нєαтнєя & Aηgєℓєηα :)

[angelena.]

((Okay! And I'm not sure ~ I have some reading to do for English so it depends how creative I'm feeling after that. :/ ))

[E M M A]

So Liva wasn't afraid of monsters, or so she claimed. He still didn't believe her, since it had been obvious that she was unsettled with just watching the eerie horror movie earlier that day. Hugh didn't argue, though, letting her words linger over their heads. The monsters that dwelled within us all. He knew those kinds of monsters, as they haunted him every day. If they spoke about monsters in that sense, Hugh was terrified of them, couldn't bear to stand tall with them in his way. They could make him crumble with their dark and entangling grasps, the ones that prevented him from sleeping at night, or tore him emotionally apart limb for limb. He could usually keep them at bay with if he had enough of the right mentality, but there were some days it completely overtook him, and he couldnt control his actions. Whether it be in the aspect that he became extremely violent and ruthless at work, or if he put himself or others into danger, it was unpredictable what each new meltdown could take out of him.

The princess had sunk back under her covers, the sheets tucked under her arms while her head rated itself on his chest. Such an intimate position such as this, one that was normally reserved for the way couples and loved ones fell asleep, had Hugh extremely self concious. The ends of her hair tickled his skin, her head rising and falling with the steady breathing of his lungs. For a moment, time stood still, Hugh closing his eyes as if to try to memorize what this all felt like, what it was like to have someone so close to him, to trust him like she did, to speak to him so tenderly. "You don't have to-" Hugh had begun to mumble in protest, but upon opening his eyes, he felt her soft lips against his cheek. Holding his breath, Hugh's groggy blue eyes widened in the dark. "You're welcome," he amended at last, his voice hardly above a whisper as she withdrew from him.

He prayed that he hadn't missed a single camera in that room, or he knew he would be given the axe in the morning. The worries of his mind were pushed aside by the overwhelming swarm of shy thoughts, his cheeks blushing a pale pink where her lips had been. Hugh allowed Liva to lay back down beside him, into the natural crook his arm had provided for her. He didn't even mind that she had called him insufferable, or questioned his reassurance that sleep would come easily for her. Hugh was too busy falling in like. Love was much too powerful of a word for Hugh to use, or even think about. Love didn't exist in Hugh's spectrum of emotions, although Liva was testing these scales with her behavior around him. He was very off put by the way she had become comfortable with him, so close. It seemed that not a moment passed (when they were getting along, that is) that they weren't in some way touching, or close by. For someone as guarded as Hugh, he was astonished at his own tolerance levels. Liva, although she seemed to know how to aggravate him without even meaning to, had held a very dear place in his heart, where bodyguarding her wasn't just a bothersome chore anymore. He felt some sort of deeper obligation, as if to repay her for the kindness she had extended to him, like any proper queen should.

Hugh didn't remember when he had fallen asleep, or how long he had lay awake in Liva's bed. He just knew, that when the sunlight streamed through the windows at six thirty, Hugh was extremely confused upon awakening. He squinted his eyes against the excrutiating bright that leaked through the curtains. Perhaps the first thing he then noticed was how warm he was, how there seemed to be an excessive amount of it under the sheets... When had he gotten under sheets? Although half asleep, Hugh noticed also that during the course of the night, he had wrapped an arm around Liva's waist instinctively, his head resting above hers on the same pillow as they lay in some sort of spoon style. At first, he hadn't thought anything of it, struggling as he faded between sleep and wake. Then, everything seemed to click and happen at once.

Bolting upright, Hugh stared down at the blonde, his cheeks hot as he assessed the situation. Liva? Why was he in her room, in her bed? Hugh still had his clothes on, and she hers, but it still unsettled him until the memories seemed to flood back at once, starting with her ear piercing screams and shattering cries. Her nightmare... that kiss. Monsters. Breathing softly, Hugh stared at Liva for what felt like hours, afraid that jostling her in the slightest would upset her sleep. He knew he had to remove himself from the environment as soon as he could, though, and naturally, Hugh found the easiest way was to peel off the sheets on his side first, then hop out of the excessively oversized bed with a single bound. It worked, as it seemed to be that Liva only mumbled something and turned over. He somehow found it in himself to rearrange her blankets around her gently, staring at her for a moment more, then closing the door behind him when he escaped into the cold hallway.

Falling back asleep proved to be useless as well, as his mind was restless with thoughts. Just thoughts of Liva, of her nightmare, of the cherub, of guns- everything. He had to protect the princess, but was training her really the right thing? Not only would training her keep her safe, but it would give him an excuse to be closer to the princess, to give her the oppurtunity to help him, save him from the mental destruction and decay he was experiencing in emotions due to his lack of a confidante of some sort, an outlet. At the same time, his only task was to watch the princess, and ensure that she didn't get into any trouble. So where did that put him? His job was on the line in more ways than one, and he wasn't so sure he was ready to risk it. He couldn't afford anymore slip ups. The streets were an awful place to be, and he never wanted to be back living on them like he had when he had run away briefly during his teen years.

After reflection through a change of clothes, a brief breakfast of protein shake and granola bar, and pacing about the household putting things such as pillows in random order, Hugh decided he needed to make a decision. What he hoped would be a good decision, one that wouldn't bite back in the end. "Liva, wake up, it's nine o clock," Hugh gently grasped her shoulder, kneeling into her bed with a groan of the springs beneath his weight. "We've got things to do today, wake up," Hugh prodded, although he was careful to be soft, careful. It was still surreal to be back in the same spot as he woke up that morning, and he wondered if she had woken up in the middle of the night again and thought the same thing he had. "Get dressed, and quickly, while it's still cool out," he had instructed her when she awoke. He removed hismelf from the room as soon as he had put his point across to the princess, who was probably still too tired to have heard anything he had said. Hugh had resolved to be strong and a dress her as if nothing had occured, but he couldnt help himself.

[angelena.]

Liva had awoken at the first ray of sunlight pouring through the gap in her curtains. She had laid there for a moment, not quite sure what to make of the weight and warmth that pressed gently across her, holding her… As a man might. Liva tensed, suddenly very, very awake. She didn’t remember when she had actually fallen asleep last night, for she and her bodyguard had laid in silence for a long time without daring to even breathe too loudly. She remembered lying in the crook of his arm, her head pressed gently against his chest. It hadn’t seemed like an uncomfortable position in the darkness, hadn’t made her rethink everything and feel uneasiness in her stomach. It was easier to act on impulses when the lights were off, she knew… But now, with pale light streaming in through the windows and their position having changed in the middle of the night to this… Liva felt heat rise to her cheeks and scorned herself for the blush. Hugh’s muscled arm held her to him securely, her back pressed gently against his chest, and she could feel his steady breathing on her neck, tickling her skin. She thought about moving, about shying away or waking him but… God, how embarrassing would it be if he woke up? Besides… she was comfortable and it was too early to move, so… Liva relaxed once more, letting herself close her eyes and drift back to sleep.

And once Liva was out, she slept for at least a few more hours. Her sleep, dreamless and far more peaceful than it had been last night when Hugh had had to come rescue her from her nightmares, was deep enough that she didn’t notice when Hugh removed his arm from around her waist or when his weight was removed from the bed, causing the mattress to groan as though it also would rather him stay. And then she slept obliviously on until a hand clasped her shoulder and a voice urged her gently to waken. Liva groaned at first, not even recognizing who it was shaking her. She had never been particularly pleasant in the mornings, ever since she was a little girl. In fact, when she was eight years old she had thrown a perfume bottle at a butler who had had the misfortunate task of waking her on the morning of a public meet and greet. The bottle had hit the wall hard enough to shatter and the scent of that perfume had stained the area long after her grounding wore off.

Presently, Liva shrugged Hugh’s hand away, not yet opening her eyes as consciousness descended upon her. “I’m not…doing things…” She grumbled incoherently, adamant to stay in bed for the rest of the day. But Hugh was persistent, to say the least. “Ugh - “ The princess drawled out in annoyance, her eyelids finally fluttering open and blinking against the light in her bedroom. She sat up, stretching out in a very feline manner, and slowly let her memory return to her. She remembered…remembered waking up earlier, not to say it wasn’t still early, and had fallen back asleep. And when she had awoke earlier… Liva’s gaze flitted to Hugh, the faintest color of pink coming to her skin as she remembered the weight of his arm across her waist, the warmth of his breath against her skin. Oh, God… No! Liva was not one to be bashful and sheepish around the opposite sex, and it wasn’t as though she had anything to be nervous about anyway. Her eyes quickly scanned Hugh’s features, seeing nothing of embarrassment in them. Perhaps when he had woken they had shifted positions again and she was no longer in his arms? Perhaps the whole scenario had been dreamt up? Perhaps he thought nothing of it at all, perchance it be real…

Liva blinked at him, recognizing that he was speaking to her for the first time. And then she blinked again. “Excuse me?” A raise of her delicate eyebrows as she looked at him incredulously. She was still blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light, still shifting as her muscles awoke from their sedentary night. “What do you mean cool? Are we - are we going outside. I’m not going outside.“ Liva’s words slurred together a bit in her half-disoriented, half-frantic state. What the hell was he on about? But Hugh was already leaving, walking out the door without so much as glancing her way. That sobered her up a bit. “Hey!” She called after him, kicking the blanket away from her legs. “It’s, like,” She reached over, grabbing her phone from the nightstand and squinting at the home screen, “nine o’clock, you know!” But when she looked up, her bedroom door was just shutting, her words lost to empty air. Liva let out a loud groan of annoyance, hopping he could hear it through the walls, as she shoved the sheets away from her and rose onto stiff legs. The princess moved groggily to her closet, pulling out a pair of joggers and a loose white shirt. He had been wearing work-out gear, she had noticed. Dear God, she hoped he wasn’t planning to - “Fine, I’m dressed. What do you want from me?” Liva demanded, crossing her thin arms over her chest as she departed her bedroom, having intentionally taken more time than was necessary to get changed. She raised an eyebrow at her bodyguard, though at the same time she was discreetly searching his features, looking for any sign that he knew how they had spent their night…

[E M M A]

Liva had awoken, and she had regarded his wake up call in the same manner he could always expect from a girl. Defiant, although half asleep, she had protested against his proposal, shaking her blonde hair as she squinted at him in the morning light. Nine o'clock was already late for Hugh, but he regardless wanted to get them up and moving. He couldn't stand being cooped up in this house for another day without some sort of energy drainage to start off his day. he found that if he was well exercised, his mind was clearer throughout the day, and it would benefit Liva too. Of course, he'd need to be a little less rigorous this morning, or Liva wouldn't make it much past half an hour of his sort of routine. Could she even keep up? Hugh ignored Liva's outcries, knowing full well that she'd come full circle despite her complaining- as she always did.

Hugh had also last night to think about, and it sat heavy on his shoulders as he closed the door behind him with a click. Thank you, for everything, she had said. Then she'd kissed him. His cheek, but she had still kissed him. Then they'd fallen asleep together. Just rethinking the events disgruntled Hugh. What had her kiss meant? Was she just so delirious that the action had come subconsciously? Why was she even saying thank you? All he had done was wake her up from a nightmare. It couldn't be too much from her point of view. It couldn't. He had done nothing! Confused, Hugh had slipped inside of his room, leaving his door open to be able to hear when Liva was coming from her room. Sitting on his cold mattress, the one he hadn't slept in the night before, Hugh tied his shoes, armed himself and took a long look at the mirror by his door on his way out.

Disappointed as always with his outward appearance, Hugh was closing his bedroom door when Liva's whining voice sounded down the hall. He suppressed an amused smile by biting his cheek, turning his back to her closing his bedroom door although there was no purpose in shutting it. "We are," Hugh turned around, "going outside, like you guessed, Liva. Just a little running, hope you don't mind," Hugh chirped, in a relatively pleasant mood despite underlying concerns. He had violated a large portion of his contract about personal space and leaving the princess alone, yet he didn't feel as dismal and grumpy as he normally did in the morning. Maybe having fixed their conflict from the day prior had relieved him of some nerves, or maybe a change of events had been refreshing. Maybe it was just one of those rare days he could tolerate attitude and female mood swings. Or maybe it was something else.

"Are you hungry? I don't want you dry heaving on the sidewalk," Hugh called over his shoulder as he descended the stair case ahead of Liva, who trailed unenthusiastically behind him. His boss had asked that they avoid public eye for some time after Liva's obnoxious behavior the first day, and for Hugh, three days had been plenty. Too much, even. Whoever had seen anything wouldn't mind if they took a run around the vast neighborhood- then trespassed on all the beautiful landscape surrounding the slightly mountainous terrain around the gated complex. Just a bit of hiking wouldn't be so bad, now would it? After inactivity for a few days, Hugh was pleased to be able to breathe fresh air again, even if he had to tote someone else along. He had stopped in the kitchen to hand Liva a granola bar, two water bottles tucked inside Hugh's athletic drawstring backpack for the trip.

"Running with your hair down?" Hugh raised a quizzical eyebrow, unlocking the front door with his special card. The deadbolts and airlock undid themselves, resound clicks echoing in the front entryway before the door swung partially open. Outside, the warm sunshine beckoned him forward, inviting him to inhale the fresh breeze, to frolick in the great outdoors. Hugh knew Liva wouldn't be too enthusiastic about the run, but training had to start somewhere, right? "Keep up," was all he said, jogging already ahead of her down the long driveway with long strides, his blue green eyes observing the surroundings cautiously. They had their own short cul-de-sac, that led off into the main road to other houses around them. CIA had performed thorough background checks on each one of the house owners, so Hugh felt pretty comfortable with the princess being in plain sight.

[angelena.]

“Running? I am not - Hey, wait!” Liva let out a groan of annoyance as she hurried after Hugh down the hall, having to quicken her steps to keep up with his long stride. She was not going on a run this early in the morning - it was a Sunday and she had just rolled out of bed! The princess merely rolled his eyes when Hugh made the comment about her “dry-heaving” on the sidewalks, though the comment was enough to strengthen something of a resolve within her. She could run, for crying out loud! Though, she normally ran in a temperature controlled fitness center rather than outside… How far did Hugh plan on running anyway? Were they just taking a quick jog around the neighborhood? What the hell did he expect from her at nine in the morning? And why was Liva even following him in the first place, toddling after him like a lost puppy? She was the princess and future queen of Denmark, and she did not take orders from peons like this bodyguard. But Liva didn’t think anything about that delicate balance of power she had always maintained as Hugh led her down the stairs and towards the kitchens. It didn’t even once cross her mind that Hugh was…less than she was in any way. But perhaps that could be attributed to the early hour - once she was more awake, the lines would make themselves clear again.

But they hadn’t been at all clear last night, when she had asked him to climb into her bed and wrap his arms around her to protect her from her nightmares, when she had fallen asleep so easily in his arms. Why had it been so easy then? Because it was dark and easy to forget who it was she spoke to? Because she was vulnerable and would settle for anyone to hold onto? That must have been it… Liva found herself stealing glances at Hugh when they arrived at the kitchen, only half of her attention focused on being annoyed by his latest training bit. Did he know how they had slept? Had she steal been wrapped in his arms when he had awoken? Did it…did it mean anything to him? It seemed strange that Hugh hadn’t said anything, that he wasn’t blushing or blubbering like a fool. He had seemed to embarrass so easily… Maybe he just didn’t think it mattered. Liva fought the rush of disappointment, telling herself that it was better this way. There were lines that couldn’t be crossed, not because of her father’s or the agency’s rules or their standings in society… No, because Liva could not care for people. Caring for people would be the end of her, she knew, would be her undoing.

“This is stupid.” Liva grumbled, taking the granola bar from Hugh and tearing open the package with a venomous glare in her eyes. She gulped it down, hurrying after Hugh out the door. As she followed him, she couldn’t help but take note of the way he moved, the way his muscles contracted, the same arms that had held onto her and - oh, god. Was she admiring him? Liva felt a blush crawl up her cheeks, a sensation that was near-foreign to her. She quickly averted her attention and trailed after him outside, into the cool LA morning. It was still very warm here, she thought, though she supposed this was considered cool weather here. There was nothing like the cold where she lived, though. “I - No.” Liva stuttered out, letting out another groan of annoyance then as she used the ponytail holder at her wrist to tie back her hair, pulling at it angrily. As she fixed her hair, Hugh seemed as though he was already going to start. “Hey - wait!” Liva called out, finishing her hair in a hurry so that it was a little sloppy. She then broke off in a bit of a sprint to catch up. Never before had anyone aggravated her so much!

