[5 Things Response] Part 2
Rating: PG
Contains Laurence/Granby/Tharkay, spoilers for VoE, and then human!dragon femslash. \o/
Five Ways Granby Celebrated Even Though the Rum was Gone
1. The moment did not fully occur to Granby until he had escaped and was well out of sight of the admiralty building with the lieutenant’s bar secured on his shoulders. It was raining heavily, but the sun could have been shining brightly without a cloud in the sky for all Granby cared. He was many times close to dancing through the streets, and it was a miracle that he made it to the inn without doing so. The moment he entered he was greeted by the rest of Fluitare’s lieutenants, and Jack Harcourt was the first to congratulate him will a hearty round of thumping on his back.
“Now there is the face of a man who has been through Hell and back,” Harcourt crowed.
Granby laughed, and could not stop grinning even if someone had held a sword to his throat. “And I even shook hands with the Devil.“
“Two of them, if you had Norton glaring daggers at you,” Bailey interjected, wincing at the memory.
“Two Devils then,” Granby agreed, and was ushered into a chair where a glass of strong port was shoved into his hand while the other tried to set down his midwingman journals on the table. Everyone crowded around. Granby was fairly certain he was glowing. Stifling an unexpected yawn, he put his hands up. “Pray, no more questions, I’ve had enough of them for the moment,” he said with mock exasperation, earning a laugh from his friends. He caught sight of another person entering the inn. “Look, there is Dayes,” he grinned, “I am sure he has passed the examination as well.”
With the rest of Fluitare’s officers’ attention neatly divided, Granby left his drink untouched, preferring to lay his head on the table and instantly fall asleep.
2. There had been no gathering, or ceremony, and hell, he did not even have the chance to name the hatchling, but Granby could have not been anymore happier with Iskierka curled up in his lap, warmer and more pleasant than any kind of alcohol could have to offer.
3. The first ship Iskierka had captured was a well-built French fighter. Even to Granby’s unpracticed nautical eye, he was sure it was a second-rate, and had originally been a British ship. Or, rather, it had been a British ship before the French captured it, and now Iskierka had managed to take it back.
“But is it worth the same as a French ship?” Iskierka asked fretfully, and looked as if she was already preparing to go out to sea again to capture another if it were not.
“I believe it would be worth more, if it were British,” Granby replied, a little unsure, before turning back to the near hysterical French captain.
Days later, he visited the bank and almost fell over when given his pay. He stared at the cheque for a long while before returning to Iskierka’s clearing. Her new-found capital was spent almost immediately, though she was sure to give Granby more than his fair share.
“It is the largest amount I have ever received in my entire life,” he admitted to her privately. “But, my dear, I do not think you should continue with it.”
“That is silly,” Iskierka snorted, “when it was so easy. What will you buy with your share of the prize-money?”
Granby glanced at her wryly, noticing the way she had avoided his protest, though her question had surprised him somewhat, and his answer came readily without a second thought. “I would like to give it to my mother-and my brothers, if they would not be so stubborn to refuse it.”
Iskierka looked almost bewildered at the idea of giving away money. From her jaws she let out a jet of hot steam and sat up, tail lashing thoughtfully.
“Then we shall go see to giving them the money,” she said suddenly, “I should like to visit your mother as well.”
At first, Granby did not understand, but when Iskierka scooped him up in her claws he felt his stomach lurch, even before the ground disappeared before him. “Iskierka! Dear, you cannot just leave, and there is no place for you to stay or even land-“ The very thought made Granby imagine several horrible scenarios, each ending with Newcastle-upon-Tyne more or less up in flames.
“But do you not miss your family?” Iskierka asked.
And Granby found that his objections dwindled down to nothing right after.
4. When not uptight and full of scowls, Granby thought that sailors were a ridiculous set of superstitious fellows. But though they were excessive with their omens, he was willing to admit that the crossing-the-line ceremony was extremely entertaining to watch and he frequently thanked God that Laurence had spared the aviators back on their journey to China.
