The Meeting of Opposites

The moon was bright as Taisya glanced out the window. She wore her best knee length white dress. The top half was fitted to fit her while the bottom flared out a little. She loved the white heels that went with it. Turning with a soft sigh she turned around and looked for Lee.

Lee and Taisya had been married just a short time when he brought her to this party. She had taken the time to make sure her hair was done up just right. An up do with a few feathers stuck in it. It had taken a hair stylist quite a long time to get it right. She saw the reflection briefly in the window when she turned and it made her smile. Her eyes suddenly found him among the crowd. He was standing with a few friends and talking. She enjoyed moments like this when she could watch him. The expressions on his face when he talked always brought a smile to her face.

Suddenly she felt someone's eyes on hers. Knowing it wasn't her husband she looked around for the culprit. Turning her head to the right she saw the paintings of landscapes and a few people in intense conversations with one another. No one was looking at her that she could see. She turned her head next to the left. This side had the open bar. There were some people who worked there milling about, serving drinks and carrying on among one another. No one on that side was looking at her either. With the window behind her she had one last spot to look, straight ahead. As she glanced quickly, she could see the majority of the party attendees separated into little groups. She didn't think any would glance in her direction so she tried to scan the wall area. Looking first, then again she didn't see anyone. Her third time she noticed a door ajar with a young woman staring directly at her.

Taisya flushed a deep red. Not accustomed to being stared at so boldly she felt flustered and awkward. She slid her hands over her skirt and made her way across the room. The closer she got to the door she more she noticed about the young woman. They were roughly the same height. Where Taisya wore white, this woman wore black. Soon she was standing face to face with her. Her blue eyes met with green ones and there felt like there was no one else in the room. Like everyone else had faded away.

~*~

Rebekah felt breathless as she gazed into the blue eyes across from her. She had been staring at the woman all night. The way she seemed to float in the white dress and the decorated hair with feathers. She had never been so affected by anyone in quite the same way. Now the young woman was standing right in front of her.

A realization hit her as she watched the woman in white. She wanted her. She had to be the most beautiful creature she had seen. In a sudden nervous gesture she ran her hand over her black cocktail dress and looked around. No one had noticed them and it settled things for Rebekah. In an act of impulse, she grabbed the woman and pulled her into the room, hoping no one noticed they had disappeared.

Pressing Taisya against the wall she leaned in and kissed her. As she pulled back her heart pounded loud in her ears.

~*~

Taisya had been caught off guard. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting when she walked up to the woman but surely being pressed into a wall hadn't crossed her mind. She was entranced with the woman in black. Her heart was pounding so loud she thought anyone could hear her from the other room. Leaning back against the wall she took a few deep breaths and calmed herself.

She lifted her eyes and gently pushed the blonde woman back. Their eyes met again and she nearly pulled her back. Mustering up her famous self control she moved away from her and shook her head.

"I'm married," she said.

Walking towards the door she turned briefly to glance back.

~*~

Rebekah covered the distance between them and took hold of her arm. Pulling her back towards the room a step or two so that she could have a brief moment with her before she took off. Her eyes bore into Taisya's and she began to speak her mind.

"I apologize if I came on too bold. You are breathtaking. If your spouse ever leaves you, look me up. My name's Rebekah and I am sure you will be seeing me around quite frequently in the mean time."

She let go of the arm she was holding. Winking at Taisya she left the room first with a small wave.

The Promise

A year after Lee and Taisya split she found herself on the steps of a small stone building. The neighborhood was quiet and looked to be a well off place. She could feel the nervous flutter in her stomach as she gazed at the building. Rebekah lived on the third floor and Taisya was looking at her name on the door. Taking a quick look around the neighborhood before she slipped through the front doors. She walked up the stairs as her head started to remember the day before.

Yesterday they had ran into each other at a small coffee shop. Taisya had seen Rebekah around time and time before but this time she had invited Rebekah to sit with her. As they had sat across the table she could still feel the same sparks and curiosity as the night they had met. At the time they had been surrounded by people so Rebekah had slipped her an address on a napkin. Now she was here..

Stopping in front of the door, Taisya lifted her hand but hesitated. A moment of doubt had flashed through her mind. Why was she here? What was it about this woman that made her want to follow her around? As her mind raced she felt the wood beneath her knuckles as she knocked. First one rap, then another one.

