Stockholm Syndrome? - Chapter 38: Chapter 38

"They are here!" Archer squealed running out of Felix's arms, almost tripping over the living area rug.
Felix instinctively moved his arm to steady him, shaking his head at his boyfriend. "Sit down! You'll make it obvious to them that something is up".
Archer merely shrugged and wiggled out of Felix's grasp. Felix wouldn't understand. Archer was happy to see his friends. He hadn't seen them in a week, busy with what according to him were never-ending tests. There was also something else that made Archer eager to see Stella and Clark, something Felix had warned him about making obvious.
Archer couldn't help it, he was too excited.
He ran out of the living area, not bothering to check if Felix was following. It would be impolite for Felix to just sit and not welcome his guests, but Archer was getting used to Felix's peculiar mannerisms.
It was raining outside. Archer couldn't see the rain-clouds because of the darkness of the sky, but he could hear the rain pelting the cabin. He was surprised Stella and Clark had made the journey, but he was also happy.
When he opened the door he was greeted by the quarreling friends. He knew they quarreled a lot, he just hadn't expected them to already be quarreling. How was he going to pull his plan – Felix's plan- off if his friends were quarreling already?
"I am never going with you anywhere again!" Stella yelled with passion. How could she not? Her gigantic friend by association had intentionally done something she would never forgive.
Archer smiled sheepishly at his friends, wondering what had happened now. He wanted to ask, but knew it would exacerbate the situation. Since Stella was standing there with one of her knee-length boot in her hand, Archer came to the conclusion that Clark had stepped into a puddle, spraying water into Stella's boot.
"Same here! Travelling with a poodle would be better", Clark yelled.
"Hey...guys", Archer attempted to rescue the situation.
"A poodle huh? I'd rather travel with an alligator!" Stella issued her comeback.
"Guys", Archer said tentatively.
"You are worse than having a gorilla as a companion!" Clark retorted.
It was going to be a long night for the two guests, and if everything went according to plan, Archer would not be a part of it. He could almost sigh in relief at that. He wasn't getting a word in.
"You guys made it! Great to see you again!" It was Felix standing behind Archer. His voice was smooth yet confident, assured. It caught the attention of the guests immediately. Archer almost wished he had Felix's demeanor.
"It's great to see you again Fel", Stella said, finally able to smile that night. She took the opportunity to hug Felix, who returned the hug back.
"What just happened?" Archer mouthed, looking at Clark.
"You've been replaced. Interesting, cause usually it's she who can't keep a guy", Clark replied loudly, something he almost regretted as Stella turned to stomp at his foot with her boot-covered foot.
"I can keep a guy, I just don't want one!" Stella said, glaring at her companion.
"Would you guys like to come in? It's freezing out there", Felix said.
Soon everyone was in the cabin. They were greeted with the warmth of the fire in the living room, something Stella used to warm her cold wet foot. She sat on the rug just near the fire, and Archer and Felix occupied the front facing couch while Clark perched himself up on the other couch in the room.
"You have a nice place here, too secluded, but it seems nice", Stella remarked to Felix as she fiddled with the fire.
"Thanks. It's just the right place to relax", Felix replied.
Stella had taken a liking to Felix. He wasn't like Clark. He knew what he wanted. He was well-mannered and shared her love for teasing Archer. It had been two weeks since Archer had trout at the cabin. He'd spent the two weeks in town and Felix had visited. He'd instantly clicked with Stella.
Of course it had been part of the plan for Felix to gain Stella's trust. That made inviting Stella and Clark for dinner at the cabin easier. Clark would truly go anywhere you asked him to, but Stella wasn't so easy. Archer of course wanted his friends to be acquainted with his boyfriend, but this time he'd had to speed it up.
"How was your ride...?" Felix started but Archer took the moment to pinch him. Such a question would make hell break loose.
"No!" he whispered loud enough for his boyfriend to hear, but it was too late.
"It was more dangerous being in the car than out of it!" Stella retorted.
"I take it the rain made it hard?" Felix said tentatively. Even he knew that was not what Stella meant.
"The rain? There was a gorilla at the wheel, who can barely drive in sunny weather!"
The can was open. Stella and Clark went on to throw more insults at each other. Archer concluded that the intervention was really necessary. His friends had always fought, but not like that.
