Twin fates

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Pushing their way to the waiting line proved to be a challenge, but they tackled it like pros. Keeping Gabriel occupied while others went first, was the biggest challenge. Nicola did her best to keep a conversation flowing with interesting facts and tid bits that had him half smiling and nodding, but in the end, he still tapped his foot and drummed his fingers impatiently.

As they inched forward Nicola had the distinct eery feeling that someone was watching them. Turning her gaze to the direction that she 'felt' the gaze, she met the gaze of James. The #1 bully that seemed to go through great lengths to make her brother's life miserable. When their eyes locked, he gave her a leering smile and let his eyes travel down her body boldly, then up again where he met her look with a wiggle of his brows. An embarrassed and uncomfortable flush colored her neck and cheeks as she turned away and tried to ignore him, praying that Gabriel wouldn't notice.

Gabriel always noticed, only first he only noticed her discomfort subconsciously and slipped an arm around her waist. "You OK?"

She nodded, glancing at James again and pulled a face of disgust when he wagged his tongue out at her and then laughed to himself, then mouthed the word, Nice. Nicola wasn't sure what he was referring to, only that it made her stomach turn.

Gabriel literally pushed her along when she didn't move with the line, wondering what she was so preoccupied with. She shuffled, then heard him curse, his hold on her waist tightening as he pushed her in front of him, then to the other side to shield her from James's eyes.

"Gabe, no. Leave it be. He's just being a jerk." She told him quickly, holding firm to his arm as she felt his body snap taught.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

“I can make him into a suffering jerk!” Gabriel growled, feeling his hands involuntarily curling into fists and the skin along his spine crawl. It wasn’t enough that he was picking on him, thinking he could make him his punching bag but now he made Nicola feel bad. Gabriel was furious. “I still owe him for that shirt, dammit!”

“Don’t, Gabriel!” Nicola strongly held on to his arm. “He’s not worth it, so just calm down.”

“Huh? How can I calm down with him making eyes at you? I’ll pound him so hard he’s gonna regret he ever…”

“Not here, Gabe! Don’t make a scene,” she hissed taking a scared look around at the people watching him curse and fling insults. “People are staring.”

This remark made him cringe and look around carefully – indeed, everyone in the closest vicinity was either staring at him, pointing at him or commenting his behaviour. His reaction had been so passionate that he completely forgot about his surroundings, the only thing on his mind to shield and protect Nicola from any type of harm, no matter how small. Realising the situation he ended up in he felt cold sweat cover his body, making him shiver involuntarily. People… were… watching… him… and there was nowhere to run, he really had to calm down or there would be trouble. Gabriel felt Nicola’s hand rub his shoulder, trying to soothe him down. He was aware that in such situations she could also feel at least a part of the terrible feeling that was gripping him, making his stomach twist into a knot.

“Shit, I’m sorry. Guess I got carried away,” he apologised to her, blushing but she just put her arm through his and stroked his forearm.

“It’s alright, my knight in shining armour, I know you just wanted to protect me,” Nicola answered and pushed the cart forward.

Gabriel glanced at James who was standing in his line with a satisfied, triumphant smile plastered on his lips. Gabriel returned the smile, which looked more like a snarl, with as much venom as he could, and a look in his eyes that promised pain. Moe stopped smiling seeing his expression.

“Gabe, come on!” Nicola called him. “Help me unload it on the belt.”

He rushed to help her. While he was taking out the items from the cart he noticed that his hands were shaking.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Nicola waited for Gabriel to finish with his end of the cart and listened to the constant bleeps of their items being scanned. She wanted to punch James in the nose and make him bleed now that she had recovered from her shock and calmed Gabe enough to get them out in one piece. That was the one blessing of public settings. James more than likely didn't have the balls to make a serious move and challenge Gabe and Gabriel hated being watched. Perhaps they could get home without much of a problem.

Brushing at her tank top self consciously she wished she had worn her usual school clothes. But warm weather and the ease of being around Gabriel had left her feeling comfortable. Now she felt like one of those butterflies pinned to a board for examination.

Trying to preoccupy herself, she began to bag their groceries and put them back in the cart. Worriedly she glanced back to see where James was at and thanked God that his line was a slow one.

"All set."

She glanced up at her brother and smiled, "Cool. Lets go then...I want to unload this stuff at home and get our stuff together. Come on, come on! This thing is heavy!" She told him and waved for him to take his spot.

Pocketing the receipt, he helped her push the cart to the exit, ignoring James as they passed by. "You did good."

"Huh?" He muttered, looking down at Nicola who was beaming at him.

"You did good...controlling yourself. I'm proud of you." She said and gave his shoulder a loving nudge.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Gabriel smiled weakly when he heard his sister’s praise, it wasn’t just his own effort or willpower that helped him control his instincts. The fact that if he had approached James and punched him would have cause a lot of commotion and drawn even more attention was one of those factors, the other was Nicola’s close and warm presence at his side. Once again she managed to bring his violent temper down a few notches. She was a real life-saver. Gabriel rubber the back of his neck self-consciously.

“Thanks for being there for me, Nicola. If it hadn’t been for you I would’ve probably made some mess. Thanks, sis,” Gabriel said earnestly as they entered the car park area. He hugged her with one arm and kissed her cheek, taking a whiff of her new perfume. He liked the scent.

“It’s alright, little bro,” she reassured him and giggled when he straightened his back.

