Where is she? - Ethan

All Emma really wanted to do was hold Darren’s hand, but doing so would distract her mind. Trauma was fairly easy for her to talk about, but only when she was listing off facts and observations. She needed to distance herself from the memory, and maybe that was why she seemed a little cold. She looked up at the siren, not able to make out what she whispered, but she sensed something had changed. The way they touched each other, seemed like lovers, yet she couldn’t be sure. Ethan gritted his teeth every time Samuel looked at him, fearing what the demon might ask of his sister. When the offer came he stepped forward, shaking his head. “Absolutely not!” He said, feeling his blood boil. Emma grabbed his hand, holding him back from straight up jumping on Samuel. “Trust me,” she said in a whisper, pleading with him to calm down. Ethan grumbled, but decided instead to get up and walk around and stand behind her. Emma turned her blue eyes to Samuel’s grey ones.

“If you think I would be a great asset, then I’ll accept,” she said in a calm voice before she looked to Eilish shortly, knowing that the siren might have persuaded the demon to do this, but she couldn’t be sure. “However, my studies at Manchester University is almost done. I need a year or so, then I’ll have a degree in astrophysics with minor degrees in math and chemistry,” she said closing her eyes briefly. “However if I am to receive payment, I’d like for you to fund my phd,” she said, opening her eyes to look at Samuel. Sure, she could get someone to find her phd other wise, but they usually chose what field she would study in, seeing as she couldn’t pay for it herself. “I only demand that I choose se my own study when time comes,” she said looking at Samuel with a calm face.

“Emma this is madness,” Ethan said in a growl, placing a hand on his sister’s shoulder. He shook his head, looking coldly at Samuel. That demon wanted to take everyone he cares for and hold them hostage. That seemed his plan anyways, making Ethan dependent on the guy so that he would be kept in check, was that it? He breathed out in frustration, feeling the siren’s gaze on him made him feel cold. He didn’t really trust her, but she seemed to have at least some knowledge about what was going on. Emma chose to ignore her brother right now. He was clearly distraught, but it did make her worry for Vanessa. “I do not only have an eidetic memory, I can cross reference everything in my memory and my surroundings,” she explained, hoping it would perhaps be of help for him. “It means also that I am able to see possible outcomes of action, not predict them, but logically see the next move,” she said wanting to give an example. She looked at Eilish, her eyes calmly studying the female before her eyes closed. “The woman beside you is with high probability that of a siren, her eyes especially giving it away, but her movements are far more graceful than a human or demon,” she said with her eyes still closed so she could focus on the task. “As I said, I cannot read minds or anything like that, but based on her body language I can tell what part of her memory she might be accessing,” she said, opening her eyes to look at Eilish again, the siren with an empty expression on her face made it hard, but she could still see her eyes move ever so slightly. “When she looks at Ethan, it is with discomfort almost, but not towards Ethan, that would have shown, no my brother must remind her of something or someone she dislikes,” she said, her eyes darting around like she was reading Eilish as a book.

Eilish held out her hand. “That’s enough for me to believe you,” she said in an affirming tone, a faint smile on her lips as she hated getting outed like this, but she really didn’t hide her disdain towards humans very well. They had been the ones to hurt her. Eilish looked at Samuel, movies her hand up to the nape of his neck, running her fingers over his pulse. The many drugs that Samuel produced meant nothing to her, when she could get high off of him alone. She leaned down to his ear again, her lips separating as she spoke to him. “I’ll be waiting,” she whispered in a tone that almost sounded sensual before she leaned back, moving back to the house.

Darren wanted to agree with Ethan and tell her that this was a really bad idea, but he knew it wasnt his place to assume such things. He just leaned a bit back in his chair and tightened his grip around the sidearms, clenching his jaw a bit to not spew a bunch of swears at Samuel for doing this. He wanted to believe that the demon in front of them could have some good intentions by the way he was setting up the whole thing, but it just reminded him of the people at Umbrella who had kept him hostage for as long as he remembered till he got into the mountains. Maybe it was just his mistrust for these pharmaceutical firms, but he just couldnt shake it off. Samuel's mind was closed off, by some immunity, Darren knew that. He felt some need to focus on passing that barrier and find his real intentions, but if Samuel were to find out, he would probably kill him in an instant. It just wasnt worth it - He had to trust Emma on this one. He looked up at Ethan and took in a deep breath, "She got this," he mumbled but it didnt really come out as something comprehensible.

"I will fund anything you need once you've seen and signed the contract. Working for TriCell means that your development is crucial to the firm. You wont just be the girl who can analyze, we'll help you grow as long as you're under our employment," he assured her with a small cold smile, yet his words were sincere. He didnt see a need to exploit her powers as what most people would need was money - And he had lots and lots of that to give out.
Ethan seeming less and less approving of the whole ordeal just seemed amusing to Samuel, making him smile a little bit at the frustration that shone out of him. But he was offering this job to Emma and he was sure that she was more than capable of making her own decisions. He turned his face to her as she started analyzing Eilish. He wasnt too fond of that, as her past wasnt something to be meddled in like this, but seeing that Emma was just trying to show off, he'd let it slide for now. He listened calmly and gave Eilish a few firm caresses on her lower back with his thumb, to keep his calm. He nodded as Eilish told her to stop, feeling quite impressed with the read. Finding that missing experiment was just what he needed, seeing that it had taken his focus for far too long by now. He didnt need further examples to know that she was exactly what he needed to do so.

