslaught of bots. The room was in chaos, but the chaos was good, so instead of watching everyone else work, Vincent focused in on the two of them.
The spike was already planted, and at one point Austin went so far as to push her head out of the way of a bullet and simultaneously shoot the bot that was trying to take her down. At another, Marielle ducked under his arm to kill one that was coming for him. At another point, they did something like that together, shooting over each other’s shoulders; Chamber took out the one that they didn’t see. Austin and Marielle were like water droplets moving and merging as they ran down a window and Vincent watched them intently, then slowly nodded. This was good for their mission, of course… but…
He clapped his hands, cutting off his own train of thought.
Wei Ling blasted one of the final bots with her shotgun, and stood at attention. Vincent looked over all of them, their sweaty, panting bodies and nodded. “You all look like a team,” he explained. “We have to have a difficult conversation, and this is one that Liam told me to make sure that we had,” Vincent explained. He looked down at Wei Ling. “You understand what this is, right?” Wei Ling nodded. “Then go to the empty office on floor two and wait while I send them to you.”
She left.
He addressed everyone else. “Liam explained to me that in these events there have been times where you’ve all taken votes. Wei Ling has enough pressure on her now, being the last healer on this team, she’ll have a difficult time should someone sleep…” he said sleep to be kind. He meant die. “So, each one of you is going to go in and tell her your vote for who to revive. Remember, she can only do that about once an hour. Yes, you can vote for yourself. This is a blind vote, so you will not be judged based on what you said.” Vincent adjusted his tie. “Am I understood?” he asked. His tattoos glimmered as his gaze swept across all of them. Everyone nodded. “Okay, then first, John and Sabine go,” he said. “One at a time, give her your vote.” The two nodded, squeezed hands, and left. “Everyone else, go for water, bathroom breaks. I’ll find you all and send you in.”
Everyone dispersed.
Marielle greedily chugged a bottle of water from the fridge, her body glistening from their action in the training room. Her scent was intoxicating to Austin, who dipped into the fridge right after she came out. Both were silent.
He also drank a bottle down and leaned on the closed fridge, quietly thinking for a moment. “You know that…” he paused, considering whether he should keep going or not. “You know that anything could happen tomorrow, right?” he asked. “Any of us could…sleep. That includes me…or you,” he explained, his gaze finding hers. “Is there anything that you want me to know?”
“You already know all of it.”
“Are you sure?”
-That I love you. That I needed more time. That I can’t handle your past right now. That you would have made me blissfully happy. That I am obsessed with you beyond any ability to express with words, or thought. I was drawn to you from almost moment one. That I wanted to make love to you during our affair so badly that it physically hurt. She stepped toward him, “That I won’t change my mind.” She swallowed, knowing that he heard all of what the small voice in her head said, too. “You?”
-That I came here to possess you, and hurt you. That I’ve fallen madly in love with you instead. That I knew it early on, maybe that night that we were here while they tortured Vincent. That I know that you’re making a mistake. That I’ll accept it anyway, because I love you. That I’ll never stop loving you. That I have a long, growing list of nevers that will also be never agains because you are literally the only person that I can experience them with. That none of this matters, because you love Vincent and that’s okay. I’m just broken hearted. He breathed out shakily, “That I understand.”
“Do you?” she breathed, trying to keep the tears at bay.
He looked down into his water. “Yeah,” he said quietly. There was a pause. “I’ll let you go, darling,” he whispered, forcing a soft smile through tears. “I’ll let you go.” He smiled wanly at her again.
She approached him slowly, leaned in, and gently kissed his cheek. “Thank you,” she whispered as she backed away.
He closed his eyes, savoring the touch and wishing that she would have gone for his mouth instead. That kiss was a kiss for a friend and nothing more. She had definitely chosen.
Chamber popped into the kitchen, “Marielle,” he said gesturing with his head for her to go to Wei Ling. She left, sadly. Chamber nodded at Austin as he went to the fridge and got a beer out for himself. “Tonight?” he asked.
Austin’s eyes briefly widened as if realizing what day it was. “It’s Friday, yeah. Let’s have our last beer,” he said.
Chamber smiled at him, gripping his forearm for a moment. “I’ll see you tonight, mon amie.”
“See you, brother.”
A few minutes later, Vincent came in and gestured Austin to the elevator. “Your turn.”
“I don’t think anybody needs my vote, I’m sure everyone knows.”
Vincent stroked his bottom lip for a moment. “Do it anyway.”
Austin conceded and went to Wei Ling in silence. She was waiting for him, twisting her hands together nervously in the corner as she looked out the window that also looked down into the courtyard. It was only a few offices down from his and Marielle’s.
When he sat on the couch, she was quiet for a moment. It didn’t take him long to realize that silent tears were streaming down her face. “You three have put me in a difficult position,” she began.
Austin narrowed his eyes. “Why?”
