[Fic] Doesn't Matter What I Want
Katya giggled as Mattie took off her coat with a bow, then looked up with a grin on her face. "Merci, monsieur Matthew," she said in a posh accent, and then kicked off her shoes, heading for the kitchen.
"Don't drip on the carpet!" she heard Matt cry, and she just laughed as she turned on the sink faucet with her elbow, then began scrubbing the white blood off her hands and forearms.
"No drips," she smiled at him as he followed her, leaning against the counter top while she scrubbed. "Promise." He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. She murmured softly into the kiss, then grinned as he pulled away. "Can you check the phone messages for me?"
"Of course, my love." He crossed the room and hit the button on the answering machine, then walked back to her side as she dried her hands.
The first two messages were telemarketers that they just talked over, and then the third message with a husky voice that Katya barely recognized. She put a finger on Mattie's lips while he was in the middle of a sentence, cocking her head to listen.
"Katya," it started out very breathy, like the guy had been crying or something. "Katya, it's me. It's Sasha. Look... we need to talk, okay? I need to talk to you. I'll be at the Crater Vein Cafe for the next five hours if you want--" Katya cut off the message by swiftly hitting the delete message button. The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, until Matt asked the most obvious of questions.
"Who the hell was that?"
Katya shrugged, fighting off the sudden urge to cry. "No idea," she said, her voice cracking as it slid around the lump in her throat. "Just some guy."
"But he knew who you were. How did he know your name, Kat?"
"He doesn't."
"Yes he does, he said it twice. Your first name too, not Ms. Sokolov. 'Katya. Katya it's me. It's Sasha.' That's what he said. Who the hell is Sasha, Katya?"
"No one," Katya lied quickly.
"Well then why the hell is this nobody calling our house? Who is he?"
"No one, Matt, now shut up." She turned to walk out of the kitchen.
"No, I'm not going to shut up, Katya. This Sasha guy calls and you won't tell me who he is. What is he, your boyfriend? Your little fuckbuddy on the side? Your lover? Is he a good kisser, Katya? Is he better than me?" Matt was blocking her way with his body, moving with her as she tried to push past him. "Is he a good fuck, Katya? Are you his little bitch? Are you?"
Katya grabbed Matt's shirt and threw him down. "You are not in charge of my life," she told him coldly, stepping over him to grab her coat. "I'm going out."
It was six blocks to the Crater Vein Cafe, plenty of time for Katya to think. What the hell was going on? Why in the world would Sasha call her up and ask to meet? She hadn't seen that kid since she left the family and he got his wings. That was close to ten years ago. So why now? What in the world would he want with her?
He was sitting outside the cafe when she walked up, and god he looked practically the same--a little more muscular, less babyfat in the face but it had been ten years. He recognized Katya immediately, or at least she figured he did, because he jumped to his feet.
"You came," he said almost breathlessly. Katya practically rolled her eyes at him, and instead of embracing him, just sort of flopped into the chair across from him.
"Yeah, sorry if I'm late or whatever. I was out with a friend."
He got the snub, and sunk back into his seat with a half-smirk on his face. "Ah, yes. Your puppy. Why didn't you bring him along?"
Katya shrugged. "I've just heard you've got quite a reputation built up, and I don't really want to explain that my baby brother is kind of a serial rapist."
"You forgot murderer." The smirk deepened, and he sat back, continuing before she could cut in. "But is it really that, or is it the fact that you don't even want to admit that you HAVE a brother?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" she shot back, and then she really did roll her eyes. "Can we just cut to the chase here, Sasha? I have laundry to do."
Sasha looked like he was about to argue, but then he shook his head. "I need your help, Katya."
"I"m not helping you escape any rape charges, you sick fucker," she shot back.
"I didn't mean me, Katya," he snarled. "Kids. Kids need your help."
Katya eyed him warily. "You know me way too well, but I'll bite," she said. "Why do kids need my help? And make it fast."
A smile crossed Sasha's face as he leaned forward eagerly. "I assume you've heard the rumors?"
"What rumors?"
"The rumors that Angels of Knowledge have been taking children with demon parents and doing a 'preemptive intervention'--teaching them that what they do once they get wings is wrong, and try to form them to become model citizens even after they get their wings. That's all fine for the Glays of the world, the Pols, but what about us, Katya? The Raks they lock up, shock, torture for not going against their very nature."
