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 Posted: Sun Jan 01, 2017 7:19 pm
If ever there was a time for Lopezite to not be late it was now. He and Fortuna had agreed to meet at one of the historic clock towers, just before midnight. After all of their teasing, their picking at each other, their mismatched meetups...they were going to meet up, tonight.
And he was going to learn who Fortuna was--behind the mask, so to speak.
He almost hadn' t been able to sleep the night before. His curiosity had piqued and he found himself waiting on the snow-covered rooftop for her to show up. It was still five minutes until midnight--more than enough time for a woman who could walk through mirrors to show up.
He debated if he should have brought champagne, or flowers, or chocolates or something; he didn't want this to be cheesy. He just wanted to spend this moment with her--and to finally know the question that had eating away at him for months now.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 9:23 pm
Fortuna had spent most of the day working, she had made plans for the evening that she simply had to keep. It was finally time to meet Lopezite and learn who he really was. Throughout the whole day she had nervous butterflies in her stomach. She had never done this before, and it was a little taboo, even though their factions weren't enemies it didn't mean that they should be revealing their secret identities to each other.
There was also the confusion that was Samir, someone she was beginning to develop feelings for, strong yet different than what she felt for Lopezite, they were opposites, but each encompassed the parts of her life that could never intersect. She couldn't choose, because to do so would be to pick between two halves of herself and neither could truly satisfy her.
Those thoughts went through her head as she approached the clock tower, she could feel his energy signature up there, so she knew he was waiting and she couldn't back out now. She wondered if it would be best for everyone if she told him that she couldn't see him anymore, wouldn't that be better than leading two men on when she knew in her heart that it would end badly for someone. How could she hurt someone that she liked so much?
Fortuna shivered in the cold as she made her way up the stairs, she could have conceivably jumped her way up the tower, but the extra time to think was helpful as she tried to collect her jumbled thoughts. She felt the ticking of the clock vibrate through the wooden stairs as she walked with measured paces at 4 minutes to midnight. She could hear partying in the streets of those ready to ring in the new year... What would that year hold for her?
"It seems strange to see you here, after all the trouble we've been having, I almost didn't expect to see you." Her voice was soft but loud enough to carry across to him, but harder to detect the notes of sadness... She didn't want to have to say good bye.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2017 10:14 pm
Lopezite half turned and laughed. "It has been a bit trying, hasn't it? I admit, it almost seems unreal to have you here, now."
His eyes lingered on her, captivated by the way the moonlight seemed to catch in her hair, her eyes.
He didn't mean to stare, so he simply turned to face her and smiled.
"You look beautiful. Come, come," he gestured for her to move closer. "It will be midnight soon. Make yourself comfortable up here. Are you cold?"
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2017 8:29 am
This was reality, he was here, and so was she. At this point in time she couldn't think about others in her life, the craziness that was her family or the confusion of her civilian love life. Right now it was almost midnight and soon she would know the truth.
A half smile came across her lips as she moved across the roof to stand beside Lopezite. He thought her beautiful, powerful and exciting, but did he know why sadness lurked behind her gaze or how when she wasn't Fortuna the panic could grip her and leave her incapacitated? How would he think of her crying on the floor because memories were too powerful to let her go?
"A bit, my outfit isn't exactly made for cold weather, nor does it come with a winter option." She responded, her voice betraying none of the turmoil within. Fortuna stood very close to Lopezite, feeling the heat that radiated from him calmed her a bit and she was reminded of all the reasons why she liked him. Perhaps this wasn't a mistake after all.
"The year is almost gone, I can't say I'll be sad to see it go." She told him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Perhaps this year will be better. Full of... opportunities?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 9:11 am
Lopezite was watching her closely, not just because she was beautiful and captivating, but because he was certain he could see something, lurking beneath her smile. "One can only hope," he murmured. "This past year has been...interesting. But I would like to see what this new one holds. Here, come closer," he said, moving to cross the rest of the distance between them.
