Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ]

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] January 10th 2009, 11:47 pm

He was in a rush. Maybe it was his obsession with punctuality, and he was already running late. The note he found taped to his office had said to meet in the ballroom at four, and it had been four-fifteen when he'd read it. Of course, he had to set his papers on his desk, run back to his room to change, and stop by Zina's desk on the way out of the library (above which the staff dorms were located) to tell her he had to reschedule their dinner until he got back from helping Kyrie. Perhaps his rush was not entirely due to his need to be on time so much as it was his chivalrous rush to rescue Kyrie from her dispair of being a horrible dancer who was immensely intimidated by her teacher and had a test tomorrow on the Tango, which she apparently "sucked a blowfish" at doing. This triggered his need to be a hero / good father and save her from certain doom, as well as his guilt at having potentially failed her. What if she had left already, thinking he wouldn't come? Her note said she didn't expect he would be able to but that she would appreciate it if he had the time, since she knew he was a proficient dancer. He hadn't been able to tell her he was on his way and what if she left already? She would be upset with him and to top it off she would fail her test tomorrow. Worst of all, he would have failed her. He rolled his eyes as he flung open the doors to his beloved ballroom, panting slightly, and wondering how this girl had succeeded in so tightly wrapping herself around his little finger.

He breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his tie - yes, his tie; he had thrown on a suit because he had never danced in anything other than his sharpest suit and wasn't about to start now, even if Kyrie had left because in dressing nicer, he had made himself at least ten minutes later - grateful to note that Kyrie was still here, sitting rather dpressed looking on the floor and facing the mirror, shoulders hunched. He coughed into his fist to announce his presence, hoping she wouldn't be too upset with him.

kyrie elizabeth engels · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] January 12th 2009, 6:15 pm

Kyrie sat crossed legged facing the full length mirror on the furthest end of the ballroom. She shook her head and looked down at the floor trying not to mope. Hes probably not going to come. Which means I'm going to fail tomorrow. Stupid tango! I mean what's the point anyway? You slide around stiffly on the dance floor like a stuck up. Anybody can do that. She rolled her eyes Anybody but me, apparently. Right after class she posted a note on Niks door asking him for help and asking him to meet her here in the ballroom. She desperately needed help -and knowing full well he could dance, she knew she'd be in good hands. Good hands that thought intrigued her. She sighed and began picking the dirt from under her fingernails. She couldn't think on that too long or she'd blush.

It wasn't like she had anything better to do with her time even if he didn't show up. Her homework was all done and she was too tired to do anything else- but she sure hoped he would. Just his presence would make her feel comforted -even if he didn't help her with her dance lessons. She looked through the reflection in the mirror and remembered this mornings lesson. Nothing could please Madame Gaudet! Nothing she ever did was right; every move was wrong, every position, even her facial expressions were incorrect. Madame Gaudet constantly made Kyrie think of that saying. 'If you shoved a piece of coal up her butt she could make diamonds' Her and Ezekiel had become close friends in the class because, apparently, they're the only ones in the class that doesn't understand, "the art of dancing" Kyrie rolled her eyes and tried not to let this bother her. She closed her eyes and fondly remembered an inside joke she and Ezekiel had made. They stared calling her Fry one day in class- they talked about her the whole time and she didn't know. "So Fry needs to get laid" "If fry tells me to do that one more time..."she was as skinny as a rail and happened to be from France. Kyrie laughed as she remembered their immaturity that day, and how Ezekiel thought he was so for coming up with that name. When suddenly she heard a cough behind her, and as she looked back up into the mirror her heart about melted.

He showed up. Oh my God he cares. What do I do? Stand and shake his hand? Hug him? Maybe first I better check and make sure there's no drool on my face. She casually brought her wrist up to her mouth as she stood up and turned around Okay, we're good. She stood there trying not to gawk at him as she looked him over. Not only did he show up, he was dressed up- and did he ever look sexy.

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] January 13th 2009, 12:44 am

He was no longer worried. He was here and now that Kyrie had stood and seen him here, he could forget about all his stresses and focus on the task at hand. His brow forrowed a bit as he tried to read Kyrie's expression, but he could not figure out if she seemed more schocked that he had actually come - a thought which made him feel a bit guilty - or if she seemed stunned. Dumbfounded was probably a more accurate description of her expression, but he could not understand why and simply shrugged it off with a half-cocked grin that seemed to only pop up when around the girl he stood before now. She brought out the devil in him, he knew.

