"Imagine yourself as a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on; you knew that these jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised. But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make any sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of-- throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were being made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. He intends to come and live in it himself."
- C.S. Lewis
Kate and Fyodor were getting ready in her room for their nighttime festivities. It was determined that Fyodor and Kate would share a room for the remainder of their stay in America. This was all planned by Daisy, who adored Fyodor upon their first meeting. Despite her husband's reluctance to have him share a room with his youngest daughter, he gave in when his wife gave him a dangerous look. He was already in hot water with her for having his infidelity leaked to the public and he didn't want to face her wrath any worse.
Kate was putting on a dress that showed far more skin than anything she would normally wear. Fyodor wasn't complaining about this at all. When she exited her bathroom, his jaw nearly touched the floor. He remained in the same clothes, but she once again looked like an angel-- his angel. She wore a white dress that ended at her upper thighs. It was loose on the top, so her cleavage was on full display. The straps were silver chains. She also left her hair down.
"You're gorgeous, absolutely stunning." He showered her with compliments in his native language. Her cheeks flushed red at his words.
"Richard brought your bags here, so if you want you can get changed as well. Or would you prefer not to?" She asked, trying to get rid of her blush by changing the conversation.
"I thought I looked just fine in this, don't you think?" He asked, holding his arms out. She smiled softly at this gesture.
"It's perfect." She nodded her head.
When they were alone, they would switch to speaking in Russian. Fyodor was more comfortable with it and Kate enjoyed the opportunity to continue to improve her skills. Kate also did this because she didn't want anyone to know what they were talking about. Being both a spy and a Chopin, she was incredibly paranoid that someone was always listening in on her conversations whenever she was in that house. The butlers and maids always adored the children, but at the end of the day, they worked for the parents, whose fates were in their hands.
"I thought you were trying to get me to change?" He teased her, a smile pulling at his lips.
"No, I simply asked." She shrugged, fully aware he wasn't being serious.
"So, would you care to tell me why you were so upset earlier?" He asked, sitting down on the edge of her bed.
"I don't wish to." She shook her head gently, her smile quickly dropping.
"Why? Is it something bad? Something about... me?" He interrogated, tilting his head to his left. Kate didn't answer directly but her silence told him that he had guessed correctly.
"What about me would get you so worked up? I did notice your father giving you a stern look. So, this leaves me to conclude that he's said something, most likely about me, that has caused you to keep your distance from me. This is all correct, isn't it?" He asked, leaning back slightly, confident in both his reasoning and his conclusion.
"Fyodor, I don't want to talk about this." She shook her head, a sad expression filling her face. Her eyes held a new type of sadness that he had never seen before. They were still dull, but they lacked life and were darker than they had ever been.
The sadness in her eyes came from a desire, a longing for more. This type of longing only leads to eternal sadness because it creates expectations and expectations lead to disappointment. Longing leads to sadness because when you want something obtainable, there is no goal for you to reach that will get you to the end product. Humans always desire what they cannot have. This separation from animals is what makes them truly fascinating creatures.
This look upon Kate's face made Fyodor realise this was something he couldn't manipulate her into telling him unless he was ready to break her spirit, which he didn't want to do anymore. At first, Fyodor wanted nothing more than to gain her trust so that he could break her down and build her back up as the perfect slave, such as he did with Ivan. He wanted to break her spirit and will. But now that he knew how broken it already was, he wanted nothing more than to protect those fragile pieces from those who wished to break them even more. How hypocritical of him. He wanted to keep her to himself so that he knew she was safe and she was his, only his. He was possessive only for her.
Now, he wasn't going to push her any further into telling him what had transpired earlier that evening. He knew that if she truly trusted him and valued him, she would tell him in her own time and he would have to respect that.
"I think your siblings are already waiting for us. Let's go meet with them and then we'll have fun tonight, okay?" He smiled softly, holding his hand out for her. She nodded her head and walked past, not taking his hand. He stared down at his empty hand, devoid of all warmth, that she had rejected. She had rejected his touch multiple times tonight, not only was this something he wasn't used to, but this was something he had never known before-- rejection. It stung and it made him feel horrible. He hated feeling unwanted and this only made him even more insecure.
When the entire group had finally arrived at the nightclub, everyone seemed to be in high spirits except Kate and Fyodor. Those two were surrounded by thick air that weighed down on them. Kate and Fyodor both seemed to have shrunk a bit since their first appearance in America, but it's not like anyone noticed. Everyone else was too absorbed in their own festivities to see that there was trouble in paradise for the new "couple."
"There's our booth, Cella and I are gonna grab us some drinks," Morgana shouted over the music to everyone.