“Who’s little?” he asked with a mock-serious expression.

“Don’t you forget who was out here first to make the reconnaissance, Gabe,” Nicola bumped him with her hip. “That makes you my little brother whether you like it or not and your sizes have nothing to do with it.”

“Whatever, I still have the tickling advantage over you, dear sister!”

“No way!” Nicola shouted and left her place at the cart and laughing ran towards the place where they had parker the car.

“Why you! Just wait till I catch you!” he cried after her and pushed the cart with more force to catch up with her.

In a moment they were at the car, panting and laughing together. Just in case Nicola was keeping a safe distance to avoid being attacked. Quickly they loaded the bags into the car and Gabriel trotted away to leave the cart in the designated place. When he was back, his sister was already sitting inside and fumbling with the radio. She smiled at him when he got inside and buckled the seatbelt. He smiled back at her and they started their way back home.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Hands on hips. That's how they were greeted by their father as the car pulled up to a stop in the drive way. Before Gabriel had a chance to even utter a word, Nicola jumped out and went for the trunk as Gabriel popped it open from the inside.

"Hey Dad!" She chirped. Their father glared back and tapped his foot.

"Where in the world have you guys been? And why in MY car!?"

"Oh...mom asked us to do some grocery shopping, but she left to visit and so we had to take yours. Hope you don't mind or anything...we tried to be fast." She said, smiling sweetly and batting her eyes as she passed him.

He let out an irate grunt and shook his head, turning around to return to the house, not bothering to help. Gabe let out a snort of disgust, but was happy that his sister was diverting the attention away from them. "We got your ice cream too!" He heard her sing, trying her very best to keep their father from being a complete jackass and banning them from the world for a week. Not that it mattered...no world was always better.

"Has the lawn been done yet?" their father asked, watching Nicola put food away from the kitchen counter. He barely glanced Gabriel's way as he lugged in the goods.

"Not yet Daddy, but we had the shed to paint, then groceries to get...promise it'll be done before tonight." She was laying it on thick...Gabriel knew she wanted to go out badly.

"Better be." He muttered and grabbed his paper and wallet, "I'm out of here for now. Just be happy you weren't gone a minute longer or things would have been worse...finish up. Your mother will be home soon, I'm sure."

Nicola plastered on a happy fake smile until the door shut behind him. "Jerk." She mumbled and then punched Gabriel in the arm when he laughed.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

“Sheesh, sometimes I want to punch him,” Gabriel mumbled while he was unpacking the last of the bags. Of all the parents in the world the two of them had to get a jerk and a bigot. How had they got together in the first place was beyond Gabriel’s imagination. Or how they managed to have kids for that matter.

“I know what you mean. But don’t, he’s our father after all,” Nicola said but she sounded like she wasn’t really convinced which made him smile a little.

“He’s like a total stranger to me. And I know you feel that way too. Alright, why don’t you pack us for the trip and I’ll do that blasted garden in before another disaster strikes. The sooner we pull foot the better.”

“Gotcha!” Nicola acknowledged and ran upstairs.

“And watch out for mom when she gets back!” he cried after her and left the house.

From the shed he took the lawnmower and checked the gas tank. There was enough so he got the engine running and got down to business. Luckily their garden wasn’t really big, just enough for a small BBQ party and some kids to have fun. After fifteen minutes he noticed Nicola waving at him from her window so he made the gesture of playing the guitar with his arms. She nodded at him and disappeared. Half an hour later he was done and put the machine away. Going around the house he entered the garage and took their bikes out. Checking the tyres revealed that his needed some more air so he spent another five minutes pumping. When Gabriel returned inside he saw Nicola standing in the hall with a backpack in hand, looking at him imploringly.

“What’s wrong?” he asked and then noticed their mother as she entered from the living room.

“Are you going somewhere, kids?” she asked coldly.

“As a matter of fact we are. Why? Do you mind?” Gabriel asked back taking the backpack from Nicola and picking up his guitar from where it stood next to the wall. He tried to control himself and act casually.

“We’ll be having guests tonight so I need you to prepare the grill, chairs, you know,” their mother said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“No, we already have other plans. Come on, Nicola,” Gabriel took her hand and moved towards the door.

“No? What do you mean ‘no’?”

“Just as you said, mom. You’ll be having guests. They don’t care about us, we don’t care about them. Besides, we already have plans for today.”

“How dare you, son?! Is that how I brought you up…?”

“Bye, mom, don’t wait for us with supper,” he closed the door behind him and felt a sudden change in Nicola’s feelings. “What is it?” he asked tenderly seeing her shiver, her eyes were sparkling with forming tears.

“That’s just the point, isn’t it?” she sniffed trying hard not to cry. “They didn’t bring us up at all.”

Gabriel embraced her with his free arm and drew her close to his chest, hugging her. “Shhh, it’s fine, Nicola, it’s alright. Don’t cry, girl,” he said and kissed her hair.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

She sniffled against his shirt and let out a broken sob, her shoulders jerking against his embrace. "I hate them so much sometimes and yet it hurts too...to think they don't even love us. It's like we're just their little housekeepers or something. An inconvenience in their lives. Mom USED to care a little and now that's gone too." She mumbled against his chest, her slender arms squeezing him close until there was no room between them for even a mere breeze to past by.

"It's OK...shhhh...come on Nicola. We have each other. Soon, we won't even have them and everything will be fine." He reassured her.

