Reiterations [Closed] - Printable Version
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RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 08-19-2019
Aphrodite wanted to talk to Holland more. To be alone with him a little longer and see if she could keep making him blush like that. It looked so cute with his freckles. She hid a smile behind the mug. Fortunately, and unfortunately Owen entered the room with Julianna following close behind him. Obviously, his presence was a good sign. Things were moving forward for her and her pack, but it meant her moment with the adorably nervous doctor was over. Owen brought a tension with him into the room. Aphrodite felt it but it wasn't enough to agitate the leopard like her interaction with Sanders had been. She was also more settled now. She sipped her tea in silence and took the scolding from Owen like a champ. Only opening her mouth to protest once, but he quickly shut her down.
She looked past Owen to where Julianna was standing a few paces behind him. She had never seen the two of them at work. Obviously, because she had never had any reason to be at the CAF base. They were so professional. As if there was no romance between them at all. Wildly different than how they behaved in their personal life.
Her gaze jumped back to Owen. "Thank you. I appreciate what you've done for me and my pack. Not to be... dramatic but we owe you a life debt and all that cool stuff now, so. You know. If you need anything..." She clicked her teeth and made finger guns at him with her free hand as if she was joking.
She wasn't. The Frenne Verta pack took their debts very seriously.
"Am I free to go?" She asked, looking between the three bodies in her company. "Am I leaving on a bus with the others?"
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 08-20-2019
Owen felt a stab of guilt as the soot smeared face of a little wereleopard girl flashed in his mind. He grit his teeth together as Aphrodite spoke of debts. He had no plans to keep a pack of weres indebted to him. “F...riends don’t put each other in debt. I did this as a...friend...to you.” The word, the title, friend, seemed to pain him to say somewhat given their almost rivalry. He reached out and pushed her finger gun down. His smile was more tensely pursed lips. “As for your release...well. The others are being taken via small van, actually, in shifts. They don’t want you all gathering...organizing so soon after this...incident.” His eyes rolled briefly over to Julianna and he waved his hand in a circular motion. “Psychops recommendation to keep your morale down. So we’re keeping you here for a little while longer to ensure the pack disperses before you set foot outside of holding.” He shrugged. “Best I could do. We’ll get you a ride back, though.”
He glanced at Holland who was standing still, eyes bouncing from party to party as he watched the exchange. “You, Dr. Rivers, will need to give a statement to the higher ups.”
Holland’s eyes went briefly wide before he frowned and fidgeted in place. “But - I don’t know anything -”
Owen moved over and swept a friendly arm around Holland’s shoulders, he patted Holland’s chest through his open white coat. “They just want to hear what you saw down here.”
Holland glanced over at the hand on his shoulder and then down at the hand that patted him on the chest before his eyes flicked to Owen’s face, “Yeah okay.” Holland spared a worried glance at Aphrodite, not wanting to leave her alone in holding. “Are you -?”
“She’ll be fine.” Owen reassured him.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 08-22-2019
Aphrodite looked down to where Owen made contact with her hand. Pushing it back down towards her lap. He was being weird. She looked at him with a puzzled expression. She knew they were actually friends behind all their teasing, but hearing him say it out loud felt like a pretty big deal to her. So, she just didn't address it for fear of ruining whatever kind of moment they were having. She scoffed a derisive laugh when he mentioned they CAF was worried about the leopards organizing. The higher ups or whoever was making that decision had no idea what the pard was capable of. It wasn't just her leopards, it was their friends and families. It was an entire network of people that wouldn't let this whole fiasco fade away quietly. "Are...my people okay?" She asked quietly. She had heard that there had been some incidents of biting. "Has anyone been hurt or...killed? There are children in my pack Owen. I'm responsible for-"
It was then that Julianna broke rank so to speak. She moved out from behind Owen to her friends side. Quieting her with a soft hand on her arm. Julianna shushed Aphrodite, puling her into a hug. It wasn't an answer to her question, but it made her feel better. Julianna had that affect on people. Aphrodite knew she would find out everything in due time. "Are you leaving me here by myself?" She asked after Owen finished addressing Holland. She glanced between both men. Her tone didn't imply she was suddenly plotting her grand escape. Her mind flashed to Shrader and the possibility of other people in the organization who could mean her harm. "I'd rather not be here alone."
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 09-18-2019
Owen’s phone chimed with a text message, and he pulled away from Holland to check his phone. He nodded as he typed out his brief response. “No.” He said in answer Aphrodite’s question. “Sanders is coming down now.” Holland frowned deeply and opened his mouth to protest but clamped it shut again before he could say anything. What could he say?