The Badger-Bag danced around the deck of the Allegiance, selecting his victims while the rest of the crew roared with laughter and sang the most offensive of songs. Granby saw Laurence off to the side, a faint look of amusement set in his smile, and Granby found it hard to imagine Laurence ever standing for this type of absurd ritual.
“Oh, the Badger-Bag has gotten Tharkay,” Iskierka said, capturing his immediate attention as he was about to drink from his bottle of rum.
Of all people to see shaven and dunked, Granby was wholeheartedly prepared to laugh and enjoy watching Tharkay being offered up to the old sea god, Neptune, if only-if only Granby hadn’t seen that lightning quick flash of fear in Tharkay’s eyes before he was dragged into the fray; it was the expression of one who had experienced public humiliation before, and would have gladly died if only to avoid it again. Granby sprang from Iskierka’s side, pushing his way roughly through the throng, and seized hold of Tharkay’s arm.
Thrusting the bottle of rum to the Badger-Bag, Granby said curtly, “Here is payment to Neptune, or whoever, and you will excuse Tharkay from this,” and grew angry when Garnett, the Badger-Bag, laughed and refused to let go.
Laurence, more knowledgeable than Granby at the stupid peculiarities of sailors, stepped in-he must have seen the vacant look Tharkay wore-and motioned for Granby to take Tharkay away while he talked down Garnett; Laurence seemed as angry as Granby felt.
“I am fine,” Tharkay said once they were below deck. He shook off Granby’s hand and avoided Laurence’s concerned questions, but did nothing to stop them from pulling him gently into his quarters and spending the rest of the day murmuring words of comfort into his ear.
5. Granby did not regret giving most (if not all) his means of alcohol to save Tharkay from the Allegiance’s crew, but when they had finally landed in Australia, it was more out of habit than anything else when he purchased a bottle of the best spirits the Australian covert had. Yet try as he might to drink from it, both Tharkay and Laurence would interrupt him with trivial and often contrived reasons until Granby grew aggravated enough to foot his foot down.
“Is it too much for a man to want a drink?” he finally asked, exasperated.
“No, of course not,” Laurence began, looking guilty, “But perhaps drinking in moderation would be best?”
“Moderation?” Granby repeated, “I haven’t so much as touched a drop since yesterday, and-no, Tharkay, do not try to tell me that Iskierka has been wondering about my whereabouts, I have checked on her three time in the past hour, much thanks to you. I would be much obliged if you two would stop with these-“ he paused, tilting his head irritably when Tharkay leaned against him and Laurence pulled away his neckcloth, “-distractions.”
“And if you do not let go of the bottle, we cannot remove your coat,” Tharkay said blandly.
Granby let go of the bottle.
The next one would make more sense if you've readmeretricula's tennis AU, hee.
Four times Iskierka told Tammy she loved her.
1. Back then, Iskierka’s English wasn’t so good, so all she saw was a flustered Chinese girl who shouted words that went by too heated and fast for Iskierka to understand anything, though it was clear that the Chinese girl was furious. The girl gestured wildly to Coach Laurence, then Granby, then her make-up kit (which Iskierka had shoved to the floor since they were on her bed).
When Tammy paused for breath, Iskierka sat up and made a point to throw her hands behind her head and lean back, the very picture of relaxation. Granby must have predicted that she was going to toss more oil into the fire, and he pleaded, “Iskierka-“ but she was already practicing what little English she knew.
“Yes, I love you too. We be good roommates, I know,” she drawled sarcastically and settled more snugly on the bed.
They have never found anything not worth arguing about after that.
2. “The dress you wear last week,” Iskierka repeated impatiently, digging through her closet, “The black one with the silver pattern.”
“Oh, that one. What about it?” Tammy said, finally looking up from the book she was reading. She was being rude, as usual, which made harder for Iskierka to actually deliver the compliment that was seven days late.
“I want to borrow it,” she finally managed without having to actually praise Tammy and her fashion sense.
“No. You’ll stretch it out.”