Oh it was like she loved teasing him like this. Speaking with sensual tones that she knew he couldnt react to. He closed his eyes for less than a second to contain himself before his eyes met with her, "I'll be there in a bit," he said with a small smile before he looked to Emma again and rose from his seat. "Well if you are to work for me, for the sake of both of us, I'll have a meeting set up with a proper contract, detailing the things that I expect from you and what you can expect from me," he then said as he corrected his collar and exhaled deeply. He was looking forward to this as he had been looking for that damned girl for months, but in the moment he was only looking forward to one person - Eilish. He lifted his hand out for Emma to take, "You'll hear from me soon. You can start when you've finished your degree," he said, shaking her hand firmly if she chose to take it. "If you do need anything before then, we can set up a pay in advance," he added just to let her know that he was taking her quite seriously and not just seeing her as some small girl like the two guys she was hanging around. He let go of her hand and made a formal nod before he walked off. He stopped after a bit and turned his head slightly to let the side of his face show, "Seems like I've misplaced my trust in you. I had expected you to keep my daughter safe, yet you're here and she could be anywhere" he said, knowing Ethan would know he was talking to him. "But some humans just prove too untrustworthy," he said, not looking at him at all. He pulled his phone out his pocket and tapped a few times on the screen. "I would have given you 15 minutes to find her, but I frankly dont feel generous. 4 minutes have passed, so you're down to 11. Fail to find her and I will," he finished, placing his phone back in his pocket before he walked inside.
"Prick," Darren mumbled under his breath, looking to Emma. He wanted to go help Ethan, but something told him that Samuel wanted him to do it alone. He got up from the chair and grabbed Emma's hand, ready to go home if she was. If Ethan hadnt run off he'd tell him that they would go home where it was safe.

Eilish didn’t like getting read like that, but she was glad that the girl showed how brave she was by doing so. Either brave or dumb, but that wasn’t really for the siren to judge. Eilish could sense Samuel’s breathing, knowing her tease might be cruel, but she would gladly torture him if it meant they could be together. Perhaps she was twisted in that way, but she had found in Samuel someone she never thought she would find; an equal. She was his and he was hers, equal ownership over each other. Partly she knew that her demon would show his true colours only in the bedroom, on those late nights after hours of pleasure, she would let him hold her close as the gentle wind cooled down their heated bodies.

Emma nodded at Samuel’s words and got up to take his hand. One year and she would have an internship. It was weird, but she trusted her instinct. Samuel wouldn’t harm her, as long as she would keep up her part of the contract, and she would be able to study further with his funding. The warning he gave Ethan however showed some of the many facets of this strange demon. She felt Darren’s hand in hers, leaning her head against his shoulder and felt safe. Strange how such an act had this huge effect on her. However, her worry for Vanessa was larger than ever, yet she had faith in her brother. At least she needed to. Emma watched as Ethan ran off, sighing as she looked down. “Thank you for trusting me,” she whispered, looking up at Darren once more with vulnerability in her eyes. She gave his hand a squeeze and mustered up some courage, kissing his cheek carefully. She felt scared of breaking down, having kept her analytical facade up for so long as to not go mad. “Let’s go home,” she pleaded, not caring if they had to walk the whole way, as long as he stayed, she would be fine.

Ethan ran, clutching his phone as he tried calling Vanessa. He didn’t know if she would even pick up, but he knew her rather well by now. He knew her happy places, knew how she gravitated towards places where she felt safe. He checked the apartment first, but she wasn’t there, that would have been too easy. He looked at his phone, wondering. “Alice?” He said I to the microphone, not knowing if she listened in. “Alice do you have a tracker on her? Can you help me?” He pleaded, not knowing if she even listened in or cared to help. If she sent a location he would run in that direction, if not he would keep searching the usual places only stopping when he found her.

Darren watched Ethan run off and felt quite worried. They had only just found their way back together a couple of weeks ago and now Samuel was threatening him with taking her away once more. He would be out of it had that been Emma, not that he was sure why as they were just really good friends in his head. Well, to him she was more, but he didnt know what she felt for him. He smiled as she leaned onto his shoulder, her whisper making him smile a little. "Of course. I trust you more than you know, you know?" he said as he brushed the back of her hand with his indexfinger. He was a bit surprised when she kissed his cheek, but he chuckled a little bit, "I dont believe I've ever had a girl kiss my cheek before," he said, quite proud as he pulled her a little closer. They went home and he felt way better as they stepped in, like it was finally over - At least for them. He looked to Emma and gave her hand a squeeze, "Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat?" he asked with a little smile.

