Help Her
It's been four days since Sage's apartment had gotten broken into, and four days since Matt had gotten so much as a wink of sleep; but tonight, she decided to spend the night at Sami's house, mostly to let her friend know that she was okay. And Matt took full advantage of her being gone.
Crouching on top of one of his favorite roofs, Matt had his hands wrapped around a styrofoam cup of coffee, one he had requested an extra four shots to be put into in efforts of waking him up. He listened intently to the city around him, nothing seeming to happen as he rested his knees and stood. Stretching, he heard his back crack more than once, relief flooding his body.
"Hello Devil," a muffled and sultry voice flooded his senses. Her voice like music to his ears.
"Well hello there Goddess," he said lowly, a smile coming across his tired lips before he kissed the back of her hand. "I've missed . . . our banter."
"Aw, you missed me Devil?" she teased. He could hear the smile in her tone as he chuckled and turned away. Of course he missed her, but he was more than thankful that she was back.
Her hand was still in his, but neither protested as he dragged his gloved thumb across her knuckles. He'd never felt this comfortable around anyone before- well anyone other than Sage.
Sage. Sage Hockley. That woman would be his downfall.
Clearing his throat, he dropped her hand as he rubbed the back of his neck. Sage was always on his mind since the break in, and just the thought of another woman occupying it almost cared him.
"Devil?" she asked, hurt heavy within her tone. His heart broke in two as she said his nickname. He had a thing for her, but just the mere thought of Sage made him feel as if he was cheating on her.
God what he wouldn't give to wrap his arms around her and run his hands through her-
"Devil, I don't have super hearing, but I can clearly hear someone calling for help. Our help," Athena said, interrupting his thoughts that he knew would soon turn a different direction had she not.
She was right; tuning his hearing, he could hear a woman yelling, screaming, and fighting for her life against a couple of men. Turning towards Athena, she was already halfway down the fire escape before he even realized what was happening. Smiling to himself, he followed close behind, trying his best to catch up with her.
"Hello boys," Athena's voice rang through his ears once more, her warmth spreading across his body as he hid around the corner. He knew she could hold her own, but just in case he was always ready to step in.
"Who the fuck are you!?" one of the men yelled, his voice gruff and smelling heavily of tobacco and whiskey. The other man stopped what he was doing as he too turned his attention towards Athena. He too smelled heavy of substances just like his buddy.
Matt's stomach churned at the rancid smell, but he had to stay hidden until he knew Athena needed him.
"Your worst nightmare," she drawled before the sounds of fighting could be heard. He could also hear the frightened crying of the woman who the two men were attacking. Slipping through the shadows, he quickly made way to the frightened woman.
"Hey, hey are you okay?" he asked softly. "You're gonna have to use your words, darling. I uh...I can't see," he laughed lightly, trying to keep the mood light as Athena fought the woman's attackers behind him.
"I...I don't know. They attacked me out of nowhere and I'm alone. I'm new to the city and don't know anyone and i-"
"Well hey, my friend over there. Her name is Athena. She's the sweetest woman you will ever meet but man can she ever pack a punch. And I...well Athena calls me Devil," Just as he said his nickname that Athena had given him, the sounds of her getting hit in the gut floated through his ears.
Silently cheering her on, Matt grabbed the woman's head between his hands. "Hey look at me, not Athena okay? I'm going to need you to trust me in getting you out of here safe okay?"
The woman squeaked out a yes as Matt plastered om one of his cunning smiles onto his lips. Scooping her up into his arms, he pulled her head onto his shoulder and made quick work of getting her out of the alleyway, the sounds of Athena fighting stilling ringing through his ears as he made sure she could still handle herself.
"Alright sugar, call yourself a cab and get home okay? I have to go help my friend,"
"Hey uh..thank you," the woman called, a hint of confidence restored in her voice. Nodding towards the woman with a small smile to his lips, Matt was quick to run back to Athena.
"Goddess!" he called, the fighting now done, and her lack of noises concerned him. Calling her name once more, a faint groan caught his attention; running towards it, he crouch down next to Athena.
"Athena?" he whispered, cradling her head in his hands. "Please tell me you're okay,"
"I'm okay Devil. I wish you could see those bastards, they surely had it coming for them," she laughed dryly. Clearly she was hurt as she shifted and let out another pained groan.
"Where does it hurt?"
"Head. Stomach. They knocked me hard, Devil," His heart ached as anger coursed through him. He should have protected her. He knew she could hold her own, but he should have helped her.
"No hospitals though, Devil. Just get me some advil and a shot of whiskey," she joked. Smiling down at her, he helped her up before the two were quick to disappear into the shadows.
~~~~
"Where did you go last night?" Sami asked, walking into her guest room with a plate that held a single veggie omelette and some bacon- a breakfast Sage had asked for the night before.
"Couldn't sleep so I went for a walk." she lied, sitting up slowly so as not to irritated the bruises that littered her stomach. Sami didn't say anything as she sat on the edge of the bed, handing her friend the plate and a fork.
"Makes sense. Were you dreaming about Matt?" she teased, a knowing smile forcing its way onto her lips. Laughing, Sage shoveled a fork full of the delicious omelette into her mouth. Groaning in satisfaction, she quickly stopped herself as she eyed her dark haired friend.
