Post by skyeknight on Nov 1, 2016 18:59:45 GMT
Distress. Aqua hurried through the office, searching for Terra. Never before had she felt such a need to see him. Namely, the chief had pulled her aside, told her that she had to hand over her badge and she was on paid leave while an investigation was launched into her and Terra. She saw him slip out the front door of the office when he caught sight of her. Aqua gasped. No. He was not leaving without talking to her, without even giving her a reason why the chief had reason to think they were bad cops.
She leapt over a desk, surprising the newest recruit, some girl with long hair. A dainty little thing that really didn’t look like she had it in her to be a cop, but the faery didn’t have time for further reflection on the girl’s caliber. Aqua didn’t bother with an apology as she rushed out the door and after her partner. Terra. She had to talk to Terra. He stopped when he heard her approaching. The two of them stood alone in the parking lot. She bit her lip, mustering her courage before trying to reach out to him. He knocked her hand aside.
"Terra?"
"What?" he snapped.
She flinched slightly, as if he struck her. Harsh and cruel. This wasn’t like the Terra she knew. He was always angry nowadays. It was like walking around on eggshells with him. He would never hit her, but he would say things that cut the faery’s confidence to the quick. Her hands were clenched at her side. She was so sick and tired of this. She just wanted her partner back. She wanted Terra back. This wasn’t the Terra she had fallen for. This wasn’t the partner she trusted on the field with her life.
"Terra, what’s going on? The chief said that-"
"I know."
It was so final that it left little room for argument. The fact he wasn’t fighting against the Chief’s ruling, protesting his innocence, it left a bitter taste in her mouth and her heart beating in her throat. If Terra wasn’t contesting his innocence, then he had done something. She shook her head. This could not be possible. Terra was the best cop she knew. If he was a bad cop, then what was going to happen to her? She had worked so hard to be the best cop she could be, modeling herself after Terra’s lead. If he was a dirty cop and they thought she helped him, she could lose her badge, face jail time. He could face jail time. There would no longer be a ‘them’.
She had trusted him. With everything. She had told him more than she had shared with anyone before. She told him about him about her insecurities about never being adopted, how that made her afraid of getting close to others because no one chose to take her from the orphanage. She told him about how she still missed her parents, even though it had been years and years since they passed away. She told him about her hopes and dreams. With this small act, he had crushed it all. That trust was gone. There would be no fixing it. It seemed he would not be trying to fix it either.
"Is it true?"
"What?"
There was a pause. The both of them looked at one another. Aqua was unwavering under his harsh gaze. The yellow of his eyes made it so much harder to look at him. It held none of the tenderness or the gentleness that his eyes had when they were blue. His silence said enough. Aqua could feel heated tears welling up in her eyes. She had fallen for him, given him everything, told him secrets, wishes and her trust. It was as personal as a faery like her had ever gotten with anyone after her parents’ death. To find that trust betrayed, it was like a physical blow had been dealt to her.
"Is it true?" she asked again.
The silence was deafening. The two of them just stared at one another. She didn’t even have to ask but she needed to hear him say it. Look her in the eyes and tell her what he said. Then after that, she could try to reclaim what was left of her dignity.
"Aqua, you know me, you know I would never-"
"What did you do?"
Terra glared at her. He tried to shove past her but she moved so she was blocking his way once again. It was over. They both knew it was. There would no longer be a ‘them’ and it was all because Terra had done something terrible. He couldn’t just do this to her and expect her to be okay with it. She wanted a reason. She deserved to know why he had let this fall apart when they had something that was good. This was her life, her career, her love that he was throwing away, as if it all meant nothing. That she meant nothing to him.
An odd look came over Terra as he peered down at her. Slowly his hand came up from his side. A sudden trill of fear struck the faery, she took a step back. She wasn’t fast enough. His hand shot out, wrapping around her thin neck. Aqua gasped, her hands flying to his, mind blanking on every take down, every attack she ever knew because of who was hurting her. It was Terra. He had never ever hurt her before.
Her feet dangled, desperately trying to brush against the ground. She tried to peer down at him. His face was expressionless. He could have cared less that he was choking her. A dry sob escaped her lips. She tried to kick him, but her feet couldn’t seem to find their target. She felt faint already, like she would pass out. She could feel a sort of strained hysteria building in her. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
"Terra, please!" she rasped.
"Hey, buddy, get your hands off her!"
