Confrontation || Self Para
Vidia hated Trina but her training was her favorite. It was the one where Vidia excelled. She was sweaty and beaten but she was walking tall. That was until she got lost while looking for the showers in the faction house.
“Look who decided to continue her training,” Rodney and his silent feet always startled Vidia. She learned how to be quiet but she wasn't as undetectable as Rodney.
“How could I turn down a day of beat the piss out of Trina?” She flashed a quick grin.
“I heard you were doing a bit of combat training.”
“Yeah. I learned a few things about flight combat. I might slip it into a quidditch game. What are you doing here?” She waited to let him catch up with her.
“I'm usually here most days. Ridgewell needed me to file some paperwork for him. He's training me to be an officer. There's annoying pencil pushing to be done.” Vidia didn't think there was paperwork to be done for a secret society but they had a recorded history. So, why wouldn't they have paperwork?
“Fun. Can you show me where the showers are? I smell like a locker room after a three-day quidditch game.”
“I knew I smelled something funky,” he joked.
“That's just the lingering scent of your lover’s loss on my skin.” Rodney just shook his head. Vidia would get her digs in no matter what, friend or foe.
“Follow me,” Rodney turned a corner and lead Vidia down a long corridor. Three doors down on the right he waved a wand over the lock and pushed the door open. “You can shower here. This is my usual spot where I crash when I spend the night.”
“That's nice,” Vidia said as she looked around. It wasn't much, a bed, a nightstand and a small table near the window. The bathroom was small, too. Just a narrow stand-in shower, a sink, and a toilet.
“Towels are under the sink. Feel free to use whatever you want.” Rodney plopped on the bed as his legs hung over the edge. It made Vidia laugh. He was so tall. She couldn't imagine how he fit his entire body on the bed.
The light was a dim yellow hue only to be darkened by the shower curtain as she stepped into the warm water. It felt nice, though. The warm water loosened up her muscles and helped her relax mentally. So much that she started to hum her favorite song, La Rosa Y El Clavel. A few bars in she found herself singing the words. It brought back memories of Abuela. She missed her every day. She missed her most of all when she was alone to think.
But songs only lasted for so long. She turned off the water and grabbed a towel. She stepped out of the small bathroom to find Rodney sitting against the wall next to the door. “What the fuck?”
“Sorry. I sat here to listen to you sing then I was too comfortable to move.” He shrugged pushing himself to stand. With her feet bare and flat on the floor, Vidia could fully appreciate his height. He had to have been the tallest person she knew. Much taller than the guys on the team. Taller than most of the guys she messed around with.
“Glad you enjoyed it,” Vidia rocked back on her heels.
“It was nice to hear something in Spanish leave your mouth that wasn't a bad word.” He laughed.
“Well it doesn't happen often,” Vidia looked around. “So, can I borrow a shirt or something until I can get my clothes from the shower area I was originally going to go to?”
“Yeah,” Rodney walked over to the wall and tapped it. A large square vanished and revealed shelves of clothing. “Here. You can borrow this.” He tossed a gray shirt over to Vidia before digging around for something else. “And some boxers. They’re clean, I think.”
“Oh, thanks.” She laughed while holding the clothes.
“You’re welcome, Ligeiro.”
Vidia took the clothes and just changed. She didn’t care. He wouldn’t be the first guy she got dressed in front of. He would be the first guy she got dressed in front of that didn’t at least try to steal a quick glance. He just sat at the edge of his bed staring at the wall.
After she hung the damp towel on the back of a chair, she walked over to see if he would be able to guide her through the faction house to her belongings. The dim light in the room bounced off his cheekbones and shadowed the angles of his face. His eyes were focused on the wall. Vidia tipped her head into his line of view and looked at him, the wall and back at him. “Hello?”
He moved his hands quickly and pulled her face to his. Their lips locked for a moment before Vidia pushed him away, “What the fuck?”
His arms were much longer than hers and pulled her back in. “Rodney,” Vidia groaned, “you really shouldn’t.” But he didn’t listen. He pressed his lips against hers until Vidia gave in. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers tangled themselves in his short locks. He let his hand glide across her cheek and locked into her damp hair.
Rodney removed his lips from hers and waited for the barrage of insults and foul words but nothing came. His eyes watched her carefully. “Vid?”