"I know," she sniffled, making little wet spots on his shirt as she inhaled his scent...clean soap and a hint of sweat from his yard work. It wasn't unpleasant, but actually soothing. "I just wish we could have normal parents, you know?"

"I know." He replied softly and gently ran his fingers through her short hair, down to her bare neck. She shivered and pushed closer.

After a few more minutes, she finally pulled away and wiped her tears with the back of her hand, giving him a tremulous smile. "Come on...I'm done being a baby. Lets go and have our fun while they do a little of their own work."

"If you're sure..."

"I am."

She watched him put on the backpack she had put together an slipped onto her bike. "Ladies first." He said with a gallant gesture, bringing another smile to her face and small laugh.

"OK, just don't stare at my butt." She teased off handedly and pushed forward, enjoying the cool breeze on her face as they began to peddle toward their destination.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Gabriel arranged his packages and quickly joined Nicola in the street. Finally free and together without a looming shadow of their parents on the horizon they found a comfortable tempo and pedalled southward, where the outgoing street was turning into a packed dirt road that lead into a wooded area which was separating them from a small lake that surprisingly remained clean despite the presence of the nearby town. They liked to spend their free time there because it was silent and calm and hardly anyone was ever going there save for lovey-dovey pairs on hot summer nights. During the day it was almost certain there wouldn’t be anyone there so they could just spend their time sunbathing, swimming or just talking. It was a good spot and they knew how to make best of it.

“Hey, you’re doing it on purpose, aren’t you?” Gabriel shouted at Nicola who took the leading position for the third time now.

“What?” she called over her shoulder.

“First you tell me not to stare at your butt but you’re taking the perfect position for that. Tease!” he called and laughed, pressing his pedals harder to catch up with her.

“Tease? Moi?” Nicola asked with an innocent expression. “Never,” she joined his laughter.

They really felt good with the breeze in their faces because it was getting hotter and hotter. At some point Gabriel unbuttoned his shirt and let it flap around his sides as he was riding. He envied Nicola her short hair, it was much cooler that way be kind of got used to his long hair and would rather not cut it if he didn’t have to.

As they rode into the woods it became much more pleasant: the sun wasn’t beaming so hard on them and the smells were refreshing. The silence was also comforting and much welcome after the bustle of the supermarket. Gabriel enjoyed silence much more that noise and that’s why he could rarely, if ever, be found at a disco or a club. It didn’t mean that he never visited such establishments, he had gone whenever Nicola asked him to join her when her friends invited her. Then again she had more friends that he did but not too many. His bad fame was doing its job.

“Hey, stop wool-gathering or you’ll fall. We’re almost there,” Nicola brought him back to reality and he flashed her an embarrassed smile.

Indeed, the road opened to a small, sandy bank overlooking the lake they were aiming at. Their perfect place. Gabriel slowed down and jumped from his bike, seeing his sister’s impatience he chuckled and took hold of hers too.

“Go on, go. See how’s the water. I'll set the spot.”

“Thanks,” Nicola beamed and ran forward.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

As lakes went, this one was rather on the small side, but it was as perfect as it could get. With shady areas, clean sand and cool waters. Nicola wasted no time running out to dip her feet. She laughed and splashed it around a little, then quickly stripped off her shirt and shorts, revealing a rather modest one piece suite and wading out.

"Come on slow poke!" She hollered back at Gabriel who was securing their bikes.

"I'll show you slow!" He yelled back and grinned when she threw her head back and laughed.

"You say that, but you're not in the water!" She countered and giggled when she heard a sudden splash behind her. A hand snuck out and caught her foot, moving up to her ankle and holding her there. "Don't you dare!!" She squealed in mock fright.

He gave her a wicked grin and wiggled his eye brows. "I think I owe you a few tickle attacks."

Nervous giggles burst past her lips as she began to struggle against his hold. "No no no! Really Gabe! You promised no more tickling. You'll make me drown!"

He chuckled and shook his head, letting her foot go and looking thoughtful. "Drown, no...but I could DUNK!"

Nicola laughed and screamed as he suddenly picked her up high in his arms and then dropped her. She hit butt first and went under, coming up sputtering and wiping her eyes. "You - you - you!!" Pushing hair out of her face she launched her own attack, sending them into an instant gave of water wrestling.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

With the bikes secured and their things dumped in a heap on the small patch of the sandy bank Gabriel shed his clothes and staying only in his green boxers chased after Nicola who was asking for trouble with her gibes. Having thrown her into the water and weathered her furious retaliation in the form of water splashed right in his face followed by a full body tackle he ended up trying to keep his balance and finally splashed face forward into the water.

“Hey, it wasn’t fair,” Gabriel complained coughing and spitting sand and water from his mouth when he got up. When he noticed his hair was undone from the usual ponytail he panicked. “My ribbon!” he cried and frantically looked around for the long stripe of black velvet Nicola had given him when he had started wearing his hair long.

“Looking for this, handsome?” she asked, twirling the ribbon in her fingers.

Frowning, Gabriel ducked, hiding completely underwater and then stood up, wet hair clinging to his face and shoulders, giving him a gruesome look. “Give it back, frail human!” he moaned and put his arms forward, slowly lumbering in the water. “Give it back or I will make you my unwilling bride deep in my underwater kingdom.”

“Oh, boo hoo! I’m scared!” Nicola said sarcastically.