Liva wasn’t a bad runner. Actually, she was pretty good on her feet, quick and agile and light-footed. Running was really the only physical activity she liked… And now she was beginning to question that fondness. As the sun began to rise, the air around her became humid and sticky, making the thinner wisps of her hair stick to her skin. And Hugh had such a long stride! It was impossible to keep up without running herself ragged. She managed to make it a few blocks before her breathing became labored, before her legs started to grow heavier with every step. But she forced herself forward, if only for pride’s sake. She couldn’t allow herself to lose any more of her dignity, though the more rational, and much smaller, part of her brain questioned the point in all of this. She was the Princess of Denmark! She didn’t have to go on runs just because some man told her to! But being the princess also meant she couldn’t be made a fool of… Finally, when they began to near the house again, finishing their roundabouts, Liva felt sweet relief. She had slowed down quite a bit, struggling to run alongside Hugh after awhile. She stumbled to the driveway before coming to a stop, bracing her hands on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. Liva coughed once, twice. Dear God, she couldn’t breathe this air! “Are we,” she gasped out, standing up straight again and wiping at her brow, “finished now?” Her voice, though a struggle to get out, still managed the sarcasm just fine. She raised a brow at him, tired and cranky after the training session.

[E M M A]

OH and when liva gets her period i think we can make it thw most awkward funniest thing ever xD hugh: "l-liva? Livs youre bleeding! Are you hurt??" HAHAHAH lololol

[E M M A]

Wait do they go back inside or should he take them elsewhere

[angelena.]

((I guess back inside? Unless we want them to go to the store now? Then Liva could need to get tampons or something and it can be all awkward...))

[E M M A]

Liva wasn't a bad runner. She could keep up a majority of the time when he remembered to shorten his strides, and she seemed to maintain the proper breathing and posture when she jogged alongside him. She was quiet and light on her feet, balanced. Hugh appreciated that the exhaustion of running and remembering to breathe at the same time kept Liva from complaining on their run, leaving him peace to allow his mind to process the morning with fresh air. Exercise kept Hugh happy, and as far as he was getting some sort of activity during the day, he felt like the day could be somewhat more doable, despite the drawbacks of being Liva's bodyguard that he had. The underlying threats that he refused to think about due to the sheer magnitude of stress it brought him were put aside just for the morning, instead, his concentration centered on the rythm of his shoes hitting the cement. Liva's smaller feet echoed beside him, and there was something steady and reliable, relaxing even, about that morning.

The sky was clear and blue, the California sun already high overhead. The neighborhood was quiet, birds chirping their morning calls from tree to tree, while somewhere in the distance, a lawn mower faintly rattled. A thin layer of perspiration had beaded across Hugh's forehead and the back of his neck, cooling his skin as he jogged easily in the cool of the morning. He glimpsed at Liva often, sometimes craning his neck to check how far she had fallen behind, or to see that she was easily keeping up. Loose flyaways from her effortless ponytail matted to her cheek and forehead as they ran due to sweat, just as his own did. Despite having literally just woken up, without makeup nor the proper attire for looking presentable in public, Liva didn't look all that... bad. Of course, he supposed that royalty always looked that way, flawless even in their most vulnerable moments, and for a while, it preoccupied Hugh's thoughts.

For the duration of the run, neither had had much to say, nor had they cared to disturb the peace between them at such an early hour. Appreciating the refreshing sights and Liva's cooperation instead, he was left to mull over what had bothered him a majority of the morning. Surely Liva hadn't seen the way they'd been sleeping together, or if she had awaken in the middle of the night, she would have thought it to be a dream. On his initial reaction waking up, Hugh had been merely stunned, shocked that he had been allowed so close. In a way, it was extremely shamefup and direspectful, what he had done. He was just some lowly bodyguard, who was he to be in the princess of Denmark ' s room, holding her like that? He was a little embarassed. What if his boss had seen? What if the King had seen? That man had entrusted Hugh with his most prized posession, that being his only daughter. Hugh refused to believe that it was his fault, remembering that she had pleaded with him to stay with her, and that he had simply been fulfilling a princess's request.

Besides, Hugh thought, why would Liva want anything to do with him anyway? If she had seen, she wasn't reacting, merely adressing him as she normally would. Perhaps she didn't remember, she hadn't seen. Although a slight disappointed pang gripped him, it was for the better. If she didn't know, his boss wouldn't know, and Hugh would be granted another chance to redeem himself. Knowing that he was certainly many million miles out of Liva's league of eligible boyfriend material, out of anyones, for that matter, it had been nice to wake up holding someone, to be greeted with the sight of another human being first thing in the morning. It helped him remember that he wasn't truly all on his own, that he had someone else, too. He had Liva. Even if she were just his client, he had begun to think of her of a friend. Anyone who could tolerate him, let alone allow him to fall asleep with her, was definitely someone he didn't want to pass up. Even if he wasn't being considered as anything more than a bodyguard.

The house came into their view, Hugh's pace having remarkably slowed to a crawl so the princess could catch her breath. It didn't seem to have worked, the blonde heaving and gasping for air once they made it up the driveway. A slight smile tugged at Hugh's lips, his blue eyes dancing with an entertained gaze. His broad shoulders rose and fell steadily as put his hands on his hips, inhaling and exhaling while the warm sun beat down on their faces in the driveway. "Yes... yes we're done now," Hugh agreed reluctantly, knowing full well that if he pushed Liva to go another lap, she would collapse, suffer a heat stroke of some kind. Brandishing the key card from his backpack, Hugh slid it through the crevice, allowing it to be read by the computers briefly before the entire door groaned and shifted. The airtight seal popped with a rush of air, and the door was swung open. "After you," Hugh gestured, smirking at Liva's bright pink face, accompanied by that same scowl he knew so well.

Inside, the air conditioned home was relieving to his sweaty skin. After being sure that the door was locked again, Hugh showered quickly and slipped into his usual attire of a white dress shirt and black slacks, a tie neatly arranged around his neck. Despite the worm condition of his clothing, he still attempted to mask it by looking well kempt. His hair was properly groomed, the stubble on his cheeks removed by razor blade. Today, he didnt knick himself. Although there was no set plans for the afternoon, Hugh determined that it would be acceptable to go for a drive at least, maybe go to a park. After a brief taste of the outdoors that morning, he was already desperate for more. Maybe it was to get away from the stuffiness of the house. Maybe it was to avoid being harassed with a visit from his boss, or the agency's men. Maybe it was prevent any accidents.... like getting close to Liva or upsetting her again. Anywhere would be better than here. Here, he could hardly remember his professional role, a duty to the king that he owed. He had to take the job more seriously, but Hugh couldn't stop thinking about Liva the night before.

[angelena.]

Liva scowled at Hugh, stepping past him to enter the house, her legs still feeling a little wobbly from their run. Her breathing was leveling out, though, her heart rate slowing to a steady pace. She said nothing more to Hugh before starting up the stairs. Liva felt gross and sticky and fairly naked without her normal makeup on -- and she was not really in a good mood. It was because of this that she couldn’t help herself from lazily giving him the finger as she made her way ahead of him up the stairs, not even glancing his way. Maybe she was upset with Hugh for different reasons, though… or maybe the issue had nothing at all to do with him… Why hadn’t he said anything about last night? Was it possible that when he woke up, they were no longer embracing one another? Or did he just think nothing of it… It aggravated Liva to no end to not know what he was thinking, though she still would claim she couldn’t care at all whether he knew how they had slept or not, whether he cared one way or another. But why wasn’t he saying anything? Why wasn’t Hugh, who had always seemed so awkward and uncomfortable around her because she was of the opposite sex, acting differently? Why wasn’t he blushing and averting his eyes? Why was Liva the one playing the fool?!

Once she was alone in her room and she had shoved all thoughts of last night away, Liva began to strip away her workout clothes, cringing in disgust at the way they clung to her sweat-wet skin. Gross… Before getting dressed, she hopped in the shower just long enough to cleanse her body. Then, it was off to her large closet, off to beautiful clothes that would make her feel better about herself and… A sneaky little thought popped into Liva’s mind then. Her appearance was her greatest asset, her beauty a weapon and a tool to get what she wanted. And right now, it was her way to gain back the control she would prefer to have over Hugh. No more acting like a silly little girl, no more tripping over herself. That was…it was all just stupid, that’s what. So, smiling devilishly, Liva slipped into a dark little skirt and loose shirt that exposed her midriff, fastened a long, sharp-looking silver necklace around her neck, let her hair down from it’s ponytail holder. Then, the princess went to her bathroom, taking extra care with her makeup and the curls she put into her fair hair. Oh no, she would be the fool no longer… It wasn’t as though she cared if Hugh found her attractive enough. But everyone was supposed to think she was attractive…

When the pain in her abdomen started, Liva at first assumed it to be nothing more than the consequences of running when she hadn’t run in awhile. It had been a few weeks since she had gotten on a treadmill, and she had pushed herself extra hard today to keep up with Hugh and not look the fool. But as she maneuvered around her bedroom and another sharp pain hit her, Liva braced a hand against the wall, her face contorted into one of discomfort as she waited for it to pass. “No….” She grumbled, groaning even though no one was there to here her annoyance. “No, no, no…” Liva moved then, wincing at the slight pain as she started going through the cabinets in her private bathroom. She opened drawer after drawer, scoured shelf after shelf -- Oh, come on! The CIA gave her more board games than she could count, but they didn’t think she might need some feminine toiletries. Releasing another aggravated groan, Liva stormed out of her bathroom, crossed her bedroom, and strode right out the door and down the hall. And then she was knocking on Hugh’s door -- well, banging really. “Hugh!” She called in, her mood soured by this turn of events.

But then, before he answered the door, a thought occurred to her… How was she going to tell him? Would he understand, considering how little he seemed to know about women? Liva’s face suddenly reddened at the thought of having to explain what was wrong with her. Her eyes were still a bit wide in embarrassment when he opened his door, looking far more put-together after their run. “I, um…” She mumbled, flustered and struggling to find the right words, even after her angry little march to his door. “We need to go to a grocery store - like, now.” She said urgently, nodding her head once in an authoritative way to make her seem more in control of this situation. She was the freaking princess of Denmark - she could handle ordering her bodyguard to take her to the store. Unfortunately, she couldn’t do that without stumbling awkwardly over her words. “I…need to get certain things.” She hinted upon his hesitation, putting as much meaning into the words as she could. “It’s, you know… time.” She cleared her throat a little awkwardly and then scorned herself for it, forcing her chin to lift up and her brow to raise expectantly at him. Liva needed tampons and she needed some freaking pain medication to take care of her stomach. This was probably why her stupid hangover headache was so bad, too… Really, could mother nature have picked a worse time?

[E M M A]

HAHAHAHAH OML this is perfect ily angelena ♡♡

[E M M A]

He'd been tearing apart his room in desperate search of his favorite watch, as he could have sworn he had put it down on his dresser the night before before he'd gotten into bed. It was something that he had spent good money on, and he'd had it since he was fifteen. That watch had been through the thick and thin, and he wasn't about to roll over and give up, opt to buy a new one just like it at the store. First off, he couldnt afford another watch as much as he would have liked to, so clearly that wasn't an option. Secondly, that watch held sentimental value- it was a possession he held dear to his heart, even if it didn't seem like he treasured such an inanimate object. He even had a faint tan line on his left wrist from wearing it so often. If he had lost it, he would be disoriented, distracted immensely by its absence.

He didn't even have to be wearing it. The fact that it had gone AWOL would slowly tear him apart until he eventually gave up- only to start up again a day later. Little minute things such as this bothered Hugh to no extent, so when Liva came knocking, he wasn't exactly too thrilled to kneel at her beck and call. "Yes, Liva?" Hugh opened the door wearily, using his fingers to sweep through his slightly wavy dark hair, still damp from his shower and gel. He was more put off by Liva's harried disposition, cautious for what was to come next. She seemed as if she were about to yell at him for something, blame him for yet another thing- but he kept his assumptions to himself. Liva's mood swings were not something to get involved with, he had learned. It was best to lie low, listen to what she had to say and not let it faze him.

He drummed his fingers on the edge of the door, leaning in its frame on his shoulder. Hugh was perplexed and inattentive by being cut off from finding that watch. If she was harassing him for some irrelevant topic, he was sure to turn right back around and continue his search. What could it have been, anyway? He assumed it were some missing jewel, or a tarnished pair of shoes, judging by the way she was dressed, which, by the way, had him a bit startled. Was she planning on going out again? His blue eyes scrutinized her outfit, his eyebrows furrowed with suspicion. He didn't realize that it did look like he were checking her out, until it was too late and he'd already embarassed himself. Hugh grit his teeth already pretended not to be bothered, although his cheeks flowered a faint tinge of pink.

Liva did look well presented from the last time he'd seen her, her appearance catching him off guard. He'd just gotten accustomed to her sweaty, sleepy eyed state, and now that Liva looked as if she were goijg to a fashion show... he didn't know what to think. Did she have somewhere to be that he had just forgotten? Was it simply for the fun of it? Or because she was a princess, and thought that it was necessary for her to go out of her way to dress to please every day? They were both blushing and awkward by now, albeit for completely irrelevant reasons. As bad as it sounded, Hugh wasn't able to take Liva as seriously until she dressed like a princess, even if the skirt might have been short for the royal expectations and standards. When she had been in leggings and an old shirt, Hugh had felt... like he was on the same level as her. Like he was average, and there was no pressure to try to be impressive.

Now that Liva had raised her bar, Hugh felt his impoverished class state and his plain clothing as a disgrace. She was a princess. He had to be more serious about his job, and treat her better. Wasn't that the way to go? It also made Hugh more nervous around Liva, as if she had transformed into another person entirely and would use her power and title to make him fall to his knees. It made everything about the night before and that morning so very, very wrong. He was a lowly commoner, she was of noble blood. Even if his initial mindset had been to not care, Hugh found himself anxious. "The... the store?" He blinked, drawing out the words slowly. Her urgency caused for Hugh's own to elevate, questions flooding his pounding head. Why did she need to go to a store? His first thought was that they were meeting someone there, but then he realized that it couldn't be possible.

Liva had no access to Internet or cellular service- the house was a barren black hole with safeguards and firewalls. The only thing that worked was that heavy fireproof government laptop he had to check his emails for files or to check the weather forecast. He was impressed to think that she were trying to implement something through her suggesting tones, but nothing she was saying was getting through to him. "Certain things," Hugh repeated right after her, returning a blank stare. "Time? Liva, for God's sake, what is it? And aren't you a little over dressed for the grocery store?" Came his exasperated response at last, as he pushed his weight off the door frame and huffed with his hands on his hips.

Between Liva's stubborn refusal to outright declare whatever it was that was possessing her and Hugh's own naiveté, a suffocatingly awkward silence of Hugh's raised eyebrows and Liva's raised eyebrows ensued. He had no honest idea of what it was that was going on, and he hadn't asked for permission if it was acceptable to go venturing out into public for no apparent reason. Then, Hugh saw her press her hand to her abdomen, her eyes rolling at his stupidity. Something seemed to pain her in her stomach area, maybe it was a stomachache? His blue eyes widened the size of moons when he at last registered her dilemma. "O-oh-!" Hugh blurted, horrified. It's time, she had said. Time of the month? Yes, he knew this now. Although he didn't have an expanded knowledge of the woman's monthly cycles, he did have enough basic health class education to understand that she was on her period.

"Right, yes- erm, get in the car, we'll go," Hugh agreed, swallowing his humiliation. It made sense now why Liva had been so unpredictable and hormonal the past few days he'd known her. He wasn't exactly sure what she would need, but he figured she would grab them at the store. Without bothering to call his boss and let him know about their outing, Hugh snatched his shoes from off the floor by his bed and laced them on his feet hurriedly. For Liva's sake and for his own of not knowing what would happen if they didn't reach the grocery store in a timely manner as Liva would have liked, it didn't take much for Hugh to be already in the garage, clicking on his seat belt in the drivers seat of the SUV. Once Liva had slipped inside the car, the garage was opened, closed, and the humming vehicle barreled it's way down the main streets to the local drug store.

The parkinglot wasn't too crowded for that morning, so Hugh wasn't all that concerned about being able to pick out suspicious faces or dangers. In fact, he was more intent on finding what Liva needed rather than protecting her life. "I guess I'll follow you," Hugh murmured, parking in one of the closest spots with a smooth turn of the wheel. He glimpsed sideways at the princess, then back at the dash. Why was it that he was so kind to her? She was lucky. Sighing, he unlocked the car, patting his lower back to be reassured his gun was in fact there. The same black windbreaker was draped around him and zipped for extra protection, and the two were off to the grocery store. Hugh really had no idea when it came to feminine products, but he could have sworn that girls used things called tampons during that special time of the month. What exactly they looked like or what they did, he had no idea. He'd attended an all boys orphanage that was short on staff. He might have been able to diffuse bombs, but curing cramps? He was lost.

