i never asked to be saved [r], mortal instruments - Seren

[Serendipity]

The restaurant was full of interesting characters, he’d always been curious of the fae especially but cautious all the same and tonight there were plenty of them and other downworlders to observe. His attention however was only for Audrina, he’d barely even looked up as the waiter had come over to take their drink order and forgot entirely about the menu after he took her hand. It was a different buzz he got from the connection this time, instead of a rapidly rising heat of electricity it was more of a slow warmth that spread from his fingertips to his heart. This gentle intimacy they were discovering between them was comforting and nice but he was well aware it would only take seconds for it to change into something more fierce and burning.

“It’s about a horse, right?” He asked a little absently upon realising she was answering the question he’d forgotten he’d asked. “I think my mother had it in her collection, but I’ve never read it or watched the movie. Perhaps it’s a good thing, if you cried it mustn't have a happy ending.” He observed quietly however she was already continuing the conversation by explaining how she’d semi snuck into a movie. Her mention of a vampire being the reason she’d done it almost dampened his mood but he forced it back, telling himself not to ruin the evening just from the mere mention of vampires and how she was making it her mission to kill them. He didn’t like it, hadn’t from the beginning, it angered and frustrated him that she risked her life and was completely disobeying the accords. He wasn’t about to bring any of that up though, he didn’t want to fight with her and pretended not to have heard her speak of the vampire instead.

Eli kept his gaze on Audrina even as she asked in a teasing tone if he was just going to stare at her all night. The soft smile he had on his lips whilst they’d been talking grew a little wider into a grin and he shrugged his shoulders. “You’re much more interesting than the menu,” Eli pointed out but just to humour her he tore his gaze from her and relocated it to the menu, his stomach squirmed when he saw the raw food displayed and quickly flipped it to the more appealing cooked meals. He lifted his eyes back to the blonde across from him after scanning the menu briefly and threw her a quizzical look as she announced she hadn’t had enough time to rate his performance on tonight’s dinner outing after thanking him for joining her.

“And if I rate well, Audrina?” He asked, a slight teasing drawl to his tone. “Do we get to have dinner together again, somewhere different next time?” He added the question out of curiosity, if he ‘performed well’ tonight would that ensure him another dinner with her, just the two of them again.

[Yunalesca]

After teasing him about keeping his eyes on her she hasn't expected a response. She half imagined him flushing pink in possible embarrassment, but he didn't do that to her knowledge. Instead he made her stop breathing for a moment after his response. You're much more interesting than the menu echoed in her mind and made her heart hammer faster for a brief amount of time. She kept going back to why he found her interesting when she had been rude to him the majority of his stay at the Institute. There had been a turning point in there she still couldn't quite find when she had begun to actually notice him in return. She had begun to value his company. Then last night had happened and she saw something more in his eyes as she tried switching her mind off what was going to happen to her. She saw guilt, pain, and something more in his eyes that really made her see him differently. And now he was almost flirting cautiously with her, not so straightforward as he had been, and it was affecting her. Her eyes stayed low as she thought this and didn't respond to his words.

She did bring her eyes back up when he finally responded to her, his tone turning teasing as he said her name. Her brow quirked slightly at his question, giving pause before answering. Her expressions were guarded even though she had been allowing herself to forget everything and go with the flow for once, let herself indulge in things she never had before. Though she had learned to trust Eli and let him in to see some parts of her behind her careful walls, she was cautious still when it came to playing too close to her heart. She felt for him, she was sure they both knew this now, but actually vocalizing it was hard even now. She took a breath and offered a coy smile to him, fingers running over his skin. "Maybe. I may let you pick even. But you shouldn't get too far ahead of yourself. We've only just started..." She stopped her sentence abruptly, realizing she was headed toward the word'date' that she hadn't allowed herself to think as they had ventured to the restaurant. Even though they had shared a bed hours ago the word was too intimate for her.

She was thankful the waitress had come back shortly after she cut off her sentence, somehow making the situation less awkward for her. "I'll take the sea bass with the rice pilaf, please." She said to the waitress, her eyes on her alone as a form of distraction while handing the food menu over. It was enough time for her to recover effectively before bringing her eyes back to Eli and taking hold of her drink with her free hand. Her fingers had stopped stroking his skin after realizing she had almost thought of this as a date, that familiar fear welling up inside her. she quickly stirred the Mimosa with the straw then took a long drag, letting the alcohol warm her blood before making an attempt at conversation again. "Have you seen any of the sights since coming here? Jace and the others could care less, but a lot of them are actually really pretty for being Mundane." She asked, though she herself hadn't been to many.

She took another sip of her drink as her eyes wandered around the restaurant quickly, the hairs on the back of her neck raising to inform her someone was watching them. Whoever they were she couldnt pinpoint them and dropped her eyes back to Eli, chalking it up to being paranoid. She'd spent a lot of time in her life hunting and being on the lookout for those hunting her. A quiet night at dinner without trouble was not something she was used to. "Your beer alright?" She questioned as she noted he hasn't taken a drink of it yet, pointing out and asking simple things as she felt herself growing awkward.

[Serendipity]

“-our date,” She had been so close to saying it, he was sure of it and couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed when she cut herself off before she’d let it slip. He smiled softly across at her, feigning that he hadn’t caught on to what she had been about to say and nodded at her answer to his possibly too forward question. “We’ll see then,” He murmured in response, the teasing between them had suddenly tapered off as her expression had become one of caution, he noticed because he’d still been staring at her so intently that he caught every flicker of movement in her expression. He hadn’t expected it to have last as long as it had so he wasn’t too discouraged when the mood changed between them.

Eli leant back into his seat, still keeping hold of her hand even though she had stopped stroking his knuckles, he couldn’t bring himself to pull his hand from hers and decided he would leave it up to Audrina to do as unfair as it might be. He broke his gaze from the woman in front of him finally when the waitress came over to take their order and he realised he hadn’t chosen anything from the menu, in fact he had no idea what was on it. He took a moment to quickly study it as Audrina placed her order, ordering the sea bass, and saw the word ‘eye fillet’. He went with it. “I’ll have the steak, well done, please.” Eli ordered and handed his menu over with his free hand.

He shook his head in answer to Audrina’s question once the waitress had left with their orders, “No, I had other things on my mind, the sights weren’t one of them.” Eli explained, looking for his brother had been all he’d had on his mind when he’d come to New York until Audrina had come into the picture and she’d proven quite the distraction, she still was. “You should show them to me, we could spend a day sight seeing in true mundane tourist style.” He suggested lightly, sightseeing wasn’t something he’d ever thought he’d enjoy doing, but if Audrina was with him he thought it would make all the difference.

His gaze dropped to the beer in front of him that he still hadn’t touched at her question, perhaps she’d noticed he hadn’t taken a single sip from it yet. In answer Eli picked it up with his free hand and swallowed some of its contents. “It could be colder,” He noted, but then that was his own fault for leaving it sit for so long before drinking it. “It’s good.” He added in case he’d sounded too picky.

“Skyscrapers or rolling hills?” He blurted, changing the subject completely and not sure where the question had come from, but now that he’d asked it he wanted to know, did she prefer the city life or did she enjoy seeing the greenery of the country everyday.

[Yunalesca]

Audrina's gaze dropped as he answered her, suddenly feeling dumb for asking him if he'd ever gone sightseeing. Of course he hadn't, he had come for his brother and nothing more. She bit her lip slightly as she remembered this and that awkward feeling came tumbling back. It had become easy between them, but she was suddenly finding it difficult like before. You're making it hard when it doesn't have to be a voice echoed in her mind and she had to fully drop her gaze then. She was pulling away from him again even after she had requested for him to go with her and make her forget her life for one night. She suddenly felt guilt in place of everything else. It wasn't in her nature to make things easy for herself, never had been, and it seemed that was the case once again. Let it go she thought before his voice interrupted.

"I could probably do that, though we might get lost if I take us far from Brooklyn." She admitted with a partial smile. What she knew of New York was from hunting with the others and general exploring on her own. Outside of the Institute too far and she was just as bad as any tourist. She could find her way back, but it would take time. She had barely known the neighborhood where she had first met Eli. He was lucky she had found her bearings once she got on the main road. At the thought she almost smiled, but refrained. Her mind wandered momentarily until his voice hit her again.