“Well, shit!” Gabriel pouted and chuckled and lunged at his sister who squealed and tried to run away. She was too slow though and started pounding his back with her fists when he tackled her and threw her over his shoulder. “Stop, stop! I’ll give it back!”

“Too late for that now. Get ready,” he warned and threw her towards the deep water.

“NOOOOOOOOOO!” she cried and blinked in surprise when he caught her a few inches above water. “Gabe, you bastard!” she slapped his shoulder.

“I love you too,” he grinned and sent her a kiss. Then he released her to fall into the water, grabbing her hand in case she got scared and panicked.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Nicola blew air out of her nose, but still managed to swallow some. She came up coughing and clinging to Gabriel's arm for support. "That *couh* was *cough* just *cough cough* uncalled for!" She said and then broke into a grin. "But a damn good move."

Still holding onto his ribbon, she lounged back onto her back and floated around him. "This is so nice." She said with a content sigh, blinking droplets from her long lashes and smiling up at him.

"Not bad, I guess...I could have better company." He teased.

She rolled her eyes slightly and felt his hands skim the underside of her body. As kids he had helped her learn how to swim this way...first floating, then paddling, until she got the hang of it. They had helped each other out, but Nicola had been the one most afraid of the water.

"I bet Mom and Dad are pissed." She said softly. Gabe gave his habitual grunt and shook his head.

"Lets not even mention them right now. Why spoil a good afternoon."

"Mmmm...yeah...I think I'm ready to sunbathe." Reaching for her feet, she let herself sink down, then came back up with slicked back hair and began to swim for shore.

Gabriel was soon behind, his hair a tangled mess. He looked a mess and yet somehow it always suited him. The long rebel hair. "I planned for such an event." She told him, pointing to his hair which he self consciously patted.

Grabbing her pack, she sat on the big double beach towel and began to look through all their things. First popped out a large paddle brush and wide toothed comb, then a bottle of detangler she used for emergency use on his hair. Today was an emergency. "Sit." She ordered and patted the spot between her spread thighs.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Oh, he was in for a real nice treat! It wasn’t unusual for Nicola to comb and brush his hair but she was doing it on rare occasions so he enjoyed such sessions all the more. He himself preferred to just comb it in the morning, tie it and be content that his hair was somehow arranged and not flying everywhere. Brushing sand from the soles of his feet, Gabriel plopped down cross-legged, having realised where he had been looking just a second ago. Instantly Nicola began her work, first gathering all his hair in the back and slowly combing it, getting rid of all knots and tangles.

“Don’t, just close your eyes for the time being,” she scolded him when he reached for his sunglasses. “Hey, stop moving!” she poked the handle of the comb into his ribs making him straighten his back but he managed to reach for his guitar anyway.

With his eyes closed Gabriel unwrapped it from the cloth covering it and tried a few tunes. When he was satisfied with the tones he started improvising some melancholic melody.

“It’s nice,” Nicola said behind him as she was working on his hair, spreading some untangler over it. “When did you write that?”

“Just now,” he replied, concentrating on his music.

“Carry on, don’t stop.”

So Gabriel played, letting her caress his hair with her touch, making it straight and orderly once again with even, rhythmical, long strokes that made him purr with contentment. When it dried a little in the sun she used the brush to make it soft and fluffy but he realised what was going on far too late to save himself the disgrace. At some point during his improvisation he felt Nicola’s hands play with his hair in a different manner and reached behind him to check what’s going on but she just slapped his hand away.

“Don’t, you’ll mess it up!”

“Aw, come on! Don’t tell me you’re making a braid. Not again!”

“Shut up, it looks cool.”

“I’m going to look like a sissy.”

“You’re so clueless about fashion, aren’t you?”

“I know what suits me just fine,” he grumbled but made no further attempts at disrupting Nicola’s project.

Last time when she braided his hair he forgot to unwind it and after a few days ended up with a fluffy, wavy mane of hair around his head. It might have looked kinda cool in Nicola’s eyes but to him it looked girly. He shivered remembering that.

“You cold?” she asked, her voice was slow and steady.

“No, not really. I’ve a hot chick take care of me. What more could I ask?” he accentuated the question with a chord.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Nicola let out a little snort. "Not sure how hot this chick is, but that's OK. I love playing with your hair." She said with a soft happy sigh. It felt like fine silk between her fingers and had always been one of her favorite chores to do...not that it really was a chore. More of a favor to her brother. She couldn't imagine having so much hair! She herself didn't have the patience to take care of such a mane, so she kept hers short...occasionally growing it down to her shoulders, but that was very rare.

Finally done with his braid, she smoothed her hands down the length of it and smiled. "There pretty boy...all done." She teased and then reclined back on the towel. Closing her eyes, she let herself relax, listening to his soft playing and the warmth of his body so close to hers. It was a rather intimate position, she suddenly realized, but dismissed any other thoughts. There were used to being close...closer than most. From people they knew they occasionally got the odd and off look, but most didn't seem to care.

"Hey...have you seen Suzy lately?" She asked and listened to him pause through the tune he was perfecting.

"Suzy?"

"You know...my friend with the red hair...sorta tall, err...well, eerrm...proportioned." She said, trying to think of the polite work for the girl...she was built like a brick shit out, in all honesty. Nicola grinned and giggled suddenly.

"What's so funny?" Gabe asked, twisting around slightly to look at his sister.

