Nephriel

The Ties that Bind

Anna finally got a good look at him when he turned to face her and felt the familiar flutter in her chest at the sight of him without his shirt... some heat rising to her cheeks. Why did he have to affect her so much? She rubbed the back of her neck, "We need to talk..." Such a lame way to start off this discussion. She knew he wouldn't want to, knew he'd probably try to blow her off again, but she wasn't going to let him... Not this time. She'd run from him, hadn't given him a chance to explain... but nothing was ever going to change if the pattern just kept going. This was it, this was the now or never. Either they faced this, tried to fix it... Or Anna had to find a way to make herself feel whole again. She took a breath, steeling herself and deciding that she WAS doing this. She took on a fighting stance, "Since you refuse to listen, we're going to blow off steam first... You don't have a choice. I don't care if you have to throw me to the mat 50 times, bust my lip, or dislocate my arm... We're doing this... and when we're done, you are GOING to listen." She'd refined her fighting style since she'd last seen him, she wasn't nearly as strong or as skilled as he was anymore but maybe the change in the way she fought would buy her some time. He wouldn't be expecting it... She knew he wouldn't want to fight her when he was angry at her, or at least back when he'd cared he hadn't wanted to... Now, she wasn't sure what he'd do but if he tried to refuse she was going to throw the first punch anyway. ~*~ Seb chuckled softly but his mood sobered when he saw Serena's mood plummet. He slid his arms around her, "It's going to be fine. They can't go on like this forever. Something has to give and when it does they'll move past this... even if it's in opposing directions. Anna adores you, no way would she ever be upset with you or envious... She'll be happy for both of us, I'm sure." As far as Gunner went, he wasn't sure... Marks had been pushing them away for a while now so he wasn't sure what his friend thought. He knew it was probably because Gunner didn't want Seb reading his aura... or his thoughts. "Come on, let's head to class."

The Ties that Bind

Anna had woken up, gotten dressed in one of her nicer workout outfits, yanking her hair up into a quick ponytail. She didn't worry with make-up, she rarely did anymore, and grabbed a jacket. After downing a bottle of water, the dry mouth and minor headache faded and she pulled her shift Guarding the girl's dorm. She'd kept her mind busy focusing on her duties, avoiding any thought of what she'd have to do later or what had happened last evening. Then, without letting herself think about it, she'd headed to the gym to confront Gunner. She hadn't expected to find him surrounded by four Guardians. She leaned against the wall to watch him fight. He'd gotten better, far better, than he'd been before and he was tearing through the others like it was easy. Granted, they had less experience and hadn't trained with the Elites for three years, so she had to give them that credit. It just served to prove her right... He'd done better, shined brighter, without having her around to slow him down. She pushed away the pain that had been lingering just under the surface along with a suffocating anxiety all day, and waited till the group broke to take a break. One of the other Guardians glanced up and she was surprised to see it was one of their old classmates. He grinned, "Ross, Marks was just handing us our asses. Maybe you can slow him down?" Anna gave a small smile, uncomfortable. "I doubt it, I've been living the quiet life guarding a temporary ward for two years. I'm rusty." He waved her off, "No way, I'm sure you trained in your time away." She had, but she'd done so on her own with only one other Guardian to train with and she'd often handed him his ass but he'd been just as far behind her as these guys were behind Gunner. She shrugged, "Some, look... I need to talk to Guardian Marks. You guys mind?" The guy shrugged, "Sure, but first show us what you've got." Anna shifted awkwardly, fighting with Gunner had always tested her endurance... her speed... her skill. She'd stayed neck and neck with him for years but she knew when she was out classed. She might be able to hold her own longer than they had, fend him off and work defense, but he'd wear her down in no time. "Maybe later..." He laughed, "Suit yourself... Come on guys." As they walked off Anna glanced up at Gunner and pushed a stray strand of hair from her face, "Guardian Marks..." ~*~ Seb groaned and turned his face to hers, "Morning sunshine..." He kissed her and chuckled softly as she groaned and muttered about punches vs. wine. "You're used to taking punches, give you some time and maybe you'll be able to hold your own with wine." He watched her slip from the bed and down some advil and sighed, "I have a class to teach later today..." He wrapped his arms around her, "Is my fiance going to be able to occupy her time till I'm done?" As she asked him about Anna and Gunner, Seb grimaced. "I guess I'll have to get the two of them together somehow and break it to them. I'm not looking forward to it." He got dressed, struggling with his tie as always before he glanced at Serena. "We should grab breakfast in the cafeteria, it'll do you some good."