Iskierka paused, infinity glad that she hadn’t paid Tammy the compliment after all. “I am not so taller than you,” Iskierka grumbled, and in a fit of nasty inspiration, she added, “Only because your breasts is very tiny!”
Tammy put down her book, cheeks growing bright pink. “What?” she said, her voice higher than usual, but not quite a shriek.
“That is why you play so well. There is nothing in way when you swing-“
Tammy opened her mouth then closed it. She threw Iskierka a dark glare and went back to reading. Without looking up, she said from behind her book, “If you wanted to congratulate me on last week’s match and say that my dress was pretty, you should have just said so.”
Iskierka snorted, found the dress in the closet and held it up against her body. It wouldn’t stretch out too bad, and it might actually do it some good. She sighed, putting it back and wondering what else there was to have on that wouldn’t make Granby take off his coat and force her to wear over.
“Oh, don’t act so bratty. Just take the stupid dress. You better give it back tomorrow,” Tammy muttered when Iskierka started to pace loudly around the room, bemoaning her coach’s strict dinner-dress rules.
Iskierka beamed, racing back to the closet, “I will give it back, no worry.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what you said with Granby,” Tammy said mulishly, but there was a smile in her voice, Iskierka could tell. “So you might as well keep the dress.”
Honestly, the dress wasn’t that pretty, but it was the first time Tammy had given her anything (besides a coach, though Iskierka thought Granby just liked her better and came to her on his own), so Iskierka gave a happy cry and gave Tammy a hug that knocked the book right out of her hands.
“Thank you! I love you, I love you, I love you!”
That’s when they started to argue less (but not by much).
3. The new shadow journalist, Tharkay, sat them down for their first interview with him. Iskierka liked him well enough since he had never been much of a bother like the other reporters had been. When he asked her about her rivalry with Tammy, Iskierka didn’t even have to pause to mentally translate her answer into English.
“I love her,” she said, grinning with a sideways glance towards Tammy, “She may be stupid, sometimes, and bossy and mean, but I love her like-“
“We’re like sisters,” Tammy laughed, which wasn’t exactly what Iskierka wanted to say, but in retrospect she supposed that the answer couldn’t have been any better. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t happy with it either.
“Like family,” Iskierka finished, frowning.
“Same thing,” Tammy rolled her eyes and prompted Tharkay for the next question.
It was one of the few times Iskierka didn’t take up the argument.
4. Days before the Wimbledon final, Iskierka found herself in the bathroom, looking curiously at herself in the mirror. She was hot and sweaty and tired from practice, and her right arm was oddly stiff. Granby had sent her back early, decided to call it a day, told her a cold shower would be good. Tammy was still practicing somewhere. The thought made Iskierka’s stomach turn and the girl in the mirror suddenly looked very afraid. Iskierka saw, turned quickly away, and climbed into the bathtub.
She had every intention of taking a quick shower; her hand was on the handle to start the water, but then she realized her clothes were still on, even her shoes, which was really stupid and silly of her to forget-because how on earth was she even going to put up a proper match against Tammy if she made dumb mistakes like showering with her stupid clothes on?
Then, for what seemed like no good reason at all, Iskierka simply sat down in the bathtub and started to cry.
It was impossible to tell how long she sat there, knees drawn up and her head in her arms, but apparently it was long enough when Tammy came knocking on the bathroom door. For once, Iskierka started to regret exchanging extra hotel room cards, which was another stupid thought because they had always done it.
“Iskierka? Granby’s looking for you. Are you alright?”
“No!” Because Iskierka was nothing if not brutally honest.
Tammy fell silent behind the door and Iskierka tried to keep her sobbing quiet, but the hiccups made it impossible.
“I’m coming in,” Tammy said.
“You can’t. Door is lock,” Iskierka protested, messily wiping her face.
Tammy came in, almost looking apologetic, “It’s not.”
It made Iskierka burst into fresh new tears. “God, I’m so stupid,” she wailed in Russian, and when Tammy sat down next to her in the tub, she continued to babble-her fears, her dreams, the impossibility of playing against her sister, and the fact that she might not even see Tammy as a sister, maybe a best friend, she didn’t know. “Ya tebya lyublyu, pojetomu ja ne mogu jeto sdelat,” she finished brokenly.
