* ‎ ‎ ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎 ‎ ‎ 𝑤𝑎𝑦𝑛𝑒.

Fork lightning. The Romance of Modern Electricity. 1918.

“why,  thank you.   i have my moments,  but i think you bring this side out of me.”   blushing when she compliments him,  calls him a cutie,  he doesn’t want to push her away.   he wishes they could spend all the mornings to come just like this.   and still he hurts her feelings every time she peers deeper and deeper into his mind and heart.   there’s a part of him that refuses to let her in,  that’s afraid of rejection and heartbreak.   “hey,  you’re making me melt,”   he laughs,  gently grasping her wrist as she tickles the spot under his chin,  squeezing affectionately before laying her hand back on the table.   “thanks.   i’ve got some experience.   it’s usually not this much fun,  though.”   cooking for one person gets boring,  is what he means.   “you should come over more often now that you know where i live.   stop by for dinner or lunch.”   stay for breakfast.   “i barely remember last night so it doesn’t count as a sleepover.   we have to redo it sometime.   hey,  maybe next week we’ll get our ears pierced?”   he jokes,  watching curiously as she moves the plates around,  only realizing what she’s doing once she picks up her phone.   his heart could just burst,  pride welling up deep inside his chest.   no one’s ever made him feel so appreciated.   

warm eyes glance to the window, contrasting the snow outside of it, getting lost in her thoughts for a moment before coming back to him, “i just broke up with my cheating boyfriend, i should be sad. but is it weird that i'm not?” helena thinks out loud, brows furrowing questionably at herself. “well, you're right. i can't have that on my record. a crazy tattoo sounds better than a tarnished record.” that made her less neurotic about the tattoo problem she still had to deal with, so she had to thank him for that one at least. what was she supposed to do? keep it? pretend it's not there? she bets the pain to get it off won't even be worth removing it.

“mhm, that's true.” saying quietly. moments. like last night, that's still vague but enough to remember she got really upset at him. which means he must be moody, maybe like her mom. she's watched her mom and dad's good and bad moments, a lot of those bad ones having a lot to do with her mom closing off and dad getting upset about it. and then there's been some moments where even her dad does it back unintentionally. even harry could be that way. so she's a little wary of that– if he's moody or not. smiling quietly at the way he puts her hand back down though, “good, melting is good. no one needs to be frozen.” saying vaguely, might have to do with her fore thoughts but it easily pertained to what he just said.

he’s plating everything,  setting two cups of coffee (black with a pinch of cinnamon for himself and a well-balanced one for her) on the spotless counter,  when he hears footsteps approaching and can’t help the smile that blooms on his lips the second their eyes meet.   “hi there,”   he greets her,  his heart stuttering because she looks so soft and dreamlike in his sweats and t-shirt.   it will be one hell of a challenge,  pretending they’re strangers nowthatshe’s slipped herself into his life like this.    she looks awfully domestic.   he marvels at her for a moment too long and something in him settles,  deep and irreversible.   this,  he thinks,  is what he’s been dreaming of all along.   too scared to admit it even to himself.   “your what?   sorry,  i —”   he turns around swiftly,  putting the pan in the sink while hiding the rosiness that overtakes his visage.   he needs a moment to pull himself together.   there’s just something so very special about a girl you really like wearing your clothes…

“wait, yeah, you can do that.” he can drop her off because she'd rather much do that than walk right now, since she still doesn't feel the best even thought she's feeling better. “thank you,” a happiness touches her voice at him pulling her chair out for her, more surprise lifting her brows, because he's acting a lot like the boy she liked in the beginning. “you really can be a cutie, alexander. when you're like this.” helena grins, tickling underneath his chin before sitting down. good god, she loves a gentleman.

“no, this is extra nice, don't downplay your talent.” that obviously he can possess on choosing outfits, when he wants to. when he looks so well dressed, putting up with his attitude is tolerable and the nice plate of food he made them makes her forget all about the attitude he was irking her with to begin with. there is nothing more attractive than a guy who can dress up and take control of the kitchen sometimes, instead of stand there acting clueless how to feed them unlike harry with his nonsense he had of not even understanding how to turn on a microwave. & then the act itself, it's so... oozing in attraction.

