Home Sweet Home

[Lucas]

Lucas slept peacefully, the warmth of Aria's body next to him like a comforting fired. Throughout the night, a part of him always had to be in contact with her, his hand or leg or foot or shoulder. The connection he'd felt with her, there, toward the end, was unlike anything he'd ever experienced in his life. For a moment, he experienced her, saw through her eyes, and the sheer joy of it and of her own happiness, threatened to overwhelm him. A cord had been created, one that he could never have imagined.

The room was toasty when he awoke, so much so that he was surprised to see Aria gone. When had she awakened? It didn't matter. He got up and slipped on his clothes- the carpet was thick and warm- and opened the door....

Onto Nox's sister yelling at Aria and then...she did something! He didn't know what it was.

[Aria]

Aurora's fury ebbed into Aria but Aria grabbed her safety net to keep from being pulled into it. Lucas was asleep in the next room, there was little else to focus on other than her inner-self and even the emptiness of the bubble was little comfort when Aurora embraced her power.

Aria stepped down off of the stool and backed away from Aurora. She never took her eyes from the woman and backed towards where her gun hung by the door. Aria hated godlings for this one fact alone, short of knowing that Aurora could do something there was little she could do about it.

Aria turned to see Lucas open her bedroom door just as Aurora let lost a blast of air that flung Aria into the coat rack behind her. The wind slipped from Aria's lungs in a gush of air as she smashed into the drywall and left a crater in the newly painted wall. Nox was going to be pissed.

Aria could barely see anything, her sword had clattered to the floor with her belt and her gun. The dagger had slid halfway across the room behind her. Aria grabbed the gun and pulled it from from its holster and threw the safety. Aurora stalked towards her. She yelled things that Aria was barely able to comprehend, her ears rang from the crash into the wall. Aurora was tired of her, tired of something, things Aria had no control over.

She blathered on about stealing Nox. Aria tried to think, tried to get a handle on what was going on. Aria only barely remembered Lucas had come out of the room. She spoke softly to Lucas, she knew Aurora could hear. "Please, Lucas, go back inside the room. I can't let you get hurt. If you get hurt, Aurora won't survive my anger."


Aria stood up just as Aurora got her face and wrapped Aria up in a weave of air around her neck and hung her three feet off the ground. Aria had two choices, lose consciousness due to lack of oxygen, or shoot. Aria held the gun close to Aurora's ear and fired into the floor behind the other woman. And then everything went black...

[Aurora]

Aurora watched everything in slow motion. Aria turned to look as her bedroom door opened and Lucas stepped out just as the blast of air threw Aria into the wall behind her. It left the wall behind her a mess as she and the coat rack were ceremoniously dumped on to the ground in a clatter of noise and swishing.

Aria told her friend to back to safety. It made Aurora twitch, she cared more about him than she did about her. He was to be safe, she probably never read him like her. It was not fair.

Aurora rode the fury inside her, she swore at Aria. Called her names. Gave her a piece of her mind that had building since the day she'd met her brother. She accused Aria of stealing Nox away from her. Taking him, keeping him from her, turning him against her. By the time Aurora was on top of Aria, the girl was standing with her gun in her hand. Where had that come from? Aurora blinked as tears shed down her cheeks hot with anger. She wrapped Aria up in air and hung her from it.

What had been slow motion quickly changed pace and everything went faster Aurora couldn't think straight. A loud sound crackled in her left ear. She could feel the concussion of the gun go off next to her. It was a human reaction she flung Aria across the room to crash into the opposite wall and Aurora grabbed her ears...

[Lucas]

The tension in the air was thick, the words Nox's sister flung at Aria seeming to be almost visible in their ferocity. Lucas saw the look on Aria's face and started toward her even as she reached for her gun. His stomach dropped, the realization of what was about to happen hitting him.

And then....Aria floated into the air. Her eyes bulged and it was clear that she was choking. Aurora stood there like a goddess doling out punishment. Aria still held the gun and lifted it to Aurora's head. Lucas screamed- at Aurora? At Aria? Both? He wasn't sure- and the gun went off. The sound was deafening.

Aria flew backwards into the wall and Aurora's hand went to her ears. He didn't see any blood. He ran to Aria's limp form, lifting her head, looking for injuries.

He looked at Aurora, the anger and fear welling up inside him. "Is this what you do? You and your power!?!"
He looked down at Aria, touched her cheek tenderly. She was breathing at least. He didn't know what to do. He looked up again, glaring hate at Aurora.

