The First Age

continued from

Borovsky gave her orders. Go to Siberia he said. She hadn't expected him to let her go, a rather unfruitful event but he had said to go. No other comment. She wasn't exactly looking forward to coming back and his so called assignments under his watchful eye. Nox would have to be on his best behavior.

But it was the threat to Aurora she didn't exactly want to relay, but she supposed she would have to. He left the room with her still sitting on the ground. Aria laid down in a sigh of relief. Every muscle in her body was tense. She stretched as she stood up.

It had been a very long week. Aria wanted to see Lucas. She hadn't seen or spoken to him in all the time she'd been with Borovsky. That was a little bit longer than she liked. But she texted Nox first. Told him they needed to talk and that she was free so he'd stop worrying about her. Even Lucas hadn't been so needy in replies as Nox had been. But then again Lucas didn't know the danger she had been in either.

She walked out of HQ for the first time in weeks and headed for Dueling Dragons where she knew Lucas would be. She could feel him busily working, Sergei was there too, he almost always was. Aria smiled as she opened the door, just feeling Lucas smile as he saw her made her smile grow. She had missed him a lot. "Hey stranger."



Edited by Aria, Feb 9 2015, 02:00 PM.

The last week had been trying. Aria had been missing for most of that time, not responding even to his texts. He had started to get worried, the longer it went, but Nox had told him she was ok. Just busy working. Lucas wasn't fooled. Nox was concerned too. But there was nothing he could do. That either of them could do.

So instead, he threw himself into his work, both at the shop and on Aria's room. It was the only way to deal with the stress he was feeling- well the only healthy way to deal with it. Thankfully, the desire to drink didn't rear its ugly head.

Instead, he'd spend the evening at Nox's place working on the room. Nox would watch some times and they'd talk about nothing important. Sports. Movies. Music. Their tastes were not too similar, but it was enough for conversation. Sometimes Lucas would watch him practice his power. It was pretty cool what he could do. The potential was incredible. His sister, Aurora, hung around from time to time. But she was quiet. It was like she was Nox's opposite in everything. Which he wouldn't have minded, really. Nox could be hard to take at times.

But it was clear that she felt out of place, which struck him as odd. This was her place too. And they were family. Nox might be a dick and monopolize the attention, but they were siblings. Then again, what did that mean? He really had no concept of that kind of relationship, beyond the intellectual understanding. What was considered normal?

All he really knew is that she seemed uncomfortable here. And she kept him at arms length. Which was her right. He never intruded into people's lives when it was clear they didn't want you there.

So he was either at Nox's place or at work, and all the while in the back of his mind, he was thinking of Aria. He waited for her to come back to the land of the living. Nox seemed on edge too. He didn't go into detail but things at their....work? job? Whatever you called it, it had gotten harder. His laughs and jokes were a bit more...forced, the mask he wore strained.

And finally- finally- she came back to him. The bell on his door jingled and he looked up as he always did and at last it was her smiling face that greeted him.

He put down the gun he had been cleaning and went to her, enveloping her in a hug that lifted her off the ground as he spun her about and kissed her hard on the mouth. He didn't care that Sergei and a customer were watching. Let them.

She had come back to him.

Lucas picked her up and kissed and Aria's heart raced as he spun her around. It was not the reaction she was expecting, in reality she hadn't really thought about how he'd react, but she was just as happy to see him. When he finally put her down she kept an arm around his neck and one against his chest and looked up at him. "I should disappear more often with a greeting like that."
She smiled happily up at him then stood on her tip toes and kissed him softly on the lips then whispered. "I missed you too."


The kiss lingered but she took a step back and looked up at him from the flat of her boots with a smile. "New supervisor. He's a bit much, very good and very distrusting of my talents."
She didn't want to say too much in front of the others present. She wrapped her arm around Lucas and stepped back close to him.

She looked up into his blue eyes and almost got lost in them. "I have to ask you something. A favor."


He was smiling down at her. "Name it."


She couldn't keep the smile from her face. He just made everything else go away. "I have to go to Siberia. I need and want you to come along."
She looked down it was not exactly a good reason but she was pretty sure it was going to be necessary. She looked back up and gave him a small smile. "I haven't asked Nox yet, but since it's hunting related he'll come because I need him too. But neither one of us are exactly great flyers. I need your ..."
She wasn't exactly sure how to put it. "Calm center to make it through, we will both need it."
Her smile brightened. "And we get away from Moscow for a few days, nothing really to do after I do what I need. Shouldn't take more than a day to do."
She hoped it wasn't too much to ask. It was not like he didn't have things to do. And for all she knew it was completely possible he couldn't get away.