“oh, this? this is something i just found lying on the sidewalk somewhere.” she plays, glancing down at her shirt with a laugh. “really?” brows lift again, more surprise filling her tone. “me?” looks better on her? she nearly forgets the food exists in front of her – especially when it feels so nice while she's concealing how heartbroken she is over the reminder of harry and his treatment & eyes are lighting up once she comes back to earth, clapping and clasping her hands in a soar of excitement. “i already know i'm going to love it, thank you chef alex. this looks very gourmet and delicious... wait! i shall document this moment forever before we mess it all up,” scooting his plate over, she waits for him to sit too so she can fish for her phone out of his sweatpant's pocket and excitedly snaps a candid picture.

“yeah,  well,  you didn’t give me room for explanation.”   besides,  he did say that she could join him.   she’s the one who turned down the offer.   “oh,  great,  just don’t tell him that you spent the night at my place.   he’ll hate me even more than he already does.”   there’s no denying that ace is a very smart dog,  smarter than most humans if he’s being honest.   he’s very protective of helena and wary of alex so if he learns she ditched his fury companion for a man…   the last thing he needs in his life is a jealous german shepherd.   “i’ll drop you off.”   on his way to the library.   “oh,  and i’m finishing up around seven if you want to get another tattoo?”   he jokingly suggests,  rolling his eyes.   “you’re suppressing these feelings now but…   you’ll come around.”   he walks out of the room,  making kissy sounds just to push her buttons some more.

“no reason at all,  just feel like i’ve tormented you enough for one morning.   and nah,  you’re not allergic to me.   the word you’re looking for is…   addicted.   addicted to me.”   laughing,  their voices carry easily through the thin wall.   “a well-balanced coffee,  can do,”   he muses,  shaking his head at how detailed her answer is.   most people would simply reply with something like black or with cream and two sugars.   he won’t admit it out loud but he finds helena’s personality even more attractive than her looks,  which might be hard to believe since she’s the most beautiful girl in the world but it is true.   he likes her sense of humor and how eloquent she is,  how witty.   shaking his head,  trying to focus on picking his clothes for the day rather than daydreaming,  he ends up going with black dress pants,  leather loafers,  and a thick,  warm sweater in a rich,  caramel tone.   all paired with a tweed jacket that he’ll slip into later on.   he rolls up the sleeves of his sweater and clasps an old-fashioned watch onto his left wrist.   giving helena some much needed privacy,  he heads to the kitchen to fix them each an avocado and egg bagel,  and some well-balanced coffee.   that still makes him laugh to himself.

finally after washing all the filth off her skin, she turns the water back off and finds a towel to dry off on then moves over to the mirror to fix herself with the makeup in her purse she grabs from his room and lets her dark waves fall back down. once she's back in session looking like a decent person again, teeth cleaned from the vomit, skin clean, presentable with mascara, blush & red lipstick that match her cherry nails– she arrives in the kitchen in alex's sweat pants and a soft t-shirt she stole.

“what about my car? i still have to find it off my iphone, too.” helena reminds after she creeps up behind him on silent feet, the thing she kept on her mind to tell him after he said he'd drop her off. though, she didn't expect whatever her eyes lands on now once her gaze finds him... a well dressed man and even the watch she notices on his wrist, barely anyone wears watches anymore, & she can't help but appreciate that fact about him and just how... ugh, dare she say? handsome he looks wearing it. while COOKING. “wow...” the wayne girl, speechless. “when you're dressed so nice, you actually look so tolerable.” or more like, she wants to tolerate him when he looks that attractive in a nice outfit, a dressed up man is always the way to her heart THEN adding the cooking and she's just a weakened wreck. helena doesn't let all of that slip, though. but she does compliment without letting him gain too much ego, surprise all over her face as she slowly sinks down in a chair. admiring how nice he looks is undeniable so she may as well discreetly admit it. plus, he deserves to know that too, she's stubborn & grudgy but she's not mean.

