you keep breaking up in all the static and the noise [Grisha]

Brown eyes looked out at the empty street around her, as she leaned casually against a wall in hopes that she might run into someone she had desperately been searching for. A wedge heel rested on the brick behind her as her leg bent at the knee, her already short skirt sliding farther up her thigh in response, as the witch twirled the stick of the sucker in her mouth. She had been on a long search that had ultimately left her exhausted and where she now stood, just a few feet from the Devil's Den and unsure if she wanted to enter. Unsure if her world would shatter from what she found on the other side of the door that rested behind the charm that shielded it from unworthy eyes. Mishka fought a battle with herself that caused her hands to tremble. Her eyes dropped down to her hands and the girl shook them at her side to still her nerves.

It had been too long since she had seen him and the fear of disappointing him made it just that harder. Grigoriy had been the light in the otherwise darkness of her life. He was her best friend and seemed to be the only one able to fully handle her ever changing moods. But she was different now and he could have changed too. She had spent years away from him, changing all the while losing herself locked away alone in a cell. What if what she'd dreamed he would say was the opposite? She swallowed hard as her eyes drifted slowly away from the door. She could go inside, she was strong enough to do that. It was strange why this scared her so much, if what she was feeling was fear to begin with. Azkaban had ripped at the fine edges of her soul and she knew that bits of her hadn't survived. She felt less now then she ever had and she was frightened more by the fact that it didn't scare her. Was she hollow now? And if so, would he openly pick up on it?

The bag at her wrist was opened and her hand vanished up to the elbow as she dove in to retrieve a new sucker, the grape one she had was quickly discarded and replaced with the watermelon she now held. Her foot dropped from the wall and she moved forward, eyes jumping around her to be sure nothing would jump out of the darkness. It was scariest being alone because when she was alone she felt like she was back in that cell. She could face a lot of things but that was something she knew the next time would surely kill her. She walked passed the building and deeper into the darken streets. She needed to find a bit of trouble before facing her fears.

Her hand rose to twirl the hair that hung from one of her pig tails as she moved along her path. The outside world somehow seemed bigger as if there was so much of it to be explored. So much for her learn and experience. She allowed the fact that she had time now to live to sink in more each day. She was still searching for her place in the world. Searching for a place where she fit in and the world just seemed right because it. Her body shifted as she stepped into a door frame, to rest her legs. She knew the time would come when she would need to pick a path for herself. Mishka wasn't sure that when that day came she would be ready. She'd seen the figure before she heard them pass by her resting place. Big brown eyes watched as the person moved out of her view before stepping out into the street. "Grims...?" Her hand rose to pull the sucker from her mouth so her words were clear. "...is that you?"

Pain pricked up Grigoriy’s scalp, and he muffled a moan, fingertips dug as deep into the waist in front of him, as their nails were dug into the back of his scalp. His hair was jerked back further, causing his eyes to roll open and stare at the figure in front of him. Tall, muscular and handsome; Grigoriy was in lust. He allowed the bigger man to kiss him as they were hidden in an alcove in a hallway in the den. Pulling away, he licked kiss swollen lips, and his hand gently tapped the other man’s back, signaling that he wanted to be let loose. It was one thing to allow the man to manhandle him outside of the Den, but another to be grabbed in his place of work and slammed against the wall with no warning. Maybe it was because it was rude? Whatever it was, he detangled himself from the man, fixing his suit jacket before he walked back into the pulsing area of the bar.

It had been a surprisingly calm night so far, no matter that Grisha didn’t want to spend time around crowds. Even he got overwhelmed with people, and wanted to dwell in solitude. Sometimes with his job, he had to make his face seen. And this was one of those days, where even as much as he wanted to lay in bed, he had to chit chat and be friends with everyone. He’d been there for two hours, and began to sneak towards the door, getting his cloak and draping it over his shoulders. It took him another 30 minutes because he got dragged into a card game which he lost on purpose. When he finally walked into the darkness of the night, he just looked around and headed towards the way leading towards Diagon Alley.

Then he heard a nickname that he hadn’t heard in years. Years before he’d existed in London as the Grim, years when he was known by that name because it was his mother’s last name, and not his father’s that he went by now. His nostrils flared, and his hands curled into fists and he slowly turned, prepared for the worst. When he saw who waited for him, it was like a punch to the chest, and he rubbed his hands over his face roughly, trying to see if he was in the middle of a dream. This was…not real. It couldn’t be real.

But his hands grabbed his cloak anyways, and he draped it around her shoulders, tugging her closer. Grigoriy pressed his cheek against Mishka’s, muttering soft things in Bulgarian, his hands running through her hair. He was trying to…make sure she was real. He hadn’t seen her in so long, and she had been his only friend back home when it was just he and his mother. “Hello honey…” He rasped, pulling away so his forehead was pressed against hers and they stared at each other.

“You were always really good at finding things…except for the rest of your skirt.” He tugged the hem of her short skirt down gently, sighing when it didn’t work. “…Miskha.” He rasped, shaking his head. “Let’s…go.” And he began to gently escort her back further down Knockturn Alley. He had to get out of there. Had to get them out of there. First, he would find her something to eat.