[angelena.]

Despite her embarrassment at the current situation, Liva felt a pang of satisfaction when she felt Hugh’s gaze slide over her, when she saw his blush following the examination. It gave her a bit more courage to continue on with her mission, and more courage to speak to Hugh in general. He thought she was attractive, she was sure of it! He had to… But God, would it kill him to compliment her or something? Or gawk at her a little more so she could be sure? Liva wanted to just shout at him every time he refused to acknowledge her appearance. Look at me, look at me! It was important to her that people thought she was pretty; it had always been that way. Because she was a princess and was told she was beautiful so often that she had come to rely on that fact. And it was a power game, too. Everything Liva knew was somehow related to power. Everything was a power struggle. She needed to be the one people gawked at, the one who was instantly admired for how they appeared, because it helped her to gain powers over others, to keep up her control and her mask of confidence.

Hugh had to think she was hot. She would accept no alternative.

But, unfortunately, it seemed right now that Hugh was thinking wrong. In terms of her problem, that was. He…he didn’t get it. Liva didn’t back down, giving him an incredulous look as it took him way too long to piece together what was ailing her. “Men…“ She huffed in annoyance. Finally, when she began cramping again and placed a hand to her stomach in discomfort, a light bulb seemed to come on in his mind. Liva blushed, looking at the floor awkwardly during his revelation. “Thank you.” Liva mumbled sarcastically when he told her to get in the car, still blushing wildly. Hugh disappeared into his bedroom to go get his shoes on. She waited awkwardly at the threshold of his door, knowing she couldn’t really leave the house without him and his stupid keycard. Liva tapped her manicured fingers against his doorframe impatiently, needing to get outside and into some fresh air as soon as possible. Fresh air to cool her cheeks and rid her of this flustering atmosphere.

The princess followed Hugh down the stairs, out the door, and into the driveway. She waited for him to unlock the car and then slid easily into the passenger’s seat of the SUV. Weird, it was, to ride in the passenger’s seat of a car. Usually, if she wasn’t driving, she was riding in the back of a limousine. During this car ride, neither of them talked, though Liva shifted every once in awhile, both because she felt awkward and because shifting position helped to quell the discomfort in her stomach every now and then. The silence of the car was near unbearable, so she was relieved when they arrived at the store, where Hugh maneuvered them into a parking space with the swiftness of a man who was eager to get something over with. Liva might have smirked if she hadn’t been so embarrassed herself. When he spoke, Liva was a bit startled by the sound…and what he said made her feel like a deer caught in headlights. She faltered, opening and closing her mouth several times as she tried to think of what to say. Liva hopped out of the car, hurrying alongside Hugh in order to keep up with his long strides.

“Well, I don’t know where things are!” Liva protested quietly, as though embarrassed someone would overhear their conversation. “It isn’t like I do my own shopping, Hugh…” Her cheeks grew a fierce shade of red and she averted her eyes in an attempt to hide her blush from him. Just as she had felt in the kitchen or in the fitness center, Liva was now embarrassed because of her incompetence at handling things the lower class did daily. She felt ridiculous for not knowing such things that were supposed to be commonplace -- and even more so considering the nature of this certain task. What were they supposed to do if she didn’t know where the tampons were or where the pain medication was? Hugh obviously would have no clue about their locations… Were their maps here? Or - or servants who could fetch the items she intended to buy? Surely there had to be some sort of service provided for shoppers like her! Couldn’t someone just announce her as the Princess of Denmark and people would come to wait on her hand and foot? Well…maybe not, considering she wasn’t the princess here. What was that stupid false name she was supposed to use? Oh…Nikki. Ew. She couldn’t remember what her false relationship to Hugh was supposed to be. Were they siblings? Cousins? A freaking married couple? “Can’t you ask someone or something?”

[E M M A]

Ok gonna finish my reply finally oml

[E M M A]

Oh yeah and did we say what their relationship as nikki and hugh was? Should it be couple? ?? Or friends??

[angelena.]

Um... I don't remember, but I can't see the agency wanting them to act like a couple - but it would be funny if people (like the store clerks or something) assumed they were. xD

[E M M A]

Okay xD on it already hahahah

[E M M A]

Hugh trusted that Liva would at least get into the store, locate what it was that she needed promptly, and they would be back into the safety of the armored car. A girl Liva's age, he didn't have any shred of doubt that she'd be expert at picking out feminine hygiene products at the drug store. That it would be automatic, maybe a natural sixth sense that all women possessed. He was the wrong person to ask when it came to knowing about the female cycle, he had no idea about the first thing about a girl's period. The only things that he understood were that girls became very moody during this time and were not to be crossed. And they bled through their netherparts. It didn't sound pleasant whatsoever, so Hugh was eager to make sure Liva was properly... equipped with the supplies that she would need this week. He wasn't so keen on cleaning blood stains, especially if it... Hugh shuddered at the thought, stepping into the air conditioned cool of the store.

"We can look, Liv- er, Nikki, I'm sure they won't be too hard to find," Hugh grunted, his blue eyes already sweeping the building for not only suspicious looking men, but also some sort of tell tale sign that would lead them to the female period shrine of tampons. Were tampons pills? He wasn't so sure. The princess lingered at his side, clinging behind him ever so hesitant and unwilling even with the stake at hand. She had been urgent earlier, desperate- why was she stopped now? Liva admitted that she didn't do her own shopping, to which he couldnt help but react in the most shocked manner. His jaw parted, his head swiveling to look Liva over. Was she being sarcastic? Or did she genuinely, honest and truly, not do her own personal shopping? Her flaring red cheeks confirmed his doubts, her blonde locks tickling her face as she hid her embarassed eyes.

Although she were a princess, he had believed for some reason that every human being conducted their personal shopping affairs, at least sometimes, even if they were the president of the United States, or the Queen of England. Clearly, he was mistaken. Hugh was beginning to discover that he didn't know anything about anything at all. "Well..." Hugh trailed off, perplexed. Liva looked to be equally challenged, her eyes flickering frantically around their surroundings. They'd meandered into an aisle for the sake of not standing in front of the automatic doors and arousing suspicion, but Hugh was just as lost as his female client was. "Me? Ask someone?" He repeated, chewing the inside of his cheek as he eyed the teenage cashier with stringy arms and greasy hair, chewing gum while he peered over at them curiously.

Hugh gave the boy a brief strained smile, as if to reassure him that they weren't stealing things, and turned back towards "Nikki". He sometimes forgot that he had to call her by her alias, and treat her differently than he would any other time of the day at the house. Hugh poked and prodded at the assorted toothbrushes hanging from the aisle shelf with feigned interest, in hopes of convincing the boy that they were indeed innocent, that they weren't a couple of misplaced freaks in the wrong place at the wrong time. "W-what is it that you need... exactly again?" Hugh whispered over his shoulder, irises that mirrored the ocean enlarged with some sort of sheepish timidity. His hollow cheeks were tinted rose, his fingers tracing the sharp edge of the plastic packaging of a toothbrush he had selected for no reason at all. Liva wasn't permitted a chance to enlighten him, however, as an oddly pitched voice cracked behind them.

"Excuse-" Dylan croaked, realizing his mistake before clearing his throat and trying again. "Excuse me, may I help you two find something?" It was that pathetic acne infested rat from the counter, his greasy overgrown hair dangling over one of his eyes. Hugh could detect a faint whiff of Marijuana on his clothes, but maybe that was just his own premonition of the average teenage boy. Relieved for a distraction, Hugh replaced the toothbrush onto the wall, ignoring the irksome reaction he had to how Dylan seemed to have his eyes rest on Liva for a moment more than was necessary. "Yes, I- she, she needs... erm... feminine... things, for her... her time," Hugh babbled, tripping over his words uncomfortably as he squirmed at Liva's side, cheeks burning. Dylan raised a lazy eyebrow up at them, snapping the gum between his teeth, before snorting in disbelief.

"Pads? Tampons? Chocolate? Shouldn't you know this stuff by now?" He snickered, grinning to reveal a slightly crooked row of teeth at Hugh's uneasiness. "You need a new boyfriend," Dylan shot Liva a suggestive wink, turning around and starting off in the direction he'd come from. "Well, come on, I'll show you," he rolled his eyes, his shoulders slouched as he strutted in front of them, hands in his pockets. He'd been labelled as Livas boyfriend. Although it was wrong of him to react, Hugh had been about to open his mouth and protest when he realized what it would do. First off, it would compromise his cover, and second, the flirtatious hormonal moron would continue to make similar advances on "Nikki", which could not at any expense be tolerated. Why he cared, he didn't know. At the moment, he just felt extremely defensive, and eyed Dylan carefully.

Even if he could do no real harm, Hugh hated the way Dylan's eyes checked Liva out like some prize. To Hugh, he screamed someone that was trying to show off too much with the exaggerated swagger in his step, which was sparking Hugh's very, very short fuse. The bodyguard exchanged a look with Liva, sighing softly in relief as the two trailed after this strange excuse of a human being. Dylan led them to the side of the store, past a section of medicines and bandaids, into a complete row dedicated to pads, tampons, pantiliners- you name it. For Hugh, who didn't exactly know what a period was and the specifications of the whole cycle, wouldn't have felt too uncomfortable in the aisle, had it not been for the way Dylan had talked about it, and how hesitant Liva had been to discuss the topic with him on the car ride or even when she had demanded that they leave for the store not half an hour before.

"Thank you," Hugh dismissed blatantly, allowing a curt nod before turning his broad back on the gangly teen. Dylan wasn't too keen on leaving yet without prodding at Hugh's buttons, for the sake of teen rebellion and being an arrogant male. "What kind of flow do you have? We've got anything from light to heavy, you name it babe, I can find it for you," Dylan shrugged his shoulders, ignoring Hugh's presence with a nonchalant attitude that drove Hugh's nerves every which way. The mere audacity of this kid, the disgusting way in which he addressed the princess- it was a little much. Hugh was quiet, deciding it was best not to interfere and escalate something that would dissolve in a matter of seconds on its own. Or he thought it would, anyway. Who did that kid think he was, to call Liva "babe"? To look her up and down like an object, with lusty eyes in the places they shouldn't be?

Hugh's jaw clenched as the boy lingered, leaning against the shelf casually a little close to Liva than Hugh would have liked. He had to get rid of this... Dylan. They had things to do. Deciding he'd seen enough, Hugh stood between Liva and Dylan, the youths eyes growing wide as the bodyguard straightened to his full height. "I said, thank you," Hugh snapped, scowling at Dylan in hopes that his snippy mood wouldn't be further aggravated. "Alright, alright, fine dude, sorry... she's just hot, man," Dylan raised his hands in surrender, backing away with an annoyed huff. "Find someone else," came Hugh's unsympathetic snarl, his eyes narrowing at Dylan's still slowly retreating figure. That seemed to do the trick, as the boy disappeared within seconds around the corner and out of sight.

[angelena.]

Hey, I just got back from work and I'm going to hop in the shower real quick. When I get done I'll try to start on a reply for this. <3 <3 <3

[E M M A]

OKAY!!

[angelena.]

The princess fought a smile at her bodyguard’s awkwardness in speaking to the teenage employee, thinking for a moment that it was quite endearing… until she realized what she was thinking and stopped thinking it immediately. Whether for better or worse, the employee’s, uh, word choice soon stole her attention away. She blinked at his forwardness, blushing for a brief moment before she recovered. Why the heck was she embarrassed? Well… it wasn’t like Liva went through these processes herself, so she wasn’t used to talking about these things in public, and she wasn’t used to such forwardness, as European men were often a bit more reserved. Or maybe young men were just timid around her. If this little boy knew who she was, he would be wetting himself. Liva couldn’t help but look down her nose at him… until he dropped the whole couple bomb on her and Hugh. Liva faltered, surprise and embarrassment rushing to her expression. “Oh, he’s not - we’re not - “ Liva tried desperately to recover, darting a glance at Hugh, who didn’t seem to be protesting too much…. She averted her gaze, trying to recover. So what if this kid thought they were together?

They weren’t together, of course, no matter what any teenage employee at a grocery store suspected. Liva followed helplessly after the boy, her bodyguard trailing behind her. She just needed to get her supplies and get out of here, before she got even more embarrassed. Seriously, what was wrong with her? Liva was never flustered like this and - and she needed to get a grip on herself and on this situation. Liva straightened her back, gliding easily into the isle with the teenager, not letting his lusty eyes or her presumed relationship with her bodyguard faze her. “Uh… thanks.” She muttered, obviously not used to expressing the sentiment. Normal girl. She was supposed to just be a normal girl here with her…boyfriend? Husband? Cousin? Brother? Well, she was just here with some guy getting her tampons. She wasn’t a princess. She wasn’t in danger. She was just… normal.

Liva raised an eyebrow at the teenager whose nametag read Dylan, an incredulous expression crossing her face as she beheld his acne riddled face and his greasy hair. She didn’t bother to hide her disdain -- she never did. When you’re a princess, you don’t have to worry about being polite to riff-raff when the cameras aren’t pointed in your direction. So, Liva stared at him without thought, half disgusted by the brashness of American youth and half amused by his boldness when she was obviously way out of his league… and age range. Liva was used to attention from males, though, so it didn’t faze her much. Just an annoyance, really, and she was about to wave him off, to mutter something heartless and go about her own embarrassing business without this added element to make her more embarrassed, when Hugh stepped in. The princess blinked in surprise, taking a step back as her bodyguard stepped in front of her. Just doing his guard duties… Right? It was his job to make sure she was safe and comfortable during her stay here, and she was by no means comfortable with this twerp around… Hugh was just doing his job. Nevertheless, she couldn’t help but blush when Dylan called her hot in front of her bodyguard. It wasn’t that the attention flustered her… Just that being talked about like that in front of Hugh was flustering.

“Territorial, much?” Liva questioned Hugh amusedly once Dylan disappeared down the isle. She wasn’t looking at Hugh, though, and there was a small, almost bashful smile on her lips, which was unlike her. Liva wasn’t used to this… to people defending her so-called honor when her father wasn’t around to witness their bold acts. “I mean, I appreciate it and all, but you didn’t have to… I can take care of myself when it comes to teenage boys, you know? No danger there.” She winked at him before turning her attention away from him and to the shelves full of feminine products. Liva hesitated, eyes scanning the packages. It took her a second to translate the English in her mind and then she was still confused. Heavy flow, light flow… She didn’t know! Her cheeks coloring in embarrassment, Liva quickly snatched the first package of tampons she saw, it’s bright pink packaging attracting her attention. “Here. Let’s go.” She muttered, clearing her throat awkwardly. “Uh… actually, I need some medicine for… you know, cramps.” Why did it embarrass her so much to talk about this to Hugh? She just… she needed some medicine to fix this too or something, before it got out of hand…

(view spoiler)[So sorry! I feel asleep last night and I had a late-night rehearsal tonight so I couldn't post this! (hide spoiler)]

[E M M A]

How late are you up??

[angelena.]

((I'll probably be getting off pretty soon))

[E M M A]

"Territorial?" Hugh snorted defensively, his glowering gaze torn away from the direction in which Dylan had slipped away after Hugh had scolded him. That greasy haired teen even still infuriated him to an uncomprehendable extent, irritation apparent on his sharp features. Liva thought he was being territorial? What did that even mean! He had simply been doing his job... right? It was his forsworn duty to ensure that Liva would not be disturbed by civillians or terrorists alike. Dylan had been the largest direct threat to Liva's safety so far, right under the time when the man had attempted to force the princess into his car and drive off with her. Hugh was not territorial. His cheeks grew warm with the notion, protest inscribed in the creases of his wrinkled forehead. "He was bothering you," Hugh grumbled, his blue eyes searching for anything to look at, anything but Liva- and all the feminine care products in that aisle.

The blonde, whose mood had improved terrifically since they'd walked into the store a few minutes earlier, seemed to have an issue with how Hugh had disposed of Dylan. No danger-? There was plenty of it in a desperate teenage boy! Of course there was danger! Hugh didn't trust the ways Dylan had eyed the princess- Hugh was surprised he hadn't wrung the boys neck first. Harrumphing and acting as if he had never caught her teasing wink, Hugh crossed his arms across his chest, grouchily glancing over his shoulder often to check for a certain shaggy haired employee. Being in the aisle made him feel alienated and impatient. Liva couldn't decide on the multiple brands and different types of materials, as he could see by the pictures on some of the packaging. He couldn't resist the curiosity to skim over the text of some of the packages, and he immediately regretted his decision.

