Sparkling Diamonds
Through The Night.
"Umm, yeah they are," I said but before I could say another word, Benedict sat himself down and flicked up the back of his jacket as he sat.
Martin, however, was a little more hesitant. Especially about how Benedict was handling things. He was "umm-ing" and "ahh-ing" before Benedict glared at him to sit down in the seat beside him.
I glanced into the cafe to see Eliza finally being served, placing her order, and about to head out back to the table we had picked with a number. When she saw me sitting at the table with Benedict and Martin, she dropped the number in shock. She stared, gobsmacked at the sight.
"Just give me a second," I said, quickly leaving the table and rushing towards Eliza. I picked up the number that she had dropped as I turned her from the table only Benedict and Martin occupied now. "Benedict kind of sat himself down, barely asking if he could. You know how he is."
"I know how he is?" Eliza said, eyebrow raised. "I want to know how he is in bed."
I rolled my eyes as I dragged her back to the counter and placed my order, something light because I didn't really want to be kept at the cafe for too long. It wasn't like I didn't want to stay there but it wasn't like I wanted to either.
Benedict was unsettling and I wasn't sure what I should think of him. He seemed cocky, pushing himself on people as if they always wanted to be near him. Martin, however, presented the personality that Benedict didn't have -- timid and always wondering of other people's opinion. That would be a concern I would have if I were well known, so it was forgivable…I guess.
Eliza and I moved hesitantly back to our seats, hesitantly as the celebrities that had joined us at the table still left us awestruck. I stiffly sat back down at the table, Benedict's eyes firmly placed upon me as I settled myself back into the seat and put my bag onto the ground at my feet.
Beside me, Eliza couldn't keep her eyes off her hands and unable to look up to the men she would have to get used to being around as it was their show they stared in that we were working upon. I gave them a weak smile as I played with the number that I had retrieved from Eliza.
"You're awfully quiet," Benedict commented, straightening himself up in his chair.
"What am I supposed to say?" I said. "You're Benedict Fucking Cumberbatch. I'm a little awestruck at the moment." I glanced over to Eliza. "I think my friend here is a little worse off then me."
Eliza and I gave a weak laugh at the attempt at the horrible joke that I had made. As I glanced up to Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson, I managed to catch a glimpse that Martin looked almost as uncomfortable as Eliza and I.
"And I think you're friend here is having the same reaction," Eliza commented, sneaking a glance up at Martin.
"Except I am not awestruck by the same things you are," he said feebly, a grateful look spreading across his face as the waitress from the cafe dropped off our drinks and food at the table before hurrying off to talk to her fellow co-workers about the experience she just had about being near two stars.
I warmed my hands around the cup I had my hot chocolate in, focussing my attentions upon it. If anything, my people skills were coming out right now. I was the worst person for interaction, especially since I married my husband -- it made me draw further into my shell.
I pursed my lips as I studied the pattern that had been made in the froth of my drink. I could, out of the corner of my eye, that Benedict shuffled his feet closer to mine so that if either of us moved an inch, we would have connected.
"You both from London?" Benedict asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Japan, actually," Eliza said as she continually looked down at her hands.
"We're in Japan?" Martin said, finally brightening up and focussing on something other than the ground.
"Tokyo," Eliza said. "I moved to London not long ago."
"That's really interesting," Marin commented. "I really like finding out about other cultures."
Eliza smiled at Martin, growing more out of her shell as their conversation continued. I turned my attention away from them, beginning to eat at my food that I had ordered. My eyes occasionally flickered up to Benedict as I ate and his eyes continued to watch me.
My brows furrowed and looked up to Benedict to say, "Don't you have anything else to stare at?"
"What's wrong with me looking at you?" Benedict asked, crossing one leg over the other.
"It makes me feel…" I started, setting down the rest of my sandwich uneaten.
"Feel like what?" he pushed, his eyes narrowing.
"Uncomfortable, like I'm something I'm not," I replied.
"Like you're a piece of meat?"
"I already feel like that," I said, my eyes downcast. "I just feel like the…other thing."
"Beautiful?" he said, his deep voice ringing straight through me.
I grasped my hands tightly and closed my eyes as flashes of what my husband had done to me and what he might do to me. I let out a deep, hissing breath as I felt the lashes of pain that he would incurred on me.
Dots of light would flash across my vision as I tried to see ahead of me. My vision blacked out as my husband hit me hard across the face and my head hitting the bedside table, knocking me out. I groaned unconsciously as I felt a firm hand upon my own.
