Post by Dollface on Jan 30, 2017 21:18:38 GMT -5
Rasputin, Naomi, and Neville all watch as Nathan and Kelli exit the room. Feeling their eyes burning metaphorical holes into her back, Kelli waits until the door is closed before beginning to speak.
But only just.
"’I desperately want you by our side, but if you can't trust me, then I fear your presence would be more of a distraction to my heart than a help to our mission.’ - are you SERIOUS right now?!”
Expression showing only the tiniest modicum of hurt (far from a stupid man, Nathan knew how this could go), he gazes at her with an even stare. “Of course I’m serious. I meant every word of it.”
Kelli eyes him. “Do you really NOT know how that sounded? It sounded like some kind of sad-sack bullshit is what it sounded like. We’ve gone into a ring and beaten the fuck out of people as a colorful spectacle, but you’re gonna draw the line of professionalism at whether or not we’re doing good in a relationship?”
Nathan frowns. “Kelli, this has nothing to do with whether or not we’re - if we’re even - I don’t know if -”
She rolls her eyes in frustration, planting her fists on her hips. “You’re out there talking about how it’s trust-based, and you’re neglecting to consider you’re being helped by a former enemy and let’s not forget about your brother.”
Nathan’s reflexive wince at her deliberate emphasis gives way in an instant to a stony expression. “What is between Neville and I is between Neville and I.”
“The beef between you and Neville can fuck us over just as hard as you being lovelorn or me wondering who - or what - in the actual fuck you really are.”
Eye-circles darkening, Nathan raises an eyebrow. “So you admit your emotional state is a liability, then?”
“I admit that everyone HERE is a potential liability for their own reasons, and to exclude me from this - Nathan, this is part of why I am WHAT I am now!” She shifts her weight, arms at her sides, hands still balled into fists. “First I came here for you, and now I’m here to save the goddamn world! Just because you and I are - are - I STILL HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD, YOU KNOW.”
The area under his eyes lighten back up to normal as he catches on to the emotions behind the weeks of chill and her aggressive words. “Kelli, this is going to be dangerous.”
“I gave up DRUGS for this. If unmedicated me doesn’t scare you, this shit here should be easy.”
He stares at her, bemused. “As always, my dear, I admire your unique optimism… but, easy?”
“Easy. Or more like, not nearly as hard as everyone’s making it out to be. C’mon. We got this, right?” Her voice cracks, warmth lapping up against the iceberg she’d carefully constructed around her heart.
“I believe we’re likely to find out.”
“So it’s ‘we’, then? None of this bullshit where I’m being singled out as a liability with no logical basis other than the fact that we all know I like bouncing on your -”
“YES, yes yes, I think we’re clear.”
Face flushed a bright red, Nathan exits the room, Kelli following closely behind with no better (but no worse) idea of where things were with her (un)Lover. She offers a warm smile to Neville, the expression dropping from her face as his eyes meet hers, the hurt in his gaze quickly concealed with the familiar malevolent sneering.
”And Nathan thinks I’M the one hurting too much… I gotta fix this. Somehow. He doesn’t deserve to feel that way.”
But only just.
"’I desperately want you by our side, but if you can't trust me, then I fear your presence would be more of a distraction to my heart than a help to our mission.’ - are you SERIOUS right now?!”
Expression showing only the tiniest modicum of hurt (far from a stupid man, Nathan knew how this could go), he gazes at her with an even stare. “Of course I’m serious. I meant every word of it.”
Kelli eyes him. “Do you really NOT know how that sounded? It sounded like some kind of sad-sack bullshit is what it sounded like. We’ve gone into a ring and beaten the fuck out of people as a colorful spectacle, but you’re gonna draw the line of professionalism at whether or not we’re doing good in a relationship?”
Nathan frowns. “Kelli, this has nothing to do with whether or not we’re - if we’re even - I don’t know if -”
She rolls her eyes in frustration, planting her fists on her hips. “You’re out there talking about how it’s trust-based, and you’re neglecting to consider you’re being helped by a former enemy and let’s not forget about your brother.”
Nathan’s reflexive wince at her deliberate emphasis gives way in an instant to a stony expression. “What is between Neville and I is between Neville and I.”
“The beef between you and Neville can fuck us over just as hard as you being lovelorn or me wondering who - or what - in the actual fuck you really are.”
Eye-circles darkening, Nathan raises an eyebrow. “So you admit your emotional state is a liability, then?”
“I admit that everyone HERE is a potential liability for their own reasons, and to exclude me from this - Nathan, this is part of why I am WHAT I am now!” She shifts her weight, arms at her sides, hands still balled into fists. “First I came here for you, and now I’m here to save the goddamn world! Just because you and I are - are - I STILL HAVE TO SAVE THE WORLD, YOU KNOW.”
The area under his eyes lighten back up to normal as he catches on to the emotions behind the weeks of chill and her aggressive words. “Kelli, this is going to be dangerous.”
“I gave up DRUGS for this. If unmedicated me doesn’t scare you, this shit here should be easy.”
He stares at her, bemused. “As always, my dear, I admire your unique optimism… but, easy?”
“Easy. Or more like, not nearly as hard as everyone’s making it out to be. C’mon. We got this, right?” Her voice cracks, warmth lapping up against the iceberg she’d carefully constructed around her heart.
“I believe we’re likely to find out.”
“So it’s ‘we’, then? None of this bullshit where I’m being singled out as a liability with no logical basis other than the fact that we all know I like bouncing on your -”
“YES, yes yes, I think we’re clear.”
Face flushed a bright red, Nathan exits the room, Kelli following closely behind with no better (but no worse) idea of where things were with her (un)Lover. She offers a warm smile to Neville, the expression dropping from her face as his eyes meet hers, the hurt in his gaze quickly concealed with the familiar malevolent sneering.
”And Nathan thinks I’M the one hurting too much… I gotta fix this. Somehow. He doesn’t deserve to feel that way.”