Heavy flow? With wings? Core channel absorption? What really happened on a girl's period? Left confused and rather frustrated that he had come upon a topic he knew nothing about, Hugh's eyes decided to look elsewhere in hopes that he'd be distracted enough to forget the odd discoveries. Liva abruptly selected a box and turned on her heel, but not before she timidly mumbled her need for something else. Again. Medicine? For cramps? Was she honestly in that much pain? Hugh was oblivious to the extreme agony caused by these special lady cramps, assuming that they were just like any other cramp on the side or the foot. "Oh, please, you won't need medicine for that. Li- er, Nikki, is there anything else that you need from here?" Hugh had initially dismissed the idea of tracking down another employee to guide them to the over the counter drugs aisles. If he could avoid Dylan at any costs, he would take it.

He had been confident that they would be able to leave the store now once they'd paid, but Liva didn't budge. He had been given a certain look, and without words being exchanged, Hugh knew that they would not be leaving this store until Liva Nordskov laid her dainty fingertips on that bottle of cramp pills. Exaggerating a sigh, Hugh slowly turned around, his tall lean frame and his slumped shoulders visible over the shelves highest point, so it made it easy for him to be seen. "We shouldn't be out for too long, help me find this, and quickly or you won't be having it," Hugh encouraged sternly, although worry did creep into his voice on account of being reminded of who was keeping track of them two , who was watching them, who was waiting for Hugh to blunder, make some silly, otherwise unnoticed mistake.

Weaving through several aisles, it took Hugh's driven determination and ever suspicious eye to find the pills along a large wall. "Well, found them! I hope you know what your... bottle looks like." He raised an expectant eyebrow at the blonde princess. There had to be hundreds of types within that store. But if Liva couldn't have picked out her tampons, how would she pick her drugs? Hugh took it upon himself to being skimming through google answers and the stores supply column by column for telltale names and bottle descriptions of things that could work. Within a minute, Hugh had gathered a few options, including birth control, an anti inflammatory, tylenol, advil, and some other ibuprofen. These he collected in his wide palms, holding them outstretched to Liva with bottles precariously arranged in his hand. "Would any of these do? Should we get all of them?" Hugh offered, perplexed at how many options there really were. He had doubts and argument concerns about the usage of some of the drugs, but if WebMD had given him this advice, wasn't it certified safe or something like that? How birth control helped and how tampons worked were two wonders Hugh would never understand.

[angelena.]

I'm going to write a reply for this tomorrow night! I was going to try tonight but I'm not feeling really good, so I need to get some sleep... I promise it will be posted soon, though!!! ^.^

[angelena.]

Aww, thanks! And yeah, no problem there! I've had such a crazy weekend -- Sorries from me, too! Love you!!!! Goodnight. ^.^

[angelena.]

Aww, feel better!!!!

[angelena.]

Okay, so yesterday I ended up falling asleep at 5:30 in the afternoon and I didn't wake up until this morning??? I guess my sickness and my busy schedule all caught up with me and I crashed. xD So I'm sorry I couldn't get a post in!!! I have lessons tonight, but my reply will be up some time today!!! ^.^

[angelena.]

Yeah, I feel a lot better! The sleep was definitely needed. xD

[angelena.]

The princess of Denmark raised an eyebrow at her bodyguard. “Bothering me?” She questioned. “He wasn’t bothering me - not really!” She laughed a bit, though the sound was a bit forced. Liva had to turn this around on him, had to make it seem like she wasn’t thankful for Hugh’s intervention, like she didn’t want to believe he was protective of her… “He’s just a kid, Hugh. What’s he going to do? Pull a gun on me if I refuse to go out with him? Besides, I get called hot all the time. It’s not really new…” She flipped her blonde hair over her shoulder casually, her nose slightly upturned and her posture straightened a bit as if she was suggesting he notice her figure. If she called herself hot, surely Hugh would be forced to notice that she was. He had to think she was attractive, right? Liva, still unable to resist teasing him, drawled out, “It’s perfectly fine, Hugh. I think it’s sweet that you’re over-protective of me. It’s cute to see guys get all riled when competition comes along…” As if he wasn’t, you know, her bodyguard and it wasn’t his actual job to protect her. Liva just had to keep making comments like this, had to keep herself in control, had to make sure he was embarrassed so she wouldn’t be… Toeing a line. She was always toeing some line with him…

Surprised, Liva could do little more than blink at Hugh’s disagreement. “Uh… excuse me?” She asked, incredulity seeping into her expression. She didn’t need medication for cramps? Hugh waved her off like it was no big deal. Since when did he become the expert on the female body and it’s needs? “Um, Hugh…” She tried carefully, gently attempting to explain things without it becoming to awkward for them. “Wait, what -- Nikki?” Liva didn’t understand why he had called her that at first, but realization for that dawned on her the same moment a different sort of realization dawned on him. And then she felt nothing but relief. They were getting her medicine for cramps. She would be fine. Her stomach wasn’t going to explode from pain… Liva couldn’t help but grumble to herself at the suggestion that if she did not hurry, she would not “be having” her medicine, muttering a few strong words in Danish. As if Hugh could tell her what she would and would not be having! If she wanted something, she got it… Well, except for everything as of late. But she would get this stupid medicine or else she would make Hugh’s life a living Hell. Not that she knew what that medicine was, just as she didn’t know what kind of tampons she used. God, she just hoped the package she held would work as far as that went. The package was colorful and had a pretty design on it… That meant they worked fine, right? Liva held the tampon package in both hands as she waited with Hugh awkwardly, the sounds of his fingers tapping against his phone screen the only sound in the isle. God, Liva was going to go crazy, wasn’t she?

“Umm…” Liva’s brow furrowed as she scrutinized the bottles Hugh held, working in her mind to translate the English medicinal terms. When her eyes scanned the birth control bottle, she couldn’t help herself. Liva raised a brow at Hugh. “Are you suggesting something?” She questioned without thinking, only meaning to tease. When the true nature of her words hit her, she blushed looking down. Liva spoke without thinking a lot, and talked about touchy things like that with ease around most people. She kept forgetting that with Hugh it was different, that she couldn’t just make jokes about sex and relationships without feeling flustered herself. “I - uh - I mean, they’ll work. They do work, I think.” Birth control pills had always worked to control her cramps in the past -- she was sure that was what she had been given before. It would be best for them to just get all the bottles to be sure, though… “Okay, let’s go.” She said quickly, eager to get out of there. After her last joke, Liva wouldn’t dare meet his eyes as she snatched a few of the bottles from his hands to help him carry them. The gesture was strange for her, as usual Liva never did any of her own lifting either. People carried her things for her, that was just the way it was… She didn’t know why she kept treating Hugh like her equal.

Liva tried to channel that Danish Queen energy that always helped her through embarrassing moments in the past as she maneuvered her way past Hugh and down the isle. Once they were in the front of the store, Liva caught Dylan’s eye from where he stood at his cash register. He glanced behind her once, most likely checking to make sure Hugh wasn’t paying attention, before dropping her a wink. Liva felt her stomach turn and knew it wasn’t just from the cramps… “Uh, let’s go to that register.” She said, pointing a dainty finger towards one of the only other open ones, sure that Dylan saw that gesture and not caring that he did. Liva started forwards without waiting for Hugh’s consent, wanting to escape that hormonal teenage boy’s creepy gaze. There was no line to her desired register, thankfully. The whole grocery store actually seemed a bit empty for LA… Maybe cause all the normal people were busy at work or having lunch with their families. Meanwhile, the Princess of Denmark was buying tampons with her bodyguard under the lame alias Nikki.

[E M M A]

YASSSSS ANGELENA THANK YOU ♡♡

[E M M A]

Of course the boy hadn't been bothering Liva. Of course not. Hugh was just a paranoid freak who payed too much attention to his job and not enough to the things that seemed to count, because that was just the crazy bodyguard he was said to be. He was just some overprotective protector, someone who wasn't going to have any of this flirting bypass him and affect his client. Disgruntled and annoyed at Liva's claim that this little Dylan boy hadn't been a problem at all, and that he had been rather undeserving of Hugh's rude growls, he had merely harrumphed in unspoken disagreement. It was highly arrogant of Liva to have pointed out her attractiveness to the majority of men to him, but he hadn't said anything. The princess wasn't... hideous, no... but for some reason, Hugh couldn't view her as the striking young woman everyone claimed her to be.

He couldn't see that side, Hugh just wasn't ready for that sort of thought process. He never was. He seemed to have fallen short of the typical male gene pool of having these raging unmanageable impulses of attraction and perversion. Females were females, he viewed them as such, as other beings who dwelled on earth side by side men and animals. The notion of being in love, or falling captive to the appearance of one such female was something he couldn't perceive. He could never lust after a woman, let alone a client of all people. Besides, she was royalty; even if Hugh was normal and could fall in love, she would never love him back. He viewed himself as being the bottom most of society's totem pole- one without family, heritage, or future, he was least likely to have the attentions of a well desired princess.

Of course, Liva had to, as the only highlight of her sorry excuse of a day, have the delight in mocking him for his quirky actions. Burning in shame, frustration, and humility, Hugh set his jaw in a firm clench, restraing against speaking out and riling another argument between them. A faint scarlet color rose to his hollow cheeks, his eyes looking anywhere but at her. "It's my job , Nikki," he managed to grumble under his breath. He wasn't riled, and Dylan was definitely no competition. Hugh wasn't even competing for Liva's affections in the first place. Right? It would have been foolish to do so, considering his client's rank and social status. Wouldn't it be nice, though? To be noticed by someone like Liva, someone rich, famous, someone with royal blood coursing through their delicate veins? Wouldn't it be nice if someone noticed him like that, looked at him, blinded by love? Noticed him, a street rat?

Averting his eyes to the floor after realizing he had been staring at her, Hugh had set to work in finding her precious medicines. Doing his little research on lady medication had been some solace to distract him from what had occured earlier, maybe even refocus him on the task at hand. They would be able to leave this wretched place when he found them. At last, he held the bottles in question up for Liva's scrutiny, just about as clueless as the blonde in all these decisions. He should have probably researched the side effects of these medications and sought to find out if they truly worked or not, but it didn't exactly occur to Hugh at the moment. Liva, or Nikki, paused on the birth control bottle, raising her eyebrows in tease at him again.

"What now?" Hugh complained, his own darker eyebrows knit over anxious blue eyes. It seemed to never end, this whole teasing thing. Was he suggesting what? His eyes failed to flicker with recognition as to what she was saying, his stare blank and expectant. What was she getting at now? Just then, Liva's face turned a familiar shade of red the same red it had become earlier when he'd panicked about the towel incident. He was still quite unsure what was going on, as seemed to be the trend of late. "Good, we're done then?" He stated more than offered, dispensing of the small boxes he had juggled in his hands. Luckily, Liva carried both of her special items, so he wouldn't have to bear the embarassment of toting the feminine products around, particularly the- oh.

The birth control.

It dawned on Hugh what Liva had been getting at earlier, some two minutes previous. In the time it had taken them to pick a register, Hugh finally understood her poke at him. His first reaction was to outwardly deny the thoughts in his head, then, it was to shrivel inwardly due to agonizing embarassment. Birth control, he'd read, was supposed to ease the pains of menstrual cramps (whatever those were), but their original purpose was of course preventing babies. Uncomfortable, Hugh's eyes were shifty, avoiding Liva purposefully and choosing instead to watch Dylan with a searing gaze. What would his boss think if he were to see Hugh's transactions off of the work credit card? Birth control? Of course, his boss would jump to conclusions, convince the Danish king that Hugh was getting into his daughter's pants, hence the birth control. Then his career, his life, would be over...

What was he even going to do? What was he- "Did you find everything alright today?" An older females voice reached his ears, followed by the beeping sounded of the bar code scanner as their, or Liva's, two items were rung up. Hugh's distant worried eyes flickered back down to the woman, then to the credit card keypad. "Oh," Hugh mumbled in apology, fumbling in his pocket for his weathered wallet. It was easy to spot the sleek dark master credit card in one of the sleeves of his wallet, even easier to slide the card down its slot knowing that the money wasn't being taken from his meager bank account. "Is that all for you two today?" The woman tried again, smiling fondly at the two. "Yeah," came Hugh's gruff and unemotional response, as the receipt was printed and stuck into the bag.

He reached out for the plastic bag and gave the woman a curt nod without further conversation, and ushered Liva from the store. "Have a good afternoon!" She called unrelenting after them. It took every fiber within his being to not say something snide back over his shoulder, or to reach over the second register to wrap his itching fingers around grease boy's neck. Outside he inhaled fresh air somewhat greedily, just relieved to be removed from such a stressful and odd situation. Liva had her tampons and medicine, and all the awkwardness with it was over with. They could go back to that lovely mansion, and be secluded from the world again. Thrilling. "Satisfied?" Hugh snorted as he slammed his door shut, cracking his neck and rolling his tense knotted shoulders before starting up the SUV. The woman back at the register probably thought he and Liva were together, he was thinking. Everyone probably had. He didn't feel too comfortable with the notion, almost felt compelled to go back inside and declare it to everyone who'd seen them. For some reason, Hugh couldn't stand it when the truth went unsaid, when people were left to make their own assumptions rather than hearing the good awful truth.

[angelena.]

((I'm about to go to bed, but hopefully tomorrow? I'll have some tests to study for tomorrow night, but I'll try to get a post in!))

[angelena.]

“Well, it wasn’t your job to sleep in my bed last night.” Liva said automatically, speaking without any thought at all as she often did. But the second the words escaped her, she regretted them, regretted the naughty little connotation to them. To any one listening to their conversation, it would sound as if they had spent the night… in an entirely different way. And the comment went a bit beyond teasing, even though she hadn’t meant for it to. Liva looked quickly away from Hugh, not wanting to see his expression at her statement. She hadn’t meant it that way, hadn’t meant to even talk about last night with him, but… Was it hot in the store? Liva’s face felt like it was on fire. She quickened her step as they made their way to the register, scorning herself for her wicked tongue. Why did she have to tease him about birth control? Why did she have to make an innuendo about sleeping together? Why couldn’t she just shut her mouth sometimes and keep everything nice and easy between the two of them?

Liva hadn’t really given it much thought before, but with everything that had been happening recently, would Hugh be in trouble? Well, she had thought about it, but had dismissed those thoughts breezily. But the cameras had surely caught Hugh leaving her bedroom early this morning, even if they hadn’t seen the way the two had slept during the night. And surely any transaction with the credit card in Hugh’s hand was immediately learned by the CIA, so they would know about the birth control. If they assumed that… Liva blushed fiercely, chiding herself for teasing him before. What if there really was some sort of misunderstanding? Dear God, if the CIA told her father that there was something going on… Hugh would lose his head! The King wasn’t active in her life, and he usually never even met her boyfriends, but if this issue were brought to him, he would take action, would rant and rave because it was expected of him. He would have Hugh on death row if only to keep face.

Feeling awkward, Liva laid her items on the counter and watched distractedly as the woman behind the cash register rang them up. When the cashier spoke to them, Liva’s first reaction was to look to Hugh, as though she expected him to speak for her. Liva wasn’t terribly good with this sort of small talk, she didn’t think, and she was sure Hugh would want to talk for them so she didn’t blow their cover or anything -- cause apparently she was irresponsible and completely capable of that. But when he gave the woman rude, muttered replies, Liva gave him a look of incredulity and indignity. How rude of him! The lady was being polite… “Yes.” Liva said quickly, shifting her weight from foot to foot as she attempted a disposition of politeness. She may have even looked… shy? The way Liva glanced up at the woman beneath her lashes could be described as only bashful. Liva had never been necessarily bashful. Only when she spoke to kind people, only when she wanted people to think the same of her… “We found everything just fine. And that’s all for us… Thank you, by the way.” Liva reached for the plastic bag but Hugh beat her to it, then ushered her hastily towards the door. She couldn’t even manage a reply to the woman at the counter before she was shoved outside.