Tammy, for all her brilliance in languages, could have only understood a handful of the Russian words, riddled with hiccups and short gasps as they were. Lucky enough, she understood the most important thing that Iskierka had said.
“I love you too,” Tammy said quietly, and let Iskierka bury her face on her shoulder.
And one time she told her she loved her loved her
1. The indefinite hiatus from tennis was expected, but the indefinite trip to Australia was not.
Iskierka couldn’t tell if she was angrier at Tammy for not saying a word, or more hurt. She ran through to the terminal, still in her tennis uniform and Granby following closely behind-to hell with the tournament match, reporters, stupid drug scandal, and damn airport security.
Tammy was sitting with Laurence, talking softy with the collar of her jacket pulled high over her face, but Iskierka recognized her instantly. She stomped right up to them, ignoring their expressions of complete shock.
“You left and not tell me!” she said, not knowing how she had managed to shriek in a whisper, but there it was.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be playing?” Tammy asked incredulously while Granby, breathless, came up to Laurence and quickly explained how Iskierka stormed right off in the middle of the match, called up every connection she had, and gotten the same flight tickets, all in the course of two hours it took them to drive from the tournament grounds to the airport.
“You’re a bloody idiot!” Tammy exclaimed, standing up, a mess of emotions playing across her face. Iskierka suspected that Tammy might have looked, well, happy in an exasperated sort of way. “Why the hell would you-“
“You are bigger idiot,” Iskierka scoffed, taking Tammy’s hand and urging her to sit down with her. Tammy resisted at first, but eventually sat on the bench. She did not take her hand away. Iskierka felt herself blush a little, but she looked straight into Tammy’s eyes and said, “Ya tebya lyublyu,” a little hauntingly, a little defiant, but it all came from her heart and she meant it.
Tammy smiled, and that was one argument they didn’t need to have.
Contains Laurence/Granby/Tharkay, spoilers for VoE, and then human!dragon femslash. \o/
Five Ways Granby Celebrated Even Though the Rum was Gone
1. The moment did not fully occur to Granby until he had escaped and was well out of sight of the admiralty building with the lieutenant’s bar secured on his shoulders. It was raining heavily, but the sun could have been shining brightly without a cloud in the sky for all Granby cared. He was many times close to dancing through the streets, and it was a miracle that he made it to the inn without doing so. The moment he entered he was greeted by the rest of Fluitare’s lieutenants, and Jack Harcourt was the first to congratulate him will a hearty round of thumping on his back.
“Now there is the face of a man who has been through Hell and back,” Harcourt crowed.
Granby laughed, and could not stop grinning even if someone had held a sword to his throat. “And I even shook hands with the Devil.“
“Two of them, if you had Norton glaring daggers at you,” Bailey interjected, wincing at the memory.
“Two Devils then,” Granby agreed, and was ushered into a chair where a glass of strong port was shoved into his hand while the other tried to set down his midwingman journals on the table. Everyone crowded around. Granby was fairly certain he was glowing. Stifling an unexpected yawn, he put his hands up. “Pray, no more questions, I’ve had enough of them for the moment,” he said with mock exasperation, earning a laugh from his friends. He caught sight of another person entering the inn. “Look, there is Dayes,” he grinned, “I am sure he has passed the examination as well.”
With the rest of Fluitare’s officers’ attention neatly divided, Granby left his drink untouched, preferring to lay his head on the table and instantly fall asleep.
2. There had been no gathering, or ceremony, and hell, he did not even have the chance to name the hatchling, but Granby could have not been anymore happier with Iskierka curled up in his lap, warmer and more pleasant than any kind of alcohol could have to offer.
3. The first ship Iskierka had captured was a well-built French fighter. Even to Granby’s unpracticed nautical eye, he was sure it was a second-rate, and had originally been a British ship. Or, rather, it had been a British ship before the French captured it, and now Iskierka had managed to take it back.