~*~

Rebekah had been laying on her bed in an oversized sweater and some shorts. Her music was up a little and she found herself lost in thought. Her toes moved to the tune of the beat as her mind drifted off to thoughts about Taisya.

Yesterday she had spotted Taisya out walking around the city. She had heard that Taisya had been divorced for a bit but she could see a sadness on her face if she watched closely enough. The sadness made her mad. So mad that it had surprised her. Someone had hurt someone she wanted and all she wanted was their blood for it. So she had followed her to a little cafe, where to her surprise Taisya had actually invited her to sit down. They spoke of the time apart and she had found a way among the crowd to give her address to Taisya.

As Rebekah rolled over she heard the door. It startled her and she jumped up off the bed. Brushing a hand through her blonde straight hair and straightening her sweater before she went to the door. Slowly she opened it until she could see the blue eyes on the face behind it. With a yank the door was open and she pulled in Taisya. Her arms wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"Taisya..." she whispered in disbelief.

~*~

The door had opened and soon she was in a hug that felt like a bear hug. Closing her eyes she wrapped her arms around Rebekah. She wasn't sure why she had done it but that she needed the hug and comfort this woman was openly giving to her at the moment. The last little while since her divorce with Lee had taken it's toll on her and she poured all the sadness into the hug and felt it wash away from her. She was beginning to feel better.

"Rebekah.. Rebekah..." She was murmuring in reply. "You need to let me breath."

Taisya gently removed herself from Rebekahs embrace. She embarrassingly looked around and smiled shyly. She wasn't sure what she had expected when she came here but this had certainly exceeded it. Her heart felt something other than a heaviness and she smiled even more as she thought about it. It was amazing what this woman did to her.

She slid her hand into Rebekah's and laced her fingers in between hers. Squeezing a little bit as she looked at her. Her blue eyes gazing into the green ones as she thought back to their first kiss. She could almost feel herself giving into the temptation before pulling away.

"Do I get the grand tour of this place? It's absolutely gorgeous!"

~*~

Feeling an electricity run through her blood as Taisya took her hand. She wondered if this innocent woman knew exactly what she was doing to her. The way the desire rose with every look into those blue eyes. She felt like she was addicted and she hadn't even gotten much of a taste of the woman yet.

Rebekah had begun to get a little lost in her thoughts when she was pulled out of them by the sudden emptiness in her hand. It felt like something was missing and all she wanted was it back. Tilting her head to the side she got the gist of what Taisya was saying. It was getting a bit hard to concentrate so she shook her head and smiled.

"Of course. Here follow me." She said and she took Taisya by the hand again and lead her through each room. Naming them off as they went. "Living room. Kitchen. Bedroom. Study and the bathroom... Come sit in the kitchen with me and I'll make some tea"

She released the hand she was holding as they entered the kitchen. The stove, and fridge were stainless steel, while the counters were marble. The cupboards were a dark brown wood that matched the small four person table that Taisya was now settling herself into. She put the water on the stove and got the cups from the cupboard. She grabbed some of her favorite orange pekoe tea. Once the tea was done she brought the cups to the table along with the sugar and milk before settling herself in next to Taisya.

"Tell me why so much sadness on your face yesterday?"

~*~

Alarmed. Taisya was feeling a little alarmed at the question. She had never really been asked and she had always hoped she hid the sadness away from the people around her.Rebekah saw it though. How many others had noticed it? Her heart sank a little more as she wondered how many people had seen it and chosen to walk on by.

Sighing softly Taisya looked down into her mug. She took her time and considered the question. Opening up to someone about how she felt or why was one of the last things she ever did. Her feelings made her uncomfortable because she could not always explain why she felt the way she did. She spun the spoon and took a sip before she began to tell a bit of the story behind the last time she had seen Rebekah.

"My divorce with Lee was hard. It was very hard in fact that I even made some rash decisions. Each one I thought might fix me. They might give me some hope that there was truly someone that cared about me. Perhaps I have been foolish to think so.

So I slipped up and married another person or two. Always searching but never finding exactly what it was I was looking for. But I couldn't possibly decline the offers, that would have hurt those people right?"

Taisya looked at Rebekah and gave a little shrug. She was worn out and tired emotionally, even just thinking about it was bringing her close to tears. Focusing on the tea she took a little more before continuing on with her story. This time she looked at the table when she spoke.