“You both love her.” She looked back at him. “And I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I’m going to anyways… Vincent voted for the two of them.” Austin shook his head incredulously. Of course he had. He let out a ragged sigh. “So, who is your vote, Austin Rancor? Remember that I can only consider, I cannot promise. Votes have been cast, yes, but someone could still sleep before the highest vote, and my revive will go to them if it can be done.”
Austin swallowed hard. “Revive them,” he whispered.
“You would die for them?”
He paused, then nodded. “Yes,” he whispered.
“Why?” she asked and the look in her eyes was wild, disbelieving; almost as if she had to understand him. She rushed to his side and knelt, searching his eyes in a way that almost made Austin uncomfortable. “Why?” she demanded.
He lightly shrugged. “She loves him.”
Wei Ling looked away, processing something deeply. “You believe she loves Vincent more than you?”
“She must, right? Because she chose him.” He stood. “If I die, I die. Let me sleep. Revive them.” He got up and started for the door before he felt it could get anymore awkward. He paused.
“You want to know who she voted for…” He swallowed hard, his hand on the knob. His nostrils flared and his jaw tensed. “You.” Wei Ling turned, making it clear that she’d say no more. She’d already said enough as it was.
With rimmed eyes, Austin let himself out.
***
The highway was quiet that night; almost as if it was warning them; silence before the storm… death is coming. Beware.
Austin took a swig off his beer and turned to Chamber who was looking over the railing, dangling his beer bottle again like he desperately wanted to drop it just to watch it shatter on the pavement below. He chuckled. “You’re such a teenager.”
“I am younger than you.”
“That’s right, I always forget about that,” Austin said with a chuckle. He stretched back, lengthening his spine, and cracked his neck on both sides. “What is it… four years?”
“You just turned thirty-three?” Austin nodded. “I’ll be thirty in March.”
Austin stood, dusted his jeans off, and picked up his beer bottle going to stand next to Chamber. “One more time?” he asked.
Chamber smirked and took a step back from the ledge, and as they had done before, they both pulled their arms back, waited to be sure that no one was driving, tossed the bottles into the air over the highway, drew their arm guns, and fired. Austin’s clearly hit after Chamber’s this time. “That win was definitely you,” he said, drawing the gun back into his arm.
Chamber grinned and watched the brown glass glitter down to the pavement below. There was silence for a few moments. “Well, mon amie, this little game that we’ve played, this cat and mouse…it’s been fun. Seven years, oui?”
“Yeah, seven years. Boy, I’ve really wasted my time with you,” Austin said with a chuckle.
“It’s been a fun game… But I think in the end, we’ve both lost,” Chamber said extending his hand to Austin.
“Marielle?” Chamber nodded. Austin stared into nothing for a moment. “I had her for a moment,” he sighed under his breath.
Chamber made a small, inarticulate sound. “So did I,” he whispered distantly, obviously remembering his time with another one of her doubles.
Austin rolled his lips in, and clasped Chamber’s hand, giving him a firm handshake. Austin pulled him in for an actual hug as before, and gave him a few hard pats on the back. “Don’t get dead tomorrow. I’ll have no one to follow if ISO doesn’t work out,” he said with a sigh.
“And if you die, I’ll have no fun being followed.”
They pulled back. “If I wasn’t clear, your little trick worked,” he explained, gesturing to his right arm with his head. “I’m not going to kill you.”
“And if it wasn’t clear…I’d kill you in a heartbeat,” Chamber deadpanned. Both grinned. “I hate you,” he grumbled.
Austin flashed him that prize winning smile. “I hate you, too.” Austin replied, giving Chamber’s arm and good, hard punch. He barely reacted.
This was brothers for life.
“Okay, screw off, now,” Chamber said, dismissively as he waved a hand in the air like Austin was a fly that had been buzzing around his head for too long.
“Alright, see you later, dipshit.” Austin zipped his jacket up. “But seriously?” Chamber looked over to him. “Don’t die, brother.” He walked to the steps, down and toward his car.
Chamber watched the highway for a few moments, deeply in thought, stroking his bottom lip. He was worried.
***
Marielle came into the bedroom, noting that Vincent was stuffing a piece of paper into an envelope. He was doing it calmly, cooly, but something about it unnerved her.
“What’s that about, love?”
“Just tying up some loose ends,” he said with a smile. Then he licked the back, sealing it, ensuring that she couldn’t tamper with it without him knowing. She had a feeling that he was going to hide it before she could see it, anyway.
“I… I made some potato and leek soup, love,” she said meekly as she leaned on the door. “I grated a little cheese on top of yours the way that I know you like,” she said with a soft smile that was most definitely forced. She was tapping the doorframe nervously.
He patted the bed next to him, and she crawled up the mattress and sat next to him with her ankles crossed, but her knees drawn up. “Vincent?” she said quietly. “I’m so scared.”
