“Hi there,” he said quietly, approaching the edge.
“Hi,” she responded, pursing her lips.
He halted in front of her, not sure how to say what he wanted to say. Instead, he only gazed at her: she was frowning a little, her look alert and heavy, her hair flying wildly in the wind.
“Did you come here to stare at me like an idiot?” she said crossly after a minute. “Because you can go do it to someone else. Try Dave, he must have missed you all these days,” she added in a voice that tasted like sweet poison.
“Stop it.” Chad shook his head, stepping closer and reaching out for her. She raised her eyebrows when he closed his hands around her waist, pulling her closer. “I came here to see you. I missed you all these days,” he said, pressing his forehead against hers.
She scoffed, pulling away from him.
“What are you talking about?? You don’t think I’ve been sitting here waiting for your return all this time, do you?” she asked irritably, though in fact it was exactly what she had been doing all these days, waiting for him to get back any moment, somewhere deep in her soul. For everything to get back to her the way it was the last two weeks. Now she only thought, Could have called at least, asshole.
He looked down at her, his eyes a bit angry.
“Well, maybe you weren’t, but I was. I had to sort things out at work, but at least I can admit that all I think about is you,” he said with challenge.
She pushed him in the chest, stepping around, and made a few steps away from him.
“Okay, I see you misunderstood everything that happened,” she said, making an effort to keep her voice even and sure.
Chad turned to her, his eyebrows arching. He waited for her to continue with an expression of theatrical politeness, his hands in the pockets, his hair flying in the wind. It was still long, but not the way it used to be, Pain realized suddenly. Did he cut it? She grunted disappointedly in her mind. Out loud she said,
“Maybe there was something between us, but there isn’t anymore. I’m not playing any games, Chad, I’m different. It’s not gonna work out for us the way I need it, so let’s just forget about the whole thing, okay?” She hoped she sounded like she intended to, impassive and confident. There was no reason for him to know that she needed him so much, she couldn’t let herself even think about it.
Chad stared at her in disbelief, trying to understand where all this came from.
“But I’m not playing any games, either. I’m serious about you!” He stepped closer, and she made a step back. And then he realized. “O-o-oh,” he breathed out. “I see.”
“What do you see?” she snapped.
He smiled ruefully, shaking his head.
“What are you afraid of, Pain?”
She froze, gazing back at him. Surprise and confusion made her look so much younger, he thought.
“What are you talking about?” she retorted.
“You’re afraid of me. Of starting anything with me, more precisely. Am I wrong?” He narrowed his eyes, watching the expression on her face waver. He could see her chest rise and fall heavily as she struggled to stay calm, but it was boiling inside her. He had pushed the right button, and now she was at least sincerely mad at him.
“Afraid?” she finally drawled the word with menace, her voice rising. “I’m not ‘afraid’, Chad!” she mimicked his voice, grimacing. “I’m scared to death!” She threw up her hands and dropped them in despair. “I’m scared of being ready to die a dozen times for somebody I’ve known for a couple of weeks! I’m scared to death of losing you in one of those battles, because I don’t know how I would live after that! I’ve never been afraid of death; I was ready for it to come after me or my friends. With you it’s all so different. I don’t want to even think about losing you, living without you now! And when the Beasts took you away, I never thought of getting out of there alive. I just wanted to go there and kill Eugene or at least be there with you, because there was no point in living for me anymore! I’m still scared to death to let you out of my sight for more than fifteen minutes, because I got used so much to watching out for you, to being sure you’re alright, always wondering if anything happened to you while I’m not around! And now I feel like hanging in the air, not knowing how to live further and what to do next, because you’re going to get back to your life, and I’m no part of it! So if you’re asking if I’m afraid, no! But I’m terrified! I’m terrified of how I’m going to live now, and of what has become of me in just a few days!” she spilled it all in one furious, desperate tirade and took a ragged breath, stifling back a sob. Stupid, stupid! She met his gaze across the roof – he just stared at her all this time with his face changing from surprised to shocked and then to bewildered.
“But I’m not going anywhere, Pain!” he almost shouted. “I could never leave you now, don’t you see anything?? I would be around even if you didn’t want me! You could despise me or mock me all the time, for all I care! Because all I think about is you, and I could never get away from you even if I wanted to!” he said in bitter exasperation. He saw the expression on her face, angry and dazed at the same time, and wondered if he had said too much. She was breathing hard, and her hands were shaking.
He swore under his breath, coming up to her in three long strides and weaving his arms around her. Her body felt like marble once again, and he remembered that first time he held her in the cellar under the barn: held her and kissed her, thinking that it was their one and only time together, that maybe not all of them, but he certainly would die soon. And now everything was so much simpler, it almost left him lightheaded. Why couldn’t she see it, too?? Why couldn’t she just let things happen?
She tipped her head back and looked up at him, her eyes amber in the sunlight.
“But you said you hated all this…” she almost whispered. “You said after what you had seen, you didn’t want any part of this life for all the money in the world.” She dropped her gaze, and he wondered if she was trying to hide the glistening in her eyes.
