The toughest bitch

Encounter at night - 13

I was running again, but I knew they were closing in. Not again, please not again. I was limping, too slow to outrun them. I didn't know the area, but they did... they knew every corner of those streets. It was an industrial area, high walls at my right and left and I tried to silence my breathing and my steps, but they echoed back from the walls. "We will find you little girl, we always have" someone sang behind me, his voice mocking me "not this time" I whispered, running faster, trying to find a turn I had not yet used. I cut a corner to my left, running into another street. I was facing a large fence at the end, forest behind it. That was it, this was my escaping way. Adrenaline helped me to push farther and jump onto the fence, it rattled loudly. I started climbing up as quick as I could as I heard them run into my street "wrong choice" another voice said.

I fell of the fence, landing on my back, a strong current was still running through my body, electronic energy making my twitch violently. I tried so hard not to fall unconscious, not to give up, but the darkness came and swallowed me just as a man came into my vision "isn't this game fun?" he asked, grinning at me. His eyes were grey, so cold and filled with pure hatred. A long scar ran along his cheek, still pink indicating it was fresh "better luck next time" he said before I was out.

I woke up, sweat all over my body. My breathing was rapid, filling my room with its noise. My heart was racing like a galloping horse and I brushed some hair away from my forehead. My hand was trembling slightly. What a nightmare I thought and pushed myself out of bed, unable to stay still after this.
I walked into the bathroom and turned the water on, waiting to have it warmed before I stepped in and let the heat from the water battle the cold inside of me. I would have stayed in there longer if it hadn't been for the hunger clawing on my inside.
I walked downstairs in only long sweatpants, feeling the need to somehow dress in something comfortable and comforting but also being overheated from the shower. My stomach was rumbling, threatening to wake the house if I were not to find something to eat quickly. It was still dark outside, but there was light coming from the kitchen. I heard the coffee machine and saw someone standing in front of it.

Tae had her hands pushed against the wood, her legs straight and her upper body leaned forwards as if relying on the counter to hold her. She stared at the dark liquid coming out of the two small tubes and did not look up at my entry. She looked tired but not as droopy as yesterday. She seemed calm and composed so I decided to start a conversation "awake so early?" I asked her, her head spun around to me as if being surprised by my presence. She should have noticed me though, I hadn't been quiet when entering. Her eyes didn't find mine but stayed lingering on my bare torso.
I warm shudder ran up my spine at her stare and my stomach turned with something else than hunger. I could see her gulp before her eyes returned to the mug. The machine was done and she placed another mug underneath to catch the cleaning water once the machine shut itself down. She didn't answer me and seemed a little disorientated in the kitchen. She had opened various cupboards before finding the right one and took out three bananas, shoving them into one of her large pockets. Some plums landing in the one on her other leg before she took hold of her coffee mug and was going to leave. I didn't want her to leave, I wanted her to stay and had the weird need to interact with her.

"Sir" I called, making her stop and turn, having her eyes trained onto mine. I withheld a smirk from forming, my appearance seemed to affect her greatly. "I overheard a man talk about you, someone from the star warrior squat" I told her, trying my only chance of giving her information she didn't already have. She rose an eyebrow "on the phone, he was talking to the first in command" I continued "telling him about your shifts and your... current state" I said, carefully trying to voice it the nicest way possible. Her eyebrow returned to normal when her face froze. "Thank you for telling me this" she whispered, not able to cover up all the traces of hurt in her voice. So she does care about him I thought with a strong feeling of jealousy.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" I babbled, desperately trying to keep her talking "working" she said and sat down at one of the tables. A small laptop had been put on the seat and pen and paper were laying to her right. I was relieved to know she wouldn't just vanish and somehow thrilled to have the opportunity to maybe spend some time with her now that she was back to normal and not this crazed version of herself. I gasped when I saw the clock, 4 a.m. and I could not remember when I went to bed. I got out some bread and peanut butter, deciding on joining her. I took a seat opposite her. Her eyes were trained on the computer, the bright light reflecting in her eyes as she typed and taped onto the keyboard.

Her eyes were moving from one side of the screen to the other and it seemed she had a purpose. It was enough for me to look at her for quite some time, remembering the time we had been close, remembering her eyes on me and her gulping. My eyes followed the outline of her face and I suddenly wondered what it would feel like touching her skin. Was she as sensitive on her throat as Rumulus had been? Would my touch make her shiver as well? Would she close her eyes in pleasure? I imagined what it would feel like tracing her jawline with my fingers, grazing her skin, feeling her warmth. I imagined what it would feel like being so close that I could feel her breath mingle with mine. I wondered how it would be to lower my mouth and be close to her skin, smell her and taste her. A vivid image of my lips on her throat shot into my mind, making me shiver again.

A tiny moan got my attention and I opened my eyes to see her have her eyes close, one hand on her throat, her face showing pure bliss. I was shocked and stunned, what was happening?
Her eyes darted open and her hand shot back onto her keyboard, the sound of typing reached my ear again. She took the pen and started scribbling down while zooming in and out on the screen with her other hand. A small line formed on her forehead as she scrutinized the screen for a while.
I understood that we would not be talking anytime soon and started spreading some peanut butter onto a slice of bread. The sticky, salty-sweet taste distracted me from my weird imagination and kept me in the here and now for a while. She suddenly placed a banana in the middle of the table "tastes better" she mumbled and continued scribbling something. She wouldn't look up or meet my eyes, yet she did acknowledge my presence which was kind of an improvement.

I decided to get something to do myself and rose from my seat, leaving my food to indicate I would be coming back. I walked out but started sprinting up the stairs as soon as I was out of view. I was afraid she would leave while I was gone. I took some files my dad suggested I'd read, pen and paper and a shirt to cover up. I stopped in the doorframe.
Do I want to wear a shirt? I kind or really enjoy her looking... I decided to be brave and stupid, throwing the shirt onto my bed.
She was still working though she was chewing and a banana peel was laying on the table. She didn't look at me when I sat back down, not failing to notice her coffee being half empty now. Did she really rush to eat and drink with me gone? She didn't mind having dad around when moving away that fabric, jealousy was getting the better of me again. I hated how such strong feeling nagged at my inside all the time. I started eating another slice of bread, spreading peanut butter on it and squishing half the banana on top. "It is better" I said, filling the silence. She nodded absently "yeah, even more so with chocolate" she mumbled. I didn't take her to be into that sort of stuff, but what did I really know about her?