"What?" She questioned in response, not understanding what he was getting at. She thought about it for another moment and realized what he asked. "Oh, I.." She stopped herself from finishing with 'don't know' as it was a cheap way out of the conversation. Theres no harm in taking she thought and sat back slightly, fingers trailing slightly from his. "I'm accustomed to the city now, but its not the same. Its not home..." She trailed off, remembering she didn't have one of those anymore either. She licked her lips and tried not to let her mind for down that path. "I don't know that I could go back to 'rolling hills' again after being in the city for so long. I miss the feel of grass and open wind, but I don't know thats me anymore. Leather isn't very fitting in the countryside." She joked softly, letting her voice flutter with a quiet laugh.

"Its only fair for you to answer that as well. Though I would guess countryside for you. You really don't like city transportation very much." She said with a smile in regards to her bike before sipping on her drink again. "And you also haven't said what movie you'd want to see." She added quietly, wondering if he had somehow planned all this and already knew what was playing. She couldnt say she did considering the movies wasn't what people like her did. What Shadowhunters did she thought, admitting to her bloodline.

[Serendipity]

“We’d find our way back, it couldn’t be that hard right?” He said. “And we’d buy a map before we went too far out of Brooklyn, just in case.” He chuckled softly, liking the idea of sightseeing with her more and more the longer he thought about it. If they did it, it was either going to be a good day out or a complete disaster since they could both be quite stubborn and both of them had that leader mentality. But he couldn’t forget how well they’d worked together leading up to and during breaking his brother out - although there had been a few arguments along the way they’d eventually gotten past that and had made a good team.

Her fingers were on the verge of slipping completely away from his as she leant back in her seat, it was as if she hadn’t quite decided yet to take her hand away completely but was leaning towards the decision more than the alternative. He sat forwards under the guise that he was reaching for his beer and in the process his crept further into hers throwing away his earlier decision to let her be the one to break contact if she wanted to. A part of him wanted her to know that he was still going to push when a push was needed because without it they’d slip straight back to how it had been when they’d first met. He didn’t want that, and he suspected a part of her didn’t want that either.

Eli wasn’t quite sure when the easiness between them had started to become tense instead as Audrina seemed to lose herself in her thoughts and had almost missed his rather random question. He didn’t know if it had been something he’d said or perhaps even something he hadn’t said or it was just Audrina’s defensive walls coming back up to protect her from getting too close. Whatever it was, whether it was him or her, he didn’t like it and wanted to rectify it...somehow. “Yes, well it would look a bit odd wearing leather in the country, I think they prefer jeans and flannel checkered shirts.” He agreed with a small grin, though he hadn’t missed her indecision about where she’d prefer to live or her reference to home. “It would be easy to become accustomed to the countryside again, especially if you grew up there.”

His grin grew a little and he laughed at her mention of city transportation - meaning her bike- nodding in mild agreement. “You guessed right, I could wake up to those ‘rolling hills’ and clear blue skies every day. Admittedly I haven’t been anywhere near the countryside in a very long time.” Eli explained. “I’ll end up there eventually, wherever it is.” He added because he was adamant that he would, whether it was the countryside in Idris or somewhere else.

Eli absently copied Audrina and picked up his own drink, taking a sip from his beer as she changed the subject and pointed out that he hadn’t chosen the movie they would see after dinner. He shrugged and set his drink back down, his fingers skimming over the top of her hand. “I thought we’d just wing it, see what’s on at the time? I wouldn’t know what to pick anyway,” He laughed, he didn’t know a thing about mundane movies and when he’d suggested they see a movie he hadn’t really thought it through all that well. “Maybe we could ask a Mundie what’s popular?” He quirked a brow at his own question thinking it could be a good idea.

[Yunalesca]

Her eyes noticeably shifted away when he answered, pressing that she could go back to the country and learn anew. She suddenly wanted to pull from his hand after he had brought it around hers again after she had nearly slipped away. She had fond memories of the open air and rolling terrain of France, but it also reminded her of what she didn’t have anymore. It reminded her of her family and instantly she felt that aching pain in her chest. She had been able to talk to him about them before without the throbbing, but it seemed now it was too close to the heart. She felt herself drawing away from him again with every word he spoke. He was adamant in his talk of returning to the country again. She had no doubts he would do so, but she wasn’t convinced it was something she could do. Are you thinking he’d take you with him? You’re nothing to him, that invasive voice whispered which brought on the familiar throb of a headache. Something’s wrong her own conscience warned as she took a longer drag on her drink to extinguish the madness of her mind. She hadn’t come here to think of the past or the future. She had gone out to live in the moment for once. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath after setting her drink back, attempting to clear her mind.



She was relieved to hear him go along with her change of subject as talking about the countryside was making her chest hurt in a pain she hadn’t felt that often over the years. She had buried it in her rage and when she didn’t have anger it was just a raw wound waiting to be rubbed as her walls were down. Her eyes finally shifted back and her body relaxed from the tense stature it had molded into with her slight distress. He had to have felt it, the muscles of her hand twitching as she wanted to pull away, but she feigned nonchalance while she looked at him again. She didn’t want him to ask about it, she would get defensive if he did and the evening would be in shambles. She could feel she was teetering on that edge again, almost feeling like a mad person in her mind as she fought for control over herself. The events of the night prior had shattered some part of her that made it more difficult to control her defense mechanism of being angry and pushing away. She took another chest swelling deep breath to try and let it go. “I wouldn’t have a clue either.” She said softly upon her exhale and gentle release of the madness in her mind. She was the master of her own moods and she wanted to let herself be happy right now. She could will it if she chose.



As her eyes fell to Eli’s smile, the way it lit up his eyes, she felt herself relax further and a small smirk came to her lips in return. “Yes, because speaking with Mundies worked out so well last time. Coupled with alcohol and it’ll be a grand show.” She said in remarks to the night they had gone out together. Alcohol had made her vulnerable to that Mundane male, not so much that she couldn’t defend herself, but enough so that she hesitated after he hit her. She hadn’t forgotten it and much of her was ashamed she had let that scene play out in the club. She had been more ashamed afterwards once she realized she had been jealous and picked the first male she saw to make Eli feel the same. She almost flushed at the memory now considering her hand was in his and she had slept with him last night. Things had progressed between them since that night even as she had threatened him for thinking of her in that fashion.



“So are we doing the whole experience, then? Horrible popcorn and drinks, a side of candy to split as we gag at the horrendous plot of a Mundane film?” She asked of him in a more playful tone, though her mind wandered once more. Would they kiss during the movie when something romantic happened? Would he hold her hand during it or pull her into him with a hand on her shoulder? She suddenly felt her mouth go dry at the thought. She was telling herself this was just to get out and they were just friends, but it wasn’t the case. They were holding hands now and getting to know each other. They were teasing the thought of a movie after dinner. She felt her heart pound as a deep seated panic was rising up at the firm realization. Don’t think of it. Let it be what it is her conscience pressed and she managed to quiet her racing heart. “They’re going to ask where we were, you know. I hadn’t thought about that when we left.” She said to him quietly, though her voice wasn’t disturbed as it usually would have been. She had brought herself down so fully from her panic that she almost didn’t care what the others were told upon their return.



Her eyes stayed with him as her hand slid more firmly into his and fingers brushed over his skin almost nervously. The alcohol had a calming effect on her and made the panic of the situation slide away. It was then that their food arrived and the moment broke her concentration on him. She took a breath and thanked the waitress before her gaze at last broke from him.

[Serendipity]

He sensed her reluctance on the subject of going back to live in the countryside, he should have realised it might bring up unwanted memories for her, so it was a good thing they had moved on to a different subject - the difficulty in choosing a movie at the theatre across the street if they decided to go. Neither of them knew anything about movies since it was more of a mundane form of entertainment and they were shadowhunters who had a very different view on what was considered good entertainment. Hunting demons and protecting mundanes from them and other unruly downworlders left little time for shadowhunters to do much else, at least for Eli that was the case, there were some shadowhunters who would rather spend their time exploring everything mundane.