He wrapped his arms around her in an effort to help warm her up. "Perhaps we can go inside, just after the fireworks go off? I am no fan of the cold, myself. Under any circumstances. But something about being up here, with you. It feels right."
He rested his chin on her shoulder instinctively.
Everything felt right.
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Posted: Sat Jan 07, 2017 10:32 pm
Her heart beat began to sync up with the ticking of the clock that was steadily preparing to announce the new year, it would happen soon, and finally she would know. A part of her wanted to run, if she never had to see his civilian side then things would remain as they were, and there was less chance of getting hurt... But his arms went around her and she snuggled against him feeling his heat and heart beat along with hers. It quelled her desire to run for the moment.
"I usually like the cold, and I dressed far more appropriately than my fuke allows." she responded with a shrug. She felt the nervousness build in her stomach as she looked up into his golden eyes that were so familiar and yet there was so much she didn't know. It was a big step and it terrified her... But Fortuna did not let her fear control her. She used it as a tool to push forward, and let the cards fall as they may.
"So... on the first stroke of midnight... we power down?" she questioned, her voice unusually light and airy, as she once again tried to quash the nervousness that bubbled up. It was then that people began counting in the square. "But keep your eyes closed until the last stroke... no peeking"
Ten! She should stay and learn the truth.
Nine! If she ran now there it would be less hurtful in the long run.
Eight! Something about him felt so right, so thrilling, so inviting.
Seven! But what about Samir? He was right too.
Her eyes locked on to his and the rest of the counting faded out in her mind. Just live this moment, no others exist.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 11:31 am
Lopezite nodded--on the first stroke of midnight, they powered down and revealed themselves to each other. When the counting started, he gave her one last look and closed his eyes. But not before he leaned in to kiss her.
It was passionate and inviting--and almost even loving. It was a good kiss, electric and driven. It was a goodbye and a hello.
He powered down halfway through the kiss and didn't open his eyes until the clock struck midnight.
Lopezite was gone; only Samir remained, arms still wrapped around the girl before him.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 7:00 pm
Happy New Year!!!! The shouting in the square and the sound of party blowers and fireworks almost drowned out the sound of the old clock tower beginning its toll, but the whole tower vibrated below their feet with each stroke and she could feel it in her very bones. When Lopezite leaned in to kiss her she closed her eyes and met his lips with her own, matching his passion with her own, all of her fears and worries she pushed out through the kiss and filled herself with only one thought. This was reality.
On stroke six she powered down to her civilian form, she felt the warmth of the coat she had been wearing before she powered up slide over her and her arms went up and around Lopezite, her fingers twining in his hair. She felt his change as well, and there was something that was still familiar about him when he was civilian, after all how could one person change that much?
The final tone of the bell sounded just as there was a lull in the fireworks and Aubrey opened her eyes cautiously to see the man before her. Suddenly she gasped and half pushed away as she saw who was before her. It couldn't be, all this time she had been falling in love with what she thought was two people, when in fact, all along it was one.
"I can't believe it... Sam." Her voice was quiet, just as another volley of fireworks went off and she glanced up at the sky to see it lit up all around her and she glanced back at Samir, unable to fully process that all she ever wanted was standing before her, holding her, on New Years. Truly, it would be a wonderful year.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:14 pm
Samir didn't seem to believe it either; he was watching Aubrey suspiciously--but her voice was the same. He knew who he was looking at, but things just can't clicked yet. It wasn't Aubrey or Fortuna.
She was Aubrey and Fortuna.
He couldn't focus on the fireworks, just the way they lit up her face as they exploded in the sky.
"Aubrey," he finally said. He almost sounded guilty, but...
But, why?
Didn't this solve all of his problems?
Or did this just make it worse?
He could tell her how he felt as Lopezite, but as Samir he was afraid to mess things up.
But...they had been falling for each other, he was certain of it. Aubrey was falling for him, just as he was falling for her. Fortuna had fallen for him--for Lopezite--and he had been in the same boat.
This had to be some sort of sign, right?
After an uncertain moment he reached out, hand gently cupping her cheek.