"Baby I told you!" he said to Felix.
"You were too late", Felix said and shrugged.
"You didn't use that brain of yours", he reprimanded.
Felix tried to suppress a chuckle, but couldn't quite do it. There was a devilish grin somewhere in there and Archer spotted it.
"You did it on purpose!" he hissed quietly.
"Look at them! That's even better than Daredevil", Felix said, knowing fully he was admitting his devilish tactics.
"Sometimes I think you are 10", Archer said shaking his head.
He turned back to his guests just as Clark said, "You mean those ugly shoes? I did you a favor".
Archer saw a shoe flying in his mind's eye. He had to save the situation before Stella hit and shattered Felix's liquor cabinet. Felix may have warmed to his friends, but he wouldn't like that. Few people came between him and his Scotch and at that time the list only had one person.
"Dinner is actually ready. I'm just going to warm it up. Felix, do you mind setting the table?" he said and gave his boyfriend a nudge. Felix was concentrating on the fighting couple.
"Felix!" Archer hissed.
"Um, sure", he said and they both stood up. Halfway to the kitchen, Felix turned to Stella. "Hey Stella, do you mind getting the wine in my study? It's just down the hall, oak door".
"Why can't Archer get it?"
"Because I'm fixing your food. Get off that butt of yours", Archer replied.
Stella huffed but got off the rug. She shot daggers at Clark as she passed – just because. Why should she be made to help out while that loafer sat there like some king?
"Villa Maria Sauvignon blanc, green bottle, you won't miss it", Felix said as she passed the kitchen.
Archer smiled wickedly in the background as he placed the chicken on the table. He just couldn't help himself. He was too excited.
Stella walked down the poorly lit wall to the study. She was happy to be there with Archer and Felix. She'd taken a liking to Felix and of course Archer was her best friend. She loved Archer to bits and pieces and loved teasing him even more.
It was Clark that made her stomp her feet as she walked. Clark was annoying, crude and a slut. Sometimes she envisioned putting her arms around his neck and squeezing ever tightly. There was always something he did wrong. She tried to give him the benefit of the doubt, but there was no way he'd mistakenly stepped on the puddle. He'd done it intentionally because that was who he was, he liked messing with her.
She opened the large door and walked in. The study smelled like wet wood and books. It was less warm than the living area had been. Since the room was hollower, the sounds of the rain hitting the roof were louder.
For a few minutes she forgot about what she had been sent there to do, mesmerized by Felix's collection of books. It wasn't so much the content but the subject. From what she knew Felix was an art dealer, yet he had medical books, lots of them. Some seemed like they had been written decades ago.
When she'd quenched her curiosity, she walked over to the wine rack. She sighed when she looked at the huge thing. The wine rack wasn't gigantic and neither was the collection, but it was going to be hard finding what she'd been sent to find. Almost all the bottles looked green.
She started with the top row, pulling out bottles after bottles and cursing when Villa Maria was nowhere on them.
Stella had been gone for quite some time and Clark was happy for the silence. Except for the low chattering of the lovers in the kitchen, the sound of the rain outside and the occasional cackling of the fire in the fireplace, all was quiet.
He enjoyed the silence for a while, but his heart defied him and craved Stella's presence. Stella yelled at him every day. It wasn't what he wanted, but it was better than her out of his life. She made him angry and enraged, and she also made him sad.
She didn't realize it and she probably would never do. He could take every insult with a smile if he knew she felt something for him, even a fraction of what he felt.
It was a bit funny, falling for the girl who'd almost killed him. They were young and she hadn't known any better, slipping peanuts in his food. She knew what "allergic" meant, she just hadn't known it could be fatal. They had been forced to be friends afterwards. He was reluctant at first, but over time they all reached puberty. Things were felt that weren't supposed to be felt.
But Stella had only stayed in their forced friendship because of Archer. He knew she loved him, and at some point had thought it went beyond friendship. That had been a blow to his blossoming feelings, but hadn't extinguished them. They grew stronger. He distanced himself more. How could she who cursed his name every day love him?
He knew what he was doing when he tainted himself. In Stella's world he was already impure, so why not defile himself further? It had started with one girl...two...three... and soon after he'd started losing count.
"You seem deep in thought", Felix's voice interrupted his thoughts. He was standing before him.