He kept the smile on his expression as Audrina responded to his suggestion on asking a Mundie for advice on what movie they should watch, she reminded him of how well talking to Mundies had turned out for them in the past and he had to agree that it hadn’t turned out well at all. “That was different,” He quickly pointed out quirking an eyebrow at her before his smile changed into a smirk. “I won’t be nearly as intoxicated as I was then,” Eli offered as a small form of reassurance though he was recalling the incident at the club once more and something triggered in his memory. “And that mundie had it coming.” He added, defending at least some of his actions for that night although it was another subject that they shouldn’t get into, it was uncomfortable for her because he’d made her uncomfortable which he regretted but couldn’t change.

“Of course we are!” Eli said, possibly with a little too much enthusiasm, snatching at the opportunity to steer the subject away from any more mention of the club incident and the mundie he had brawled with. “Popcorn, drinks, candy and whatever else is necessary to make it a truly mundane experience,” He grinned a little and took another sip of his beer using it as a distraction from where his wayward thoughts were leading him, sitting so close together in a dark theatre could turn rather intimate if they let it, especially if they were going to continue the holding hands thing there as well.

He raised a brow as he thought about her next statement about the others asking where they’d been. “We don’t have to tell them anything, it’s our business.” He said, he couldn’t care less what they thought, but he was aware that Audrina felt differently for varying different reasons. Eli sighed softly squeezed her hand lightly, wondering if he’d sounded a little too harsh. He returned gesture of slipping her hand more firmly into his and the tentative brush of her fingers over his skin suggested that she wasn’t as worried about what the others might think as he’d first thought.

The waitress made her appearance then and he almost wanted to tell her to go away, Audrina had stopped redrawing back behind her walls and things between them were becoming less tense again. Instead he shifted his beer out of the way so his plate could be placed in front of him, though he didn’t let go of Audrina’s hand, their arms still stretched across the table. He murmured a thank you to the waitress as she left. His eyes dropped to his plate, then moved to their hands before returning to Audrina’s face as he realised that in order to eat they’d have to let go, effectively the decision of who would let go had been made for them. It was ridiculous thought, but he was considering eating with just the one hand if it was possible so he wouldn’t have to let go. Because it was such a ridiculous thought and more for the fact that she would probably think he was ridiculous, Eli reluctantly slipped his hand out from hers after a light squeeze, his fingers brushing over hers until he eventually had to let go.

Love was many things, and he still hadn't quite figured it all out yet, but one thing he was sure of was that he didn't want it to have him looking and acting like some silly schoolboy, at least not yet and in public. He felt his heart flutter at the reminder that he was in love with the blonde sitting across from him, warming him from the inside out, though it only made the fact that they were still too far away from each other harder - that and the fact that she had no idea how he felt, and he wasn't even sure if she would ever feel the same way or even remotely close to it. He was a silly schoolboy on the inside, hoping that the girl he more than liked would more then like him back. Eli pushed the thought away and picked up his knife and fork, cutting into his steak to keep his hands occupied.

[Yunalesca]

Her eyes flicked back to Eli as their food steamed respectively in front of each of them, her eyes following his as they moved from their embraced hands to her face. They would have to let go in order to eat, it wasn’t easy cutting a steak with one hand. Oddly enough she found herself reluctant to let go even knowing they would have to. Had this occurred even a week before she would be squirming under his hand and slipping away as quickly as she could. It was like a switch had been flipped since they’d marked each other and he’d fought for her safety while under the claws of the alpha Were. She swallowed and found she couldn’t tear her eyes away from his until he was letting go, the feel of his fingers sliding reluctantly across her skin leaving a trail of warmth until they were fully separated. Her hand wanted to move back toward him in a gesture to take hold once more, but instead it trailed over the wood of the table to rest beside her plate. She lightly licked her lips in apprehension before unrolling her silverware and placing the napkin in her lap. She felt like the moment before was broken and a silence had fallen over the table as they seemed to try to think of something to say to one another. It had become easy again until the interruption. She wondered what she would have done if she kept staring at Eli, heart hammering from the mere touch of his hand and thoughts of what this really was.



She brushed the thought aside and gently began cutting into the fish, separating it into small pieces before trying it. Her eyes stayed low during the process, feigning that she was deciphering the flavors when really she was feeling awkward all over again. Until recently she had been very confident in herself, but in one motion, in one threat, that had been taken away from her. She once wielded her sexuality as a tool to get what she wanted, but now she wasn’t so sure of herself. She had grown timid from Maddox’ intentions to steal her innocence. Regaining oneself after such an incident wasn’t easy, if it ever happened at all. She might never be the same again and it could pose a problem when it came to finding her mother. Sexuality was what she used to draw vampires in. She didn’t know any other tool to do so other than her blood which would drive them into a frenzy. Frenzied vampires hardly gave valuable information in comparison to the surprised when the tables were turned on them. Upon realizing where her mind was traveling she quickly swallowed the bite of fish and washed it down with a drag on her Mimosa which was slowly becoming empty.



After the alcohol warmed her blood anew she brought her eyes slowly to Eli once more. “So you’re going to show me just how fun you can be when not on copious amounts of alcohol? I didn’t know that side of you could come out without it.” She teased lightly, trying to shift back into the earlier demeanor as she speared another piece of fish, this time mixing it with the pilaf. Remembering that she could control her moods was essential. She wanted this to go well, her one night of freedom from what had just happened to her. Things would be different tomorrow, though wasn’t that what she had told herself last night when she’d snuggled up to him before falling asleep? He made her change her mind to easily it should be frightening to her. I’m not forgetting my goal, just postponing until I can handle it again she assured as her eyes slid to him.



“If you're planning to stay in the area for a while you might want to get a vehicle. I recommend a bike...maybe with training wheels." She said to him with a devious smirk through her fallen bangs before turning her attention to her fish once more. She'd found enjoyment out of teasing the others in the past, but this was different. With Eli it wasn't to be mean or get back at him for some snide remark. With him it was flirting and she was only beginning to see how often she had been doing it since they'd first met. Of course the first week or so it had been out of spite, but it had changed along the way. This prodding at each other had shifted from irritation to flirtation. She lowered her eyes to the table as she tried to think of the point in which his poking at her hadn't been to annoy her. Had he liked her from the off? She knew based on that night from the club that he had been looking for a shag with her, but that hadn't come up since then. When had it shifted? It was a question she may never have the answer to considering she couldn't even pinpoint when she had really begun to notice him in a different light.

[Serendipity]

Their food smelled great, but he was no longer hungry as silence fell between them and his thoughts strayed to the moment he’d realised that he loved Audrina. It had struck him like a slap in the face which had come from nowhere and confused him just as much. He hadn’t had time to process what it meant before she had been knocking at his door and he’d had to squash it back to wherever it had come from fearing he’d make a complete fool of himself and blurt it all out at once. She had come to him seeking comfort because she didn’t want to sleep alone swallowed up by her nightmares and not for declarations of love. It would have freaked her out completely, that he knew for sure, it was freaking him out. He’d found the one thing he’d never been looking for, something he’d told himself he would never allow to happen. It had snuck up on him and he’d had no defense against it, no defense against her. The worst part was now that he’d found it he didn’t want to protect himself against it, he wanted to give into it and that scared the hell out of him.

His mother had loved his father so completely, every piece of her belonged to him and when he’d died she’d ended her own life to be with him foregoing any thought to what it would do to her sons and her unborn child. Her love for his father had consumed her, in the end it had made her selfish and cowardly - Eli had never thought he could ever think ill of his mother until that moment. He knew she’d loved both her sons, but just not enough to stay with them to see them grow up and become men, start families of their own. His mother was the reason why he’d sworn off ever getting close to someone, it was why he didn’t have a single true friend, why he chose to keep any relations with women strictly causal and generally a one time thing. Then Audrina had come into the picture and turned all of that upside down and he was reconsidering everything he’d ever thought about love and giving his heart away to one single person.

Eli quickly snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Audrina’s voice, he hadn’t even been aware that he’d drifted into his own thoughts until she started speaking. He blinked and refocused his attention back to the blonde across from him an apologetic smile slipping over his expression in case she noticed he hadn’t been paying attention to her. “Alcohol, no alcohol I can be fun just you wait and see,” He answered matching her teasing tone lightly picking up his knife and fork once more to eat some more of his meal before it went completely cold.

