Warnings:

Disclaimer: Not mine

A/N: So! Here I am! And I've been having some internet troubles! Other than that: Here is the damned chapter! So... you'll find that I've used my references as a Norwegian, and I've actually used my knowledge of Oslo in here! So... here you go! I hope you like this!

Dedicated to Becky Greenleaf for being such a wonderful person! And to Jen, because I miss her!

The Solitude of Heart

Chapter Twelve

"Stranger"

-

Saying goodbye to Millie was hard, but David knew it had to be done. She had cried a little, and hugged him far longer than she actually had to, begging for him to comeback safe and sound. Even Griffin had received a hug and to David's surprise, he had not seemed to mind it all that much. He'd just given a small shrug, and attempted frown, and clasped her across the back. David had tried his best not to chuckle at the sight of his two comrades hugging, but Griffin had caught his look, and he'd been unable to keep a tiny smirk from forming on his lips.

The Englishman had glared at him, somehow clutching Millie a little tighter, and his eyes spoke a language of their own.

"Open your mouth and I'll beat you up, Jump you to the moon and leave you there!"

This, of course, only had him smirking further, but he had been smart enough to hold his tongue. Who knew what Griffin could actually do to him?

Before he left, he promised Millie that he would get her something nice from every place they went, even if it was the north pole. This had made Griffin roll his eyes and utter a small laugh.

"So you're gonna stuff your pockets with foreign objects and keep them there while we're fighting the Paladins?"

"Well no," David had answered in jest, "I was thinking about bringing a suitcase."

"Sure," Griffin played along, sarcasm staining every word, "cause that won't be a hinder at all."

"No," David had said in a squeaky, high pitched voice, "for a strong and handy gentleman like yourself, I'm sure it won't be a problem at all."

The joke had made them all laugh, and in that moment, with tears of amusement forming in their eyes, nobody thought about the previous evening and what had occurred in the bathroom.

David had tried to ask Griffin about why he Jumped last night, but the Englishman had been holding back his words, and not a single syllable had slipped his lips upon that matter. He didn't even say where he left, so David did not bother pushing him further.

He knew the limits, and was very much aware of what would happen if he crossed the line. Therefore, he kept silent about the whole incident, even though his mind screamed for knowledge. He had been lying awake all night, thinking about the brunet and where he was, wondering if he was okay or not. Not even when Millie had sneaked her arms around him and whispered in his ear that Griffin was probably all right somewhere, did he fall asleep. He just kept staring at the ceiling, musing upon the weird and mystical topic that was Griffin.

--

They had been traveling all day, and seeing as both David and Griffin kept away from their usual Jump-spots, it took more time to find a decent destination, not too far from the spot. Seeing as the Paladins probably knew most of their routes through the lands, they had to keep close to them, but still lay low. The whole point was to track down the bastards and observe them, not staying completely clear of them. So, instead of Jumping to their regular destinations, they Jumped to places nearby and continued to where they were going from there.

Even though the thought was to not get seen, David could not deny the fact that he was looking forward to experiencing some real action again. Besides from that fight with his mother -yeah, the one that nearly had him killed- He had not really been endangering himself a lot over the past year. When thinking about it, he realized that he actually missed using his body to the breaking point. Even if the consequences of doing so could be indeed deadly.

Before they left, Griffin had jokingly told him that he should try not to focus so much on the risks this mission held, rather just enjoy the fun part of it. Like getting a tan in the Egyptian desert, while trying to avoid drowning in your own sweat, or running from an angry group of Russian gangsters, shouting over your shoulder that you didn't mean to Jump right into a drug-dealing session.

The joke had him laughing and even though they did not encounter situations like that, he tried to remember the brunette's advice. The less he thought about the dangerous things, the happier he would be.

During their first few hours of searching, nothing special happened. The most exciting moment was probably the one where Griffin almost landed on the paws of a stray dog in an abandoned alley in Bangladesh, receiving more than a few bite marks. David had decided rather quickly that he'd dismiss the idea of laughing, seeing as the Englishman was literally seething with anger, and because he actually felt rather sorry for him. He did okay though, and after a couple of minutes with cursing, he seemed to be just fine. Well, except from the fact that his jacket was torn in several places.