She waved a hand, keeping her eyes closed. "Nothing...just that a little bird told me that she has a thing for you. I thought maybe you two might have talked. After all...you're single, she's single right now. You're a guy...she's a girl..." voice laced with amusement, her lips twitched as she teased him and then cleared her throat and tried to look serious, cracking her eyes open. "Seriously though...the last chick you dated was, um...annoying, but you should have a date from time to time."

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Gabriel couldn’t remember ever talking with any Suzy but then again he cared so little about most of the people around him that he had trouble linking names to faces and vice versa. He might have seen the red-headed girl but he just couldn’t remember… and it was even less probable that he had talked to her with his usual leave-me-alone-or-I’ll-pound-you-one demeanour. He talked to few people if he had to and even fewer talked to him because of the ill reputation that surrounded him.

“Tori wasn’t annoying,” Gabriel said, getting up. “She was just too much into it. Death, black, obsession with rigor mortis. I mean, goths can be cool but there’s limit to everything.” Of all things she had to remind him of Tori who had tried to make him wear black as well or at least wear some old-fashioned shirts with lace everywhere. Gabriel was never attracted to the goth subculture but Tori tried her best to convert him. She didn’t like that he was tanned or that he was wearing his hair tied or that he wasn’t sharing her interests. Seriously, even though Gabriel seemed like a recluse he had no perverse love for suicide and vampires. After some time he had told Tori to get a grip and snap out of it and after a heated argument they had split. And good riddance, too. Nicola seemed to approve that decision.

Gabriel sat down at Nicola’s side to stop blocking the sun from reaching her and finally put on his sunglasses. Then he continued playing familiar songs enriched by his own compositions.

“Yeah… maybe I should at least keep up appearances and have a date from time to time… but then again… do I look like it’s bothering me?”

“No, but I’d like to see my favourite brother happy with some nice girl.”

“Patient girl, that’s what you meant. Anyway, there’ll be plenty of chance to get down to that once we’re outta here. For now, I’m fine as it is. Besides, you’re the only person in the world I feel really comfortable with. You never ask me all those silly questions like What are you thinking about right now? or Do you love me? or Does this haircut makes my butt look fat? Most of the time you can say what I’m thinking about, you know damn well that I love you and your haircut is really cute and compliments your butt – I know what I’m saying, I had a good look when we were riding. I mean, damn, it’s like you’re the only one who understands how I feel about things and people. And it’s such a chore to explain this stuff without getting entangled in words. And I don’t like to waste my breath…” he stopped. “See what you did? I can’t remember ever saying so much.” Gabriel smiled. “Seriously, I’m fine sis. Thanks for caring,” he said and continued plucking the strings.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

"My haircut compliments my butt?" She giggled and rolled over onto her belly, peering over her shoulder to catch a glimpse of her ass. "I suppose you're right." She teased and let out a yelped when he reached over and playfully smacked it once. "Hey! That's a delicate fanny you're abusing! Be gentle!"

Resting her face against the backs of her hands, she peered at him, feeling relaxed. "I'm not pushing you to date...I was just mentioning it. Besides...not like I'm miss dates-a-lot myself. Besides...all most guys my age want to do is paw their way into a girls panties. Can't have that going on, now can we?"

She watched his jaw clench a second, then relax. A not too thrilled look crossed his face as he plucked at his guitar. "Sorry...I was just saying." She said softly, "I'm not interested in all that stuff...knowing my luck the first time I have sex I'll probably end up barefoot and pregnant."

"And no man to show for it 'cause I'd kill the bastard." He mumbled, making her laugh.

"Exactly!"

Turning her face away, she yawned and let her eyes drift back shut. A perfect afternoon...no parents, no idiots to mess with them...

Gabriel's music filtered through beautifully through her head. The combination of that couple with the warm sun and sand was enough to make her want to take nap. "If I fall asleep..." She mumbled, "Don't let me burn to a crisp..."

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Gabriel nodded even though she wouldn’t see that. “Roger, I will be keeping vigil,” he said and continued playing something slow and soothing. After a while he put the guitar away and rummaged through the backpack Nicola had stuffed with various items and fished out a can of soda which had warmed a little in the hot air but was still refreshing. Popping the top he sprayed a little in the air and drank deeply. For a moment he even considered touching the cool can to Nicola’s leg but she seemed to be drifting off as her back was steadily raising with her breathing so he perished the thought.

After a while he caught himself watching her intently. His perception was a bit warped with Nicola’s being his sister but he could certainly judge that she was an attractive girl – slim, with thin waist and certainly a nice butt (he smiled at the thought). Because she was usually wearing baggy clothes, it was hard to notice what was underneath. She had a cute face and a very radiant smile and her short hair looked really good. Truth be told, Gabriel couldn’t imagine her with long hair, like his for example. Over the years he got used to her looking this way and not another and probably wouldn’t have it any other way unless she changed her image to suit her charm even more. Yep, Nicola had nothing to worry about in the looks department and her timid behaviour around strangers and school-mates was making her look even cuter.

Gabriel got up and slowly walked towards the lake and entered the water. Wading around he glanced at his sister from time to time as if making sure she was still there and not disappeared on him or something. Mindlessly he wandered, letting his body soak the sunlight in, enjoying the silent afternoon, with no one ordering him around or nagging over his head or looking at him or asking for a beating. Summer break was coming so perhaps they should think of going somewhere. That is, unless Nicola hadn’t made some other plans herself. Perhaps they could go to live with aunt Sarah for a while, at least in the city he would be anonymous, not known for being a trouble-magnet.