Was her emotional ex really the only one who could sit with her?
But he knew the answer to that.
Yes.
Sanders was the only one who wasn’t important enough to waste time sitting with a detainee waiting for release. Anyone else Owen trusted to wait with a friend was too high ranking to be bothered with such a task. The rest of them would be in this meeting.
So, of course, it had to be Sanders.
Owen whisked Julianna and Holland from the room, with a few parting words to reassure Aphrodite that Sanders would be with her in a few minutes and that they would arrange a ride for her.
At the end of the hall, the elevator doors opened and Sanders emerged looking like he felt some type of way about being tasked with keeping Aphrodite company for the time being. Holland wouldn’t have been able to resist the urge to roll his eyes if he weren’t actually genuinely worried for Aphrodite’s safety. Sanders, at least, would make sure nobody messed with her.
Sanders stopped and saluted Owen who returned the salute lazily before shaking Sanders’ hand. Owen hadn’t been made aware yet of the display Sanders had made of himself in the detention room.
“Thanks for your help.” Owen said.
“Happy to do it,” Sanders’ response was pointed, and he glanced at Holland and Julianna, before he moved away from the group.
From the inside of the elevator, Holland watched Sanders stride down the hallway carrying a duffle bag on his shoulder. He watched as Sanders knocked on the detention room door. Through the slit of the closing elevator doors, Holland watched the detention room door open, and Sanders disappear inside.
His heart sunk.
“You alright?” Sanders asked when Maeve opened the door. “I brought you some clothes from my locker if you want to change out of that thing.” He moved inside the room and dumped his duffle bag on the rolling exam tray that Holland had been using for his samples. He was content to act like what had happened between them all earlier hadn't happened at all. Water under the bridge.
He unzipped the bag and pulled out a white v-neck t-shirt and offered it to her. A pair of jeans were rolled up inside. He even had a spare set of toiletries in there. It was his go-to bag for overnights. “Here take what you need.” He pushed the rolling table towards her. She should already know what he kept in his overnight bag. She had helped him pack it enough times.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 09-20-2019
Aphrodite wanted to protest Sanders coming to sit with her, but she didn't. The trio in the room had already done so much for her, that she didn't want to bother them further with a complaint. So, she forced a smile and thanked them and watched as they left the room together. There was a pit opening up in her stomach that was mostly hunger but also dread. She didn't want to see Sanders again after she had essentially threatened him. Aphrodite tried so hard to keep this part of herself separate from her 'normal' life, and here she was with her neat and tidy facade crumbling around her. She was reminded of Holland telling her that her situation didn't change anything for him. A lump formed in her throat and her eyes stung with the threat of a tears, but a knock at the door reminded her that this wasn't the place for all that. She could cry about it later in a hot bath with a glass of wine. She could see Sanders waiting for her to open the door on the other side of the glass.
Hopping off the table, she crossed the room to pull the door open. He could have let himself in. She walked back to the table and hoisted herself onto it again. Something about the space had turned into a little island for her. Maybe, while she was stuck in the CAF, she'd be safe as long as she stayed on the table.
"Just peachy," she couldn't help the sarcasm. They both knew she was far from alright. She glanced at the duffel bag and sighed. She recognized it immediately. Aphrodite didn't want to wear Sanders' clothes. He already looked too full of himself for coming to her rescue in that moment.
She stopped the movement of the table with her foot. "Thanks." She picked up the t-shirt. "No shower for the CAF guest of honor?" She joked. She was off the table now, unzipping the jumpsuit without concern for Sanders' presence in the room. She put on the shirt, and then kicked off the jumpsuit to put on the jeans. The ensemble was just as ill-fitting and smelled like her ex which was worse than what she'd had on before.
Aphrodite didn't want to feel anymore indebted to Sanders' by using more of what he'd made available to her, so she zipped the bag up and pushed it back at him.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 09-27-2019
In a show of gentlemanly consideration for her privacy, Sanders turned away while she changed. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen her body countless times. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t had his hands and his mouth on all the parts of her she would have wanted to keep private.
But he felt like he should turn away for the symbolism of it. She wasn’t his that way anymore. But he didn’t know how to look at her any differently.
The rustling of clothing stopped and he turned around again.
She’d worn his clothes before. Mostly his shirts. And it hurt to see her wearing them then. He hadn’t expected to feel that wounded about it. He’d expected to feel … something else. Anything else.
He didn’t respond to any of her snarky commentary or questioning. Sanders sat on the rolling stool that Holland had briefly perched on while playing scientist. With just the rocking of his foot from toe to heel, Sanders rolled himself back and forth idly.