My eyes snapped open as I saw Benedict close to me. His eyes were an intense shade of green but what surprised me was the kindness that etched itself into his features and seeped through his eyes. It caught me off guard and left me speechless for a moment.
I gathered myself and looked down at his hand touching my own. His long fingers were delicately placed upon mine, a touch more gentle then I had ever experienced. Even though it was a simple touch, it meant so much to me -- that simple kindness went so far.
I pulled my hands away from him and went for my drink. Slowly, he pulled away from me but his eyes never left as I drained my drink. I set it down and glanced over to Martin who was talking intently to Eliza. She seemed more comfortable, brighter than she had been when they had started conversing.
I had noticed that they had moved closer together, Eliza more animated. This made a smile spread across my face as I turned back to Benedict. His kind eyes brightened when he saw my smile.
He motioned towards my smile and said, "You should smile more often. It brings out you're eyes, brightens you're face."
My smile faded from my face as I looked down to my hands but I couldn't contain myself as the edges of my lips creeped up. I heard him give a short laugh, sending a chill through me, as he asked, "Are you free tonight?"
I stiffened and looked up to him. The thoughts of my husband flashed across my mind as I shook my head. A concerned look crashed through him as I said, "Not now. Not now."
From beside me, Eliza noticed my vigerous discomfort and reached out towards me, saying softly, "Are you okay? Did you want to head home?"
"Not home tonight," I said quietly. "Can I stay at yours tonight?"
"Of course you can," Eliza said. "Is that even a question?" She glanced back to Martin, a sad face. "I am sorry, can't see you tonight. Tomorrow…?" Martin nodded, disappointment evident but understanding in his reaction. She looked back to me. "Let's go."
I nodded and stood from to my feet, picking up my bag as I stood. Eliza ushered me from the table and down the street, back to her home not far from where we were eating. I glanced back at the table as we left, seeing Martin talking to Benedict.
"That went well," he smiled, his light eyes shining against his pale skin.
"Finally, you're becoming a little more fun to be around," Benedict said, nudging his friend.
"Shut up," Martin laughed as they went to their drinks.
Eliza pulled me further down the street, turning away from the two actors. My friend leaned into my ear to comment, "Don't tell me you didn't have fun."
"Let's just hope that my mood holds through the night."
Martin, however, was a little more hesitant. Especially about how Benedict was handling things. He was "umm-ing" and "ahh-ing" before Benedict glared at him to sit down in the seat beside him.
I glanced into the cafe to see Eliza finally being served, placing her order, and about to head out back to the table we had picked with a number. When she saw me sitting at the table with Benedict and Martin, she dropped the number in shock. She stared, gobsmacked at the sight.
"Just give me a second," I said, quickly leaving the table and rushing towards Eliza. I picked up the number that she had dropped as I turned her from the table only Benedict and Martin occupied now. "Benedict kind of sat himself down, barely asking if he could. You know how he is."
"I know how he is?" Eliza said, eyebrow raised. "I want to know how he is in bed."
I rolled my eyes as I dragged her back to the counter and placed my order, something light because I didn't really want to be kept at the cafe for too long. It wasn't like I didn't want to stay there but it wasn't like I wanted to either.
Benedict was unsettling and I wasn't sure what I should think of him. He seemed cocky, pushing himself on people as if they always wanted to be near him. Martin, however, presented the personality that Benedict didn't have -- timid and always wondering of other people's opinion. That would be a concern I would have if I were well known, so it was forgivable…I guess.
Eliza and I moved hesitantly back to our seats, hesitantly as the celebrities that had joined us at the table still left us awestruck. I stiffly sat back down at the table, Benedict's eyes firmly placed upon me as I settled myself back into the seat and put my bag onto the ground at my feet.
Beside me, Eliza couldn't keep her eyes off her hands and unable to look up to the men she would have to get used to being around as it was their show they stared in that we were working upon. I gave them a weak smile as I played with the number that I had retrieved from Eliza.
"You're awfully quiet," Benedict commented, straightening himself up in his chair.
"What am I supposed to say?" I said. "You're Benedict Fucking Cumberbatch. I'm a little awestruck at the moment." I glanced over to Eliza. "I think my friend here is a little worse off then me."
Eliza and I gave a weak laugh at the attempt at the horrible joke that I had made. As I glanced up to Mr. Holmes and Mr. Watson, I managed to catch a glimpse that Martin looked almost as uncomfortable as Eliza and I.