A burst of fire was sent in their direction. Terra dropped her and she hit the ground hard, gasping and clutching her throat. Teary eyed she looked up to see a man in a black jacket standing over her. Terra had leapt back as the red headed stranger stepped in. Of all the people she thought she would need protecting from, she never once, believed she would need protecting from Terra. She thought that if she would ever be in any danger it would be by someone she arrested or someone she had put away, coming back for revenge.
Aqua shakily got back to her feet. Her eyes narrowed. She tried to lunge for Terra, but the stranger was faster. His arm looped around her waist, hauling her back, away from Terra. Probably for the best. She was likely to do something she would regret if she got her hands on him. Terra was lucky the Chief took her gun. She would have been far too tempted to shoot him in the face for this. The hurt was being replaced with anger. She was overwhelmed by burning, boiling, lava-like anger that threatened to devour and consume.
"Tell me you don't care!" Aqua spat. "Tell me that everything was just a big joke to you!"
She had to know if he was just stringing her along this whole time. Their relationship, their partnership, their trust was gone in a heartbeat. All because he couldn’t have trusted her, told her what he was doing. He betrayed the badge they stood for, the vows they made when they became police officers. It left Aqua hurting and angry. She fell for his lies, hook, line and sinker.
"I can’t do that."
"Say you were using me so I can call you a coldhearted son of a bitch and move on!" she shouted.
The redheaded man got frustrated. He pushed her back, away from Terra but he remained between them. She glared daggers at her once lover. How could she trust anyone after this? How could she trust humans after this? The unwanted faery who thought she could trust a human enough to care about her… She was a joke. He was a joke. So many emotions were whirling through her head at once it felt like she was going to implode and collapse at the same time.
"What would you have had me do?" Terra demanded.
"I would have had you trust me!" she raged.
"That’s enough!" the redheaded interceded.
Aqua took a shaky breath. She wiped at her wet eyes. She took a step back, away from Terra, turning so she could no longer look at him. A hand went to her throat, where he grabbed her. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to soothe the skin or her broken heart. The skin burned as if she was touched by iron but she knew she hadn’t. She didn’t turn back, couldn’t turn back. It would weaken her resolve.
"Don’t come home tonight, Terra," she said.
She let her glamour drop. Her wings unfurled and without a single word, she jetted into the air. She could feel her eyes stinging from unshed tears. That night, she vowed to never trust another human again. No one would ever get so close to her heart only to crush it. She had almost waited for Terra to come back, but he never did.
She leapt over a desk, surprising the newest recruit, some girl with long hair. A dainty little thing that really didn’t look like she had it in her to be a cop, but the faery didn’t have time for further reflection on the girl’s caliber. Aqua didn’t bother with an apology as she rushed out the door and after her partner. Terra. She had to talk to Terra. He stopped when he heard her approaching. The two of them stood alone in the parking lot. She bit her lip, mustering her courage before trying to reach out to him. He knocked her hand aside.
"Terra?"
"What?" he snapped.
She flinched slightly, as if he struck her. Harsh and cruel. This wasn’t like the Terra she knew. He was always angry nowadays. It was like walking around on eggshells with him. He would never hit her, but he would say things that cut the faery’s confidence to the quick. Her hands were clenched at her side. She was so sick and tired of this. She just wanted her partner back. She wanted Terra back. This wasn’t the Terra she had fallen for. This wasn’t the partner she trusted on the field with her life.
"Terra, what’s going on? The chief said that-"
"I know."
It was so final that it left little room for argument. The fact he wasn’t fighting against the Chief’s ruling, protesting his innocence, it left a bitter taste in her mouth and her heart beating in her throat. If Terra wasn’t contesting his innocence, then he had done something. She shook her head. This could not be possible. Terra was the best cop she knew. If he was a bad cop, then what was going to happen to her? She had worked so hard to be the best cop she could be, modeling herself after Terra’s lead. If he was a dirty cop and they thought she helped him, she could lose her badge, face jail time. He could face jail time. There would no longer be a ‘them’.
She had trusted him. With everything. She had told him more than she had shared with anyone before. She told him about him about her insecurities about never being adopted, how that made her afraid of getting close to others because no one chose to take her from the orphanage. She told him about how she still missed her parents, even though it had been years and years since they passed away. She told him about her hopes and dreams. With this small act, he had crushed it all. That trust was gone. There would be no fixing it. It seemed he would not be trying to fix it either.
"Is it true?"
"What?"