The Ties that Bind

As Rae sat back, breaking the kiss and stopping her from doing something she might regret Anna took a calming breath. He was right, she'd had a little too much to drink and she knew it. As he spoke she felt her head spin a little, had Rae just admitted he liked her. Her emotions jumbled into knots again... a mixture between guilt for almost using him as a stepping stone to getting over Gunner and for betraying Gunner... At least the memory of Gunner anyway. She couldn't keep dying inside over him though, could she? She smiled some as Rae mentioned that he'd like to do this again but he wasn't planning on doing anything more till she was sober enough to decide if all of this is what she actually wanted. She'd never really taken Rae for the kind to not jump at opportunity, he always had before... leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. So, why was he treating her differently? Maybe he really meant it and he did actually like her... So, despite the ache in her heart she nodded. "Tomorrow then... but you're right... Maybe I should go home." She slipped off his lap and glanced at the movie screen behind them, "I guess you still didn't get to see that movie." ~*~ Once they'd gotten back to Academy, Anna slipped from Rae's car. He probably would have walked her to her room but she'd needed the time to think... reflect. Plus, she didn't need to run into Gunner with Rae at her side while she was half drunk. That would cause a world more problems in one night than she was looking to endure. So, with a polite thank you for everything and a warm hug that he definitely deserved for being such a gentleman after she'd thrown herself at him, she headed towards her room. On the way her mind spun with everything that had happened, she had no idea how to handle everything... not to mention her own emotions. What was the right thing to do? See Rae while her heart was still aching after Gunner... Leave things unresolved between the two of them? She climbed into her shower and then collapsed onto her bed... No, she couldn't leave things unresolved and be anywhere near alright with seeing Rae. She closed her eyes and turned onto her side, tomorrow... Tomorrow she'd go and see Gunner and make him listen. Then, maybe she could try and move on... at least casually... with someone else. With the alcohol still buzzing around in her brain... Anna passed out and didn't wake until her shift the next morning. ~*~ Seb smiled, her Guardian status was something that constantly worried him... Her putting herself into danger for his sake wasn't something he enjoyed the thought of. He kissed her lightly, "If there was a way to have you all to myself, to run off with you to the human world without getting dragged back... I'd do it." He sighed, "For now, just be whatever you want to be... Anyone who disapproves can jump off a bridge." As the night wore on Seb decided he should probably get Serena home as he was starting to get a buzz himself. He wrapped an arm around her and guided her back to their vehicle and slipped inside. He pulled her up against his chest and smiled at the sight of the ring on her finger. "Take a nap, Serena. I'll wake you when we get back to Academy..." He brushed her hair gently from her face, and enjoyed the feel of her resting against them as they drove home. Once there, he helped her up and into bed and curled up next to her. "Good night, my beautiful fiance... You're going to have a devil of a hangover tomorrow."

The Ties that Bind

She knew she was ruining the fun they'd been having, but she was doing all she could not to give way to her depression. It wasn't Rae's fault or his choice of movie really... it was facing the fact that all of this was her fault and she couldn't fix it. She had laughed at his words but it had been half hearted, and as he kept checking on her she offered him small smiles that she hoped were reassuring. Soon, she felt his arm drift around her to pull her lightly against him. She didn't pull away, she knew he was just trying to comfort her. In a way it did, she felt less like she needed to hide her hurt. Rae obviously was seeing her struggling. As they sat there quietly, Anna wiped away a tear and then felt Rae's fingers on her chin. As he tilted her face to his, her heart raced and her mind gratefully went blank. When his lips found hers Anna made a small sound of surprise and her hands went up. There was a moment when she was stuck between pushing him away and kissing him back before the dam broke inside her. Her her hand slipped around the back of his neck and she was kissing him back. It started off slow, full of unsure hesitation but soon intensified. She turned her body a bit more so that she was facing him, before giving in and straddling his lap. She knew it was wrong, knew she would regret it... but tonight she just wanted to forget... to feel something other than the pain of lonliness. Still, Gunner's face floated behind her eyelids... taunting her. She opened her eyes, taking in Rae's face as she broke from the kiss... desperately trying to banish Gunner from her heart. Her hands slid up his chest and she kissed him again... slowly, trying to lose herself in the sensation of his lips on hers. The graze of his fangs on her lower lip and her need to feel better made the scar on her neck itch longingly.... and despite the wine still clouding her judgement she felt shame...

