icarus

xiv | bad decision

"You look nice." She whispers as they enter the elevator.

Atlas chuckles, pressing the button for Tanner's floor and leans back against the metal railing. "Compliments, darling?"

"Don't make me take it back." Yara narrows her eyes at him, not acknowledging the nickname or the way her insides curl within themselves at the look in his eyes. There's something different about him, yet utterly familiar. There's a pause then she says what she's been thinking all evening. "You seem... Different"

He grins at her, and her hands wraps around the metal railing until it burns. "I'm planning on getting drunk, and making one bad decision because it gets loud and annoying up here." He says, pointing to his head. "I'll deal with the consequences later, rather than try to be the perfect son since that's not working.

"What's the bad decision?"

Atlas walks to her, his thumb reaching out to probably brush something from her cheek, and her mind frazzles. I hope he can't feel how red my cheeks are. Yara can hear an audible gulp, is that her or him? She can't tell. "I don't know yet. When I figure it out, you will be the first to know." His hand is still on her cheek, Yara is still staring at his eyes that is tracing everywhere on her face, and is currently tracing her lips. They part the tiniest bit, instinctively and he closes his eyes, only to open it again. She lied earlier, his eyes aren't yellow, they are brown so rich they are almost golden and the other iris is dark, so dark and abysmally consuming. Her hands curl against the metal railing even tighter than she thought was possible. There's a bead of sweat making its way down her back.

Yara can feel her heart beat accelerating, the way his touch burns, the way his eyes are boring into hers. She can smell his cologne, and can feel the breath leaving her when he leans in even closer. She feels too much.

"Yara." He whispers. It's faint.

Her eyelids threaten to flutter shut. "Atlas?"

"You're my bad decision."

She wants to say something else but the elevator opens and Sebastian and Isabella who look like they want to tear each other's face off are staring in shock at Atlas and Yara who are pressed together, his hand still on her face. 

Isabella's face is red as she splutters. "A-Atlas?"

"Yes?" Atlas asks, cocking an eyebrow as they continue to stare at them, meanwhile Yara is behind him, equally still out of breath and equally wondering what the actual fuck just happened. "Shall we, darling?" He turns back to her, eyes softened as he extends his hand. Yara takes it, ignoring the feeling his warm hands elicit in her.

Everyone's standing outside Tanner's door and she can basically hear Atlas rolling his eyes. She leaves Atlas's hand to her big brother who's nodding politely as Claudia rambles about something. Zane's hands are extended as Yara goes up to hug him. She feels strange, Atlas makes her feel strange. Zane kisses her forehead, and looks over her in concern.

"Are you okay?"

She nods. "I'm fine. I'm just tired." And she swears she can hear Atlas laugh lowly. He slings his hand over her shoulder and she leans into him slightly, her body still reeling from the elevator incident.

"You're Zane's sister right? Yara? I'm Claudia." She says, reaching out a manicured hand. Yara takes her hand, with a polite smile. She doesn't outwardly react to the flash of animosity in her dark eyes, or the way she squeezed her hand tighter than was necessary. She turns to Atlas. "And you're Atlas? Right? It's nice to meet you." She says almost dreamily. But it wasn't nice to meet me?  Atlas shakes her hand and nods but does nothing as he leans against the wall. Her smile dies a little and Zane's lips are twitching, she elbows him as a silent warning not to laugh out loud and he chuckles silently.