"For once in my life, I'm in silence", he said grinning. "Stella is not here".
"Too bad I'm about to reunite you. She's been gone for too long. Can you help her? The food is getting cold", Felix said.
"Why can't you help her?" Clark asked quickly. He missed Stella, but his foot was still recovering.
"Because I'm-I'm helping Archer with something in the kitchen", Felix replied. He was a good liar, but stuff this personal tripped him up. He could put the blame all on Archer.
"Okay", Clark conceded. His plan was simple. He was going to go there, grab the bottle and walk out. He was certain the bottle was staring right at Stella's face and she was just too stubborn to pick up because hey, why should anything in life be that easy? She could also be wrestling with it...unless of course it was just him she loved battering.
He walked in the direction Felix showed him. The cabin wasn't big so he was there in no time. He pushed the door open and walked in silently.
"If you are silent the snake won't strike", he thought.
"What the fuck are you doing here?!" Stella snapped the moment she registered Clark walking in.
"Helping your blind ass", Clark said.
"I don't need help!"
"That's not what Fel thinks", he said.
Felix, someone else he was jealous of. He knew Stella had no romantic feelings for Felix, but she'd taken a liking to him, going as far as shortening his name in an endearing way. He personally thought it was ugly but it was the intention that counted. It was the same with Archer's flatmate Alex.
Despite his jealousy of Felix, he too liked him. Felix was significantly older than them and at first he'd been skeptical of his relationship with Archer, but he could see that Archer was happy. The older man did seem a little odd at times, but he seemed cool too. He made an effort to connect with Archer's young friends, which was cool.
Felix's age didn't matter as long as Archer was happy. Clark loved Archer like a brother. Their friendship had withstood a lot of things, including the evil other friend and Archer's disapproval of Clark's behavior. He hoped it would withstand the day things came to a head between him and Stella.
"I'll find it by myself", Stella retorted.
"Fine!" Clark said. Just as he turned he had a key turn. He couldn't remember closing the door, but then it was closed and presumably looked.
He walked quickly to the door and turned the handle, pulling it. Nothing happened. The door stayed in its frame. He pulled again and again.
"What the hell did you do?" Stella yelled.
"I didn't do anything!" Clark replied.
Outside the door, two people were trying hard to suppress their laughter. They had executed their plan effortlessly. The unassuming couple had fallen into the trap. The ball – which was probably a bowling ball – was now in their court. Yelling was inevitable, but the two conniving people outside hoped the outcome was positive.
"Pancakes, there are wine bottles in there", Felix said suddenly, as if he had suddenly remembered.
"Uh...yeah?" Archer said to the obvious statement.
"Aged wine", Felix clarified. "You are paying for every single one that Stella breaks".
"Relax baby, Stella loves you. She won't break them", Archer assured, sneaking his arms around Felix's waist.
"She hates Clarke more!" Felix said twisting the key in his hand.
"She loves him. Now, let's go eat. I'm in the mood to taste Sauvignon blanc in your mouth", Archer said in a way that drew Felix's lips to his.
The kiss was short, something Felix made a mental note to remind Archer of when they drank the Sauvignon blanc that both Stella and Clark had been sent to find. They had clearly been deceived about its whereabouts.
Felix and Archer left to have dinner.
Inside the room all hell was breaking loose.
Stella pushed Clark away from the door to attempt to open it because clearly the tall boy was all twigs and zero strength. She pulled only once. The door didn't budge. It wasn't stuck, it was locked. Someone had deliberately locked her in there with her nemesis. She could only think of two people, not just because they were the only other people in the cabin, they were also suddenly the most evil.
"It's locked!" Clack shouted, his tone highlighting the fact that he'd said those words before.
"I know!" Stella said.
"Well you were..." Clark started but Stella wormed her way in, like she'd wormed her way into his heart.
"Shut up!" she ordered. She yelled Archer's name over and over again and banged on the door. When that didn't work, she yelled Felix's name and made sure to curse the lovebirds while at it when no one came.
"Stella, stop yelling! They are not coming!"
"No! You stop yelling!"
"I wasn't even yelling!"
"Well you are now!"
"That's because you are yelling!"
"Oh so now you copy me?"
"Just shut up!" Clark yelled and heaved.
The cabin rooms weren't soundproof. Archer could hear Stella and Clark yelling. He swallowed hard. Felix noticed his worry and immediately sprung to assure him.