The Ties that Bind

Anna laughed, "That's probably because you were too busy doing other things to pay attention to what was going on." As he offered to have her set with him Anna hesitated again. She couldn't help feeling like snuggling up next to Rae would be a betrayal to Gunner even though they obviously weren't still together. She still loved him and cuddling up next to another man... it made her chest squeeze tight around her heart. She kept an amused smile on her face despite her inner turmoil. "Can the shady teddy bear keep his hands to himself," she joked. She took a breath, Gunner had made it clear he'd no intentions of letting her explain or trying to fix things. She could pine away over him forever and it wouldn't change a thing. So, she poured another glass of wine... downed it, and chased it with another before setting down next to him. "Hell with it," she murmured. Still, setting next to Rae wasn't the same... It held none of the feeling of 'home' as it had with Gunner. With him she'd curled into his side and fell asleep watching movies after training more times than she could count and it had always been easy... comfortable. She'd never been uncomfortable with Gunner the way she had always been with other men. With Rae she couldn't help feeling awkward, nervous, out of place. The wine, however, was going to her head and she relaxed a little from her rigid posture, leaning back against the cushion. She'd sat with Seb like this quite of few times also, it hadn't been a big deal, and she and Rae had made no promises to each other. She'd just have to look at it as spending time with a friend, granted... a new friend... but he'd been a gentleman so far. So long as he kept his hands in the appropriate areas she didn't think she'd freak out and bolt... at least she hoped not. What kind of Guardian was she if she could kill a Strigoi but run away from a handsy Moroi? She ran a hand through her hair as the movie came on, she still couldn't help the lingering feeling of guilt and though she knew another glass of wine might get rid of that too she was worried about her decision making if she got drunk. "You should know, I'm really unattractive when I cry," she joked. Still, for the first time all night she was beginning to miss Gunner more than she'd like to admit... She missed snuggling up into his chest. She missed the warmth, the way he'd always been a furnace whereas she was always freezing. She missed the way he'd smelled, the familiar scent of his bodywash... and she'd missed the way he'd played with her hair till she couldn't focus on the movie anymore and had drifted off in his arms. She bit her lip and tried not to cave in to the need to cry, obviously the wine had done more harm than good when it came to her emotions. She tried to focus on the movie instead of the torrent of memories. ~*~ Seb could tell Serena was feeling tipsy... Her english was failing her and so was her footing but he found it kind of adorable. "Here, let me help you out of those heels first. I don't want a hole in my foot when we dance," he teased her. He knelt down and helped her out of the shoes before lifting her into his arms and carrying her to the dancefloor. They got some looks but Seb didn't care, he wanted Serena to feel special tonight. He spun her around before setting her on her feet with a kiss. "Anything for you..." As he pulled her close, he put his hands on her hips and kissed her brow, "I want you to have everything you want... always..." He swayed gently to the music and rested his forehead against hers.

The Ties that Bind

Anna smiled, he kinda reminded her of Anya the way he was pushing her to try new things and be a girl. Anya used to beg her to go out with her to different restaurants and would fight to buy Anna nice dresses that Anna knew she'd never have the opportunity to wear... but she'd never been one to tell Anya no. When he mentioned going to Japan, insinuating that they'd do this again, Anna was caught by surprise. "You don't have to spend that much on me... but I wouldn't mind hanging out again." She didn't say 'date' again because there was a lot of guilt tied to that word, "If you wanted to." She flashed him another smile and when he mentioned movies she grinned, "It's been forever since I've seen a good movie." She glanced up when Rauri finally arrived with food and tried not to scarf it down too fast even though she hadn't eaten since this morning... or... whatever. She eyed the wine, something she'd never really drank... She'd always just stuck to cheap beer or vodka and mixed drinks. She took a sip and was surprised to find she liked the taste... "Wow... that's good." She glanced over at him, "So, you don't mind that I'm not really used to all this fancy stuff right? I mean, I enjoy it but I don't want you to think you have to go out of the way... or anything." She wasn't used to being tended to... ~*~ Seb grinned at her, "You know exactly how I feel love... Now let's eat. After we get done I'll play you the piano."