His arms went around her waist and he pulled her to him. Raising his voice he said, "Looks like you'll be busy the next few days, Sergei. You cool with that?"


Sergei let out a laugh. "Oh God, yes. Please. As long as I don't have watch you two anymore. I just ate, man." Lucas and Sergei both laughed, friends teasing each other.

Aria laughed. "How much you got left today?"
She had no plans, but she wasn't exactly sure her place was empty either. "Not sure if Ashavari is still around my place or not. Haven't exactly been around lately."
Was more of a comment to herself, she did wonder how things were getting on with her makeshift roommate. If she even still was her roommate. She'd have to figure that out one way or the other.

((with lucas))

Lucas reluctantly let her go- it had been a long time and he was afraid that if he turned around she'd disappear. He laughed at himself. Stupid. He turned around walked to his desk and put his stuff away. "You gonna be ok for the rest of the day Sergei?"


He looked up from the customer he was working on. "Yeah, not a problem man. Just enjoy yourself." The customer- a regular- snickered and Lucas couldn't help but laugh. He'd talk to Valentin too, let him know so that he'd help Sergei with the books. Plus, he wanted to see if Sonja and Mya had ended up at the shelter.

When he was done and said his farewells they were off. It was only mildly cold this mid afternoon, but he enjoyed being bundled up outside and walking with her, cheeks suddenly flushed, breath feathering in front of their faces. His voice was casual and relaxed, belying the excitement he felt. "Let's go by Nox's place. I've been working on something and I'd like your opinion."

Aria smiled as the two men and their regular customers had a laugh. It was as their expense, but it was all friendly, there was no real harm in any of it, and she felt no malice from anyone, it was a unique experience to feel the banter of friends. With in the Atharim Aria wasn't usually subjected to much of that.

Though she now had her fair share with Nox. He was all mirth and joy at least on the outside. Inside was a whole other story. Aria enjoyed watching Lucas walk back to his things and back to her, she smiled up at him as they left.

Aria stopped when he mentioned Nox. Since when did Nox and Lucas get along, or work together, the last time she saw them Lucas was up in his face at her apartment. She looked up into his piercing blue eyes, "Since when do you and Nox hang out?"


Lucas laughed. "Oh, we hashed things out I guess. Have at least a few common interests."


Okay then. Aria shook her head and smiled. "I'm a bit surprised, but as long as you aren't trying to kill my partner I think that's a good thing. And if he's not pissing you off the better."
Aria wrapped her arm around Lucas' waist and started walking again.

Aria glanced at her wallet, Nox hadn't texted her back yet. It didn't matter she'd see him soon enough apparently. Aria apologized for being scarce for the past week. She still didn't elaborate more than what she had, but she wanted to make sure he understood it wasn't done on purpose. The less Borovsky knew about her personal life the better. It was bad enough he had asked after Nox and Aurora, she was thankful Lucas hadn't come up in the conversation.

They hopped on the metro and headed towards the red light district where Nox and Aurora kept a warehouse, that apparently belong to the Russian mob. Not exactly a place that was a great place, but Nox had been working his butt of to make it a home for him and his sister. The last time she'd seen it the kitchen had been finished. Not much else had been. After the most important room in the place had been done Nox and Aurora switched to their own priorities, or so Nox said.

Aria and Lucas chatted but mostly Aria just wanted to hold his hand. Borovsky had been relentless, there was no emotion from except hatred and anger, very little understanding and he was not a man to play games with, Aria was tired of all that. She was glad Lucas had time for her.

The walk to the warehouse wasn't very far but the warmth of the train was preferable to the chill in the air, but she enjoyed leaning slightly on Lucas as they walked towards the warehouse. Aria was pretty sure Nox wasn't home and Aurora well, she was not overly fond of her so she wasn't sure there would be a warm welcome. Getting in might prove to be difficult.

Lucas tried to stifle the excitement in his stomach. He'd worked hard over the last few days- really evenings, since he had work and school. But he kept thinking about wanting to surprise Aria. While he was worried about where she was and what was happening, a part of him was glad that she wasn't around so he could surprise her.

Nox had proved as good as his word, getting him stuff if he needed, though it wasn't much. And thankfully, he wasn't the sort to sit around and watch you work pestering you with questions about why you were doing it that way, or why you used that brush or knife instead of something else.