"And I think you're friend here is having the same reaction," Eliza commented, sneaking a glance up at Martin.
"Except I am not awestruck by the same things you are," he said feebly, a grateful look spreading across his face as the waitress from the cafe dropped off our drinks and food at the table before hurrying off to talk to her fellow co-workers about the experience she just had about being near two stars.
I warmed my hands around the cup I had my hot chocolate in, focussing my attentions upon it. If anything, my people skills were coming out right now. I was the worst person for interaction, especially since I married my husband -- it made me draw further into my shell.
I pursed my lips as I studied the pattern that had been made in the froth of my drink. I could, out of the corner of my eye, that Benedict shuffled his feet closer to mine so that if either of us moved an inch, we would have connected.
"You both from London?" Benedict asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"Japan, actually," Eliza said as she continually looked down at her hands.
"We're in Japan?" Martin said, finally brightening up and focussing on something other than the ground.
"Tokyo," Eliza said. "I moved to London not long ago."
"That's really interesting," Marin commented. "I really like finding out about other cultures."
Eliza smiled at Martin, growing more out of her shell as their conversation continued. I turned my attention away from them, beginning to eat at my food that I had ordered. My eyes occasionally flickered up to Benedict as I ate and his eyes continued to watch me.
My brows furrowed and looked up to Benedict to say, "Don't you have anything else to stare at?"
"What's wrong with me looking at you?" Benedict asked, crossing one leg over the other.
"It makes me feel…" I started, setting down the rest of my sandwich uneaten.
"Feel like what?" he pushed, his eyes narrowing.
"Uncomfortable, like I'm something I'm not," I replied.
"Like you're a piece of meat?"
"I already feel like that," I said, my eyes downcast. "I just feel like the…other thing."
"Beautiful?" he said, his deep voice ringing straight through me.
I grasped my hands tightly and closed my eyes as flashes of what my husband had done to me and what he might do to me. I let out a deep, hissing breath as I felt the lashes of pain that he would incurred on me.
Dots of light would flash across my vision as I tried to see ahead of me. My vision blacked out as my husband hit me hard across the face and my head hitting the bedside table, knocking me out. I groaned unconsciously as I felt a firm hand upon my own.
My eyes snapped open as I saw Benedict close to me. His eyes were an intense shade of green but what surprised me was the kindness that etched itself into his features and seeped through his eyes. It caught me off guard and left me speechless for a moment.
I gathered myself and looked down at his hand touching my own. His long fingers were delicately placed upon mine, a touch more gentle then I had ever experienced. Even though it was a simple touch, it meant so much to me -- that simple kindness went so far.
I pulled my hands away from him and went for my drink. Slowly, he pulled away from me but his eyes never left as I drained my drink. I set it down and glanced over to Martin who was talking intently to Eliza. She seemed more comfortable, brighter than she had been when they had started conversing.
I had noticed that they had moved closer together, Eliza more animated. This made a smile spread across my face as I turned back to Benedict. His kind eyes brightened when he saw my smile.
He motioned towards my smile and said, "You should smile more often. It brings out you're eyes, brightens you're face."
My smile faded from my face as I looked down to my hands but I couldn't contain myself as the edges of my lips creeped up. I heard him give a short laugh, sending a chill through me, as he asked, "Are you free tonight?"
I stiffened and looked up to him. The thoughts of my husband flashed across my mind as I shook my head. A concerned look crashed through him as I said, "Not now. Not now."
From beside me, Eliza noticed my vigerous discomfort and reached out towards me, saying softly, "Are you okay? Did you want to head home?"
"Not home tonight," I said quietly. "Can I stay at yours tonight?"
"Of course you can," Eliza said. "Is that even a question?" She glanced back to Martin, a sad face. "I am sorry, can't see you tonight. Tomorrow…?" Martin nodded, disappointment evident but understanding in his reaction. She looked back to me. "Let's go."
I nodded and stood from to my feet, picking up my bag as I stood. Eliza ushered me from the table and down the street, back to her home not far from where we were eating. I glanced back at the table as we left, seeing Martin talking to Benedict.
"That went well," he smiled, his light eyes shining against his pale skin.
"Finally, you're becoming a little more fun to be around," Benedict said, nudging his friend.
"Shut up," Martin laughed as they went to their drinks.
Eliza pulled me further down the street, turning away from the two actors. My friend leaned into my ear to comment, "Don't tell me you didn't have fun."
"Let's just hope that my mood holds through the night."