[Aurora]

The world spun in a million different directions. Aurora grasped at her head, the sound of the gun was loud, she could barely make out what Lucas had said. It took a few moments for the comments to register. The power slid from her grasp. And she fell to her knees her head in her hands. She had done exactly what the Regus had claimed that gods would do.

But it wasn't her fault, it was Aria's, she'd pushed her buttons. It wasn't her fault, she said over and over in her head. What was she doing? The world floated in a bubble and Aurora just wanted to pop it and make it all go away. It had been a perfect day, and now, now she was being tempted to be the monster. That must be the bitch's plan, turn her against her brother so he'd leave her forever.

Aurora got up and walked to her room, she wanted to run, and hide but she walked she wouldn't let them see her like this, not anymore, not again.

Once inside Aurora slammed the door behind her and slid down the door and cried.

It couldn't have been long, but the tears soon dried. Aurora got up and found her wallet, she scanned the contacts list and stopped on Diego's number. It was very late, or very early depending on how you looked at it. She tapped the call button and waited for it to ring. She was afraid, frightened he'd not answer, or he'd hang up on her because it was so late at night. Aurora could only pray.

A tired irritated voice came from the other end. "Hello? Do you know what time it is?"


Aurora dried her eyes, she wished her voice wouldn't crackle with the tears and sadness. "I'm sorry Diego.
Aurora couldn't help the sniffle that paused her words. I'll call back at a decent hour."


"No, no. It's alright, Aurora. I'm up."
His voice warmed. "What's the matter? Are you ok?"


Aurora sighed. "Not really. I just got into a fight with my brother's girlfriend."
And her boyfriend was there. Such a messed up girl! "She's so...."
There really was no words for what she thought of Aria.

She heard a slight chuckle. "How would you like to have breakfast at my house? Let you get away from the chaos."


Aurora smiled despite the tears "I don't want to impose, but that sounds fabulous."
They had just met, but he was a light in the darkness of her day right now. She wanted to spend her day with him.

"It's no imposition. I will send you my address. Come as soon as you can, then."


Aurora nodded and smiled while holding back the tears that were threatening to fall again. "If you are sure. Thank you. I'll be over soon."
Aurora hung up quickly before he changed his mind.

She would leave as soon as she grabbed a shower. She hated staying even a moment longer, but she wasn't about to go see Diego without one. He made her smile and she wanted to keep that thought.

[Aria]

The world was black. But she could breathe, she could hear Lucas yelling at Aurora. She opened her eyes and blinked the tears away. Aurora had left, she could tell that much with her senses, but she couldn't make much else out.

Her head hurt, Aria moved slowly, she could move her fingers, her hands. She tried her feet and her legs. Everything seemed to function. Aria tried to sit up and her head swam. "Ouch, that hurt."


Aria didn't know what was wrong with Aurora. She hadn't said anything out of the ordinary. She hadn't even been prying, not really, she knew Aurora was awake, and not in the greatest of moods, but her anger rose quickly and Aria had little to react to. And then she grabbed the power and the world hurtled past her and Aria was lost in the pain. But it was nothing more than bruises and scratches. It could have been worse.

Aria tried to sit up again and this time she seemed to have her balance back. She looked at Lucas with a wry smile. "I'm okay. I didn't shoot her did I? I lost consciousness as I pulled the trigger."
She was pretty sure everyone was alright.

Aria crawled towards the new hole in the floor. She ran her finger over the hole but the bullet was wedged pretty good into the flooring and cement below. She looked around, there were two holes in the drywall Nox had just finished painting. "Nox is going to be pissed."


Aria laid back on the floor and stared up at the ceiling. "That went well."
Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "I wish I knew what was going on with her."

[Lucas]

Aurora left in a hurry but Lucas had no time for her. She'd be back. Aria was the priority right now. She was breathing- with some difficulty, which sent icicles of rage at Aurora through Lucas- and he lifted her head gently. She had flown a few feet and he had no idea of she was injured.

He tenderly felt at the back of her head and felt a small lump. She seemed to stir and he stopped. At least there were no open wounds, though something could be broken. His heart raced and he thought about his wallet in the other room. He could call for an ambulance.

She might not like it. The vivid image of her last night flashed through his mind, their intimacy. He had seen every part of her. What he had seen had made his heart break and at that moment he was overpowered by the desire to keep her from such things from now on. He could imagine what the nurses and doctors would say, with her scars of gun shots and knife wounds and God knew what else. Very likely they'd want to know details.