He raised a brow across at her and laughed as she suggested he should get a bike for transportation if he planned on sticking around. He wondered, fleetingly, if she was trying to fish for information on whether he was planning to stay in New York or hightail it back to London. “Training wheels? Ouch.” He replied, pretending to be a little hurt. “I can ride...without training wheels, thank you very much. I’ve gotten you home in one piece a few times already on that bike of yours. I just prefer a car.” He informed her with a small chuckle to show he wasn’t annoyed by her comment.

“A truck would do me just fine. Or maybe a flashy sports car.” He added as an afterthought. “I’ve seen a lot of those around, I’d fit right in.” A grin spread across his lips as he toyed with the idea of a sports car instead of a truck.

[Yunalesca]

Tiny smile begin to spread over her lips when he answered her, feigning that her comment had hurt him. He had driven her bike home a few times when she HD been too jostled to do it on her own. He had done well and she realized then that she had yet to thank him for those times. The first time she had reserved a sort of animosity to the fact he was controlling her bike, but the second she had withdrawn so deep into herself she hadnt been able to communicate anything to him. The smile began to progress into a smirk as he continued to speak and draw her attention from her thoughts. "Yeah, you drove it, but not like how you're supposed to. Its a sport bike, not meant to be coddled." She said with a point of her fork before delving into the second piece of fish, not having noticed she had already consumed the first portion.

After he chewed her bit of fish and washed it down with the last of her Mimosa she let out a soft laugh. "A car? You really aren't from around here, are you?" She prodded while setting her empty drink at the edge of the table. She leaned forward a little then, almost like she had some great secret to tell. "You might fit in with the 'cool kids' but it'll take you twice as long to get anywhere and not to mention I don't think you're aggressive enough to be driving around New York." She said with a playful smirk before withdrawing again. He could make it around Brooklyn alright, but she could only imagine his frustration at the tolls when trying to cross a bridge into another island of the city. Despite Jace's bike being that of a vampire's, she was jealous of it. He could fly right over to the next island so long as it was night. One hell of a convenience.

"I can teach you what I know of the subway system then see how you feel. There's all sorts of demon scum riding the rails. Plenty for you boys to share when you're hunting." She offered as she spooned pilaf into her mouth. She was aware of how close Jace and Eli were getting. It was reflected all over Alec's face, and some part of her felt bad for the Shadowhunter though she was still cross with him. He felt replaced and didn't know why to do bout it. Without her trying to run Eli off anymore he was left alone to deal with it.

"Would you want to train with me tomorrow?" She blurted suddenly, the memory of the last time they had squared off going through her head now, making her begin to turn red. She remembered the feel of hi hand at her side, over her bare skin, and her heart hammered. That had been a one time thing, she vowed in her head even as she felt herself warming to the idea of letting it hpen again. "I'm still upset with Alec and need to obviously work on some things." She added quickly in reference to how easy Maddox had subdued her. she knew that had been a majority of a mental break down rather than the inability to overpower him, but it was true she needed to get back to training. She would never be able to face her mother in her current condition.

[Serendipity]

“I didn’t want to freak you out.” Eli shrugged, the look on his face was serious for a moment before a smirk flashed across his lips, matching one she currently had on hers. “Next time you mightn’t be so lucky,” His tone matching her teasing one, there was a lot of teasing going on tonight and it could have almost been justified as flirting - on both their parts. If there was a next time he’d get to ride her bike and she was a passenger he’d show her just how well he could handle the bike given that she wasn’t injured at the time. It still wouldn’t mean that a bike was his prefered method of transportation.

“No,” He shook his head in answer, chuckling softly. He really wasn’t from ‘around here’, this noisy crowded city generally wasn’t his style. Although some could argue that London was similar, they’d be wrong and obviously hadn’t visited New York ever. “Is it put Elijah down day? First I can’t have fun unless I’m drunk, I coddle your bike too much and now I’m not aggressive enough to get around the city.” He quipped with a perplexed shake of his head and a little laugh in case she missed the fact that he was teasing.

He forced himself to eat more of his meal, it was beginning to go cold, and swallowed his mouthful when Audrina offered to show him how the subway system worked, adding that there would be plenty of demons for the picking for he and Jace to hunt. So she hadn’t missed that he and Jace had formed an unlikely friendship in the short time that he’d been here. Alec had also noticed his budding friendship with Jace, his best friend, and hadn’t taken too kindly to it. Eli might have felt sorry for the boy if he wasn’t such an ass. “Sure, if you want.” Eli nodded, any excuse to spend more time with her was more than welcome.

Her next question, which he could tell she hadn’t meant to ask, surprised him and his food was forgotten once more. She wanted to train with him, at least for tomorrow she did and it was completely unexpected considering how well their last training session together had gone down. He’d tricked her into kissing him, not revealing what he wanted if he’d won their bet until the last minute. Recalling that kiss had him picking up his beer and drinking the remaining contents in just a few swallows, it stirred something in him he shouldn’t be feeling right now. “Sure, if you want.” He nodded, not realising he’d just repeated the same answer to her earlier offer.

He looked across at her after winning the battle with his emotions and smiled. “I’ve got nothing planned so pick a time and I’ll meet you at the training room.” He told her.

[Yunalesca]

Her eyes stayed with him after she asked for him to train with her, watching for the plat of emotions that would undoubtedly come out. He couldn't forget the kiss that'd happened that last time, she surely couldn't even though she had tried. She had told him it meant nothing but she felt he may know by now that had been a lie. She had responded to him, her body had come alive in a fountain of fire racing through her blood. She remembered how his lips had moved gently against hers at first but then the fire took them both. It had developed into something of want, of desire. She almost felt herself turning red again at the vivid memories of his lips over hers. Something inside her had erupted in that moment and she was beginning to feel that possibly that moment had been the turning point. Her walls had gone up quickly, but those moments she had allowed herself to indulge stayed with her. Her eyes dropped for a moment as she tried to get her racing heart under control. Just the thought had sent it spinning into another gear. He wasn't just 'Eli' after that kiss and she felt he was aware of it as well.

Her eyes came up as he spoke again, tossing his head to excuse himself. "I'll be here." She said softly with as much control as she could muster. She may have wondered if she had done something wrong with his abrupt departure, but the fact she needed the moment alone to regain herself had her distracted from the thought. She let go of a breath she had been holding and suddenly wished for another drink. Her sea bass was gone and the pilaf wasn't going to help her nerves. Relax, you're in control she thought before she heard the sound of a glass touching the wood of the table softly. She looked up expecting the waitress or even Eli, but her expression morphed when she saw a man across from here who was undeniably undead. Upon seeing her flurry of thoughts she saw his smile widen to give way to those piercing fangs. She had slain many of his kind, but in this moment she suddenly felt vulnerable and mildly afraid. She quickly shut herself behind her walls before he could pick up on any more from her.

"I do hope thats animal blood." She said with a slightly shaking tone that only made the vampire smirk at her.

"Of course. I can get you one if you like." He offered and her body tensed, remembering how she had been reacting to the life substance over the last few days. She felt nauseated at the smell as it wafted toward her.

"That won't be necessary. You're throwing off a lot of pheromones. Might make a trigger hand a little nervous." She threatened as she could feel him trying to pull her under.

"Hardly enough to bring down a Nephilim. Or is there more to you than meets the eye? You yourself are throwing off a lot of...mouthwatering emotions." He returned and she tensed further, almost finding it hard to breathe. Nobody else was noticing as she felt like she was drowning on the paralyzing pheromones he was putting off. If he wasn't alerting anyone to his levels they were in the legal limit. If that were the case why was she panicking? Her fingers began reaching into her pa ts for her stele,but paused as she looked at him. He was waiting for her to do it, to try and kill him in public and cause a disturbance. She couldn't do it without getting herself killed in the process.

"What...do you want from me..." She managed, though her voice was quiet while she felt like hands were around her throat. Eli her mind pleaded as she felt panic taking hold of her, so much so that she couldnt move while the vampire across from her ran his finger around the edge of his cup, grinning at her. He knew something, she was sure of it, but she couldnt pry it from him.

