I didn't even think to be embarrassed when he lifted me from the bed and carried me to the bathroom, waiting outside the door until I called out to him that I was done.
My poor body had become weak, and though I was no longer burning up with fever, I still felt less than perfect, though not nearly as close to death as the day before.
Once I awakened to find him gazing at me with this faraway look on his face and in that moment it seemed like another time and place, another Thorn and Jazz.
It jolted me for a moment until his eyes cleared and he smiled at me and I settled once more.
"Lyubof." The word went through me for some strange reason though I had no idea of its meaning.
He was so loving and tender with me throughout the day, no gruff reprimands, and no glares; just answering my every need, sometimes before I voiced them.
By the time dad came home that evening I had been dressed and sitting on the couch after a nice brisk walk, well as brisk as I could manage on my noodle like legs.
He'd ended up carrying me the rest of the way back, which he seemed to do so effortlessly.
"How were you kids today?" Dad was watching Thorn as though he was a coiled snake about to strike, what was that about?
I looked between them again and saw the hard look on Thorn's face. Gone was the easy going boy of the day and in his place wasn't even the hard ass from the school halls.
No, this was a different element entirely, and he looked ten years older and very...Frightening.
"In the kitchen chief." I watched in bewilderment as my father followed the much younger Thorn out of the room. What the hell had just happened here?
Was I in an alternate universe or something? I couldn't hear anything that was being said, I just heard hushed sounds that seemed rather urgent and was making me very nervous.
I decided to snoop and got more than I bargained for, even though I didn't know what it was exactly that I got.
"What is a member of spetsnaz doing in my daughter's high school and better yet what the hell are you doing with my daughter? You say your name is Azarov but...”
“Ssh, keep your voice down. There are things going on here that you do not understand as yet and it is not the time. I will tell her first when the time is right, and then we will share with you.”
“No, you will tell me now or you will leave my house and stay the hell away from my daughter.”
“I'm afraid I can't do that, if I did, your daughter would be dead in a matter of days.”
“What, what the hell are you talking about?”
“The day your daughter became so ill is the day she had decided to be done with me, because in her mind I wasn't moving fast enough.
I was trying to give her time to adjust, but she sees it as neglect. However, when she made up her mind to separate herself from me the part of her that belongs to me rebelled; had I not been there she might've died.”
“What, boy you've seen one too many Stephen King movies, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Ask her. Come here lyubof, and in the future you will not eavesdrop on the conversation of others, it is not polite."
I stepped into the room sheepishly, more confused than ever, and he called me over to him without uttering a word.
I walked into his arms and under his shoulder before turning to dad. "What's spetsnaz and why does it have you so freaked?”
“It would appear your boyfriend is part of Russian special forces, you know the guys that make the men in black look like school boys.”
Dad folded his arms and breathed fire. His words only succeeded in confusing me farther as a prickling sensation travelled down my spine.
Thorn squeezed my shoulder and drew me in closer while I tried to understand my sudden uneasiness. With one touch of his lips to my brow it was gone and I felt nothing more than the joy of being closer to him.
“Enough chief, you must not scare her, there's nothing to fear lyubof I promise you. It's as I said, in time I will reveal all, just not yet okay?" He looked from me to my father.
Dad looked like he was about to explode and I held my breath, hoping and praying that he didn't forbid me to see Thorn, because somehow I knew I would have to disobey him and that would break my heart.
"Never, I will never let anything harm your heart, do not worry about such things malenkaya, all will be well.”
“Yeah well I don't know about all that, my grandmother was Russian I know a little about the old world. Looks like I'm going to have to do some brushing up.