A smile twitched its way onto his face, despite his best efforts. He barely managed to keep the laugh that threatened to follow.
"And you thought I ditched you that night at the fountain. I just," the laugh, then, fell from him. "Fortuna--Aubrey." He was serious now, looking into her eyes. "...Do you believe in destiny?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:24 pm
It was too perfect to be true, there was no way that the two men in her life that she had been falling in love with could be the same person, the world simply didn't work that way, it was cruel and merciless, and yet here she was, standing in front of Samir who had just been Lopezite.
Her eyes drank in the sight of him as her brain tried to process all of the chance meetings they had had, and how each encounter made her like him a little more. She thought it was two, but suddenly it was one. He knew about her, he knew her sadness and strengths when dealing with her family. He knew her secret, her power. This man could truly know her, all of her, Fortuna and Aubrey, two sides of the same coin. And he was like her as well, he could understand as no one else would.
"I guess I never in my wildest dreams considered that you could be Lopezite... The world doesn't work this way." she said quietly her voice trailed off as she stared into his eyes as flashes of fireworks lit him from behind.
"I never believed in destiny... How could I? That would mean that everything that has happened in my life has been preordained, Jared's death, my fathers abuse... all the bad with the good of meeting you... Fate couldn't be that cruel, or that kind." she responded placing her hand over his on her cheek.
"All I know... is that luck was in my favor, the day I met you."
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 8:43 pm
Samir looked at her for a moment longer and then leaned in, stealing another long kiss. This kiss was relaxed; there was no stress or anxiety.
Truthfully, he had never had a more perfect kiss, and as he drew her closer, he knew he never wanted it to end.
...But he needed to breathe, and they had things to say.
When their lips finally parted, he rested his forehead to hers and said softly, "I didn't expect it to be you, Aubrey. But I couldn't be happier. It's been tearing me up for months. I thought that one day I was going to have to choose. But there's not really a better time to be honest about this. I fell for you--you and Fortuna, both--a long time ago. Would you be horribly offended if I stopped dragging my feet and just asked you out already?"
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:03 pm
This kiss was amazing. Everything finally felt right, there would be no choosing, she really could have it all. With all of the little pieces falling in place she felt she could finally truly relax and give into her emotions.
When he broke the contact, Aubrey wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged onto him while he spoke, she chuckled slightly and shook her head.
"I feel the same way, coming here tonight I though I was going to have to tell one of you good bye... but now... so many possibilities are open." she smiled and looked up into his eyes feeling warm and content. The fireworks even reflected off of the necklace he had made for her, even when she was coming here to meet Lopezite she was thinking about Samir.
"I thought you would never ask." She told him with a grin. "And I think my sisters and your dogs approve, so I guess there's really nothing else left to it."
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:16 pm
Samir couldn't wipe the smile from his face. His gaze drifted the necklace she had worn; it was the first time he had seen her since he had made it for her. He laughed softly and reached to cup the pendant between his fingers before letting it gently fall back down to her chest.
"Well, the dogs approve, and if your sisters aren't going to chase me away...Then I don't think we could have gotten any luckier. Maybe that sphere of yours is paying off, eh? I'm starting to think the real magic of it happens when you're not even using any magic."
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:24 pm
Aubrey grinned at him and entwined her fingers with his, just enjoying the fact that she could hold his hands.
"I guess that's possible, or maybe it just worked really slowly on you." She added with a grin as her free hand traced across his cheek, proving to herself that he was real, that it was all real.
"But I guess it was about time some luck went my way, I'm just glad it was you. Winning a few hands is great and all, nothing is quite like the rush of a winning streak... but this... this could be something real, and its the start of a beautiful thing." Aubrey told him with a gentle smile.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2017 9:36 pm
Samir's eyes were locked with hers; he couldn't pull his gaze away.
"The start of a beautiful thing, huh?" he repeated thoughtfully. The words sounded right. Everything felt right.
A fresh smile dawned and he nodded. "Then, we got our wish, didn't we? A better year than last year already."
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