“Yes, I did say that,” he responded soothingly, running a hand through her hair. “I was mad then, seeing you all covered in blood, seeing all those bodies around, I didn’t see the point of all that. But this is who you are, and you’re used to it. So maybe I should try to live like this, too, since I can’t leave you anyway. I never thought I’d feel something like this for somebody. I just didn’t believe there would be someone for me. And then you show up and turn everything upside down, but at the same time it’s like everything’s clicking right into its place, like I finally belong somewhere. With you it’s like living in the whole other world, and I could never see it the same. Now I see the point of joining you – it’s you. I would do anything just to stay with you after what we’ve been through,” he said, leaning his face into her hair, burying himself there. She smelled of citrus shampoo and something else, too – something deep, floral and sweet, tickling his nerves slightly.
She stirred in his embrace, sliding her hands under his vest and hugging him. His back felt hot against her always cool palms – hot and smooth and broad and perfect, firm with thick muscles under the skin. She felt like she could stay like this forever.
“So you’ll stay?” she asked weakly.
Chad hugged her closer, crushing her against his chest.
“Of course,” he breathed out. “Of course, I’ll stay.”
They stood there silently for a minute, captured in this moment of pure serenity, captured in each other. Neither of them wanted to break the silence, but there were too many questions on Pain’s mind, and since she was never able to keep anything inside her head, eventually she was the first to speak.
“What about your work? You seem to love it…”
“I’ve talked to my boss, and he’s okay with me working part-time,” Chad answered, drawing back to look at her. “By the way, what I came to tell you is that I’ve given up the apartment. I think I don’t need it anymore.” He shrugged, looking past her at the city.
“You did?” she asked, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “There’s a free room next to ours.”
“Yeah. And guess who’ll train me?” he asked with excitement.
She only stared back at him, seeming taken aback.
“Who?” she asked finally with a frown.
“Skull.”
Her eyes fluttered wide open.
“Skull?? He never trains anybody! And… I thought… Wait, did you tell him that we told you??” Suspicion flooded her face at these words.
“Yeah, why not?” Chad answered with a carefree shrug.
He saw horror in her eyes for the first time then, and her fingers dug into his arms.
“Are you suicidal or something??” she exclaimed. “Do you even realize how he could have reacted to this??”
Chad only shrugged again.
“He wasn’t mad, and he agreed to train me.”
She shook her head, making her hair spill around his bare forearms.
“Anyway, I thought you’d want to be trained by me,” she said, her voice getting low and unsure at the end. She looked down at his collarbones again.
Chad could feel the resentment in her words almost tangible. She really loved her job, he realized. She loved it all, no matter how hard, horrible it could be sometimes. She wanted to show it all to him, just like a little girl that takes you to her room and shows all the toys with so much affection, as if they were real treasures. She wanted to be the one who would guide him through the beginning, who would be his best example. And she was, no matter what the others could do, she had always been the best in his eyes, not even for her fighting skills, but for her spirit and loyalty and bravery. But how could he explain to her that every time he saw her fight, he felt like they were from different planets? Like he could never be even half as good, and he didn’t want her to see him struggle, didn’t want to disappoint her. He needed someone who would understand or at least wouldn’t talk much about it, and he believed Skull was the one.
He ducked his head, looking into her eyes – she seemed frustrated, avoiding his direct gaze. His voice sounded hoarse when he answered.
“Of course, I want to be trained by you! It’s just…” he hesitated, searching for the right words. “You can’t be around babysitting me all the time. You have your work, and I have a lot to catch up with. So I figured it would be better if I used Skull’s help, since he’s a half-breed and still manages it great. Can’t you see that I’m just like him, without any training up until now?? I’m not like those other rookies. I don’t know a thing in all this. I can’t even use my power properly!” he said, hearing despair break through in high-pitched notes, and hid his face in her hair again.
“You’re not like a half-breed! You’re gonna be great at it, I know!” she objected fervently.
“How do you know?” he asked, his voice muffled by the silky black strands of her hair.
“Because I can see it!” He felt her shrug. “I’ve trained a lot of our boys. I can see the power you have, the way you fought there on the roof, the way you attacked Eugene. It’s in your blood, everything that Michael had, you just need some practice. And you handle it amazingly! Did you know the first time I landed, I had two dislocations?”
He pulled back, looking at her grinning face.
“No,” he laughed soundlessly. “You really think so?” he asked after a moment.
“Sure.” She shrugged again.
Something had changed in her, he thought. Something had left her eyes – that vulnerability and the defense over it – and slipped away. It was the first time she looked at him without any strain, her look affectionate and open, as her fingers traced patterns on his back idly. He felt like he would need some time to get used to it, this new version of her. How many were there, anyway? He smiled and bent his head, pressing his lips to hers softly. It was strangely familiar, the shape of her lips, every curve of her body against him, as if they did it their whole lives, and the surreal idea of them meeting only a few weeks ago was just a dream.
