Winter Hearts

Car Ride Home

Mikhalis hung up and dropped his phone into the cup holder as he drove them home. Next to him, Siana sat primly in her seat whilst in the back, Leo sat almost sideways at the window seat to accommodate his long limbs.

Mikhalis turned to Siana, saying, "Uncle Mitsos has sent a patrol car to the area, but he said we should take extra precautions. You can make a police report too, which will mean they can be picked up for questioning if they are seen."

"But I hit him," Siana said.

"Self-defence."

"No. The guy I hit was just standing there. I hit him out of sheer surprise. It was the crazy looking other one that was stalking. If you could call it that. He may just be unhinged."

"Are you related to everyone in Itea?" Leo asked from the back.

Siana and Mikhalis looked at each other for a brief moment.

"Yes," they answered in unison.

"But not all blood relatives, you understand," explained Mikhalis. "And I married outside of Itea."

Siana looked at her father sideways with a raised eyebrow. What was he trying to excuse himself for?

"Dad, we're not inbred. Though I can't say much about Yianni and his brothers."

"No, neither can I," said Mikhalis. He and Siana bumped fists.

"So where is everyone else, anyway?" Mikhalis asked nonchalantly.

"They're still dancing I think." Siana answered.

"Oh, and how did that go?" Mikhalis prodded.

Siana looked out the window and smiled. She had a great time with N on the floor, but she had been surprised to find the boys in general a little reticent to let go in public.

"Some of them are shyer than others," she said.

"That's funny, though, for professional performers," Mikhalis said, checking Leo's reaction in the rear view window. Leo looked back at him impassively, not really knowing how he was supposed to react.

"I suppose they have a code of public behaviour. In case people take pictures of them or something."

"Is that your opinion, Leo?" Mikhalis asked. They pulled up to their building.

Leo took his time answering as MIkhalis parked.

"The backlash from bad press can be very... damaging," he said.

Mikhalis glanced at him one more time in the mirror, and saw that Leo was watching Siana the whole time. He pulled on the handbrake and opened the door, which lit up the interior. Mikhalis got out and watched as Leo came out too, his eyes on Siana. Siana, on the other hand, kept to herself, her eyes downcast.

Mikhalis wondered what had happened between those two. A fight? Over-excited lewd dancing at the club? Or perhaps something more intimate or personal?

Mikhalis shut the door and locked the car, letting Siana walk ahead as Leo came round the car. He wasn't about to interfere in her personal business, but Mikhalis felt Leo knew what he was talking about - and it looked as if Siana didn't like what she heard. 

He hung back, pretending he had left something in the car, to give them a moment alone together. He waved them on, saying he would be in in a second. He pretended to rummage around in the car as he watched them walk into the lobby.

The more he learned about Leo, the more he liked him. He had seemed quiet, subdued, when they had first arrived, but Mikhalis noted that he had responded to his mates' conversation cheerily enough. Now it seemed that a pall had fallen over him since the incident in the lobby earlier that night, but Mikhalis suspected that could be for any number of reasons.

That Siana had left early with him was interesting, but Mikhalis didn't know enough of what happened to speculate.

He wondered, could there be an attraction between them that went beyond their status as fan and idol? Mikhalis sat in the car for a moment.

He didn't think he would mind someone like Leo being Siana's choice at all. 

He counted to ten before loudly slamming the car door to give them notice of his impending arrival.

Inside, Leo reached a tentative hand out to Siana's elbow.

"Can we talk?" he asked.

Siana looked up at him with tired eyes. The corner of her mouth lifted slightly, and he wished he could kiss the wrinkle it made.

"You know, N had no problem dancing with me in the club. What's up with the rest of you?"

Leo ran a hand through his hair in frustration. A frown creased his forehead briefly as he dropped his hand to his side.

"If you tell me now that you still want me to keep away, I'll do it. But can we talk? Sometime soon?"

Siana didn't know what to say. It seemed so final to say that, even though she had already said it in the heat of the moment in the carpark.

She wished so hard that he had never pulled away. Or even that they had never kissed. At least, they would still be on comfortable speaking terms and able to enjoy each other's company as they had earlier that afternoon at Miami.

She wished she could show him Itea, and Delphi and Arachova. She wanted to take him to cafes and go for walks, or go up to the mountains.

She didn't want to say anything that could jeopardise those possibilities.

But is was not she who had cut it off. It was not she who had pulled away - but rather, he who had regretted them kissing. He who had asked himself, "What am I doing?" after kissing her with such gentle, but searing passion. What else was she supposed to think, except that he regretted kissing her? Or, worse, that it was all a ploy to steal it from her anyway.

She felt that for the next few weeks to work, they did have to talk. But she didn't want to think of it now, it was too recent and raw for her.

"Tomorrow morning I will be rehearsing with N and Ravi. I'm tired and I need to rest. Let's just leave it for now. Maybe give it a week."

Mikhalis came in, stamping his feet on the mat in front of the door, as if he had been walking through the rain or through snow. Siana frowned. He was acting funny though.

"Ah, Leo, let me show you the studio. I showed everyone else, and they told me you would be using it too."

Leo turned to face Mikhalis politely. Siana quickly opened the elevator door and said a quiet, overly cheerful "Goodnight!" and pulled it shut quickly behind her.

Leo glanced at the lift, but she was already going up. He turned back to Mikhalis, a tight smile on his face.

Mikhalis unlocked the studio door and let Leo in.

*A little while after this chapter was first posted, Leo from Vixx deactivated his IG account and twitter amidst the furore of fan anger regarding a picture they had misconstrued to be exclusivist activity:(