2A/N: ONESHOT. Hope you like...once the idea came to me, I wrote non stop. The incident on the tube? Actually happened. My cousin pulled me back, saved my new coat in the process =)
Thankyou Lucy for helping me with this =D 3 Iris - GooGoo Dolls. It was really refreshing writing in British English, and not American English - I can't go wrong really when I write British...so I think I'mma do that in the future again...
Please review! =)
IRIS -
Iris
Iris watched the sky change colour, from midnight blue to a much lighter blue, not a cloud in sight. This time was always her favourite – when it was not yet morning, but not night either. Insomnia led to her sitting on a park bench; a ten minute walk away from her bed, which, inviting as it was still couldn't make her go to sleep. Nothing could, not now.
The day had been hell, everything went wrong in succession. Lewis had moved away without even telling her. One day they were having film nights and generally enjoying each other's company, and the next, his flat was empty. No not, no text, no nothing. Iris was upset, angry and fed up, in that order. Then her boss had told her that she'd have to work more hours or she'd get fired, meaning she'd have even less time to paint. Her mom had called next, telling her that she was getting married again. At 21, that's not really what you expect to hear from your 50 year old mum. Then the guy at the tube station, at Tottenham Court, had saved her – that had probably been the highlight of her day. Iris hadn't really seen the woman rushing around with a cup of coffee, who had almost run into her. If it hadn't been for the guy, her new dress would have been ruined. And she'd been saving up for this one for months! His hand had closed around the back of her dress and yanked her backwards, her back colliding violently with his front. She'd turned around, becoming lost in enchanting green eyes, framed by dark eyelashes. His hair was a dirty blond colour; not actually blond, but not brown either, falling in messy waves over his eyes. He had smiled, a beautiful smile, and then he was gone, just like that. No one even noticed him, them. She didn't expect them to, this was London after all, and nobody cared enough about anybody else. A big change for Iris, the small town girl from up north, but she liked it much better. The city was always full of surprises that the town didn't have to offer.
There was a box outside her flat when she walked in, but that wasn't as surprising as the person who was dropping it off. Lewis.
"Lewis?" Her voice was still hopeful, expectant, but when he looked up, there was obvious guilt and surprise at being caught.
"Hey," His voice came out high pitched, and he coughed, stuffing his hands in his pockets.
"What are you doing here?" Iris felt the urge to cry, she knew perfectly well what he was doing.
"Just dropping some stuff off," He shrugged, like it was no big deal that he was leaving stuff, her stuff, on her doorstep without any explanation.
"Fuck you, get out of my sight you bastard. You were planning on running away without even telling me weren't you?" Iris narrowed her eyes at her now ex boyfriend, and bit her tongue to keep from shouting the place down.
"Look, Iris…it weren't like that! Me and Ellie, we was gonna tell you…" That was the final straw for Iris, hearing her supposed best friends name in that sentence had been it. She'd known, subconsciously, she'd known that they might have been having an affair. From all those times she'd called Lewis and he hadn't picked up, and when she'd tried Ellie she hadn't picked up either…well at least that part of her life was over now.
"Get lost Lewis, you're an insufferable son of a bitch," She shoved him out of the way, pulling out her keys and picking up the box of her stuff. He lingered for a moment, hesitating, before high tailing it out of the apartment building like the coward he was.
Iris couldn't believe when she saw Ellie standing on her doorstep, a smile that was obviously faked plastered on her perfect features.
Resisting the urge to slam the door in her face and break that pretty face, Iris forced a smile to replace the grimace on her face.
"Hello?"
"What do you want?" Iris had no time for formalities; she was already running late for her job at River Island. After that shift finished, she was working at a photography studio; and after that she had night classes at the University of the Arts.
"I…what're you talking about Rii!? I'm here to see you!" Ellie's voice was high pitched and the nickname she used was making Iris even madder than she was.
"Fuck off. I know what you did," Iris said, glaring at her ex best friend.
"I…we…Look Iris, you're obviously too much of a little bitch to give Lewis what he wanted. You're too high and mighty for the rest of us right? So spare us your innocence! You weren't giving Lewis what he wanted, and so I did," A self satisfied smirk appeared on her face, and just as Iris was about to retort or at least punch Ellie, someone else appeared in her doorway.