[Serendipity]

Eli didn’t notice the vampire making his way over to their table as he made for the men’s bathroom, his thoughts were elsewhere…Get a grip you idiot, He scolded himself urgently as he pushed his way into the bathroom and was relieved to find it was empty. He sucked in a deep breath and moved over to the row of sinks against the far wall. He didn’t really need to use the bathroom it had just been an excuse so he could have a moment on his own to calm his racing heart and the pulse he felt at his neck ticking away rapidly. He’d also felt suddenly hot, a bead of perspiration had appeared on his forehead during the journey to the mens room. Eli quickly reached for the tap and turned on the cold water slipping his hands under the stream as if that would help him cool off.

He knew it hadn’t been Audrina’s intention to bring up the memory of their last training session together when she had suggested he train with her again, she hadn’t even mentioned the blasted kiss but that was the first thing that had come to mind. He splashed a little of the cold water onto his face, closed his eyes and drew in another deep breath. Images of the two of them lying on the training mat unintentionally flashed through his mind, he could almost feel her lips molding into his, her fingers in his hair bunching it tightly to keep him in place as she fervently kissed him back. He groaned and opened his eyes shaking the images away as he splashed his face with water again and ran his fingers through his hair a little in frustration.

For a male who usually got what he wanted when it came to women he’d thought he’d been doing a good job keeping those feelings of desire at bay, clearly he’d just been fooling himself and the way he felt about her didn’t help either. He wanted her, wanted to kiss her again in all the ways he could think of. It was a very good thing that they were in a crowded restaurant and that he’d retreated when he had, the thought of leaning over the table and trapping her lips under his had crossed his mind more than once already tonight and the only thing that held him back save from Audrina pummeling him was the restaurant full of prying eyes. He patted the back of his neck, some of the cool water still on his hand, to help cool his skin before he turned the tap off.

Once he was sure he had himself under control again he left the bathroom, eager to get back to Audrina and continue the rest off their night wherever it may lead. His footsteps slowed cautiously as he neared their table and saw that his seat was occupied by someone else. His blue eyes narrowed flicking from the vampire in his seat and Audrina who looked uncomfortable in hers. He quickened his pace and by the time he reached the table his dark look was directed solely at the unwelcome guest still sitting there. He kept his cool however and didn’t reef the downworlder out of his seat like he wanted to, instead he placed both hands down flat on the edge of the table, his fingers inching towards the steak knife next to his plate. He leaned over the table in an effort to put himself between Audrina and the vamp who didn’t look the least bit disgruntled by the interruption.

Eli turned his head in the direction of the other male pinning him with a disgusted glare, he could feel the pheromones the vampire was putting off, still under the legal limit but only just. They stared each other down for a long time before Eli spoke. “I suggest that you leave. Right now.” His expression turned darker still, a warning in his eyes that luckily Audrina couldn’t see because it said so much more then just ‘get lost’, it spoke of great violence. "And wipe that smug look off your face, its unbefitting for a rotting corpse."

[Yunalesca]

Her nerves were fraying before Eli returned to the table, panic welling in her gut while she was drowning in the pheromones the vampire put off I attempts to paralyze her. He has yet to state his business and she wondered if he had been the one she had felt watching them earlier. She had thought maybe she was going crazy, but now she wasn't so sure. Had he targeted her because she was a Shadowhunter or was it something more? Usually people left her kind alone when they entered a Downworlder bar or restaurant. They didn't want to start trouble since they knew full well how easily Nephilim could be provoked, especially ones who cared nothing for the Accords. "Choking on something? You're turning a little pale." His voice purred while his finger continued to run around the rim of the glass. She took a breath and forced her face into a mask of strength even when she had none to possess in this moment.

"You would know..." She started before someone broke his concentration on her and thus the hold of pheromones. Eli her mind shuddered when he out himself between them. She felt the vampires eyes leave her then and she felt she could breathe once more. Now that she could think clearly she felt a flurry of emotions. Anger at herself for losing control, fear that this vampire had asserted himself over her so easily, and gratitude that Eli had returned when he had. Would she ever be able to handle anything on her own again? He had saved her too many times over the last few days and it made her question her own strength and willpower. She was aware she was damaged from Maddox, but she should be able to handle herself better. She took another breath and dropped her gaze as Eli spoke in a harsh tone that gave away his distaste for the situation. She didn't know if he knew what had just been happening, but she wasnt about to ask him as he had the vampire distracted.

"We always have reason to be smug, Nephilim. We live forever and don't concern ourselves with a winless war. You should take note." The vampire returned, his finger having stopped running over the rim. Audrina felt that shift in Eli almost instantly and if she could feel it she was sure Tue vampire did as well. "But I see I may have interrupted something between you and the lady. It was a pleasure. Au revoir." He said before sliding out of the booth and the blonde's blood turned to ice. It felt like no coincidence that he had said 'goodbye' to her in French. He knew something about her and either his curiosity had got the better of him or something else was at play here. Regardless, her color drained even further from her face as she couldnt bring herself to look at Eli. He had left her alone for 2 minutes and she had lost control. She should have been able to handle it, she should have been confident and not afraid. Maddox had hurt her more than she previously imagined.

"Thank you." She whispered hoarsely while staring at her plate of pilaf. This had started out fun, had started out with her enjoying Eli's company and now she just wanted to crawl into a hole and hide away. She felt shaken and unfit to be in public if she couldnt even prevent a vampire from nearly controlling her. Shadowhunters didn't lose control and she just had.

[Serendipity]

Eli’s temper grew with every passing second that the Downworlder stayed sitting in his seat, he was barely keeping it in check, his hand had found his steak knife and had curled around the handle. His eyes narrowed to thin slits at the vampires response to his remark and the only thing that was keeping him from slicing the blood sucker apart was the scene it would cause. The Clave would hear about the incident and Audrina would be under their scrutiny, and it would be his fault. He could sense the tension in her, stretched thin already and he was afraid what would happen if it stretched any more.

Something told him that the vampire hadn’t just wanted to stir a Nephilim for the heck of it otherwise he wouldn’t have waited until Eli had left the table, there was definitely something else going on, he just didn’t know what it was. Audrina had pissed off a lot of vampires because of her many slaying spree’s, it might have been why the downworlder was sitting at their table, perhaps warning her to stop yet, Eli couldn’t help feeling that it ran deeper than that. Eli shifted to a standing position as the vampire finally rose from his seat and prepared to depart. He kept a firm stance between the downworlder and Audrina, his eyes never left the male until he was a good distance away from them. “Bastard.” Eli breathed and turned back to the blonde just as she thanked him in a hoarse whisper.

His expression softened the moment it landed on her, all of his anger dissipating, replaced by concern though he didn’t ask if she was alright, it was clear that she wasn’t. He held out his hand for her, he had no plans on sticking around any longer and felt she might be feeling the same way. Angling his head so he could catch her gaze he suggested softly, “Let’s get out of here.”

Dinner was over, the restaurant was no longer a good place to be and what had started off as something fun had now shifted in the completely opposite direction. The best thing they could do was get out of here and if she wanted to end the night here he would take her back to the Institute without complaint.

[Yunalesca]

The disappointment in herself was returning the longer she stared at her plate. She could still feel the vampires eyes as though he were across from her. It made her skin crawl now that pheromones werent pumping the air and making her feel devoid of anything. It'd been a paralysis ploy to make her afraid of him. That much she was sure of as she continued to sit still and not make eye contact with Eli. She didn't want him to see her like this, she didn't want him to be disappointed that their night was most likely ruined. A part of her still wanted to try and salvage it even as she was feeling miserable and almost like she was getting a hangover while coming down from the mind invasion she had just received again. Luckily this wouldn't affect her memories, but it could have done something with her life. She took another mind clearing breath as she saw Eli's hand stretch toward her.

