Tiny Dancer [EverlyxSterling]

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"Hm..?"

Natalia was a bit confused since she was still thinking about how nice Damien's lips felt. She blinked up at him, belatedly registering what he had said. Bruise? What? She started to raise a hand to poke at her jaw curiously, but then she remembered how Evan had backhanded her the night before when she announced she was leaving. Stupid prick. She sighed and shrugged a little, giving Damien a half smile.

"Yeah, I know. Evan was pissed. He's a dick. Do you want breakfast? I can make pancakes."
 
"Talia, who the fuck is Evan? And, what was he doing hurting you?"

He heard Natalia's account of Evan, his penchant for anger, and his mistreatment when Natalia declared her independence from the swine. Damien returned a look that was as appalled as it was incredulous. He tilted Natalia's head once more to take a closer look at the purplish-black blotch on her face. Damien's hands began to tremble lightly the more he faced the evidence, compounded by the fact that the strike occurred while Damien stood waiting.

Damien shifted his hands from a grasp of examination to protection. He slid himself into the bed, and was nearly on top of Natalia. Both of Damien's hands held Natalia's head with a gentle fastness.

"Baby, ..."

Damien felt tears threatening to well behind his eyes. He continued in a harsh, caring whisper.

"... no one touches you. Ever. ... I mean EVER."

Pain filled Damien's gaze as he implored Natalia's soul to heed his command. He was upset, and not just at the infraction against Natalia. He recalled her response just now, and how casually she'd dismissed a physical assault that left her marked. He realized that she'd been hit, punched, or worse for a while; long enough to simply accept the violence as a normal fact of life.

Then, a darkness filled Damien's eyes. He wanted to exact a vengeance, however small, upon this Evan. A plan laid itself out in his mind. It was simple, to the point, and infused with sufficient brutality to assuage the slight against his woman. He'd need an accomplice, and Jory immediately popped into mind. He'd understand and help - he always did.

Damien leaned down, pressing his chest upon Natalia's exposed breasts. He unleashed a slow, but deeply passionate kiss, losing himself in this amazingly erotic blonde Russian. The kiss took on such life that Damien was once again erect against her lithe softness. He slid off to the side and kissed Natalia's cheek.

"I'm gonna file a complaint with Evan one of these days. You won't be involved." Damien's fingers lost themselves in Natalia's tangled hair. "No one will hurt you again. I promise."
 
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As Natalia explained that Evan was just her boss, she could see that Damien was still confused. So, she went on to say how she had quit her job last night after Evan was such a dick about Lily being in an accident and how he didn't want to let her leave early. While she talked, she noticed that Damien's expression changed. He seemed pleased for a moment when she said that she had quit, but his expression quickly turned to surprise, then stunned anger. She turned her head as his fingers guided her, allowing him an unrestricted view of the bruise Evan's anger had caused. Honestly she didn't understand what the big deal was. Evan was just a jackass, and he wasn't the only one who got a little violent with a temper. Why did Damien seem upset?

She gazed up at him, blinking as he held her close and explained that nobody was supposed to touch her like that. He looked.. more than upset. Heartbroken? Why? She frowned a little, nodding since he seemed desperate for her to agree. What was she supposed to do about it? She wasn't exactly going to get into a fistfight with a guy. That was Damien's thing, not hers. She was the one who stood there, he was the one who tossed guys out of bars. He was quite obviously angry, so she gave in immediately when his lips pressed to hers, hoping that it would calm him. It seemed to do the trick, since when he pulled away he wasn't quite as tense.

"You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep," she murmured, watching him. It was impossible for him to protect her all the time, especially now that he was working and she had to go look for a new job. Eugh. That was going to suck. She'd have to try the other clubs in the neighborhood and hope they had an opening. "Feel free to complain about Evan, though. That bastard has it coming," she added with a smile, getting up out of bed and wandering naked to the kitchen to find breakfast.
 
Natalia's answer didn't register with Damien at first. His chivalric perspective wasn't truly grounded in any sense of reality. But, it was the notion, the concept that he wanted to express. He decided he had done it poorly, and watched his blonde goddess walk buck naked from the room in search of food. Damien observed Natalia's gait, and the way her feet swept out gracefully with each step.