"Hey love," It was the guy from the underground, from Tottenham Court.
"Hi," To Iris, it only seemed natural to move aside as he walked in, a bag of groceries in his hand. His arm came around her waist, as he turned to smile at Ellie.
"Who's this babe?" He asked, pulling Iris' closer to him, his body heat making her incoherent.
"Ellie," Ellie said for her, flashing a brilliant grin.
"Right," The smile he returned was lazy and uninterested.
"Well…" Iris started to say.
"If you'll excuse us, we've got some unfinished business," He said, winking at Ellie, who was gaping at him by now, as he leaned down towards Iris, capturing her lips with his own. She turned on her heel and left, and Iris was left stunned, as the guy picked up his bag of groceries, removed his arm from around Iris' waist and started to walk away towards the lift.
"Hey! Wait!" Iris called out and he stopped, turning around to face her, a brilliant grin on his face.
"Yeah?" His voice…there was something about it. He didn't sound like he was from anywhere really; he didn't have even a twinge of an accent that could help her place him. The uncanny sense that she'd seen him before; before the incident at the tube, was unsettling her, but she blamed it on Ellie and her nerves.
"Thank you! And you didn't tell me your name?" She called out.
"It's Zaniel," He said with another brilliant smile, and walked away, without giving her a surname, an explanation, or much else.
Zaniel was all she could think about, all she could dream about…she was finally sleeping. And when she wasn't thinking, or dreaming about him, she was painting, and all her work somehow reminded her of him. It was like an obsession, an infatuation that was taking over her life. Everywhere she went, he was there. It wasn't only in her head; it was when she was getting the bus, she'd get on and he'd get off; walking down Piccadilly, he'd be walking in the other direction. He even turned up in a picture at her photography studio, someone had taken a shot of Marble Arch, and he was in it, offset to the right, but still in sharp focus. He was everywhere.
Zaniel
He watched Iris, as she chopped carrots. Such a mundane thing to be doing, he thought, wishing he was as she. Wishing he could be normal. The others mocked him; being a ghuardian was a lowly job, it did not require much effort, especially when it was one such as Iris Montgomery. He had chosen her; she was the one after all. He had told him so. All that was remaining was to complete the job, and he would have all he desired. A thousand years had passed, it was finally time. Zaniel sighed as he watched her; mahogany curls cascading down her back, and eyes so blue they were the colour of the sky. She was exquisitely beautiful, and so unaware of the fact. She was painting now, her pale, slender fingers clutching the brush, skilfully making marks on the canvas. Blood red, vermillion, gold; a kaleidoscope that his eyes could see – so much more than hers; he could see every filament, every pixel of the colour.
She shone the brightest, even in broad daylight when the sheer intensity of the colours was starting to give him a headache. Even in the dark of night, when she was up and couldn't sleep. Even when…He was right, it was almost time. She glowed brighter every day – sharp as the light was, it still made his eyes soften, and glisten green. She was everything to him. It was only as the time came nearer and nearer that he showed himself to her, but he'd known her all along. From that day when she'd been born, to now – he knew her. And she knew him, but she never remembered those memories. They were always taken from her. She was strong though…and remembered them, if only in her dreams. That is why He had made it so that she would not be able to sleep. As the time approached, Zaniel had granted her sleep, as He had prescribed. Zaniel wished he could touch her again, feel her skin again. The smoothness of it, the warmth, the smell. He'd give up forever to do so; he'd give up his life for her. She was heaven, paradise, his salvation at last.
Iris
Well that was it; Iris was fired from her job as a salesperson at River Island, and now she only had the minimum wage studio jobs, both which although were giving her experience and an insight into the art world, were not able to support her. She realised that this was it; she'd have to find a job at McDonalds or some corner shop somewhere that had a crappy pay. The road was pretty much deserted as she stepped onto it, deciding to cross it to get to the best chippy she knew, thoughts of Zaniel running amuck in her head.
Zaniel
It was the day; finally, it was the day. His eyes hadn't moved from her form from dawn. He'd watched her go through her routine, he'd watched as the hours, minutes, seconds ticked by. He was captivated by her soul, her energy, but most importantly by the event that was going to take place in a short amount of time.
