Several days stretched on slowly after Toni's inebriated confession. Valeriya was out of the house more times than not, spending many hours out of the weeks at the gun range. She knew that this silence that passed between herself and Toni would need to be mended soon. After all, it seemed that they couldn't go long without communicating in some form anymore. Whether it be a fight, or a simple conversation.
Toni often times tried to reach out to Valeriya, attempting to get her to talk, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Valeriya figured that she didn't even remember what she said the night she came home from the bar. The thick tension in the room overtook them everytime they were in the same vicinity, so much so, that they couldn't bare to look at eachother for more than a few seconds at a time.
Today was just like the others, silent and tense. Valeriya left the house early in the morning with her small caliber glock, needing to blow off some steam. Toni was left alone on the couch, staring blankly at the television as it played an old movie that she'd seen about a hundred times. It droned on as she cycled through her phone, stopping on Valeriya's name more than once. She even went so far as to open the messaging application, trying to get herself to say something. It was often easier to say things through writing than it was through speaking, she thought. Maybe she could bring herself to send her a message, but not right now. For now, she'd settle on Sentinal. Toni scrolled down until she found his name and promptly pressed the 'call' button.
"Come on... Pick up." She whined, hearing the dial tone ring up to four times.
"Sentinal!" Toni nearly yelled when he picked up.
"Hey girly, what's going on?" His deep voice rumbled into her hear, a sound she needed now more than ever.
"I need you to come over. I mean, if you aren't busy." She sighed.
"Sure thing. But, uh, everything okay?" His voice dropped a little, showing her that he was beginning to get concerned. It wasn't everyday that she called him over.
"Yeah, just... Just hurry up." Then she hung up, setting her phone down to wait.
The time between the phone call and Sentinal's arrival at Toni's apartment was barely that of twenty minutes. She was impressed at his punctuality, then again, they learned that skill well. Given that their shared boss would often times torture or humiliate employees that were late or acted out of line. Toni and Sentinal were often times left unscathed by his wrath, mainly due to the fact that the woman could kill him with a single drop of blood slipped into his morning coffee, and Sentinal being her best friend, was safe out of fear of her backlash. The one time that their boss had laid hands on Toni garnered a violent outburst from Sentinal. He ripped the older man out of his chair and slammed him against a wall, delivering a handful of punches until he was bruised and bloodied.
Toni remembered what happened as if it were yesterday.
"What the fuck are you doing to her?!" Sentinal's voice boomed through the small office that housed his bosses nook. The scene in front of him was hard to take in, almost not wanting to believe what was happening. His employers hands were cupped violently around a crying Toni. She was shaking in his hold.
"Sentinal, I think it's best you leave. This is... A personal matter." The older man smirked to his scarred counterpart.
"No! This isn't some sick game, you piece of shit! LET HER GO!" His voiced boomed yet again, rushing forward to tear her from his twisted grasp.
The rest of the memory faded as Sentinal came around to face Toni on her couch. The look in his dark eyes confused her a little, wondering why he looked so damn concerned all of a sudden.
"What?" She chided.
"You called me over here, and now you won't say anything. What's going on with you?" His brows furrowed, now showing signs of frustration rather than the former concern.
"I just... I have a lot going on." She finally said in a sigh.
"Okay, well tell me about it. Maybe I can help." He leaned back and rested his arm around his dear friend. She responded by leaning into him, finding comfort in his presence.
"Things with Valeriya have been really weird lately."
"Like what? I thought you two were starting to get close, or... Or, whatever." He shifted in a way that was barely noticable, but Toni caught it. As if he was uncomfortable suddenly.
"We are close, but, I think she heard something I said a few weeks ago... I don't know. She's barely speaking to me now." She glanced over at him, trying to catch the odd look he was no doubt giving, and she caught it. He was looking down at her hands intently. What is wrong with him?
"Is there something wrong with you, too?" Toni whined, leaning hard into his side. He smiled a little and looked up to meet her eyes.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course. That's what friends are for, right?"
Sentinal smiled a little wider and then leaned his head on the back of the couch, staring up at the ceiling.
"Do you..." He sighed and bit his lip slightly, "do you remember what happened after I saved you from boss a couple years ago?"
Toni caught the nervous tone of his voice as he asked, and she quickly turned her gaze away from him. "I remember going to the bar together, then waking up the next day with a hangover."
Sentinal nodded, seeming satisfied with the answer. "Yeah. Anyway, do you still want to teach Valeriya how to kill?"
"I don't know, anymore, Sentinal. As I said, things are getting weird." Her voice fell, reeling about the night Sentinal spoke about longer than she should be. Toni did indeed remember everything about the night that he saved her. She remembered that they went to the bar together. Shared several drinks together. They shared conversation and laughs, and then they shared a kiss... Then, one more drink gave Toni the courage to take Sentinal home, but she never told him she knew what happened. She wanted to keep him in the dark.
"What do you mean, weird?" His deep voice interrupted her thoughts, pulling her back to reality.
"Alright so, I told her that I'm gay finally."
"Took you long enough." He butt in snidely.
"Yes well." She shot him a short glare, "she didn't react well at first. Not at all. We fought, and then I left for the bar. I got way too drunk and passed out in an alleyway that I puked in."
"Ew, dude." He butt in again.
"Interrupt me one more time and I'll melt one of your eyes out." Toni gritted.
He shuddered a little and then went completely quiet, signalling her to continue.
"Anyway. When I got home I found her asleep on the couch here, looking all cute. Cuddled up in a blanket." She began to smile a little as she thought back to that night, bringing her hand up to touch along her bottom lip fondly.
"I sort of told her that I loved her." She whispered.
"Ugh, God. That's exactly what you need right now!" Sentinal whined, looked down at Toni.
"What do you mean?!" She huffed.
"It's just, I don't know. You're falling for your apprentice. Actually no, I take that back. You're falling for you target, Toni. She shouldn't even be here." He was stern, but she knew he was right.
"I know that's all true, but I don't think I could do without her now."
The two went silent for a long while after that, glancing back and forth between eachother every so often. There was something about Sentinal tonight that threw Toni a little off, as if he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the words. He would open and close his mouth, trying so hard, but coming up short. Until finally...
"Toni... Do you want her to work in our sect when you leave?"
"I was thinking she would, yeah." She answered, not having given it much thought at all.
"Why?" At this point, she thought he was beginning to get jealous, and it was annoying her.
"What do you mean why? Do you really not like her or something? You haven't even met her!" She spat at him.
"That's not it!" Sentinal rose his voice slightly, and then calmed himself to speak in a quieter tone.
"What if..." He took in a breath, "what if the boss tries to hurt her like he hurt you?"
Toni's eyes went wide just then, staring at Sentinal with the most realization she'd had in a long time. That one single question made her wonder why she was even training Valeriya to do this in the first place. The thought of the young Russian getting hurt in the first place was devestating, but... Attacked? Just like she was, no less. No, she could never let that happen. The fact that she didn't realize it before made her stomach churn with disgust for herself.
"I-I... I can never let that happen, Sentinal." Her voice fell and tears began to bubble from the corners of her eyes.
That's when Sentinal and Toni heard the door knob to the front door turn.
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Hey, so I have this weekend off from work so expect quite a few updates :)