The Ties that Bind

When Rae put the flower in her hair and said she was finally starting to look like a girl, Anna blushed again... Apparently, that was going to be a recurring thing with him. "Thanks... I guess," she laughed. As they made their way to the table Anna smiled wryly, "I'll do my best." The fact was, letting go of being a Guardian, though nice, was difficult. She'd strived so hard to become one that even with her current depression it was hard not to go into default Guardian mode... Well, less hard lately since she'd been so distracted with other things. As she and Rae got seated Anna laughed at his mentioning he had no idea how much she'd eat. "Good idea," she noted. She watched as he shifted in his seat, getting comfortable and took him in for the first time in what seemed like forever. Sure, she knew he was good looking... why else would all the ladies fall for him? She'd always had eyes for someone else though, so she'd never really paid attention to what exactly made him so appealing. It wasn't really hard to see... Now that she was looking... As he dismissed her offer of paying him back she struggled not to blush again, and failed. "Ah, thank you... You're doing a great job at distracting me. I'm having... a sort of great time." She shrugged, "It's been a while since I've felt like a girl. It's oddly nice," she smiled. She chose a piece of bread from the basket and nibbled at it sheepishly, "So, what's to eat?" ~*~ Sebastian let out a laugh as some of the tension left him at Serena's teasing. "That was the question, yes..." He leaned across the table and kissed her again, "You're amazing... I would love for you to marry me. I know it's a little soon... and sudden... but I wanted to give my parents ample time to get over the engagement and ready for the fact that we're marrying... Whether they like it or not." The waitress came back and Seb laughed, "Just in time... We'd like to hear the italian specials actually." The woman smiled and listed off a few different dishes and Seb blinked, he had no idea what the majority of them were. "I'll let my fiance order for me... She's the expert." He winked at Serena, he liked calling her that... hoped she liked hearing it.

The Ties that Bind

Anna's breath caught and where usually she'd try to hide her amazement, try and play it cool, she was too star-struck to worry with it. She ran a hand through her hair before he took her other one and looped it through his arm. Yeah, she was starting to see why Jace had though Rae would be a good distraction. She suddenly wished she'd had the forethought to put on something nicer... but it had been Rae. She hadn't expected... Well, all this. "That's really sweet, Rae..." She took in the beauty of the lights around her and the blooming flowers... The trees that swayed in the light breeze. She felt less like a Guardian and more like someone dropped suddenly into a fairy tale though she stayed alert... It was so drilled into her that she couldn't help it. She felt momentarily guilty when she realized that in all their time together, Gunner had never really made her feel like a GIRL... Well, there'd been a few rare occasions... Like at the party when they'd both gotten drunk off their asses... or the night he'd basically carried her back to the room. It wasn't his fault really... She'd always been one of the boys because she'd always liked it that way, wanted to fit in, and as a Guardian she had very little time to let herself BE a girl... She'd never even thought to hold it against Gunner, hadn't even really thought she'd LIKE being treated like this... Pampered. She'd always thought it was just pointless flattery. Still, Rae was kinda blowing all her hard work out of the water without even realizing it, making her feel more like a female than she had in ages... "It's amazing... I don't think I've ever seen so many flowers blooming in one place at night," she noted. She stopped and knelt down to inspect one of the flowers, brushing her fingers against the petals. The whole garden smelled sweet, it was going to her head... and she loved it. She'd always loved it outside. "You know, I suppose you aren't so bad Costa..." She heard her stomach growl and grimaced, "Sorry... that was loud." She sighed wistfully, she supposed that at some point they'd have to go elsewhere and eat. She didn't want to leave, she felt... better here. "I don't know how you knew this would be my thing," she said softly as she inspected the flower. She wanted to take one with her, this would probably be one of the few times she'd have something like this that she wanted to remember... "but... thanks. You have NO idea how much I needed this." She stood slowly and turned his way, "I think I owe you one." ~*~ Seb smiled, happy that she was happy. "Wait till you see the menu..." He frowned, "And don't do that thing where you worry about the money I spend, I have plenty... tonight is for you. Get whatever you want, I want you to." He kissed her back on the lips, softly. "I love you too, Serena..." He waved over a waiter and after leaving them menus and setting a bottle of wine on the table and taking their orders for drinks, the man walked off. "I... have something I want to ask you." He took a breath, "I was going to wait till later but... my nerves are all screwed up and if I don't do it now I'm worried I'll mess it all up later..." He took her hand across the table, brushing his thumb across her semi-bruised knuckles... wanting to heal them but not wanting to ruin the moment by getting scolded for doing it. "I don't think I've ever been happier as I am with you... Gunner and Anna used to try so hard to keep me out of my own head but there was only so much they could do. With you, you give me something bright to push back the crap that tries to weigh me down..." He shoved a hand through his hair, loosening his tie... Shit, but it felt like it had gotten way too hot in here. "Serena, I-" "Sebastian Lazar," a voice asked. Sebastian groaned and glanced up at the pretty blonde waitress he had absolutely no interest in, "Yes." The woman beamed, "I'm here to take your order... Would you like me to list the specials this evening?" Sebastian rubbed the back of his neck, flustered... This wasn't going as he'd hoped. "No thank you, we'll go with the menu for now... Can you, um... give us a minute?" She nodded, "Of course, I'll be back in ten minutes." The woman walked off and Sebastian sighed and dug around in his pocket, "Maybe it'd just be better to show you..." He pulled a small black case from his pocket, debated on how he wanted to do and and decided that for Serena's sake he'd go with the route that drew less attention. He took her hand and placed it over the case, "I love you... and that's never going to change. Open it..." Inside was a ring and he again ran a hand through his hair nervously. "I didn't want to get you something with a fancy diamond since it would get in the way when you fight... Do you like it?" He hoped she liked it, "If not, I'll take you to pick one out that you do..."

