The Rhymth of Life: Part Eight.
Not sure how we got here so quickly... and I'm posting this now because Spirit "made" me. ;P <3
( Part One) ( Part Two) ( Part Three) ( Part Four) ( Part Five) ( Part Six) ( Part Seven)
Neven locked himself up at Dmitri’s for two days before he decided it was time to actually follow through on his word to Kam. The morning he finally broke, Dmitri had already gone to practice, leaving Neven alone for a few hours. He stood, towel around his waist, staring at himself in the bathroom mirror.
He leaned heavily on the porcelain sink, keeping weight off his leg, and brought his face in close to the glass.
“You’re a mess,” he muttered to his reflection. He looked at the razor Dmitri had bought him, sitting innocuously on the lip of the sink, and frowned. “Not today.”
Neven hobbled to the toilet, slammed down the lid, and sat heavily, letting out a groan of discomfort. He lifted the edge of the towel, exposing his right knee.
The three inch scar running along the side of the knee was thick and jagged, visual proof of the hack job done by the doctors. Not that he really needed one; the pain was a constant reminder.
Gently prodding the area around his knee, he could hear the doctors’ voices still, talking things over, even though he’d been high as a kite on morphine.
“The patella was shattered, the entire knee twisted, and the anterior cruciate ligament might be damaged. It’s going to be a mess in there….”
Neven bared his teeth thinking about them. It had been a mess in there, and it still was: bone fragments that hadn’t aligned properly when they healed, ruined ACL, damaged ligaments, no cartilage, and bits of metal and wire that irritated when he walked.
Growling under his breath, Neven lurched to a standing position and moved back to the sink. He ignored the razor and brushed his teeth. He did take the time to comb his wet hair, pulling it back and securing it with a tie at the nape of his neck.
Scratching his beard, he shook his head. “You’re a damned cripple, what do you even think you’re doing?”
***
When Neven arrived at the studio, he was greeted by a happy young woman with curly red hair behind the counter. Ignoring the receptionist he spotted Zander teaching a class of children in the main room. Neven threw up his hand in a half wave at Zander before moving down the halls to find Dmitri.
Limping along, Neven peered into practice rooms until he finally found Dmitri and his partner in the last one. He lurched into the room, tore off his jacket, and threw it onto brother’s things in the corner.
Turning around Neven found Dmitri and a young woman staring at him. Frowning slightly, he tried to place the young woman, then realized she was the same one from the other day.
She gave him a haughty look, eyebrows lifted while Neven actually surveyed her. Her long hair was pulled back in a messy bun, stray curls escaping. Her loose sweater did little to hide her curves, all incredibly long legs and hips and breasts. Her dark green eyes were narrowed in obvious ire, and her full lips were set in a scowl.
“Neven, good of you to join us.” Dmitri spoke slowly, as if to a wild animal he was trying to calm. Neven glanced at his reflection then back to Dmitri. It was little wonder really; in the past they looked enough alike: the same build, tall and muscular, the same dark hair and thick brows, same wide smile and warm eyes. Now Neven looked feral while his brother was perfectly polished.
“This is my job now. You are supposed to win, yes?”
“That would be good.” Dmitri nodded.
“Then you will work hard.”
“We will.” Dmitri nodded again, turned slightly, and held out his hand to the young woman. “Neven this is my new partner, Maggie Donovan. Maggie, this is Neven.”
“We met the other day, didn’t we. Nearly smashed my toes, ya wanker!” She frowned deeply at Neven, he only shrugged in return.
“Accident.”
“Accident my arse!” Maggie rolled her eyes to the heavens and turned her back, arms crossed. Dmitri walked over to Neven and gripped his elbow firmly, whispering in Ukrainian.
“What happened?” he growled.
“I ran into her when I came to see Kam. She called me a twat; I brushed past her. No big deal.”
Dmitri narrowed his eyes. “Maggie might swear more than you, but she has a kind heart and she rarely gets angry like this. What did you do?”
“I brushed past her, my cane might’ve gotten close to her foot. These things happen.” Neven lifted a shoulder, indifferent.
“Those things happen when you want them to. Go apologize.”
“I did nothing wrong.”
Dmitri sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just do it.”
“Fine!” Neven glared at his brother, then walked to Maggie, who stood silently huffing to herself. “I am sorry for other day. I was angry, but it was no good to take it out on you.”
Maggie turned and met his eyes; chin lifted, eyebrow quirked. She looked him up and down, arms still crossed. Finally she met his eyes again and shrugged lightly. “Apology accepted… you’re still a bit of a twat though.”
She looked at him squarely, challengingly, and he returned her gaze, unwavering. However, unlike most everyone else in his life, Maggie did not back down from him-- much like Kam.
Neven looked away first, glancing toward Dmitri. “Set the music, let me see you two together.”
***
They practiced for several hours; Neven diligently correcting form and hold and footwork. He used his cane to rap out beats, or as an extension of arm -- directing them where to go, or prodding them for better carriage.