When the night came, Griffin decided that they'd spent enough time outside, and as the stars started to show themselves on the dark, velvet sky, he turned to David with a small yawn.

"So, where do we sleep tonight?"

David, snapping out of his own thoughts, turned to look at him, ignoring the chilly wind that swept through his jacket and caused goosebumps to appear all over his skin. Stretching, the blond shrugged a little before returning his gaze to the flickering lights of Oslo, the capital of Norway.

From the roof of the new opera house, the city lay like a wide screen before them, and beneath them, consuming the white marble building like a black, glossy carpet, was the dark and silent sea.

They were only a few blocks away from one of David's jump-sites, a place he'd found in a magazine once. The big, hovering statue that resembled a tiger had drawn him to it, and he'd decided that he wanted to go there and see the iron beast with his own eyes.

He'd often returned to that spot, and often in the winter, although he wasn't sure of why. He liked it there. Especially when the snow was falling from the sky, coating the dirty streets like a white, fussy blanket.

Maybe there was something about the people. The moving, gray mass of faceless men and women, heavily clothed in the harsh, Norwegian weather.

Maybe it was the white, frosty breath that ascended from their mouths and nostrils, or the waving fur on their collars that seemed to have a life of its own. Maybe it was the city-panorama, the cars, the trains and the buildings. The flickering dots of red, green and yellow lights. Perhaps it was the feeling of being a stranger. An unimportant nobody in the middle of a crowd who didn't even speak his language on a daily basis.

He never stayed for long. Never took his time to walk into the shops, or to explore the area properly. All he usually did was standing there among them, taking in the pictures, the sounds and the smells.

Oslo didn't smell like any other city he knew. Sure, like every town, it held the smell of fuel, food, cigarettes and asphalt. But, alongside all that, there was something else.

A faint smell of something he could only describe as summer. Of cherries and warmed up grass.

He couldn't really describe it properly, but he knew it was there. It was more like a feeling than like a smell really and he was sure that if he ever told anyone about it, they'd laugh. Yet, despite of that, he was certain that he wasn't mistaking.

It was as if everyone else felt it too, as if the habitants of this cold and harsh city was also aware if it, somewhere in the back of their dulled, hardworking minds. It felt like they were also familiar with this feeling, this smell that seemed to surround them at all times, ghosting across their pale faces.

It was as if they were waiting...

"Hey!" Once again, Griffin's voice pierced through his thoughts and pulled him out of them.

"What?" He breathed back.

"I asked you a question earlier, remember?"

"Oh, yeah..."

Griffin raised a brow? "Yeah?"

The blond shrugged and waved his hand. "Anywhere is fine." He smirked a little, "it's not like we're gonna impress someone with the way we live."

"Sleep," the brunet corrected him, "the way we sleep."

David shrugged again. "Whatever."

They stood in silence for a little while, neither caring to open their mouths. Griffin was probably thinking about where to spend the night, his face lying in serious folds. The small frown it held and the way he bit his lip absentmindedly almost had David chuckling. He hadn't been really aware of these expressions before. It wasn't often one saw Griffin lost in thoughts like that.

Or...

He furrowed his brows a little. Actually, he mused, that was not entirely true. He had, in fact, seen this expression before, and quite frequently too. In the past few days, Griffin had often pulled faces like that. Suddenly, he remembered countless times where Griffin had looked somewhat out of it, like his mind was someplace far away. Swallowing faintly, he recalled how the brunet had looked only this morning, right before they left. He had been standing in the kitchen, staring at nothing, as if he was not really awake.

He'd seemed completely lost in thoughts. Dulled.

"I know of a place nearby. Not too shabby and really cheap. Only 500 kroner per night."

"Hn," David replied, crossing his arms over his chest to block out the night-chill. "Let's go then."