Aria's eyes fluttered open and she tried to sit up. After a moment, she was able to. He was heartened by her first question. She really was something. He touched her face tenderly. "No, you didn't shoot her. She might have trouble hearing for a while from the blast, but no."


She made herself get up against his protests and went over to the hole in the floor- as if that mattered. Or Nox's mood.

She laid back down. "I'm not concerned about Aurora and what is up with her- at least not right now. Are you hurt? Is anything broken?"
He wished he knew first aid or what to look for. Barring an obvious break or heavy internal bleeding that left bruising, he had no idea of the signs. "You want me to take you to the hospital?"

[Aria]

Aria could feel the concern and protectiveness radiating from Lucas. She sat up on her elbow and looked over at him with a smile. She laughed softly to herself. She remembered getting flung into stone walls in the tunnels with more impact than Aurora mustered with her. Aria got up and crawled over to Lucas and caressed his cheek. "I'm fine. I'll be sore later, but I'm pretty sure nothing is broken. There is no need for a hospital. I promise."


Aria grinned at Lucas and leaned in and kissed him softly. "I like that you worry about me."
She leaned back and looked at Lucas with an impish grin. "Though you are welcome to look for yourself."


Concern and fear warred with a grin that tried to fight its way to his face. The grin won, and he eyes were playful. "Well, I guess if I must."
His arms snaked under her neck and legs and he lifted her easily. He looked at her and kissed her. Then he carried her back to her room.

Aria wrapped her arms around Lucas and let him take care of her. It was a first for her among many other firsts that night.

[Aurora]

Aurora took a shower. She had intended it to be quick but once the warm water touched her skin she couldn't help but relax. Though her mind was elsewhere, she wasn't exactly sure why she'd called Diego. Or why she agreed to meet with him so soon after just leaving his company. But he felt safe and she was the only thing that mattered to him. It was how he made her feel.

By the time Aurora had finished her shower and pulled on a long cute t-shirt and some leggings with her soft leather boots, Aria and Lucas had adjourned to her room with the door closed. Aurora tried to listen but she couldn't hear a thing, Nox had been true to his word the room was sound proofed. Stupid girl and her over active senses was the last thought she paid them as she walked out the door leaving the warehouse a mess. Teach them right and good!

Aurora hopped the metro and made her way to Diego's house. She sat down in the pre dawn hours on a near empty train and wished the world away.

Continued in To the Lap of Luxury


Edited by Aurora, Feb 24 2015, 02:55 PM.

[Aria]

Lucas had been more than through when looking her over for any injuries. He drifted off to sleep again while Aria lay with her head on his shoulder and her arm and legs draped over him. She idly ran the tips of her finger over the edge of his tattoo tracing it as he drifted. She wasn't exactly tired, but she was too comfortable too move. Lucas was safe, it was the first time in forever she'd felt protected from everything. He couldn't really protect her from her life, but the illusion remained. Lucas was safe, he was home, and he was worth living for.

Aria laid in bed until her internal clock nagged at her, she'd been idle too long, doing nothing, and sleep did not come. She carefully extracted herself from Lucas' embrace and whispered for him to sleep.

She found her clothes again, she'd have to go home and actually change if she was to be presentable for the day. But she'd felt Aurora leave and now they were all alone in the big warehouse. Aria wondered where Nox was when she opened the door to her room and stepped into the pre-dawn hours. The sky was getting lighter, but the sun had yet to peek it's head above the horizon. Nox wasn't home, and that was only mildly concerning. She didn't know what he did on his own time after all.

He hadn't answered her text either. Aria didn't know when Aurora would be home again, so she started to straighten up the mess that had been made. Nox was going to be pissed. She found the broom and sweat the floor of the fallen sheet rock and picked up the coat rack before she busied herself to making breakfast in the kitchen. But she sent Nox a text first. "At your place, spent the night, making breakfast."

Aria found that Nox and Auroras refrigerator was always stocked with food, and to the best of their American upbringing. Aria was not a fancy cook but she could muster up food as needed. The best she was going to muster to day was a vegetable and sausage fritta - simple and easy enough to make for more than one person with limited ingredients. Not that there were limited ingredients, just what Aria actually wanted to use without asking.

Aria moved through their kitchen with ease, Aurora had planned for every eventuality in there.