By the time the partners decided to call it a day, Neven was in great pain; his knee throbbing when it was straightened, and a downright excruciating throb if he had to bend it -- making his mood even fouler than normal.
“You should sit for a moment,” Dmitri said, walking up behind him. Neven put his prescription bottle back into his pocket and turned to look at his brother. Dmitri held out a water bottle, but Neven ignored it, swallowing the pills dry -- his second dose in as many hours.
“I am fine. We go.” He threw his weight forward to get going, knocking Dmitri’s shoulder in the process. Neven was vaguely aware of Dmitri and Maggie sharing a concerned look as he walked out the door.
Even with a head start it took no time for the dancers to gather their things and catch up to Neven, which annoyed him. The main floor of the studio was quiet at the late hour, only the Ryan brothers left.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in!” Jaden said when he saw Neven. “You look like shit!” he cried happily, eyes bright.
“I am not in mood for you, Jaden.”
“Aw, c’mon now! Remember the circuit! All the fun we had!” Jaden tossed an arm around Neven’s shoulders, grinning.
“If by fun you mean trouble.” Kam made a sour face.
“It was only trouble if we got caught.” Jaden frowned at this brother then focused his attention back on Neven, patting his chest. “Remember when we replaced Zander’s hair gel with shoe polish? That was a beauty!”
Neven looked at Jaden coolly, then to the hand draped across his shoulders. “Please to remove arm, Jaden. I am in no mood.”
“God, you’re no fun. You’ve changed so much.”
“It was long time ago, we all change.” Neven shrugged off Jaden’s arm, pointedly ignoring everyone watching.
“Why don’t we head down to the pub? It’ll be like old times, maybe we’ll get a Sheila or two? That could be some real fun, yeah?” Jaden laughed.
Neven turned back, unamused. “No.”
“Party-pooper. OW! Mother fucker, that hurt!” Jaden cried, arms lifting to cover his head, meaning to fend off any further blows from Neven’s cane.
“Maybe you listen when I say no?”
Jaden rubbed his head pathetically. “Violent bastard.”
“Annoying vybliadok.” Neven turned to leave, heading toward the door. He could hear Kam moving to inspect Jaden’s head.
“Why must you antagonize him like that? You brought this on yourself, and you’ve probably just undid any good his coming here has brought about.”
“Nah, Kam! It’s all aces, he’s on his way to recovery!” Neven bit back a smile at Jaden’s words, stepping onto the street.
( Part One) ( Part Two) ( Part Three) ( Part Four) ( Part Five) ( Part Six) ( Part Seven)
Neven locked himself up at Dmitri’s for two days before he decided it was time to actually follow through on his word to Kam. The morning he finally broke, Dmitri had already gone to practice, leaving Neven alone for a few hours. He stood, towel around his waist, staring at himself in the bathroom mirror.
He leaned heavily on the porcelain sink, keeping weight off his leg, and brought his face in close to the glass.
“You’re a mess,” he muttered to his reflection. He looked at the razor Dmitri had bought him, sitting innocuously on the lip of the sink, and frowned. “Not today.”
Neven hobbled to the toilet, slammed down the lid, and sat heavily, letting out a groan of discomfort. He lifted the edge of the towel, exposing his right knee.
The three inch scar running along the side of the knee was thick and jagged, visual proof of the hack job done by the doctors. Not that he really needed one; the pain was a constant reminder.
Gently prodding the area around his knee, he could hear the doctors’ voices still, talking things over, even though he’d been high as a kite on morphine.
“The patella was shattered, the entire knee twisted, and the anterior cruciate ligament might be damaged. It’s going to be a mess in there….”
Neven bared his teeth thinking about them. It had been a mess in there, and it still was: bone fragments that hadn’t aligned properly when they healed, ruined ACL, damaged ligaments, no cartilage, and bits of metal and wire that irritated when he walked.
Growling under his breath, Neven lurched to a standing position and moved back to the sink. He ignored the razor and brushed his teeth. He did take the time to comb his wet hair, pulling it back and securing it with a tie at the nape of his neck.
Scratching his beard, he shook his head. “You’re a damned cripple, what do you even think you’re doing?”
***
When Neven arrived at the studio, he was greeted by a happy young woman with curly red hair behind the counter. Ignoring the receptionist he spotted Zander teaching a class of children in the main room. Neven threw up his hand in a half wave at Zander before moving down the halls to find Dmitri.
Limping along, Neven peered into practice rooms until he finally found Dmitri and his partner in the last one. He lurched into the room, tore off his jacket, and threw it onto brother’s things in the corner.
Turning around Neven found Dmitri and a young woman staring at him. Frowning slightly, he tried to place the young woman, then realized she was the same one from the other day.