With what sleep she did get, she was thinking of Matt, but in ways she refused to tell Sami. Best friend or not, you don't ever tell anyone of any wet dreams you've had.
Staring at her, the two girls began to crack up before Sami stole a piece of bacon off of her plate. "Don't be doing naughty things in my house, Sage!" she called, a laugh laced with her tease as she left the bedroom.
Sage chuckled under her breath as she picked at the omelette, her mind had been. . . preoccupied, with thoughts of Matt. In her defense, he was the most good looking guy she had met in a long time.
"Can't keep my hands to myself, no matter how hard I'm trying to. I want you all to myself-" Sage scrambled around the bed, trying not to spill her breakfast. She knew exactly who was calling her, and just the thought of who was on the other end made her heart race.
"Good moring, Flower," Matt's low and sultry voice came through ehr speaker, vibrating her to her core. "Are you coming to work? I can take a cab to you," he offered. Smiling to herself, Sage's heart fluttered at the thought of him taking a cab to the other side of the city just for her.
"You want to take a cab, to the complete opposite side of Hell's Kitchen in which we work, to just walk with me to work?" She asked. She knew in her heart that he would do anything for her at the drop of a pin.
"Flower, I would do anything for you."
Her smile continued to grow as she pushed herself up off the bed. Making hwe way to her duffel bag on the far side of the room; she knew she packed some sort of work appropriate clothes but couldn't remember.
"Yeah, why don't we walk together, Matty,"
"I'll come and pick you up in two hours?"
"Yeah okay. Two hours I'll see you." Pressing the red button on the bottom of her screen, Sage's smile never once faltered as she gathered her shower stuff, her supplies almost fulling out of her arms as she made way to Sami's bathroom.
"What's got you all up in a giddy mood?" Sami laughed, placing the last pan into the dishwasher before she kicked up the door and latched it. Stopping in her tracks, Sage smiled towards her friend, a blush creeping up her neck and onto her face.
"Matt's coming to pick me up in two hours to walk to work," she said sheepishly. Sami's smiled and rolled her eyes at her friend; of course the woman was head over heels for some stupid boy.
"You're whipped. You are so so so whipped," she teased, trying to throw a dish towel towards Sage; the flimsy cloth floating towards the floor no more than two feet from her.
The two girls laughed at each other as Sage continued to patter through the house, stopping at least once to pet Sami's dog, Sarge. "You're the only man I need I need in my life Sarge, just the most handsome man aren't ya?" she asked, riling up the young dog.
Sarge's tail began to shake as he barked, and Sage swore the dog was smiling at her. Patting his head once more, Sage stepped into the bathroom and let the lingering scent of Sami's shampoo engulf her.
Turning on the water, steam was quick to fill up the room as she stripped of her tank top and pajama pants, the clothes piling onto the cold tile floor. Looking in the mirror, she sighed as she saw all the black and blue bruises that littered her stomach and back. Her eyes floated towards her shoulder, the scar tissue looking uglier than ever and her heart sunk at just the thought of anyone else seeing it.
She should have been more careful. She shouldn't have jumped right in to fight those guys. They were big. Too big, and she really got her ass handed to her.
But the way that Devil had first greeted her? She smiled at the small gesture, and her heart fluttered at the nickname she had given her. Goddess. It always rolled off his tongue so smoothly and it almost made her start to fall in love with him.
Turning the water off, she twisted her hair into her towel, she was quick to get dressed and made her way out towards the kitchen, she stopped in her tracks as she heard his laugh.
"Sami, I didn't realize how crazy Sage really was," his deep voice reverberated through the small home. It hasn't been two hours yet, what was he doing here?
"She's insane, man! When I first met her I thought she was- Oh hey Sage!" Sami interrupted herself, smiling wider as Sage walked into the kitchen. Matt stood from his chair and smoothed out his suit jacket. Holding his hand for her, she was hesitant in taking it.
Caving, she placed her hand in his and let him pull her closer before he spun her around, almost dancing to non existent music.
"Good morning, Flower," he said, smiling as she stumbled and fell into him. Smiling up at him, Sage felt a blush heating up the back of her neck, the heat creeping onto her face. Thank god he was blind.
"You two are disgustingly cute, get the fuck out of my house," Sami laughed, pushing the pair towards her front door.
"Wait all my stuff is upstairs!"
"I'll drop it by the office or your house later. I can't handle you two so get out."
~~~~
"I've been thinking about you?" Matt blurted out, their silent and almost tense walk being broken by his sudden outburst. Sage looked to Matt, smiling sheepishly towards him.
"What did you say?" she asked, her tone low and almost seductive. She knew what he had said, but she wanted to hear him say it again.
"I uh-" he coughed as he hit the bottom of his cane against the sidewalk. "Uh- I. Well I-" Sage could see a blush creeping up his neck, and she loved the way she was affecting him.
Stopping in front of their building, Sage pushed her hand onto his chest and took a step up onto the first concrete step.
"If you had dreams about me, you could have just said so Matty," she whispered. Turning onto her heels, she ade her way into the building, leaving Matt on the sidewalk with blood rushing down.