The Ties that Bind

Sebastian chuckled as he watched her take off to get ready and when she came back he raked a hand through his hair. She was beautiful, she didn't get the chance to dress up as much as they'd both like because of her Guardian duties but when she did she took his breath away. He moved to her and pulled her close to him by his hips. "It was worth the wait..." He took her hand and led her out and to their car he'd called to have waiting for them when he'd been waiting for her. He was surprised when he could have sworn he saw Anna getting into a vehicle with Rae Costa, more likely it was some poor Dhampir fallen fool for his charms. Anna knew Rae was a player, there was no way in hell she'd give him a shot... Right? Either way, he was too distracted by Serena getting into the vehicle as he held the door for her to take a better look. He slipped in the vehicle beside her and gave directions to the driver. They were off in a matter of moments and they arrived only a short time later in front of a blue and black building with fancy lettering spelling out the name and a red rope barring the way. He gave his name and the rope was moved and he took Serena's hand and guided her inside. The place was beautiful, most everything was crystal... blue or black and the lighting was just bright enough to keep it from looking like a night club. There was already live music being played by a violinist and he kissed Serena's hand before leading her to their table. He'd made sure to get one in the VIP section where they'd have their privacy. "Are you hungry?" ~*~ Anna blushed a little and swatted his arm lightly when he called her 'moderately attractive'. She was surprised he'd go through so much trouble but she was beginning to understand why he was such a lady's man. If he pulled out on all the stops on all his dates it was no wonder the girls fell at his feet. It was sweet, even if most of the time it was a means to an end. At least the lady got a good meal and some pampering out of it... Obviously Rae wasn't stingy with his money. "Well, I'm glad you find me 'moderately' attractive. You're... cute... yourself," she teased, putting emphasis on cute... as in cute not hot. Then, to add insult to injury she added, "Like a teddy bear, a shady teddy bear with occasional ulterior motives." Though, she softened the blow with a cheeky smile to show she didn't actually mean it... really. Obviously, he wasn't quite as bad of a guy as she'd always guessed. A player maybe, but not really a bad person per say... Unless you made the mistake of maybe actually falling for him. Then you were in trouble. As he struggled to find things to tell her about she hid her amusement, "You're going to die of boredom if you keep spouting off history behind these buildings." As they pulled to a stop Anna blinked as he held a hand out to her before hesitating only a moment and taking it. Sheesh, all this was going to go to her head... She might actually start feeling like a girl if he kept on this way. She wasn't sure how to feel about it... She was flustered and out of her element but... she was enjoying herself... which was nice and something she hadn't had much of in the past few years. His words did something funny to her insides, was it nervousness... being flustered... feeling sheepish? She wasn't sure but she went with it all the same. She couldn't help but smile, "You do know I wouldn't know what to do with that much money even if it was thrown at me don't you?" She shrugged, "What the hell, spoil me Mr. Costa... I suppose I'm at your mercy." She had no idea what she was doing, how to be girly... how to be on an actual date that didn't involve some sort of training exercise or guarding. She wasn't used to being treated, she was used to being on duty... It was an odd... but nice change of pace. As she looked around she smiled, slipping her jacket off and tying it around her waist. He'd picked the perfect place to take her... The woods were beautiful and so were the gardens. For a moment she was speechless, which was rare for Anna, then she gave him a genuine smile... the sadness gone from her eyes at least for now. Sarcasm failed her so she went with honesty, "Its... beautiful Rae." She glanced at him again, "Thank you..."

