Everyone changed with the passage of time but sometimes that change was far more for some then others. Had she? He could already tell she had. By looks. By the way she moved even. But that was natural; it had been so long since he’d seen her. He hadn’t expected the same person. In a way he was glad that it was not. It gave him the ability to stay cold. To keep that care to such a low minimum that it scarcely was there at all. It made it that much easier to walk away if it was needed. They had looked for her; they had wanted her back in their lives. But Tavin wouldn’t do so if it brought risk to Jerzy. He couldn’t.
He watched her carefully now, analyzing her every move. He’d been able to watch before but he never let himself get this close. Now near he could smell the fear that she kept so tightly confined. That paranoia that ate at her, the way her eyes so quickly danced as they attempted to find every danger. It reminded him of Jerzy…which was a thought it was better for him to not have. He knew he was shit when it came to really protecting that kid. He wasn’t fit to fucking protect anyone.
It was only when she really faced him, that she really looked him dead in the eyes, that he could see the subtle marking that she tried to so craftily hide behind thick make up. No human would really notice that faint line or the way the skin looked different from the rest. But Tavin could. He had his guess who had done it. Her tie to that man wasn’t exactly kept all that secret. Not to someone watching. Lips drew back just slightly into a faint sneer, a flash of anger there and gone just as quickly. He might not trust her. But that he didn’t mean he wanted any fuck touching her either.
Emotions were mixed but his face stayed calm. Never seeming to mirror those thoughts for more then a ghost of a second. In his job he couldn’t afford to give away anything. Not even a second of hesitation was allowed. Quick decisions made from well planned thoughts. It was a dangerous game but it was one Tavin played well. He had to learn how to in order to find way for Jerzy and him to survive in this world.
The words were smoothly executed, remarked offhandedly almost like he could just walk away now if she really wanted him to. He could. Shut it all down and just turn around. But if he did he’d be packing up and moving them by dawn. Jerzy wouldn’t question, the kid knew better then to do so. He trusted Tavin to know when something had gone wrong or there was a risk in being where they were. It wasn’t the first time the past caught up to them.
He didn’t say anymore as she seemed to fumble with the words. He remained like he was, still and waiting for the words to connect or for them to stay just out of reach in a mind turned twisted and confused by forces he wasn’t fully aware of yet. But then she spoke, speaking the name that only Jerzy did anymore. “Tavin.” He returned “Though that’s just a bit less extreme then your name change Eliina.” Those did make finding one a bit more difficult. But he suspected that was the point. For Tavin and Jerzy it mattered little when they didn’t ever put real names to paper. “Or Ellie”