“no,  i’m not trying to make you feel bad,  just explaining why i’m kind of in a rush and pointing out why you don’t have to be,”   he sighs,  realizing he might have sounded a little too harsh,  contemplating whether he owes her an apology and deciding against it.   it would make her ego skyrocket.   “alright,  fine,  fine…”   throwing his hands up in the air in exasperation,  he can’t really argue with the point she’s making so he simply ignores it and changes the subject.   “you can shower now.   i’ll go get dressed and fix us some breakfast.”   he isn’t really hungry,  not with his head still throbbing and the taste of alcohol lingering on his tongue regardless of how thoroughly he’s brushed his teeth,  but advil shouldn’t be taken on an empty stomach.   “keep telling yourself that.   you got it tattooed because you have a big,  fat crush on me,  stranger,”   he teases with a laugh,  trailing to the door.   he wants to give her the privacy that she’s so desperately fought for and so he doesn’t turn around while adding,   “you allergic to anything?   eggs?   avocado?   and how you like your coffee?”   

“oh. well, then you could HAVE said that. you didn't have to be so rude and put me out in the cold.” saying with irritation still stinging her voice, even though now there is some logic in it but still. “but it's not as if i don't have places to be– i have to get home to ace. he needs a proper bathroom break, watered, fed, confirmation i haven't just abandoned him.” knowing her overly dramatic and sensitive german shepherd, he will think that and start worrying himself sick. ace is like a human wrapped in fur and pointy ears, plus they're always connected at the hip. “in your dreams, right?” since he apparently wants it to be a reality for himself so desperately.

“...why? are you trying to poison me now? what's the gimmick– why are you suddenly being so nice...” eyeing him skeptically, well his back, as eyes look him up and down. unwillingly to admit the muscles are disgustingly attractive. “i'm looking at the only allergen.” helena plays, “eggs and avocado are amazing. and i like my coffee iced or hot, i'm not really choosy with temperature unless it's summer then it's always iced. a splash of heavy cream and a little bit of sweetness so it's all well rounded. not too strong, not too sweet, a balance.” she informs, finally leaning up from the wall to push the door closed.

“is that what you really think of us?   so you got my initials tattooed because i’m a complete stranger,  hm?   makes sense.”   huffing,  he returns to the shower and stands under the warm stream.   he squeezes a generous amount of shampoo onto the palm of his hand and massages it into his scalp,  squeezing his eyes shut and tilting his head.   “i would’ve been done with it by now if you just left and waited your turn.”   he won’t say it out loud but he’s glad she won’t put him in a chokehold and drag him out the bathroom because they both know she’s very much capable of that.   “it didn’t offend me,  alright?”   he grumbles,  rinsing the remaining shampoo from his blond curls.   oh,  but it did offend him.   mostly because he’s not indifferent toward her,  because she’s more than just a stranger to him.   he can’t quite explain what he’s feeling yet,  but it’s something other than a crush,  and it’s not hatred either.   he gets mean and tries to push her away because he thinks she deserves better,  because he doesn’t want to be straight up rejected,  because these feelings he has for her terrify and confuse him.   “i just think it’s ridiculous,”   he admits,  shutting the water off and reaching for the towel,  stepping out of the shower,   “insisting that we’re nothing but strangers when you got my initials tattooed and stayed the night.”

grabbing his cloth, she slaps him over the shoulder with it before letting it hang off him. "sounds like you're trying to make me feel bad for things out of my control. how shameful of you." it hits personally, because she's never fit in all due to being born to a billionaire so the comment really rubs her the wrong way. "at least i chose a job to do. instead of sitting back, doing nothing and contributing to nothing, being absolutely no help to the world." she points out, her jaw clenching. and he doesn't even realize how much money her family pours into helping those in need, but she doesn't find a reason to prove that.

"i got it tattooed because i was drunk? i BARELY remember it." she corrects, he's truly insane and utterly full of himself if he thinks it's anything more. backing up against the wall as soon as he's finished and he comes pushing his way through out of the shower naked, closing her eyes and looking the other way. "hm." it didn't offend him? when it looks entirely like offense, she contemplates. which is even more strange and bewildering because why. "again, because i was intoxicated." opening her eyes, she moves back towards the shower and turns the water back on since he wasn't considerate enough to leave it on for her, too.