The Ties that Bind

As Rae hopped on the phone, Anna listened with some small amusement at his conversation. She was all for stealing Jace's car, it was a small payback for setting them both up and she liked it... though she wouldn't say so. She was still a little wary around Rae, not because he thought he'd try laying fangs on her like Jace... but because he'd never really went out of his way to be polite to her before. It must be some favor he owed to Jace, that was for sure. "Well, that was handy," she said as he hung up. She followed him to the feeders and laughed somewhat when he turned sheepish about the feeders. Yeah, he was definitely not Jace, even if the two were friends. "Sure thing..." As he headed inside, Anna occupied herself by counting the bricks on the wall across from her and standing in the typical Guardian stance. She might not technically be on duty but she was determined not to keep making herself look unprofessional. As she stood there she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and glanced up to see Gunner. Her heart hit her ribcage and seized up painfully, but she grit her teeth and kept her face blank... Not just impassive... blank. Like she didn't even see him. He surprised her by speaking to her though, and her resolve faltered and some of the pain flashed through her eyes. He'd called her Ross, but there was none of the warmth in the old nickname. She struggled to keep her face calm and casually lifted a hand in hello before he walked off. She jumped again when Rae came out and spoke, she'd yet again been caught wallowing in her emotions and she hated it. The sympathy in his tone set her off kilter and soothed some of the pain in her chest, "No big deal... I'm bound to run into him sometimes, right?" Still, there was that pained look in her eyes despite the smile she was forcing onto her lips. When his hand touched her lower back she blinked, surprised and a little flustered. No one but Gunner had ever touched her that way even if it was just a simple guiding gesture to be kind. She found herself actually smiling a little again and let him leave his hand there when before she might have socked him in the arm. As they left the building, Anna was tempted to make sure Gunner wasn't watching... she felt nervous and she was irritated with herself for even caring. He'd made it clear he didn't anymore... So, why should she? Instead of dwelling on it, she promptly decided to have fun... Rae could be fun, fighting with him had always been fun... a battle of wits of sorts and he'd never actually hurt her feelings. He'd always seemed to just want to irritate her instead of upset her. "Thanks for getting me out of here," she said. "Even if it was because you got roped into it," she teased. As he let her in the car she slid in, feeling oddly pampered when she saw how nice it was and the fact that apparently he was letting her choose where to go. She shifted somewhat uneasily all of a sudden, "We'll have to go somewhere cheap... I don't have much money. I send everything to family..." She rubbed the back of her neck, "Sorry..." ~*~ Sebastian sighed as she hit him and stole some of his darkness, he'd tried playing tug of war with her with it before and it just served to cause it to be worse on both of them. "It was only a little... I hate seeing you hurt." As she leaned into him he kissed her forehead, "How about we go to Le Club Ciel? I hear they have a piano I can play for you," he wiggled his eyebrows playfully. "Plus they're new and their chef is one of the best... and we don't need reservations since..." He straightened the cuffs of his suit jacket and smiled, "Since I'm future prince." He'd never really been one to take advantage of this future status, he had never wanted it... but for Serena, to make her happy, he would pull out every trick in the book. He knew she'd like the place, they had a menu that basically let you travel the world with food and he'd heard their italian cuisine was made to the letter. He wanted to impress her, mostly because he planned to do something crazy tonight... Something his parents would absolutely hate, but he didn't care.