[IC] Stockholm Syndrome [AllOurPrettySongs & bittersweetsymphonia]

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda shook her head and glanced down, suddenly very interested with the hem of her dowdy skirt.

Truly, she was often struck with the heavy feeling of homesickness. She missed her family and hometown but, as she often reminded herself, her seeing the world for herself was important. Living where she wanted and doing as she pleased was important.

Returning her gaze to Omega, she gave him an almost sad smile - she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her vulnerable. That was the last thing she wanted to come off as in this situation.

"No, they're not," Yolanda replied resolutely. "I'm here by myself. No connections and free as a bird."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas caught sight of the slightly melancholic turn Yolanda's mood had taken and his smile dropped. "You don't seem too happy about that," he commented.

He leaned back on his throne, careful not to upset its architecture, and grinned, attempting to lighten the mood. "Well you're not by yourself anymore." He arched a brow at her, grinning a rather boyish smile. "I'm here and we connect." He chuckled at his own lame attempt at a pick-up line.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda chose to ignore his first comment, not particularly wanting to get into that topic. She bit the inside of her cheek to stop the smile that was threatening to crawl across her face at his second, but only succeeded in making her attempt more obvious.

"Do you really think that would get you anywhere with a woman?" Yolanda asked in incredulously. It would have had more force behind it had it not been said with a light hearted note lingering beneath.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas wanted to comment further but even he wouldn't cross the line Yolanda so clearly drew. He would leave that topic... for now.

He grinned, eyebrows waggling. "It's getting me somewhere with you, right?" In all honesty, Silas wasn't a man who often used such tactics in getting the girls he wanted. They usually came onto him, falling head over heels for the charming demeanor he held himself in. He'd never really taken any of them quite seriously, preferring to just enjoy everything and discover all the pleasure life had to give.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

"Almost definitely," Yolanda nodded, wide eyed and exaggerated seriousness. "One more kind word and I'm yours, minnaar."

She often reverted back to her native tongue of Afrikaans, the words feeling more suited for her mouth than English. She was nowhere near unskilled in English; she couldn't have got the job had she been. But she sometimes struggled with pronouncing longer words in a way that could be understood.

Yolanda decided to enlighten Omega this time. "That means lover, by the way."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas was a person who, more often than not, didn't understand sarcasm. When he did understand it, he chooses to ignore it. So, he clapped his hands together and grinned as widely as he could. "Wonderful then! I'm sure we can make do with that bench for a quick bang, no?" he gestured to the bench Yolonda was sat at, already imagining what he could do. He wouldn't dare make good on his fantasies though. In a different situation maybe, but not at the moment.

Still, it wouldn't stop him from teasing as best as he could. "Yeah," he groaned out. "Keep talking dirty to me, love."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda felt her cheeks heat in a blush at the man's blatant language. She averted her gaze and wished at that moment, more than ever, that she had tanned skin. Honestly, she was verging on being an albino, despite her dark eyes.

"You're an idiot, you know that, right?" Yolanda murmured. She was surprised that she was already feeling comfortable enough to gently insult the individual that had taken her hostage. Stockholm Syndrome indeed, she thought sarcastically.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas grinned at Yolanda's tainted cheeks and the way she'd lightly insulted him. He was right in his assumption. He was getting somewhere with Yolanda, which was surprising considering the situation they were in. He faintly heard one of Alpha's orders in their intercom. Apparently, they'd started making demands, and the police - afraid of having hostages murdered - had started complying.

"Looks like we're going to have a bit of lunch to go with our talk," he announced, wanting Yolanda privy to the fact. He flashed her another one of his signature smiles and said, "I know we just met and all, but would you go on a date with me?"

Still awaiting an answer, Silas stood and moved towards the entrance of the safe. He'd began to hear footsteps approaching. It was probably Beta with their food they'd ask of the police.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda took a deep breath to collect herself before giving him a smirk. "How could I say no to that offer?" She stood and slowly walked over to him, hands by her sides as an automatic submissive action.

No matter how friendly he was, he was still both a criminal and her captor. No use in getting too friendly with someone who will ultimately go to prison. She laughed a little to herself as she thought, 'why are all the good guys criminals or taken?'

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Beta peeked around the corner with a pizza box in her hands. Silas took it from her with a small smile, letting his hand linger over hers a moment longer. "Thank you," he husked out.

Beta, seemingly unaffacted with Silas' charms, ripped her hand out from his grasp and said, "Four slices of pizza." She nodded towards the box before briskly walking away, the heels of her boots clicking with the tiles the only sound for a while.

