Leap of Faith | Tiger and Greek

tiemyowncombatboots:

Meg stayed in one place, treading water as she tried to think through what had just happened. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but immediately snapped it shut. Too many thoughts were traveling through her mind. She had never been shouted at for doing something like that before. Ever. She had known, of course, that Rajah was over protective and violent, but she never thought that he would turn that anger on her.

The more she thought about it, the more their relationship reminded her of the abusive ones they learned about in health class. Rajah was way more overprotective than one man should be at their stage in a relationship. He did not like it when she flirted with other people, even though she had told him that sex was off of the table for a while. And now, he had gotten violent with her for jumping before he thought she would. She had told him many times that she would be safe and that she had done it many times before. She had thought that jumping and showing him that she was fine would calm him down a bit. Apparently she was wrong.

Finally, after about a minute of silence, she spoke. “You need to do that again.” She looked at him, a slight furrow in her brow, and pointed to the cliff edge. “Go back up there, jump, and react like a normal person would. That was not okay, Rajah.”

Waiting for Meg to react was torture, seeming to last almost as long as it had taken her to fall. When she finally spoke, it wasn’t what he expected her to say. He looked up stunned and he frowned in confusion. “What? You want me to… Shouldn’t we talk about what just happened?”

Rajah was used to talking out his problems, something most girls found too girly. Others defaulted to action and probably would have followed Meg’s request without hesitation. But Rajah didn’t see how him jumping from the cliff again was going to do them any good.

Was how he reacted really not normal? It wasn’t like he had plenty of warning that she was going to jump or anything. By the time he had realized what was going on, she was falling through the air. His mind didn’t process anything, just jumped to instinctual reactions.

(Source: unwantedbrother, via old-dsameg-account)

(( IT NEVER SHOWED UP. I’M SO SORRY. ))

Nothing’s Ever Easy

harsh-and-untameable:

“Tigre, tiger.” She informed, holding Toby to her as she rolled on her side to face Rajah. “You know, de huge cats, beautiful animals, pretty territorial.” She let Toby down onto the bed and made a face at him when he looked at her and meow’d pitifully. “You’ll be fine, bébé. 

“Debatin’ if I should ask for payment den.” She said lightly, lowering her eyes to the kitten. “Can’t let one person go wit’ it, othawise dey all would be askin’ for free halp.” 

She looked back up at Rajah, glad to hear him laugh. “What are my magic words? A cellphone I cannot do, I don’ ‘ave one.” Technology and Tia didn’t exactly work well together. The best she could do was work the radio and CD player back home. Everything else was done by hand. 

“Tiger?” He asked, his eyebrows shooting up.Beautiful and territorial. He grinned at her assessment then shook his head. “You know, my mom calls me her little tiger. She said that’s why she adopted me. I looked like a little tiger in my crib and she knew I was the one…” He trailed off with a small smile, looking at Tia with a new fondness. He was sure the nickname wasn’t a coincidence; she really was something special.

“Well, I guess I can’t set a bad example for everyone else, can I? What will it be this time? A lock of hair? A drop of blood?” He asked, hoping Tia knew him well enough to understand that it was just light teasing. The fact that Tia was a witch didn’t bother him at all. He knew that she was a good person and that was all that mattered to him. If she really did ask for something like a vial of tears, he’d be all too willing to give it up. He trusted her.

“You don’t have a cellphone?” Rajah’s brain fumbled to think of another way to get in contact with him. He was so dependent on technology; he didn’t think there was another way to reach him in an emergency. “I could get you a phone Tia. They have disposable ones that are cheap.”

(Source: unwantedbrother)

Catching Up | Alice and Rajah

eatmee-drinkmee:

Watching Rajah stand there waiting for her was entertaining to say the least. All the people who passed by stared wearily at him and some even ushered their children to the farther side of them. It made her chuckle inwardly at their first meeting. She too had been one of those people, shrinking and cowering in fear. He was big in size, rippling with hard muscles. The fact that he looked like security guard than a student was hilarious to her and the difference in stature made them a comedic pair.

Rajah was tall, towering most people. He was built and his facial structure made even the slight concentration look like he was looking for his prey.  The veins of his arms would pop as he folded them and his stance was just friendly. Alice was bubbly. No, she wasn’t short but she was giggly and she liked to skip about which made her look even younger. She liked wearing dresses and bows in her hair. She smiled a lot and laughed a lot and greeted people with just as much enthusiasm. A contrast with her male counterpart.

Which was why she enjoyed the looks everyone had when they watched her run up to him. She even thought she might have seen someone brace themselves and prepared themselves to help her if she needed it. But she knew better. She knew deep down he was more of a cuddly bear on the inside. And it showed when he saw her. The smile on his face appeared and the aura around him was brighter. And it was a shock to the outsiders when he offered Alice her arm and she took his arm after she curtsied, giggling.

