Otto Octavius stared at Serena Calico's back as she turned away from him, crouched and began to stuff the jewels in her knapsack. Small sparkling items fell everywhere and she scrabbled for them, her movements suddenly clumsy.
He wished he hadn't spoken. Even as he'd said the words, he'd known that he was being unfair. Serena had been courageous and skillful. She'd managed the sort of heist that would become legendary for its flair. She'd returned with the kind of loot that most people only dreamed of, and she'd been so proud of it, justifiably so. With a few words, he'd managed to shatter that. He'd alienated her because he'd been jealous that she'd shared his spotlight.
There, he'd said it. With a conscious effort, Otto looked inward and realised that he'd been miffed at her triumph. He'd wanted her admiration for his own robbery. He'd hoped to impress her with his tales of derring-do. He'd ruined any chance of that, though. And she was leaving, too – what could he say that would persuade her to stay?
On her knees, her back to Otto, Serena could feel hot tears of anger and frustration welling up in her eyes, She'd so wanted to show Otto what she could achieve, and she'd done so perfectly. Yet he hadn't seen it that way. He saw her as a liability, despite what she'd managed. That hurt her.
Perhaps her decision to leave was a little childish, but she couldn't help it. She wanted Otto's company, but she didn't want to be the weaker half of the partnership. He'd made her feel that she was just that. But she'd made the decision now, and she couldn't change it.
"Serena."
His voice cut through her thoughts. She didn't want to turn around, to have him see the gleam of tears in her eyes.
"Serena, I'm sorry. You did a magnificent job today, and I should have seen that, instead of being upset." His voice was slightly hesitant, as if he was unused to apologizing.
"Don't leave. I've seen what you can do, and I need you. We can make fusion work, and we can do it together. Besides, it's only been a day – less than that - and I've already ... gotten used to you."
Serena heard the smile and the sincerity in his voice. She forced herself to turn back to him.
"If I stay, then we're partners. We do everything together." She tried to keep cool neutrality in her voice.
"Everything?" Otto raised an eyebrow enquiringly.
Serena blushed, unable to hide her grin. "Almost everything."
She sniffed and wiped a stray bit of moisture from under her eyes. Otto frowned suddenly, noticing something for the first time. He stepped forward and took her chin in his hand, tilting her face up to the light. Serena winced ruefully. The right side of her face, which had been covered by her hair, was swollen and bruised. The flesh was puffy and the skin looked tender and raw in spots.
"I was hoping you wouldn't notice," Serena said, not meeting his eyes.
Otto suddenly noticed something else about the way she was standing. He glanced down at her arm, only to see the leather covered with the slick sheen of blood.
"It looks worse than it is ..."she began, only to grit her teeth in pain as he pulled the leather away from the gash.
Otto looked over at her. 'You're right about that. It's not deep, but it's bled quite a lot. I want to take a better look at it, although it's doesn't seem serious. Take your jacket off."
Serena arched an eyebrow. "I'm not ... um ... wearing anything under the jacket. Just my underwear. It might shock you."
"If it's not matching, I'll forgive you. Just take it off. I don't think you have anything I haven't seen before."
Otto tried to sound professional. Shock him, indeed. How old did she think he was? As she wriggled out of her tight jacket, he was pleased with the air of careful detachment that he was able to maintain. The pale creaminess of her skin was dusted with a few freckles, mostly around her shoulders and collarbone. She wore what he suspected to be a sports bra, the front slightly damp with sweat. A thin gold chain rested on the fabric, lending a touch of delicacy to the functional garment. He suddenly realised that he'd been staring at her while she undressed. Shooting her a quick glance, he composed his face once again. Good, she hadn't noticed his slip.
Serena dropped the jacket to the floor. As flirtatious as she'd been earlier, she suddenly felt strangely shy. She was undressing in front of someone she'd had a crush on for years. Even his obvious lack of interest in her didn't make it any easier. She felt both embarrassed and excited, the combination oddly tantalizing.
Otto leaned forward and squinted thoughtfully at the wound, a tentacle lifting Serena's arm up. He'd been right – it didn't seem terribly deep, but the edges were torn and he suspected it would leave an ugly scar no matter what he did to it. It certainly looked painful.
"It needs to be stitched", he said. "I'll need to get some supplies ...".
Serena held up a hand, looking pleased with herself.
"I already have anything we might need. Medical supplies, lots of food, plus various other necessities that will transform this place into somewhere we can work."
Otto's face showed his surprise. Serena beamed even more.
"It was a busy day. I went shopping, tried on some clothes, got a makeover ... then robbed a jewellery store, got beaten up, and had some guy fondle my arm with his tentacle."
The tentacle let go of Serena's arm. It flopped back limply by her side.
"That wasn't a complaint", she said with a glint in her eye. Their eyes met and locked.
Serena could feel the warmth of his touch lingering on her skin. His nearness was almost intoxicating. She remembered all those days in the physics lab where they'd been working closely together. She'd had the same reaction then, feeling as if she couldn't concentrate on anything but him, especially when he'd brushed past her accidentally, or their hands had touched on the odd occasion. She wanted to reach out to him and draw him closer to her.
Otto wasn't quite sure what to say. Her golden eyes were huge, and he felt as if he'd be happy to never tear his gaze from hers. He watched with fascination as the pupils started narrowing to feline slits again. He'd been in the company of his former student for just a few hours, and he was already feeling this intense attraction towards her. When they'd known each other before, it had been different. She'd been a student and he'd had Rosie. He hadn't noticed her as anything other than the brilliant student she was. But now, she'd become a mature woman, and it was as if she'd transformed into another person entirely. Which she had, now that he thought about it.
With reluctance, Otto looked away. The magical moment was shattered.
"We'd better ... um ... stitch your arm up. I don't know anything about doing it, but the tentacles are capable of it. They'll have you sewn up before you know it."
He gave her a quick smile, trying to hide his nervousness both because of the moment they'd shared and at the prospect of hurting her so much. Serena's eyes still lingered on his face, her expression thoughtful.
"Perhaps we should go and take a look at the medical supplies?"
"Indeed," Serena said in a resigned voice. 'Let's go get it over with ...".