“I’m never satisfied.” Liva mumbled, the statement holding a lot more meaning than she meant it to. Subconsciously, she knew the meaning of the words, knew their weight on her tongue. Liva had never been satisfied and she never would be. Until the day she died, she would be searching, always looking for something more. Liva fumbled with her seatbelt buckle, not meeting Hugh‘s eyes for some time. By the time she figured out how to speak and thought she had the best way to say what she meant, they were already on the road, heading back towards their home. “Um… Hugh, there isn’t… I mean, we aren’t… I mean, I’ll make sure my dad knows that there’s nothing, uh, going on.” She cleared her throat a bit awkwardly, staring down at her hands. “You won’t - won’t get in trouble...” Not if she could help it. She would make sure this entire thing was cleared up and not a soul on Earth suspecting a relationship between the two, lest Hugh’s head be mounted on a stake by her father. “It isn’t like there is anything going on with us, so there’s no reason for you, too… And, I mean, even if there was, my relationships are no ones business but my own.” She said that last part a little bitterly, and it was directed at her father rather than at any agency. Liva stared down at her hands, fiddling with the fabric of her skirt absent-mindedly.

[E M M A]

It bothered Hugh that Liva had mentioned him sleeping in her bed the night before. Why had she decided to bring it up? All morning, he had assumed that she hadn't remembered, or simply not known that he had stuck around the entire night with her. She never mentioned it once during their run, nor during the drive over- nothing. Not a single word was said. Neither had acted any different from how they normally would, and it seemed to be their little unspoken secret. Hugh had been certain that the whole event could lie low, seeing as his phone hadn't exploded with his boss's furious text messages and voice mails. Hopefully, the men back at the agency hadn't noticed that he had disappeared into her room for the entire night, and emerged in the morning. He supposed he was safe for now, omitted from the cruel tongue lashings of his employer.

Why was it their concerns, anyway, if he slept with her? Of course, everyone knew that Hugh was a pathetic awkward virgin, and nobody would ever bother to suspect him of something such as that. However, it was highly unusual for Hugh to have remained for someone else's comfort, particularly Liva's, all for what? Some silly bad dream? He was somewhat disgusted and embarassed that he had fallen asleep in her bed so carelessly, and permitted himself to put an arm around her. He clearly had been too intoxicated with sleep to notice, or even care. The previous night had been somewhat emotional and personal for Hugh, as he had struggled between the harsh recollections of his childhood and relating it to how Liva had begged him to stay with her. Having never been needed by someone, Hugh had remained. The feeling of being wanted was something he rarely, if ever experienced.

So he had taken advantage of it last night, and blurred the lines between where he had firmly stood as her bodyguard, and crossed over temporarily, blinkingly, to being somewhat of a friend, a shoulder for her to have cried on. And for the while, it had been something Hugh... didn't mind all that much. Something about the warmth of another human snuggled up to him, of opening his eyes in the morning and glimpsing the princess right next to him. Of seeing that he wasn't alone, and that someone trusted him enough to allow him to stick around. He didn't get very many chances for anything, so when it came to odd situations such as the one where Liva had implored that he wait until she fall asleep to go, it made him more susceptible to crumbling under a bat of her tearlogged eyelashes.

The snide tone of how Liva had gone about in accusing him of sleeping in her bed made Hugh feel rotten, something irking inside of him. He grew slightly defensive, although no words were said regarding how he felt. Hugh didn't even argue to defend himself, isntead opting to burn in the humiliation. If that was how Liva felt, Hugh thought to himself bitterly, mentally storing a reminder that Liva didn't like it when he was nice to her, when he stepped out of his comfort zone to make sure she was well provided for emotionally. These thoughts swallowed whatever had been there previously, and he became heavily distracted by them instead of paying attention to his transaction with the sales lady at the register.

When Hugh failed to engage in friendly chat with the woman, settling for grunting responses, Liva found it to be her responsibility to take over in thst department. Her faint accent caught the woman by surprise, but she didn't think much of it anyway. Pleased by Liva's polite behavior, the sales woman exchanged wide smiles and friendly nods. Hugh wanted out of that miserable store, where he'd experienced more than his fair share of trauma for the day. Half the store thought they had been together in that way, the other thought he was some punk who would start a fight with anyone to protect his "girlfriend". That was quite enough exposure for the scene they had created unintentionally at the drug store, and Hugh just hoped to heaven that nobody cared about them.

The car offered ample security and privacy for the two as they strapped their seat belts on and the vehicle was started, it's engine humming as it warmed up. Here, Hugh felt more safe, relaxing the tight coils in his shoulders. He was relieved to be heading home finally, with Liva's lady things cleared out of the way. He figured if his boss demanded answers regarding the birth control and Hugh's own suspicious behavior, he would tell them the truth, show them what WEBMD was saying about menstrual cramps. The drive was silent, save for the rumble of the engine, and Hugh tapping his fingers on the wheel as he drove. Liva couldn't seem to sit still, shifting in her seat often as they passed every light. His fingers seized the wheel until they turned white, his jaw clenched. At first it had been difficult ti understand and clarify what it was that she was referring to, but as she continued to talk with that same choppy speech, Hugh gradually accepted what it was that she was proposing.

"Thank you," he sighed loudly, his blue eyes sullen as they watched the road ahead of him. Hugh's cheeks were faintly resembling a crimson color as she continued on in that awkward manner. She confirmed that there was nothing going on between them, and then retorted that her relationships were private business. "Let's just hope they hadn't noticed," Hugh mumbled then, snorting with bitterness as they continued their merry little way down the streets. It had been high wishing that nobody had regarded his behavior as different, odd, and foreign; for someone such as Hugh's boss, there was no way such a little detail would ever bypass his beady eyes that strove to detect any sort of garbage to ruin lives. As Hugh pulled up to their driveway, it was obvious that there were more cars on the street than there had veer needed to be. The front lawn was littered with a few CIA men, including his boss and the two imps that had eyes in the control room for the mansion operated back at the CIA lab.

Swearing under his breath, Hugh parked in the driveway smoothly, refusing to acknowledge eye contact with anyone who approached the car. "Why don't you go on inside, here," Hugh insisted, handing her the key card she had so insisted on obtaining. With that, Hugh opened his door, expecting to receive the usual abuse he endured because his boss hated him. The pudgy man and his imps, along with a CIA officer swiftly apprehended Hugh by the car, eyebrows raised and smug looks concealed behind masks of disgust. "Miles," his employer purred. Hugh's jaw clenched, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He felt like getting g real ugly with them right then, rebellion sparking in his chest. The fires were easily and quickly shot down by his boss's cold voice. "Got anything you want to say, before you lose your job? I hope you at least used protection. You know, you've got some real nerve, sleeping with the King's daughter. You're not even ashamed, are you?" Hugh squeezed his fists, his nostrils flaring as the man's words oozed with disdain and amusement. "That's not what happened," Hugh snarled as loudly as he dared. It only seemed to impress the fatter man, a chuckle escaping his red cheeks. "My, my, what's gotten into you, Hugh? Lock you in a house with a woman and you've already gone crazy," he tsked, to which Hugh nearly swung a heavy fist at. It was despicable, how his boss tore him down bit by bit, demoralizing Hugh by being ever so rude in pointing out everything snd anything that could be used as a weapon.

[angelena.]

There were people in front of their house. Liva blinked, staring out the window shield as they approached the driveway. Two men in dark suits, the two men who monitored her from afar, the two men who Hugh had flipped off that first day in the parking garage… And with them was the ring leader, the fat bastard behind it all. Liva’s eyes flicked to Hugh, remembering all the times his eyes had grown dark when he spoke of his boss. She hated the man. She knew next to nothing about him, had only spoken to him once… But she hated him. Liva remembered the day he had yelled at Hugh on the phone and her blood began to sing with silent rage. And then her eyes flicked to Hugh at the sound of his voice. She frowned, panic rising within her. “Hugh, what’s going - “ But they had already parked, Hugh had already shoved the keycard into her hands, and he had already opened his door to get out. She waited there for a moment, watching as Hugh closed his card do and turned to face his boss and his co-workers.

Liva couldn’t just go inside. Not when Hugh’s job could possibly be at stake. And she wouldn’t even think of leaving him out here with that stupid boss of his! Liva scrambled to get out of the car, slamming the door a little loudly behind her. The keycard and grocery bag in one hand, she made sure to adjust her skirt before she came around the other end of the car -- no need for further misunderstandings, of course -- and what she heard then… I hope you at least used protection. You know, you’ve got some real nerve, sleeping with the king’s daughter… Liva froze, staring at the employer. At that point, one of his lackeys noticed her presence and tried to gain the man’s attention, but it was much, much too late for anything to stop her now…

“Excuse me?!“

Liva stared blankly at the portly man in front of them, fire circling through her veins. She opened and closed her mouth several times as she tried to formulate some sort of response. Lose his job… No, Hugh couldn’t lose his job. That was Liva’s first thought. Then, of course, there was the embarrassment and mortification that came with being mistaken for lovers. She let that emotion take the forefront, let it guide her hand… and it guided her hand straight to the man’s face. Acting purely on instinct, Liva ushered a quick slap across the employer’s cheek, a harsh sound breaking through the afternoon air and silence following. “How…how dare you.” Liva scolded after a moment, her accent making her words even harsher. Her eyes burned with the fire of a queen. Of course, her anger was less about her pride and more about Hugh’s, but she would never admit to being protective of him. “How dare you insult the virtuosity of the future queen of Denmark… You have a lot of nerve, sir, and if your wild accusations are not retracted immediately you will find yourself facing the crown.” Translation: call her a whore and daddy would see to it he never saw the light of day again. As Liva spoke, she advanced on the man, taking her time as she stepped closer and closer to him, letting her heels click purposefully against the paved driveway. She looked down at the man, as she was at least two inches taller then him due to her own height and the added height of the shoes.

“How dare you slander my name like this. Wait until my father hears about this -- You see, daddy doesn’t like scandals. He’ll have you rotting a jail cell before you can ever think to utter a lie about me sleeping with my bodyguard.” Liva stopped walking then, jabbing a slender finger at the man’s chest. His face was red with anger, but no one dared speak, rather from fear or shock at her outburst. No one would have expected such vehemence and power to radiate from a blonde bimbo like her… “Now, if we’re done here, please gather your flying monkeys and go back to your headquarters. Hugh Miles will remain in his position because quite frankly, he’s the only agent I’m going to allow to be within fifty feet of me. And remember that if you so much as think of doing something that will make me unhappy, I will ruin you.” She plastered a not-so-pleasant smile on her face then, taking a step back and letting her hand fall away from the man’s chest. “If you’ll excuse me, I have terrible cramps and I need to go take some fucking medicine.” She turned swiftly on her heel and found herself staring at two men in suits. All she had to do was raise her eyebrow at them and they hurried out of her way. Liva then stormed away, heading to the front door.

Then, Liva paused, halfway up the little cobblestone pathway to the door now. She turned, her eyes still sparking with fire as she sent a glare behind her. This one aimed at Hugh. “Are you coming?” She demanded, though her anger wasn’t at all directed towards him. She was just making a point -- she was his boss now. What she said, went. And he wasn’t going anywhere as long as she could help it… And Liva felt guilty for getting him mixed up in this to begin with. This sort of thin happened to her all the time. Because she was young and pretty and had a bit of a wild side, people liked to look for scandal, people liked to call her out on any little mistake. People looked at her and saw nothing more than a bimbo, a whore, a little girl who was nothing without her father’s money… And at some point, she had decided to just be what the people wanted her to be.

[E M M A]

He knew he had it coming. He knew that, sooner or later, he would be booted out of his position at any cost, out of jealousy. Just because he had been chosen to protect the princess, he was even more under fire than he normally was, and he would have to pay heavily for it. Already, the pudgy man's smug expression that boiled Hugh's blood told him that things were not looking too bright for him. And it had all been too easily foreseen, anybody could have anticipated it. All because he had been so foolish to let his sympathetic, soft, weak, imbecile side take over, and convince him to bend over backwards for that girl! Hugh knew he couldn't allow himself to be as close as he was the day before, with his arm around her like that, their heads nearly touching as they snored on through the night.

It wasn't even about who was upset, and who had a nightmare. That couldn't come between those fine lines of business and personal relationships. Hugh couldn't be her friend. He could only be her bodyguard, none else. No strings attatched. He couldn't afford being apprehended like this, scolded so his pride burned while he was helpless to keep his mouth shut. In no position to be taking risks, he had to change something, whether he liked it or not. Although the friendship part of Liva had been pleasant, it was time to pull himself up by his bootstraps and grow a tougher skin. He needed his living, those bills had to be paid somehow. He still had to pay off loans, and plenty of them. Without any outside financial aid due to his... orphaned status, this job was all he had. His future depended on her health and wellbeing, on the principle that she remained alive.

Even sleeping in the same bed as his client had been largely unacceptable, as much as it itched him to admit. That had been a step too far on his part, whether Liva had asked for it or not. Now, his boss would have the satisfaction in suggesting that he was an improper candidate to be protecting a King's daughter, therefore allowing for his boss to have the pleasure of announcing his unemployment. Dread caused sweat to bead on his forehead, his fists still tightly curled as his insides became an uneasy mess. His fretful anxiety worsened tenfold, however, when he heard the click of high heels swiftly approaching his side of the car. Then, her voice. It had been loud, defiant, and largely offended, her voice shrill as she came into view.
Why had Hugh expected her to listen and do what he asked, in a situation like this? To obligingly go inside the house like a docile little child who would bend to his will?

If he had learned anything about the Danish princess, he should have known that she was not one to listen to directions. It had to be her way. If she saw something she didn't like, or heard something she didn't like, she would be the first to let you know. Attempting in vain to signal with narrowed eyes that it was best for her to back out of the conversation, Hugh desperately held himself together. What was she doing! If she defended him, what then? If his boss saw that someone like the princess was defending Hugh Miles, what would they think of it? His tie seemed to be way too tight now, strangling him a slow painful death. He'd never been more nerved than now, itching to burst out in anger at her incapability to comply with favors, after every thing he did for her.

And then she slapped him.

For the next few awesome moments that Liva opened her dainty little mouth, the six men, Hugh included, stood gaping at the petite glamour queen with her box of tampons, speechless. Utterly speechless. Hugh was shocked at how boldly she spoke, how she defended herself in proving her name innocent, even if Hugh was the one being blamed here. Of course his boss, being the worst he was, naturally assumed Hugh had forced Liva to surrender to his supposed lust. However, it would do the trick just fine, as it became visible in the man's beady eyes for but a moment, the realization of fear. The other impish followers gawked not only at Liva herself, but at their own boss, who had defied the Danish princess without even meaning to. The short man's goal had originally been to frame Hugh for his behavior, and assign one of his other favorites and himself to her care to their advantage.

Liva's heavy accent snarled unforgivingly at the helpless cowering man, who had lost all his dignity in that brief episode. It would later only fuel his hatred towards Hugh, as it became apparent in the glimpsing glares passed between his boss and Hugh every so often. Even if five of the six men were trained killers, not one of them had any strength within them to speak, to so much as breathe a single breath in Liva's omnipotent presence. Greatly impressed by how easily Liva had turned the tables, Hugh's confidence slowly began to elevate him again, his shoulders broadened and his head tipped slightly upward. His eyes flickered between the two in that one sided argument, his heart thundering in his chest at the sheer madness unfolding before him.

His cheeks pinkened as his name was declared, followed by a bold claim by Liva stating soemthing along the lines of her favoring him over anyone else. Hugh almost whistled, clapped, and cried by the time Liva concluded her statement with a push on the fat man's chest, her blonde hair tossed over her shoulder. Everyone was paralyzed, including Hugh, who's somewhat pleased look had withered into one of awe. How could she so easily have turned down his boss, in such an easy and arrogant manner? If he had done so, he would have gotten himself shot in seconds. Their heads turned to watch Liva stomp up the driveway, her hair bouncing on her shoulders in the most elegant manner, as if no brutality could have ever been done by someone so dainty and feminine.

Hugh, who's jaw had slackened as the silence between the men in their suits ensued, hardly found the thought process to follow after Liva, until she snapped at him. His irises widened, his eyes blinking rapidly as he regained control of his body again. "I-I what? Oh- erm, yeah- coming," Hugh stammered helplessly, scurrying frantically up the driveway after her with long a long striding jog. Like a puppy dog, Hugh scampered behind Liva, slipping inside the marble entryways before slamming the front door shut. He wasted no time in utilizing the deadbolt, as if that would make the situation any better. Although his boss was bound to be ten times more fired up about making sure Hugh ultimately failed at everything, Hugh was overwhelmingly relived that his hide had been saved- this one time.