“Nothing to do but wait.” He said. “Owen said once everyone else is released, you can go.”
His mind flashed with the color yellow and the image of a snarling mouth.
He rolled closer to where she sat on the exam table and peered up at her with a searching look. “Your eyes...were…”
He realized he had never seen her change. He’d never been that close to that side of her.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 09-27-2019
Aphrodite had been doing a marvelous job of not looking at him; picking idly at a loose thread on the worn jeans she had borrowed. She wished she could be anywhere else or with anyone else. A specific someone came to mind, but he was currently indisposed. "This is such a mess..." she groaned, mostly to herself. Rubbing the side of her nose. She sighed deeply and pushed her hands through her hair. After the waiting was over, she would have so much to deal with on the outside. Hearing him move closer, she pulled her feet up on to the table to sit cross-legged. As if the floor was lava, or as if he was lava. To create some sort of imaginary distance between them. Hardly a week had passed since their most recent-and final- tryst. Aphrodite tried to keep her expression neutral as she looked down at him. Tucking her hands into her lap. When he mentioned her eyes she looked away again. She was aware of the way she looked this close to a full moon or out of a shift. Half-feral.
"I'm sorry," she said. And she was, but she also wasn't. He had been so annoying and self-righteous in that moment. "It's...a hard time for me right now. Not just being here. But. With the full moon and a shift so recent..." she realized she didn't want to explain herself to him and that sad expression on his face. "Sorry."
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 10-15-2019
Sanders was leaning forward on the rolling stool and staring up at Maeve as she apologized to him. She sounded so tired and she looked so forlorn sitting in that terrible sterile room in his ill-fitting clothes. She was all mussed up but not in a way that could be construed as cute. She was still gorgeous of course even under that layer of grime on her face.
He stood and the stool went rolling backwards until it bumped into the table somewhere behind him. He was already standing rather close to her, the front of his thigh brushed her knee. But he moved closer, touching her waist, gauging her receptivity to him.
Maybe he could give her the security she was lacking. Maybe she would change her mind…
He tucked a tuft of clumping blonde hair behind her ear. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m the one who should… I'll take you home soon. Or maybe...you could come to the ranch? Get away from all this for a night...like, last time?”
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 10-15-2019
Aphrodite watched the abandoned stool roll backwards as another excuse not to look at him. She was running out of excuses, especially with him standing so close. She sighed. Why did he always have to make things so hard? She knew she was partially to blame. All those nights she spent going back to him to soothe the ache of lost love and loneliness. It needed to end. She needed to end it.
"Sanders, I..." His hand was on her waist. Tentative, but strong and for a moment she took the time to gauge something as well. Aphrodite took an inventory of how she felt in that moment. Pushing past the fatigue and the anxiety of a recent shift. There was desire. They'd had a very passionate relationship from the very beginning. And the sex was great.
She loved him, of course. They'd been engaged.
Aphrodite stared at him. While he stood he was eye level with her as she sat on the exam table. He gently pushed at her hair and she looked away from him again. It was in that moment, that she realized she did not feel comforted by Sanders. She did not feel understood by him. Not like she had with Holland. Who had brought her tea and ensured her that he still felt the same way.
Sanders wanted her back, but she knew that he did not feel the same way. The expression his face when he'd learned of what she had done had more than given him away. He just wanted to ignore it, like he did with so many other things that involved that part of her life. Aphrodite couldn't go back to pretending the wereleopard part of her didn't exist. Especially not after her second life had been thrust into the spotlight in such a dark way.
"Sanders, I don't think that is a good idea," she concluded. She took his hand away from her face, and held it in hers for a few seconds, before letting it slip from her fingers and fall back to his side. "We're not together, anymore," she reminded him. "I think it would be best if I just went home."
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 10-16-2019
Sanders felt like something was falling off a shelf inside of him when she turned him down. He couldn’t hide his disappointment but tried to bear it with more dignity than he had comported himself with earlier. “I .. know. You’re probably right.” He conceded and backed away from her again.
Sanders found the stool against the table and sat back down on it. He occupied himself with looking at the calluses on his hand. The minutes were impossibly long and he felt a rush of relief when his phone chimed a message from Owen that their meeting was over and Sanders could escort Maeve from the building. There was additional information about her vehicle.
“So...apparently your car was impounded…” He pressed his lips together as he looked up at Maeve. “I will...have to drive you home. You can’t get it out of impound at this hour. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow…but!” He stood up and gathered his duffle bag, “The good news is: you’re free to go.”
Sanders escorted Aphrodite from the room and they took the elevator to the main level to exit the facility. The main level was quiet in the late afternoon, it would become flooded with agents leaving for the evening and coming on base for night shift work in a few hours. For now there was a lull. The security workers of the entry and exit way looked bored and casual as they manned their stations.