Katya swallowed hard. "So what are we supposed to do about it?" she asked, not even bothering to sound like she didn't care. These were kids they were talking about, and even demons knew that you left kids alone.
"There's a movement--demons of all kinds, not just Raks--getting together to invade some of their facilities. Take back the kids, halt their operations. I just... we need a leader, and Mom thought--"
Everything came to a screeching halt. "Whoa, wait Mom's in on this? What the hell? Why is the whole family in on this? Why are you in on this, Sasha?"
Sasha picked uncomfortably at the tabletop. "Well... I mean... you just don't fuck with children..."
"You hate children, Sasha."
"Okay, so the fact that basically these angels are in there just WAITING to be slaughtered is a nice perk too, but each man to his motivations, Katya. There are CHILDREN in there. Think of the kids. Please. They need you."
Katya shook her head. "I have a life here, Sasha. I know you don't get that, but ti's true. I can't jut go off for some hunt."
"So bring the sex kitten along with you! I'm sure he'd love it. Please Katya, it's been ten years and we can forgive any of your little quirks, we just want you back with us--"
Katya stood up quickly. "I have to go," she said. "Nice to see you, Sasha."
"No, Katya, don't go." But she was already gone, tearing donw the street as fast as she could without breaking into a full run. The NERVE of them! Using her weaknesses just to make the family a whole stupid killing unit again, manipulating her, fucking with her!
But... the kids. Katya knew what it was like to try to suppress your Calling, and she had done that of her own free will. She couldn't imagine being forced to ignore the impulses that really controlled every fiber of her being. And they were just KIDS, they didn't know any better...
Katya sighed as she closed the door behind her, letting out the breath she had been holding in when she saw Matt sitting in a chair, glaring at her warily, looking more like a teenage version of himself. If they had had a kid together, would the kid look like that?
"Where did you go?" he asked. Katya closed her eyes for a brief second, her mind officially made up.
"Mattie," she said, pulling up a chair to sit across from him. "We need to talk."
Muse: Katya Sokolov
Word count: 1355 words
Prompt: I tried to look the other way to make it through another day--for _chibidragon_
"Don't drip on the carpet!" she heard Matt cry, and she just laughed as she turned on the sink faucet with her elbow, then began scrubbing the white blood off her hands and forearms.
"No drips," she smiled at him as he followed her, leaning against the counter top while she scrubbed. "Promise." He bent down and kissed her softly on the lips. She murmured softly into the kiss, then grinned as he pulled away. "Can you check the phone messages for me?"
"Of course, my love." He crossed the room and hit the button on the answering machine, then walked back to her side as she dried her hands.
The first two messages were telemarketers that they just talked over, and then the third message with a husky voice that Katya barely recognized. She put a finger on Mattie's lips while he was in the middle of a sentence, cocking her head to listen.
"Katya," it started out very breathy, like the guy had been crying or something. "Katya, it's me. It's Sasha. Look... we need to talk, okay? I need to talk to you. I'll be at the Crater Vein Cafe for the next five hours if you want--" Katya cut off the message by swiftly hitting the delete message button. The room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, until Matt asked the most obvious of questions.
"Who the hell was that?"
Katya shrugged, fighting off the sudden urge to cry. "No idea," she said, her voice cracking as it slid around the lump in her throat. "Just some guy."
"But he knew who you were. How did he know your name, Kat?"
"He doesn't."
"Yes he does, he said it twice. Your first name too, not Ms. Sokolov. 'Katya. Katya it's me. It's Sasha.' That's what he said. Who the hell is Sasha, Katya?"
"No one," Katya lied quickly.
"Well then why the hell is this nobody calling our house? Who is he?"
"No one, Matt, now shut up." She turned to walk out of the kitchen.
"No, I'm not going to shut up, Katya. This Sasha guy calls and you won't tell me who he is. What is he, your boyfriend? Your little fuckbuddy on the side? Your lover? Is he a good kisser, Katya? Is he better than me?" Matt was blocking her way with his body, moving with her as she tried to push past him. "Is he a good fuck, Katya? Are you his little bitch? Are you?"
