Ballet and Capes

Status
Not open for further replies.
"The roller coaster?" She asked, looking up at the tall monstrous death machine that was considered a ride by fair standards. They were so tall...but, she supposed on a roller coaster her fear wouldn't be noticeable. After all, a lot of people got scared on roller coasters due to the speed and such. She could even close her eyes for the most part and he probably wouldn't even notice. And so, she swallowed down the fear and nodded, "Okay." With that, she followed him to the line and after what seemed like forever waiting they were finally able to ride.

She had her eyes closed for the most part like she had told herself she would, feeling the wind blowing her hair about like crazy at the high speeds they were moving. The speed she didn't mind. In fact, she loved the speed of it. But she refused to open her eyes knowing she would see how high they were and freak out. So she just enjoyed the speed and was thankful when the ride came to a stop and they were allowed to get off. She smiled and got out of the cart, brushing her hair with her finger tip to get it from being so messy after such a ride, "That was...fun. I love how fast it went."

The next few hours went by with a lot of fun moments shared between the two, each of them taking turns picking rides as it got later and the sun began to set, day turning into night. Finally they had rode everything. Well...almost everything. There was still one thing they hadn't rode and she was dreading it with all her might, "So...I suppose the last thing to ride is the Ferris wheel?" She kept her cool as they walked over and stood in line, nervously looking up at its tall size. The tallest ride at the fair and far more scary to her than anything else they had rode today. Yet, she did her best to hide it, getting into the seat with him, taking deep breaths as the ride started, her hands clinging tightly to the bar as they got higher and higher until--

There was a load pop, making quite a few people, including herself jump a little , a yelp coming from her as she instinctively moved closer to Stefan, holding onto his hand tightly in hers. Along with the loud pop sound, the lights on the ferris wheel flickered until they went off, shutting down the ride with she and Stefan at the very top. No...how....wait....her powers! They had responded to her fear with her even realizing it, shocking the giant wheel's systems against her will. Normally it was harder for her to shock or power things from a distance without direct contact, but her fear must have been so much that it did so without her even thinking about it, and while everyone around them seemed to think it was a basic ride just breaking down like they tended to do, she knew the real reason. And now she was stuck in the middle of her biggest fear because of it,

She found herself taking deep breaths as she covered her face with her hands to hide the high up view from herself, shaking her head, her fear fairly obvious from her refusal to look at their surroundings and her trembling as she sat there, "Please, please, pleeeease tell me they'll get this thing running soon."
 
"Hey, hey, hey," said Stefan, as Juliet started panicking when the ride got stuck with them at the top. He threw his arm over her shoulder and pulled her closer to him, trying to soothe her. "Shh, listen, it's alright. This kind of thing must happen all the time. I'm sure they'll get it working again."

Sure enough, the ride started a few minutes later. As soon as they were on the ground, Stefan helped Juliet down and was very shocked when she practically collapsed onto him. It was then that he fully realised how scared she had been. She must have had a phobia he hadn't caught on to. "Don't worry, it's alright," he soothed. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have suggested it in the first place, sweetheart, I'll make it up to you."
 
When she felt Stefan's arm around her pulling her closer, she hid her face against his shoulder, attempting to take deep breaths. The few minutes it took for them to reboot the systems of the ride and get it going again were like forever to her. She just wanted to get down. Wanted to be on the ground again. Thankfully though, the Ferris wheel started up and began moving again, letting each of the passengers off seat by seat until their seat came to the ground and it was she and Stefan's turn to get off.

She was still trembling from the after math of all this and, much to her own surprise, she found her legs try to give way as she got off of the ride, Stefan having to hold her up for a moment until she was able to stand on her own, though still stayed as close as she could to him, her arms wrapped around him as she tried to stop her trembling and replied to him, "I-It's not...your fault. You didn't know and I was stupid for not saying anything." She took a few more deep breaths, trembling hands holding onto his hand tightly as she let him lead her away from the Ferris wheel, "I just...can't do heights. I've always been terrified fo them. I guess I just...wanted to seem brave? I didn't want to seem like a little kid who's afraid of a little thing like heights."
 
"A little kid? Fear of heights is not a little kid thing," said Stefan, shaking his head. "A lot of people are scared of heights."

Stefan steadied her balance, took her hands between both of his and kissed them, keeping careful eye contact with her. "Its fine if you are, I mean, its definitely not a detriment to you. It just means we can't go skydiving," he joked, smiling. "You know what is scary? Seeing you upset like this. I don't like it." He nudged her in the ribs gently. "Be happy."

