i'm afraid that my fortress is a glass box | rosie, eira, jamie

september 10
5 pm

By the time her friends arrived, Kate was already there, basking on the sun-drenched terrace.

A jar of Bellini awaited the three of them, though it was plain that Kate had already helped herself to more than a glass. It occupied the centre of the table like a jewel in a crown, having quietly supplanted the coffee she had promised when she first arranged their little reunion.

Her dress was short, white, and carefully embroidered with silver beads that matched the clip holding her curls together in a structured updo.

At first, she looked like the living image of bonanza—almost as if she had escaped the roaring cities of America instead of sitting in the middle of a city still scarred by war—with her big smile and polished image. However, if one looked closely, the cracks became more and more obvious to the trained eye.

Under her big, almond-shaped eyes, she had barely concealed bags that suggested she had had a poor night’s sleep. Her gaze looked a little lost—melancholic, maybe. The glass jar that was meant to last for three people was already almost half-empty.

She lifted her hand, waving with only her fingers. On one of them, she wore something that looked far too much like an engagement ring. A keepsake from the time her father had almost married her off to the first stranger willing to take her before she tarnished the family’s name for good.

"I thought you girls would never arrive."

"I thought you girls would never arrive.”

Giddy to get their girl date started, Eira hurried the last few paces to the table. “Sorry,” she said, leaning down to give her friend a brief hug and a kiss on the cheek. “I couldn’t find my wand for the longest time. Had turn over half my room looking for it. How are you doing?”

Hanging her purse over the back of the chair, Eira took her seat, her gaze briefly settling on the half-empty pitcher before flicking towards Rosie.

“Seems like you’ve had good company, though. What happened to coffee?” A small smile tugged at her lips, eyes twinkling as she looked at Kate.

But beneath the cheerful exterior, a knot had already begun tightening in her stomach.

Kate looked tired. Exhausted even.

Eira had written it off as a long day when they’d met again nearly two weeks ago, after Kate’s performance. Perhaps it’d simply been the aftermath of a day spent under tension, the draining relief that followed once the tenseness finally dissipated. But sitting across from her now, Eira wasn’t entirely convinced anymore.

There were shadows beneath Kate’s eyes that no amount of carefully applied makeup could quite hide, and her eyes held something distant. She looked like she hadn’t properly slept in days.

Not to mention the amount of alcohol she seemed to have enjoyed on her own already.

Daring another glance towards Rosie, Eira poured herself a glass with a flick of her wand. She supposed she might as well, right? She didn’t like coffee anyway.

"I thought you girls would never arrive.”

“I couldn’t find my wand for the longest time. Had turn over half my room looking for it. How are you doing?”

Another afternoon, another reminder of the life Rosalie had left behind. Little tastes of it here and there, when her girlfriends included her in their lavish outings. She didn't miss it exactly, the life anyway, knowing that with all the glitter and gold came a steel cage she never wanted to find herself imprisoned in again.

Her life was happy. Peaceful. Contained to a beautiful cottage on a cliff overlooking the sea that her husband had built with his own two hands. She spent her days gardening and making potions. Baking and cooking, and visiting with her friends. She spent her evenings curled up next to her husband, watching the sun set over the ocean.

What were fancy restaurants and expensive bottles of wine in comparison?

Still, Rosie enjoyed the little moments where she could be that girl again. Amongst Kate and Eira, she was one of them. Sophisticated, mysterious, impeccable and beautiful. She knew Cassian saw her the same way, but with her friends, she felt it.

The bellini - half its contents already consumed - caught Rosie's eye first. As far as she knew, Kate hadn't invited anyone else out to coffee. That of which was suspiciously absent. The bags under her friend's eyes caused instant alarm, though the girl maintained her composure, offering Kate a smile while her gaze flicked briefly to catch Eira's.

They were thinking the same thing.

“Seems like you’ve had good company, though. What happened to coffee?”

"And what is that on your little finger?" Rosie's voice teased as she reached out to try and catch Kate's hand for a better look. "Don't tell me the last hold-out of our trio is getting her m-r-s."