Katya grabbed Matt's shirt and threw him down. "You are not in charge of my life," she told him coldly, stepping over him to grab her coat. "I'm going out."
It was six blocks to the Crater Vein Cafe, plenty of time for Katya to think. What the hell was going on? Why in the world would Sasha call her up and ask to meet? She hadn't seen that kid since she left the family and he got his wings. That was close to ten years ago. So why now? What in the world would he want with her?
He was sitting outside the cafe when she walked up, and god he looked practically the same--a little more muscular, less babyfat in the face but it had been ten years. He recognized Katya immediately, or at least she figured he did, because he jumped to his feet.
"You came," he said almost breathlessly. Katya practically rolled her eyes at him, and instead of embracing him, just sort of flopped into the chair across from him.
"Yeah, sorry if I'm late or whatever. I was out with a friend."
He got the snub, and sunk back into his seat with a half-smirk on his face. "Ah, yes. Your puppy. Why didn't you bring him along?"
Katya shrugged. "I've just heard you've got quite a reputation built up, and I don't really want to explain that my baby brother is kind of a serial rapist."
"You forgot murderer." The smirk deepened, and he sat back, continuing before she could cut in. "But is it really that, or is it the fact that you don't even want to admit that you HAVE a brother?"
"I'm here, aren't I?" she shot back, and then she really did roll her eyes. "Can we just cut to the chase here, Sasha? I have laundry to do."
Sasha looked like he was about to argue, but then he shook his head. "I need your help, Katya."
"I"m not helping you escape any rape charges, you sick fucker," she shot back.
"I didn't mean me, Katya," he snarled. "Kids. Kids need your help."
Katya eyed him warily. "You know me way too well, but I'll bite," she said. "Why do kids need my help? And make it fast."
A smile crossed Sasha's face as he leaned forward eagerly. "I assume you've heard the rumors?"
"What rumors?"
"The rumors that Angels of Knowledge have been taking children with demon parents and doing a 'preemptive intervention'--teaching them that what they do once they get wings is wrong, and try to form them to become model citizens even after they get their wings. That's all fine for the Glays of the world, the Pols, but what about us, Katya? The Raks they lock up, shock, torture for not going against their very nature."
Katya swallowed hard. "So what are we supposed to do about it?" she asked, not even bothering to sound like she didn't care. These were kids they were talking about, and even demons knew that you left kids alone.
"There's a movement--demons of all kinds, not just Raks--getting together to invade some of their facilities. Take back the kids, halt their operations. I just... we need a leader, and Mom thought--"
Everything came to a screeching halt. "Whoa, wait Mom's in on this? What the hell? Why is the whole family in on this? Why are you in on this, Sasha?"
Sasha picked uncomfortably at the tabletop. "Well... I mean... you just don't fuck with children..."
"You hate children, Sasha."
"Okay, so the fact that basically these angels are in there just WAITING to be slaughtered is a nice perk too, but each man to his motivations, Katya. There are CHILDREN in there. Think of the kids. Please. They need you."
Katya shook her head. "I have a life here, Sasha. I know you don't get that, but ti's true. I can't jut go off for some hunt."
"So bring the sex kitten along with you! I'm sure he'd love it. Please Katya, it's been ten years and we can forgive any of your little quirks, we just want you back with us--"
Katya stood up quickly. "I have to go," she said. "Nice to see you, Sasha."
"No, Katya, don't go." But she was already gone, tearing donw the street as fast as she could without breaking into a full run. The NERVE of them! Using her weaknesses just to make the family a whole stupid killing unit again, manipulating her, fucking with her!
But... the kids. Katya knew what it was like to try to suppress your Calling, and she had done that of her own free will. She couldn't imagine being forced to ignore the impulses that really controlled every fiber of her being. And they were just KIDS, they didn't know any better...
Katya sighed as she closed the door behind her, letting out the breath she had been holding in when she saw Matt sitting in a chair, glaring at her warily, looking more like a teenage version of himself. If they had had a kid together, would the kid look like that?
"Where did you go?" he asked. Katya closed her eyes for a brief second, her mind officially made up.
"Mattie," she said, pulling up a chair to sit across from him. "We need to talk."
Muse: Katya Sokolov
Word count: 1355 words
Prompt: I tried to look the other way to make it through another day--for _chibidragon_