[Messages | Unknown number and Ethan]
[Unknown:] *Link to tracker*

Vanessa was sitting by a tree with her arms around her knees. She had a smoke in her hand as she exhaled deeply and leaned back. Darren still had her phone, but it had probably ran out of juice by now. She had a cigarette in the corner of her mouth and she frankly just wanted to go home, but it wasnt really an option in these big woods. She had gotten her emotions under control just in time, the bandana that he had given her wrapped tight around her wrist as the reminder she had used. She exhaled the smoke into the air and closed her eyes for a bit. Her head was still sore and she was sure a bump would have formed by now, feeling with her hand assured her that there was in fact a bump.
She looked up as she heard someone get closer, narrowing her eyes shortly as she took another drag from her cigarette. When she saw him, she flicked the smoke away as she quickly pushed herself to her feet as tears formed in her eyes. She felt her lip tremble as she exhaled the smoke through her nose running to his arms. She looked up as she realized it wasnt him, a soft gasp leaving her lips. She made a shard exit her palm and go through his side, letting him free her as she then started to run. The tracker would move along her steps, going further into the woods.

Emma couldn’t hide the fact that she loved how he spoke. She was so used to formal wording and proper nonsense that she longed to go back and be the ghetto girl she was raised at. She looked at him, blushing a bit at his comment about the kiss, but tried shrugging it off. He was her friend, her brother’s closest friend, and a friend he would stay. At least that was what she told herself, hiding her feelings behind some made up illusion that would keep her heart without reach of being broken. Yet she couldn’t deny the feeling she felt when she looked at him, the way her hand tingled as he held hers in his. Her body reacting to him like she was a bent piece of metal to his magnet. As they stepped into the apartment, Emma felt the heaviness if her body finally taking over. Leaning against Darren she felt like she was going to pass out. Food would have been her first thought any day, but she felt more like hiding away. “I think I need some rest first,” she whispered against his shirt, feeling her body ready to give in to her weight any minute. However the young girl was still standing, however leaning against Darren just made her heart pump blood around her system even faster. Her hands moved as if she was in a trance, moving up to hold around the guy whom she’d come to care for so deeply. “I’m scared,” she whispered, her mind going a thousand miles per hour, so she didn’t blame him if he couldn’t keep up with her long list of worries. She was afraid to lose her brother after what had happened in the bunker, felt the icy fear of what separating Vanessa and Ethan might mean. She was worried about Cetas, scared he was somewhere hurting, and then there was the matter of her heart. How scared she was to open up to someone, fearing what real love might do to her. Would it drive her mad and into a submissive state like her mother? Would it make her violent like her father? She inhaled Darren’s scent, sighing under her breath as she felt so safe with him. Couldn’t they just stay like this, in this weird grey zone where neither of them really knew what to do or say? “Will you stay with me while I sleep?” She asked in a pleading tone, looking up at him with bewildered eyes as she felt so torn. Never would she want to lead him on, but she also felt so far gone as she looked into his eyes. Emma moves away from him slowly, almost as if it was hurting to separate herself from him. She moved carefully towards the bedroom, pulling of her dirty clothes and just dropping them where she took them off. Her underwear was the only thing left as she walked to her small bag and picked out an old white t-shirt of her own. Then she moved to the bed, lying down slowly as if her bones were brittle and aching. If he joined her she would pull herself closer to him, wrapping an arm around his torso, feeling him under her fingertips. Emma mumbles something incoherent before feeling her body doze off.

Ethan saw the messages popping up, thanking the phone over and over again as he started running. He ran faster as he was competing with time, that wasn’t exactly on his side. He knew a few shortcuts, but he needed every second to spare. The woods around him got thicker the further he moved in, the rays of sun battling the thick leaves on their crowns. He felt out of breath, but kept running, frowning as he saw she was moving again. His heart could hardly take the pain if she was actually running from him. That was at least how it felt like, watching the screen with no context. He reached a clearing, scoping out around him as the tracker said he was close. “Vanessa!” He called out, fearing the answer of the trees would be his only clue. He caught the sight of something and he ran in that direction, feeling his body exhausted from the long day, but he would be damned if he didn’t try with all his might. Right now he wished he had some god like advantage from his race alone, but alas this was not how it worked for a human. He breathed out until he saw him, and then he caught a glimpse of ether grey hair standing out from the greenery around him. He sped up, running after her and calling her name, fearing she was in a frenzy from which she could not awake. Then he looked at the time. He had one minute. One minute to get to her and hold her in her arms, and if not, someone would take her away again. He couldn’t live with that. He refused, and in doing so he sped up. His body running mainly on adrenaline and stress. He got closer to her, he knew it, and everything seemed as if it was moving in slow motion. He reached out, touching her hand as she slipped away, only to grab her hand again and feel her almost drag him with her. “Vane,” he breathed out, stopping and looking at the guy. Ethan looked at his phone and his face lit up. “One second to spare,” he said, gasping for air as he pulled Vanessa into a tight embrace, sighing again her hair as sweat pebbled forward on his forehead, forming gentle beads of salty water that ran down the length of his face. “I got you, I got you,” he mumbled inaudibly into her silver hair as he pressed her closer. She might strike him now, and he would feel nothing but relief. He looked up at the man in spite, knowing very well that he was sent by Samuel, but Ethan had won this time, however knowing that the demon would not take kindly to this.