Playfully, Katerina rolled her eyes at Eira’s excuses. Pouring herself another glass, she smirked at her questioning, something mischievous glimmering in her dark eyes as she did.

“Coffee is painfully boring,” she replied, almost humming.

She waited for her friends to comfortably sit before looking at them, yet her eyes didn’t particularly stay still. While both Eira and Rosalie held some kind of internal dialogue with themselves, Katerina shirked self-reflection like a fish hides from a shark.

Rosie’s comment got her to laugh, so hard she tilted her head back. Long dark curls she had refused to cut even when short became what was à la mode swayed at the movement, framing her oval face and, momentarily, casting enough shadows on it so the little flaws that revealed her state of mind were concealed.

“Don’t you remember that dork my father tried to send me off with?” she asked with a smiling voice that had little to do with the actual experience of having been so close to marriage at the ripe age of fifteen. “Figured it wouldn’t hurt him to lose a pound—or some carats.”

She twirled her fingers, allowing the sunlight to reflect on the big diamond on her thin finger. It was certainly a piece that deserved further examination—the main stone was surrounded by two layers of more stones, both clear and bright red, that made it look like a small flower that had been recently cut out of someone’s garden. That antique alone would’ve solved many of Kate’s problems, yet she wasn’t willing to budge.

It had almost ruined her life—in some ways, it actually had—, she had the right to keep it.

“I actually think—” Katerina paused for effect. “That no respectable man would marry a woman of such bad reputation as mine.”

She fake-gasped, resting the hand Rosalie wasn’t holding against her chest. “It’s a shame. I would make a marvelous wife.”

As if to finish off her joke, she grabbed the Bellini glass and drank what was left in one graceful sip.

Katerina opened her rosy lips to say something else, yet closed them immediately at the sight of someone she hadn’t expected to see. Her posture tensed, if only almost unnoticeably so, and she chewed on her lower lip.

A blonde man, with big blue eyes and the same boyish grin he had had on the night they had met, stood practically in front of them. Apparently, he hadn’t seen them yet, and Katerina took every second of advantage she could possibly have to avoid him walking towards her when she was in her friends’ company.

She could only imagine the endless conversations about Katerina deserving happiness if they knew about Jamie. As if. She didn’t need it—and she certainly didn’t need him.

Grabbing Eira by the shoulders rather abruptly, she tried to move her to a position where she would be standing in between her and Jamie’s eyesight before saying, “Have you done something to your hair?”

★★★

This was the good life. Jamie would take this adorable tea parlor over J. Lyons or an ABC place any day. Granted, he hadn't gotten a chance to get outside of that particular tax bracket, yet. But the new job with Mr. Wesley paid quite handsomely, and Jamie wouldn't sneeze at the opportunity to reap the fruit of his labor. That, and the parlor was the closest place to the pub he'd stumbled out of earlier.

If that glimpse of his reflection in a street puddle was accurate, Jamie looked as if he'd just rolled out of bed. Hair and clothes mussed, blue eyes still bloodshot. But all it took was a little harmless flirtation with the lady at the door, and she was suddenly singing a different tune. And a good thing, since Jamie's head was killing him.

Like a whole honest-to-god marching band inside his head. As usual, he'd had one too many the previous evening. Hopefully, a nice cup o'joe would fix him right up.

He went through the same song and dance with the waitress that came to his table-- Morning! I'm doing just dandy, now that you’re here. A coffee, please, milk and sugar. Oh, and if you have any more of that spice-cake I saw downstairs? Thank you kindly, miss.

Jamie was starting to feel quite at home on the rooftop, among the ivy trellis and pleasant chatter. The throbbing in his temples faded, just a tad.

Although... Yeesh. Yes, he was definitely out of place here. Most of these folks' watches and jewels probably cost more than his monthly rent. Jamie bit his lip and quickly ran a hand through his hair. Then he made to button the few strays on his shirt, hoping no one had noticed.

But then, mid-button-- No. Nah, it couldn't be. It wasn't like those dark curls and red velvet mouth had been burned into his brain, for days on end.