She was hesitant at first, having withdrawn once more to protect herself, but slowly her hand reached out and took his. instantly she felt that warmth permeate her discomfort and ease her down from the multitude of emotions she had been feeling. As this occurred she lifted her eyes to look at him through the wisps of her hair. She could see him coming back from the rage that he had felt a moment earlier, trying to look comfortingly at her as her fingers brushed over his skin. An almost apologetic smile came to her face when he spoke next and pulled lightly at her hand. "Sorry, you didn't finish your dinner." She said lightly before she was sliding out from the booth to her feet. Her hand began to slip into her pocket for money to leave, but Eli seemed to have other things in mind as he was pulling her from the table. "I can pay since this is kind of my fault," she started, but was quieted when he was moving to drop money on the table before their waitress was even returning.

She kept hold of his hand as they made through the restaurant, trying her best not to shirk away from the glampires who seemed to be watching them more than before. When they got out into the Brooklyn air she took a breath like she had been suffocating in there, which in some respects she had been at one point. After her lungs she exhaled slowly before looking to Eli, then to the theater. "I don't want to ruin your game plan. We can still catch a film....just not something so violent or supernatural." She said to him, eyes averting slightly as she felt ashamed she couldnt handle the content at the moment. Some warrior she appeared to be, but at least she could admit to not being able to stomach it. Besides, she had said she was rating him and it wouldn't be fair to cut it off because of a mishap. "The rating scale is still in effect." She tried joking to him, though she was hardly mirthful at this point. Her hold on his hand only seemed to tighten as though she were trying to convince him as well.

"Unless you want to go. We can catch a subway this time if you like." She offered in trade, giving him the control as she felt she couldnt make that decision right then. She could go to the Institute or continue this night and be content. Just getting away from the restaurant was enough for her now.

[Serendipity]

Eli sensed her hesitancy in taking his hand and wanted to throttle the vampire for rattling her so much, whatever he’d said to her had affected her. She might withdraw from him again and he didn’t want that but at the same time he didn’t want to upset her further and decided that whatever decisions she made regarding what they did next he would respect. He couldn’t deny that he was relieved when she did take his hand and he helped her up. His eyes glanced down at his half eaten meal at her apology and he merely shrugged; it hadn’t anything to do with the interruption they’d received from the vampire, the fault for not eating all of his meal was his own. “I wasn’t that hungry after all,” He explained it away simply.

He was shaking his head and had already shoved his free hand into his back pocket to produce his wallet as Audrina started to say she would pay for the meal. “I’ve got it.” He said stilling any further argument from her by flinging some cash onto their table. Eli ignored the glances they received as they left the restaurant, keeping his eyes firmly on the door and felt some of the tension dissipate once they were out on the street. The chilly air washing away the rest of his bad temper.

The dark haired shadowhunter glanced down at Audrina as she spoke of not wanting to ruin his game plan and he smiled. “You didn’t ruin anything,” He assured her gently before lifting his gaze to the theatre across the street. His eyes returned to hers as she pointed out that her performance rating of him for their night out was still in effect, it gave him hope that maybe they could salvage the remainder of the night. “Damn, I thought you’d forgotten. Guess I still need to be on my best behaviour.” He chuckled though he’d heard the strain in her voice, and felt her hand tighten around his. He gave it a gentle squeeze in return before leading her towards the theatre, stopping at the curb to wait for traffic to clear.

“We’ll see what’s playing, and if there’s nothing we like we can go.” Eli counter offered, although he would take her back to the Institute if she asked with no questions asked, he himself was reluctant to let their night end on such a bad note.

The theatre was almost empty he realised as they stepped inside, the smells that went along with a movie theatre hitting him straight away, though he wasn’t quite sure about some of them. A board above them flashed the movies that were currently playing and their session times, he could only go by the names of the movies, not even the ratings helped because he didn’t understand them. “I have no idea what sounds like it wouldn’t have any violence or supernatural elements in it.” He admitted though she’d already know that. “And you’re out of luck, there’s no mention of ponies anywhere.” He teased.

[Yunalesca]

She nodded absently as Eli offered to at least see what was playing before calling it a night. She was reluctant to let the vampire ruin their evening when she had gone out of her way to try and find happiness, to forget her chest hurting memories and pains. Regardless it was hard to break herself out of the slump that had come over her since the vampire had sat at her table. Her want to swing back into her earlier high spirits wasn't getting her there actually. She took a breath as they stepped across the street toward the theater, Eli leading the way with her hand enveloped in his. The feel of him was more comforting to her though it hadn't lifted her spirits fully even when they stepped through the doors and the traditional smells of a movie theater wafted around her. Let it go her mind pressed as she lifted her eyes to the board displaying movie titles. It was unfair on her part for not trying to let this work. It had been a nice gesture for Eli to come with her and she shouldn't ruin it for him.She smirked slightly at his response while they looked over the titles that really didn't give away the premise for a movie. "For shame. I don't know what to pick if there's no ponies." She commented lightly in sarcasm as she tried to figure out what the movies could be about. She knew a little of the Mundane world, but having Clary along at the moment would have been most helpful. She sighed before looking to Eli. "Lone Ranger? Has to be about cowboys and such, right? Innocent enough." She mused aloud though she had no clue if that were the case.

"Which means, ponies." She said with a slight prod of her finger to his shoulder before letting a smile come to her face. A genuine one that gave a glimmer of her happiness returning to her. "I'll get the tickets, you're in charge of the stale popcorn, a coke, and snow caps." She said to him before almost reluctantly letting go of his hand and stepping up to the ticketing counter. Oddly now that a decision had been made and she was going through with the film plan she was beginning to feel better. "Two for Lone Ranger, please." She asked and dropped cash on the counter for the cashier. As she waited for the tickets to be printed she looked over to the concessions to watch Eli ordering their snacks. While she did she felt a small smile tugging at her mouth. Somehow this moment was cute as it played out before her eyes. It was almost like they were something, like this was normal for them.

She jolted out of the reverie as the tickets were handed to her. They weren't anything and little thoughts like that wouldn't help her. She could become distracted with the evenings events but she couldnt allow it to continue past this night. Just like the night before she was now promising herself that tomorrow would be different and that she would return to pushing him away. As her fingers clung to the tickets she felt her chest hurt at the thought of pushing him out again. Maybe he could just be a close friend. And continue to lead him on. Let him fix you then get yourself killed as repayment. a voice in her head said which made her hurt even more. She worked to brush it away as she moved up to Eli as he seemed to be trying to think how to balance everything with just two hands. A smirk came to her face again as she slid up beside him. "Need some help there, killer?" She joked as her hand brushed his again. The single motion ran an electric current up her arm which in turn made her blush.

"Here, I'll take that." She said quietly, balancing the tray for the cups, the action bringing her closer to him. She could smell him then as her hand slid under the tray which in turn made her grow warmer.

[Serendipity]

Eli heard the light sarcasm in her voice and hoped it was a sign that she was putting aside what had happened in the restaurant, there might be a chance still that they could turn the night around. He chuckled lightly at her fake disappointment and nodded at her choice of movie, it was as good as any he guessed and it didn’t sound like there’d be a supernatural being insight in the film. “As long as they’re not purple, I’ll deal.” He answered her prod to his shoulder making it sound like it would be a major ordeal if it turned out the movie had purple ponies in it, the grin that spread across his lips however told her he was joking.

“Got it.” He said and his eyes landed on the concessions stand before going back to her briefly and reluctantly allowed her hand to slip from his grip. He made his way over to the concessions stand, pulling out his wallet on the way. His eyes scanned the selection of sizes for the drinks and popcorn before deciding to go for the middle ground. “One medium popcorn, two cokes and snow caps.” Eli ordered and waited for the male behind the counter to prepare his order, sneaking a quick glance over to the blonde who was buying their tickets. He almost missed the guy ask him if there was anything else, and quickly turned his attention back. “Ah...a mixed bag of candies.” He decided on a whim and produced a few notes to pay for his order whilst the other male retrieved his bag of candy.

Once it was all prepared and paid for Eli glanced down at everything and wondered how he was going to carry it all, he picked up the drinks tray first balancing it in one arm and against his chest before reaching for the popcorn with his other hand which left the snow caps and bag of candy. With all his skills as a shadowhunter he was at a loss as to how to carry it all, there was obviously a skill to it somehow. Luckily Audrina sidled up to him offering help, the smirk on her face and the remark she gave in jest had him smiling sheepishly. “Who knew, all this skill under my belt and I struggle with popcorn and drinks.”