"Relax Pancakes, they'll be fine", he said.
"What if after this they break up?" he asked.
"Well...they aren't dating", Felix said.
"You know what I mean. What if they decide they don't want to be friends anymore?" Archer said worriedly. He couldn't picture the three of them no longer friends. "This is a bad idea, I'm going to open the door", he said standing up.
Felix put his hand on his wrist. "No Pancakes, as much as I enjoy their antics, they do need to talk. Their bickering is no longer healthy".
Archer reluctantly sat down and hoped he didn't regret his decision. "Pour me more wine", he said.
Felix obliged. He was not pleased seeing his lover so worried and hoped the wine would relax him.
In the study room, insults were going back and forth. There were animals and food and all the disgusting things both of them could think of. It was chaos and Felix could thank his lucky stars his books weren't laying on the floor with torn pages. Stella was furious, but nothing infuriated her more than when Clark's phone rang and he had the audacity to answer.
Some slut had called and Clark stopped his argument with her to answer. That made her see red. How could he pause her like she was some show on the telly? Was she not that important?
She grabbed his phone from his ear and didn't think twice about throwing it across the room. She was stunned by her action. Clark was stunned too. He just stood there and looked at her as his phone lay on the floor in pieces.
It took a while but he eventually turned red.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Clack's voice bellowed.
For once Stella couldn't say anything. Clark had never yelled at her like that. He'd never been that angry. But then again, she'd never destroyed his personal property before.
"That's it! I'm done with this destructive friendship!" Clark yelled. He looked more serious than she'd ever seen him. The laid-back guy was gone.
"I'm sorry", she said quietly. She couldn't yell. She'd done something stupid. Between hurting Clark physically and destroying his things, it was clear what was worse, but at that moment she felt as though she'd done the worst thing possible.
Clark's phone was expensive, but it wasn't about the money. It was the anger she'd experienced, the intense jealousy. It had consumed her. Deep inside, it felt as though her heart was quivering instead of contracting.
"You are not sorry!" Clark said, picking up the main part of his phone and all the small parts that were once part of it. It was beyond repair.
Stella's sensation of quivering reached her legs. Feeling unable to keep herself upright, she sat on Felix's desk. She was avoiding Clark's eyes and thankfully he was doing the same. Silence rained.
"When we leave, ask Felix to drive you. I can't", Clark said.
Stella nodded. She couldn't trust herself to say a word. In the preceding silence she'd realized her heart was crying. She'd finally thrown in the straw that broke the camel's back. Clark was going to be out of her life and she wholeheartedly wanted him to stay. She wanted him to stay so badly it hurt. She realized it then, this guy that she always fought with, this was the guy her heart wanted.
It explained everything. When Archer introduced them she hated him because he was Archer's other friend. He took up Archer's time and Archer loved him. It sucked but overtime she found Clark lovable too. Of course she'd never tell him. They had something like sibling rivalry. She hit him but got mad when anyone else hit him. Overtime it grew into something more.
From a young age she hadn't know how to express her feelings. She hit, bit, sabotaged and sometimes poisoned. It stemmed from growing up with Georgina and overtime it became a part of her.
It had made her blind to her own feelings, but they were bubbling to the surface now that she was aware of the hurt Clark felt because of her actions. It wasn't physical, something she had always shrugged at.
Through breaking his phone, she had hurt Clark emotionally. It didn't make sense, but did it have to?
"I can buy you a new phone, any you like", she offered quietly.
"I don't want it", Clark replied.
"What do you want?" she asked softly.
"I want to get out of here. I'm tired and I'm hungry", he said.
She sighed quietly. "Can you believe Archer and Felix...locking us in here? I wonder what they were hoping to achieve", she said and chuckled slightly, trying to ease the tension in the room.
"It was just a stupid prank", Clark said after some silence.
Archer and Felix weren't coming, forcing Stella and Clark to sit in silence with their torturous thoughts. They tried hard to ignore each other's eyes, but both set of eyes drifted towards each other.
Clark moved to the chair in the room, forcing Stella to have her back to him. That way his eyes wouldn't betray him and look at the object of his affection's face.
"Can I ask you a question?" he asked suddenly.
"Yeah", Stella said quietly.
"You normally hit me. Why did you break my phone this time?" he asked.