“But is it worth the same as a French ship?” Iskierka asked fretfully, and looked as if she was already preparing to go out to sea again to capture another if it were not.
“I believe it would be worth more, if it were British,” Granby replied, a little unsure, before turning back to the near hysterical French captain.
Days later, he visited the bank and almost fell over when given his pay. He stared at the cheque for a long while before returning to Iskierka’s clearing. Her new-found capital was spent almost immediately, though she was sure to give Granby more than his fair share.
“It is the largest amount I have ever received in my entire life,” he admitted to her privately. “But, my dear, I do not think you should continue with it.”
“That is silly,” Iskierka snorted, “when it was so easy. What will you buy with your share of the prize-money?”
Granby glanced at her wryly, noticing the way she had avoided his protest, though her question had surprised him somewhat, and his answer came readily without a second thought. “I would like to give it to my mother-and my brothers, if they would not be so stubborn to refuse it.”
Iskierka looked almost bewildered at the idea of giving away money. From her jaws she let out a jet of hot steam and sat up, tail lashing thoughtfully.
“Then we shall go see to giving them the money,” she said suddenly, “I should like to visit your mother as well.”
At first, Granby did not understand, but when Iskierka scooped him up in her claws he felt his stomach lurch, even before the ground disappeared before him. “Iskierka! Dear, you cannot just leave, and there is no place for you to stay or even land-“ The very thought made Granby imagine several horrible scenarios, each ending with Newcastle-upon-Tyne more or less up in flames.
“But do you not miss your family?” Iskierka asked.
And Granby found that his objections dwindled down to nothing right after.
4. When not uptight and full of scowls, Granby thought that sailors were a ridiculous set of superstitious fellows. But though they were excessive with their omens, he was willing to admit that the crossing-the-line ceremony was extremely entertaining to watch and he frequently thanked God that Laurence had spared the aviators back on their journey to China.
The Badger-Bag danced around the deck of the Allegiance, selecting his victims while the rest of the crew roared with laughter and sang the most offensive of songs. Granby saw Laurence off to the side, a faint look of amusement set in his smile, and Granby found it hard to imagine Laurence ever standing for this type of absurd ritual.
“Oh, the Badger-Bag has gotten Tharkay,” Iskierka said, capturing his immediate attention as he was about to drink from his bottle of rum.
Of all people to see shaven and dunked, Granby was wholeheartedly prepared to laugh and enjoy watching Tharkay being offered up to the old sea god, Neptune, if only-if only Granby hadn’t seen that lightning quick flash of fear in Tharkay’s eyes before he was dragged into the fray; it was the expression of one who had experienced public humiliation before, and would have gladly died if only to avoid it again. Granby sprang from Iskierka’s side, pushing his way roughly through the throng, and seized hold of Tharkay’s arm.
Thrusting the bottle of rum to the Badger-Bag, Granby said curtly, “Here is payment to Neptune, or whoever, and you will excuse Tharkay from this,” and grew angry when Garnett, the Badger-Bag, laughed and refused to let go.
Laurence, more knowledgeable than Granby at the stupid peculiarities of sailors, stepped in-he must have seen the vacant look Tharkay wore-and motioned for Granby to take Tharkay away while he talked down Garnett; Laurence seemed as angry as Granby felt.
“I am fine,” Tharkay said once they were below deck. He shook off Granby’s hand and avoided Laurence’s concerned questions, but did nothing to stop them from pulling him gently into his quarters and spending the rest of the day murmuring words of comfort into his ear.
5. Granby did not regret giving most (if not all) his means of alcohol to save Tharkay from the Allegiance’s crew, but when they had finally landed in Australia, it was more out of habit than anything else when he purchased a bottle of the best spirits the Australian covert had. Yet try as he might to drink from it, both Tharkay and Laurence would interrupt him with trivial and often contrived reasons until Granby grew aggravated enough to foot his foot down.
“Is it too much for a man to want a drink?” he finally asked, exasperated.