"It was never just right. The more I gave, the more they took and soon there was nothing left to give. I did meet this amazing man. No one I married but he flickers through my mind from time to time. It's a dance that always seems to circle around. I don't much have anything in the way of hope, so I suppose I must be sad. Must be done with most things that may drain me if I am being honest."

Glancing up she saw the look on Rebekah's face and was unsure of what to expect in the way of a reply. It made her a bit nervous but she waited patiently, not pressing forward and not comfortable enough to get into more detail then she had already shared.

~*~

Fire. It felt like fire in her blood. She was getting more mad the longer that Taisya talked. Hoping that the people that made her feel this way might be named but they weren't. She downed her tea and let the hot liquid scald her throat in her own attempt to calm down. When Taisya looked at her she tried to keep her face neutral.

How dare they? She's mine. She thought to herself. She didn't dare speak that out loud in case she made the young woman skittish and heading for the hills. In an impulsive act she moved towards Taisya. Kneeling beside her she lifted her hand to caress her cheek with the fingertips of her right hand. She gazed upwards and made a promise.

"No matter what happens Taisya I will be here for you. If any other man can't fulfill their promises, remember I can. Together or not, friends or not, whatever happens I will always be here for you."

Rebekah flickered her gaze downwards in shock of herself. She never made promises before. There were no morning after, or weekly dates with her. This promise meant the world to her though, for Taisya she'd do anything to keep her happy.

Fear

She couldn't breath. She couldn't even speak. She just stared at Rebekah before she fled the place. She rushed out the door and down the stairs till she made it to the street. Running quickly until she was sure there was no way that Rebekah would know which way she had gone. Pulling her hair back she took a minute to catch her breath.

Promises held such a deep spot within Taisya's heart and this promise from someone who held her captivated was dangerous. She didn't know what she was supposed to do now. What if it was the best thing that happened to her? And what if it was good for awhile and then everything fell apart and Rebekah left? No, that wasn't something that she could think of right now. What were they anyways? Taisya kept questioning herself as she stood there in the middle of the sidewalk.

A young man had caught sight of her. The frantic deer caught in headlights look wasn't one that he had been accustomed to seeing around these parts. Looking both ways before he crossed the street towards Taisya. Gently taking her arm, he led her down a little ways to a bench. As she sat automatically, he turned towards her.

"Are you alright ma'am?"

She shook her head and took a minute to get out of her own head. Placing a hand on her chest until she was calm enough to speak.

"I think I'm okay. Thank you."

Taisya turned her head and really took him. The man had to be in his late twenties, and he dressed very well. At least well enough for her to notice. She gave him a once over before she met his eyes.

~*~

Stunned. Rebekah had never had anyone walk out on her. She was afraid that she would lose Taisya, but she knew it was no use running after her. She had a knack of hiding away from everyone and after all the time Rebekah spent getting to know her, she knew it was useless to go chasing after her. Taisya would need her space.

A few weeks later Rebekah had been wandering through the streets as she stumbled across a small cafe. She spotted Taisya and a smile spread across her face but instantly dropped the minute she saw her with a young man. He was dressed well with short dark hair. Rebekah was tempted to go storming up in a huff but instead walked casually by the table they were sitting at.

~*~

Spending time away from Rebekah, led Taisya to spend some time with the young man that had calmed her the day she ran out of Rebekah's. They had got to talking and started to date. She had never told Rebekah. In some ways she felt guilty. She felt guilty for running, for not being able to tell her she met someone that seemed decent and she felt the most guilty for not being able to control her reaction to a promise. She was scared. She knew the pull that Rebekah had on her and she needed to get as far away from it as she could. At least for a little while.

One day her and Sam went to a little cafe for a bit of an early morning get together. They both worked later on and just wanted a little bit of time together. Suddenly she felt her hair on the back of her neck raised and she looked around. Spotting Rebekah she felt a little bit of panic. The look in Rebekah's eyes was hard to read but when she noticed that she wasn't going to say anything to her, she reached out and grabbed her wrist to stop her so she could introduce Sam to Rebekah.

~*~

Rebekah felt the fingers wrap around her wrist and immediately stopped. She placed a smile on her face and turned herself around. Not sure what she should be prepared for she bristled a little and hoped it wasn't obvious to the people around her. They didn't seem to notice but her eyes fell on Taisya's face and she could see the worry written plain as day all over it. Her heart lurched and she tried to be a little calmer.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi Rebekah. This is Sam. How are you doing?"