For a moment, neither said anything, the heavy impact of the situation slowly sinking in. It was mad, he thought how easily Liva had manipulated them like puppets. Her words had not issued a single utter of complaint from his boss, who usually had something to say to everything. The power of welath, and beauty. This was what it was, wasn't it? Hugh found his voice again, hurrying after Liva towards the kitchen where she had broken out a glass of water for her medicine. "L-Liva-" he breathed, "thank you." Hugh said this earnestly, his expression attempting to genuinely portray his immense gratitude. "Thank you for... I guess, letting me keep my job," he murmured slowly, slightly embarassed that he had needed her interference, that he couldnt stand up for himself like some door mat. "Why, though?'

[angelena.]

Liva’s head was pounding by the time she walked through the front door of their temporary residence. She was, in fact, so disoriented that she had to place her hand against the doorframe for a moment to regain her bearings. But, stubborn and still feeling very heated, Liva pressed on and kept the fire in her eyes burning as Hugh slammed the front door closed, as he locked away all those insufferable agents. Liva’s face burned, but her skin was pale with barely concealed anger. How dare they! She stomped away, not saying a word to Hugh, not having anything to say, as she made her way through the living room and to the kitchen. She just needed to get herself a glass of water, take these stupid birth control pills, and stop cramping so terribly! Liva felt the sudden craving for ice cram or something cold to cool the fire in her veins -- dammit, why didn’t she grab something while she was at the store? She just hoped to God that whoever had stocked this stupid fridge was smart enough to realize she liked sweet things some times… But then again, they had failed to put freaking tampons in the bathroom when she would obviously need them! Liva kept finding more and more things to make her angry as she maneuvered through the kitchen, scoured the cabinets for a cup, fiddled with the faucet until she figured out how it worked.

“What?” Liva snapped unintentionally when she heard Hugh say her name, now frustrated with the cap on her medicine bottle. Stupid child locks! The only people they kept out were the ones who needed the medicine! Liva sat the unopened bottle onto the marble counter, turning swiftly to see Hugh. It was only then that she was struck with her own…embarrassment. And relief. And bewilderment. And….something else. The anger fell away from her features as she stared at Hugh, and Liva averted her gaze, looking down to her feet for a moment, bracing one hand against the counter. Her grip was so tight her knuckles turned white. “I… Yeah.” She murmured quietly, unsure of what to say to him, unsure of how to respond to his gratitude. And, of course, she also didn’t know the answer to his question… Why? Liva didn’t know why she had intervened there, why she had protested so vehemently to the idea of him losing his job…and the idea of losing him.

She was quiet for a moment, picking up her pill bottle from the counter though she did not open it. The princess turned it over in her hands, examining labels without actually reading any of them. “I didn’t… I didn’t do it for you -- at least not entirely.” She said quietly, a bitterness behind her words. Liva shook her head, staring at the words birth control. It renewed her anger all over again. “This always happens to me, Hugh. People are always looking for a new stupid scandal, and I guess I’m an easy target.” She looked up then, meeting his eyes with a snide little smile on her lips, one that was not at all happy. “Do you know how many times I’ve been accused of sleeping with men I’ve never even spoken to? How many drugs I’ve been accused of taking that I’ve never even heard of? How many places I’ve supposedly been when I never left my rooms?” She laughed humorlessly, gesturing widely with her hands as was common for her. “Tell me, what it is it about me that makes people assume I’m some kind of whore? Tell me, when people accuse you of causing trouble for years and years… what do you do?” You cause trouble. You start to by into the lies people tell about you, become the very thing they say you are.

“Whatever… It - it doesn’t matter.” But it did. Was it because she was a young woman? Was it because she was pretty? Was it just because people always judged harshly the head that wore the crown, held their leaders to a whole different set of standards and forgot they were mere mortals? No one ever spread rumors about her brother -- no, he was perfect and honorable and everything their mother would have wanted him to be. And Liva… she was just the future queen who was nothing compared to the last one. “And what would happen if you lost your job? You’d be replaced by one of those pervs? No thanks…” Liva gave a little nervous chuckle, wondering what that tight feeling in her chest was. There was something more she was saying, a deeper reason to why she wanted him to say that she could not fathom completely. Then, softer she said, “I like having you around, Hugh… and, contrary to popular belief, I don’t like it when I’m accused of having sex with people. I wasn’t just going to let that idiot talk that way.” She said the insult a bit harsher, as though she wanted someone on the other end of the hidden mics to here. There was an awkward moment of silence before Liva thrust the pill bottle towards Hugh. “Now, will you help me open this stupid thing or what?” She was clearly stilly very upset and very…shaken due to some strange realization, something unnatural about her actions and her desire to defend Hugh. And though she brushed it off, it did bother her that such rumors existed about her.

[E M M A]

Fierce and fiery, Liva had stormed off to the kitchen, not even waiting to see if he had followed her inside. Clearly, she didn't want to be harassed, and the men on the front lawn weren't making matters any better. In fact, they had made it ten times worse- on their half. It was the first time that Hugh had seen her display such anger and vehemence, and actually meaning it with every fiber of her being. Before, it had been her merely protesting in aggravation against his rules or throwing tantrums because he didn't want to let her leave, but now, he'd seen a silver of what it was like to be on the other end of Liva's royal fury. Her fair cheeks had burned red, her blue irises had flashed into a narrow squint and furrowed eyebrows with the tight pull of her lips. The frustration had rolled off of her in waves, and an uncomfortable tension had ensued even once she had dismissed herself.

Hopefully, that would have been enough to put off their direct aggression towards Hugh. For now. He had seen the fear and intimidation in his boss's beady eyes. Liva's warning had been taken seriously. It was incredible to have been suspected of sleeping with his client, the very unthinkable which had never even passed through his thoughts, and Hugh still was highly embarassed for being accused of such crime. Was that really how it looked? Or had it simply been another plight to have Hugh removed from the company? It had never really occured to him that Liva was capable of standing up for his sorry skin, especially to his very own boss. There was some skepticism as to whether or not Liva actually had the power to have her father punish Hugh's boss for interrupting their peace. What if his boss, in his bitter hard-assness, ended up sending one of his minions to the King, elaborating a fancy tale to him of fantastical details and stories about how terrible Hugh really was?

Especially with video camera evidence showing that Hugh and Liva had become... somewhat of friends. Hugh, leaving his room for Liva's in the middle of the night and not leaving it until morning, Hugh, sitting on the couch with Liva while she leaned into his arm ever so comfortably- it was too much of an uncomfortable amount of suspicion being suspended over his head that he feared he wouldn't be here much longer, despite Liva's supposed authority. In the end, wasn't the king the one who decided things for his daughter anyway? No father would be very pleased to hear about his one and only daughter getting so close to her bodyguard... and whatever other fancy accessories Hugh's boss wanted to detail onto the false accusation.

When Hugh apprehended her in the quiet kitchen, she had been slamming cabinets and fighting the lid of her small medication bottle. It was clear she was flustered and heated due to the encounter, so Hugh was clear to tread lightly on the subject. He had to know... why? Why go through so much trouble to tell an equally influential man that Hugh would be her bodyguard despite the man's protests, when she didn't even care about being caught with the random guy at the bar? How could she defend herself now, and not the other time? Hugh was hopeful to find a specific answer, although far fetched as his thoughts sounded to him that very moment. He bit his tongue in disappointment hearing her reply, however, slightly offended that her reasoning hadn't been in his defense.

Her voice was melancholy, dry, at the disgust she felt for the world, their habitual claims in blaming her for things, being quick to jump to conclusions that didn't even apply. Anything, anything for a story, anything to make their future queen stand out. Just for the story, the pure thrill of it all- as if she weren't even a human being with feelings at all. Hugh's heart felt sore for Liva, understanding the sort of defensive position she took on herself. When everyone around you wanted to see you crippled, to see you upset, to see you angry, what then? How do you put down their relentless stories and name calling? He'd done it all his life, dodging the noise regarding the latest rumor about him. Oh, he'd supposedly been the one who broke Jared's nose last weekend, when Hugh had apparently gotten angry at Jared during a brief conference. Oh, Hugh was the one who'd stolen Amber's now missing watch off of her desk that day, because he was "that sort". Hugh, to some extent, understood.

All this time, Hugh had fallen in respectful silence, his eyes on the tiled floor while he stood upright in front of her, his arms crossed on his chest. "I'm sorry, it... it really isn't right," he murmured lamely. He'd never been great at expressing himself with words, but he did mean it this time when he said he was sorry. Liva didn't deserve that sort of treatment. Maybe he did, but she had been nothing but kind to him, for the most part. Why did people disrespect her so? She was a princess. She drew his eye contact with her dry laughter when declining openly his possible replacements. He understood her logic, knowing full well that if anyone were to be more reliabl, it would be him. Even if he wasn't humorous, he wasn't entertaining, he wasn't talkative, Hugh would never disrespect his client. He would never hurt them, intentionally anyway.

"Well..." Hugh rubbed the back of his head, deciding to take her comment as a compliment. At least she trusted him, in some aspect. He'd shoved his hands into his pockets, assuming the conversation was basically over. He didn't have much to say at all, and he didn't want to annoy her with his incessant thanks. He would be mindful to treat her as best as he could, because Liva wasn't all that bad like he'd assumed from the start. There was something... more to her. She wasn't just the ditzy blonde and all her designer clothing and her rash, irresponsible, party girl behavior. Liva never failed to shock him, as she proved with her soft spoken statement. He'd looked at her inittially in disbelief, confused as to what she was saying. He'd never, never under any circumstances, heard someone say they "liked having him around".

He'd hardly heard the rest of her sentence, floored by her admitting something so personal. If he had been any other human being capable of expression emotions, he would have swept her up into a tight hug, cried into her shoulder- anything to express his joy. Liva, of all people, had enjoyed his company. Not just tolerated, but liked his company. It was certainly a development in Hugh's rather dry universe, one that almost upturned his lips in a smile. They'd formed a synonymous despise for his greedy boss, and now, Hugh was convinced that Liva was sort of... a friend. "You sure scared him, hopefully they won't come around here for a while," Hugh finally said, revealing a concern he bore heavy in his mind amidst other things. The conversation had grown too personal and tense for Hugh's liking, and Liva conveniently switched the topic per her usual habit.

A bottle was stuffed into his vacant hands, catching Hugh by mild surprise. "All you had to do was ask," he obliged, scrutinizing the complicated child lock before trying his strength against it. With a push, turn, and pop, the bottle was opened and revealed several small pills inside. He listed the directions to her and administrated the proper dosage to her, hopeful that this medicine would finally diminish her cramps and maybe even soothe her flaring hormonal temper. Today had already been rather stressful for him, he hadn't wanted anymore complications on top of his mighty strained relationship with his boss- and now his entire workforce. What kind of things were they saying back at the agency now? We're they watching them through a camera, clinging onto every word? Hugh would now need to be mindful.

(view spoiler)[
What else was during this day again specifically? I'm fine with letting them bond and maybe start flirting more, personal talks and such can come during the next week or so (specially about his past and stuff) (hide spoiler)]

[angelena.]

(view spoiler)[Hm... I don't know. I really want them to have a kiss or an almost kiss soon, like maybe when they get into some deep conversation. I feel like that's kind of where they're headed right now... Or, we talked about having it where Hugh's boss left something behind in the house? Or he finds some other clue about the whole terrorist organization/his parents, so he can start kind of investigating? Maybe he spends the rest of the day researching the name of the organization or something and then they can see each other later that night??? Idk... xD (hide spoiler)]

[angelena.]

Lol, idk. I think we talked about something like that earlier, but it wouldn't really make sense now. xD Okay, so maybe they could part ways now and we could skip ahead to dinner/after dinner? Maybe Hugh could ask Liva a personal question or vice versa and she takes him up to the roof or something so the agency can't overhear her answer? And then they can have some deep conversation and they could kiss and aww xD And okay, that sounds good!

[angelena.]

Okay!!! So, should I skip to dinner? Or do you want me to kind of narrate through it so we can get to towards the end where she starts asking him questions???

[angelena.]

She hoped he was right, hoped Hugh’s boss wouldn’t be around for a long, long time. Liva would be lying if she said she hadn’t enjoyed the look of terror on that man’s chubby face as she threatened him with her father’s name. After hearing him yell at Hugh on the phone the other day… Well, Liva had already decided she hated that man. If asked, of course, the princess would claim she was merely defending her own honor and that her disdain towards the man was due to those wild accusations. But deep down, she knew her hatred was caused by that strange sense of protectiveness she felt towards her bodyguard, the man who was charged with protecting her.

“Thanks.” Liva muttered absentmindedly when Hugh handed her the proper dosage of medicine only after doting on her for a good ten minutes, reading every single word on that bottle and making sure she knew everything about it’s use. Did he realize she wasn’t a little kid? Hugh was like a concerned mother! But… then again, Liva had never had anyone do that for her. Servants had taken care of her when she was young, but they were just doing their job. Her father and her brother were both so distant and bound to their duties, never around to care for her when she was sick or heartbroken. All she had ever had was her mother and… A certain warmth came to Liva’s chest and she caught herself looking at Hugh. Face flushed with the realization, Liva turned away from him as she took her pills, swallowing them and washing them down with a glass of lukewarm water. Gross. She was beginning to realize that she cared for Hugh, in some strange way. Was this what friendship felt like? It wasn’t as if Liva had any real experience to base this on, as her friendships in the past had been false and materialistic. “I’m going to go lie down for a bit. I’ll see you at dinner.” And she sat down her glass of water on the counter, leaving her things out as always as though she still had servants to clean up what she left behind. Liva walked out of the kitchen and headed for her bedroom without glancing back.

Once she was in her room, she could do nothing more than lie down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling in confusion as she waited for her medication to take away the pain in her stomach. Her head felt…fuzzy. Perhaps it was just the aftermath of revealing so much to Hugh in those last few moments. Or perhaps it was something else entirely. She thought of the way she had felt that moment in the kitchen, when Hugh had given her her medicine and she had realized that it had been a long time since someone worried about her. Being in an ordinary kitchen, taking pills from a bottle she had gotten at an actual grocery store, letting someone dot over her who actual cared about her well being… Things had felt normal. Liva wasn’t accustomed to normal, due to the posh life she had been born into. There was a secret part of her that grew curious at the prospect, a part of her that always wondered what it would be like to have a family that ate dinners and watched TV together, or friends who would come over to study for tests or “hang out” in her normal bedroom. She saw normal people on TV sometimes, saw how happy they looked… She didn’t envy them. She didn’t. Liva was a princess, for crying out loud! She could have anything she wanted with the snap of her fingers… But she wasn’t happy.

Liva didn’t leave her room until it was time for dinner, and when it was, she padded quietly downstairs to find Hugh already in the kitchen. She smiled almost bashfully when she first saw him, already working on their dinner. She helped him without much complaint this time, though she couldn’t help but whine a bit when she was required to perform a task she was not familiar with. Hugh would groan and explain things to her slowly, to which she would roll her eyes and complain some more before going through with whatever the silly task was. Liva was fairly quiet through most of their dinner, mainly because she was hungry and partly because she didn’t know what to say to Hugh. She was worried that if she said anything, it would interrupt this nice peace they had going… It was strange to think, but Liva felt very content with him then. They had been in this safe house for days now, and she had grown accustomed to living with him. Things had almost falling into routine and though parts of Hugh were still a mystery to her, though they still butted heads, Liva secretly had begun to think of them as friends.

After she finished her meal, Liva took wiped her mouth daintily with a cloth napkin and took a sip of her water. Her cramps had vanished, so she was in a better mood for now. In fact, Liva felt like she was on top of the world. She looked on the incident from earlier with pride, feeling accomplished and giddy about doing something right for once. In the back of her mind was the threat of Hugh’s boss returning with vengeance, the fear of whoever was after her, the uncertainty about her growing familiarity with Hugh…but for the most part, she felt good. Liva glanced at Hugh across the table. They hadn’t spoken much, aside from little comments and small talk, but Liva didn’t want to let go of the night just yet. She swirled her glass in her hand absentmindedly, glancing at him coyly from across the table. She didn’t realize it, of course, as the actions just felt natural to her, but she was behaving the same way she might with one of the young men from the Danish upper class, one of the handsome students or court members that would take her to fancy dinners and expect a good word to her father in return for their affections. Though Hugh was much different than her usual targets, Liva, with her easy smiles and sly little motions, was acting as she might on a date… which this certainly wasn’t. “You know, I’m on to you.” She said innocently, her eyes burning though her disposition was calm. “You do it on purpose, this whole mysterious, brooding act of yours. You mope around with all your secrets just to entice pretty girls with curiosities, don’t you?” She accused teasingly. Then, Liva laughed. “Well, I confess that I’m curious. You’ve barely told me anything about yourself, Hugh… Tell me something about you.”