Stefan pulled her into her and kissed her on the forehead.
 
"There a huge difference between being scared and absolutely terrified. Most people can push through it, but I just never can." Being so close to him, it was relaxing. She allowed herself to be pulled in by him and leaned into his touch, a small smile even gracing her lips as he kissed her forehead. She was starting to calm down a bit more as he spoke to her. Taking another deep breath, she nodded, looking up at him as she hugged herself close to him, doing her best to give him a good smile even though it was a little forced, "I'll try to be as happy as I can be, given the fact I probably would have passed out from fear had you not been there." She joked slightly, though it was probably very true at the same time.

Kissing his cheek lightly she looked around, "Well, we've done pretty much everything here. Should we start heading back home, or did you have anything else in mind?"
 
"Hmm ... " said Stefan, thinking. "I could take you back to my place and make you watch the entire Human Centipede movie series because I am a terrible person ... "

Stefan allowed her to swallow that one as he lead her back to the car, opening her door for her like always. "Now, I could either make you watch all the Human Centipede movies or I could not lose this wonderful relationship we have going on here. Interesting factoid about Stefan Brightinger; I love horror movies and will probably binge my entire collection with you at some point. You may now dump me if that's too intense for you." He started the car and began to drive away from the fair.​
 
"How about this; never take me sky diving or anything having to do with heights and I'll watch any horror movie you want, any time you want." She said, giving him a smile as he opened the door for her, letting her into the car. Soon they were driving back to his place and once they arrived, she smiled looking at some of the pictures around with he, his sister, and another woman who she assumed was their mother as he went to go grab the movie to put in the DVD player. They all looked so happy together in all the pictures they were in. It made her think back to her own parents and how happy they had been. Before they had been snatched away from her.

She frowned softly at that thought, though before those dark thoughts could seep into her mind she quickly brought herself from them to remind herself she was on a date and that now wasn't the time to think about such horrible things of the past. Instead she moved to sit on the couch in front of the TV and once he had it in and had pressed play, she leaned against him, once again resting her hurt shoulder against his cool skin as they watched the movie. She didn't know why, but horror movies just didn't....affect her. She could watch them without so much of grimacing at the blood and gore on the screen. Perhaps it was her line of work, having seen death right before her eyes many times before, but seeing it on screen and knowing it was fake was just something that left her not scared of any of them.

They got through the first movie and had moved onto the second, her continuing to lean against him and, despite his cold skin, it was comforting. So much so that she had drifted off there against him toward the middle of the movie, falling asleep rather soundly.
 
Juliet fell asleep but Stefan didn't disturb her; when he knew she was fully out, he rested his hand on her shoulder and actually started to ice it down while she slept, not so intense she woke up, but enough that it would hopefully heal her a little. The second movie finished and Stefan was simultaneously disgusted and in awe -- how could someone agree to make such a vile piece of cinematography.

The door clashed open, Stefan stopped the ice coming from his hand and Juliet woke up. In came Sabira, who was crying and shaking, her mascara and eyeliner streaming down her face in black tracks. "Stef -- it's Mom, s-she -- "

Stefan leaped to his feet, walked up to his sister and put his hands on her shoulders. "What about Mom?" he asked, panicked. "What happened? Is she hurt?"

"S-she started drinking real bad and she's in the h-hospital -- "

Stefan froze. Natalia Brightinger had a long history of alcohol abuse, due to her rape resulting in the conception of the twins. She had always had a few bottles in the cupboard, and while it never affected her ability to successfully parent the twins as they grew up, she started getting worse and worse when Stefan and Sabira moved out. Stefan was not surprised that she had been hospitalised, but he still backed away from his twin and sat on the couch with his head between his hands.

"She'll be alright, though," he said to Sabira. "What is it, alcohol poisoning? They can fix that easily, right?"

"No, you idiot," snapped Sabira, who had yet to notice Juliet on the couch.

"Well it's not like she's going to die," snapped Stefan. "It's not exactly the first fucking time this has happened."
 
There was....a cool sensation on her shoulder. But, in her sleep laying against someone who was already so cold, it wasn't enough to wake her. But, what did wake her was the suddenness of the door being slammed open, making her jump a little. She watched the two with worry and concern, unsure what to do at first as she listened to their conversation. So, their mom was in the hospital? For...achohol poisoning. Not deadly, but still...it was serious all the same and neither of the twins seemed to be taking it well, Sabria crying and a mess while Stefan asked questions. Then, the two were snapping at one another.