And yet, there she was. Katerina, in the light of day. Their eyes met, and she shuttered behind one of her friends.

Jamie couldn't help it. He laughed out loud, startling a pair of elderly women behind him. What were the odds? He had come to terms with the fact that their encounter had been a fluke. A strange wave of relief washed over him.

Before he could think better of it, he raised his hand and waved at Katerina. Big old stupid grin on his face, and looking right at her, too, so that there was no mistaking the gesture.

Then, because that wasn't damning enough, Jamie got to his feet and crossed the short distance between his table and the girls'.

"Morning, ladies," He said, charming as ever. "Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to say hello to an acquaintance of mine." Now he was staring pointedly at Katerina, who seemed hell-bent on using her girlfriend as a human shield.

A sly smirk spread across Jamie's face, despite his pounding headache. Cute. He tried again: "Does the name John ring a bell? Or maybe Jack?"

★★★

“Coffee is painfully boring.”

Well, they could certainly agree on that.

Eira tilted her head and raised her glass. “Cheers to that,” she said with a small grin before taking a sip. The dry, fruity taste of prosecco and peach coated her tongue, making her instantly understand how Kate had managed to drink half that pitcher already. She had to remember this for the next party.

She leaned closer to inspect the massive diamond sparkling on Kate’s finger, admiring the way the red and clear stones arranged in a ring around the central diamond made the whole thing appear more extravagant. It was beautiful, despite the heavy history attached to it, and for the briefest moment, Eira found herself envying Kate for it. Her own finger suddenly felt painfully empty. She promptly shoved the sentiment aside. That wasn’t the point.

Kate’s defiant decision to wear the ring that had once been intended to bind her to a stranger only made Eira’s smile widen into a grin.

“Keeps the unwanted suitors away, too,” she said, taking another drink, her eyes twinkling over the rim of her glass.

“I actually think—That no respectable man would marry a woman of such bad reputation as mine.”

Eira rolled her eyes, sending Rosie an amused glance before looking back at Kate. “Nonsense,” she scoffed. “Any man would be lucky to marry you. And anyway, the non-respectable ones could be fun too, you know.” A slight tilt of her head accompanied by a knowing lift of a brow. “Or perhaps a wom—”

Her half-drank Bellini nearly sloshed right over the rim when Kate suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her around. Eira yelped, staring at her friend with wide eyes and a half-openend mouth.

“Have you done something to your hair?”

Eira blinked and then frowned. “My hair? Kate, what are you—”

A voice from behind cut her off. Her head turned, eyes landing on a rather rumpled-looking young man grinning at them as though he had any business being there. Now, who the hell was that and what was he doing here interrupting their girl time? Eira regarded him with blatant dismay.

"Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to say hello to an acquaintance of mine.”

Eira raised a brow. Her gaze returned to Kate—questioning—before finding back to this blonde stray dog.

“Acquaintance?” she repeated, almost appalled and not in the least bit charmed by his appearance or demeanour. Eira abandoned him once more in favour of leaning towards Kate, lowering her voice to an urgent whisper. “Do you know this man? Is he following you? We can have him thrown out, you just have to say the word.”

“Don’t you remember that dork my father tried to send me off with? Figured it wouldn’t hurt him to lose a pound—or some carats.”

Ahh, Kate. Never one to shy away from taking what she could from the male species. Rosalie rolled her eyes, a cheeky little smirk on her lips as she took her seat beside her old friend. "Well, at least you have a souvenir from the whole affair." Which was more than Rosie could say about the brute her own father had tried to sell her off to. The only 'souvenir' she had was the memory of his hot, sweaty hands on her bare shoulders.

Eira was quick to take up a drink, but Rosalie refrained, deciding if Kate went too far deep, she'd be the sober one to ensure one or both girls got home safely. That was her role in the group wasn't it? Their dynamic had always reflected the same, since they were fourteen. Kate was the bolt of lightning, Eira was the instigator, and Rosie was the caretaker. As the waiter passed by, she waved him down, placing an order for a white tea.

