- XXX
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XXXThe wail of an unfamiliar alarm tears Nina from her restless sleep. Her eyes flutter open and she flinches. Bad idea. The light streaming through the curtains sear her retinas. Her head pounds.
XXXNina groans as she pulls herself upright. She is tangled in the blanket and her limbs feel like led. She rubs the sleep from her eyes with a fist before opening them.
XXXFear is the first to stab through her, but calm is quick to settle.
XXXThe room smells familiar. Fresh linen and forest pine, with just the right touch of expensive cologne. Daniel. His dorm room isn't so different from the man himself. It possesses an almost military organisation and spotlessness. Yet the furnishings are minimal, nothing beyond the bare necessities. It reminds Nina of a luxury hotel. Beautiful, but wholly impersonal. There is nothing about it that belays the soul of the owner, save the multitude of books which Nina would not be surprised to know are alphabetically ordered.
XXXThere is a glass of water by Nina's - by his bedside - and her chest twists uncomfortably at his consideration. Then it lurches for an entirely different reason. Her hands dart to her chest and she exhales at the feel of her clothes. She's dressed. Though she can't for the life of her remember last night's events. How did she end up here? Though there are certainly worse places a girl could wake up in after an inebriated night than the bed of a tall, dark and handsome Influential.
XXXDaniel left earlier than usual for his morning jog, stepping out before even the sun could muster the energy to peek over the horizon. This is in no small part thanks to the fact that he had slept in a chair last night- not exactly the most comfortable of places to rest. For the most part he had been in and out of sleep the entire night, constantly shifting and adjusting, getting up for a glass of water, checking that Nina did not vomit in her sleep or something along those lines.
XXXThe moment that it seemed reasonably late enough he sprung up, glad to quickly change (in the bathroom, out of concern for the possibility of Nina waking up while he was undressed) and go out for a long run. This part of his routine would go uninterrupted, at least, much to the young man's pleasure. While he may never get the runner's high that many track and cross country people speak of, he certainly finds it easier to clear his mind when focusing on the feeling of the air and the movement of his limbs.XXXBut it has to end eventually, and he returns to the dorm to shower and prepare for the day. Normally Nina would have been up earlier as well, for her own morning routine, but he supposes that the alcohol has put her natural alarm on snooze. Thus he had let her sleep on, and set another alarm for eight so that she might wake up with time for breakfast. Of course, he was back by then regardless.
XXXAfter a shower of a temperature so scalding it left red marks on his skin and thick steam in the bathroom, Daniel realizes that he had neglected to bring clothing to the bathroom with him. He usually doesn't feel the need to, and had begun to work on autopilot, meaning accommodations were not made for the slightly altered situation. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he returns to his room.
XXXThe Queen has already risen. Ignoring the fact that his efforts earlier to not expose her to him in some state of undress have fallen in vain, he nods in greeting. "Sleep well, Miss Romanov?" When was the last time he referred to her as Nina aloud? Had he ever?
XXXWith hasty movements, Nina jerks the blanket around herself as the door swings open. It was a reflex Nina feels absurd for succumbing to. There was nothing to cover, and Daniel, as it most likely was, had seen her in much less, especially during this time of year when the days were long and warm.
XXXWhen Daniel enters the room, he seems the foil to her shyness. The Queen has never in the past four years been demure, yet a blush spills across her cheeks like scarlet blood drawn with her knight's sword. The towel hangs low on his hips, revealing hard lines that dip beneath the white cloth. His abdomen is solid muscle, his chest sculpted in a way Nina had never observed. Or rather never thought to pay much attention to. She'd supposed Daniel was attractive, as she'd seen the admiration in the eyes of girls and guys alike when he passed. Even if they were terrified of him - though she was sure that added to his allure for some. But she had never been attracted to him.
XXXWhen did the somewhat scrawny youth give way to a man? He wears his armour so well that often she forgets what he looks like underneath the silver and steal.
XXXBut now, scarcely clothed and voice flowing like warm honey, she can't help the hammering of her heart in response to his presence. She snaps her gaze away from his body, clearing her throat as she does so. Nina forces the blanket away from her chest, straightening it over her lap. Hastily, she rubs the corners of her eyes, cursing how she must look, hungover and newly awoken. She tosses her hair over her shoulder in a gesture that might be perceived as haughty, but is really just a cover for the hand she runs quickly through her dark waves. A sordid attempt at taming the nest on her head, she's sure.
XXXTo say Nina Romanov is mortified is to say the sun is a little bright.
XXX"Fine, thank you," she mutters absently. Nina pauses and clears her throat again as her mind processes his words. "I mean, I slept well. Thanks. For asking, I mean. And you know..." She gestures vaguely at the room and the length of his body, what apparently equated to, "All this."
XXXIn her haste to escape, Nina pulls away from the bed without first untangling herself from the sheets. They catch her around the ankles and nearly send her plummeting to the carpeted floor. She lurches upright and unravels the blankets from her legs. Her cheeks are warm and she waves Daniel away in case he thinks it his duty to help the poor, pathetic girl who seems to experience getting out of bed as a novelty. It's the only explanation for how a person can fail so terribly at it.
