Devil Ride 22/?
Title: Devil Ride
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimers: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated NC-17.
All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
22
The outdoor patio of the restaurant that Gus and Natalia had arranged to meet at was framed with gold and amber shrubbery. The patrons were kept warm by strategically placed patio heaters, affording them the freedom to be outdoors without being too cold. Natalia was seated under one such heater, her stomach churning with a mixture of dread, anticipation and nerves.
She had arrived an hour early. Quite honestly, she wasn't good for anything the entire day. She couldn't even concentrate long enough to read a news article. Natalia sighed loudly, then felt someone staring at her. She looked around her, spotted the person who was staring, and flinched inwardly. It was one of her old regulars, one who had been convinced that he was in love with her. She glanced away in what she hoped was a nonchalant fashion, in the hopes that he wouldn't come over.
No such luck.
"Jessica?"
Natalia didn't acknowledge the man, whose name she had long since forgotten, choosing to fix her eyes on a random spot in the distance as she sipped her tea. Her cool outward demeanour belied her tumultuous insides. After a time, she forced herself to raise her eyes slowly when he didn't move away, and slid on a confused expression. "I'm sorry?"
"Jessica, right?"
The man didn't sound so sure now, and Natalia shook her head. Her hair had grown out and she didn't have much make up on. She was bundled up in a woollen sweater, a pair of worn jeans over her thermals, and Ugg boots; in her mind's eye, she looked nothing like she did when he had met her.
"Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong person..." the man trailed off. Natalia shrugged and picked up her cup of tea again, in a bid to hide her face behind it. When he finally moved back to his seat, she reached for her cell and dialled Olivia's number.
"Hey," she murmured softly into her cell when her call was answered, unconsciously shifting her body to block the man out from her peripheral vision. "I know it's silly but... I just wanted to hear your voice..."
"Natalia!"
At the sound of her name, Natalia glanced up to see Gus and Raphael approaching her table. She quickly ended her call to Olivia and stood up. "Hey," she greeted the duo with a smile. Her eyes quickly darted to where the man had been seating and was relieved to find his seat unoccupied. "Hello, Raphael," she said, lowering her gaze to the boy.
"Hey," Raphael said as he slid onto a chair. He looked at Natalia expectantly. Natalia drank in the sight of her son: mussed up black hair not unlike his father's, large, dark eyes, thick brows, and braces. When he took his jacket off, she could see oddly shaped coloured bands on his wrist.
"How was your day at school?" Natalia asked with interest.
Raphael shrugged. "I'm hungry," he announced. "Sean ate my apple today," he said, as though it explained everything.
"Hold your horses, Rafe," Gus said. "How're you feeling, Natalia?" he asked, looking at Natalia. "I forgot to ask when I saw you and Olivia last night."
"Oh, much better, thanks." Natalia returned her attention to Raphael, who was plucking at a coloured band on his wrist. "What are those?" she asked.
"Silly Bands!" Raphael said, pulling out a few of the coloured bands to show an amused Natalia. "See, they turn into different shapes," he said, laying them out on the table between them. "This one's... a dog. That's a dragon."
"What's this one?" Natalia asked, pointing at one.
"I think... it's Hagrid, from Harry Potter," Raphael said after a while. He nodded. "Yup, it's Hagrid. Do you want it?"
Natalia smirked, charmed. "Are you sure?" She had no idea who Hagrid was, but she wasn't about to say so. Perhaps she could rent all the Harry Potter DVDs and watch them on her next days off.
"Yeah!" Raphael pulled off a few more Silly Bands and pushed them to Natalia. "Here, you can have a few more if you want."
"Um, okay..." Natalia put on the bands that Raphael pushed her way, her smile deepening. "That's enough. Save some for yourself."
"Oh, don't you worry about him," Gus said, shaking his head. "He's got tons of those bands. And Rafe knows that if he shares..." He left his sentence hanging and looked over at Raphael.
"... Dad'll get me more," Raphael finished his father's sentence. "There're many less fortunate kids than us," he said, looking at Natalia, who presumed that 'us' meant his brothers and himself. "And we should share what we have."
Pride engulfed Natalia and she bit her lower lip in the effort to contain herself. She was never one to break into tears at every little thing but for some reason, Raphael brought out that side of her. "Thank you, Rafe. That's really sweet of you." She slid the bands on and fiddled with them.
After their orders were taken, Gus cleared his throat. "Rafe, Natalia and I have something to tell you. You know how you've asked about your birth mom?" Raphael looked at Gus intently. "Well..." Gus hesitated and Natalia held her breath. "Natalia's your birth mom."