On the other side of security, sitting on a marble bench against the wall near the exit was Holland. He was leaning over with his elbows resting on his knees and playing with his phone while he seemingly waited. He had a leather bag with his lab coat folded neatly over it sitting next to him. His lunch box and a thermos was next to that. Holland had gone casual with his appearance. The lab coat was gone and the sleeves of his uniform were rolled to the elbow. The top button was undone and his white undershirt peeped out of the opening.
He glanced up, eyes scanning the room. He did a double take when he spotted Sanders and Aphrodite. He’d been looking for the jumpsuit but her attire had changed. Holland stood, picking up his things, he slung his leather bag over his shoulder and walked towards the center of the egress, waiting for them to spot him.
He would be difficult to miss, there was hardly anyone in the space and those who were quickly moved in or out. Nobody but him stood stationary in the middle of the floor.
Sanders stiffened when he spotted Holland. What was he doing there? He looked almost like a lost puppy. Jesus, he brought a lot of shit with him to work.
Sanders didn’t point Holland out to Aphrodite but simply walked with her through the exiting turnstiles. There would be no avoiding Holland, so Sanders made straight for him trying to read the expression on his face. Holland looked worried, but he usually did. The direction of his worry was towards Aphrodite, though he glanced briefly at Sanders. There was also an unusual determination in the set to his shoulders, they were squared off and his stance was wide like he didn’t intend to let them pass without stopping.
“Hey.” Holland said to them both. He smiled at Aphrodite, “I almost didn’t recognize you, I was looking for that fetching jumpsuit...but, ah, I -- um -- heard about your car, I wanted to see if you needed a ride home?”
“It’s fine, I got it.” Sanders’ comment was clipped and cold.
“You have a long commute anyways, I live in to-”
“It’s fine, Holland. I said I got it.”
“...okay.” Holland wasn’t going to give up though, he turned to Aphrodite, the one the boys were fighting over at the moment. “I wanted to talk to you about the meeting...but I --” He gave her an opening to choose him. Not that she needed it, but he would give it to her anyway.
"I don't get why you're pressuring her, she's had a long day." Sanders interceded.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 10-17-2019
Aphrodite thought it would have been harder to turn Sanders down. That it would hurt more to see him react in disappointment. It was refreshing to her that she didn't feel anything about it, right then. She reminded herself of things to perpetuate that feelingless feeling. Like knowing Sanders had been seeing other women. And how he had been rude about her ice cream date with Rose and Holland. Holland, how easily her mind drifted back to him. She wondered how her trio of friends was doing in their meeting. Wondering what lengths they had gone through to help her pardmates and herself. Such a shit show, and it wasn't going to be over for just because they were released.
Purple eyes drifted to Sanders at the sound of his phone. She chewed the inside of her cheek as she waited in eager anticipatioin that it was more information about her release. She sighed in relief when he assured her in the affirmative. A derisive snort quickly followed when he informed her of her car. "If course, I can't," she muttered, hopping down from the table. "Fine, I'll get it tomorrow."
Aphrodite had no idea how to maneuver through the maze that was the military base, so she followed close to Sanders as to not get lost. She didn't need Holland to be pointed out to her, she saw him as soon as he came into her view as they finally came upon the exit out of her literal prison. She smiled when she spotted him. He looked more casual than she imagined him capable of being in a workspace. She could see more of his tattoos, now, than she had been able to even the other day on their ice cream...
Date? Could it have been called that? She wouldn't mind calling it that.
"Hey," she replied, still smiling as he explained why he was there. He had been waiting for her. The day's butterflies had returned.
Sanders cut her off before she could respond to his offer. He continued talking for her, which was a bad habit of his and something she had always disliked.
"Actually, Sanders," she corrected, "I want Holland..." There was a notable pause as both men looked at her. "To take me home. I'd like to hear some about the meeting." There was an obvious metaphor in the way she moved from Sanders' side to stand next to Holland.
"I'll let you know when I get home," she told the cowboy. "Thank you for staying with me."
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 10-17-2019
Sanders imagined he looked like a drowning man who would grab anyone nearby and drag them down to the depths with him. His lashing out was purely panic. A feeling that Maeve was once and for all slipping through his fingers as easy as water. She stepped aside towards Holland twisting the knife deeper. He ran his tongue over his back molars, the nervous habit just made the square shape of his jaw more exaggerated.
He glancing down at his boots. “Sure.” When Sanders looked up again, he had steeled himself. A mask of politeness. He nodded curtly. “Drive safe.” To holland. “Have a good night.” To them both.
