Libra's Symphony (Alec Volturi x OC)

Defeat

 It might not have been the best of ideas, but my first impulse after clearing things up with Alec was to do the same with Alina. We needed one more talk, even if it was the last one we ever had, so I went looking for her as soon as I could.

She was not thrilled to see me.

Great. The few friends I could have are also going to pull a Sandrine now.

She straightened her posture when I entered the media room, her fingers sinking into the sofa cushion.

"Does Alec know you're here?"

I crossed my arms, annoyed. "I don't need permission."

She winced, but retorted firmly, her voice never shaking. "And I don't want trouble."

I raised my arms in mocking surrender, taking a few cautious steps towards her. Filip stopped pretending he was still reading and put his kobo down.

"I guess I'll take my leave."

He got up from his seat to do that, but Alina's hand flew to his upper arm and locked it in an iron's grip.

"No! You're my witness. Just in case."

I felt torn between wanting to roll my eyes at her paranoia and regretting going to her at all. What if I really got her in trouble?

Don't be ridiculous, Alec won't torture or kill her just for speaking to you.

"I just wanted to apologise and say I never meant to cause any of you any trouble. I was just trying to make friends and all that."

Filip pulled his arm from Alina and sighed, giving me a sorrowful look. "You tried to force a complicated situation to be simple and that's not how it works, y'know."

"Yeah, I guess so. Again, sorry about everything."

Alina's eyes went back and forth between him and me. She slid away from me almost imperceptibly. "You shouldn't come here anymore. Alec won't trust me around you." She crossed her arms as well and looked down, avoiding my eyes. Her voice was only above a whisper when she spoke again. "I don't trust myself around you either."

I looked at Filip, feeling violent waves of embarrassment hit me like a stormy sea against a beach shore.

"Uhm, yeah. I won't come anymore. That's... for the best, I guess."

I prepared to leave, eager to escape the awkward and heavy atmosphere, but Alina called me out before I was out of the room. I turned around slowly, dreading whatever else she could have to say.

"I don't think I should ask you that, but..." She glanced at Filip nervously, but her eyes quickly found me again. "If things were different, would you...?

Filip shot up from the couch, so fast that he startled me and I jumped.

"Don't answer that!"

I ignored him and smiled forcefully at her. "Why not?"

I ran off, partially because I didn't want to see their reactions to my answer and partially because I was getting too embarrassed to function. My feet hit the floor making almost no sound, taking me through the maze-like corridors based on muscle memory.

I was assaulted by sadness when I thought I wouldn't be taking that path regularly anymore.

.

Alec's room was the type of place you would expect from the quiet, aloof person he usually was around others. There was not much inside and the decoration was almost void of personality. Someone else could have chosen everything in there, from his furniture to the images on the walls and even his bed sheets. It was the same with his clothes, like he made a point of sticking to an efficient guide on how to appear perfectly presentable without drawing any attention or revealing anything about himself.