Part of what he did- or rather enjoyed the most about his art- was the getting lost in the work. The world receded into the mist and all that came to exist was this form and beauty that he was creating. Things came to him, flourishes and experiments, that hadn't when he'd been planning.

But he had finished yesterday and was proud of it. It was the best thing he'd ever done, party because of who it was for and why. He wanted this to be Aria's sanctuary.

He led her into the building. "Ok. It was Nox's idea. We wanted you to have a place of your own. Somewhere you could call home. So he set aside the room and I....well. You just have to see."
His heart raced now. It was always like that when you shared your work, especially when it was so personal. And this was one of the most personal things he had done.

He hoped she liked it. He led her to the door and opened it. The faint smell of paint still hung in the air. But he flipped he lights on and showed her.

Aria knew something was up when Lucas pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked Nox's door. Aria recalled fleeting moments on their walk and on the train where Lucas was suppressing his emotions, a blip of excitement would pass through and then he'd calm himself.

At the front door Aria took off her leather trench coat, and removed her weapons, the belt at her hip for the sword and her gun, and the dagger at her wrist and hung them both on the rack. She smiled at Lucas "House rules: No weapons on your person"
It was a rule Nox and Aurora's father had instilled in them. Granted Nox didn't carry weapons anyway, he was a weapon. Aria wasn't exactly sure of Aurora, Aurora was deadly she was sure of that, but she'd not see the woman in action.

Aria wasn't exactly sure she liked Nox and Lucas conspiring together, because that was clearly at least one of their common interests. She didn't say anything about it, at least not yet. She would see what they cooked up. Aria thought a place of her own. Lucas' excitement was no longer contained as he walked to the one door Aria had no idea what it contained. The door was always closed when she was there. She knew where Nox's and Aurora's room where and what everything else in the place was. This one... Lucas opened the door and turned on the lights.

The first thing that hit her was the smell of fresh paint. Wooden shelves lined the wall closest to the door and through the far door was a bathroom, or so she assumed based on the sink and tile she could see.

A wooden desk was built into the shelf and a laptop sat on it. Aria turned towards the bed and saw what Lucas had contributed most definately to the project. A painting spanned the entire length of the wall, a landscape, but differing. More suggestion and half-finished lines then she expected. It was not in the style she was use to in the Vatican. But those empty spaces and suggestions...the mind seemed to fill them in, those missing portions. It felt personal. It was done in cremes and greens and was breathtaking.

Aria moved closer, lost in the work, she wanted to touch it, but the paint was still tacky and she didn't want to leave finger prints. She looked at each depiction with awe. Lucas had made this for her. She turned and saw Lucas watching her. She smiled brightly at him. "I love it."
Aria moved to Lucas wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tip toes to kiss him softly on the lips.

He returned her kiss softly at first, his arms going around her, and then more strongly, pulling her whole body against his. And she could sense the pride in him as well as something else - his desire for her. And this time there was nothing in the way. No fear, no monsters, no fathers, or wounds in the room. Just two people who cared for each other and wanted to show it.

Aria stepped back and smiled up at Lucas, biting her bottom lip and pulled her hands down along his chest until she reached his belt and tugged at his shirt pulling it over his head. The last time she'd seen his tattoo it had overwhelmed her. Her fingers traced along the edge of his tattoo before she put the palm of her hand on his chest and tipped back up to kiss him again, with more passion. There was very little restraint left, she could feel that Lucas felt the same way.

Breathless, Lucas said, "I wanted you from the beginning. But now that I know you..."
He trailed off. There was nothing more to say. At least not with words.

((with lucas))


Edited by Aria, Feb 12 2015, 04:36 PM.

Aurora walked into the warehouse, Aria was around, given her sword and gun hung with her coat by the door. She sighed, it seemed Lucas was done with whatever the two were doing in the room Nox was setting up for Aria. How was she going to live with that girl? She was just so much unlike Nox that it was a complete disaster to her. Aurora was used to Nox's obnoxious nature, his loud voice. She was always in her head. She knew it wasn't her fault, but it was annoying.

The door to Aria's room was closed but she didn't hear anything in the dojo either, and Nox wasn't home his light was off and the door wide open as per usual. Aurora shook her head and went to her room. She wasn't going to let Aria ruin her very good mood. She'd just met a great man. The thought of him made her heart skip a beat.