Then a series of thoughts came to Damien. He had noticed the fluidity of Natalia's performance while on-stage, and how she exhibited a more cultured precision compared to other pole dancers. Her flexibility was also unique and extraordinary, and considering Damien could barely touch his toes, Natalia must have trained her body extensively.

Damien drew himself from the bed, immediately missing its plush, silky texture, as well as the memories of the previous night. He went into the bathroom, then met Natalia in the kitchen while she rummaged. His hands rubbed his biceps, then, once warmed, he laid them upon Natalia's shoulders and gave her a quick massage.

"So, tell me. Your dancing from last night ... Have you ever done any other kind of dancing? Like on a stage?"
 
Natalia had the kettle filled and on the stove heating up once Damien made it to the kitchen. She was making pancakes again since that was all she had in the apartment. If he kept staying over, she was going to have to get groceries somehow. Not that it was a problem. She rather liked having him over. Smiling to herself, she relaxed at his touches as she mixed up the batter. His question made her tense for a moment, but then she reminded herself that she was trying to be open with him. It wasn't an inappropriate question, just.. not something she really wanted to think about.

"I used to, a long time ago," she murmured, half shrugging. She gestured to an old photo album that was sitting on top of the fridge. Inside was a small collection of aged pictures from her childhood. Nothing recent, and nothing from America. In every single one, she was dressed up like a ballerina in some form or another. A tutu or little pink shoes, trying to make a serious face even though her hair was too short for a bun and was usually frizzing out all over the place. There were pictures of her trying to grab on to the barre and some of her dancing in front of a mirror, but she was alone in all of them.
 
Looking through the assorted photos on the refrigerator answered many of Damien's questions. In fact, they answered more than he had anticipated. Everything shard of Natalia's broken past began to piece together into a fractured puzzle. Natalia must have been a ballerina since childhood, and judging from the photos, she must have been very young. Damien scolded himself for not being more worldly, since one stereotype he clung to was that Russians were good at ballet. You know - because, they're Russian. Then, Damien remembered the picture Natalia clung to in tearful agony the night before last. It showed a little girl, the same girl in these photos, but with an older ballerina with whom she bore a striking resemblance. Her mother, he guessed.

"Well," Damien began, "I've never mentioned it, but I work at the Sullivan Theater in Uptown. Just yesterday, I found out about a dance troupe that'll be performing there ... was it Harmen, or Harlan? I forget, but they're auditioning, looking for someone."

Damien was about to say, "someone special," but decided to be vague for the moment. If she was enduring what he thought, Damien needed to introduce Natalia to this new life in small, more manageable steps.

"I'm on real good terms with the owner of the Theater, and chatted with the Dance Company leader some. You could go talk to them ... you never know. I think you're pretty special."
 
Auditioning.

The word made her sick. Failed auditions was what made her spiral down into this situation in the first place. She knew that she could not handle any more rejection like that. Apart from her immediate mental flinch, she was aware that she was in no shape to dance. Drugs ruined the body. Her stamina was down, and she was severely out of shape. She doubted she could even finish a minor routine right now. Every aspect of the entire thing made her want to shake her head and say no no no no and throw the idea in the garbage bin. But, at the same time, her body longed to go back to proper dancing.

"I don't dance anymore. Not.. like that. I can't," she finally said, shaking her head a little and pouring him a cup of tea before sliding pancakes onto a plate for him.
 
Damien watched her reactions closely. He thought her face flushed with temperamental moods like a Baltic storm. He saw interest and hope, but also fear and tension. This seemed to be a very delicate topic for Natalia, and Damien decided to not press her. He had mentioned it, and she wasn't screaming or swearing or threatening to eject him from her apartment. Provocation would only back-fire; he'd take his victories where he could find them.

The tea and pancakes were delicious, as good as the last breakfast, as was the tea. Damien reached out and laid his hand upon Natalia's, and ate in tender silence.

Toward the end of the meal, Damien thought of something. "Talia, I'd like to go see my mom this morning. Maybe you could come along? We could see Lily, too. I got her a surprise."
 