Sanders departed walking briskly towards the door. The sooner to get anywhere where he could drink until he felt nothing.
Holland frowned as he watched Sanders’ back exit through the glass doors. They were left with the sort of spectre of his mood. He wondered why Aphrodite was standing next to him when there was still so much of something between her and the retreating cowboy. He would have to ask her about that. Holland pursed his lips and turned his attention back to Aphrodite. It didn’t help that she was obviously wearing Sanders’ clothes. “That was awkward.” He said trying to sound light-hearted. “Should we…head on then?”
He shifted his bag on his shoulder and turned to follow in Sanders’ footsteps out the door. He led her out into the parking lot and to where his jeep was parked. Holland opened the passenger door for her and then carefully arranged his things in the back. Once he was arranged in the driver’s seat, he cranked the engine and the radio blared a Pearl Jam song on local rock station. Holland sheepishly turned the radio down and turned towards her.
“I’ll need directions.” He rested his hand on her seat as he turned to look over his shoulder to back out of the space.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 10-18-2019
Aphrodite didn't allow an expression to betray how she felt about Sanders' exit. Truth be told, she didn't feel much in that moment. It was better this way. He needed to understand that things between them were over. She couldn't be the one he dragged into the inky depths with him. When she was constantly fighting to keep her own head above water. While she tried to be expressionless, those who knew her well enough could read all they needed to in the neutrality of her pose. Her demeanor for the day had been a jarring contrast to her usually sunny disposition. But still, she beamed at Holland when he spoke even though he described the moment as awkward. A peek of rays behind the clouds. "Don't let him get to you," she suggested.
There was a contemplative silence between them as the walked out of the base and to the parking lot. She assumed the silence was contemplative, because to her Holland always seemed to be thinking about something. Which is not to say that she did not have anything on her mind, she just didn't advertise it with such an adorably furrowed brow.
"Thirty-fourth and Vineyard," she began. He smelled nice. Soap and cologne with a sharpness of hand sanitizer. She didn't mind the astringent smell. Specializing in sciences made you accustomed to it. Though, she had used the meeting as an excuse she didn't need to ride with Holland, she wasn't that interested in it. Whatever politics had been thrown around would likely only anger her.
"You look like there's something you want to ask me," she ventured, cocking her head at him.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - saronym - 10-18-2019
Holland put her address into his phone and mapped the route before leaving the parking lot. He was a rather careful driver and tended to keep both hands on the wheel and stay in the lane he would eventually turn from. “I - well -” Holland felt called out. Was it really that obvious? He glanced at Aphrodite, before returning his eyes to the road. Her lavender gaze was burned into his retinas even as he watched the white lines disappear under the car as he drove
“Well the thing is, I just wanted to know if you and Sanders are still -- well you guys aren’t together still, right?” He glanced at her again wincing a bit at his question. It sounded so stupid in the grand scheme of the day.
Let’s confirm your relationship status on the day you were detained by an international military force and accused of murdering one of their agents. Good fucking plan, Holland.
He couldn’t let it go though. He kept seeing the two of them walking together and her wearing Sanders’ clothes. He felt like an interloper.
You sound desperate.
“I’m sorry. It’s just - there was a vibe. And I get it. Exes sometimes…I really like you. But I don’t - I can’t pursue anything if you think you’re going to get back with him. Sorry, you should know, I don’t know anything about the meeting. Julianna got me out of it. I just said that because I wanted to take you home.” He changed the subject abruptly towards the topic he figured she was more interested in talking about. He was aware it made him come across as erratic.
RE: Reiterations [Closed] - megs - 10-18-2019
Aphrodite turned her gaze forward to stare out the front windshield. The sun was setting and casting the sky in delicate pinks and oranges, but she found less interest in it than she usually would have. It had more to do with the weight of the day, and the days to come than it did with the questions Holland was asking her. "Sanders and I aren't together," she said matter-of-fact. Almost before he had even finished asking her the question. "We're done. We've been done. For a while now, but he..." She sighed, clawing a hand through her mussed hair. She was quiet for a few heartbeats. "The more time I spend with Sanders now, the more I am sure that it wouldn't work between him and I."
She looked at Holland, his eyes were glued to the road again.
"I didn't really care about the meeting anyway," she admitted. Aphrodite didn't mind the change in topics. "This is actually what I wanted to talk to you about." She lifted a hand and gestured between the two of them when she said 'this.' "You saw me at some of my worst today..." Her sights were to the window once more. "But you went so far as to say it didn't change anything for you. I really like you, as well. So I wanted to make sure we were on the same page."