Nox was fixing up all sorts of things. She hadn't really spent much time, money or effort after she got her room taken care of. She flipped on the light in her room. The lush light grey carpet was neatly kept free of debris and clothes. The pinks and grey comforter on her bed was neatly made. The pillows set properly. Everything was in it's place. All the books stacked neatly on her desk. Her computer was dust free. Everything was in order. The contrast of her brother made her shiver, his room was not finished, he had clothes on the floor and scorch marks on the walls. Sometimes Aurora thought he thought he was the human torch from those dreadful comic books their father let them read.

She closed the door to her room and turned on the white noise machine - the sound of the rain forest trickled through her room as Aurora stripped of her clothes and went to take a long hot shower. Her mind wandered to and from Diego and always landed squarely back on fuming over her brother or Aria.

She was relaxed despite her thoughts, though she tried to focus on her time with Diego as she crawled into bed with a good book. She could hardly read her mind still coursing through the music playing in her head, the poem written for them by some stranger, his voice sounded in her ears as she drifted off to sleep.

****

Aurora woke suddenly. Flashes of dreams faded and she could barely remember what she'd dreamt about. She'd been having nightmares since she'd watched Father Stone murdered in front of the entire organization. It had haunted her. The thought that they could and would hunting her if they knew what she was still terrorized her dreams too.

She knew she wouldn't be able to sleep anymore. She grabbed her wallet and tossed on her robe and slipped into her slippers and headed to the kitchen for a cup of tea.

From the moment that they kissed to the moment Aria had woken up in the dark of her room lying beside Lucas everything was a blur of emotions - his, hers, she got lost in everything.

Lucas was tender and loving and everything it should be. Aria only slightly worried she'd hurt Lucas with her abilities, but they held in check until the very last moment. When everything collided inside her and she couldn't keep the feelings to herself. They washed over and through Lucas, and Aria had to fight not to let them echo back again - to get lost in the ecstasy of their passion.

Time had no meaning, it was just the two of them. Every bit of prior tension released in those moments. The wanting, the need, everything they'd built up since meeting had become a force of nature. It was all consuming.

They had drifted off to sleep in each other's embrace, the new bed was soft and comfortable and only made better by having Lucas lying with her. But the world doesn't stop, and Aria woke. There was no rhyme no reason for her waking, at least nothing she could fathom. Aria watched Lucas sleep but lying in bed was pointless, sleep would not come soon, so she got up. The room was dark, she couldn't see the painting, or the book case. Aria found her jeans and Lucas' t-shirt and pulled them on and left the room with the door a crack. She didn't remember closing it but they must have at one point or another.

Nox's room was still dark, and the room empty, not that he ever closed his door. But she could feel Aurora in her room, and Nox was not around. Aria made her way to the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of water and sat at the bar. Lost in thought and memories, a small happy smile lit her face. She was content in knowing that Lucas was in her room, HER room. They had given her a gift and she wasn't exactly sure she could express what it meant to her. But she had tried with Lucas.

Aria felt Aurora wake and heard her come out to the kitchen. Aria tried to shrink and be unseen. This was still not her house, not her home. At least not yet. Aurora walked bleary eyed to the stove and started a kettle of water to boiling. She looked over at Aria and nearly jumped. "How long have you been there?"


Aria shrugged. "Not long I suppose. Bad dreams?"

It had taken Aurora a bit longer than she'd have liked to recognize that the person sitting at the bar was Aria. It shouldn't surprise her, not really but she was not in the mood. She hadn't been up long, but the water bottle was half drained and she had looked deep in thought, though there was a smile on her face that was rarely there.

But then she asked if she was having bad dreams. Who did she think she was? Aurora stared at Aria, she couldn't believe she had the nerve to get inside her head at this hour. And today she was going to tell her what she thought. Aurora was tired of it all. "How dare you? Who do you think you are? These are MY feelings. What gives you the right to know what I'm feeling."


The look on Aria's face said nothing. She sat there and just watched her with nothing in her eyes. She hid behind a mask just like her brother, except Aria's was worse, at least Nox had some kind of emotion. She sat there and Aurora had no indication of anything. Was she mad, sad, was she surprised or was she enjoying her little triad. Aurora's heat rose, she could feel the anger bubbling in her stomach, feel it quench her skin in fire. Aria's silence and her lack of emotion made the anger worse. Aurora grabbed the power and Aria got off the bar stool and backed up. Still no fear, no emotion but she was afraid she backed away from her. "Stay. Out. Of. My. Head."
Aurora wove a weave of air and threw it at the woman in front of her.