Natalia sat with Damien on the couch while they ate, managing to relax after the first few bites. He hadn't meant any harm by bringing up the auditions, he had just noticed a part of her that most people tended to overlook now. It shouldn't bother her. The fact that he was observant was actually rather endearing. The only issue was that she wasn't sure she dared put herself out there like that again. It only brought pain. Besides, she was not familiar with the troupe he mentioned. If they were performing in a small theater, she had a sneaking suspicion it was not ballet. Or, at least, not classical ballet if it was. She would be unprepared on several levels.

She pushed the thoughts aside and nodded as he mentioned visiting Lily and his mother. That made sense, since they were both headed that way anyway. She was about to respond verbally when she noticed that her painting of the Cossack on the wall was missing. Blinking, she looked down and saw it was on the floor, back to. She eyed it for a moment, considering, then glanced back up at where it had been. Easy to see from the couch.. She was silent for a few moments longer, then she grinned and turned to him.

"Did you have an issue with being stared at in your sleep, Damien?"
 
Eating on the couch was still an unusual experience, but one he was quickly learning to appreciate. The notion of doing something as perfunctorily banal as eating breakfast on a couch he could never afford struck Damien as surreal. Still, he liked the change, and eating thus – Russian food, made with Russian loving care in cultured opulence – broadened his horizons in a new and fun way.

Damien had just lifted a pancake to his mouth when Natalia mentioned the painting and being stared at. The pancake never made it his mouth. He froze, lowering his fork to the plate with a faint click. The easy smile he enjoyed with Natalia then flattened, and some of his blood drained from his face. He swallowed, then took a fortifying breath. "Sorry, I forgot to put it back." He stared through the painting until he saw what haunted him - the man in the black turban.

"No, I don't mind being stared at. It's just his sword reminded me of something I'd rather not be reminded of."
 
"It's alright. My father was one of them, you know. Of course, it was not until the recent law that made them relevant again that he truly cared. It was odd.. He was so into it. It is our heritage, Natalia," she said, mimicking her father's voice. "That painting isn't him, just one that I found," she added, looking down at her plate. She finished off her breakfast as she thought about what he had said about the sword. It probably had something to do with his mysterious discharge from the military. Wait, not discharge. He was on leave and could go back. She pondered that, then glanced at him.

"I'm sorry for whatever happened," she murmured, leaning over and softly kissing his cheek before standing to take care of her dishes.
 
Damien wished it was that easy. If only those haunting memories could vanish with the sweet kiss from a loving woman. Natalia collected the plates and carried them into the kitchen, but Damien hardly noticed. The couch laid upon an ornate rug, and his eyes gripped a beige shape in the otherwise colorful design like a hawk ready for the kill. His eyes trembled and the shape became blurred until he closed his eyes.

"I'm going to clean up." Damien's word came soft and detached. His tone was distracted, not being particular concerned whether Natalia heard him or not. A tightness gripped Damien's chest, and he rose to the shower. The first burst of water came cold, then warmed to scalding temperatures before settling at a luke warm. Damien didn't respond to the temperature fluctuations, or even notice them. His arm was braced against the main wall, and he just let the falling water stream down his head and face. Being like this always helped him control the panic.

His mind raced through his military life, his time in captivity, and that the Air Force expected him to return to active duty. He loved Natalia, and knew a re-deployment would do more than simply break her heart; it might very well propel her back to living under the tyranny of worthless cretins, like Evan. Maybe there was still time, he thought, maybe there's time to get her on her feet before I deploy again. He had no idea when the brass was going to contact him. All he could think about the reason why he took extended leave in the first place - his mom. She was still lying in that hospital bed. He had to be strong, for her sake.

Damien finished, and sauntered into the bedroom and dress in his clothes from yesterday. He'd have to stop home before going into work after the hospital.
 
Natalia glanced up, but Damien was already gone. Hm. He must be eager for a shower. She shrugged a little and went back to her task, scrubbing the dishes clean and drying them off to be put away. This was nice, but it was beginning to wear on her already. It wasn't that she didn't want Damien around because she did. She just was not prepared to keep this up.. this warm, real-home type of thing. Cooking and cleaning and talking? It wasn't what she did. This wasn't how she acted. She wasn't even sure why she was doing it, but she was aching and aching bad. Pills, a needle, something, anything. She needed it, and she didn't know what Damien would do.