“Thank you, my dear,” she smiled, “For inviting me. I’m all alone in my room. Lilo’s not here, she’s home. And the room sounds scary.  The AC rumbles and doors creak sometimes. I always feel like I have someone in my room.” She shook her head and buried her nose in his shoulder. It might be something that might have been misconstrued as a romantic gesture but in truth, Rajah was Alice’s big brother. He watched her when Toulouse couldn’t. It might sound controlling but if she could have someone watch her, she was glad it was him. Rajah was fun to be around and now she was taking her to the Cultural Center.

“Alrighty, where do we go from here?” she grinned, pulling him towards the exit, through the doors. Her sense of direction was a bit poor and she would often get lost. Now in a country ful of strange and exotic people, none who speak the same language as her, she was hoping Rajah knew a thing or two of how to act on this situation. She looked up at him starry-eyed, eager to start their adventure. She couldn’t want to see the different dancing and shows that the Cambodians set up to entertain the tourists. Hopefully no animals will be harmed, she could only wish.

Alice was one of those people a person just couldn’t help smiling around. Her cheerful energy washed over Rajah, soothing him for the time being. A day with her was exactly what was needed. He was glad she hadn’t been busy. He hadn’t seen in her a long time and he needed to remedy that. He needed to be a better friend to all the people he cared about.

“I didn’t notice the hotel rooms were so noisy. I’m not usually there except for sleeping.” And Rajah didn’t sleep much. He couldn’t escape and go distract himself as easily when they were in the hotels.

Rajah pulled on one of Alice’s bows gently as she nuzzled him. His little sister Bala would do the same when she was tired. The action, so reminiscent of his sister, warmed his heart. Alice was one of the few girls that Rajah had come to know and care for. Her and Tiger Lily were like sisters to him.

“We go to the right,” Rajah instructed as he was pulled outside. He didn’t mind being lead around by Alice, but surely it made for an amusing sight. She was so tiny and yet he followed her as if he was easily dragged along. It was an acting skill he had picked up from being around his sisters. If she tried it when he wasn’t paying attention, he probably wouldn’t even move an inch.

He patted her hand gently and started to lead her towards the Center, eager to please his companion. As they neared his destination he paused to fish a digital camera out of his pocket. “I want to take pictures and maybe some videos for Bala,” he explained, slipping the camera strap around his wrist before continuing their journey.

(Source: unwantedbrother, via curiouseraanddcuriouser-deactiv)

Until I’m too Tired to do Anything but Sleep | Closed

Another late night on the ship found Rajah in the gym. It was past midnight; most students were sleeping, as were most of the other passengers. The guests that were still awake, however, were in other places on the ship, like the bar. Rajah had the whole gym to himself. It was usually like that at that time of night. Rajah ended up there more often than not, more often than he might admit to his friends. When the day was over and all his distractions were gone, he found it hard to sleep. His mind would start racing and wouldn’t stop until he dragged himself out of bed. Then he’d spend a few hours on the punching bag.

Each hit brought some serenity to his mind. It wasn’t the ease he felt when he was with Tia or when he slept with Meg. It was more of a numbing sensation, focusing on his next punch and hitting the bag faster and faster until he wasn’t thinking any more. The noise his fists made drowned out any thoughts that tried to surface. He would ignore his muscles as they started to ache, pushing out the pain and driving himself farther. He wouldn’t stop until he had hit his limit and pressed pass it. It was dangerous, and there was some nights that Rajah felt he might break himself. He’d catch himself just before his muscles snapped and fall onto the bag, yelling into the night.

The way his voice echoed in the empty gym didn’t sound human, it sounded more like the roar of a beast. He would stay there, immobilized and breathing harshly, until his body recovered. Once his thoughts kicked back into gear he’d push away from the bag and shake himself off. Most nights it was enough to send him back to his cabin to get some sleep. Other nights he would end up in the pool, but not tonight. He had pushed too far and his arms wouldn’t handle the extra activity.  

He was still broken, maybe worse than he had been when he first arrived. He was no closer to reconciling with Mari and Bala was growing up without him. He messed up all the relationships he made on the boat; being overbearing with Meg, clueless with Tia, distant with Tiger Lily. It was a miracle any of them stayed friends with him.

He had never had time like this to sit back and focus on himself. When he had been at home there had always been something to do for his family. Shopping with Mari. Having a tea party with Bala. Some sport to practice. He hadn’t realized there was anything wrong with him until it blew up in his face. Sending that kid to the hospital was a cold slap of reality. Seeing the fear and loathing in Mari’s eyes had broken his heart, made him reassess who he was.

All the quiet time he had on the ship allowed him to wallow in his fears and doubts. Being so far away from his sisters made him feel helpless. He felt he wasn’t improving, that he’d never get back to them. Some days everything seemed so pointless that he couldn’t drag himself out of the bed that, just hours before, he couldn’t fall asleep in. The time spent alone was slowing driving Rajah insane. So he started seeking out his friends more often, and he ended up in the gym almost every night. He tried to put his worries out of his mind, focus on the positive. But he just couldn’t when he was lying in bed alone.