He almost dropped the drinks as her hand brushed his, the spark of electricity surprising him although he should have expected it. There was always some kind of reaction in him when they touched. Eli nodded, allowing her to take the drinks from his arms so he could take the rest of the items from the counter. he felt warmth spread through him at how close she came, if they weren't holding popcorn and drinks he might have closed the few centimetres they had left between them, the sudden urge to hug her was strong.

Eli pushed the idea away quickly before it showed on his face and reached for the rest of the items, bundling them up in his arms. He had one free hand, but Audrina had both hands occupied with the drinks and so he did the next best thing and gently placed his palm on her lower back as they made their way towards the theatres themselves as though it were the most natural thing in the world for him to be doing. There were three or four on each side and they were all numbered. “What’s our number?” He asked.

[Yunalesca]

She very nearly jumped when his hand found her lower back, a hear spreading from the point of origin right to her cheeks. "Maybe you should have invested in a balance rune." She said with a breathy tone, giving away her reaction to his touch. She took a breath to recover as they started toward the ticket taker, Audrina pausing before they go there to shift the drinks so she could give the tickets to the woman waiting for them. She managed to snug one drink between her arm and balance the other in her palm while handing their tickets over. "Theater 3 on the left. Enjoy your show." The woman said with a smile as Audrina carefully put their stubs in her pocket and returning to carrying both drinks. As they slid past the ticket taker she tossed a sly smile to Eli who still had a commanding presence on her back. "Jealous yet?" She said jokingly while she balanced their drinks and led them toward their theater. And to her relief there was only a handful of people waiting for the film to start with anotheinterruptedinutes until official previews start.

She turned her head to Eli after scanning the small crowd for where the best seats would be. "Preference?" She asked as she turned her attention back to the seats available. She wanted to be away from people but wanted center row. Her eyes lifted to the upper levels and spotted a few rows not even claimed yet. "5th from the top and center?" She asked of him with a raised brow and pointing with cup in hand to the upper decks. "Come on." She said with a slight smile and tossing her head in the direction of the seats. She started forward without waiting for his opinion, advancing a few steps ahead of him without thinking of the view he would have while she gingerly climbed the steps to their chosen seats. Now that she was free of the restaurant she was steadily returning to her former self before their evening had been interrupted. Letting herself return to the former attitude of earlier was a risk considering how she had bordered on calling this a date, but it was better than the alternative.

Its just a movie. she thought in her head while moving down the selected row to the center. She stored away their drinks in the cup holders before taking a seat and turning her gaze to Eli who was following shortly behind. When he was beside her she smiled slightly in his direction. "Now we get exposed to Mundane film trivia and advertisements that mean nothing to us. I suggest a little game of trivia of our own." She said to him after feeling rather suddenly the alcohol from earlier settling into her mind. She unwrapped her straw and stabbed it through the plastic lid before taking a drag on the drink. Once her mouth was wetted she looked back to Eli while settling into her seat. "If you could do anything else, what would it be? I know you love being what we are, but if you -had- to be something else." She pressed, resorting back to the old back and forth they had started when theyd had breakfast days ago.

[Serendipity]

“If I was aware that runes were required I probably would have,” He chuckled at her comment about using a rune to help with his balance, who knew carrying popcorn and drinks could be so difficult. The hand that Eli had placed on her lower back grew warm, the same warm feeling he got when he was holding her hand and he wondered if she could feel it too. The idea of slipping his arm around her small waist also filtered through his mind.Do it. You know you want to. A voice coaxed in his head. Of course he wanted to, he wanted nothing more than to pull her into his side and keep her there always but it didn’t come down to what he wanted, he had to consider Audrina’s feelings as well and even at this point he had no idea what it was she felt. It was too risky and he resisted the idea.

“You have mad balancing skills. Completely jealous.” He told her and glanced down at her with a wide grin before he lifted his gaze to find theatre 3. They were already headed for that particular theatre so he didn’t have to look hard. As they entered the large room he scanned the row of seats relieved that there were only a handful of people already in their seats and there was still plenty of possible seat options for the two of them. The last thing he wanted was to squeeze past people to get to a seat and have strangers sitting next to them.

“Sounds good.” He nodded as she selected the row they should sit in, the only preference he’d had was that they sit in an empty row and it appeared that Audrina had the same thoughts. He had no choice but to drop his hand away from the middle of her back as they climbed the stairs to reach the fifth row. He hadn’t meant to stare at the view she provided as she took the lead, but it was difficult to resist and he’d always had a hard time not ‘looking’ at her. He swallowed quickly and tore his gaze away just as she turned into their row and glanced back at him to see if he was following.

Eli waited for her to store their drinks away and choose her seat before he sat down beside her and offloaded the goodies he was carrying into his lap. He glanced up at the screen as Audrina spoke out of curiosity before turning his attention back to her, handing her over one of the snow cap before balancing the box filled with popcorn in his lap. He was quite happy to disregard the advertisements now flashing across the screen and go along with her suggestion of their own version of trivia questions. He angled himself in his seat so he could see her better, an arm coming up to rest along the top of the seat looking completely relaxed. “Okay, ask away.” He agreed.

The question she did ask however had him stumped, he was expecting her to ask something like whether he preferred pancakes or waffles (or something else along those lines). What would he be if he wasn’t a shadowhunter? If he had to do something else? He’d always wanted to be a shadowhunter, it was everything he knew and he hadn’t explored any other options because of it and didn’t have a clue as to what else he’d be good at. His brows furrowed as he thought about her question, he couldn’t answer straight away and it bothered him that he’d never thought of a back up plan if for any reason he had to give up being what he loved. “I don’t know.” He said honestly, and grimaced at his own lame response. “A tutor maybe...If i couldn’t do what I do, I guess I’d teach it.” He shrugged because it was still a lame answer because of the uncertainty of it.

“What about you?” He turned the question around on her, reached for his straw, unwrapping it before stabbing it through the top of his drink. “Let me guess...something to do with your love of cooking. You’d be a chef or maybe a baker?” He knew that she liked cooking, and the few times he’d been with her in the kitchen back at the Institute whilst she’d rustled him up something to eat she had seemed at ease with herself and what she was doing.

[Yunalesca]

Her eyes stayed with him while she waited for an answer, a brow quirked up while he seemed to think deeply on the question. He was struggling she noticed as his brows furrowed and an answer wasn't given right away. She knew, she had always known what she would have done otherwise, but Eli had never imagine nor had he wanted to think of anything other than being a Shadowhunter. That had been obvious from the moment they had really talked with each other. It was the same with the others she had been living with and it ultimately made her feel on the outside. She knew nobody intended that and she knew it was something almost exclusive to her, but it still made it difficult for her to bond with anyone. Mundanes wouldn't accept someone like her and she couldnt bond with her own kind while feeling alone. She couldnt blame anyone, not even herself. She hadn't chose this life neither had she chosen to have such a distaste for it. Over time she had accepted her fate, but a part of her inside still wished for an escape.

When he finally responded a small smirk came to her face. She wanted to call it a cop out, but he went on after a moment. Her prior thought was still in place when he finished before proceeding to ask the same of her. "Cop out." She laughed at him before taking a snowcap from the box and chewing the chocolatey goodness into a fine piece before swallowing. She knew what she would be, but she wasn't sure she was comfortable with telling him. It was something close to her heart and she wasn't sure he would realize it even if she said it. She shifted almost uncomfortably in her seat while smiling nervously, not making eye contact as she did so. "Ive always wanted the same thing, just never had a choice." She started and exhaled the breath she held onto as something inside her squirmed at the thought of giving this part of herself to him. Nobody else knew of her dire wants, of her dreams that had been ripped from her in her youth. She took a deep breath and let herself shift in the seat to face him, one foot coming up to curl under her hip while her lower back pressed up against the armrest.