He had been reflecting a lot today on his relationships with various individuals. He had been pondering the traits about people that drew him to them, like the intriguing young Caleb, as well as the reasons he put up with people like Basil and Raphael, but mostly, the depth of his closeness to Zina and Kyrie. He was eternally grateful for Zina's friendship. She had provided in him his first true friend and companion, and taught him that it was possible to trust others, and that it was okay to confide in people, and to need them. He loved her for all she had done for him and for the intensity of their friendship. He could not honestly say he was in love with her. Perhaps it was simply the way he was raised. Perhaps it was not really in his nature to fall in love, he wondered, or perhaps he was and simply didn't recognize it. How would he know? He had little to compare his feelings for Zina to. All the same, if he were slightly more compatible with his brother, he knew it would not be so far reaching to suggest he loved Zina no more than Raphael. He did not understand things involving deep emotions and as such avoided excessive pondering over them. All the same, he had found himself meeting a lot of people who seemed to touch his soul lately.

Of course, there was also Kyrie. He had met her when she was twelve. She was a feisty but quiet little thing - he sensed something of a kindred spirit in her almost immediately. It was odd, he had grinned at her as soon as he'd met her. The instant approval seemed mutual. Her mother had invited him over for dinner, no doubt to try and win his favor or something. She was a beautiful and prominent Polish actress, though he had never thought highly of her. He knew she was tightly weaved to the inner workings of the Councilmen's Board, and had never been one for the film industry anyways. But she was insistent that he join her for dinner, and something pulled him to accept her invitation. Though he discovered almost immediately that he completely abhorred the woman and the way she lived, deep to his very core, the dinner resulted in his meeting Kyrie, who over the course of the next nine years, became as close to him as Zina Schon - in different ways, granted. He watched as she blossomed into a young woman, and visited her often, even though it meant indulging her mother. Eventually her mother became so busy with her work that he could simply fly in and visit her himself. When she turned eighteen, her mother still controlled every aspect of her life, almost as if Kyrie was more of a slave than a daughter. Fortunately though, she left to go star in a movie the government seemed anxious to produce. It was about at this point where Nik realized he was basically Kyrie's father. Except to him they had always seemed more like friends, maybe with him being an influence to her, but never a father. He acted like one, but it was probably just the age. In truth, he didn't really know what their relationship was, but they were grateful for each other. That much he knew. And that was all that mattered. He was flattered every time he could do something to help her, and it was that love for her that drove his guilt and fear at not being able to provide, or help when she needed it. He should probably worry less - he knew it was enough that he had simply taken her into his school. He knew that for that, she was eternally grateful. She was the lone student he had not randomly picked. Well, no. She'd requested he invite her best friend as well. But otherwise, he had been unbiased and fair in his selections, the only limits being that the students must be between eighteen and twenty-four years old.

Anyways. His extensive ponderings on the topics of people he cared about and why he cared about them all had put him in a decidedly grateful and affectionate mood. As such, he approached Kyrie with his arms outstretched and wrapped her in what he realized was, sadly, their first ever hug. Or at least, the first one that so openly showed how much he cared, and wasn't more of a professional show of appreciation. "Kyrie...I apologize for being late. Could you forgive me?" It amazed him how much softer his voice was around her. He always felt a little happier, less on edge and distant or professionally cool and collected. He was just...himself.

kyrie elizabeth engels · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] January 13th 2009, 10:17 pm

"Hi" was all she managed say. Almost out of breath she brushed off any dirt that might be on her jeans just as a distraction. She had known Nik most of her life and had never seem him looking this.....this dressed up. What was the occasion? He was only helping her with dance lessons. She wasn't about to complain though, the only thing she'd complain about was the fact he was taking her breath away - making it difficult for her to breathe. The tension she felt in her body as she stood there was unfair - sure she had a crush on him but this attraction she felt for him now was almost unbearable. She knew she had to be coming across half retarded by just standing there staring at him.

