Fine Line

1️⃣

"You are capable of smiling, aren't you, Feraye?" She looks up at him, glaring, and to her surprise, he grins- boyish and wide.

"Like this, see? It's not that hard to fake a smile, Feraye."

She smiles, painfully and obviously fake.

"Ah, there it is. I knew you could do it."

The smile drops at the mocking tone. "I hate you."

He brings her closer, until she's flush against him with no space between them. They stop swaying to the music.

He leans down, breath fanning against her ear, and she closes her eyes. "I don't care."

2️⃣

"Aren't you embarrassed, Yaman?"

Feraye closes her eyes, fights the urge to shake the man she's currently stuck with, because why is he provoking Yaman even more? Why does he want to pour salt on the wound?

"Seriously, when does this end? You're not a child anymore. You can't scream and break things when life doesn't go your way."

"Shut up, I'm not leaving without her!"

"She made her choice," Ateş tells him, "didn't you, Feraye?"

She turns her face to look at him, and sees nothing on his face. No anger, no love, no compassion. She may not have known Ateş that well before, but she can tell he's become a completely different person.

"Feraye-" Yaman starts, taking a step towards her.

She takes a step back. Ateş' hand brushes hers; and she takes it.

It doesn't hurt as much as she thought it would. She's walked away from him enough times now that she's numb to the pain it causes them both.

"Go home, Yaman," she says quietly, "there's nothing for you here anymore."

The anger on Yaman's face grows tenfold, and he stalks towards her. She takes an involuntary step backwards, stumbles, and almost falls. Ateş catches her, and inserts himself between them. "Easy now," he tells him quietly, but it's a firm and deadly quiet. "Remember where you are, and who you are, little brother."

Feraye subtly moves away from Ateş' touch.

Yaman scoffs. "You're not my brother."

"Unfortunately," Ateş shrugs, "that's not true. You are my brother. And that's why I haven't gotten my security to kick you out yet. You're on thin ice, though."

Yaman lunges at him. Ateş merely dodges his weak punch, and signals for the guards.

They drag him away, kicking and screaming.

She turns to Ateş, finds him looking into the distance. Again, there's no anger, there's no triumph, no satisfaction. He seems empty, hollowed out. "Why are you doing this?"

He looks at her, searches her face for something he must not find. Ateş turns around, and walks away.

In that moment, she hates him, but more than that, she fears him. A man who doesn't have anything to lose is the most dangerous man.

3️⃣

"Komuran hala?"

Feraye sits up straight, listens in. Ateş sounds surprised as he says the name. Surprised and happy- something he hasn't been in a long time.

"Ateş'm," the woman coos, steps forward to hug him. He has to bend down to reach her, and if she didn't despise him, she would've found this adorable.