"A dancer. I was doing it since my birth practically. I really thought that was it, that was what I was made for, but...obviously that didn't work out." She said and let her eyes drop slightly. She missed it and thinking of it now made an ache throb in her chest. A flash of memories came across her vision, memories of ballet class and dreams of working silks some day. She swallows and let her hair fall into her eyes. "My sister would have been great. I never really wanted this." She admitted aloud to him and felt part of her heart go with it. She took a deep breath and let it go slowly before bringing her eyes up to him again, an almost sad smile coming to her lips. "But this is my life now." She shrugged absently and reached her slender fingers into the snowcaps box to grab another to chew while letting the moment pass and the words sink in for him.

"But enough about that. I suppose you can ask next sine you copped out on the last one." She smirked before reaching back to take hold of her pop and drink a small gulp before replacing it. They still had a good ten minutes or more before the film started and she wondered how much they could find out about each other in that time. How far would he delve into her chest in that time? More importantly how much would she let herself give him when she had given nothing to anyone else before?

[Serendipity]

Eli gave her a sheepish smile as she called him out on his answer, it was a cop out he supposed but he just hadn’t thought about doing anything else but being a shadowhunter, you could say it had been bred into him. His father had been a shadowhunter, in fact the majority of the Ashdown line had been shadowhunters, he’d even been told his grandmother had been a shadowhunter before meeting his grandfather and settling down - it was in his blood. Obviously it wasn’t the same for Audrina, her parents had taken her away from that life or at least tried too and he suspected she’d aspired to be something else. His assumption was that she wanted to be a chef, though it just went to show he still didn’t know everything about her.

He reached for a handful of popcorn as he awaited her answer and let the mixture of butter and salt fill his taste buds; it actually wasn’t that horrible and he grabbed another handful. He thought she might dodge the question, or give him a vague answer by the way she hesitated before responding. When she finally did answer, it wasn’t what he expected. His eyes travelled over her tiny frame as though he were seeing her for the first time and in a way he was. He would never have guessed that she’d want to be a dancer though now that he really looked, and he recalled the way she moved so lightly on her feet, it didn’t seem so unbelievable.

He heard the longing in her explanation, she’d obviously loved it and it was just another thing that had been taken away from her. She’d been thrust into a completely different life, a life that he was well aware, especially now, that she didn’t want. Eli was reminded by the conversation that he’d had with Hodge regarding Audrina and the reasons why she had taken on the life of a shadowhunter but wouldn’t let herself truly embrace it. It wasn’t meant for her. He kept the frown from his face in case she read his expression the wrong way and instead offered her a small smile. “It doesn’t have to be.” He shook his head lightly, he wasn’t sure if she would believe it but he honestly believed that she could change her life, if she only allowed herself too.

She was deflecting the questions back to him and it was a sign that she didn’t want to continue on the subject of her being a dancer again one day. “If you were going to travel, anywhere in the world, where would you end up?” He asked, it was an almost similar question that he’d asked back in the restaurant but it was the first thing that had jumped into his head to ask, and he was curious and he also had to tread lightly on the questions he asked, nothing too personal, at least not right now in the middle of a movie theatre.

[Yunalesca]

When he responded to her she felt her heart ache even more, though she hadn’t thought that possible. It doesn’t have to be his voice soothed in her mind and she had to lower her gaze to prevent him from seeing what she felt. He touched her deeply in just those few words. The little girl inside her still wanted to believe him, but the voice of reason won out. It won’t save your mother, it won’t save yourself her conscience mocked and she closed her eyes for a second while swallowing the pain she felt. That life was long gone, finished, ripped away by her own parents. She wished she could hate them for it still. It might be easier if she could blame someone, but they were gone and she knew now they had done what they thought best for her even if it was what had killed her father. If she had gone on to dance, forgoing the Shadowhunter world, she would have lost ties to all of them. The Clave never would have let her live in both worlds. It was against the rules. As she thought this she found who to blame in a way, though it was just one more in a list of things that made her distrust them altogether. Though it pained her to think of it, she would never be what she wished. Her prime had come and gone in the world of dancing and she would never get that back.



She moved on from her pain quickly and by the time she looked back to Eli it had left completely from her eyes. They were supposed to be enjoying themselves and she would just bring the mood down once more. Her knack for that was almost annoying this evening as she was trying to forget her problems for a few hours. When his voice finally filtered to her she leaned back a little more into the armrest as she tried to think of an answer to his question. “Anywhere in the world…” She repeated quietly and the fingers of her right hand came up to brush along her chin while she thought. “I’ve never really given myself the time to think about where I –wanted- to go.” She explained as she took a few moments longer to let herself consider the possibilities. “Everywhere I’ve been has been cold and damp in some way. I suppose I wouldn’t mind going somewhere warm for once even though I’m acclimated to this kind of climate. Maybe Madagascar or some other uninhabited place. Away from people and cities for a while. Sometimes the noise can be a bit distracting.” She offered finally, her eyes taking on a bit of a far away look while she spoke until she concluded and looked at Eli again.



“And you?” She questioned in return, her hand having come down from her face and resting on her folded knee close to his armrest. As she had thought of the one place she would want to go she had almost let herself imagine him being there with her. Tanning on the beach, sipping drinks out of cliché coconuts, swimming together in the ocean. The last thought made her think of him kissing her while in the water, waves rolling around them as the intimacy of the moment got to them. That vision made her breath catch slightly and color rise into her cheeks again, though luckily the theater was still lit rather dimly so he may miss it. A time before she would have felt ashamed in thinking of him like that, but now it filled her chest with a longing. She was growing attached to him even as she had been trying to keep a measure of distance from him. It was for his own safety more than her own anymore. She was still deeply fearful of being hurt if she let anyone in again, but after how he had stood up for her with Maddox she found it hard not to trust in him. He wasn’t the same as when she had first met him. Neither of them were.



It was as she waited for his answer she was realizing fully that her heart had been leaving her chest, that it had begun beating for him. Instead of mind numbing panic it made her warm under the lace sweater, skin almost glowing from the heat. She cared about him and maybe if she had a choice she could let herself stay with him if he would have her. But that was the issue and why she was fighting with herself, constantly pulling away from him when they made progress. She had to free her mother and she knew the costs of it. She had accepted that long ago and only recently had she become reluctant to go through with it. She may care for Eli, but there really was no choice when it came to deciding between one or the other. He would find someone else, someone who deserved him, and move on from whatever this was between them. Her mother would stay forever trapped in a never aging body, her soul cocooned deep inside her and preventing her from being fully free. She couldn’t abandon that, not even for her own wants or for Eli.

[Serendipity]

Maybe it had been the wrong thing to say at that point, he only saw her eyes drop from his at his response, but he could guess the mixture of emotions in them as clearly as if she were looking straight at him, even in the dimly lit theatre. He had become so attuned to her emotions - bar one- and it was the reason why he knew when to dial down the attention he gave to her. Eli didn’t know if it was because he was in love with her, and it was a skill that came with it or if it because the time they had spent so closely together. There were things about Audrina that he knew that no one else did because she allowed him to, and he felt privileged for it even if some of what he knew wasn’t all good.

She didn’t reply to his comment and clung onto the question he asked instead, and he let the subject drop if only not to upset her in a public place. It was just another thing he’d store away and bring up another time when the moment was right, or at least when they were alone. She shouldn’t give up on her dreams if dancing was what she really wanted to do. All he’d ever wanted to do and be was a shadowhunter, he didn’t know what it was like to want something else. “Anywhere.” He nodded, putting the previous subject and his thoughts about it aside and focussing on her answer to the question he’d asked.

She seemed to consider her answer as he had with the question she’d asked and he patiently waited for her response. Eli nodded in understanding when she explained that she hadn’t given much thought to where she would want to go if she had the choice, but it would be somewhere warm although she was acclimatized to a cooler climate. Her answer of Madagascar got a brow raise from him, but only because he was intrigued, then it made sense as she mentioned somewhere uninhabited away from people and cities. Somewhere quiet for her made sense, she wasn’t exactly a people person.

He pictured her lying on a beach somewhere, sunning herself under the rays of the sun before she cooled off in the ocean, then an image of himself appeared alongside her in the water. He blinked at the image, though wasn’t surprised that he would want to be there with her if it was ever an option for them. Anywhere with you, he almost let slip before he bit down on his tongue. “Somewhere warm as well. The beaches of Australia or an island in the pacific. Coconut trees, the works.” He answered, “I think I’d look good with a tan.” He chuckled.