Her stomach tightened and her knees nearly gave way. When she'd stepped out of her resting place she had expected disappointment. She had expected to be met by some random soul out wandering the street. She had searched for him and now that she had found him, she stood rooted in her spot. She had so many ever-changing emotions that it was hard to tell what she was feeling now. She was relieved that she hadn't lost him while she had been locked away. She was happy that it actually had been him to turn around. She was nervous that somehow their bond had been severed with time. Most of all she was afraid that somehow now she didn't fit into his world.

The cool breeze that had washed over her skin was displaced by the cloak he wrapped her in before she was pulled into his body. The warmth and the familiarity of it all was calming. She exhaled, her body relaxing against him, as the realization that she wasn't dreaming became quite clear. "Oh, Grims, I've missed you." Her voice was muffled by his suit jacket and was followed by a giggle. As his forehead rested against her she gave him a big toothy grin. She'd missed him and she realized that had been the nagging feeling in the background.

Big brown eyes stared at him for a moment before looking down at her skirt as her body rocked from side to side. "Sorry, Grims." She took a moment to rummage through the bag at her wrist again to get another piece of candy. Her gaze shifted to him and her head tilted slowly to the side. "Want some candy?" She asked with an intensely curious interest. Candy was her equivalent of displaying affection. It was real and concrete and could be enjoyed. A sucker from her was like a hug wrapped in love. She didn't offer often but when she did it was always a test of her faith.

Her eyes shifted from him for a moment to look out ahead of them. "You left." She had wanted to yell at him for vanishing like he had, but she hadn't know what truly happened. She was most angry with herself for chasing behind Nikki in an effort to find love. She had been lost in the thrill of the chase while his life was drastically changing. She couldn't blame him for her imprisonment but she wondered if he'd been around would it still have happened. Would she still have made the choice that nearly destroyed her? "I thought I would never see you again..." Her voice trailed softly at the end as memories of those dark days crept into her mind.

At times seeing him had been the only thought keeping her sanity intact. She hadn't been sure if this day would come, but she could dream about it as much as she wanted. "But here we are!" The sullen mood she had once been in was so freely replaced with a smile and bubbly persona. She wanted to ask where he had gone. She wanted to topple him with question after question. Mishka knew she would have to let him tell her when he was ready. So, until then she was quite fine with just making up for lost time. "So, What cha want to do?"

Grisha took the candy delicately, staring into Mishka’s eyes, knowing that this was important to her. Like him, Mishka had her quirks. Sharing things was her way to make people feel special. She rarely shared her candy with anyone, and to be a recipient of her gift was special. He put the candy in his mouth, kissing her forehead again. “I…it wasn’t my choice to leave, love…I was taken away, just like you…”

When he’d found out she was in Azkaban, he’d wanted to break some things. He’d wanted to break her out, but she was damn sure that she wouldn’t forgive him for being there with her. Grisha would have hated to be trapped again, especially in a prison known as a hellhole for dark wizards. He’d researched all of the ways to get her out, but there were no loopholes. No recourse. Nothing. And he’d never felt so useless.

“But I’m here baby, so don’t worry…” He said softly, nuzzling his cheek against her temple. “And I’ll never let you go…maybe when you find some pants that cover your ass.” He teased, tugging her skirt down. Goddammit, why did he have to do this every time?

“Food…” He twined his hand in hers, gently dragging her down the alley. “You hungry, babe?”

Her grinned widened as he took the candy, though her eyes softened at the same time. It was as if he was saying nothing had changed while she was away. Maybe they hadn't but she felt as if they had. It could be because she had changed. Something in her had shifted during her stay in Azkaban. There was nothing she could do about it now, though the thought made her uneasy. What she had with Grisha was bond that she cherished and held close to her. It made her feel safe and loved. Her brows pulled together as he spoke and for a moment she was lost. There was something stirring beneath the surface but what exactly she didn't know.

"I...Sorry..." The word sounded strange as she heard it come from her mouth but still she was. She hadn't been there when things had went bad for him. She had been lost in other things that proved to be less than fruitful. "No one should be taken...ever." Her head tilted to the side causing her ponytails to move a bit. "I think they overreacted a little....I mean I didn't even keep the money.." She couldn't tell him that she had gone willingly. She hadn't run or tried to put a fight. No, she knew what came and still she stay to bask in the chaos she caused. Honestly she had enjoyed herself way too much and there had been times were even that joy wasn't worth what she lost.

"Pants?" She asked curiously before looking down at her skirt. It hung just above the middle of her thighs as always. Her brows pulled together for a moment before she looked at him. "...but my skirt fits better....pants are..." Her nose wrinkled slightly as she thought about herself in a pair of pants. "really really uncomfortable and don't flatter me in any way." She nodded a bit as she spoke. He was a guy she he didn't understand. Or at least that was what she thought.

As she thought about it she was hungry. It had been a very long time since she had had real food. Food that she got to pick and could truly enjoy. "Yes, most definitely hungry. But some place good, Grims." She wanted to enjoy every bite of the meal she was about to have. She wanted to enjoy a lot of things but most of all her time with him. She had missed him and being in his presence reminded her that she was loved. "I was hiding to work up the courage to go inside...." A soft confession as she looked up at the stars. It was easy to be honest with him. He was her Grims and nothing would ever change that.