She didn't know what to do, or what to say at first. After all, she didn't know their mother or what they had been through with her, especially since they made it pretty clear this wasn't the first time something like this had happened. But, one thing was for sure, Stefan had been comforting her so much lately. Now, it was her turn to attempt to comfort him. Hesitantly, she reached over, taking one of his hands as she looked at him, "You should go see her." She said quietly, "I'm sure she'll be fine once the docters help her, but I think you and your sister would probably feel better if you both were there with her." She glanced over at Sabira who still looked very upset, then to Stefan, "I'll even drive the car for you if you want. That way you can talk with your sister on the way there?"
 
Stefan sighed a long, dragged-out breath before looking at Juliet. "You're right, of course, we should be there," he agreed. "Can you stay with me? Please? I don't like hospitals."

He didn't like hospitals because he hated the cold, overly-sterilised environment. He didn't like hospitals because he knew that if he ever injured himself seriously enough to end up in one, they would discover the ice in his blood and send him away.

He turned to Sabira, who he could tell knew what he was thinking. "I agree, Juliet, I think it would be better if you stayed there with us," she said. "Keep us from murdering each other."

Stefan sat in the passenger seat of his car, with Sabira in the back and Juliet in the driver's seat. While Juliet drove to the Mercy Memorial Hospital on Harrow Street, Stefan turned to his twin. "How long has she been there?"

"Like, two and a half hours. One of our old neighbours found her and called an ambulance."

"Carol?"

"Yeah."

"Carol was nice, she made good cookies," Stefan mumbled. "How did you find out?"

"I was the first on her emergency contacts list, and they called me."

"I thought you had classes."

"Our mother is more important than classes, Stefan."

"Of course she is."
 
Juliet herself didn't like hospitals either. For more...different reasons. Hospitals were too much like that place. The place she had spent three years of her life in. The place that had drugged her, tortured her, and made her the way she was today. The freak girl with electricity coursing through her body. She could only imagine what would happen if she was taken to a hospital. The moment they would try to hook one of those machines to her, she would probably blow it out or her powers would infer with the readings. Questions would be asked and it wouldn't be long before she would be right back in that facility with the other teens and kids they had caught again so far. She didn't like to think about it, think about that place, and hospitals were a huge reminder.

And yet, how could she say no to staying with him even after they got there? He needed her. Stefan was more important than her worries and dislike of hospitals. And so, when they arrived, she got out of the car and walked close beside him, gently taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his in a motion to comfort both him and herself as they walked into the foyer of the hospital. After the twins asked the receptionist, they were given a room number and made their way to the correct floor. Soon the room was found and Juliet paused outside of the door, looking to Stefan, "Do...you want me to wait out here? Or would you like me to go in with you?"

She of course didn't want to overstep any boundaries or get into their family's business, but at the same time she didn't want to leave him to deal with this on his own either, and so she figured it would be best for him to decide and either way she would support him and try to make him feel as calm as she could no matter what happened.
 
"You can come in," said Stefan quietly. He didn't know why, but hospitals warranted silence. Sabira opened the door, and the three stepped inside.

Their mother was sitting upright on her bed, staring blankly at the television with an IV hooked into her arm and a tray of biscuits on her beside table. Sabira was the first to enter the room; Natalia beamed when she saw her daughter, then smiled even wider when Stefan and Juliet followed her.

"Oh, thank goodness, I think I was about to go crazy with just Dr Phil." Her voice was coarse and sounded sore, but her smile showed the happiness she must have felt. "Saby, Stef, come here."

She held out her arms, and Sabira automatically stepped into one side of Nat's embrace. Stefan allowed his hand to slip from Juliet's -- shooting her an apologetic look -- before nearly collapsing on his mother. He had been so worried for her.

"And who is this?" Nat asked, clearly referring to Juliet.

Stefan pulled away at the same time as Sabira, stood up and held his hand out to Juliet. "Mom, this is my girlfriend and dance partner, Juliet," he explained. "Juliet, this is my mother, Natalia Brightinger."

"It's lovely to meet you, Juliet," said Natalia. Though she feigned being perfectly alright, Stefan could tell that she was very sick and nauseated. "I was beginning to worry that Stefan would never have a girlfriend."

"Same," joked Sabira.
 
At the sight of both of the twins hugging their mom, a small smile graced Juliet's lips. Oh how she wished she could do the same to her own mother. If she were given the chance to see her again and hug her, she was sure she would probably never let go. But of course, such things were an impossibility. She knew that she would never get that chance again with both of her parents being ten feet under, but it was a nice thought. She looked up at the three fo them when she was mentioned and smiled a little more, walking over to take Stefan's hand and give his mother a smile, "It's a pleasure to meet you as well Ms. Brightinger."