[E M M A]

Liva's odd behavior had bypassed Hugh's scrutiny, instead, his focus maintained in assuring that his client consumed the proper dosage of medication. If she were to have any reactions or side effects from this birth control, he wanted to be able to say that he had supervised, reviewed the bottle thoroughly. He didn't need anything else impeding his reputation. Once he'd handed Liva the dosage, he'd set down the pill bottle reluctantly, semi-persuaded that the pills would do the trick for her supposed cramps. Hugh was ever oblivious to what was going on with Liva's body during this special time of the month, but he was careful to observe her behavior, remember what worked and what didnt. Would these pills rearrange her mood swings? Hugh sure hoped so, because keeping up with the princess and her various emotional outbursts was becoming quite the task.

He'd watched her swallow those little tablets with her face contorted in disgust, half expecting a sudden reaction to the medicine, an allergy- anything, because that's how his luck so far had usually turned out. Turns out, he wouldn't have any time to really observe how Liva's body was handling the drugs, because she immediately dismissed herself from his presence after her glass was set down on the counter. There hadn't been any hesitation or debate. Liva merely strutted out of the kitchen, briefly mentioning that she'd be back at dinner over her shoulder. Hugh, ironically slightly perplexed at the idea of being left alone, stood and said nothing. She must have been exhausted, Hugh told himself, rest was most appropriate. He tried not to look useless by himself by slowly tidying up the kitchen after her, finding a spot for the bottle in a drawer and wiping down the counter for no apparent reason.

So much had happened in the past week, Hugh didn't even know what to think of it. He'd met who he thought was a snobby, spoiled, self righteous brat, who was slowly turning out to be something like a friend. Was she who a friend would look like? Liva? Someone who asked those personal questions? Someone who knocked on his door to say sorry? Someone who begged him to watch movies with her? Someone who stood up for him and defended his pride when he couldnt himself? Hugh was confident that Liva was at least on his side when it came to his employment, even if they couldn't get along sometimes. The only things that got to Hugh's nerves were when Liva poked and prodded into his personal business, and when she refused to listen to him. She had this habit of going and doing exactly what he told her not to do, or disobeying his rules. Lately, she had been mindful, but who knew how long it would last?

But Hugh was afraid. One might suspect someone in his profession to be nervous because he didn't know if he could keep his job any longer, or because someone who he'd angered was after him. They were plausible options, but they were not the ones Hugh were actually terrified of. It was his client. Liva Nordskov. She made his stomach knot in the worst ways, intimidating him with her soft spoken words. He hated how earnest she was, how forgiving she could be even if he didn't entirely deserve it. As he sat in the kitchen on one of the stools, he contemplated her with his face in his hands. Hugh had fallen into her traps, without even realising it. He'd been so focused on other similarly relevant things, that he'd failed to keep caution. Liva had just been so... friendly. So... welcoming to his presence.

Rough exchanges of words and grunts were becoming sparing. Hugh had revealed many personal deep slivers of information that he hadn't dare tell anyone other than her and his old friend, the one who'd betrayed him. What if Liva turned out to be just like everyone else? A jerk? A poser? A backstabber...? His heart surged with pain just imagining it, his body uneasy at the thought of betrayal. He couldn't endure another, he couldnt afford this stupid thing called friendship. Even if it were supposedly free. He'd been too traumatized in the past, Hugh knew what he was getting himself into... yet he couldn't eliminate the aspiration become acquainted with her from his mind. Little chats about nothing, eating meals at the same table, being awoken in the middle of the night by her nightmare... Hugh liked having someone else around, even if it weren't under the most convenient conditions, even if that someone could easily destroy him with a single word.

For hours, Hugh spent time trying to come to some sort of compromise with himself, but nothing would absolutely satisfy him. He relied on Liva like a social crutch now, she was nearly impossible to eliminate. He couldn't just stop talking to her all together, he couldnt just avoid seeing her at all hours of the day! Around six pm rolled around, and Liva finally descended the stairs looking in better spirits. He had been preparing some sort of dinner for the two of them, hesitant of what to make that would make them both happy. Liva surprising enoygh, had willingly contributed, of course not without the occasional groan. After the entire afternoon's contemplation, Hugh was now treading carefully on what he decided to say, opting to stay neutral in his relationship with Liva. Just a bodyguard. Just a business thing.

The more he thought about it, the less comfortable he felt at the table. He would squirm in the silences, fidget when her thick accent rang in his ears. It's why Hugh seemed to shovel his food down more eagerly than usual, barely pausing between bites in an attempt to escape the dinner table as soon as he possibly could. He felt like he was being studied by those narrow blue eyes. Liva had finished her dinner before he had, toying with her water glass in a coy manner across from him. Occasionally during their meal, Hugh had increased his own anxious behaviors by sneaking glances at the princess, finding himself flustered and blushing when he discovered that she had already been looking at him. I'm on to you... His heart leapt into his throat. Hugh didn't dare distract his gaze from his emptied plate, his hands clasped tightly in his lap around his napkin.

She accused him of his personality, but what was he supposed to say? Sorry? You were right? Liva, of course, deemed it necessary to take the next step too far, and she should have anticipated his own reaction. Hugh stood, almost as if on autopilot. He hardly felt in control of himself as he piled his dish with his glass and his silverware, towering over the dinner table. "Are you finished?" He asked huffily, darting glances exchanged between them. It hadn't helped that Hugh had been dwelling on his conscience all afternoon. Liva didn't need to know anything about him, and neither was he obliged to tell her. As these questions always went, Hugh had learned to evade them. The princess was just his client, and it was senseless, careless distributing his secrets to someone who wouldn't matter in weeks.

As hard as Hugh struggled with accepting this fact, he couldnt tolerate the attention, her gleaming eyes set on him. "That's enough," Hugh denied, knowing full well that she had been abut to ask him the same thing again. And she did it anyway. Growling, Hugh grasped her plate and slammed it on top of his own, whirling his back on her as he stormed out to the kitchen. A deafening crash sounded of the dishes being thrown haughtily in to the sink. Then the slam of the back door rattled the house, and all was silent. Still. Outside, the nippy air ate at Hugh's cheeks and the corners of his eyes. His nose stung for no reason at all, his heart hammered in his chest, and the overwhelming desire to throw a fit swallowed him. He left behind Liva, with nothing in mind but to drown out the screams inside his head.

He had a sort of psychological meltdown, where his mind had shrunk into its own self to try and ignore what was going on around him. Fight or flight instincts. His hands still visibly trembled as he sat himself in a hammock tied between two shady trees, where he had thought he would be concealed from Liva's view if she were to come looking for him and demanding answers. His breathing was choppy, blood singing in his ears. It was quiet. Realisation of what he had just essentially done slowly deteriorated his mind, until it almost became inevitable that he would start to mumble things to himself soon. Why had he panicked? It had been Liva's harmless question, really. He could have answered her calmly, maybe dismissed her. Running out like some child in a tantrum? Hugh was embarassed. A soft whimper escaped him, to his horror, at how humiliated he felt. Surely, the dining room had had cameras. Maybe this was what his boss had wanted. For Liva to destroy him, since his boss couldn't seem to get his hands on Hugh.

[angelena.]

Liva flinched when Hugh was suddenly on his feet, slamming dishes together. “Hugh, I was just - “ But she couldn’t get a word in. It had just been a silly joke, like all the awful things she did were. But in a matter of moments, she had ruined whatever camaraderie and lightness had exited between them. “Hugh - “ She tried again, more aggravation in her voice now as she tried to understand why he was so angry at her. She stood abruptly, as if to stop him, but he barked out a command to her, making her fall back into her seat in shock. That’s enough? What a thing to say to a future queen! She stared at Hugh’s back wordlessly as he slammed the plates into the kitchen sink and then stormed off without any form of explanation, leaving her to wonder what she had done. Just moments ago they had been talking easily to one another, hadn’t they? Stealing glances when they assumed the other wasn’t looking, relishing in the fact that she had stood up to his boss earlier today… Or maybe that was just the way she had felt. To be honest, Liva hadn’t given much consideration to what could be going on in his head. But now she was forced to wonder…

Everyone had psychological baggage, she was sure, so how bad could his be? What was it about his life that was so horrible or so sad that made him close up every time she questioned him? It was probably a shallow way for her to think, but Liva had been raised in a castle, had never been denied anything accept love. She didn’t know what it was like to be poor or impoverished, didn’t know what it was like to be always alone and looked down upon… But as Liva tried to understand, she tried to make connections to her own life. Liva was lonely. And she dealt with scandals every other day. And her mother was… But how vain Liva was to compare her problems to that of anyone else in the world, right? Liva stared straight ahead at the wall for awhile, long after Hugh’s angry footsteps had vanished away into the yard. For a moment, she was back in her castle, back in her private dining room. Alone, as always. Sipping on fine wines until she forgot that she was the only inhabitant of the long dining table, until the palace stopped feeling so cold.

Liva, as usual, couldn’t bare the silence. She stood suddenly, tossing the cloth napkin that had laid on her lap onto the table carelessly. Guilt was beginning to well in her chest and… she needed to go after Hugh, needed to apologize for upsetting him and needed to do something. Liva hadn’t meant to upset him and, just like every other time she had been stupid enough to say the wrong thing, she immediately felt the need to patch up this strange relationship of theirs. In the back of her mind were a thousand questions as she left the dining room and made her way to the yard. Why was Hugh always so bitter and angry at the world? Why did he wall himself up so high that no one could reach him? What secrets did he hold that made him the way he was? Liva had never cared to understand anyone’s pains before, but now… God, she just wanted him to stop looking at her the way he did when he was upset. She just wanted for… for him to be happy. That was it, wasn’t it? Liva had only seen him smile a few times during the past couple of days, but she longed for those moments, longed for the first time for someone else’s happiness rather than her own. Rather than considering what this could possibly mean, Liva stepped into the backyard, finding Hugh seated on a hammock, head in his hands, with his back turned to her… And in a section of the yard where no prying agent eyes could reach.

“Hugh….?” Liva approached the hammock heavily, staring at the back of his head with an unsure expression. She felt that same gnawing guilt she always felt when Hugh looked even the tiniest bit upset with her, which was odd. Liva was a spoiled little rich girl, a princess, a future queen. She never even apologized for things until she met Hugh, but now every time he so much as frowned she felt like she was personally responsible, like she needed to do something extravagant to atone for her actions. This went beyond the artificial apology notes her nanny would have her write when she was young and had wronged another child, beyond the gifts she would buy for people when she suspected they weren’t happy with her and needed to keep them a friend of the crown… This was real guilt, something that ate her alive on the inside and kept persisting even after. She had stopped several feet behind Hugh and the hammock, one hand on a thin tree trunk as she watched him. A silence seemed to overtake her for a moment, and when it was gone, when she could once again hear the crickets in the grass and the buzz of a security camera somewhere nearby, she moved forwards. “Hugh….I didn‘t mean to upset you. I‘m just… I‘m just trying to understand you, Hugh.” And that’s when Liva heard it; a soft whimper coming from her bodyguard. She paused and then Liva came around to sit beside him on the hammock, making it rock slightly under her weight. “Hugh…” She had never said anyone’s name so softly. Without another word, she wrapped her arms around him. The movements were hesitant at first, as Liva wasn’t used to comforting people, but once she got over that indecisiveness, she hugged him gently, her head resting upon his shoulder. “Please…”

[E M M A]

That was just it, Hugh lamented beamoaningly to himself. There was no possible way he could go back inside and face her. After the episode of rage he'd exhibited for no apparent reason to her, surely several questions hung in the air. Hugh could already feel it, a thick veil of uncertainty and unease settled between them. Whatever it was called, whatever friendly, mutual agreement they had had earlier today, that was all gone. Just like anything else, Hugh had managed to ruin yet another beautiful relationship. All because of what? His irrational paranoia? Why was he even scared of Liva? What could she possibly do to him? It was because Hugh was convinced that Liva would be his downfall, that she would leave him destitute and even in worse emotional shape, that she would somehow undo whatever weak trust he had put into her. Déja vû.

Perhaps it was the sudden vicissitude of his social and daily habits that was throwing a wrench in the works, or Liva's bizarre decency towards him that had him fearful. Hugh absolutely could not stand thinking about what reopened his wounds in the first place, just a few years ago when he'd first started working for that... that jerk. Fresh out of the orphage, or essenitally, "the dump", without much money or personal items to begin with, Hugh had dropped one of his many defenses in his confusion and desperation to try to fit in to the real world. He had been so unprepared, so foolish, so scared. He knew no one, and no one knew him except for a few officers who remembered his troublesome scowling face. Hugh, unsurprisingly, was alone in a big harsh world, without anyone to guide him through it.

When he'd applied for the training academy, one that was relatively cheaper than what the local dumpy college for misfits offered, Hugh had first been introduced to a large and amiable man, who grinned constantly. When he laughed, which was often, his whole body shook and tears came to his eyes. The man favored Hugh, almost like his own son, for quite some time. He oversaw his training, complimented Hugh often for the things he did well, patted his back affectionately like a proud father. Automatically, Hugh trusted this man. They went out for lunches, they even spent time on a vacation to the man's beach house in Florida that one time. In exchange for his supposed kindness, Hugh had given his life story, his own tidbits of personal secrets to his boss. To Michael Seymour.

The more and more Hugh trusted him and began to feel somewhat comfortable, like he had belonged and like he was loved by someone on this dreadful planet, the more distant Mr. Seymour had grown from Hugh. They went out less, they conversed less, they saw each other less. The man, in fact, began to bully Hugh. Particularly once Hugh had admitted to him about his particularly extreme emotions, of how many times Hugh had tried to kill himself, or to remove himself from society as a disturbed teenager. It was supposed that the topic had either made him uncomfortable, or had given Mr. Seymour advantage over Hugh to manipulate him. Since Hugh had virtually nothing, and literally no one to have his back, his boss had the oppurtunity to make Hugh work for what he wanted.

He wanted a meal? Shred papers. A ride home tonight because of the rain? Mop the training room down at the end of the day. Authority began to mix with friendship and loyalty, and Hugh, with his irrational and instantaneous gut reactions, he had lashed out- badly. Maybe his strained relationship with his boss was his fault, just as everything was. Hugh began to talk back with a loud mouth at his boss, or to stubbornly refuse Mr. Seymour's tainted bribery and go his own way. Clearly, Hugh not relying on him as much as he would have liked angered his boss even further- and the feud began. This continued for two or three weeks, and only worsened with each passing day. Word got out one morning at the agency that Hugh was an orphan, and that he was living in the slums- meanwhile, his government-paid, well raised coworkers were living in the beautiful suburbs and drove Cadillacs to the base every day.

Embarassed, alone, and confused, Hugh withdrew into a tight shell. It was very abrupt and very severe, for he would refuse to talk to even his teammates on the field, during co-op missions or little excursions into suspicious territory. Moreover, he did not trust anyone. A pitiful smile in the halls was a personal attack. He was snappy and spoke few words, grunted for responses. In such a respectable workplace, Hugh was immediately targeted as the weak one out. His secrets were gradually filtered out and circulated, including the ones that mocked his virginity and his innocence to the female population. Some even left dirty magazines at his desk as a rude joke, or hung offensive posters on his cubicle. Hugh despised his birthday, because the entire office would make a show out of it- of course, led by none other than Michael. They knew Hugh hated attention and parties, so what else would be better to give him on his birthday?

Hugh had said quite the mouthful of snarky comments in return, nearly becoming fired if it weren't for his valuable assetts. That was all Hugh became useful for, the only reason why his coworkers buttered up to him when they wanted him to go in for a job. The field agents, like him, either bribed him to replace them in the more questionable and hazardous operations, or brutally threatened him with something or other so they could take his place and look like the hero when they completed a mission Hugh was near figuring out. Who had put down the infamous drug lord and his cronies last month even though their team was outnumbered? It wasn't Hugh. Of course it wasn't Hugh. Who had pointed out the missing clue in the ongoing investigation? Surely, it couldn't be Hugh.

Transitioning from a world where he had gotten a glimpse of love and acceptance, of encouragement, of friendly smiles, to one that was cold, bitter, and harsh, Hugh was left in shambles. He'd taken up drinking at some point, swallowing his sorrows from a glass bottle in some dark alley in the middle of the night. Certainly, he'd become more violent and fervent, and he definitely didn't trust anyone with anything. He rarely discussed work plans with anyone either, leaving him to do things on his own. Hugh was left out of Christmas parties, baby showers- nobody even told him about the deaths in the field anymore. He wasn't considered as part of the "family" that they supposedly boasted about being. The verbal and mental abuse directed towards him was mainly reserved for his floor and immediate office or department, but occasionally, someone from Forensics would stop him in the halls and snidely mention his newest failure or brag about how someone in his department had been "such a hero"- when in truth, it had actually been Hugh's doing.