It was as good an idea as any so Gabriel moved back to their sunbathing spot and noticing that Nicola had indeed fallen asleep he picked up his shirt and covered her arms and shoulders with it. To cover her legs he just folded one end of the towel she was resting on around her. His eyes once again skimmed over her bottom and he chuckled to himself. Satisfied that she won’t get sunburns he lay next to her, spread some sun-block on his skin and prepared for a tanning session. Yes, leaving home for summer was a good idea.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Nicola woke up with a yawn and a stretch, blinking sleepy eyes and stirring. The sun had dropped some and a cool breeze slipped over her skin as she sat up and shed Gabe's shirt from her back.

"Hey sleepy head." He said with a smile and gently patted her thigh.

"Hey yourself." She yawned and reached for the sky. "I needed that...and you I see are trying to get more of a tan. How are we supposed to be twins if you're always darker than me?"

He shrugged without worry. "We know what we are...who cares about anything else?"

He always had the simplest answers, she mused and reached for her pack. "Have you eaten?"

He shook his head no, so she brought out the tupperware of goodies she had stashed away. Scooting up higher along the side of his body, she held up a small batch of grapes. "Grapes m'lord?" She smiled down at him and watched as his mouth open. Dipping the cluster to his lips, she held it there while he grabbed one.

"Thank you, o'dutiful wench."

"Pish! That would be my luck...to be a serving wench. I couldn't have been a princess or a wealthy merchants daughter." She said with a little huff. "Noooo...a wench!"

Grabbing a pack of cookies, she selected a couple and began to nibble on them. "Now if only we had pizza." She joked and pocked Gabe in the ribs playfully.

"Anything good happen while I was sleeping?"

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

"Pish! That would be my luck...to be a serving wench. I couldn't have been a princess or a wealthy merchant’s daughter."

The moment Nicola uttered those words Gabriel felt his heart stop for a moment, making him clutch for his chest in fight for breath. A strange sensation crept over him -- an indescribable feeling of displacement, a sense of vertigo as if reality itself appeared to warp and bend around him. His body suddenly felt hot and the next moment cold as if his sister’s words triggered some subliminal response encoded in his brain. He heard her say something more, ask him a question, but couldn’t understand her words, only the sound of her voice. He tried looking her way, concentrating his eyes on her face but everything around him was blurred, colours greyed out. Ba-doom, ba-doom, ba-doom – his heart rumbled in his chest, the sound so loud it surely must have scared all birds in the surrounding woods. Everything was so slow and those words still reverberated in his head: wealthy merchant’s daughter, wealthy merchant’s daughter, wealthy merchant’s daughter.

This older man was standing over Gabriel and scolding him. His face was a mask of seething fury, he was shouting and waving his arms, his hands balled, hard fists. Gabriel tried discerning his words but they were like a weird, illegible torrent of words English, French and perhaps Latin too. What little he could understand from the older man’s speech was that he was terribly displease with Gabriel because he accepted some poor man’s confession of love and even dared to proclaim his love for that man as well. For a moment a sincere face of a young man wearing glasses flashed through his head but was instantly smothered by the father’s tirade.

What is this all about, Gabriel wondered. He had never before seen the rambling geezer and he wanted to just stand up and smash his face in but sensed a different feeling in his chest, a rebellion as strong as his own but alien to him, and a tragic resolution was budding there as well. Then the angry man turned to him and spoke, “You are a wealthy merchant’s daughter, Gabrielle! What were you thinking!?” And then he open-handedly slapped Gabriel’s face bringing him back to reality.

His eyes were still clouded but he could see that once again he was at the lake and could see the lovely oval of his sister’s face looming over him. The strange vision now only a feeling of déjà vu somewhere at the back of his mind. He inhaled deeply when her slender hand gently slapped his cheek again and he drew her into his arms, hugging strongly.

“Oh, Nicolas, you’re alright, I was so worried about you,” he sobbed.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Nicola gasped in shock, then fear when Gabriel suddenly grasped at his chest and struggled to breath. "Gabe! Gabriel! What's wrong? Are you choking? Where does it hurt!?" She asked him, frantically scanning him over. His eyes for a moment looked vacant, staring straight through her. It sent chills down her spine as she tried to stay calm. Kneeling over him, she slapped his cheek gently, one, then twice. "Gabriel! Please!"

Suddenly his hands snuck out and grabbed her, pulling her into a fierce, breath taking hug. “Oh, Nicolas, you’re alright, I was so worried about you,” he sobbed. His voice oddly thick and strained.

She frowned, pulling back to stare into his face, smoothing back a few loose strands of hair and a tear from his cheek. "Nicolas? Gabe...I'm Nicola...It's me, Nicola." She repeated softly.

"What?" He looked confused, searching her face and eyes.

"Gabriel, please...don't play with me." She begged, feeling oddly hot and uneasy, her stomach rolling with nerves. "It's Nicola, not Nicolas. Your sister!"

In that moment his eyes seemed to clear completely and he took a long breath in. Gently she shifted off of him to give him room and hugged her knees to her chest. "What happened?" She asked him softly and grasped his hand as he sat up from his position on the ground...