It was clear the woman was sick, but she could imagine after two and a half hours of being here with an iV giving her fluids she also probably a little better than when she had been first found passed out in her home. She laughed softly at his mother's small joke about being 'worried he would never get a girlfriend' and Sabira's agreement. Well, she suppose at least she knew Stefan didn't bring all his girlfriends to meet his mother, if any at all. That must have said a lot about how he felt about her and it made her feel special to know he felt he could introduce her to his mother.

"Stefan and I were...sort of unwilling paired together," Juliet said, explaining how it was they ended up getting into a relationship, smiling up at him before looking back to his mother, "We were the last ones in the class who didn't have partners. But, we fairly soon found out that it was actually for the best. Our dancing styles just fit really well together. And...I guess from there a relationship just sort of happened."
 
Nat smiled. "Well, dear, I'm certain he courted you well," she said, switching her friendly beam between her son and Juliet. "He's quite a gentleman."

Stefan smiled too, but a lot less than his mother. He wanted her to be happy with Juliet, but at the same time, he wasn't sure if her word could be taken as gospel in her drugged state. How sober was she? Would she even remember this altercation after whatever cleansing fluids they did for alcohol poisoning wore off? Stefan exchanged a look with his sister, who nodded and turned to get their mother a glass of water.

"Much better than their father, of course," added Nat.

Sabira dropped the water jug and Stefan took a step back, shocked. Natalia had never even mentioned the twins' father, Andrew, since they were fourteen and she explained the rape that had resulted in their conception. Why would she mention him now -- especially in comparison to Stefan? Stefan had devoted his adult life to making sure that he was the opposite of what his father had been, and he prided himself on his success.

Stefan's suspicions of his mother being on some form of medication were confirmed when Natalia turned to Juliet, a woozy grin on her face, and said, "It's quite good that Steffy isn't anything like his father. You know, the twins were born because their father ra -- "

Stefan tightened his chilly grip on Juliet's hand and tugged her from the room, looking over his shoulder to face his sister has they left, who still had not picked up the spilt water jug. "Call me when you want out of here," he spat at her, shooting a furious look at his mother before storming away.

He was enraged. Stefan had just introduced the only important woman in his life other than his mother and his sister -- and Natalia decides to ruin it by trying to mention the rape that had caused him to exist? What would Juliet think of him if she had heard the rest of Nat's sentence? What if she thought that whatever had caused Andrew Hower's sociopathy was a genetic trait? Sure, Nat was drugged when she said it, but that didn't stop Stefan from fuming.

They reached the elevator and Stefan ushered Juliet inside, slamming his fist on the button for the ground floor before letting go of her hand and leaning against the wall of the elevator. He was having trouble controlling his powers -- he felt like ice was about to shoot from his hands as he worked to calm himself down before he could bare to touch Juliet again. "I'm sorry for how I acted in there," he whispered, his eyes closed and his fists clenched. "It was inexcusable. I'll take you home if you want." He didn't want to leave her.
 
Juliet began noticing the kind of cloudy look in his mother's eyes as she began to speak, but that was normal for someone who was given medication and fluids in the hospital, so she didn't think much of it. That is, until she started speaking and her words sounded off. Apparently, she was saying something that shocked both of the twins and Juliet continued listening to their mother, about to offer to help Sabira to clean up the spilt water all over the floor when suddenly an icy hand caught hers and she was being dragged out of the hospital room and down the fall toward the elevator rather quickly by Stefan, her mind thinking back to the words his mother had been saying, trying to figure out what he was so upset about.

Obviously, the reason for being upset had something to do with their father. And from the way his mother had been talking, their father hadn't been a kind man if his mother was stating Stefan was nothing like him. The last words his mother said stuck in her head and she tried to piece together in her mind just what the woman had been saying and the idea that came from it made her a little...shocked.

"You know, the twins were born because their father ra -- "

Those words stuck in her head, the realization hitting her like someone dumping cold water on her head. It wasn't hard to figure out what their mother was about to say from all the other thing she had said before then and suddenly her mind was reeling with memories she had always tried to shove down. Memories of herself being harmed in such a way by the men that had snatched her parents lives from them. But, just quickly as they surfaced, she pushed them down and looked to Stefan. He looked really upset about all this and it was obvious he was ashamed in a way that his mother had spoke like such, but, well, to be honest, she didn't blame his mother. There were often times right after she had gotten out of that facility and moved her she had gotten flat out drunk to forget everything. If anyone had been around her, she probably would have said some things as well that no one should ever know. And she certainly didn't blame nor think bad of Stefan because of all this.