Natalia watched Raphael's face nervously, waiting for a reaction. He seemed to be processing the information. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly wait any longer, Raphael said, "You're really pretty."
Natalia almost cried in relief.
*
"I'm so glad it went well, Natalia," Olivia said warmly.
They hadn't planned to see each other this evening but after their brief phone conversation, Olivia couldn't help volunteering to pick Natalia up after her dinner with Gus and Raphael if they didn't decide to do anything else after.
"It was the hardest when he asked why my parents lied to me about his birth," Natalia said ruefully. Olivia was surprised that Natalia had decided to Raphael the truth about the reason why he had been sent to Gus. "I want to keep hidden truths down to a minimum," Natalia explained, as though reading Olivia's mind. "It's bad enough not being able to tell him about... my life after... you know."
Olivia nodded and reached for Natalia's hand, feeling a slight thrill when Natalia allowed her to thread their fingers together in a manner that was fast becoming familiar. She could not remember ever having this constant need to touch someone.
"He asked why Gus and I didn't stay together." Natalia smirked, shaking her head. "Then took our reasoning in stride. He's amazing."
"He seems really bright and mature for a ten-year-old," Olivia said, stroking Natalia's hand with her thumb. "Load off your chest?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yes," Natalia responded with a smile. "Thanks for offering to come get me, Olivia."
Olivia blushed slightly when Natalia leaned closer to kiss her cheek. Then she turned her face and caught Natalia's lips with her own, sliding them against each other, teasing Natalia with the lightness of her kiss. It made her sigh softly. "I like me when I'm around you," she said finally when their kiss broke.
The way Natalia studied her made Olivia feel a little self-conscious, and she wondered if she had revealed too much. It wasn't like her to just blurt out something like that. She cleared her throat and made to say something to cover up her seeming faux pas, but Natalia spoke up before she did so.
"You have come to mean a lot to me in a really short time, Olivia Spencer."
Likewise. Olivia knew she didn't have to say her thought out loud. "Wanna grab a coffee?" Olivia asked, reluctant to end their time together. "Latte?" she suggested shyly.
When Natalia shook her head, Olivia's heart fell a little. But she perked up again when Natalia said, "I can't have coffee this late at night. But we can go have something else..." she trailed off.
"Something else it is, then," Olivia said, flashing Natalia a winning smile. "Buckle up." She started her ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, trying to decide where to go, then realised that it didn't matter. Not when she was with Natalia.
They ended up at Towers with a bottle of wine to share between them. Natalia had balked at the price of the wine but Olivia had waved the concern aside, stating that she would get the bill since she was the one who had suggested that they prolong their time together.
"I don't want you to keep paying for me," Natalia had stated quietly. "You've already done so much for me."
Natalia's words had made her think. Money was something that she had an abundance of--enough of, anyway, to live luxuriously. It had never crossed her mind that Natalia might be uncomfortable with her wealth. Once again, it reminded her of the difference between Natalia and the people she had been with in the past. With them, she was constantly trying to gain more power, increase her wealth, prove her worthiness.
"How about you get our next date then?" Olivia had suggested after a moment's consideration. "I'm an easy woman to please. The only requirement I have is for you to be there." The smile she had elicited from Natalia with her statement had warmed her. She had never thought herself to be a romantic person who whispered sweet nothings to her lovers, but Natalia... Natalia made all the difference with her. The realisation should have alarmed her but all she felt was a warm, fuzzy feeling some would term happiness.
"Have you watched the Harry Potter movies?"
Natalia's random question broke Olivia's reverie but she took it in stride. "Sure. Emma loves them but I think the later movies are a little too dark for her to watch."
"I want to watch them. Rafe gave me these earlier..." Natalia said, removing something from her wrist. Olivia smirked at the Silly Bands that Natalia dangled between her index finger and thumb. "This one's meant to be... someone from the series, but I have no idea who it is."
Natalia's pout made Olivia smirk. "Lessee," she said, taking the said band from Natalia and squinting at it as though it was an interesting science specimen. "I think... this looks like... Hagrid," she said finally, laughing at the delighted look on Natalia's face. "Emma owns all the DVDs--even the last one, which I have yet allowed her to watch. If you want, we could watch them together." She tilted her head at Natalia's assessing look. "What?"
"You seem to have everything that I need and want."
Olivia didn't know what to say to that. She picked up her glass of wine and put it to her smiling lips.
TBC
Author: xenalvr
Fandom: Guiding Light
Pairing: Olivia/Natalia
Rating: NC-17
Warnings and Disclaimers: This AU story contains adult themes and language, and deals with the sex industry, which might not be to everyone's taste, so please do NOT proceed if you are not of age or if any of that might offend you. It is rated NC-17.
