Adriana: They're doing the vday auction thing again this year, can you imagine?
Adriana: Okay, fine. Diana is doing it - I know.
Adriana: Bet you're glad you get to miss out this time. You're literally saving yourself a headache.
Adriana: I'm either going to bet on the best or the worst, I haven't decided.
Adriana: For the children, ofc.
Henry: Rather not. I'm good.
Henry: I can give back to the children without selling my soul to the devil.
Henry: Fine, I mean Diana.
Henry: Chances are you'll go with your gut. And if your date is ass, you'll figure out how to get rid of him.
Henry: You would have already done your part for the children by then.
YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO BE CRUEL. THAT DOES NOT MEAN YOU WERE KIND.
Awards After-party, post plot drop
Berkeley Estate
Warnings: Nah 🙂
Thud. Thudthudthud. A pause. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Henry used their knock so she knew it was him.
Adriana had been with Henry when everyone’s phone suddenly received a video of a man’s horrific death. How quickly their joyous celebration of her engagement going public soured at the torture and violence. In that instant, who that man was or who was behind this grand reveal didn’t matter to Henry. It was meant to send a message, and its intended recipient was unlikely to take it kindly.
The rest of the dominos falling was just a matter of time.
Henry made sure his best friend was safe first. Despite how many directions his mind was being pulled to—his daughter, his partner, his friends—he knew he couldn’t rest if he had left Adriana out hanging. Perhaps the gravity of the situation sunk in for her as well when Adriana did little to protest. Only after securing Adriana in a room did Henry venture off to find everyone else.
He had found Lara next, heart sunk at the sight of her already worse for wear. Where Henry had been so good, so used to compartmentalizing when he was working, seeing her like that pulled the rug out from under him. Was she alright? Was she hurt? Who did this to her? What happened? Questions bled into the forefront of his attention that only instinct got Henry to move Lara to a secure room before his concerns got the best of him.
A different message brought him back to his senses.
I have V. We are safe.
As much as Henry wanted to stay, he had to put his trust in Lara when she said she was okay, his trust in his colleagues to do their job, because he, too, still had work to do. Everyone would ultimately be better off if he did.
We are safe. We are safe. That was what Henry kept reminding himself as he went against every urge and call to find his daughter first. Valentina and Jessica had each other, he knew. Adriana was by herself, safe but alone. Having her stay with Lara made more sense; they both would have company to ride the ensuing chaos, and security can be more concentrated. With intense focus, Henry went straight to his best friend, dodging and avoiding the fights that littered the estate.
Thud. Thudthudthud. A pause. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.
Henry blocked most of the way when Adriana finally opened the door, a wave of relief rushed through his system at the sight of her just as he left her. “Lara’s secured. Valentina is with Jess. I’ll get you to Lara’s room first before I get them,” Henry quickly looped Adriana in before he began looking in the vicinity for a clear path. When the coast was clear enough, Henry kept an arm around Adriana, his body both guide and shield as they made their way back to Lara’s room.
“No! Get away from me! You can’t—help!”
The high pitched scream burned Henry’s ears. His heart made him want to approach where it came from. His head told him to avoid that situation entirely because going near would only invite them to trouble they were not supposed to be a part of. Yet, despite having traded blood on his knuckles for money in his bank account, Henry never grew to become indifferent or comfortable around the violence, because ultimately, they were always someone’s parent, child, brother—
“AVIV!”
Henry’s head immediately turned to the direction of the name. The Israeli had tore through the group of men trying to hold on to a small blond woman whom Henry assumed the screams came from. It was almost an amazing sight to see one man fight against a handful of them until the sobering reality hit: Aviv was one man fighting against a handful of Frenchmen.
“AVIV!” Another cry for the man, this time it rang right beside his ear. Adriana, witnessing the same events unfold, called out to her fiancé as she began to storm towards them. She had only made it an arm’s length away before Henry grabbed on to her, pulling her back towards him. Heart and head, often conflicting, were united over the common goal to keep Adriana safe.
The conflict between the French and the Russians had blown up to the point where boundaries grew fewer and became less and less respected as their rivalry continued, giving little regards to those who got burned along the way. Aviv’s reputation unfortunately preceded him, and he had suddenly found himself surrounded by people who could only wish to return the favor. Adriana getting involved would only give the French opportunity—fodder—to hurt Aviv even more.
He couldn’t help but remember Ceren, who had only been in the way for the French to get Jai.
Though Adriana tried to make a run for it, Henry caught up faster, his arm now around her waist to pull her back. And when her sheer force of will insisted on pushing forward, Henry lifted his best friend off her feet and onto his shoulders as he carried her farther and farther away from the scene. Henry swallowed the grunts as he absorbed Adriana’s hits and jabs to try to escape—he let her because he deserved it. For keeping her away from protecting her partner. For leaving Aviv behind. For leaving the woman behind.
None of them may forgive him, but he wouldn’t forgive himself if anything were to happen to Adriana.
"I wouldn't know what I'd do if I lost you,"—either. It went unsaid, but it didn't need to be.
His voice was quiet, but in the silence of the car ride to the Berkeley estate, his admission felt too loud. Henry felt too loud. Out of place, as if he was stepping beyond his boundaries, intruding a private moment between Lara and her thoughts.
Who they were about.
Finding himself almost in the position he insisted on staying all those years ago, Henry could almost find the humor in it if it wasn't sad that all he could do was watch the woman who only knew how to love too much suffer from the other edge of that sword. Wonder if she'd do the same for him. Hate himself for thinking that way, for wanting a love that wasn't meant for him.