Iris
The whole day had been crap. Zaniel. Mom was getting remarried. Zaniel. Got to pick up some milk. Zaniel. It's a Monday today; his name means prince of Mondays. Zaniel. Iris looked up, her eyes widening in shock as she saw, too late, the car speeding towards her. She knew she wouldn't survive and she closed her eyes waiting for impact.
Zaniel
This was his moment; this was what he'd waited a thousand and one years for, his salvation, the ultimate grace. The impact was his. Iris. She was his.
Iris
The impact never came – maybe it had been so fast, she hadn't even felt it? Iris was reluctant to open her eyes, and kept them closed for another second. When they did open, all she saw was a light, shining in her eyes, and then Zaniel. Her heart beat faster, her pulse quickening. He was here. She smiled, as his arms wrapped around her, lifting her up off the ground. Her feet were planted firmly on the earth, but she felt like she was soaring, she couldn't support her own weight. She felt like flying away to heaven.
Iris turned her eyes back to Zaniel. His were glowing forest green, then changed to sky blue, then amethyst purple, chocolate brown, then finally settled on green again. It wasn't just his eyes that were flashing now, it was all of him. It was him that was the white light; he was the one emanating it.
Zaniel
The sweet salvation, it finally came. The light that coursed through his veins just starting to return to blood; the antimatter that was his skin just starting to return to matter. His ghuardianship was almost over. He reached over, holding Iris' hand, feeling the warmth that coursed through her. She smiled, serenely. If he wasn't careful, she would be gone soon too.
"Iris," He spoke her name as if it was a prayer, and in a way it was, she was what would purge his sin. Claim it as her own, and then discard it in favour of her innocence. His face inched closer to hers, slowly, steadily, surely; his eyes drinking in her delicate features.
Iris
She saw him, and she knew he was beautiful. He always would be, that was who he was. Knowledge that she had never known she possessed began returning to her as if by magic. Memories she never knew she had witnessed repeating themselves in front of her eyes. Her dreams, the dreams she used to have before the insomnia. All about him. Zaniel. His face came into focus as he clutched her hand, making her smile slightly in anticipation. How could the world not notice this? How could they not see this miracle?
"Iris," He spoke softly, reverently whispering her name. His face inched closer to her, his eyes roaming her face, as she did the same to him.
Zaniel
He was surprised when she suddenly pushed forward, closing the gap between them, and claiming his lips. The kiss was sloppy, rough around the edges, but it still made warmth course through Zaniel's entire body. Her lips were sweet, like strawberries, and her passion was too. She still deserved better than him.
Iris
Iris didn't know what exactly had possessed her when she'd closed the distance between herself and Zaniel and kissed him. All she'd known was that if they went at the pace they were going before, she'd die from anticipation. As her lips met his, she felt something she never had before; wholeness, a completeness that enveloped and cushioned her, that protected her. Zaniel. Her hands desperately clutched him, one hand tangled in his soft hair, another wrapped around his neck. His were around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer to him. He was too much for her – too much to take in, but she knew she wouldn't have it any other way.
Zaniel
Everything stopped, all at once. The light, the pain, the kiss; the changing was over. He was standing in the middle of the road with Iris, both of their bodies impossibly close.
He smiled at her, the colours he'd become used to for the last millennia gone. His vision was normal, as he felt one last jolt of energy. She had decided then; she knew their fates would always be entwined. She remembered. All that he had ever known of being a ghuardian was gone. He was just himself again. After a thousand years of purgatory, he was human again. He kissed her again, just to prove his point, uncaring about the rest of the world.
Words/terms you might not have understood...
Tube/Underground = Our version of the subway, the London Underground?
Chippy = Fish & Chip shop, actually sometimes a curry shop can also be called a chippy...whatever. As long as it sells chips. =)
Corner Shop = Exactly what it sounds like - a shop on the corner, usually of a street, is a convienient mini market, that sells food essentials - is like a neighbourhood mini market?
River Island = Just a clothing shop - quite trendy & cool, but not really my style per see. More preppy? Girly? Whatever xD
Just tell me in a review ;) any other terms (British slang, I didn't use much of it really?) that you're confused about! =)