XXX"I'm fine, I'm fine. Nothing bruised but my dignity," she grumbles under her breath as she searches for her shoes but finds none. It's likely that they slipped last night and were now lying in six layers of muck accumulated overnight. Still she skitters around, shifting from foot to foot as she prepares to dart around his tall frame.
XXX"Well, I should... Get to class. Before I'm late. You should, too, so you're not late for your modelling gig," Nina slaps a hand over her eyes. Did she say that out loud? She said that out loud. Oh God, someone have mercy on the world and shoot me. "Haha. Just kidding! Got you there, didn't I, Daniel? I mean, not that you couldn't model if you wanted to. You have the face, the jawline, the six pack. Like a fashion model. For Abercombie. I mean, you're toned, I guess. Which is nice. For yourself. Others? Is there an other? You probably work out." Shut up shut up shut up. "We should... We should work out some time. Together. I mean, not that I'm saying you need to and I'm not staring at you or anything, We just don't- Oh for God's sake."
XXXNina rushes from his room without awaiting his response and races down the hall, glaring at a boy who is just leaving his room as he notices her leave Daniel's abode.
XXX
XXX
- XXXSterling slips out of the girl's room before she awakens. Erin's back is turned to him when he shuts the door. There is a palpable tension in the air as the feisty blonde stumbles to a halt a short distance away from Aimee. He witnesses the tense exchange between them. He knows such highschool dramas are petty, but his curiosity is peaked and once the spy-in-training fixates on the unveiling of a truth, the truth he will unveil.
XXXHe heads towards the dining hall, keeping an inconspicuous distance away from the sprinting girl. She's fast but his legs are much lengthier and he manages to keep her pace with a few long strides. He tells himself he's doing this for the safety of everyone involved. There could be a fight that needs stopping. But honestly, he's just nosy and he appreciates a catfight as much as any other teenage boy. Though he'll never admit it. He likes to think himself above such things.
XXXAimee's explosion is immediate. Sterling cannot help but feel genuine pity for Lane, whom in the span of two days has had two separate people humiliate her in public. Sterling considers interfering but it is not his place to do so. Nina was once his responsibility - but after yesterday... Perhaps it was too much to even call her an ex-friend. Had he ever truly known her at all?
XXXSpeak of the devil.
XXXNina strides into the dining hall with the grace of a panther and the dominance of a lioness over her jungle. But there is a slight haste to her movements that is unlike her usual languid disregard. She nods at some things her pet Elites say, lips quirking mechanically and eyes roving like a hawk over the room. She seems to be looking for someone but finding them absent, her shoulders drop slightly. Sterling doubts anybody else notices these slight shifts. But he'd spent a lot of time with her, once. She's a stranger now, but he supposes some old habits die hard.
XXXNina's gaze skips him entirely, which brings a smile to Sterling's lips. He knows she did that on purpose and it means he still aggravates her. He enjoys reminding her of her past. Her past which he knows is much better than whatever Gossip Girl whirlwind she has fallen into.
XXX"Good morning, Nikola," Sterling says, calling her by her middle name which most are not privy to. It is a reminder of a friendlier past.
XXX"It was until you appeared," Nina snaps in response. There is no evidence of the previous night's rowdiness in her. She's as perfectly put together as ever. Like a doll.
XXXSterling grins. "You say the sweetest things sometimes."
XXX"Someone has to counterbalance your bitterness."" Nina takes a delicate sip from her drink. Scowls. She holds out the cup of coffee and a trembling boy takes the cup from her hands. He nearly trips over his feet as he flees to get a new drink.
XXX"Mmm, you should be careful, sweetheart. Diabetes is a real possibility," Sterling mocks.
XXX"Disease seems a happy alternative to your company."
XXX"Where's your pet, Nikola?" A muscle feathers at her forehead. [color=#408080]"Ah, my apologies. Your dog has a name. Daniel, was it?"
XXX"He's more human than you or anyone could hope to be. But think what you will, at least he knows loyalty." She glares at him, an obvious challenge in her eyes.
XXXSterling holds up his hands, palms up, in mock submission. "Hey, I respect the man. Prior to yesterday, I thought him the blandest person alive. He really proved everyone wrong."
XXX"Or maybe you're all just damn blind," she says through clenched teeth.
XXX"My, my, did I touch a sore nerve? Unrequited love is such a pain."
XXXNina darts her gaze from one Elite to another before waving them a step away. They scuttle a step back to give Nina and Sterling space, hovering like with greedy eyes, their eyes perked towards the conversation.
XXX"You're absurd," Nina hisses.
XXX"No witty comeback, love? Did I hit the nail on the head?" Sterling leans back with his arms crossed, satisfaction evident in every muscle and sinew.
XXX"Evidently not," she says. "Since I don't see a nail lodged in your hollow skull."
XXX"Ouch. you wound me."" Sterling presses a palm to his chest and feigns devastation.
XXX"If only," Nina says drily.