11 Gossip

(Elektra's POV)

*Knock* *knock* *knock*

"Elektra?" I heard Alexis call out from the other side of the door. I didn't answer. I just kept standing on the balcony, looking out at my surroundings. I heard the door open to the room and I cursed myself for forgetting to lock it.

Alexa stood next to me and wrapped her arm around me. "I'm sorry for what happened to you." she said. I shook my head and replied "It's okay. Like I said before, I'm still alive and well".

I walked to the railing of the balcony and looked out among the trees. In between the branches, I can see Neo walking while kicking around a rock. It looked like he was lost in his own imagination. "You know he didn't mean what he said back there." Alexa said close to my ear, startling me. She placed her hands on the railings and I looked at her. "What are you talking about?" I asked. "What he said down stairs, he didn't mean it like that. He was just saying that since it is your first mission that you should watch how it's done first and then next time you will know how we operate. He wasn't trying to be mean or anything, he just really want to protect from too much danger because he couldn't be there for you in the past."

I closed my eyes and remembered how I had yelled at him and I felt bad. I sighed and said "I know he is trying to protect me, but he also needs to know that I'm not the same fragile little girl anymore". "I know. He just cares about you and doesn't want to see you get hurt anymore." She replied.

I opened my eyes at the sudden realization of the promise I made to myself all those years ago. "*sigh* Do you know the real reason why I'm still alive today?" I asked Alexa while looking at Neo through the trees. "I thought you said that it was because you fought back and had to kill people." she answered and I shook my head. "Yes that's true, but the real reason why I'm still alive today is because of Neo."

She looked at me with a confused look and I continued. "I made a promise to myself that I will stay alive just so I could come back to see Neo again. I wanted to be with my friend again". Alexa raised one of her eyebrows and said " Okay I have got to ask. How the hell have you guys not have dated when you were younger in the past?".

Suddenly no words were able to escape from my mouth. I couldn't answer that question. I honestly did not know how to answer. "Um... I-I... I..uh..What?". She then started to laugh at my reaction. I punched her shoulder to get her to stop laughing. She didn't stop.

After about a minute or so, she finally calmed down. "What? You don't like him?" she asked and I quickly responded "I never said that." I cursed myself for being so blunt. She chuckled and said "well it's obvious that he likes you and plus I totally ship you guys. Its better than that bitch Angelica". I gave her a confused look and said "What? No way. He probably only sees me as a friend or like a little sister". She shook her head and " Nah I can tell he likes. I mean he admitted that he had a crush when yo--". She stopped as if realizing what she was saying and I looked at her with my eyes widened.

"What?" I said and she was stunned and didn't know what to say. "What did you say?" I repeated and she let out a sigh. "He said that he had a crush on you when you were younger and he thought it had gone away when you left, but then you showed up and he thinks those feelings are coming back.Please don't tell him I told you." She answered in one whole breath. I honestly didn't know what to say. The side of my lip curled up and I said to myself 'So he likes me?'. I chuckled at the thought.

"Okay let's not continue talking about that or I'm going to keep saying stuff I'm not supposed to say." she then said and I laughed a little and said "Okay now we get to talk about you". She gave me questioning look and I chuckled. "What's the deal with you and Aleksander because I saw how you guys were looking at each other?" I continued. She started to laugh nervously and asked "What? What are you about? I don't like him and he don't like me. I find him repulsive."

"You know you really suck at lying." I said as I put my arm around her shoulder. She groaned. "Okay then answer this question. What does your dream guy look like?" I asked. She looked out into the trees and stayed like that for a couple of seconds and answered with a slight smile that she thought she could hide. "Well I don't know, tough, a bit intimidating looking, tall, mature, responsible, nice, as loyal as me, maybe not scared to pick a fight if absolutely needed."

I looked at her and laughed. "Dude you just basically described Aleksander." I said. She looked at me in shock and said "What? No I didn't". I nodded and said "yes you did. Think about it. He is in his early to mid twenties so he's mature. He's a business man so he is tough, intimidating, responsible, and not afraid to pick a fight if needed. He's nice and loyal because he is good friends with Damon and his family."

It took her a couple of minutes to realize it and she covered her face and groaned. "See I told you. Now tell me, how far has it gone for you too because obviously something happened." I asked. She let out a sigh and removed her hands from her face. "We hooked up once a couple of years back, but that's it." she answered. Oh man this is too good. "Just saying I totally ship you two. #TeamAlex-sander." I said while laughing a little and she punched me in the arm.

"Well how about you and Neo. I totally ship #TeamNektra and I'm going to go tell Neo." she said and then she ran towards the door. Oh no she didn't! I started to run after her out of the room and down the hall and down the stairs into the foyer. I kept chasing her for a while until we both stopped real quick when the sound of very big wings flapping and Aleksander landing right in front of us with a glass of whisky in his hand in hand. "Woah how the fuck?" I said as I bumped into Alexa as we both stopped.

I gave him the biggest questioning look ever. Who the fuck is this dude? He looked at us with an amused face as he retracted his black wings and said "You are probably wondering how I just did that. Well, I'm a manticore". I was about to say something about his wings, but he spoke before I could. "I know what you are going to ask. Usually Manticores do not have wings, but there are some stories that say they do and I for one am the truth of those stories. Now are you going to tell me why you are running around in my home?"

Alexa chuckled nervously and started to scratch the back of her neck. I laughed to myself and then an idea popped into my head and I smiled slightly. I turned to Alexa and asked "Alexa is there a language that you don't speak?". She looked at me with a confused look, but still answered. "Uh Japanese I guess?".

I then looked over at Aleksander. "Aleksander do you know how to speak Japanese?" I asked. Aleksander took a sip of his whiskey and then answered "Yeah a little bit. I mean you have to know many languages being CEO of your own company." My smile grew and then I spoke in Japanese. "Aleksander watashi wa anata ga watashi no yūjin ga sukidearu koto o watashi wa issho ni anata no kako ni tsuite shitte iru koto ga wakarimasu. Tabun sonogo yūshoku o tabemasu." (Aleksander I can see that you like my friend and I know about your past together so I propose that before we leave Russia you ask her out and help her learn some Japanese. Maybe afterwards have some dinner.)

A smile broke out on his face and he chuckled. "Watashi wa sono adobaisu o torimasu." (I'll take that advice) He replied and then looked at Alexa who has been looking at us with the most confused look ever. "I'll leave you two alone." I said as I started to walk to the kitchen quietly laughing to myself. Good Luck Alexa.