She entwined her arms around his neck and stretched up on her toes, feeling his hair tickle her skin and unable to resist running a hand through it. Only somehow it felt different now, a little uncomfortable. She drew back, her face suspicious, and then looked down.
“You’re doing it again,” she noted, raising her look back up. “You’re hovering.”
Chad looked surprised for a moment – and then he laughed, sliding his hands around her waist again. He didn’t lower; instead, he tightened his grip on her and picked her up.
“Then hover with me, what else can I say?”
She felt his lips smile against hers as he bent down to kiss her again. Nothing mattered anymore: there was only light and warmth and the sensation of his arms around her and his lips on hers. One more feeling added as he deepened the kiss – the air around them began to seethe again, the way it did in that cellar, the way it seethed as they fought in her room a couple of weeks ago. It was only now that she realized that it was because of him. All that trapped energy, waiting to break free. All the power that was seeking escape even as he didn’t know anything about it.
The city was shimmering far away, its skyscrapers glistening in the sun, the silver waters of the East River reflecting its shining. They stood there, on the edge, Pain encircled in his arms, and watched the sunny New York silently. And now everything that happened just a week ago seemed so far away and so unreal, and the only important thing was that everybody they cared about was alright. They were finally free of all worries and fears, and she felt stronger than ever in his arms.
Epilogue
It was close to midnight, and the New York streets were shrouded in a warm, humid haze. A young man stood leaning up against the wall in a shadow, away from the nearest street lamp. The street was deserted this time of night, though it probably wasn’t very lively even at daytime, since it was the outskirts of Brooklyn. A single long building was visible on the horizon, its dark shape dotted with glowing yellow windows here and there.
The man took a deep, contented breath, throwing his head back as if to gaze at the stars. He watched the dark sky peacefully with a half-smile playing at his mouth, his brown eyes bright with anticipation. A black limo was idling by the curb, its tail lights glowing scarlet in the darkness. A minute passed, and suddenly a ghostly silhouette showed up above him. The young man followed it to the ground with a dreamy gaze. A slim figure stood in front of him – a crooked smile gleamed, and a silver voice broke the silence:
“Hello, Dave.”
She stepped closer to him, turning out to be a girl about eighteen years old, short and delicate.
“Elena,” he inclined his head, reaching out to take her slender white palm.
She stood in front of him, smiling. Dave liked everything about her: the way her short chestnut-colored hair was disarrayed; the way her big brown eyes searched his face, always as if surprised; the way her pale skin reflected the moonlight in which they were enveloped now. He looked her over – sneakers, denim shorts, and a pink strapless top – and smiled.
“Am I ever gonna get used to seeing you without gear?” he murmured, pulling her closer. She smiled at him, lacing her fingers through his, and he stepped to the car. “Let’s go,” he said, and his eyes sparkled in anticipation of the weekend ahead.
She followed him as he opened the door for her.
“So, where do you want to go?”
She paused for a moment, thinking over his question.
“Somewhere away from the city…?” she finally answered, her voice unsure.
Dave laughed.
“Sounds like a great plan to me!” And he got inside after her, closing the door.
*
As soon as their car was out of sight, a relieved sigh sounded from the shadows, and a man stepped out from around the corner, carrying a limp body of a boy with him. He was dressed in military clothes, only they were black instead of camo; and instead of a gun, there was a taser on his be
lt. The man swiftly crossed the narrow road and stopped by a black Jeep that was parked right next to the spot where the limo was idling just a moment ago. In less than a minute, the boy was loaded into the backseat, his weapons belt ripped off, his gear checked for any other weapons. The man tied up the boy’s hands and feet and took a radio from his belt.
“Hawk Four to Base,” he said into the radio as he got into the driver’s seat.
“Hawk Four, this is Base, report,” a voice cracked through the line.
“One bird down, over.”
“What took so long?”
The man frowned at the question, but replied in a second.
“There were complications. Continue the hunt?”
“Negative, return to Nest.”
“Roger, out,” the man responded, starting the car.
He gave only one indifferent glance to the unconscious boy in the backseat before he pressed the gas pedal. The Jeep started smoothly in the opposite direction from where the limo had disappeared, and soon the street was empty and peaceful again…
Now available at Amazon:
Sky Ghosts: Marco
It was hate at first sight. She broke chairs on his head, and in return he broke her bones.
When Marco joined the New York Sky Ghosts Headquarters, he expected trouble. What he didn't expect was a girl half his size that would turn his life into hell. They spilled too much of each other's blood for any hope for reconciliation. How did it happen that they ended up spilling blood for each other on a daily basis?
Sky Ghosts: Marco is the second book in the Sky Ghosts series, a young adult urban fantasy adventure for the fans of sword fighting, martial arts, and supernatural powers. If you liked Sky Ghosts: All for One, this short story is a must-read before the next part of the trilogy.
Sky Ghosts: All for One (Young Adult Urban Fantasy Adventure) (Sky Ghosts Series Book 1) Page 38