(Source: sing-4-the-moment)

(Source: hottguycelebs)

Leap of Faith | Tiger and Greek

tiemyowncombatboots:

Meg smiled, watching the way the muscles on his back moved as he pulled the shirt over his head. She always loved the way a mans back moved. All of that pent up strength was a complete turn on, and she couldn’t help but to stare a little. Not that she would feel any shame of he caught her staring; he knew how she thought about him. But with those three words, he had sealed his fate. Meg liked taking chances, defying the odds, and she was about to do just that. 

She quietly stepped back and quickly pulled the white sundress over her head, throwing it on the ground next to her towel. She hoped that he was paying enough attention to the fact that he was just about to jump off a cliff to not notice that she was backing up ever so slightly. The back of her mind half wondered how he would react to this act, but she realized that she did not care one bit. At least, not yet. He would still have to catch up to her. Taking a deep breath, Meg sprinted forward and leapt off of the edge of the cliff before Rajah could. 

The air washed over her face as she fell through the air, and she pointed her body so that her dive into the warm Greek waters would not end poorly for her. Her fingers hit the water, then her arms, her head next, and soon she was submerged, gravity carrying her deeper into the waters. As she slowed her descent, she turned and began to swim back up to the surface for air. Meg’s face broke the surface first, and she looked back up to the cliff to see Rajah looking back down at her. “Come on in, the water’s fine!” she shouted up, laughing as she did so and swimming back from where she was so that he would have plenty of room to dive.

Rajah took a moment to jump. It wasn’t that he was scared. Not of the jump itself anyway. He was athletic enough to handle it. Other worries were running through his mind. Would she wait long enough for him to recover before jumping? What if something happened to her and he didn’t realize it until he surfaced? What if she tripped when it was her turn to jump? What if she landed wrong? How much good could he do if she broke her neck when she hit the water? He didn’t know how ambulances worked in Greece. He didn’t know if he’d be able to get her to a hospital in time if anything did happen.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to push away his worries. He could do this. They could do this. Everything was going to be alright. He centered himself and opened his eyes, ready to jump when- suddenly Meg passed him by a blur and before he could even react she was off, over and heading down-

“Meg!” He screamed, not aware of how unmanly it sounded. He watched in horror as she fell through space, noting her practiced form somewhere in the back of his mind. It wasn’t enough to calm him down, break the spell he was under. When she connected with the water he felt like it was him that had done so, his breath taken away in panic as he waited for her to surface. What was she thinking? If something went wrong, how could he get to her in time? He felt paralyzed, chest tightening with the anxiety and lack of oxygen. She had to be okay, she had to be okay, shehadtobeokay-

It seemed like eternity but finally she broke the surface, and she looked fine. Happy even. She waslaughingas if she didn’t realize how close she had been to shattering his world. Of course she didn’t know what she had just done to him. She had never had someone truly care for her; she didn’t know how to let herself truly care for anyone else.

Finally he was sure she was fine, and he took in a deep, shuttering breath of air, only just realizing how long it had been since his last one. If he had been prepared for her jump it wouldn’t have been so bad. But she had surprised him. He had been practically meditating; her action caught him off guard, his brain not ready to process fast enough to do anything but freak out. He wanted to cry, to scream, to kill some one. There was no one to beat up though; the only thing to fight was nature, fate, fear, what ever it was that had him so riled up.

His face, which had been full of abject terror had slid into a blank mask. Finally his eyebrows furrowed in the beginnings of a scowl, and then he was running, leaping, diving off the cliff. He hit in the water in a perfect swimmer’s dive, having plenty of practice in water. He came up fast, recovering faster and caught up to Meg. He grabbed her shoulders and shook her once, unable to stop himself. “What were youdoing?” He hissed, eyes blazed with anger. He wasn’t mad at her so much; more so mad at himself, at his limitations. If he had been Superman it wouldn’t have mattered what she did, he’d always be able to keep her safe. But he wasn’t, and he’d never would be. He was trapped in his mortal body, facing mortal dangers, just doing the best he could.

Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, the rage melted away, replaced by relief. He pulled Meg close, wrapping his arms around her almost painfully as his chest started to shake with shattered breaths. The anger had been a cover for the fear and helplessness he had been feeling. He hadn’t meant to grab her like that, to accost her.

But she was safe, she was alive, everything was fine. Rajah was left with regret, shame, guilt. He let her go and pushed himself away. She would probably be mad him, probably couldn’t trust him anymore. He had proven that he couldn’t have adventures with her. His gaze fell down on the water before him, waiting for her wrath. Waiting for Meg to leave him. He had ruined everything.

(Source: unwantedbrother, via old-dsameg-account)

(via darlin23)

(Source: affymades)