"Rest is a good idea," he agreed with her, having just wanted to be sure she wasnt starving. He noticed how distraught she was and it was understanble with an ability like hers, making her mind do all sorts of attempts to solve the puzzles that had been laid out. He held her close and ran his hand down her back in calming strokes, but he felt just as out of it as her. He still had a lingering feeling that there was some evil scheme behind it all, she couldnt just have gotten out that easily without someone wanting her to. He pressed her closer and placed a hand on the back of her head, "I'm scared too," he said in a low tone, trying to sound not too bewildered. He was mostly angry that he couldnt pick up anything useful in the cemetery, a thought from the captors or something else - But he had gotten nothing. He exhaled deeply and shook his head, trying not to let his mind stay on it, he needed to rest too. Her plea made him look at her with vulnerable eyes, "I will, I promise," he said as he moved his hand from her head to her cheek. He let her move out of his embrace even though it felt like it stung to have her leave. When she started taking off the clothes, he decided to give her her privacy, walking to the door after a bit and knock on it lightly to let her know he was coming in. He walked over to the bed where she laid and he pulled the covers up, shaking them a bit to give that fresh feeling of air between the polyester-filling before he tugged it around her nicely like she was a burrito. He sat down next to her before he laid down, looking at her for a bit before he lifted a hand and gentle started caressing her down her forehead to her nose in repetitive calm motions. He had seen a woman do this to her baby once and it might not work, but hell, it was a try. "You're safe now. Rest your mind," he whispered with the soothing motions of his finger running against her soft skin.

Fear was rushing through her system as she thought he was going to catch her. Her head flew back and forth as she was trying to keep track on him, but he was just as fast as she was. She had to use the trees and bushes to create more and more distance, but she was so flustered that she was stumbling over her own feet. Her legs were sore and she felt the exhaustion from the tomb but right now her focus all laid on getting away.
She felt a hand around hers but instead of stopping, her overworked system told her to shake free and keep her pace. Her hand was grabbed again and she stopped, quickly turning to throw a fist at whoever it was when her grey eyes met with his blue. Her eyes welled up and she watched him look at his phone, not really knowing what he meant in the moment but it didnt matter when she was pulled into his arms. She pressed her palms hard against his back as her hands grabbed tight at the fabric of his clothes. She buried her face in his chest, closing her misty eyes hard as she sobbed quietly. “You found me,” she mumbled through her sobs, making her pitch do small hiccups though she was trying her best to control them. The guy looked at his watch to confirm Ethan’s statement, nodding shortly before he looked at the human. “I’ll pick her up in a couple of weeks for the trip to Africa,” he said in a rather monotone voice as he turned his back to them and started walking. Vanessa felt her shoulders tremble as she just stayed as close to Ethan as possible. She started shaking her head and then buried her face against his chest again, "I dont want to go there," she mumbled in his shirt and clutched hard at the fabric around his back. She finally felt the soothing calmness fall over her, but then the exhaustion hit her. It was like her legs finally gave in to the pressure that they had gone through and hadnt she held onto him, she would have fallen.

Hearing his voice was ever so comforting to her, and she couldn’t really understand why. Well she could, but she decided not to understand in this moment. After laying down he came in, tugging her in as if she were a child, stroking her from her forehead to the top of her nose as she looked at him with tired eyes. She reached her hand out from under the covers, taking his other hand in hers. Slowly she intertwined their fingers, giving his hand a soft and weakened squeeze as she looked at him. Her blue eyes almost as clear as glass, but so fluid that the blue looked like a large ocean. She couldn’t describe her feelings for Darren, but she knew this wasn’t just a friendship, even though she fought hard against her own body’s reaction. She kept telling herself he wasn’t seeing her like that. That he, like Ethan, saw the kid she was as well, and who could fall for a baby face like her? Her movements were getting more slow, looking at Darren she just knew she was safe, just knew he was watching over her and guarding her from all harm. She wanted to be brave, ask him to kiss her goodnight, to crawl under the covers with her and hold her body close to his. However could she? Could she let her heart be open like that to someone she had known for merely weeks? They often spoke of a soulmate, a person meant for you an no one else, but to Emma it seemed stupid. At least that was until she looked at him and felt the rush in her stomach, felt the need to be near him and let him into her heart. The ways in which he touched her hair, make his fingers run over her skin, it all sent a signal to her brain about him continuing. Her body aches for his touch, even if she couldn’t see that herself fully. “Darren,” she mumbled, blushing a bit as she looked at their fingers rather than his eyes. She wanted to tell him, wanted to confide in him the feeling she felt when he touched her, or merely looked at her. “I ...” She whispered, almost scared that if she said anything louder it would collapse her reality. She exhaled, tugging at his hand but she knew it didn’t work like that. She freed her other hand from under the covers, opening her safe burrito to let him in. She looked at him with such vulnerability that it almost hurt her from being like this. She begged that he would lay down next to her, and she would snuggle her face close to his neck. Breathing in his scent, the mixture of salt and his cologne, it was ever so calming to her. She kissed his neck gently, not knowing if he would understand, but she just needed to feel his skin under her lips again. Her eyes were drowsy, looking at him as she kissed his cheek, always reading the situation. Then her lips touched his, a rush of emotions ran through her body, even though she was laying perfectly still up against him.