The Englishman nodded, and they were about to turn and Jump when bunch of flashing lights erupted not far away, and a high pitched, pained scream tore the air.

They spoke simultaneously. "The station."

Then, without other words, they Jumped to the roof of the train station, right above the huge tiger-statue guarding the main entrance.

He knew it was them even before he saw them.

Paladins.

It was four of them. Standing around this young, skinny woman, all of them pointing their rods at her, holding her trapped in a deathly, electrifying web. She was kicking at them, twisting helplessly to get out of it, but the volts that ran through her body and the convulsions that followed had her crumbling in pain after every movement. It was obvious that she was outnumbered. Gritting his teeth in vain, David remembered how it felt to have that rod aimed at him and in the back of his mind, he felt the smell of burnt flesh and heard the cracking sound of electricity.

There was no mistaking about her identity. "She's a Jumper!" He exclaimed, raking a hand through his hair while pointing at her.

"Not so loud!" Griffin grabbed his jacket and tucked him down, so that they were almost lying on the roof, peering over the edge.

He knitted his eyebrows tightly and peered through the gloomy darkness. The station seemed empty. As if there were no other people around. He frowned. That was peculiar. Usually, a train station should have been filled with people. Now, however, it appeared to be completely deserted, and not even a guard was in sight. David felt his heart skip a couple of beats as he regarded the scene unfolding beneath them.

She could not be more than twenty-five. Millie's age, he thought with a harsh intake of breath. She even had dark hair, like Millie, although, hers was longer and more wavy.

With a desperate gasp, he swirled around and met Griffin's eyes. "We have to help her!"

At his words, Griffin's eyes suddenly hardened, and his face turned blank, like a solid rock. "No."

David felt as if he was kicked in the stomach. "What?"

Griffin shook his head rapidly. "No, no we can't!" He reached out and gripped David's shoulder. "They'll see us, and maybe even recognize us. Where not supposed to interfere, remember?"

"But—"

"No buts David!" Griffin bellowed, eyes flashing dangerously, "this was not something we expected, and we're not prepared for this! We're not going to put our lives at stake to save her!"

"But she's gonna get killed!" The blond started to gesture wildly towards the scene below them. "We can't just stand here and watch!" He felt how tears were welling up in his eyes, and how his throat tightened painfully, "it's not fair to her!"

The young woman was screaming now, and judging by the ripped, wounded howl, she was hurting inhumanly. It was the sort of scream that makes your stomach tighten, threatening to lurch and make you spill your gut all over the place. The kind of scream that witnessed of an incredible pain. David felt his own mouth open in a silent yell, and without realizing what he was doing, he wrenched himself out of Griffin's hold and did the first thing that came to his mind—

"I'm sorry David, but there's nothing we can do"

—He Jumped.

Without thinking, he did the one thing they were not supposed to do, the one thing that they were going to stay clear off. He showed himself as a Jumper. To the Paladins.

He didn't realize the stupidity of what he was doing before it was too late. Not before he was almost completely through the Jump-hole. Not before his feet swept the ground, and the iron tiger came to view right before him.

In less than a second, he'd be completely visible to the Paladins, and there would be no way back.

Then, out of nowhere, a pair of palms were pressed against his chest and stomach, and he found himself being embraced from behind. He let out a shocked gasp, and was about to escape with a Jump, when suddenly, he felt himself being whirled around. With a harsh intake of breath, he narrowed his gaze and found Griffin's face only inches from his. The lither jumper looked furious and a grim, twisted sneer was plastered on his features.

"You idiot!"

The sudden Jump sucked the air out of him, and his neck popped painfully when he was forcefully ripped from the spot he was standing on. Griffin's arms were encircling his waist, his hands clutching the leathery fabric on David's back. The surroundings dissolved around him, shattered, leaving nothing but gray and he felt himself soaring through the gloomy space.

Then, without warning, his back slammed against a stony surface, the back of his head colliding painfully with what appeared to be a brick wall. Despite the dizziness, he tried to push himself away from it, but, Griffin's hands were on his shoulders in seconds, roughly shoving him back.