“No, of course not,” Laurence began, looking guilty, “But perhaps drinking in moderation would be best?”
“Moderation?” Granby repeated, “I haven’t so much as touched a drop since yesterday, and-no, Tharkay, do not try to tell me that Iskierka has been wondering about my whereabouts, I have checked on her three time in the past hour, much thanks to you. I would be much obliged if you two would stop with these-“ he paused, tilting his head irritably when Tharkay leaned against him and Laurence pulled away his neckcloth, “-distractions.”
“And if you do not let go of the bottle, we cannot remove your coat,” Tharkay said blandly.
Granby let go of the bottle.
The next one would make more sense if you've readmeretricula's tennis AU, hee.
Four times Iskierka told Tammy she loved her.
1. Back then, Iskierka’s English wasn’t so good, so all she saw was a flustered Chinese girl who shouted words that went by too heated and fast for Iskierka to understand anything, though it was clear that the Chinese girl was furious. The girl gestured wildly to Coach Laurence, then Granby, then her make-up kit (which Iskierka had shoved to the floor since they were on her bed).
When Tammy paused for breath, Iskierka sat up and made a point to throw her hands behind her head and lean back, the very picture of relaxation. Granby must have predicted that she was going to toss more oil into the fire, and he pleaded, “Iskierka-“ but she was already practicing what little English she knew.
“Yes, I love you too. We be good roommates, I know,” she drawled sarcastically and settled more snugly on the bed.
They have never found anything not worth arguing about after that.
2. “The dress you wear last week,” Iskierka repeated impatiently, digging through her closet, “The black one with the silver pattern.”
“Oh, that one. What about it?” Tammy said, finally looking up from the book she was reading. She was being rude, as usual, which made harder for Iskierka to actually deliver the compliment that was seven days late.
“I want to borrow it,” she finally managed without having to actually praise Tammy and her fashion sense.
“No. You’ll stretch it out.”
Iskierka paused, infinity glad that she hadn’t paid Tammy the compliment after all. “I am not so taller than you,” Iskierka grumbled, and in a fit of nasty inspiration, she added, “Only because your breasts is very tiny!”
Tammy put down her book, cheeks growing bright pink. “What?” she said, her voice higher than usual, but not quite a shriek.
“That is why you play so well. There is nothing in way when you swing-“
Tammy opened her mouth then closed it. She threw Iskierka a dark glare and went back to reading. Without looking up, she said from behind her book, “If you wanted to congratulate me on last week’s match and say that my dress was pretty, you should have just said so.”
Iskierka snorted, found the dress in the closet and held it up against her body. It wouldn’t stretch out too bad, and it might actually do it some good. She sighed, putting it back and wondering what else there was to have on that wouldn’t make Granby take off his coat and force her to wear over.
“Oh, don’t act so bratty. Just take the stupid dress. You better give it back tomorrow,” Tammy muttered when Iskierka started to pace loudly around the room, bemoaning her coach’s strict dinner-dress rules.
Iskierka beamed, racing back to the closet, “I will give it back, no worry.”
“Yeah, well, that’s what you said with Granby,” Tammy said mulishly, but there was a smile in her voice, Iskierka could tell. “So you might as well keep the dress.”
Honestly, the dress wasn’t that pretty, but it was the first time Tammy had given her anything (besides a coach, though Iskierka thought Granby just liked her better and came to her on his own), so Iskierka gave a happy cry and gave Tammy a hug that knocked the book right out of her hands.
“Thank you! I love you, I love you, I love you!”
That’s when they started to argue less (but not by much).
3. The new shadow journalist, Tharkay, sat them down for their first interview with him. Iskierka liked him well enough since he had never been much of a bother like the other reporters had been. When he asked her about her rivalry with Tammy, Iskierka didn’t even have to pause to mentally translate her answer into English.
“I love her,” she said, grinning with a sideways glance towards Tammy, “She may be stupid, sometimes, and bossy and mean, but I love her like-“
“We’re like sisters,” Tammy laughed, which wasn’t exactly what Iskierka wanted to say, but in retrospect she supposed that the answer couldn’t have been any better. But that didn’t mean she wasn’t happy with it either.