"I mean hi." she said as she as she shrugged and looked away. She continued looking away at some distant object as she finished. "Good to see you, you know. I've been waiting awhile." She laughed trying to lighten the intensity she was feeling as she showed him she was only teasing. He walked closer to her and as he did she got a whiff of his cologne Uh he smells so nice....Ughh Oh my holy effing monkey balls. I shouldn't have asked him to help me. I mean what was I thinking? I can't even look at him without blushing much less dance with him! He's so h.....Did he just hug me?

As she felt the warmth of his chest against hers, in his strong embrace, her mind blanked as all her worries instantly ceased. Safely rapped in his arms she closed her eyes and wanted nothing more than to enjoy this feeling. "Kyrie...I apologize for being late. Could you forgive me?" "Yes." She about whispered. I'll always forgive you.

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 15th 2009, 1:30 pm

"I'm glad. I am not one to be late to anything, and I cannot recall the last time I was. And I am always on time for you - sometimes early, which is actually rude, so I apologize. But I have recently learned from a young friend of mine that it is forgivable, maybe even acceptable to be a bit late should one's reason be that they refused to show up looking anything less than their finest for a special occasion. An occasion of which, considering what my late dance instructor drilled into me, dancing is the absolute finest. I am willing to bet that if you keep this in mind, Madame Gaudet will most assuredly boost your grade simply for appearance. And punctuality. Manage both and you shall pass with flying colors, even if you step on your partner's foot during your final." He winked. "I shall just pray that I don't have swollen feet by the end of this. You weigh about a fourth of what I do, but I have sensitive toes." He made a frowning face of sympathy towards his feet and waved Kyrie to come join him as he turned and straightened his collar, walking towards the stereo in the back.

"The tango, correct? Well, I think we should warm up to each other first and get used to moving with each other. Then once we are comfortable we can switch to the cause for the meeting." He took a moment to reflect on how much more confident and comfortable he was with...anyone...when the subject was dancing. It just wasn't something that allowed for insecurity, and he couldn't find any anywhere within him, though it normally overflowed from his overactive brain. He gave Kyrie a sideways, thoughtful look. "I cannot believe you are trusting me to teach you this. I mean, I understand that you know me better than the rest of the professors, but I did not think you knew that I could dance. Much less that you would ever want to dance with me."

He was playing with fire, and he couldn't help but grin a little. He didn't really care. Kyrie's mind was fun to play with.

kyrie elizabeth engels · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 15th 2009, 2:41 pm

Her expression glazed as he was rambling on about something. He tended to do that a lot, which made her laugh, but she didn't mind because this gave her an excuse to hold eye contact with him without seeming weird. She was good at faking listening, but she was better at day dreaming. She heard him say something about her stepping on his toes and remarked "I won’t step on your feet, I promise." She punctuated it with a smile and girlishly walked closer to him. Her high-heels squeaked across the hardwood floor bringing attention to her. She hated when they made that noise. It happened earlier today in dance class. Madame Gaudet snoodley remarked about how she should get new shoes. It was underlined with how ugly she thought they were. "Yeah, the tango" she crossed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. Attractive. She thought sarcastically and ran her hand through her hair. "I mean, yes correct. The tango." She avoided the situation he brought up and thought Get used to moving with him. If only he knew. She opened her arms into frame- inviting him to take lead and either dance with her or rock side to side. Either way she assumed 'getting used tp moving with each other' meant some form of dancing. He stepped closer accepting her invitation. If I knew the brand of his cologne I'd buy it and spray it in my dorm. Okay that’s a little creepy. Her stream of thoughts stopped when she realized his hand was now on her waist. She placed her hand on his shoulder. Nik took the lead as they began box stepping. Embracing each step she was engrossed in the strength of his body under her slender hands. She heard nothing but the sound of the music in the back ground and the silence grew when she remembered how the professor was picking up on her feelings. Even if he only thought it was a crush she had to do something about it. She liked being the one in control - all due to her overwhelming sense of pride.