“I actually think—That no respectable man would marry a woman of such bad reputation as mine.”

Rosie turned back to her friends, her smile growing with Eira's argument as she rested her chin in her hands, elbow propped on the table in a very improper fashion. "And besides, who wants a respectable man anyway? Bores, all of them." Rosie perked her eyebrows a bit, her smile drifting into something far more knowing. "Think about it. All the 'respectable' boys you dated and not a single one of them ever made you - "

Rosie didn't get the chance to finish her very unladylike innuendo when the table suddenly jolted, clattering the dishes and sloshing Eira's bellini right onto the front of Rosie's dress. She gasped at the sudden chill, jumping to her feet as the wine dripped onto her skirt. "What in the world has gotten into you two?" she said, the slightest of edges reaching her softer voice as she reached for a napkin.

"Sorry to interrupt, just wanted to say hello to an acquaintance of mine.”

Who? Rosie turned at the same time as Eira, an eyebrow raising in suspicion as she stared at the young man that had disturbed Kate enough to send wine flying. An acquaintance, hmm? Certainly not one that Kate had seemed thrilled to see out in the wild. As Eira turned back to Kate, Rosalie kept her eyes on the man. Her judgment didn't land on his clothing or appearance - neither mattering an iota to the girl who surrounded herself regularly with Cassian's crowd - but the manner on which he'd approached and Kate's reaction to him.

She barely overhead Eira's words, but Rosalie felt a bit more direct today. Her friend had had more than a few drinks and wasn't in a place to handle an unwanted suitor. "As you can see, she's busy at the moment," Rosalie said politely, though the words were cold and devoid of any welcome he might have hoped to receive.

Her napkin continued blotting absently at the stain on her dress while she regarded him, blue eyes deceptively pleasant. Rosie offered him a small smile, the sort generally reserved for people being shown toward an exit. "But you've said hello now."

There. Nice. Civilized. Practically charitable. Her eyebrows lifted expectantly.

It seemed rather obvious what came next.

★★★

Well, strike one, with the first girl instantly assuming that Jamie was a stalker. Animosity right out of the gate. Reminded him of a certain someone.

"Aw, no, it's not like that..." Jamie coughed.

Then the second girl piped up, and Jamie's shoulders relaxed a bit. She seemed sweeter, more approachable. It certainly was a shame when the beverage soiled her pretty dress.

"I have some more napkins at my seat if you need--" Jamie started, then clammed up at the dismissive sting of her words.

"Gee, tough crowd," He chuckled. Pushback from girls was not unfamiliar to him, but this morning, he felt way off of his game. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and made a covert attempt to smooth down any cowlicks. "C'mon, I promise I'm not some kinda creep, honest."

No matter how awkward this encounter was turning out to be.

Jamie had to admit, the three of them looked like a complete set. Katerina, chocolate curls and sharp angles, flanked by her flaxen-haired guardian angels. Damn, and the downright icy attitude radiating back at Jamie... It made complete sense, for Katerina to keep this kind of company. Beautiful, witty, but utterly ruthless.

With the girls' withering stares, Jamie felt like a bug under a microscope. He flushed a light pink, and swallowed nervously. Gosh. Blame it on the hangover, maybe?

"I'm telling the truth," He continued, trying to crack a smile. "We shared a couple drinks together the other night, and I, uh, enjoyed Miss Katerina's company." That last bit had its own array of unintended implications, but Jamie brushed right past them.

"She can vouch for me, if she wants...?" His words petered off, as his eyes landed on Katerina's hand, still clutching at her friend's dress. Oh. His heart sank to his stomach, like a stone in deep water, as he narrowed in on the sparkling gemstones.

"Unless... I remember wrong." Jamie muttered.

That was a mighty big rock on her ring finger. He didn't recall seeing it on the night they had met, but he never really remembered stuff that well when he got to drinking. But she had kissed him, right? Even if it had just been to make a diversion.

Then again, Katerina had told Jamie that the kiss had meant nothing. Was she really serious, then? Jamie was a lot of things, but he wasn't any kind of adulterer.