Rebekah smiled at Sam and Sam nodded in her direction with a mumbled greeting. He seemed a bit shy to her and she smiled even more. She wasn't sure what Taisya saw in him but she felt better that he seemed awkward. It boosted her confidence knowing that it was what Taisya liked about her.

"I am doing alright, thank you for asking. Yourself?"

They spent some time in a bit of small chat before she made an excuse about having somewhere she needed to be. Turning back only once she caught Taisya looking at her and smiled before walking around the corner. She paused briefly to really gather herself up before she headed back home. The encounter with Taisya had left her feeling like there was a piece of her that was missing. She missed Taisya, and every fear and insecurity she felt when it came to her was worth it. Rebekah would wait for her.

~*~

Finishing up her meal with Sam, she left him at his work and headed home. She called in sick to work, pacing in the living room. Her head was spinning with all the things she had wanted to say to Rebekah. The fear and insecurities she felt, and everything that poured out from her heart at the sight of her.

She could feel her heart hammering as she remembered the look on Rebekah's face earlier. She saw the hurt and confusion that played briefly along her features. The bristling she caught as well but she didn't want to ask about it. Not with Sam around them. He would never understand the pull that Rebekah had on her. How her thoughts would eventually travel to her. The way her lips had felt on hers. The hands that held her tightly and the sweet words that she uttered. Then she would remember.

Taisya would remember the promise. It always came back to the promise that scared her. Everyone else that had made promises to her had left her not too soon afterwards. She didn't want Rebekah to leave so she bailed. She didn't want to feel her heart ripped to shreds when she was left alone once more. Shattered and broken, and left to clean up the pieces all on her own.

Regret

She ran. Ran faster than she had ever run from anyone before and then stopped. It was like a jolt at the end of a leash that kept her from going any further. It was like something had wrapped itself around her throat and she couldn't move forward. Regret wrapped it's icy fingers slowly and squeezed hard.

Taisya was spending her days with distractions. Men, drinks, dancing and when all of that failed and she was left on her own, she would read. A good story that she could throw herself into, envision all the promises the characters made to their loved ones as always a happily ever after. Somewhere deep inside she knew the things that occupied her time and mind would fade out. Her thoughts would wander once again back to the source of all the pain she was trying to keep under wraps.

"Give it a rest Tais. You're not going to be able to run forever and it seems like there is no time then the present to get around to sorting it out." She mumbled to herself.

Looking across the room at Sam, she began to shake her head. She was restless. Restless for the one thing she could never find elsewhere, the bond she had with Rebekah.

~*~

Haunted by the face she loved so much, Rebekah began to doubt everything with Taisya. She began to distance herself. She avoided the places she knew Taisya was going to be in. She found new places to go, new people to see and threw herself into the darkest parts of herself. She went wherever her cravings took her, no matter the cost to herself.

Rebekah's distance was something that she knew would bother Taisya, but she did it anyways. She decided that keeping herself safe was the better idea. It was going to be hard but she didn't care. She didn't care what the effect was on anyone else, it just mattered what she felt. She became selfish and cold.

"Who cares what the fuck she does." Rebekah kept telling herself.

She'd go silent and that would be that. At least that's what she told herself.

~*~

The silence was getting to Taisya. It had been something that she couldn't stand in her life. Being shut out by people she cared about was more than she could handle on a best day. Today wasn't a best day. It had been quite some time since she heard from Rebekah and it was driving her up a wall.

She flitted and fretted about the apartment she was occupying. Opening and closing cupboards, shuffling through mail and sorting through closets. She busied herself for days with mundane tasks. The kind that needed to be done but wouldn't stop her mind from roaming to the things she was avoiding.

Taisya began to wonder if that promise had meant anything to Rebekah. Her doubts about that began to wonder to every conversation, every word that was uttered to her. She was destroying herself trying to think about everything. Beginning to realize that this distance was hurting her more than the promises ever could. She regretted running away because this was a hell of its own.

Her mind raced with doubt and insecurity. It wrecked havoc on her and was beginning to destroy her very core. Shaking everything she thought she knew. The bond was there though, still as strong as ever. She felt the pull and Taisya knew it would be her that would cave first.

She could feel the craving building in her. The need to be close to the one thing that pulled to her. The one person that could see the darkest parts of her and understand them better than anyone else.