Her voice quickly broke the silence. She loved the tender moment they were sharing, but she had to redeem her integrity. "It's not that I wanted to dance with you professor," she was so bad at lying her voice shook, "quite simply I knew you'd be the only one available at such short notice." The more confident she became at lying- to hide the real reason she wanted him to be here- the more flirtatiously smug her voice became. Her voice was soothing in his ear as she said "Besides, look who showed up." she paused "Maybe it’s you who wanted to dance with me..." She cut her voice off and started blushing. For one, where did this sudden confidence come from? Only moments before she was gawking at him for wearing a suit and now she was flirting with him. Secondly she felt terrible for saying that. He was still dancing with her so he wasn't too mad, assuming he even was, but she had to check to make sure. There was an uncomfortable wonder that lingered in the air. She was cheek to cheek with him now and as she leaned her head back to check his expression, she clumsily bumped noses with him. As her eyes met his she looked up with a childlike innocence. The confidence melted away along with her heart.

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 16th 2009, 2:42 am

He was beginning to wonder if the girl was completely zoned out and if she was listening at all when she finally showed signs of life and responded to everything he had been saying. He realized he was rambling a bit, but he had been talking directly to her, trying to find ways to instill confidence and have his fun. But she seemed more interested in staring at him than in listening to him. He was waiting for drool to confirm brain damage, but then she finally promised not to step on his feet and answered his question. She came forward, which he found to be a pleasant invitation. He gladly took his place and began leading her in a basic box step.

It was nice to be close - it gave him a pleasant warm feeling in his stomach. He was smiling a bit as he lead her, his hand on her waist, the other holding their hands up high. He found himself thinking how nice it was to have her dancing in heels - it brought her up so they were roughly dancing almost cheek to cheek. It was around the time of this realization that he became more than acutely aware of her physical presence - that this girl who he had enjoyed a very close friendship to for many years was in fact a young woman now. He had been subconciously aware of this for at least the last few years, and had enjoyed playing mindgames and occasionally indulging himself in something that while he had never thought to consider flirting - if only because he never thought he would engage in that behavior ( he couldn't even say he "flirted" with Zina ) much less with someone he didn't know as well as he should - he couldn't honestly say it wasn't. And so it began to hit him that Kyrie was a woman now, albeit a young one, and that he occasionally flirted with her, and that she seemed to enjoy flirting back. Honestly, with the exception of her recent glazey - eyed incarnation, she had always seemed to flush when seeing him and to cling to his every random word. Perhaps there was more to the situation than he was aware of. Maybe this was not a good thing.

He did not have time to think about the situation from any form of official, logical standpoint. He had become aware, he was closer than he had ever been, and then it came. She was teasing back, as he had been - which was nothing new. It was the confidence with which she spoke, and the level of forwardness that neither of them had really dared to allow before that inticed him. It was all his realization churning in him at once as he realized for the first time that he was attracted to the very young girl that he was now dancing with, quite intimately. And as she whispered into his ear he could not fight the tightening in his stomach that started with a strange tingling in his groin which quickly spread upwards and flushed his face.

He hardly had time to realize what was happening, much less catch up with his thoughts and alter his expression before their faces had brushed, and they were suddenly face to face. He caught his breath and forced his stomach to stay down while he stood still and dumbfounded. For the first time in his forty-nine years of life, Nikolai Boris Reef was cought off-guard, was not sure what to do, and did not have control over the expression of his emotions. He felt so very betrayed, but more than anything, he could not help but stare at the girl not three inches from his own face as he contemplated exactly what he had just come to be aware of.

kyrie elizabeth engels · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 16th 2009, 5:50 pm

Is he blushing? She noticed the way he stood there, tense and caught off-guard like her. Her heart beat managed to make its way up her throat and she wondered just how obvious it was that her breathing had become heavy. She didn't know whether or not her reaction was due impart to embarrassment, fear, or sexual tension. Wondering if those feelings were all mixed on her face, she looked away before he could analyze them too harshly. She wished more than anything that she knew what he was thinking. Should I say something? Tell him I'm sorry for bumping noses with him like an idiot or for being so forward? Her voice remained paralyzed. Maybe if I wait long enough he'll say something or we'll keep dancing. She continued to stand there with her body in frame holding his hand and resting her head on his shoulder. All too soon she found her voice and muttered, "I'm sorry, Professor. I didn't mean to..." Not wanting to finish her sentence with "offend you," in case she hadn't, she left it up to him. Her back straightened as she scrounged up enough courage to look him in the eyes again - indicating she was ready to continue their... lesson, which in fact is what they were here for despite her fantasies.

