Reconciliation

Natasha was strolling along the street when she caught sight of Matteo on the other side. He was passing by different stores and spots, hanging posters on them. She guessed that he must have been doing that during all the morning because his stack of posters, which seemed a lot thicker a few hours before, was now almost finished, it only remained few papers on his hand.

When she was about to put the first step toward him she rapidly stopped her move as a thought crossed her mind, [ due to all the training I have been doing since this early morning I have sweated too much and for sure I'm smelling like a stack of trash ] she recalled [ if I reach him now he won't stop making fun of me ]. Indeed, these days he seemed to have finally taken his marks and became more at ease with her and the others and since then, she noticed that he took the habit to tease her whatever it's about her look, her preferences or even the way she was in her daily life.

She was already annoyed by Lina whose favorite pastime was to quarrel with her she didn't need another dude to victimize her.

Thus, she decided to avoid his sight and turn aside to take another road, however, while she was changing direction Matteo had the time to get a glimpse of her. He decided to ignore her for the moment and to quickly finish his job, he carried on hanging his posters but a little faster than before. Since the day he came to Stainfall, he had the time to familiarize himself with the city, much that he even memorized all the map of the city, he knew all about its streets, including every single shortcut. So he thought it would be easy for him to quickly find the right way to catch up with her.

She had to pass by only three blocks before reaching her house, she took a look behind her and there was no one stalking her, she smiled lightly, happy that Matteo didn't see her and accelerated a little more. At that moment, she desired only one thing, taking a nice hot bath immediately after she would arrive. But sadly for her, it remained a mere desire. She saw Matteo coming from a corner and he stopped just between her and the house while she was just a few meters away from it.

" Damn it, I was so close, " she grunted between her teeth.

Matteo chuckled. " So you were really avoiding me? "

Natasha sighed, she didn't have the strength to argue with him at all, so she didn't want to let him engage in the fight. " What do you want? I'm very exhausted so I would like to go take a bath at my home and have some rest as soon as possible ".

She expected him to reply with a joke or at least putting a meanie comment on how she was covered with sweat what made her surprised by his reaction. The truth was that he wouldn't have held himself in normal circumstances but at that moment he was not in the mood. He erased the smirk on his face and took a serious tone of voice.

" I would want you to go visit Lina at her work place, " he told her calmly.

But Natasha wasn't able to drop her guard just because he asked her calmly. " Why would I want to do something like that? " she rose slightly in her voice, " what kind of trick have you imagined Lina and you, that's waiting for me there? "

" Oh please, " he sighed loudly to explicitly show that he found her question silly, " do you really think that all things turn around you, " he paused to cool down, " look, I think your friend needs help and I'm asking you to go help her ".

" Why doesn't she just come at me? If she is really in trouble she must know that I'm here to help her, " Natasha replied, intrigued.

" I don't know, " he directly acknowledged, " that is why I'm telling you to take the first step... please ".

It was the first time he requested something from her with such intensity. That ended up to make her believe that Lina might have some troubles for real, and in that case of course she would run to her rescue.

She closed her eyes to make up her mind and said " OK, just let me go to wash myself up, change my clothes before going to visit her ".

Matteo nodded gently and stepped ahead, " there are some businesses I have to take care so I'm leaving her to you, see you ".

She ran toward her house at the minute he left her, she came out three-quarters of an hour later and rushed to the city hall.

On her way, she started to wonder what could bother Lina that much, besides Jamal's departure she couldn't find anything else, and even for this, she esteemed that was enough professional not let it affect her behavior, she wasn't the kind to let her signs of weakness being noticed by the people around her that easily, not forgetting that at the beginning, it was her idea to send him there so she should be the first one to hold it and show the example.

[ She had plenty of time to make up her mind ] Natasha thought.

Moreover, she was the kind of person who prioritized logic over emotions, so how could she be so much affected that even Matteo was forced to come at her to seek help. Natasha didn't mean that she shouldn't show any sign that she missed him but since she was playing the role of the leader during his absence, she should stay straight and not reveal any hint of weakness. [ Just like he used to do ].

Those questions were remaining unanswered when she finally arrived in the city hall, she walked for a few minutes along the hallways before she arrived in front of her office. She knocked once but without waiting for any response or invitation, directly opened the door.