Ethan saw the fist coming at him, closing his eyes and not really fearing a hit from her. He had just caught her in a chase between him and one of Samuel’s men, so saying there was no threat would be a lie. He breathed in her scent, feeling that his body could break down without that scent. “I always find you,” he mumbled, not knowing if he was able to find her if she got taken to Africa. He could hear the man walk away now, leaving them in the woods alone. He pulled his head away from her hair, cupping her face with his hands as he searched her teary wet eyes. He could feel he wanted to cry as well, but for now he would let her have the moment. With his thumb he wiped away her fallen tears. She didn’t want to go to Africa, he knew that more than anyone, and he didn’t want her to go. He wanted her to stay right here in his arms where she belonged. Stayed right by his side as he knew he would break not to have her there with him. “You want to go home?” He whispered, looking into her fluid grey eyes as all he wanted was to keep her safe. It was awful, knowing that he was powerless to Samuel’s orders. He sighed, feeling his own body close to just passing out. He wanted her to say they should go home, mostly because he just needed that. He needed the safe feeling of that apartment, looking at all the trinkets that Vanessa had accumulated seemed to calm him every day when he awoke and even before he went to bed. Sure, it was odd decor, but he didn’t know shit about decorating a room, let alone a whole apartment. He looked at her, the worry he still felt for Emma lingering in him, but he knew she was at home safe and with Darren. Just to be safe he shot both of them a text, checking to see if they had managed to get back. “I really hate running,” he mumbled before he leaned down and kissed her lips with the tender love he felt for her, brushing his stubble lightly against her Cupid’s bow as he pulled away. “Your father has offered Ems an internship when she’s done wiv uni,” he said, almost in a whisper. He was scared to utter those words, but he knew he couldn’t change his sister’s mind like that. She was as stubborn as stubborn could be, but he guessed that so was he himself. “She accepted,” he said, looking down, almost shameful that he hadn’t just stopped her. That he hadn’t screamed at her for doing such a thing. Ethan saw it as a bargain with the devil himself, especially seeing the torment that Vanessa went through. He exhaled, finally looking into her eyes, but he felt so lost. He had no words to describe how torn he felt. On one hand his sister could go further in her education, but at what price? He feared Samuel would now have two things to push and pull him with, make him decide between his sister and Vanessa. He trembled a bit, feeling his legs wanting to give in to the tired feeling, making them almost numb as he kept on standing.

Feeling their fingers intertwine was nice, but he felt quite conflicted about the situation. He felt that things were slowly changing between them and he didnt really know what to do about it, on one hand, she was completely off-limits and on the other, his heart was telling him to not give a single shit about what was on or off-limits in this situation. So instead of stopping it, he just let it go on where ever it was headed, hoping that no one would get hurt on the way. He kept caressing her down the forehead to her nose in a soothing slow motion, making a small "hmmmm?" when she called his name, but he was more focused on making his small caresses to calm her down than look at her - Mostly he didnt want to accidently poke her in the eye. When she tugged at his hand, he stopped the movement and went to look at her for a little bit with curious eyes. She opened the covers and he widened his eyes shortly as he made a small surprised bop with his head. He was about to say something but her vulnerable eyes rendered him speechless, only making him able to comply to her wish. He crawled under the covers and pulled her close to him, feeling her warmth that had already spread underneath the covers. He caressed her back and closed his eyes for a bit as he then felt her kiss on his neck. He made a soft exhale at the sensation and turned his eyes to her, looking a little bit confused and conflicted in the way that he knew liking it would piss off Ethan.
She may have laid still as their lips were pressed together but Darren couldnt. His hands instinctively moved around her and pressed her closer to him. He moved his lips carefully over hers, not really used to the feeling of a kiss, but with her he felt quite natural with his movements. He moved his head away after a bit, looking at her as he exhaled deeply. “Ems...” he whispered in a rather sad tone. “I like you n all alrite? I really do,” he said in a low tone as he shifted between her eyes. “But I am not sure I can give you what you need, I’m fucked in the head,” he felt his own words sting a little as he moved a hand from her back to her cheek, quickly realizing how little he truly wanted to reject her. But as bad as he was at handling girls, she was Ethan’s sister of all girls in the world. He knew if he messed up, he’d not only lose her but also his best friend. He exhaled deeply and leaned his head to hers, pressing his forehead against her, “This aint a rejection, yeah? I just dont wanna mess up, I think you deserve way be’er,” he said in a comforting whisper but if it was for her or him, he didnt know. He let go of her cheek, moving his arms around her as he held her close, “I’d hate myself for hurting you, and you're way out of my league anyway,” he said as he moved his head a bit back to look at her. If he had been brighter, he would have made just a small distance between them so his temptations wouldnt get to him. He sighed shortly to himself as he looked around her face and moved his hand up her back to her neck. All he really wanted was just to feel her lips on his again. Their phones buzzed and he felt cruel for moving one hand to grab it, but he pulled it up for the both of them to read. Seeing Ethan's name made him feel a little sour taste in his mouth as he just sent back a thumbs up. He threw the phone on the bed and turned back to her as he placed his now free hand on her cheek. "I'm not good at this stuff. I'm really not Ems," he said in a rather sad tone as he sighed deeply, running his thumb over her cheekbone, knowing he was stumbling around his words in circles of repeat as he just didnt know what else to say, as he truly didnt want to let her go.