“I know, love.” He draped an arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him. “Do you have anything that you need to talk about or get off of your chest?”
She did, but it had been hard enough to say anything to Austin. She didn’t want to have to do it with Vincent, too. She shook her head, tears filling her eyes. “You never answered me earlier. You got Liam’s information, didn’t you? The information that the Scions of Hourglass paid you for?”
Vincent let out a long, exasperated sigh. “I did. It was the whole reason that I went there before I left. I had it in my hands. Then I left it behind,” he whispered. “I hid it away in a safe place.”
“Where?” She asked.
He smiled at her, softly. “It’s in the courtyard. I decided that I didn’t need it. I didn’t want to betray anyone else, I just wanted to leave.” He was telling the truth. He sighed, heavily. “Anything else, love?” He asked stroking her short hair back.
“I don’t know. I… I … Vincent, I just love you, and I want to be taken away from here when this is over.”
He nodded, and stood, sweeping her into his arms and slowly taking her to the kitchen where he gently set her down, and finished serving them their soup and bread.
He lit a candle and they sat and ate. During the meal, he watched her intently, giving her soft, sad smiles. She did the same, trying not to cry. It wasn’t working. She felt her eyes water over and over and managed to look away each time and hide the actual crying.
He scooted his chair up next to her. “Hey,” he said. She tried to hide her face. “Hey,” he repeated more tenderly, and then he was leaning toward her face, gently pressing the tip of his nose into her temple, as his fingertips found her thigh above her knee and lovingly squeezed. “Marielle, you don’t have to hide your tears from me. This soup is delicious, and I love you so very much.”
She shook her head. “I am so scared.”
“Do you trust me?”
She paused. This was hard to answer because she didn’t actually trust him as much as she trusted Austin. “I don’t know what I trust right now. All that I know is that I want to be with you, and I want to finish this.”
“You understand that if we finish it, that doesn’t mean that it’s over, right?” he asked, and his lips were grazing her temple as he tried to soothe and calm her. She was certain that he could hear and maybe even feel the pounding of her heart.
He nipped at her flesh near her left eye with gentle kisses. “Yes, I understand that. But Cory will be dead, and as he said, he hasn’t seen a world where he exists.”
“Doesn’t mean that he doesn’t, somewhere. But he won’t have the same kind of vendetta that this Cory does, if he does exist.” Vincent explained. “Marielle, Tu es ma vie,” he breathed. “Je vais faire de toi ma femme.” His kisses were becoming deeper, heavier. They were stinging more with each press, creating heat down her cheeks and radiating on her lips as they begged for his. “Tu es une de mes seules faiblesses.”
She turned to him, putting her lips to his. “Tu es ma faiblesse, Vincent,” she said, tears finally overtaking her.
He stood, took their half-eaten plates of soup and homemade bread to the sink, and again took her into his arms, back to the bedroom, laying her out on the mattress.
She looked so small to him as she gazed up with eyes full of tears and lightly squirmed, knowing what was coming.
He crawled over her, looking down into her glassy eyes. “What do you want, Marielle? Tell me, and I will do my best to make it happen.”
“Don’t die tomorrow?” She peeped, brokenly.
He sighed, hanging his head between his shoulders. “If I die tomorrow, it will be protecting you. I’ve already told you; I can’t lose you again.” She nodded, and looked down. “What do you want right now?”
“Make love to me, and make me believe that you’ll be here tomorrow night,” she said, voice breaking with nearly every word.
“I can try,” he said with a soft, sad smile.
“What are you planning?” she asked through stifled cries.
He cupped her cheek, pushing a diminutive smile her way. “I’m planning to marry you in March,” he explained. “Where shall I start, love?” She was frozen, but after a moment, she tearfully pointed to her mouth, brushing her own fully lips, and he leaned in and pressed his lips there before melting into a greedy kiss. After he’d satisfied his mouth, he paused. “Where shall I go next, love?” She guided his head to her neck where he proceeded to gently bite, and breathe hot air onto her skin. “I am so in love with you, Masin,” he heaved, pressing his body firmly against hers.
“But will you be here tomorrow night?” she asked, shaking. “Or are you a liar?”
He stopped for a moment, fisting the blanket on the bed. “You already know the answer to that.”
She fell apart, but welcomed him into her body where she lost herself completely.
***
Austin stared at his own reflection and placed it on top of his head; a crown. He felt dumb, so he removed it. But after a moment turning it in his hands, he positioned it back on his head again. “Not pleasure god… Ice King,” he whispered. He glanced at the computer where her images still scrolled as a screensaver and wondered how he’d lost something so good. He knew, but that didn’t keep his mind from trying to figure it out anyway.
She had been the best thing that had ever happened to him, and she wasn’t his. She never had been, had she? It didn’t matter anymore. He had to make sure that she was happy, and if that meant sacrifice tomorrow… so be it.