She was definitely ready not ready to see what she saw in there, she assisted at one of the most awkward scenes Lina has ever let her see. The first sight Natasha caught was Lina, on the left side of the room, laying on the biggest sofa of her office. She was unconscious and almost naked with only a tiny sleeveless shirt on her upper body and her lower body she was only wearing her panties.

She walked toward her and when she squatted next to her and leaned forward, she noticed that her face turned a bit red with dry lips and with marks tears on her cheeks. [ It looks like she has been crying before she fell asleep ] Natasha deduced. She then began hear a weird sound but it was too low to determine what it was and where it came from, she turned back and on the coffee table there was Lina's laptop playing a porn video, which was the origin of the odd sound coming through the headphones connected with it.

Natasha sighed more by disappointment than relief. [ Now I understand why Matteo was so serious ] she said to herself. She landed her hand on her shoulder and shook her until she opened her eyes.

She woke up, her eyes half opened, with a large smile on her face, she extended her arms and surrounded Natasha's neck. " Oh Nat' " she exclaimed as she recognized her before she started hugging her, " what are you doing here my love? It's rare for you to come to visit me at my workplace ".

Natasha released herself from her cuddle and stepped back, however, without letting go of her hand. She gazed at her silent for a while before she said " what does it mean? " while indicating her half-naked body and then pointing to the video running in her laptop, " all of this I mean, what is this? What's going on with you? "

Lina lowered her head like a child who just got scolded and her voice became scratchy as if she was about to cry when she said " I knew it, " she paused, took a breath, " you hate me, right? "

" What are you talking about? Why would I come to see you if I hated you? " Natasha tried to reassure her.

" You only came because Matteo told you, I'm pretty sure of that. Maybe he knew that I would feel too miserable to take the initiative to come facing you, " she replied.

" Hey, we just happened to meet by coincidence and he told me about you, but that doesn't mean that I don't care about you, " she said to her with a calm and a sweet voice, " For what reason would I even be mad at you? " she asked.

" Because once again I let him carry all the responsibilities and I know how much it upsets you. You said it yesterday night, I hurt you and you're now despising me for that, " she confessed.

Natasha recalled that during this reunion she had a too emotive reaction, which might have made her think that she was angry at her. " I don't resent you just because of that, we both know that whatever we would have said he would have taken the same decision. You were only enough mature to use this temper of his for the sake of everybody, " she paused and looked down, " in reality, I'm angrier at him than you, he always wants to play the role of the hero who sacrifices his life on the battlefield to secure every people ".

Lina chuckled " for me, it's totally the opposite, that part of his personality completely turns me on. He just looks so cool in his role of hero ".

" That is because you're crazy, you're not well in your head, " Natasha pointed out jokingly.

" You like playing the innocent girl but I know that does excite you, " Lina teased her back, and as Natasha remained silent she added, " you don't respond, does it mean that I'm right? "

" No, you're definitely not, " she shouted. And once again they started bickering for long a time like they used to do.

•••

Minutes later, they were both quiet, sitting on the sofa with Lina's head leaning on Natasha's shoulder. They seemed exhausted after their little battle and they were now having some rest. Later, Lina asked her, " hey Nat', you really don't hate me? "

" I could never be able to hate you for real, " she declared, " there are just some moments you truly upset me though, " she sighed.

" It's good to know, " Lina replied, she suddenly stood up to face Natasha, " now, can you help me preparing my today speech? "

She looked a little bit confused, " what speech are you talking about? "

Then Lina started to explain to her about her idea, about how she intended to demand the new citizens to take some professional activities which would help to rebuild the city and at the same time, maybe, help them to begin a new life. She explained that she was not enough presumptuous to ask or expect them to forget about the tragedy, but she esteemed that this idea might help to go back up the slope. She then went on to mention to her that a few of them had already accepted and she exposed her idea to organize a public announcement to ask officially all the new citizens to join the project.

After she finished Natasha nodded, " Yeah it sounds great, let's start by writing the script and we will later repeat, " she paused and raised an inquiry, " by the way, since it is a public event, our current citizens might ask about Jamal, and the reason why didn't they saw him for all day long, what are you gonna do? "

She thought a bit and asked her in return " how did you deal with your students? "

Natasha directly answered, " I just told them the truth that he left for a mission you untrusted him, but I doubt it will have the same effect with the crowd who may not be as open-minded he youngsters ".

" OK, we shall think about that too, " she took off her sleeveless shirt, went to pick among the spare clothes she had in her office, and dressed in a long grey robe, " well let's start working ".