Christ... This was not going as planned, not at all. Jamie stood there like an idiot, fingers worrying at the hem of his shirt. He chanced another look at Katerina, big blue eyes searching her face for some kind of sign. The situation was looking quite grim, though.

"Sir?"

Jamie glanced over his shoulder. It was the waitress, with her tray held aloft in the air.

"Your coffee and cake, sir. I'll just... Er, set them here for you. You seem a bit busy."

"Uh-huh," Jamie murmured, slowly turning back to the trio. "Thank you."

★★★

The carefully crafted mask Katerina had put on to protect herself slipped for the briefest of moments. She gulped, suddenly feeling like the awkward girl who betrayed her own secrets at a bonfire and got herself dumped because she loved way too fast, and way too much.

Jamie, however, didn’t seem to notice. He was still looking at her as though he were dazzled by her, and Katerina didn’t know how to feel. Relieved, she supposed—yet she couldn’t ignore the uncomfortable knot that had formed in her stomach.

Without waiting another beat, she put the mask back on. Letting go of Eira, she rested her chin in the palm of her hand, limiting herself to observing with a mocking grin as both of her friends tore the man to shreds. She batted her eyelashes at him.

A beat. Katerina allowed the uncomfortable silence between the four of them to stretch longer than necessary, watching with shameless amusement as Jamie grew more and more rattled.

Her eye, however, held a small twinkle that betrayed the fact that there was something about his confusion she inevitably found charming. Her cheeks were flustered, if only slightly, at the memory of the kiss they had shared the other night.

“You aren’t wrong,” she said finally, drawling her words, hoping to make every single second of Jamie’s presence there miserable. She glanced at both Eira and Rosie. “John and I did share a drink.”

A pause. Her gaze narrowed. With what she said next, she could either make or break what her friends thought of him. She knew that, and she knew he knew it too.

“He saved me from an unwanted suitor, which I appreciate enough—”

Another beat. She opened her purse, taking out a small, golden metal box. Opening it, she slid out one long cigarette and placed it between her lips. Katerina lit it, taking a long drag before exhaling the smoke directly in Jamie’s direction.

“—to let him stay, if you girls don’t mind.”

Eira’s brow furrowed into outright suspicion as she watched Kate’s expression change. The subtle panic in her friend’s eyes vanished as quickly as it had appeared; the easy smile returned, shifting into an amused smirk, and Eira regarded her for a beat longer. Interesting.

Eventually, she returned her attention to this man. This stranger who, despite Rosie’s perfectly clear attempt to send him on his way, still hadn’t quite taken the hint.

At least he had the decency to look embarrassed now.

"I'm telling the truth. We shared a couple drinks together the other night, and I, uh, enjoyed Miss Katerina's company.”

Eira’s brows shot up. Her eyes darted towards Rosie for a split second before returning to this acquaintance of Kate’s. She didn’t particularly think he was lying. What would be the point? Exaggerating, perhaps. Definitely pining, if the look in those eyes was anything to go by. He looked completely smitten.

She almost felt sorry for him.

He could hardly be blamed for falling to his knees before Kate, especially if the brunette had decided to make him her little plaything.

There was something boyish about his discomfort, almost innocent. Still, the old protectiveness over her friend kicked in. Kate possessed an extraordinary talent for attracting exactly the wrong sort of man, and, more importantly, an even more extraordinary talent for letting them stick around.

Eira had always had a problem with that.

Staring daggers at John—apparently—she silently accepted that—apparently—he would stay. If Kate wanted him to, who was she to say no?

Her expression eased by perhaps half an inch, and she turned towards the empty chair beside the table, gesturing at it with her glass.

“Sure,” she said, not bothering with the stiff politeness Rosie had opted for earlier. “He can stay. But if he says one stupid thing, I will personally make sure he regrets coming over here.”

Her eyes flicked to Kate with a knowing look, one brow arching.

"Gee, tough crowd. C'mon, I promise I'm not some kinda creep, honest."