"Good," she whispered in a rather scared tone even though she was slowly calming down again. Being in his arms seemed to be the only thing she wanted as of late. There was always someone or something trying to pull them apart and it made her feel so angry inside whilst her outside tried to keep calm. She was sure what would have happened to the man, had he managed to get a hold of her. Not that she actually thought she would have had a chance against him, Samuel had figured out a long time ago that his collectors needed speed and agility or some sort of sleeping inducement ability. But she still felt the lingering part of something that seemed to be sleeping inside her, wanting to wake up and spread it’s chaos.  She heard the man walk away as well and looked up at Ethan as he cupped her face and started removing her tears. She sighed deeply and inhaled sharply through her nose to stop a sob from coming. She gulped to herself and nodded at his question as it rose, “Yes,” she mumbled as she moved her arms tighter around him, trying her best not to squeeze him too hard. She let him send his texts and pulled her arms around his neck as he mumbled looking at him with a hint of sadness in her eyes, wanting to say something but as soon as he finished, his lips was already on hers, and even though there wasnt something she longed more for in the moment, she felt a little guilty. "I'm sorry for making you chase me all the time," she said.
Her eyes filled with surprise as he mentioned her father and Emma and some sort of internship. Those 3 things just didnt seem like a good mix, even though Vanessa knew that nothing would happen to Emma as long as she proved useful. She moved her eyes away as she thought about it for a bit, nodding as he said she accepted. "Well....." she mumbled, as she pinched her lips while she was thinking of what to say. "There's a lot of good things for her in the internship, but I dont really feel like she should have picked Samuel of all as her boss," she mumbled as she then looked up at Ethan, though her eyes werent that worried. "She's going to have to find that kid though," she said, scratching the side of her neck as she already knew what Emma could be useful for. As Samuel's daughter and future owner of TriCell, she had to be quick on analyzing and she knew her father's goal for the time being.
"You shouldnt be worried about her, not for now at least," she then said as she felt him tremble. She sat down and grabbed his hands to make him sit with her. She would rather be home of all places, but straining his legs further would be a dumb idea. "Going home can wait," she then said as she would refuse to stand up if he wasnt going to sit down with her for at least a bit.

Emma felt him return the kiss with such tenderness she felt like her heart stopped for a second. His hands moving and pressing her closer made her feel more relaxed as she leaned into the kiss, moving her lips in accordance with his. He broke the kiss, and she felt scared to open her eyes. Scared he would pull away when she had just opened up to someone for the first time. If she could just stop this moment. Just let it last a bit longer. His sad tone made the corners of her mouth turn downwards as her lower lip quivered a bit. She still found it scary to open her eyes, but eventually found the courage as he spoke again. Her eyes were watery, but mostly because she felt like he was going to rip out the hope she had. She shook her head no, disagreeing with him. He wasn’t fucked in the head, to her there was nothing wrong with him. He was just Darren, why couldn’t he see that? She felt his arms still around her, pressing her closer and she felt like her soul was going to burst in this moment. Space and time was a contruct and the only reality was him. ”I’m not a kid,” she mumbled before his phone started vibrating. She knew it was Ethan even before she saw the message, and right now she resented her brother a bit. He was allowed to break the norms and so called rules, why was she and Darren not? He had said it wasn’t a rejection, but it still hurt her heart. Not good at this stuff. Like she was good at it? She couldn’t really understand, but maybe she didn’t have to for once. ”Well,” she said, looking at him as she blinked away her tears. Emma moved slightly against his body, she couldn’t really hide that fact, but she just wanted him close. He of all people could bring a calmness to her mind, and she knew he knew that. She moved his hand up to her temple, knowing he had an easier time reading her thoughts then. ”If you don’t believe me, search my mind for every time I’ve looked at you,” she whispered. Every memory she had with him was something that turned out to make her happy. Even getting out of that bunker, all her worries and continuos mind stopped as he had embraced her. Emma didn’t know love in the conventional way, hell she didn’t even know how to describe an emotion without using a reference from the dictionary, but something about Darren made her wonder. Wonder what could be. Wonder if something good could come from such emotions. ”Right now, I don’t want to be my brother’s sister and for you to be my brother’s best friend; Right now I just want to feel something real,” she said, looking into his eyes hoping he would understand. In her mind she begged him to not push her away, to hold her closer and as her mind was basically screaming that she leaned in to kiss him again on his lips. It felt weird, but in the kind of way that makes your toes curl. Emma moved a bit against him, moving to lay on top of him, one knee at either side of his hips. She wasn’t after taking the next step, but she wanted to feel what this feeling was. Wanted to explore it, see where it took her. It almost felt like a gust of fresh air, making her breathe a little heavier as her lips moved against his. His hands could move whereever they wanted, and she would tremble at the mere touch. She broke the kiss carefully, looking down at him with a faint grin on her lips, moving a lock of loose hair behind her ear. Then she started to giggle, covering her mouth as she did so, and a faint snort escaped her throat. Why was this feeling giving her bubbles in her stomach filled with laughter? ”The thing you said, about me being out of your league,” she giggled, shaking her head because maybe it was stupid. ”I think that’s bullocks,” she chuckled, looking down on him, a sweet smile plastered on her lips.