Slowly bringing her cheek next to his again she leaned in as close to him as she could without invading his space, and hoped the tension in her body would soon cease. She had longed for him for so long and here she was this close, and yet she stiil couldn't tell him how she felt. A few moments passed and her emotions got the best of her. She sighed in his ear as a tear rolled down her cheek.

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 16th 2009, 6:14 pm

He couldn't stand the tension and couldn't resist the desires pulsing throughout his entire body. Her sigh in his ear and the wet feeling of tears down his cheek broke through the rest of his reserve and he half-grunted, grabbing her tightly by the arms and pushed her up against the padded wall on the far right side of the room.

His mind went there, but his body refused to do anything other than be frozen in place. He couldn't even bring Kyrie closer in an awkward attempt to comfort her as her tear fell against his neck. He couldn't respond to assure her that she had not by any means offended him. He could not even swallow the tennis ball of tension in his throat.

After what seemed like an eternity, he managed to painfully swallow the lump in his throat and succeeded in pulling the girl closer to him. With the arm that she wasn't resting her head on, he brought his hand up to stroke her hair. He pulled her in and burried her in his chest, kissing the top of her head as he struggled for words - maybe a sound or something to express what he was feeling. But he didn't even know what he was feeling in order to express it.

"Kyrie..." He began, honestly intending to attept an explanation of his thoughts. Instead the sentence finished itself with, "I will come and get you out of class on the day of your final. You will have to make it up later, but you will have more time to practice. Raphael is a man of theatrics, and I am sure he can dance. You two are close. I will ask him to help you. You will pass the test fine, so please do not worry." His eyes bled with apology that he could not be the one to help her, but mostly with sorrow that he could not tell her what he had hoped he could.

He could not bare this environment anymore, but he was not about to let the girl go, unless it was her choice to. "I had a meeting I rescheduled to come help you, and I was supposed to take care of that whenever we were finished. I cannot dance with you right now, dear. I am so sorry. But if you are not terribly upset with me, perhaps I could keep you in my company awhile longer? Perhaps you would like to join me in my helicopter? I haven't been to town lately, perhaps we could get something to eat?"

kyrie elizabeth engels · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 16th 2009, 6:49 pm

As her heartbreak grew he pulled her closer to him, stroked her hair, and kissed the top of her head. It was the sweetest thing she could have imagined him doing at that very moment and without control she let out a small sob. She thought of herself as pathetic for not being able to control herself, but she hoped that if the professor didn't feel the same way- he'd only think if of her as being girlie and not wanting to fail dance class.

She sniffled her sobs back so she could listen. He was going to get her out of class the day of her final, which lightened her mood a bit when she thought of Madame Gaudet's expression. And she'd also have more time to practice. He was so kind to her. 'You will have to made it up later.' Make it up to you? Gladly. But her brain stopped itself and thought, this is no time to be thinking sexual thoughts. She was pleased to know that even at her lowest she could think along those lines. Her train of thoughts stopped abruptly when she heard him speak of Raphael.

She broke away slowly from his hold to look at him more closely. "Yes we're close, I mean, not like that." She shook her head "No, why cant' you? I asked you." The truth beat her pride and she stood there open and honest - exasperated at the very thought of having to dance without him. His eyes were apologetic and she knew all to well why he couldn't, but it didn't mean she would stop putting up a fight. She could sense the uncomfortableness in the air, and it was coming from him. He seemed antsy like he wanted to get out of the ballroom. Listening to his every word she was glad he wasn't uncomfortable with her - it was simply the environment of the room. Half crushed and calmed that he cared so much she walked back into his arms and gave him big hug. It was all she could do. "I'm sorry I interrupted your meeting. And I'd love to." As she rested her head on his shoulder she smiled as she embraced this strong caring man that she so loved.

nikolai boris reef · Subject: Re: Complicated. [ nik + kyrie ] March 16th 2009, 7:07 pm

MOVED TO THE GRAND WARWICK HOTEL.

Just to eat. Stop thinking that way. God.