There was a moment's hesitation from Stella. "You ignored me", she said quietly.
"Don't you want that? You always tell me to shut up", he said.
Stella sighed. "Have you seen Archer and Felix?"
"Huh?"
"Archer always tells Felix he annoys him. He doesn't annoy him. He loves it when Felix teases him because that means he's on Felix's mind. I...do the same thing", Stella said.
It was taking a lot to say it all especially because she hadn't been aware, but Stella usually didn't hold back. She was like Archer in a way. They both were stubborn and would fight for what they believed in. That of course depended on what they believed in and sometimes those things were opposites. Stella would fight tooth and nail to get you out of her life, and she would do the same to keep you in her life.
"You want me to talk even when you tell me to shut up?" Clark asked. His voice was softer now, more relaxed.
Stella nodded.
"You are weird", Clark said and chuckled.
"I know", she said.
"I think I'll take you on your offer of buying me a phone", Clark said.
Stella sighed. She was opening up to Clark and now all he cared about was getting a phone so he could call his one day lover or fling or girlfriend.
"I'll get you a phone once we are back in town so you can call your girlfriend. Tell her I'm sorry for cutting your conversation short", she said. "I'm just allergic to whoring"
Clark's heart lurched.
"Why do you have a problem with what I do?"
Stella's lips compressed to a thin line.
"You can't possibly care about the girls. You don't even know them!" Clark said. This time he wasn't letting it go. Stella had dodged that question many times.
"I don't have to know them to care! You use them and then you leave. They are left with broken hearts, pining for you and wondering when the hell you'll come to your senses! You think they enjoy it? You are always out there with one girl or two and have these stupid competitions with your friends about getting girls. Have you ever thought that maybe one girl wants you to stay with her?"
Stella was impulsive, something she never worried about. That night though, her impulses were leading her down dangerous roads.
"You are similar to me. Have you ever thought that maybe one guy really wants you? You shut down everyone!"
"Because they are not you!" Stella yelled.
Stella could have frozen time because suddenly all Clark could hear was Stella's words echoing in his head. He hadn't seen her mouth utter the words and couldn't be a hundred percent sure he hadn't imagined them.
"Stella look at me", he ordered.
Stella shook her head, with her long hair swaying.
"Stella!" he said.
Stella turned, moving her legs over the table such that she was now sitting nearer to Clark, with her legs just hanging next to his lap.
"Say what you said again", Clark said.
"No"
"Stella".
"It makes no difference", she said with her lips barely moving.
"It makes a difference because I want you", Clark said clearly.
Clark had been a coward when it came to telling Stella how he felt but even he saw the opportunity. He knew a moment like that would not come any time soon. He knew he had to take it, and he did with butterflies flying rampant in his tummy.
Stella's eyes enlarged, looking even brighter. She wanted to, but she couldn't say anything.
"Why do you think I took the abuse?" Clark said and Stella sheepishly smiled at his choice of word. "I'm crazy about you. I always thought you hit me because you didn't really like me so I didn't say anything".
"I hit you because you didn't say anything and went out with all those other girls. Honestly, I didn't even notice how much I like you because I've always "hated" you".
"Stella..." that was all Clark could manage to say. His heart was swelling with love for the feisty girl next to him. It was surreal hearing her say she liked him. He loved her. If this was a dream he didn't want to wake up. He wanted to cling to the love and ride on the ecstasy it provided.
"You are a goof and nice on the inside. You make me so mad but you let me hit you so that makes up for it", Stella said smiling mischievously.
Clark stood up abruptly, standing before the girl who'd just made him the happiest guy.
"Stella Moreno, would you like to go out on a date with me?" he asked, almost whispering.
Stella smiled. "I'd love that", she whispered.
Clark did something he probably shouldn't have without taking the girl out on a date first. He'd wanted to do things properly, damn his brain or heart or both. He leaned in for a kiss. Stella welcomed him and their lips crushed against each other. Their kiss was filled with hunger. They had both fought their feelings but in the end their feelings had won. Clark moved his lips with Stella's and felt all giddy inside when Stella put her hands on his neck. He momentarily wondered if she wasn't going to strangle him, but relaxed in the embrace.