”Don’t be sorry,” he shook his head at her. He could have just chosen not to run, but then again he was so willing to do it for her. He still tried to calm his breath after the chase, but it wasn’t easy. The adrenaline was still pumping in his blood, making him stand, but he knew he would collapse as soon as it was gone. He listened to her, knowing she probably had more insight than he would ever have, but it still bothered him. He did however kinda know what Vanessa was meaning when she said kid, at least Samuel had mentioned something to Emma when she got the offer. He nodded, but even though Vanessa told him not to worry for now, he found it hard not to. Probably because it had just happened. Looking at her as she pulled at his hand to sit down he exhaled and sat down beside her, leaning his head on top of hers as he wrapped an arm around her waist. ”Sometimes I wish we could run away together, just the two of us; see the world, move at our own pace,” he said as he looked into the forest for a bit. He knew it was a stupid thought, but if he had the ressources for it, he would have done it with her a long time ago. Of course he wasn’t blind to her obligations, but he found it stupid that her father insisted on making her life a living hell. ”Or fuck it, just buy a crappy house and grow old n shite,” he chuckled, shaking his head. Ethan had always been scared of dying, but maybe that was because he saw dying as something you did slowly. Like wasting away. Sudden death he hadn’t seen much of, mostly natural, long and drawn out deaths that took it’s toll on the family around it. ”I’m being a sentimental cunt, sorry,” he chuckled, nuzzling his cheek against her silver hair. Speaking about things like this was stupid, it wouldn’t lead to anything but make them wonder what things could have been like. How would their lives have been if they didn’t have all these dramatic things hovering over their heads? Pretty boring, perhaps, mundane even, but there was a certain amount of comfort in those thoughts. He inhaled her scent, sitting for a while in silence as he felt his body calm down. He felt his phone vibrate, taking it out of his pocket to just stare for a bit at the thumbs up emoji staring back at him. He shook his head, popping the phone back in his pocket as he looked at the green grass. It looked so soft, almost like an inviting place to take a nap. ”Whatever get’s thrown at us, we’ll deal, yeah?” he said with a smile, but he didn’t know how much he could deal if she went away too long.

The last thing he had wanted was to make her sad. He knew his words wouldnt have been all that comforting, but it was better to tell the truth than feed a lie. He wasnt sure what he was expecting after her well, but as she asked him to search her mind, he looked at her with a disbelief in his eyes, "I dont want to search your mind Ems. It's cheating, innit," he shook his head and placed a hand on her cheek. "I want the truth from you because you want to show it to me, not because I dug it out some place I wasnt meant to be in the first place," he said as he swallowed and ran his thumb over her cheekbone.
He moved his hand away and pressed her closer as he listened to her speak, knowing exactly what she meant as he was wishing the same. Wishing that they were just two strangers who had met by some sort of coincidence, like in those movies were everything had a happy ending. He heard her thoughts and was about to pull her close as she pressed her lips against his. His grip around her loosened for a second, before it pulled her closer like his mind had to process what was going on. He liked feeling her lips and he knew they were going down a dangerous road. Sure this was more than just complicated.
She moved on top of him and he should have stopped her but he couldnt. His hands moved up her back and down again in slow strokes as their lips danced this treacherous dance that made him feel so great. He had never had a kiss have this much power over him, or any person have this kind of power over him in this way. That tingly feeling in his chest that spread all the way to the bottom of his toes and back up in such a hurry that he longed for more. She broke the kiss and he gasped softly for air as he looked at her with vulnerable eyes. She giggled and he chuckled with her, shaking his head a little as he folded his hands around her lower back. Her words made him smile a little sad smile, "Nah, it's definitely true," he said like she could never convince him otherwise. He leaned his head back against the pillow, exhaling deeply. "I've chased skets that couldnt even compare to you, 'n they all turned me down, told me I was outta their league," he said as he chuckled a little and made a half smile. "But I appreciate the comfort, yeah?" he added as he closed his eyes, feeling quite tired from all that had happened. He opened them again and looked at her with a serious expression, "I wont let sum'thing like that happen again to you, alright?" he said as he caressed her backside with his thumbs.