“You really shouldn’t have,” She whispered as she stepped back.
“Oh, come on, Vidia,” He tried to pull her back and she slapped his hand away. “Really?”
Vidia held his gaze for a minute in silence. She didn’t know what to say. That was why she slept with people she disliked more than she liked while drunk. Sobriety let the mind feel things. Sobriety let Vidia feel things. She couldn’t like Rodney. He was Trina’s. He was sleeping with the enemy. Even if he wasn’t, Vidia swore off relationships and love.
“Are you going to say anything?”
Her feet moved quickly until she found a small place to hide and breathe. Her head leaned against the wall and exhaled. She wasn’t expecting anything. She didn't expect to feel. Distance. She needed distance. She needed stupid sex to put between Rodney and her feelings for him.
“Ligeiro?” Vidia heard a voice and she rolled her head to the side to take a look. “Why are you hiding?”
“I’m not hiding,” She looked around before stepping from where she was, in fact, hiding. “I was actually looking for you,” Graham grinned and waited for her to continue. “How’s your nose?”
“Healed,” He gave it a wiggle. “Is that all you were looking to ask me?”
“Want to get drunk and have sex?”
“Are you going to break my nose again?”
“Only if I don’t finish,” She said with a wink.
“Are you in Rodney’s clothes?” Graham examined her from head to toe.
“Are you going to ask me a ton of questions or are you finally going to be able to let someone win that bet?”
“Let’s go,” He held out his arm for her link with him.
Vidia crept from the room Graham had taken them to. She was still a little drunk from the shots but she was sober enough to try and make her way to where she was supposed to go before she ran into Rodney.
“Left or right?” She whispered to herself when she was startled by a tap on the shoulder. “Fuck!”
“Sorry,” it was Rodney. When will this ever end, she thought to herself. “I thought you would've been gone by now,” he said looking at his watch then back up at her.
“Yeah well, I'm not,” Vidia shrugged.
“Had a few drinks huh?” Vidia didn't think it was that obvious but apparently, she was wrong.
“Yup,” her lips smacked together to make the ‘p’ sound.
“Yeah. How'd you know?” She could feel the disappointment before she looked up to see it in his eyes.
“The shirt that I gave you is inside out.”
“Oh,” she looked at the seam on her shoulder, “that would be a good indicator.”
“Maybe. What was your date for the bet?” As the words left her lips the look of disappointment faded to pain.
“Really, Vidia? I kissed you and you went to sleep with Graham? Do you really hate me more than you hate him?” She didn't exactly understand the pain in his voice and she really didn't want to. She slept with Graham so she wouldn't think about Rodney. It really wasn't working since Rodney was standing in front of her, making her face the feelings for him again.
“Then why? Why him over me?”
“I don't know. I'm drunk.” She shrugged as she lied.
“You weren't when you left me so at some point you made the decision to get drunk. Was Graham a part of that decision, too? Or did he come after?”
“He came alright,” Vidia snorted a laugh.
“Fuck you, Vidia,” Rodney rolled his eyes and stalked away.
“Oh, come on!” Vidia followed after him. “Have a sense of humor! I slept with Graham. I don't plan on making that a regular thing but still. It's not a big deal. No emotional attachments. I told you that's how shit works for me.”
“Just shut up,” Rodney picked up his pace.
“Rodney,” Vidia was pretty much running. “Why are you acting like this?”
“Why do you even care?” He stopped short and Vidia almost tumbled in order to as well.
“I'm drunk and I feel bad that you are upset by this.”
“Should've thought about that before you slept with Graham.”
“You're one of the people who made the stupid bet! So, don't get all pissy with me for doing what everyone thought I would do anyway!” Her arms flailed as her voice grew louder.
“That was before I knew you. Before I got to see who you were beneath all the attitude and spunk. You're so much more but you're so wrapped up in not feeling things for people that you don't even know that.” He ran his long fingers through his hair, “I want to like you. I want you to like me back. Apparently, that's too much to ask of you.”
“But Graham, really?” Rodney scoffed. “I would've thought Alf but Graham?”
“If you're going to get hung up on every jerk I sleep with you're going to be hung up an awful lot.” Vidia shrugged.
“I need to be alone. Bye, Vidia.”