She frowned softly as he spoke and silently reached over to take his hand in hers, enveloping his icy hands between hers as she looked up at him, "Stefan...you are not your father." She said simply, moving to meet his gaze, "Even if you father was a horrible man, who did something horrible to your mother, I know you would never do anything like that."
 
He couldn't speak; he physically choked on his words as the elevator stopped and he rushed out, keeping hold of Juliet's hand. He made his way to their car, climbing into the driver's seat, and forcibly hit his head on the seat as she climbed inside.

"I know I'm not my father," he whispered, not starting the car. "I spend my life making every effort to be as close to the polar opposite to my father as possible. But ... " He was about to confess his darkest thought, something he had never even told Sabira, and especially not his mother.

"I feel like I'm the sole thing keeping her from getting over it," he said blankly. Stefan closed his eyes. "I mean, Sabira could be a reason too, but I literally look exactly like my father did when he was my age, and sometimes my mom jumps and I can tell she thought I was him." A tear escaped his eye, against his will. "I am the one thing reminding her of what happened to her and there is literally nothing I can do to prevent it."

Stefan felt a little bad over dropping all of his emotional baggage on Juliet, but at the same time, he felt relieved to finally be venting about his darkest thoughts that he had spent the last nine years keeping locked in the back of his mind. Stefan wiped his face with his hand, not caring when his nail scratched the side of his face a little, and turned to Juliet. "Sorry for making you listen to this."
 
Juliet allowed herself to be dragged out of the elevator and back to the car where she sat in the passengers seat and listened to him with a deep frown on her face. She never thought she would ever see him so upset as he was now as he spoke about how he felt and why he thought his mother was doing this to herself and keeping herself from getting over it. She listened to him quietly, letting him get everything off of his chest and even reached over when he finished to wipe some of the remaining tears from his face and gently brush her finger over the cut, whispering quietly to him, "Stef. You can't just blame yourself for all this. It's not just you that makes her feel this way. Being...hurt like that, its something that, well, it screws with your mind. No matter who's around you or what you're doing. There are times when you can be all alone and jump thinking someone's trying to come at you and..."

No, she had to stop talking. She was saying too much. She didn't want him knowing that part of her. Knowing her own emotional baggage that she carried, "It's just something that takes time." She finally said, finishing her sentence, though her words came out a little more strained than she wanted them to as she sat back in her seat and looked out the car window, hoping her own thoughts about it taking time to forget were correct, not just for Stefan's mother, but herself as well.
 
He knew that they had spent all day together and she was probably sick of him, but he didn't want to be alone and he was terrified of his own thoughts. Nevertheless, he started the car and pulled out of the parking lot. "Do you want me to take you home?" he asked quietly.

Her assuring words rang in his head and as much as he wanted to believe them, nine years of mental training made him think otherwise. Where was the victim support group for the products of rape?
 
Juliet looked over at him when he asked if he wanted to take her home, him already driving out of the parking lot. She watched him for a moment before she quietly shook her head and spoke, "No." She didn't want to leave him alone, not while he was feeling like this. She wanted to be there for him. To cheer him up and be someone he cold lean on just as much as she had been able to lean on him, "I want to stay with you."

As he drove, she leaned over and lightly placed her head on his shoulder. She couldn't exactly hug him or take his hand while he was driving, so this was the only affection she coul dgive him at the moment in attempt to comfort him, "You really are amazing Stefan. I'm really happy I met you. And now that I have, well, your going to have a tough time getting rid of me." It would take a lot more than something like this to make her turn away from him and she wanted him to see that.
 
Stefan smiled weakly and joked, "Stalker." He arrived back to his apartment and, like always, carefully guided Juliet inside with a hand on her back. It wasn't until they were back in his cold apartment before Stefan facepalmed and said, "Shit. I should have taken you home to get your stuff ... "

He stood there blankly for a moment. What did he do? He had never had a girl stay at his apartment overnight before. Did he rush her home to get clothes? Did he just lend her one of his old T-shirts? Did he conjure them out of ice? That would be weird. "At least I have a spare toothbrush," he muttered, as he fished around in the clean laundry basket. "Do you want me to take you home to get clothes or would you just be okay wearing one of my shirts? Boyfriends do that, right?" He was almost beginning to fall asleep as he extracted a thin, gray long-sleeved shirt from the basket.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back