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Even though the melody was flowing all around her, no music, voices nor anything was reaching Nastasha's ears. The serenity was engulfing her scene. As she was standing there, in the middle of the stage.
Her crimson-painted lips were moving, giving a release for the composed words that they were, years, used to. The shop was crowded more than usual, she realised. The placidity of her surroundings brought Nastasha's consciousness to the heavy raindrops hitting the shop window.
Crashing one after another. Being the sole distribution of her silence, Nastasha's body couldn't but revert back to the trauma of few nights before. Her hands tightened around the microphone in front of her. It wasn't a strong grip. It wouldn't hurt her nails. Yet, they still managed to draw her eyes to check the marks on her skin.
But, what was reflected in her orbs was the far shadow of the newcomer, so late, into the shop.
Muffled raindrops. Nastasha raised her head to get a better look at the guest standing by the shop door. Their high-end suit was dripping on the floor as it was caught by the rain, entirely drenched. Her guest must have rushed in the heavy pour to watch her singing.
That sight, despite having a casual shiver embracing it, it softened Nastasha's gaze. Her guest's eyes were fixated on the ground. They didn't meet hers yet the warmth they brought her lulled her orbs back to her own world.
Her body eased as Nastasha immersed, once again, in her performance.
"We both know what memories can bring. They bring diamonds and rust."
The hushed sound of the doors closing interfered, for the last time, with her serenity.
It was a solacing night.
A stream of tears rolled down Nastasha's cheeks.
The sound of different chirping birds allowed the sun rays inside of Nastasha's room. Pulling her back from sleep.
It wasn't an early morning. However, it was going to be a long one with a blank schedule ahead of her.
Nastasha's eyes were, subconsciously, drawn to the empty side of the bed. Her right hand reached to trace the other vacant pillow.
Although her eyes were yet closed, the big hand trailing through her short strands drove any left sleep away from her mind. Opening her eyes, Nastasha noticed her own hands resting on the toned chest before them.
It was warm, despite being the morning of a particular cold day. Despite the almost-empty room lacking any sort of heating system or even normal furniture. Aside from the wide bed and the night stand.
"Good morning, Ana. Did I wake you up?" The moving hands stopped in their place.
The unfamiliar nickname fell strange on her ears. Raising her eyes to the man holding her bare body, the mesmerizing green orbs reflected back in Nastasha's gaze.
And as her mind replayed back the events of the past night, Nastasha's face felt its increasing heat. She looked away from her partner.
"Fufu. Does the beast turn into a gentleman in the morning, Bernie~" Her voice drew the unfamiliar name with tender playfulness.
It hadn't been long since the two had adapted the two nicknames for each other. It happened on a drinking night when her tongue slipped by mistake, then, and her punishment was to get denied from her first name, as well.
A smile began to spread on her rosy lips when a cold hand went to trace, in slow motion, her spine. The sudden touch jolted Nastasha away from the memory.
"So mean. And here I was attempting my best to hold back last night."
Despite feigning the innocent act, Bernardo smirked back at her just as his hands continued on, exploring her body.
His touch was nothing but soothing on her skin. However, Nastasha's mind got more engrossed by the smirk directed at her, instead.
Bernardo's teasing smirk.
With her hands still resting on Bernardo's chest, Nastasha moved her right hand up to caress his neck.
Before bringing both of their lips together.
Their kiss, it was intended as a flash peck. But the taste of Bernardo's lips felt too sweet on hers. Making it hard to part, her lips went on keeping pace with the force of the other pair pulling her in.
Few seconds passed before the two drew back from each other.
The teasing smirk was gone. In its place a faint red painted Bernardo's features, driving a playful beam to Nastasha's lips. "Last night, we were drunk. How would I manage to remember correctly?" She said in a perky tone.
Bernardo's face twisted with a quiet laugh at her wily invitation.
"What a reasonable point." The next moment Bernardo cupped her face closer to his as their naked bodies mingled together.
Bernardo's heartbeats..
The cold wind allowed in the bright room pulled Nastasha from the memory. She retreated her hand back from the empty side of the bed before getting up.
It was the memory of their first night, together.
"Ten years ago.." Her chest heaved with the words as her hands stretched to shut tight the windows then going for the attached restroom.
After going over her morning routine and changing into a morning dress, Nastasha went down the stairs to the still-closed shop.
"Signora Anastasia! Good afternoon, would you like the usual for breakfast?" The bartender getting the drinks ready greeted her when his eyes turned to her direction.
"Yes kindly please, if it's no bother." As Nastasha walked to occupy one of the bar stools, her gaze wandered to the closed doors before returning to the light snacks being led in front of her. "Isn't it about the time for open hours, yet?" She asked as her thin fingers got a hold of a cherry.