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

"I... I don't know..." Gabriel shook his head in confusion which made the last flitting tendrils of that weird vision evaporate from his head leaving only this strange, terrifying feeling of loss. "It's like I was someone else for a moment... like my life was someone else's for a while... like a memory... I don't know what it was but it scared the shit outta me... See?" He looked down at his hand Nicola was holding -- it was trembling, his fingers shaking like small twigs on the wind.

He was sacred and intrigued at the same time. He had never experienced such a daydream before and yet it was strangely familiar to him. The face of the old man not entirely unknown. He noticed Nicola's worry in her eyes and swallowed hard, embarrassed about his selfish behaviour.

"I'm sorry I scared you, Nicola. But I had no control over it. I've no idea what happened. I'm sorry," he apologised again and kissed her cheek, hugging her once again.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

She hugged him back, wrapping her arms tightly around him and burrowing her face against his neck and shoulder. "It's OK." She murmured, giving his neck a soft reassuring kiss. "I just didn't know what to do. You scared me to death...I couldn't tell if you were choking or having some sort of a strange early heart attack...God Gabe! It was horrible! Your eyes looked so...vacant and then confused." She shuddered and held onto him more tightly.

He squeezed her as close as possible and rocked back and forth gently. She sighed softly and drew back enough to look at his face, sitting on half of his lap. Gently she smoothed her hands over his cheeks and smiled, but her face still looked concerned. "Should we go home? The afternoon is almost done with anyway...should we sneak back and take some joy in being ignored for a while?"

He took another deep cleansing breath and finally nodded. "Yeah...lets go."

She gazed at him a moment longer, searching his face and then slipped off his lap and began to gather their things, stuffing them back into the pack.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

It was a good thing too they had decided to gather their stuff and go back home because clouds started gathering in the sky and a cold wind appeared out of nowhere, unwanted. Gabriel was pedalling rhythmically, paying only some attention to the road before him. From tie to time he sensed Nicola glancing at him with concern and answered her with a weak smile that was not able to convince any of them that everything was fine. The strange event at the lake had scared both of them and left a cloud that loomed over Gabriel's mind. He had no idea what to make of it. Was it only some kind of daydream or had there been a deeper sense to it. He shook his head and concentrated on riding the bike. There would be time to think about it later.

As they neared their house it started raining and the sky was the colour of steel which promised a storm later on. Probably during the night. Gabriel smiled to himself -- the weather probably spoiled their parents' garden party. Well hell, tough luck.

"Let's get in through my room," Gabriel said when they put their bikes into the garage. "I don't want to look at them or listen to mom's bitching. Hop on." He made a footrest from his interlocked fingers and raised Nicola up so she could grab the edge of the roof and the pushed her up. He gave her the backpack with their stuff and jumped and pulled himself up. After a moment they were inside him room, smiling at each other because of the stunt they pulled.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

It wasn't but a minute of being inside when the sky rumbled and thunder clapped, followed by a down-pore of rain. Nicola glanced away from Gabe and looked out the window, only to shiver. "I'm going to go and change. You should take a nap or something."

Giving him a brief hug, she kissed his chin and then left him alone to his thoughts and her own. The whole event was strange...his little episode, the sudden change in weather and the strange, eery feelings that followed. She shook her head, feeling though she was dancing between wake and sleep and it was some sort of strange dream. He had called her Nicolas.

Dropping her pack in the corner of her room, she busied herself with emptying the contents and then slipped into their bathroom and took a quick shower before slipping on her nightie. The white flowered cotton and little straps were her favorite...cool and comfortable. She only hoped the rest of the night would be quiet and her parents would just lave them be. She heard a few sounds from downstairs, but nothing to give way that they would interrupt their night. No doubt, if they hadn't figure out that they were home, they would just assume all was fine.

Sighing heavily, she picked her up sketch pad and went to sit by the window. The sky was darkening by the minute and angry slashes of lightening lit it up from time to time. "Mood weather." She murmured to herself.

With only a little dim lighting to help her along, she felt a sudden sense of peace...of familiarity. Picking up her pencil, Nicola began to sketch, drawn to the paper like a moth would be to a flame. It was irresistible and soothing. With her pad of paper balance on the slope of her thighs, she let the pencil dance across the blank canvas until faces began to form. "Nicolas." She murmured, trying to focus, drawing from somewhere deep. "Nicolas."

The man that came up on paper was similar to Gabriel...only his face was softer, his hair shorter and somewhat unruly, but his eyes...spoke volumes. They looked sad, forlorn, lost...

And then in the background, another form began to take shape, although Nicola couldn't quite make out why. A slender shape in the background, with long flowing hair...no doubt a woman.

Another clap of thunder made Nicola jump, bringing things to a stop. She curiously looked down at her work and pursed her lips in thought, tracing the man's face with her fingertips. "Very strange." She whispered and tucked her things away before crawling into her bed.

Suddenly exhausted, she yawned, eyes heavy and body relaxed. Curling up, into her cozy blankets, Nicola hugged a pillow close and let herself drift off into dreams.

 

[Poganin]

Gabriel

Gabriel did as Nicola had instructed him. He showered when she was done and put on pyjama pants and sat on his bed, looking at nothing in particular and trying not to think of anything but the events of this afternoon kept returning to him and bothering him. First of all he was feeling bad because he had made his sister worry about him. She was worrying about him each time he got in a fight but this time it was different and he knew it. Gabriel was a strong guy but he had no idea how to defend himself from something like that. Deciding that just thinking about this will not bring him anywhere close to the solution he got under the covers and tried to sleep but the sleep wouldn’t come. He thrashed around and changed his position a few times but it didn’t help, and the storm outside wasn’t helping any either. Finally he managed to fall asleep.