He wasn't Amir.
"I can't pretend to understand what you're going through, but I can understand why. But you'll have to forgive me."
He was just Henry.
Unending was the thread Henry could pull comparing himself to Amir—he knew because he had pulled before. Others only helped. Only when did his hands found Lara's did Henry learn it was a string he could let go, that there were more important things to hold on to. That in all his trepidations and mistakes in taking a step out of line, Lara was right there with him.
And all he wanted was to be there with her, too.
"Because I don't want to know what it'd be like to lose you." As if Henry wasn't already facing Lara, his eyes latched onto hers, a corner of his lips twitched upwards, a small smile for a humble request. "So, please don't leave me in the end."
"It's probably cold by now, but I didn't know what you could eat here so." Henry slid a box of takeout he had gotten before they made their way to Guildford.
"Just wanted to thank you again for getting Lara to Diana's the other day," he said in earnest. Though Henry had been honestly frustrated his own attempts to contact his girlfriend went unanswered yet she reached out to Ayaz so easily, he knew that the man was one of the few people Lara trusted, trusted her life with. Henry could find some comfort that he could rely upon Ayaz to look out for her. That he could rely upon Ayaz because there were few of them who understood that responsibility.
"My troubles should not have been your troubles. I know you got a lot on your plate recently." Henry had heard about what happened in Haringey, what Ayaz had discovered. Keeping on top of things had made Ayaz busy and more recluse. "If you need anything, know I owe you one."
"Not you again," he jokes with a playful roll of the eyes, before greeting her with a small hug and kiss to her cheek. "Hello, trouble." Valentina is a reminder of the decision everyone in his line of work has to make, at some point or another: if every choice made should bear a price, and just how high or low it will turn out to be. Henry's choice to accept Lara's offer had been a good one, and Johnathan can appreciate that now. "So do you." He's going to have a busy night keeping an eye on all the pricks trying to approach her. "Did you come with anyone? Promise I'll be nice."
"The one and only," Valentina beamed as she took ownership of what Johnathan called her. That smile slowly faded as she realized he must have been foreshadowing how she might actually be in trouble. "Uhm, I did. I came with my roommate." All truths, yet somehow Valentina still felt dishonest by still omitting the very important detail her roommate was Johnathan's ex-girlfriend. "Jessica. I came with Jessica," she admitted, her tone both serious and guilty so there would be no misunderstanding which Jessica she was referring to.
"Save it for the wedding. I better be invited." Though the idea of Adriana and Aviv being engaged, being together in the first place, still brought Henry unease, it was a feeling he could easily overlook when he saw his best friend be the happiest she's been in a while. "How did the rest of his family take it?"
Briefly, as she tried to ignore the sound of Revati's voice accepting on his behalf, the Rutherford reached out to touch the top of Ayaz's arm. "If I win anything else, would you go up and get it for me, please?"
Henry took the handkerchief in his pocket and placed it Lara's hand, letting his linger in her touch for a moment before he let go and gave her some space.
Location: Royal Albert Hall. Pre-Awards@mobscene-starters
"Finally, an awards season where I wouldn't hate to win the award I'm nominated for. Although, it has been fun to keep my Trainwreck award at the nurse's station in the A&E these last two years. People tend to fuck with you less when they think you are crazy,"
"Good for you." He couldn't relate. Whilst Henry didn't mind some of the nominations he was voted for, the others were a thorn to his side, an unpleasant reminder of his and Lara's fight and added unnecessary weight to what was supposed to be a fun and harmless event. "No one can take that award away from you, don't worry. And even without it, you'll make them regret getting on your bad side in no time."
"Uncle John!" Valentina called out as soon as she was close enough, steps as quick as her heels would allow. She dropped the train gathered in her arms in favor of the man who had always been so nice to her ever since she was a kid when the town she grew up was not as. Though Valentina was old enough to know the reputation that preceded him, she did not forget Johnathan for how she knew him.
"I almost didn't expect to see you here, let alone all suited up like this. You look great!"
"I got you this." Adriana grinned, taking out a key chain which had 'biggest simp' written on it. "Just in case there were issues, I thought you need to have this so you never forget."
Henry scoffed as he took it from her anyway, giving it a good inspection before pocketing it. "I hope you got this at a 2 for 1 and gave your fiancé the other one. Congratulations again, by the way."
The point had, rather evidently, been lost on him entirely.
What wasn't lost on her, however, was that there seemed to be a distinction between him talking to Leyla like a friend, and Lara talking to Laurent the way they used to. Whatever the hell that meant in comparison. Different standards for people like her, obviously. They could get away with what ifs and longing glances at each other because it was just kidding around.
"Ah, I see. I'm upset because you're talking to Leyla like a friend." At least she had him to explain it to her. "Well, that sounds unreasonable of me."
He didn't want to say what was already obvious—that being friends with Leyla wasn't why she was upset. It was how he acted like nothing's happened or changed between him and Leyla. Friends, but they had always been closer than that.
There was nothing wrong with being friends, there was if that meant it was on the verge of being something more.
"You've asked for pine nuts at 3am for chicken you don't even eat. I've seen you be unreasonable." And he always stayed with her; things didn't have to have a reason with her. "But you're not right now. I acted out of line, and I made you upset." That was enough. "I'll stop. It won't happen again."