She gave him a haughty look, eyebrows lifted while Neven actually surveyed her. Her long hair was pulled back in a messy bun, stray curls escaping. Her loose sweater did little to hide her curves, all incredibly long legs and hips and breasts. Her dark green eyes were narrowed in obvious ire, and her full lips were set in a scowl.
“Neven, good of you to join us.” Dmitri spoke slowly, as if to a wild animal he was trying to calm. Neven glanced at his reflection then back to Dmitri. It was little wonder really; in the past they looked enough alike: the same build, tall and muscular, the same dark hair and thick brows, same wide smile and warm eyes. Now Neven looked feral while his brother was perfectly polished.
“This is my job now. You are supposed to win, yes?”
“That would be good.” Dmitri nodded.
“Then you will work hard.”
“We will.” Dmitri nodded again, turned slightly, and held out his hand to the young woman. “Neven this is my new partner, Maggie Donovan. Maggie, this is Neven.”
“We met the other day, didn’t we. Nearly smashed my toes, ya wanker!” She frowned deeply at Neven, he only shrugged in return.
“Accident.”
“Accident my arse!” Maggie rolled her eyes to the heavens and turned her back, arms crossed. Dmitri walked over to Neven and gripped his elbow firmly, whispering in Ukrainian.
“What happened?” he growled.
“I ran into her when I came to see Kam. She called me a twat; I brushed past her. No big deal.”
Dmitri narrowed his eyes. “Maggie might swear more than you, but she has a kind heart and she rarely gets angry like this. What did you do?”
“I brushed past her, my cane might’ve gotten close to her foot. These things happen.” Neven lifted a shoulder, indifferent.
“Those things happen when you want them to. Go apologize.”
“I did nothing wrong.”
Dmitri sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Just do it.”
“Fine!” Neven glared at his brother, then walked to Maggie, who stood silently huffing to herself. “I am sorry for other day. I was angry, but it was no good to take it out on you.”
Maggie turned and met his eyes; chin lifted, eyebrow quirked. She looked him up and down, arms still crossed. Finally she met his eyes again and shrugged lightly. “Apology accepted… you’re still a bit of a twat though.”
She looked at him squarely, challengingly, and he returned her gaze, unwavering. However, unlike most everyone else in his life, Maggie did not back down from him-- much like Kam.
Neven looked away first, glancing toward Dmitri. “Set the music, let me see you two together.”
***
They practiced for several hours; Neven diligently correcting form and hold and footwork. He used his cane to rap out beats, or as an extension of arm -- directing them where to go, or prodding them for better carriage.
By the time the partners decided to call it a day, Neven was in great pain; his knee throbbing when it was straightened, and a downright excruciating throb if he had to bend it -- making his mood even fouler than normal.
“You should sit for a moment,” Dmitri said, walking up behind him. Neven put his prescription bottle back into his pocket and turned to look at his brother. Dmitri held out a water bottle, but Neven ignored it, swallowing the pills dry -- his second dose in as many hours.
“I am fine. We go.” He threw his weight forward to get going, knocking Dmitri’s shoulder in the process. Neven was vaguely aware of Dmitri and Maggie sharing a concerned look as he walked out the door.
Even with a head start it took no time for the dancers to gather their things and catch up to Neven, which annoyed him. The main floor of the studio was quiet at the late hour, only the Ryan brothers left.
“Well, well, look what the cat dragged in!” Jaden said when he saw Neven. “You look like shit!” he cried happily, eyes bright.
“I am not in mood for you, Jaden.”
“Aw, c’mon now! Remember the circuit! All the fun we had!” Jaden tossed an arm around Neven’s shoulders, grinning.
“If by fun you mean trouble.” Kam made a sour face.
“It was only trouble if we got caught.” Jaden frowned at this brother then focused his attention back on Neven, patting his chest. “Remember when we replaced Zander’s hair gel with shoe polish? That was a beauty!”
Neven looked at Jaden coolly, then to the hand draped across his shoulders. “Please to remove arm, Jaden. I am in no mood.”
“God, you’re no fun. You’ve changed so much.”
“It was long time ago, we all change.” Neven shrugged off Jaden’s arm, pointedly ignoring everyone watching.
“Why don’t we head down to the pub? It’ll be like old times, maybe we’ll get a Sheila or two? That could be some real fun, yeah?” Jaden laughed.
Neven turned back, unamused. “No.”
“Party-pooper. OW! Mother fucker, that hurt!” Jaden cried, arms lifting to cover his head, meaning to fend off any further blows from Neven’s cane.
“Maybe you listen when I say no?”
Jaden rubbed his head pathetically. “Violent bastard.”
“Annoying vybliadok.” Neven turned to leave, heading toward the door. He could hear Kam moving to inspect Jaden’s head.
“Why must you antagonize him like that? You brought this on yourself, and you’ve probably just undid any good his coming here has brought about.”
“Nah, Kam! It’s all aces, he’s on his way to recovery!” Neven bit back a smile at Jaden’s words, stepping onto the street.