After a few hours he jerked up awake, the storm was still raging outside but it wasn’t a thunder that woke him up. It was something much worse, something there was no remedy for. A night phobia – he called it. It was a fear of something indescribable, some imaginable horror that was looming right outside his perception. And he knew it was coming, he felt his mind being gripped by the tension and the fear. And then it came – that strange obligation to do what the scared mind was telling him to do, or else… Gabriel shivered at the possibility of failure to comply. And it struck him… the need to count from one to some unimaginably big number in but a blink of an eye, a split second which wouldn’t be enough to even count to three. He was aware of the total impossibility to fulfil such a twisted task but his mind perpetuated to give him the same order again and again and again, driving him crazy with fear of the punishment. But as usual, apart from the fear there was also this strange feeling of hope that once he finds a way to do what he was supposed to do he will be finally free of this nightmare once and for all. Besides that evil presence there was also something good there but it was completely unreachable.

Gabriel hated those fits of this crazy phobia which was coming all of a sudden and keeping him awake for the whole night. Finally he got up and started pacing his room but still it wouldn’t go away. Finally, feeling terribly embarrassed with his childish behaviour, he picked up his pillow and the cover and silently crossed his room, the common bathroom and quietly opened the door to Nicola’s room. She was peacefully asleep in her bed. He closed the door behind him and put his things on the floor and lay there like a small kid, who was scared of sleeping alone in the dark room. Only it was something more than just darkness, something terrible that had always been waiting for just one slip. Still shaken and on the verge of being issued another idiotic order Gabriel closed his eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm himself down and possibly clear his mind from this fear.

The air in the room smelled like Nicola, he realised, and it was making him feel a little safer. He wandered if it was the same in his room. Was it so full of his presence as well even when he wasn’t there? Filled with some residual aura of his person.

Trying not to whine when the next wave of fear washed over him, Gabriel curled on the floor. He finally fell asleep a few hours later after a futile battle with something that was only a part of his own mind he couldn’t understand.

 

[EklectikChik]

Nicola

Sleep was peaceful...for a time and then somewhere in the night, something changed and shifted. She felt Gabe's presence, but was unable to reach out to him. It was as though sleep was holding her within it's foggy grasp and then painting a picture. She shifted and frowned in her sleep, trying to concentrate on the images.

Nicolas sat amongst stacks of books, his nose buried in one and happily concentrating on his work. The scent of of the old books and papers was oddly inviting and familiar...soothing to his body as he burned to the midnight oil. What he wasn't prepared for was Gabrielle and her soft fingers running through his hair.

"Hi." She murmured softly and grinned when he looked so startled to see her.

"Gabrielle!" He whispered, looking around worriedly. "What are you doing here? You know you could get yourself in trouble."

She nodded, but her smile never faded. Sweet Gabrielle...strong willed, stubborn, but her soft touch and smile won him over every time. She wasn't shy about showing him her affection...even as a lowly book keeper. He was too low in class for her, but she didn't mind and went through great lengths to visit him as much as humanly possible. This had been going on for months and her father had already forbidden it, but Gabrielle loved the challenge as much as she loved him.

Before he could protest, her soft skirted bottom wiggled it's way onto his lap and arms wound around his neck. "I missed you." She whispered softly, "I don't like being apart, Nicolas. There has to be a way...we must find a way to be together forever. Papa..." She faltered, her voice becoming oddly thick and tremulous. "Papa will want me to marry someone soon and not you. Please Nicolas...we should run away...far away from here. I'll go anywhere."

Leaning his forehead against hers, Nicolas hugged her close, inhaling her soft scent. "Maybe you deserve..."

"Don't SAY it!" She hissed, pulling away. "I don't! I want you! I love you! No one else!" She vowed, tears gathering in her gray eyes. Cupping his cheeks, she pressed a soft kiss against his chin and then buried her face against his neck. "I love you."

Pulling her into a tight embrace, Nicolas smiled. "I love you too! We'll set things straight, Gabrielle...we'll find a way."

Cradling the back the back of her head, Nicolas let his lips slide over hers. Soft and gentle...nothing hurried. They had promised themselves to each other. Promised forever. Unhurried, their lips pressed together, even as her small hands made fists in his shirt and body arched against his. "Nicolas..." She murmured, "Oh Nicolas!"

Nicola blinked and started up at her ceiling. As quickly as that it was over and she was wide away. "Weird." She whispered and then froze. Someone had whimpered and then her mind went into the red. Gabe! Rolling over, she almost stepped on him as she went to get out of bed and gasped in surprise. "Gabe?"

He visibly shivered, worrying her. Why was he on her floor when he could have woken her up? Carefully climbing out of bed she tugged a pillow down next to his, not wanting to disturb his sleep and got under his blanket. Carefully she cuddled up to him until she was comfortable. Automatically an arm snuck around her and pulled her closer. She smiled and rubbed her face into her pillow, willing sleep to take over again. His shivering soon stopped and his breathing evened out. The warmth of their bodies soon lulled her back to sleep, feeling safe and sound.