The bartender readied her morning coffee before answering. "Uh yes it is about time however we were short on a few things so I was planning to pass by the nearby winery first. The other night, the shop got so overcrowded than normal that we ran out of a few necessities. Signora's singing was unexpectedly more astounding than ever!" The boy put the steaming coffee before Nastasha as he praised her.
Her face pulled an elegant smile over the compliment. "Thank you. I am glad to hear so as the weather of that time was of an unusual gloom." As her hand let go of the food to meet the bartender's gaze, "Since it's my off day I was planning to have a walk in the morning. To refresh my body. I just thought I could get the necessities on my way?" She suggested.
The offer being out of nowhere puzzled the bartender for a short while before he nodded and took out a small paper from the first shelf. "That would be a great help, Signora. If you don't mind, here is what is needed."
Getting a hold of the paper, a polite smile widened on Nastasha's face, "I will not be late," before she stood up and rushed back to her room upstairs.
"B-but your coffee.." Missing entirely on the bartender's last words.
Having a vast wardrobe in her room, Nastasha's hands moved the dresses one after another in quick search of her coat.
However, her hand came to a halt when the black dress of the past night came into her view.
Her fingers traced in slow moves over the glistening silk.
Standing in her room, her eyes blanked at the dress blocking her door frame.
That was when a head with long green strands peeked from behind the dress. "I'm sorry." Were the only two words Bernardo uttered when their eyes met.
It had been days since their first fight. Even though her head could no longer remember properly the details of their quarrel, Nastasha could remember well Bernardo's angry face of that time. It was her fault. She should have been the one to apologise. She was planning to.
Walking to her boyfriend's side, "why are you the one apologising.." she asked in a low whisper.
At her question, Bernardo's eyes drifted to the floor. "I am sorry, Ana. I shouldn't have just left then. Shouldn't have raised my voice nor gotten mad."
"But you were right to .. I messed up with your important work when I lost that document. Although it happened by mistake, it's still my own fault.."
The silence filled Nastasha's room until Bernardo's apologetic eyes met hers, once again. "The dress, it was shown off in the front glass window of that shop. It crossed my brain when I saw it how much it would complement your body."
Nastasha's eyes broke their shared gaze upon Bernardo's words. Her hands reached to get a hold of the fabric displayed in front of her. "Is Bernie free to spare time for a late night performance, today.." She asked looking back at the mafia capo.
"That would be my pleasure. As always."
His sincere words brought a soft grin to her lips.
Nastasha's hands let go of the dress right away before picking up her coat.
"I shouldn't be late." She muttered to herself as she hurried to leave the room.
Less than thirty minutes was all it took Nastasha to arrive at the nearby winery and buy everything that was written down in the note.
It was an early morning hence there were few people walking down the streets at such a time.
In particular, the reason had to do with Daivan's sky, then, being covered in grey clouds while the cold air passed by her dress allowing it to flutter along the wind.
Nastasha closed her eyes as the strong wind went by her, making her step freeze in place. And once she could reopen her eyelids again, they happened to settle on a far path.
She didn't frequent that path except for a few times. Few times, it could never be engraved in her head especially with how she could never get the directions right.
She was never told that much. Wasn't allowed to. It wasn't needed.
"Wouldn't it be nice to visit your workplace."
The firm arms caging her body as their owner leaned to the back of the bed, tensed at her words.
"Why?"
"Why ..that is"
Before she could get the time to think of the answer, Nastasha was cut off.
"It's a normal-looking building."
"..Were my words out of place?"
"No. No, it just would put you in more danger, Ana. To go in and out of the headquarters of the mafia."
"I see. I am sorry." Nastasha's head rested on Bernardo's chest as she apologised with her hand reaching to rest on top of his arm that was holding her.
"There is no need. I will always be here."
A raindrop fell on Nastasha's hair. It was followed by another tracing through the same path.
Nastasha looked up to the sky.
The rain went on dropping. In reluctant motion, it began to cover the ground.
Bernardo's drenched face of last night flashed across her mind.
It looked sorrowful. His suit was fully drenched; he could have caught a cold that night. She knew well he was never one to take real care of his health, to begin with.
And his hands were tight gripping something.
Nastasha missed to see what was in his hold, the only thing engraved in her mind was those features and the hurt that was dying them.
As her heart clenched, "Excuse me miss, Is everything alright?" a gentle voice interrupted at the same time of an umbrella shielding above her head.
With the absence of the rain staining her face, Nastasha noticed the tears streaming down her own face as she looked back at the stranger.
In a white dress, there was a red haired woman that seemed to be of a close age to her. Her red orbs were filled with concern that stilled on Nastasha.
With a simple shake of her head, "I am alright. Rather, would you like to share a cup of coffee with me? It's a nice day."
The sound of the rain kept reverberating around the two women as Nastasha looked at the stranger with a warm smile.
Giving a quiet nod, "I wouldn't mind." The red-haired answered.