All characters from Guiding Light do not belong to me. All the other characters do, however, so please leave them alone. This story is set in an alternate universe, where Natalia Rivera's history and timeline are greatly altered. Most of Olivia Spencer's history remain intact at this point.
I've decided not to worry too much about pre-Otalia plotline discrepancy as this is an AU after all.
22
The outdoor patio of the restaurant that Gus and Natalia had arranged to meet at was framed with gold and amber shrubbery. The patrons were kept warm by strategically placed patio heaters, affording them the freedom to be outdoors without being too cold. Natalia was seated under one such heater, her stomach churning with a mixture of dread, anticipation and nerves.
She had arrived an hour early. Quite honestly, she wasn't good for anything the entire day. She couldn't even concentrate long enough to read a news article. Natalia sighed loudly, then felt someone staring at her. She looked around her, spotted the person who was staring, and flinched inwardly. It was one of her old regulars, one who had been convinced that he was in love with her. She glanced away in what she hoped was a nonchalant fashion, in the hopes that he wouldn't come over.
No such luck.
"Jessica?"
Natalia didn't acknowledge the man, whose name she had long since forgotten, choosing to fix her eyes on a random spot in the distance as she sipped her tea. Her cool outward demeanour belied her tumultuous insides. After a time, she forced herself to raise her eyes slowly when he didn't move away, and slid on a confused expression. "I'm sorry?"
"Jessica, right?"
The man didn't sound so sure now, and Natalia shook her head. Her hair had grown out and she didn't have much make up on. She was bundled up in a woollen sweater, a pair of worn jeans over her thermals, and Ugg boots; in her mind's eye, she looked nothing like she did when he had met her.
"Sorry, I must have gotten the wrong person..." the man trailed off. Natalia shrugged and picked up her cup of tea again, in a bid to hide her face behind it. When he finally moved back to his seat, she reached for her cell and dialled Olivia's number.
"Hey," she murmured softly into her cell when her call was answered, unconsciously shifting her body to block the man out from her peripheral vision. "I know it's silly but... I just wanted to hear your voice..."
"Natalia!"
At the sound of her name, Natalia glanced up to see Gus and Raphael approaching her table. She quickly ended her call to Olivia and stood up. "Hey," she greeted the duo with a smile. Her eyes quickly darted to where the man had been seating and was relieved to find his seat unoccupied. "Hello, Raphael," she said, lowering her gaze to the boy.
"Hey," Raphael said as he slid onto a chair. He looked at Natalia expectantly. Natalia drank in the sight of her son: mussed up black hair not unlike his father's, large, dark eyes, thick brows, and braces. When he took his jacket off, she could see oddly shaped coloured bands on his wrist.
"How was your day at school?" Natalia asked with interest.
Raphael shrugged. "I'm hungry," he announced. "Sean ate my apple today," he said, as though it explained everything.
"Hold your horses, Rafe," Gus said. "How're you feeling, Natalia?" he asked, looking at Natalia. "I forgot to ask when I saw you and Olivia last night."
"Oh, much better, thanks." Natalia returned her attention to Raphael, who was plucking at a coloured band on his wrist. "What are those?" she asked.
"Silly Bands!" Raphael said, pulling out a few of the coloured bands to show an amused Natalia. "See, they turn into different shapes," he said, laying them out on the table between them. "This one's... a dog. That's a dragon."
"What's this one?" Natalia asked, pointing at one.
"I think... it's Hagrid, from Harry Potter," Raphael said after a while. He nodded. "Yup, it's Hagrid. Do you want it?"
Natalia smirked, charmed. "Are you sure?" She had no idea who Hagrid was, but she wasn't about to say so. Perhaps she could rent all the Harry Potter DVDs and watch them on her next days off.
"Yeah!" Raphael pulled off a few more Silly Bands and pushed them to Natalia. "Here, you can have a few more if you want."
"Um, okay..." Natalia put on the bands that Raphael pushed her way, her smile deepening. "That's enough. Save some for yourself."
"Oh, don't you worry about him," Gus said, shaking his head. "He's got tons of those bands. And Rafe knows that if he shares..." He left his sentence hanging and looked over at Raphael.
"... Dad'll get me more," Raphael finished his father's sentence. "There're many less fortunate kids than us," he said, looking at Natalia, who presumed that 'us' meant his brothers and himself. "And we should share what we have."
Pride engulfed Natalia and she bit her lower lip in the effort to contain herself. She was never one to break into tears at every little thing but for some reason, Raphael brought out that side of her. "Thank you, Rafe. That's really sweet of you." She slid the bands on and fiddled with them.