It was all very sickening, the downhill tumble his life had suddenly taken when everything had seemed to be blissful. Worst of all, it came back to trusting. Trusting one, one person with his innermost private things. He had handed over his heart blindly to that man to take care of, to nourish and to mend, but Hugh had gotten it returned, marred and unrecognizable. It was it just... wouldn't do to tell Liva about himself. He couldn't do it. Hugh had begun to tremble internally, his body shivering uncontrollably from the returning traumatization. He was sad. He wanted to give up. Quit his job, and lay in the dirty streets of downtown Los Angeles until someone came by and shot him. It was the most out of sort Hugh had become in months, maybe even a year or two. When he decided to think about things like this, it never ended well. He just wanted to go home. But was that ramshackle apartment even a home?

Branches cracked and snapped behind him, Hugh's heart leaping out of his throat. He didn't have to turn around to know who it was, frustrated anger boiling in his veins. He didn't respond the first time she'd called his name, hoping she would get the message and leave him. His eyes burned with dampness, his face hot with grief. His shoulders had sagged, and his body seemed lifeless hunched over itself on the hammock. You idiot, Hugh seethed internally, why can't you take any hints! He clenched his fists, his teeth ground so hard that his jaw began to ache and his teeth felt like they were about to fracture under the pressure. "I don't care! Just leave me alone! Go back inside!" He moaned from his hands, not daring to look up as her footsteps stopped right beside him. He could see her bare feet if he opened a single eye, the image blurred behind his watery blue irises.

The hammock squeaked as Liva sat herself next to him, their combined weight causing the fabric to cave towards the middle. As a result, Liva had been seated so her thighs touched his own- and then she put her arms around his broad shoulders. It was too much touching, no, this wouldn't do, he'd thought initially, tensing against her embrace in refusal. He hadn't physically removed himself from her due to the further humiliation he'd suffer if she saw him... cry. Hugh never cried. Such a momentous overwhelming had pushed him back to that fine edge, where he was in the danger of falling off that precarious cliff. And then Hugh melted, removing his hands from his face and giving in to Liva's hug. He slid his arms tightly around her small waist, letting his head fall into her shoulder. The action had his insides screaming for help, panic reinstating in his mind. His heart throbbed painfully in his chest, his skin warm with upset. Hugh refused to let a single tear escape the corner of his eyes, clinging to Liva like he would his childhood teddy bear.

There he sat, for untold silent minutes in Liva's arms. At this point, he didn't even care if the CIA came to take him away at last. They would never pry his arms away from Liva. Conflicted between the threat of falling into that same trap again and allowing himself to be soothed by her gentle affections, Hugh was quiet save for his choked breathing. His first attempt to speak in some sort of apology failed miserably and resulted in an even louder whimper, sounding pathetic - like some three year old child who had just woken cranky from a nap. Hugh tried then to focus on his breathing, in through his nose, out through his mouth. It worked wonders to get his obnoxious thoughts to dwindle, until the smell of Liva's shampoo became the only thing he was distracted with. It was therapeutic for sure, Liva having come for him and hugging him like she had. It was his first... his first real hug. And it did make him feel better. At last, Hugh lifted his head from her shoulder after what had felt like hours, tesrs glistening in his pale blue eyes, his cheeks red from where he had rested his face on her shoulder. He couldnt bring himself to say anything, his arms falling to his side. It felt too... weird. She was still his client. He had to stay professional...

(view spoiler)[

Ahh i was gonna put the part where he apologizes and stuff but my post is already too long (hide spoiler)]

[angelena.]

Liva wasn’t sure what she had expected when she wrapped her arms around Hugh, but it certainly hadn’t been for him to return her embrace. She shifted slightly when she felt his arms slide around her waist, holding her to him in return. She let him rest her head on his shoulder, let him sob silently against her. At one point, she moved her hand against his back in what she thought might be a comforting gesture. In all honesty, Liva wasn’t certain. She had never been the person to comfort others, had never held anyone in her arms or whispered soothing words into a friend’s ear. “It’s… It’s okay.” She tried, feeling that those were the right words. Even if she wasn’t sure about things being okay… That was what people said on TV, right? Liva had watched enough American dramas to make that deduction. Wasn’t this how people comforted one another when someone’s boyfriend was in a terrible car accident or their prom date failed to show up? It had been awhile since she had watched those soap operas, but she was sure those rules were still relevant, right?

When she felt Hugh releasing her, Liva let her arms slowly fall away from him, too. Their eyes locked for a moment, and Liva was struck with how… blue his eyes were. She had noticed it once before, on their first day together when she had thought of threatening him and his job, but had decided against it when she got caught up in his eyes… They were a very pale, very bright blue. The prettiest blue she had ever seen. And they seemed to contrast so much with his dark voice and his normally gloomy expression. His eyes made him seem younger, almost, made him seem more innocent than she would have thought possible. And in Liva was the fierce, sudden desire to protect whatever that innocence there. His eyes looked even bluer now, glossy with tears. They stared at each other for another moment, Liva at a loss for words. And then, without thinking she reached forward, brushing a dark lock of his hair back into place with the tenderness of a loved one. Liva blinked, retracting her hand quickly and turning her head from him, focusing her gaze elsewhere.

Liva had no clue what to say to Hugh now, had no clue what would make things better. She felt like an intruder, being out here, seeing personal moments she wasn’t supposed to witness. But she had. And now… she wanted nothing more than to understand Hugh, as she had said, to help him through whatever he was going through and mend whatever was broken inside him. Liva had never felt that way about anyone before, had only seen a few people cry in her entire life. People kept such emotions from her, as was expected. Whenever a servant in the castle was feeling upset or unwell, they would conceal those emotions in fear of upsetting her. Her father and brother never cried as far as she knew, for they would fear being caught on camera and being called weak. The people who acted like her friends… Well, they wore a million faces, but none of them were anything but pleasant. Liva studied Hugh’s expression out of the corner of her eye, trying to make sense of it all. It seemed that in these silent moments, even the crickets had ceased their chirping. Before she knew what she was doing, Liva was breaking that silence, revealing things to Hugh as a sort of offering to him, to show him that no matter how bad his baggage was, hers wasn’t too great either…

“When I was nineteen, I started dating a boy named Silas…” Liva began softly, dropping her hands to her lap and staring down at them as she launched into the story. She wasn’t sure what provoked her to tell him this information, other than the idea that maybe if she was open about her twisted past, he would be too. But Liva had never really talked about this with anyone, had never confessed to these feelings within herself… She wasn’t sure why she trusted Hugh with this information, why the words slipped as easily as water between her fingers. “He was… he was everything to me. His dad was an advisor in the castle, and Silas was working to become a politician himself. But he wasn’t like those other rich guys. He seemed… he seemed to care about me. He made me laugh and he…he helped me when I struggled with my mom’s death. And I gave him… everything.” She had lost her virginity to him, and then… Liva shook her head, sighing softly as she looked out over the garden. “And then a week later I found him in bed with another girl.” Her throat tightened bitterly at the taste of those words, as that old wound reopened within her. “Turns out Silas was only interested in me because I helped him get a position in my dad’s administration. He used me just like everyone else tries to…” And the worst part was that he still had a position there at the castle, that Liva still had to see him at meetings and act as though nothing had happened, as though she didn’t want to have him beheaded… After a long moment of silence in which Liva recollected herself, she added, “You… you can trust me, Hugh.”

[E M M A]

OMG. OMGGGG. i love ugh. Poor liva tho! I will have him spill a little at a time

[E M M A]

нєαтнєя wrote: "OMG. OMGGGG. i love ugh. Poor liva tho! I will have him spill a little at a time"

All was quiet, the cool evening air chilling his damp cheekbones. Hugh sniffled frequently, attempting to mask it with his fidgeting on the swaying hammock. He was so... embarassed. What did Liva think of him now? Pathetic? Strange? Rude? Hugh felt like he was four years old again, an emotional wreck, being confronted with a concerned woman. Back then, it had sometimes been the staff lady who was in charge of the boys in his corridor, now, it was Liva. The princess of Denmark. What was she even doing here, coming after the likes of him? He couldnt possibly mean much to her, now could he? Hugh wished he had never allowed her inside his head. Then he wouldn't be here, upset, groveling like a teenage girl about how difficult his life was. It was habit for him to refuse to acknowledge that he had underlying issues that need to be solved, or that he was hurting. Pain was for the weak, right? Hugh would not be weak.

His back straightened a degree, his resolve standing that he should suck it up and apologize, say that it was just a little panick attack, nothing more. Then they could go back inside without further issue. He would do the rest of the dishes and send the princess off to bed, then he'd lock himself in his room for sleep. An early bedtime didn't sound so bad. Neither did seclusion. His breath caught in his throat as she reached out, his eyes fluttering shut as she ever so gently brushed a wayward strand of his dark unruly hair back where it belonged. Her delicate fingers had been nothing but tender, her soft skin gliding over his warm forehead. Chills sailed down his spine, and just as soon as she had touched him, her hand retracted back into her dim silhouette. Instead of being stricken with a hand or with crude language for his outburst of emotions, he had been coddled, comforted- he had been reassured that he was "okay".

Vulnerability was never something Hugh could tolerate on any circumstances, yet that seemed to be the very reason for his downfalls, for his subjection to anyone who instigated him. Liva failed to regain eye contact with him after that subtle touch, her view out over the garden and it's faint planter lights that illuminated the arrangements of flowers. As much as Hugh wished to crawl back into Liva's arms to relive that blissful escape from reality, he sat with a sullen expression, heavy hearted. His eyes looked only to the ground. What happened now? Did he owe it to Liva to say what happened? Why he acted the way he did? Words didn't form in his dry mouth, a large lump lodged in his throat. Even if he tried, Hugh didn't have the mentality to have confidence in himself, or in Liva's loyalty either.

Then, this Silas was mentioned. He could assume they were delving into something more personal with the way Liva seemed to shrink, her melancholy tone only confirming his assumptions. She stared into her lap beside him, yet to look back at him again since she had withdrawn her hand. For some reason, he craved her touch, even if it were a simple accidental bump of the shoulder, a squeeze of the hand- anything. Hugh wrung his hands in his lap, systematically rubbing his bony fingers one by one on each hand- and repeating the process to distract himself. It helped him to pay attention, and what he heard was largely unpleasant. It temporarily sidetracked his depressive thoughts, his eyebrows furrowed with concern as she discussed her ex boyfriend.

Her face had visibly darkened the more she talked, almost to the point where Hugh was about to grasp her arm and plead for her to stop. The pain was evident in her voice, a pain that Hugh could recognize. He knew what it was like to be decieved, and lied to, by someone he trusted the most. This talk of Silas angered Hugh to some extent, his fist squeezed subconsciously in his lap now, curling and uncurling slowly. He felt defensive over the princess, whom he barely knew, yet felt some sort of connection with. They may have been two entirely different people, with vastly contrasted backgrounds- but they somehow were nearly the same. In distress, struggling with their identity, aching to be accepted, loved, cherished- it all sounded too familiar.

"I-I trust you," Hugh croaked, wavering between syllables to his mortification. Clearing his throat, Hugh found himself repeating, louder: "I trust you." Did he trust her? Or was he just saying that? Did he put his full heart into what he had proclaimed? Or was it just to make Liva feel better? Even Hugh was unsure, undecided as the two sat beside each other on the hammock. "He... he used to be my friend," Hugh began softly, his voice no more than a whisper. "My boss. He used to be my friend," he mumbled, repeating himself as if he didn't believe those words were coming out of his mouth. Swallowing thickly and exhaling a shuddering breath, Hugh gnawed the inside of his cheek. "I... I had grown up alone, I'd always been alone... So when he took me under his wing when I first trained, I... I trusted him. I trusted him, Liva," Hugh continued, his voice becoming increasingly unsteady.

"I told him everything. And he... he said he'd keep those secrets, he said- he said he loved me, that I was- I was the son he never had," it was about this point that Hugh lost his resolve, his teeth set in a line as his lip trembled. He would not. Cry. "He lied to me-! He lied, he told everyone! He told all those degrading stories, turned everyone against me," Hugh roared in bitter remorse in a sudden outrage, almost quaking as he became lost in his words. It fell absolutely still- silence. "And I trusted him," came his dark whisper, hostility fired inside his chest. Angrily, Hugh swiped away at a tear that started from the corner of his eye. "It destroyed me, what he did. I can't do this again! I can't trust anyone again," he whimpered, slumping at the shoulders as he quickly became exgausted by the fury that came. "Don't hurt me, Liva- please, I can't go through anymore." Hugh had turned to the princess, his eyes spilling over with tears he neglected and merely allowed to trace his jaw. "I trust you. Don't... don't make me regret it."

[angelena.]

She had never told anyone about Silas. Her brother had once inquired about the young man within her father’s administration who she would not look in the eyes, but she had dismissed him breezily, laughing off his concerns in the same way she always laughed when she was hurting. Liva was afraid to tell the story now, to reveal those weaknesses and insecurities to Hugh. What might he do with this knowledge? What must he think of her now? That she was a naïve, pathetic little brokenhearted girl? Surely Hugh wouldn’t care about her problems. According to the tabloids, Liva had everything a girl could want, lived the most wild and extravagant life… She had no right to be unhappy, not when everything was so easily laid at her table. Why should anyone care about her heartbreaks or her loneliness? Why should anyone care that had long ago stopped crying because her tears mattered to no one? Liva waited for the blow, waited for Hugh to laugh at her so-called problems and call her stupid, as anyone else would should she open up to them. But the blow never came, and instead… Hugh began to talk to her. She looked at him in surprise as his shoulders slumped, as he struggled to keep back tears, as he gave her a story in return…

As she listened to Hugh’s story, Liva wasn’t sure what do with her hands. Her bodyguard grew more emotional with each word, as though he was finally letting go of some great turmoil that had been building and building in his chest since all this drama took place. She wanted to hug him again, or take his hand in hers, press her lips to his palm and tell him that things would be okay… But she didn’t dare move. Instead, Liva found herself flinching every time Hugh raised his voice. And all the while a fierce fire grew within her. She knew where Hugh’s story was going before it got there, knew what terrible things she was about to hear in regards to his boss. She had known all along that she hated that man, but now that loathing was renewed in vigor. She had never felt so protective over anyone the way she did now about Hugh, which was ironic considering that he was meant to be her protector. Liva wished that awful man would return to the house that instant so she could shove her heels down his throat. It didn’t help that Hugh kept repeating that word. Trust. Over and over and over again.

The princess had not really trusted anyone since a politician’s son broke her heart. She did not trust her father or her brother or any of the agents or servants that dotted on her. But she trusted Hugh, perhaps since the moment she had laid eyes on him. Her anger slowly ebbed away as he continued on, her eyes locked on his impassioned form as he carried on through this emotional rampage. No one had ever been so open with her. No one had ever laid their emotions bare with her… No, no one within her world would ever let the world see their true forms. It was a novelty to her, seeing someone who spoke so genuinely, who felt things so deeply. And Liva got that same sense she had had in the training room yesterday morning, and at the dinner table that night she had gotten so angry with him… That sense that he would be ruinous for her, that he would undo everything she had worked for, that he was exactly the fire she had both feared and subconsciously searched for. And then Hugh looked at her suddenly, his eyes near pleading as he confessed to trusting her, as he begged her to be careful with that trust of his…

Liva didn’t know what she was doing. She just knew that Hugh was looking at her with those very, very blue eyes and that there were tears within them. She knew that he was hurting, knew that she wanted to take both his and her pain away. She knew that they weren’t so different, knew that he understood what she had been through with Silas because he had gone through something similar. She knew that he was just as lonely as she was, could see it in his eyes… But she did not know what she was doing when she slowly reached out her hand, tracing her fingertips along his jaw, erasing a line of tears. “I… I would never, Hugh.” She whispered breathlessly. The world had gone silent to Liva when she looked into his eyes, slowly bringing up her other hand so that she could cup his tear-stained face in her palms. And then she was leaning forward, eliminating all space between them so that she could press her lips softly against her bodyguard’s. Later, Liva wouldn’t be able to say what otherworldly power had possessed her in that moment to kiss him, wouldn’t be able to offer any excuses for such irrational actions. In that moment, all she knew was that his lips were soft and warm, and when she kissed him she felt like she had been lit aflame.