"Sara?" His hands slid around her waist as she made afternoon tea for herself. She stilled and stood rigid in his embrace. The knot of anger burst suddenly into life and she turned on him her eyes flashing. "Don't touch me, Xanatos." Sara whispered furiously. Xani stepped back his face hurt. "Why, what have I done?" He asked. Sara didn't grace him with an answer; instead, she turned around and continued chopping fruit. "Sara, talk to me. Please?" Xani asked. She glanced across at him, Xanatos looked miserable back at her. His dark eyes both pleading and apologetic. He reached forward to touch her face, but Sara recoiled before he could touch her. "Juli meant nothing." Xani tried his blue eyes expressive. "It was only a kiss." "Really?" Sara asked her voice incredulous, "Nothing? So kissing means nothing to you? That's great Xan." "No, kissing her meant nothing. Kissing you means everything." Xani said. "You sound like Barin." Sara retorted. The air almost crystallized around Xanatos and his face froze before crumpling into utter misery. Sara could have kicked herself. Despite her anger at Xani, she still shouldn't have reminded him about Barin. Xani refused to meet her eyes for a few seconds, his face turned to the ground as if trying to regain control of his emotions. Sara felt a rush of guilt, that she shouldn't feel angry with him when he was still hurting. "I'm sorry." She whispered feeling awful. "No." Xani replied. He held out his arms and gathered Sara into his embrace. "I shouldn't have done that. I shouldn't have kissed Juli. My little Monnie is more important to me then any other girl." Sara relaxed into his grip. It wasn't a proper apology, but she knew he meant it, she could feel it. After a moment, she stepped away. The look in Xani's eyes was pleading again and she reached out to brush his face with her fingertips. Then she remembered the other thing that she was angry about and her finger moved down from his face to point reproachfully at his chest. "You still locked me outside." Sara said accusingly, "Last night." "I didn't know what you meant, when you were talking." Xani said his eyes wide and innocent, trying to make her believe him, "I couldn't hear you through the glass." Sara frowned at him still not believing his story. Xanatos turned and walked to the window and unlatched it. He slipped out and stood on the other side of the window, closing it behind him. In the gathering gloom she could make out his white face, his eyes were dark shadows and a stray bit of hair flopped into his eyes. He smoothed it back with one hand. With a slight smile on her face, Sara watched as he began mouthing words at her. She smiled shyly as Xani mouthed "I love you" at her. A large part of her wanted to believe him, but a smaller more cynical part told her that he could just be mouthing the words instead of saying them to get her to believe him. The cynical part won out and Sara glanced at the latch on the window a plan forming in her mind and then back at Xanatos. She would show him just how terrifying it was to be stuck on the edge of the window. Sara smiled again before she bent over and slipped the latch into place. Standing up she smiled at Xani's wide eyes. 'I love you too.' She mouthed. Sara turned and walked away from the window leaving him on the outside of the temple just as he had left her the night before. There was an audible snap as the latch popped out of its frame completely and the window slammed onto its hinges with a bang as Xani opened it with a blast of the force. Sara half turned to look back before his powerful hands dug into her shoulders and spun her around completely. Xani's face was a mask of anger, his blue eyes glaring at her. Sara swallowed in fear. "Don't you ever do that to me again." He whispered. His fingers dug more painfully into her shoulders and Sara gasped. He raised a hand and for a few seconds she honestly believed he was going to hit her. Xani's jaw clenched and his face went neutral, he looked at her in shock as he let her go. It was that moment that Sara knew he was acting. The anger had been real but his reaction was not. Sara felt something wet running down one cheek and she realised she was crying. Her shoulders hurt from where his fingers had been pressed but worse was the memory of his face and the feelings of anger. She sniffed and took a step backwards. "Sara." Xani said his blue eyes appealing. "Don't you touch me.' Sara whispered, "Don't you ever touch me again!" She raced into her room, tears streaming down her face and threw herself on the bed. Burying her face in the pillow, she could still hear Xani knocking on the door and calling her name. Sara glanced up and then reached for the volume control knob on her stereo. The music drowned out both his knocking and his constant pleading. She sobbed to herself, the fear and confusion of the last few moments getting the better of her. Even over the pounding music, she could hear the grate in the ceiling being moved. Sara glanced up from under her lashes to see Xani jump down into her room. Sara rolled onto her side, refusing to look at him. She hugged her pillow to her chest as she curled into a ball. 'Sara." "Go away, your not welcome here." "Sara I'm sorry." "Go away Xani." "Sara." Silence "Sara?" "I said go away." He sat on the edge of the bed, but she remained where she was. "I hurt you. I'm sorry Sara." Silence. "I shouldn't have done that. I gave into the dark side." "Go away." "Sar..." "Go away." "Monnie please." "Go away." That time he really did go away. She could feel the bed creak as he stood up and then the sound of his soft footsteps and finally the click as the door closed behind him. As soon as she knew she was alone she began to cry again. Night fell and Sara was silent staring at the wall, occasionally she begin to cry just short sobs as the darkness in her room closed in. |
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| Crying Softly Into The Gloom/Treading Close To Darkness By Kit |
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