Then it got to the point that she didn't care.

She couldn't care. Her need and obsession took over everything else in her mind the longer she thought about it. She groaned and rubbed her temples, struggling to think of something else, but she couldn't. It was necessary. All other thoughts melted away and she quickly went into her bedroom, pulling out a handful of pills at random and swallowing them all. Belatedly she realized that was not a wise choice, but it made her feel better, so she soon stopped caring. She took a deep breath and pulled out a fresh set of clothes, keeping in mind that she wasn't going to work later.

"I'll be right out," she murmured to Damien with a smile as he came into the bedroom. She took her armful of clothes into the bathroom and hopped into the shower herself. Soon she was humming and relaxed, lathering up her hair in an amusing beehive style before letting it all rinse out. Showers were fun. She really should have hopped in with Damien. That thought made her smile quite a bit, and she retained her cheerful mood as she hopped out and dried off.
 
Damien nodded absently with a slight smile, and watched Natalia leave the room. He wished she had stayed with him just then. A depressed cloud swept over Damien as he considered the tragically temporary nature of what he'd done. He'd gotten involved with a stripper, one whose heart was of pure gold, but she came armed with harmful habits. That's why responsibilities were soothing. You just had to perform them, and they were essentially controllable in variability. Then, a warm after-glow from personal service flooded the body. Damien didn't feel that warmth after doing things for Natalia, precisely because it was not impersonal and it was consequential - every action built up from a previous one, making a pyramid that could topple at any point.

Damien flipped open his phone to cancel band practice again, when he noticed the hospital had called. Probably that bitch griping about mom's bills, he thought. They were heading there soon enough, and would face whatever fire was in store for him then. He texted the band, and let them know he was not going to be a practice today. He paused, thinking of his plan of dealing with Evan. He then texted one band member directly.

Damien Greyson
Jory - got some news for you and a favor. Favor could be dangerous ... Interested?

Soon, a return text came.

Jory Gutierrez
Hells yeah, Esse.
 
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Natalia was soon dried and dressed, pulling her long hair back into a messy bun. She glanced down at herself, taking note of the tight jeans and the low-cut shirt with an open back. Well, it was less slutty than usual, but she still would make guys stare. She giggled at the thought and carefully did her makeup, then strolled out of the bathroom and tugged her shoes on.

"Come on, honey, let's get out of here," she said with a smile, hopping around on one foot with a laugh as she wiggled around and tried to put the other shoe on. It finally slid into place and she straightened up, grabbing her bag and looking over at Damien with a smile.

"You ready?"
 
Damien finished with his phone, then looked up and watched Natalia pull herself together. It was amusing and adorable at the same time. He smiled, trying to banish the darkness the sword conversation invoked.

"Yeah, let me just grab my coat," he said cheerfully. With coat in-hand, Damien left the bedroom, making a detour into the kitchen to steal a pryaniki. "What?" He asked with his mouth full to Natalia's look. He enjoyed the sweet, spicy dessert all the way down to the street level.
 
"You're such a weirdo," Natalia laughed as he dripped crumbs everywhere. "You've gone from the emo kid to a little kid who can't get enough of the cookies!"

She smiled and gestured for him to follow, still amused as she went down the stairs. Once they were back outside, she looped her arm through his with ease and started the trek to the hospital. The city was far less intimidating in the morning sun, even in this neighborhood. Most people were either still asleep or off to work their day jobs, leaving the sidewalks mostly clear until they got into the more dense downtown area.

"I'm starting to get used to be awake at this fucking terrible hour."
 
Damien smiled broadly, then leaned over and kissed his foul-mouthed Princess. It felt good to have Natalia at his side. She seemed ... happier than before. Maybe it was the sunlight, he didn't know. He didn't question it, because her mood launched his skyward, and the feeling of her arm wrapping his assured that he had a companion that needed him. Damien felt loved by Natalia. He wanted the feeling to last forever.