"Let me go!" He demanded harshly, palms pressing up against the brunette's chest, trying desperately to somehow pry him off. Griffin's hold on him only tightened, his fists gripping David's jacket harder.

"No!"

David twisted in his grip and tried to bring his knee to kick Griffin off of him, but the other Jumper was faster, and with and almost surprising force, he used his thigh to push David firmer against the brick wall behind him.

"But we have to help her!" He screamed, his voice cracking slightly, "she won't stand a chance against them without out help!"

In his head he pictured Millie, and imagined that it was her down there, facing the Paladins. That it was Millie whom was mercilessly being shot at, whom was being chased and hurt bu those human monsters.

He could almost see her face before him, twisted in agony, chocolate eyes filled with more pain than a pair of eyes should be able to contain. And even though he knew it wasn't her, he wasn't able to stop the mental images from filling his mind. Horrified, he saw how they attacked her with their rods, tied her up and beat her, all this while her screams rang in their ears.

Tears welled up in his eyes and a choked gasp tore its way from his throat.

"Please!" he sobbed, squeezing his eyes shut, trying to hold back the burning, salty water behind their lids. "Please Griffin, we have to save her!"

"We can't David!" The brunet all but yelled back, voice raspy and harsh. David refused to open his eyes. "David!" Griffin shouted, shoving him in the chest, "David, look at me!"

And that's when David felt something connect with his jaw, sending sparks flying in his head, leaving a burning, throbbing ache.

Griffin had punched him, and judging by the amount of pain, punched him hard.

"..."

They stared at each other. For what seemed like minutes, they just stared, neither of them batting as much as an eyelash. The sounds from the city did not reach them, and David felt as if they were cut off from the rest of the world, like nothing and no one were able to reach them. The lights from the streets flickered across Griffin's face, making his eyes sparkle like gloomy diamonds. Vibrant blue bore into pale sky-colored ones, and David felt his gut stir, as if a pile of snakes were moving in there.

His hands started to tremble, and in something akin to awe, he felt his limbs loosen their strength, knees threatening to give in under his weight.

His cheek was still throbbing, and he imagined a dark bruise was already forming, but the pain seemed somewhat dulled.

Slowly, the blond let his eyes slip closed, and while his heart hammered painfully in his chest, he tilted his head to the side and opened his mouth faintly.

Suddenly, he realized he was holding his breath, and abruptly, he inhaled, filling his lungs with most needed oxygen.

That broke the spell.

A chilly wind swept their faces, making the disheveled mess that was Griffin's hair, flutter around his cheekbones and David stared wide eyed, suddenly realizing their position.

He's mouth went dry all of a sudden, and his eyes widened to the extreme. Griffin's face was so close, his lips lingering only inches from his own. David's heart began to pump violently and his gut tightened to the place where it became nauseating.

He wanted to push the other man away, or just Jump out of there, but his body didn't seem to understand his brain. He just stood there, trapped withing that beautiful, ocean stare. For some reason, everything around them was forgotten, even the fight, and all that remained was them. He and Griffin, pressed up against the raw brick wall.

David couldn't take it any longer.

Without further questioning, he reached up and grabbed the front of Griffin's jacket. A small glint of surprise flashed in the Englishman's eyes, but his gaze never wavered and he kept holding onto David's.

That was all the blond needed as insurance.

Without more hesitating, he yanked at the fabric beneath his hands and forcefully pulled the lither man towards him.

The kiss was like an attack. It wasn't even close to soft, as their tongues, teeth and lips crashed together in a furious battle of heat. Raising his hands, David fisted them in Griffin's wild hair, and felt how it slid roughly around his fingers, like raw strands of sand. He moaned into the kiss and forced their lips even harder together, feeling how his heart fluttered painfully at the contact.

Then, after a good couple of seconds, the truth finally hit him.

He was kissing Griffin!

Oh no. Millie.

DUN DUN DUUUUN!! I'm an evil person! I know!!