After their orders were taken, Gus cleared his throat. "Rafe, Natalia and I have something to tell you. You know how you've asked about your birth mom?" Raphael looked at Gus intently. "Well..." Gus hesitated and Natalia held her breath. "Natalia's your birth mom."
Natalia watched Raphael's face nervously, waiting for a reaction. He seemed to be processing the information. Just when she thought she couldn't possibly wait any longer, Raphael said, "You're really pretty."
Natalia almost cried in relief.
*
"I'm so glad it went well, Natalia," Olivia said warmly.
They hadn't planned to see each other this evening but after their brief phone conversation, Olivia couldn't help volunteering to pick Natalia up after her dinner with Gus and Raphael if they didn't decide to do anything else after.
"It was the hardest when he asked why my parents lied to me about his birth," Natalia said ruefully. Olivia was surprised that Natalia had decided to Raphael the truth about the reason why he had been sent to Gus. "I want to keep hidden truths down to a minimum," Natalia explained, as though reading Olivia's mind. "It's bad enough not being able to tell him about... my life after... you know."
Olivia nodded and reached for Natalia's hand, feeling a slight thrill when Natalia allowed her to thread their fingers together in a manner that was fast becoming familiar. She could not remember ever having this constant need to touch someone.
"He asked why Gus and I didn't stay together." Natalia smirked, shaking her head. "Then took our reasoning in stride. He's amazing."
"He seems really bright and mature for a ten-year-old," Olivia said, stroking Natalia's hand with her thumb. "Load off your chest?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Yes," Natalia responded with a smile. "Thanks for offering to come get me, Olivia."
Olivia blushed slightly when Natalia leaned closer to kiss her cheek. Then she turned her face and caught Natalia's lips with her own, sliding them against each other, teasing Natalia with the lightness of her kiss. It made her sigh softly. "I like me when I'm around you," she said finally when their kiss broke.
The way Natalia studied her made Olivia feel a little self-conscious, and she wondered if she had revealed too much. It wasn't like her to just blurt out something like that. She cleared her throat and made to say something to cover up her seeming faux pas, but Natalia spoke up before she did so.
"You have come to mean a lot to me in a really short time, Olivia Spencer."
Likewise. Olivia knew she didn't have to say her thought out loud. "Wanna grab a coffee?" Olivia asked, reluctant to end their time together. "Latte?" she suggested shyly.
When Natalia shook her head, Olivia's heart fell a little. But she perked up again when Natalia said, "I can't have coffee this late at night. But we can go have something else..." she trailed off.
"Something else it is, then," Olivia said, flashing Natalia a winning smile. "Buckle up." She started her ignition and pulled out of the parking lot, trying to decide where to go, then realised that it didn't matter. Not when she was with Natalia.
They ended up at Towers with a bottle of wine to share between them. Natalia had balked at the price of the wine but Olivia had waved the concern aside, stating that she would get the bill since she was the one who had suggested that they prolong their time together.
"I don't want you to keep paying for me," Natalia had stated quietly. "You've already done so much for me."
Natalia's words had made her think. Money was something that she had an abundance of--enough of, anyway, to live luxuriously. It had never crossed her mind that Natalia might be uncomfortable with her wealth. Once again, it reminded her of the difference between Natalia and the people she had been with in the past. With them, she was constantly trying to gain more power, increase her wealth, prove her worthiness.
"How about you get our next date then?" Olivia had suggested after a moment's consideration. "I'm an easy woman to please. The only requirement I have is for you to be there." The smile she had elicited from Natalia with her statement had warmed her. She had never thought herself to be a romantic person who whispered sweet nothings to her lovers, but Natalia... Natalia made all the difference with her. The realisation should have alarmed her but all she felt was a warm, fuzzy feeling some would term happiness.
"Have you watched the Harry Potter movies?"
Natalia's random question broke Olivia's reverie but she took it in stride. "Sure. Emma loves them but I think the later movies are a little too dark for her to watch."
"I want to watch them. Rafe gave me these earlier..." Natalia said, removing something from her wrist. Olivia smirked at the Silly Bands that Natalia dangled between her index finger and thumb. "This one's meant to be... someone from the series, but I have no idea who it is."
Natalia's pout made Olivia smirk. "Lessee," she said, taking the said band from Natalia and squinting at it as though it was an interesting science specimen. "I think... this looks like... Hagrid," she said finally, laughing at the delighted look on Natalia's face. "Emma owns all the DVDs--even the last one, which I have yet allowed her to watch. If you want, we could watch them together." She tilted her head at Natalia's assessing look. "What?"
"You seem to have everything that I need and want."
Olivia didn't know what to say to that. She picked up her glass of wine and put it to her smiling lips.
TBC