Stella didn't know she had longed to kiss Clark and when she did, she felt her body pulsate to a new rhythm. She didn't want to hit this guy – not now anyway. She wanted to kiss him over and over again, move her lips with his and enjoy the taste of his mouth. This was it, this was the guy meant to tame her- her heart at least. She was still going to hit him if he did stupid things.
Clark pulled back, not wanting to, but needing to. He had to know if he'd crossed the line so he could apologize. It was funny, considering she'd kissed him back, but he had to be sure.
"We are still on for our date, right?"
"After we finish our wine-tasting. Grab a bottle", Stella said.
Clark raised a brow, unable to hide his confusion. Stella was going to have a lot of teaching to do, but she wasn't dissuaded. The student was after all a handsome green-eyed well-built guy who was going to be hers pretty soon.
"Archer and Felix locked us in here. We might as well raid the bar, if you know what I mean", Stella said winking.
"Say no more your majesty", Clark said walking to the wine rack and pulling out a bottle.
Stella grinned at her newly acquired title. Clark had definitely scored points with that one. It fit well with her bossy nature, which she was obviously going to have to tone down. For Clark she would do a lot and that pleasantly surprised her.
"How about this one?" Clark asked showing her red wine.
"Felix is so going to kill us", Stella said and chuckled, excitedly welcoming the bottle.
Archer had set a timer to alert him when it was time to set his guests free. Sensing his worry, Felix had decided they should cuddle on the couch after eating. They hadn't done that. Instead they'd made out on the couch. Some of the wine had gone to Archer's brain and he wasn't thinking straight. Felix had other things driving his actions.
They both ignored the timer and their guests. Archer was feeling guilty when he and Felix decided they'd had enough fun making each other moan and as he went to the study, he imagined both Stella and Clark would be angry at him. They'd come for dinner, they were obviously hungry. Felix accompanied him for protection because, "If Stella hits you I'll hit her back. It's better for her and me if I prevent it". He'd been joking but it hadn't alleviated the knot in Archer's stomach.
He unlocked the door and pushed it open. He was greeted by a sight. Stella and Clark were sitting on the floor cross-legged facing each other. They had 3 bottles of wine between them.
"Tell me that is not my Gerard Bertrand Naturae Cabernet Sauvignon 2011" Felix said.
Stella giggled. "Hey lovebirds".
"They didn't break them?" Archer said sheepishly to Felix.
"Tell me that bottle is not empty", Felix said.
"It's not empty", Stella said and giggled.
Archer gave his boyfriend an apologetic look. Felix surprised him by chuckling.
"You guys better buy good wine and age it for my wedding day", he said.
Archer's heart skipped a beat. Felix had talked about a wedding. Of course he hadn't talked about the marriage being between him and Archer, but he'd talked about it. He wanted one. At least Archer hoped that's what that statement meant.
Clark just laughed. It was clear he and Stella were both a little intoxicated.
"Clark asked me out!" Stella squealed moving up and down on the floor.
"Really?" Archer asked looking at his best guy friend.
Clark nodded. "She broke my phone, but I asked her out anyway. She's amazing".
"Of course she is, she's Stella", Archer said, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief. He didn't have the details of what went on in that room, but things were looking up.
"Maybe we do have something to celebrate after all", Felix said. "Now stop drinking like Neanderthals, there are glasses in this place".
"They are already drunk", Archer said.
Of course Stella and Clark protested.
"I need them to get really drunk and pass out so I can make you moan without any interference", Felix said, ensuring a blush from the boy that had stolen his heart. There was a glare of course. "Come on you two, you need to..." he said and reassessed his chosen wording when a fresh glare was thrown his way, "you need to eat".
"Finally! You two don't know how to treat guests", Stella said standing up.
"And you don't know how to drink wine! How do you open three bottles all at once?!" Felix said to which Stella giggled.
It was a comical but beautiful ending. Archer had gotten his wish. Stella had realized and acknowledged her feelings. Clark had finally asked the girl he loved out and gotten the kiss he'd always dreamt of. Felix...Felix had gotten his wine rack raided and his saved wine drunk, but he would sacrifice anything to make his boy happy. He'd even sacrificed his own life, and he was starting to care about Archer's friends. If they cost him one more wine bottle though, they would have to go, he thought as he wondered why he hadn't laced their food with sedatives. They were obviously spending the night after intoxicating themselves and he had other plans.