When he was sure she'd gone, Silas released a bark of laughter. "Never thought I'd see the day," he muttered, turning back to Yolanda and holding the box up. "Pizza date?" He walked back inside the confines of the safe and pulled out more stacks of money to create a table this time. He set the box atop it and opened it. Four cheezy slices of Hawaiian style pizza. He gestured to the food and looked Yolanda in the eyes as he said, "Lady's choice."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda's eyebrows arched at the exchange before adopting a look of exaggerated hurt. "Are you cheating on me already? We've only been together for fifteen minutes."

She didn't know why but she felt that she could joke with Omega as if they had been friends for years. She chastised herself internally; don't get friendly. Yolanda already knew his type, charming and resistant to monogamy. The type she normally despised.

She schooled her expression into stoicism before looking over the slices of pizza for a moment. She reached out and hovered her hand over the slices, unsure of which one to pick. Finally settling on one of the larger pieces, she picked it up and took a bite.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

After Yolanda took her piece, Silas chose his, lifting the slice up and watching the melyed cheese cling to the other slices. He took a bite, savouring the flavour. "You know you're the only one I love, my dear," he said, mouth still half-full.

He swallowed and did nothing to hide his growing amusement. Yolanda was speaking to him as though he was an old friend, as if they weren't in a situation that might change or end their lives. It felt oddly refreshing. Yolanda was a good person with a good job. She was, in every sense of the word, out of his league. Then again, when had that ever stopped him.

Finishing up his slice, he asked, "What do you normally do for fun? I mean, other than getting kidnapped by a hunk and eating pizza."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda pulled a face at his declaration of love laced with half eaten pizza. He really was an idiot but, admittedly, endearing. She opted to sit down on the floor this time, cross legged and relaxed.

She shrugged. "Nothing, really. I usually hang out by the tattoo parlor on Jeffeson Street. I always think, today is the day I'll get another tattoo, but I'm indecisive about what to get and where to get it."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"A tattoo parlor, huh?" Silas mused, raking his eyes over Yolanda's seated form. "Do you think I'll be seeing your tattoos sometime soon?"

Silas thought back to a part of what Yolanda had said. "Jefferson Street? Do you mean Randy's shop?" Randy was Slanie's boyfriend and a good friend of Silas. He owned one of the tattoo parlors at Jefferson Street, a place that Silas visited often. He'd never seen Yolanda there though, so it might not have been the shop she frequented.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda rolled her eyes and shook her head. "I don't think so. It covers my whole back and we're no where near the point of me taking my shirt off."

She stood up and pulled her blouse forward so the thin fabric was pressed tightly against her skin. The dark lines were more visible now, beginning at the base of her neck and ending just above her tailbone. "That's as good as I can offer you." She turned back to him after a few moments and shrugged again.

"Maybe. I never really paid attention to the name of the place. I just like to watch people come and go. The first timers are the most interesting; they're either terrified or really excited. Both, sometimes."

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas watched as Yolanda showed off her tattoo, and found himself tantalized by the amount of skin shown. Clearing his throat, he let his eyes wander over the ink painted on Yolanda's back. The scene seemed grotesque, not something that Silas expected a woman like Yolanda to have.

Soon enough, Yolanda faced him again. He smirked, catching Yolanda's eyes as he spoke, "I'm sure I'll see the rest soon enough."

He shook his head, smiling rather affectionately. "That's oddly adorable."

[AllOurPrettySongs]

"Aren't we optimistic," Yolanda replied dryly. She noticed his expression of slight confusion when she turned back and gave him a smile. "I hope you weren't expecting it to be a portrait of a unicorn or some shit."

Yolanda finished her pizza before sitting down again, this time beside Omega. She maintained a comfortable distance between the two. "I myself am oddly adorable." She stated sarcastically.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

Silas nodded. "Of course," he announced proudly. He wasn't one to fail in his conquests, and he had a feeling Yolanda would be his best one yet.

"That is true," he muttered, inching a bit closer to Yolanda. "What's this?" He gestured to how she'd sat down beside him. "Don't you know the third date rule?" he teased.

[AllOurPrettySongs]

Yolanda looked at him, crossing her arms. "Well, you see, I work here. I can pretty much sit wherever I want," She arched her eyebrows. "And you do the complete opposite of working here. Just be happy that I'm sitting somewhat close."

She smirked a little and un-crossed her arms to resume the position she had been in when first entering the vault, leaning forwards with forearms supporting her weight against her knees. It was bad for her back, she knew, but it was a long ago formed habit that didn't seem to be going away.

[bittersweetsymphonia]

"Oh, I am happy," Silas announced, a smirk adorning his features. "Ecstatic, even. It's not every day I can sit next to such a lovely lady."

He stretched hus arms, feeling them cramp from not being used in so long. Deciding to trust his companion a little bit, he let the gun rest against the wall. He grinned as he peeked out the safe door. "What's taking them so long?" He was actually getting a bit worried. If things went sour, people might get hurt. Colin might get hurt. Slanie might get hurt. And there was a small chance Yolanda might be too.