Vanessa smiled as he sat down with her, feeling him close made her feel like she hadnt just been through something horrible, at least just for the moment. His words made her chuckle as she leaned back against him as she looked out on the wooden scenery, trying to imagine what it would be like. She smiled a little to herself imagining this whole 'what-if' world that seemed to be filled with happiness - Only that it probably wouldnt be like she thought it would. She chuckled as he changed it from running away to buying a crappy house. They hadnt really talked about growing old, seeing that Vanessa never would while he was only getting older every day. She swallowed hard at the thought and didnt want to think about it in the moment. She looked up at him as he apologized and shook her head, "It's alright," she assured him in a soft tone.
When the silence hit she looked up at him and smiled softly, "I have it all sorted. We'd move out in the ghetto were the streets would be filled with 5 different languages, kids running around in their dirty clothes while hobos sleep on the curb and drugdealers deal right next to the impending doom preacher" she said, chuckling a little as she grabbed one of his hands and entangled their fingers, "We'd get 5 annoying kids that all got the wrong features from the both of us, and never leave us alone, because the crappy house is breaking down and we all have to sleep in the same bedroom," she continued, wrinkling her nose a little as she looked down at her hands, "And even when all seems shit and I've been written off my heritage, working 3 jobs and getting paid below the minimum wage, I'd come home and you'd look at me in that goofy loving way that makes the hairs on my neck rise and my head all fuzzy. And then I'd know it would all be worth it," she finished as she chuckled a little by how she got carried away in that story. She shook her head at the whole thing and looked up at him, "As long as you keep looking at me like that, I'd go through anything," she said as she shifted between his eyes for a while, feeling her eyes water a little. She nodded at his words and leaned up to kiss him, just to feel those soft lips against hers.

Emma sighed, shaking her head at his statement. Those girls sounded very snobby, but she couldn’t blame them. Darren was maybe more special to her than she realised, and perhaps that was why she found it so easy to just be in the same room as him. He relaxed her, made her feel calm and he brought out a happiness in her that she didn’t believe she could feel. His serious expression made her gulp, his words made her scoff and move off of him. ”You and I both know none of you can prevent what is coming,” she said laying down next to him. Even when she tried to move away from him, she was just drawn right back to him, resting her head on the pillow next to his head. ”We both need rest, yeah – So … Let’s just sleep,” she said, sounding tired herself, but she had been tired for a while. Emma moved her hand down his chest, feeling her breath become a bit heavy as she felt the heat coming from his body. He always complained about being cold, but to her he was always nice and warm. She really wanted to kiss him again, but she couldn’t really bring that courage out in herself again. Instead she simply moved her hand to his, entangling their fingers as she looked at him with tired eyes. It felt almost as if her eyes were burning from the tiredness she felt right now. ”But I like the thought of you, always being there for me when I need you,” she mumbled, her speech a bit slurred. She closed one eye, shifting looking at him with one or the other, not really wanting to sleep because she didn’t know how she would react once she awoke. She wished that the next kiss she would get would be from Darren, but that was a stupid thought. All the things he had said about him not being sure of giving her what she needed, what was that really about? She didn’t know what she needed, besides knowing she liked having Darren near. And with that thought she drifted into her sleep, laying close to the guy who had snuck his way into her heart without her really realizing.

Vanessa spoke as if this was the plan all along, he chuckled at her words, looking at her face, placing his free hand on her cheek as his thumb caressed her jaw. It was a silly thought, of course it was; Ethan knew he was far from ready to take on any kind of responsibility, let alone getting five kids in the ghetto, but it was nice to daydream a bit. He pulled her closer, lifting her half up in his lap as he looked at her grey eyes. Funny how such a dull shade could show so much color. When she spoke and then kissed him he couldn’t help but smile, however returning the kiss gently. It was like her whole being was drawing him in, making him yearn for more and claw at anything that could ever come between them. He broke the kiss gently, kissing her down her cheek to her earlope, kissing the soft spot right under, feeling her pulse react to his kisses. ”Ya wouldn’t be happy in the ghetto,” he mumbled teasingly, continueing his kisses gently down her neck, his hand moving around to grab her closer. ”But I like the way ya speak of what makes ya hairs rise,” he mumbled against her skin, nuzzling his nose against her neck before kissing it again. With her it was so easy to just let go and just be in the moment with her, and that was saying much for a guy like Ethan, who constantly had ideas or something on his mind. Darren had teased him with his loud mind before, but maybe it was because he really just needed Vanessa to turn down the volume. She was like a remote to his television, being able to control him just by being there. ”What else makes ya head fuzzy?” he whispered in an almost tender voice, a bit hoarse as he didn’t want to speak too loudly.

//Out <33//