There was a pause. The both of them looked at one another. Aqua was unwavering under his harsh gaze. The yellow of his eyes made it so much harder to look at him. It held none of the tenderness or the gentleness that his eyes had when they were blue. His silence said enough. Aqua could feel heated tears welling up in her eyes. She had fallen for him, given him everything, told him secrets, wishes and her trust. It was as personal as a faery like her had ever gotten with anyone after her parents’ death. To find that trust betrayed, it was like a physical blow had been dealt to her.
"Is it true?" she asked again.
The silence was deafening. The two of them just stared at one another. She didn’t even have to ask but she needed to hear him say it. Look her in the eyes and tell her what he said. Then after that, she could try to reclaim what was left of her dignity.
"Aqua, you know me, you know I would never-"
"What did you do?"
Terra glared at her. He tried to shove past her but she moved so she was blocking his way once again. It was over. They both knew it was. There would no longer be a ‘them’ and it was all because Terra had done something terrible. He couldn’t just do this to her and expect her to be okay with it. She wanted a reason. She deserved to know why he had let this fall apart when they had something that was good. This was her life, her career, her love that he was throwing away, as if it all meant nothing. That she meant nothing to him.
An odd look came over Terra as he peered down at her. Slowly his hand came up from his side. A sudden trill of fear struck the faery, she took a step back. She wasn’t fast enough. His hand shot out, wrapping around her thin neck. Aqua gasped, her hands flying to his, mind blanking on every take down, every attack she ever knew because of who was hurting her. It was Terra. He had never ever hurt her before.
Her feet dangled, desperately trying to brush against the ground. She tried to peer down at him. His face was expressionless. He could have cared less that he was choking her. A dry sob escaped her lips. She tried to kick him, but her feet couldn’t seem to find their target. She felt faint already, like she would pass out. She could feel a sort of strained hysteria building in her. This wasn’t supposed to happen.
"Terra, please!" she rasped.
"Hey, buddy, get your hands off her!"
A burst of fire was sent in their direction. Terra dropped her and she hit the ground hard, gasping and clutching her throat. Teary eyed she looked up to see a man in a black jacket standing over her. Terra had leapt back as the red headed stranger stepped in. Of all the people she thought she would need protecting from, she never once, believed she would need protecting from Terra. She thought that if she would ever be in any danger it would be by someone she arrested or someone she had put away, coming back for revenge.
Aqua shakily got back to her feet. Her eyes narrowed. She tried to lunge for Terra, but the stranger was faster. His arm looped around her waist, hauling her back, away from Terra. Probably for the best. She was likely to do something she would regret if she got her hands on him. Terra was lucky the Chief took her gun. She would have been far too tempted to shoot him in the face for this. The hurt was being replaced with anger. She was overwhelmed by burning, boiling, lava-like anger that threatened to devour and consume.
"Tell me you don't care!" Aqua spat. "Tell me that everything was just a big joke to you!"
She had to know if he was just stringing her along this whole time. Their relationship, their partnership, their trust was gone in a heartbeat. All because he couldn’t have trusted her, told her what he was doing. He betrayed the badge they stood for, the vows they made when they became police officers. It left Aqua hurting and angry. She fell for his lies, hook, line and sinker.
"I can’t do that."
"Say you were using me so I can call you a coldhearted son of a bitch and move on!" she shouted.
The redheaded man got frustrated. He pushed her back, away from Terra but he remained between them. She glared daggers at her once lover. How could she trust anyone after this? How could she trust humans after this? The unwanted faery who thought she could trust a human enough to care about her… She was a joke. He was a joke. So many emotions were whirling through her head at once it felt like she was going to implode and collapse at the same time.
"What would you have had me do?" Terra demanded.
"I would have had you trust me!" she raged.
"That’s enough!" the redheaded interceded.
Aqua took a shaky breath. She wiped at her wet eyes. She took a step back, away from Terra, turning so she could no longer look at him. A hand went to her throat, where he grabbed her. She wasn’t sure if she was trying to soothe the skin or her broken heart. The skin burned as if she was touched by iron but she knew she hadn’t. She didn’t turn back, couldn’t turn back. It would weaken her resolve.
"Don’t come home tonight, Terra," she said.
She let her glamour drop. Her wings unfurled and without a single word, she jetted into the air. She could feel her eyes stinging from unshed tears. That night, she vowed to never trust another human again. No one would ever get so close to her heart only to crush it. She had almost waited for Terra to come back, but he never did.