“Like family,” Iskierka finished, frowning.
“Same thing,” Tammy rolled her eyes and prompted Tharkay for the next question.
It was one of the few times Iskierka didn’t take up the argument.
4. Days before the Wimbledon final, Iskierka found herself in the bathroom, looking curiously at herself in the mirror. She was hot and sweaty and tired from practice, and her right arm was oddly stiff. Granby had sent her back early, decided to call it a day, told her a cold shower would be good. Tammy was still practicing somewhere. The thought made Iskierka’s stomach turn and the girl in the mirror suddenly looked very afraid. Iskierka saw, turned quickly away, and climbed into the bathtub.
She had every intention of taking a quick shower; her hand was on the handle to start the water, but then she realized her clothes were still on, even her shoes, which was really stupid and silly of her to forget-because how on earth was she even going to put up a proper match against Tammy if she made dumb mistakes like showering with her stupid clothes on?
Then, for what seemed like no good reason at all, Iskierka simply sat down in the bathtub and started to cry.
It was impossible to tell how long she sat there, knees drawn up and her head in her arms, but apparently it was long enough when Tammy came knocking on the bathroom door. For once, Iskierka started to regret exchanging extra hotel room cards, which was another stupid thought because they had always done it.
“Iskierka? Granby’s looking for you. Are you alright?”
“No!” Because Iskierka was nothing if not brutally honest.
Tammy fell silent behind the door and Iskierka tried to keep her sobbing quiet, but the hiccups made it impossible.
“I’m coming in,” Tammy said.
“You can’t. Door is lock,” Iskierka protested, messily wiping her face.
Tammy came in, almost looking apologetic, “It’s not.”
It made Iskierka burst into fresh new tears. “God, I’m so stupid,” she wailed in Russian, and when Tammy sat down next to her in the tub, she continued to babble-her fears, her dreams, the impossibility of playing against her sister, and the fact that she might not even see Tammy as a sister, maybe a best friend, she didn’t know. “Ya tebya lyublyu, pojetomu ja ne mogu jeto sdelat,” she finished brokenly.
Tammy, for all her brilliance in languages, could have only understood a handful of the Russian words, riddled with hiccups and short gasps as they were. Lucky enough, she understood the most important thing that Iskierka had said.
“I love you too,” Tammy said quietly, and let Iskierka bury her face on her shoulder.
And one time she told her she loved her loved her
1. The indefinite hiatus from tennis was expected, but the indefinite trip to Australia was not.
Iskierka couldn’t tell if she was angrier at Tammy for not saying a word, or more hurt. She ran through to the terminal, still in her tennis uniform and Granby following closely behind-to hell with the tournament match, reporters, stupid drug scandal, and damn airport security.
Tammy was sitting with Laurence, talking softy with the collar of her jacket pulled high over her face, but Iskierka recognized her instantly. She stomped right up to them, ignoring their expressions of complete shock.
“You left and not tell me!” she said, not knowing how she had managed to shriek in a whisper, but there it was.
“What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be playing?” Tammy asked incredulously while Granby, breathless, came up to Laurence and quickly explained how Iskierka stormed right off in the middle of the match, called up every connection she had, and gotten the same flight tickets, all in the course of two hours it took them to drive from the tournament grounds to the airport.
“You’re a bloody idiot!” Tammy exclaimed, standing up, a mess of emotions playing across her face. Iskierka suspected that Tammy might have looked, well, happy in an exasperated sort of way. “Why the hell would you-“
“You are bigger idiot,” Iskierka scoffed, taking Tammy’s hand and urging her to sit down with her. Tammy resisted at first, but eventually sat on the bench. She did not take her hand away. Iskierka felt herself blush a little, but she looked straight into Tammy’s eyes and said, “Ya tebya lyublyu,” a little hauntingly, a little defiant, but it all came from her heart and she meant it.
Tammy smiled, and that was one argument they didn’t need to have.