Rosalie didn't remember calling him such. She smiled politely, never taking her eyes off the boy who had tried to approach. It wasn't that she didn't think Kate could take care of herself, but she hadn't mentioned anyone joining them, much less a young man who looked ready to sink into the very ground.

Could she and Eira have been nicer? Certainly. But being nice to strangers had rarely worked out for Rosalie. Especially muggle strangers. Her eyes caught Eira's when her friend shot a look at her when he mentioned he and Kate had spent some time together recently. That being said, and as true as it might have been, it was obvious to her that Kate didn't want to see him.

Why else would she have yanked Eira so hard and spilled all over Rosie's dress? Kate only panicked like that around....men....she liked.

Jesus Christ.

"She can vouch for me, if she wants...?"

The waiter interrupting was the perfect opportunity for her to look back at Kate, eyebrow arched, looking just as unimpressed as Eira did. Rosie had never liked any of Kate's boyfriends, save for one particular Ravenclaw, or her flings for that matter. She had horrific taste in "men" and tolerated far more bullshit than she should have ever allowed.

Was there something particularly wrong with John - Jack - Jedediah? Probably not. He seemed almost puzzled by the rebuff, and in any other situation, Rosie would have probably found his demeanor sweet and endearing. Truthfully, this wasn't as much about him, as it was Kate. It was obvious to Rosalie that Kate wasn't in a great place, and the last thing she needed was some boy bothering her, especially a muggle.

“He saved me from an unwanted suitor, which I appreciate enough to let him stay, if you girls don’t mind.”

"Did he now?" Rosalie asked as Eira huffed and planted herself back down with the same threats she liked to wield at Cassian. She turned back to the blonde-headed man, her smile slightly warmer than it had been a moment ago. "Sorry Jimmy, don't mind us. We're just a little protective of this one. Come, sit by me." She sat back down, patting the chair beside her to indicate where he should plant himself.

"I'm Rosalie," she offered, and nodded to her friend, "The surly one's Eira. She's actually a big softie, but don't tell her I told you so." She winked at Eira, before turning her gaze to Kate.

"So. Tell us how you two...met."

★★★

It was like flipping a switch. The moment Katerina suggested that he join them-- not buzz off, sit down, even-- Jamie's entire face brightened. He was already nodding and smiling again, not unlike a dog wagging its tail.

"Thank you kindly, ladies. Promise you won't regret it."

With a quick detour to fetch his dishes, Jamie took his rightful spot beside one of the girls-- Rosalie. He was starting to like her already. Not that Katerina or Eira were any lower... but the welcoming bit was nice. Here, he'd take what he could get.

"My name is Jamie, actually," Jamie said sheepishly. He settled his hands in his lap, though his knee began a frantic bounce under the tablecloth.

"Pleasure's all mine, though. And right, I understand protective. I'd be the same if some guy tried to lay it on my sister." Boy, would he ever. Luckily, Mel was plucky enough to handle herself, but Jamie prided himself on being a worthy source of backup.

Just as he snuck another hopeful glance at Katerina, Rosalie popped the inevitable question. Jamie set down his coffee cup, and managed to swallow before he spewed it everywhere.

"Uh-- Well, you see," He started, nerves jumping back into his gut. This was all rather sudden. "I was at this pub, see, and I saw her playing piano on the stage. Sure I don't need to tell you all this, but she was amazin'. Breathtaking, honestly. She made it look as easy as riding a bike."

Shyly, he brushed his bangs out of his eyes, and shrugged. "After she was done, I bought her a drink, and..." Jamie flushed a deeper shade of pink and raised his cup to his lips again. "And we talked for a while, before she had to leave. Ain't nothing else to it, really."

His heart kicked up a few paces in his chest.

Despite his best efforts, he met Katerina's eyes over the rim of the cup. Instantly, Jamie averted his eyes. He was feeling unusually sweaty all of a sudden. And not because of the sunny weather.

God... Had that sounded all right? Besides the obvious, of course. Either that, or he was making a total fool of himself here, and in front of these pretty girls...! He'd never let himself live that down.

★★★