The Hospital soon loomed into view through the passing cracks between buildings. It was a domineering structure, composed of concrete curtain ribs and reinforced glass. Someone once told him that the glass was intended to bring more natural light into the building and help create a more beneficial and healing environment. For all it's purported transparency, Damien couldn't help but feel the opaque layers of bureaucratic business, conspiring to squeeze every possible penny from the miserable souls who pass through it. It was unassailable, unquestionable, and inculpable. Damien always approached the building with a wary gaze, and the feisty woman at his arm helped bolster his resolve that day.

Damien and Natalia breezed through security that morning. Jackson wore a torn expression, and simply gave Damien a nod once they passed the metal-detector. Damien made a mental note to catch Jackson later and ask him what was bothering him. Damien took comfort in hearing Natalia's heels clicking next to him in stride. They broadcasted his presence in a more sophisticated manner than he thought he deserved. Damien loosened his arm from Natalia, then wrapped it around her shoulder. He couldn't remember the last time he'd entered the Hospital so joyful.

Once off the elevator, Damien led Natalia to Lily's room. He put his finger to his lips, then opened the door quietly. The sight that greeted Natalia was astounding. Surrounding Lily on multiple surfaces, were three large floral arrangements. They stood three feet high above the counter elevation, making them as tall as a person. Color exploded wherever the eye went, and the backdrop to Lily's slumber was a garden of color and verdant care.

"What do you think?" Damien asked.
 
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Natalia walked along with Damien, rather enjoying this. It was a few blocks to the hospital but it was easy going. There were people out doing proper things like going to work, but with Damien at her side, she realized nobody was staring at her. Even standing and waiting for the crosswalk signal, nobody gave her more than a passing glance. Was it Damien or her change of attire? Or both? Whatever it was, she was thrilled to have it. He was like her personal bouncer. That made her smile quite a bit.

They went through security and she avoided looking directly at the guards, hiding the fact that she was high and those pills in her bag were not a prescription. Thankfully they didn't notice a thing. In fact, they seemed preoccupied with Damien, somehow. She shrugged it off and moved back over to Damien's side, going upstairs with him to Lily's room. His gesture to be quiet seemed out of place until he opened the door.

"Holy fuck," she breathed, stunned. She stepped into the room slowly and looked around. Flowers, flowers everywhere. They were gorgeous. It was like the best kind of rainbow vomit. She could almost hear how Lily would squeal with excitement if she was awake and could see. "You did all this..? Why?" she asked, looking up at Damien in confusion. It was so beautiful, but she did not understand why he would make such a gesture for somebody he didn't know.
 
Damien flashed a lop-sided grin. He gently grasped Natalia's shoulders and turned her to face the floral bounty. His hand brushed the hair on her right side onto her left, exposing her neck. Damien leaned down and kissed that beautiful, pale neck, then kissed her cheek, whispering. "Because, I think even though Lily's sleeping like this, she still knows what's happening. I tell myself this everyday with my mom. She needs to know that she's not alone. She needs to know that someone's pulling for her in whatever dark tunnel she's trying to climb out of."

Damien walked close to Lily, examining the flower arrangements in greater detail. Were he versed in horticulture, he would know that the yellow-tinged, lacecap hydrangea and 'Limelight' green tulips were quite unusual, and came from distant fields in Holland; or, that the waxy, evergreen leaves staked into the vases were South American, and cost over $15 per sheaf. He didn't recognize any of these subtleties, only that his employer was a generous man, who supported Damien's efforts to make this world a better place. Damien knew of Trudy, because Mr. Alessandro used her late last year to prepare a similar arrangement for his mother down the hall.

Damien never considered himself a man of ulterior motives. However, just then he acknowledged his capacity to create overlapping, altruistic moments for the benefit of those in his life. Lily did deserve these flowers, and being a friend of Natalia brought Damien to provide the garden within which they stood. Damien also wanted to illustrate for Natalia the depth of his generosity, and the expanse of his heart. Damien simultaneously wanted to gift his lover with an overwhelming experience - one that she would not soon forget. He wanted to show Natalia that there was power in life, and the potential euphoria exceeded whatever high came from her drugs. Damien wanted Natalia to crave an addiction to being affected in this way, to staring in wonderment at a room of color and scents.

"I take it you approve?"
 
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