This was a club well known for having no paparazzi, in fact, there were no cell phones or cameras allowed. It was notorious for elites all around the city to gather and let loose without consequence. Fyodor was unaware of the no phone rule and thus had his phone confiscated at the door. It would be returned to him at the end of the night when he leaves. Kate figured he was unaware so she brought her phone too so he didn't feel so embarrassed and alone.
Antoine and Olivette sat next to each other, immersed in their own conversation and little world. Kate and Fyodor were left to awkwardly sit near each other, both feeling uncomfortable.
"What drinks is your sister getting?" Fyodor asked.
"She only ever brings tequila shots," Kate answered.
"I see. I lean more towards Vodka understandably." He joked, making her smile ever so slightly.
Marcella and Morgana returned with a tray of shots for the party.
"Here's to forgetting this night!" Marcella held her glass up as the rest followed her lead. All the shots were downed without any sputtering or choking. This continued for another 5 tequila shots, which thoroughly impressed Fyodor. Theis family seemed to be holding their liquor seemingly well.
"This is really smooth," Fyodor mumbled to himself in his native tongue.
"This is a club for the elite, there is no cheap alcohol here," Kate informed him.
"Would you two stop telling secrets over there in Russian?" Marcella rolled her eyes at them.
"Leave them alone, Cella." Morgana nudged her lover.
"I'm just saying. Nobody even speaks Russian over here besides them." Marcella pouted and crossed her arms, getting defensive.
"Babe let's go dance." Morgana dragged away her date before she could protest.
"They've got a good idea, come on." Olivette tried pulling away Antoine.
"No, somebody's gotta watch the booth." He shook his head and crossed his arms.
"Fine, I guess these random men are going to have to watch me instead. My dress is awfully short too, what a shame." She flipped her hair over her shoulder before walking away. Realisation hit Antoine and his eyes widened at his wife's words.
"Oli, wait, I was kidding!" He jumped out of the booth and ran after her.
Once again, Fyodor and Kate were alone in the booth. This time, however, Kate was intoxicated and thus not trying to hold herself back as much as before.
"Fyodor, let's dance." She smiled as she grabbed his hand. Fyodor was overjoyed to have this physical touch of hers again but at the same time, he hated it. How was it that she could act cold towards him the entire night and now, all of a sudden, she was okay with him again? It wasn't fair and he didn't like it at all... but he craved her attention so he would have to be okay with her behaviour.
"I didn't think you knew how to dance." He laughed as he followed her.
"I am Katherine Chopin, of course I know how to dance." She smiled up at him. This smile warmed his entire body. The kindness and sincerity in her eyes reminded him of who she could be for him. Her smile was genuine and so were her eyes. He adored it and would never tire of something so angelic. In the same way that a child gets excited the night before Christmas, he too would anticipate this mundane magic.
Kate moved her body in a way that made all of her other previous movements stiff. Her rhythm was perfect, of course, and her hips made him practically drool. Her hair framed her face perfectly as she moved. Her dress rode up ever so slightly and revealed even more leg, nearing her panties. Oh, not to mention the way her breasts moved as she danced. Because the dress was so loose at the top, it put her goods on full display for him (and everyone else which he had forgotten).
Oh, how this infuriated Fyodor; how she teased him always with her good looks. She was gorgeous of course, but her beauty served as a reminder that he himself was not worthy enough to touch her the way he wanted to. The most gorgeous works of art are the ones that tempt not only the body but the mind. Temptation, the forbidden desire, was something he was not accustomed to. Yet here it was, dangling the ultimate price in front of his face, just out of his grasp. He had been with gorgeous women before, yes, but they were merely stars in comparison to the galaxy that was Kate. She was everything those other women were and more.
He didn't know what to do with his overwhelming feelings about her that grew stronger and stronger each second that passed while he was in her presence. He wanted nothing more than to flee but he was drawn closer by the light she produced. Most people find themselves simply living in the light, but like a caveman discovering fire for the very first time, he wanted nothing more than to be burned by its touch. He found that like a child wanting to disassemble their favourite toy, he wanted to do the same. He still wanted to dissect her so he could comprehend her on a completely different level than anyone else. He wished to see her naked, yes, but he also wanted to see her in a way that made her far more naked than with her clothes off.
It was this constant contradiction that muddled his brain and mixed up his thoughts. Did he want to protect her from those trying to do the very same thing he was? Yes, of course. He wanted to be the only person to pick her apart in such a way because he wanted to be the only person to see her that vulnerable. Part of him wanted to keep her this way and become her protector, but another part of him-- his demonic part-- wanted to rip her to shreds.
Now, in this nightclub, watching her dance to her heart's content, he found himself even more confused about his true feelings than ever.
~~~
A/N : This chapter is one that I'm so fucking proud of, I couldn't wait to publish thissssss