The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Jun. 21st, 2018 12:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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marysuevirusTitle: The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death
Chapter Sixty Three: Date Night
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: hey, look! nothing bad happens. to anyone. no. seriously. nothing bad happens in this one at all.
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
Nathaniel's hand stroked her arm, fingers tracing over the small indents left behind after her encounter with the zombie. Rhia might have said something to him about it, but she suspected he didn't know he was doing it. She was fairly certain that it was an absent action, as if he was trying to reassure himself that she really was okay. She guessed she could handle it for a little while. It didn't actually bother her or anything. And, really, she was kind of used to the touch.
His attention was fully turned on the stage before them, focused on the group of people on the stage. It had been his idea to go to a free concert put on by a local orchestra. It was a string orchestra, with a couple of percussionists. There were no wind instruments of any kind. That was okay, because there was something absolutely soothing about the mellow tones of the strings. It was a good way to while away the time.
Almost good enough to make her forget about the rats that were sitting on a blanket not that far behind them.
She had to admit, she wasn't really all that surprised that Jean Claude had decided to assign body guards to her and Nathaniel for their date. But it was still annoying because she was constantly aware of their presence and it left her hesitant to show affection the way she'd like. She'd always been a fairly private person, so having someone watch her kiss or hug Nathaniel made her slightly uncomfortable. She wished they'd been able to come to the concert without chaperones, but there was no way Jean Claude would give in on that point. He'd made it abundantly clear, after the attack at the restaurant, that none of them would be allowed to leave the Circus without protection. She really hated it.
"Relax, Rhia. They aren't going to mind if you lean on me," Nathaniel whispered in her ear. She wasn't surprised that he seemed to know what was going through her head. He had an uncanny ability where her thoughts were concerned. It left her wondering more than once if Nathaniel wasn't just a touch psychic himself.
"Sorry," she replied, inching closer to him on their blanket. His arm slid around her shoulders and tugged her up against his side. When she turned her eyes his way, he was smiling at her. She could see his understanding in his lavender gaze. "It takes getting used to."
"Trust me, Rhia. Our bodyguards don't care one bit whether we get naked and dance the tango here in front of all these people," Nathaniel assured her, one hand motioning toward the clusters of couples that circled them. "The only thing they really care about is whether or not we get attacked by some deranged vampire."
"They're not really capable of handling a vampire on their own, are they?" Rhia asked, shooting a brief look over her shoulder at the pair of rats sitting only a few feet behind them. They gave the appearance of being caught up in the performance.
"Rafael is well aware of what kind of power we might come up against. He's putting his best people on us. A lot of the rats are ex-military. So they've got more training than a lot of the regular bodyguards you can hire."
"But vampires are stronger than lycanthropes," she returned, still not sure that she felt safer for the two of them being there.
"Stronger, yes. But not necessarily smarter. Now stop worrying and pay attention to the orchestra. Its a good way to take your mind off your problems."
Rhia frowned at him, but she turned and faced the stage again. The group, presently playing a piece she'd never heard before, wore black, the men in suit coats and the women in nice dresses. She found it odd, and maybe a little endearing, that they were taking their duties so seriously as to be wearing dress clothes to a simple, free concert in the park.
The violins played a merry tune, the notes high and flittering, as if a pixie or a butterfly drifted from one flower to the next. The violas were playing the same tune, only in a different key. The two sets of instruments blended well together, giving off harmonious notes. The cellos had a different tune, though it was an excellent addition to the tune the smaller instruments were playing. Their low, slow notes were more akin to some forest animal lumbering along without rhyme or reason. Rhia thought it was a great counterpoint to the fluttering butterfly wing notes that the violins and violas played. There were two basses in the group, and their low notes were short and abrupt, deep and forlorn against the more melodic tones of the other instruments. She wasn't sure what they were playing or who had composed it, but it made her want to dance and cry all at the same time.
"This was a good idea," she said, glancing Nathaniel's way. He pulled his gaze from the orchestra long enough to toss a smile her way. Then he leaned in an stole a kiss from her, his lips pressing hers without inhibition. Despite its quickness, it was heavy and filled with promise and it left her with her toes curled in her tennis shoes.
"I'm glad you like it. I've always wanted to do something like this," he whispered. One hand motioned toward the wicker basket packed with their evening meal. Then he motioned toward the sky, which was growing darker as the minutes passed. A glance up showed Rhia that stars were starting to glimmer and twinkle down at them, the sky moving from deep blue along the horizon to black directly above them. Someone was wandering the park, lighting torches set up around the stage and the grassy area where the concert goers sat. Those torches cast a soft, golden glow over the scene. Made it feel more intimate. Rhia snuggled closer to Nathaniel.
"Its beautiful here," she told him. "The music is lovely. And I'm touched by Goddess where ever I turn. It isn't a forest, but there are enough trees and shrubs to keep it from being too much of the city. Thank you for bringing me here."
Nathaniel smiled at her, then turned back to the orchestra. The song the cellos played had risen in volume and nearly drowned out the song coming from the violas and violins. Rhia shifted her attention fully to the orchestra and allowed the music to flow over her. Let it sink into her bones and fill her spirit. Paired with the presence of nature all around her, Rhia found herself relaxed. She leaned into Nathaniel further, until he finally slid his arm around her. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and let herself be swept away by the music washing over them.
The sound of childish laughter from her left battled for dominance with the orchestra, prompting her to turn and seek out the source of the laughter. A young couple sat on a blanket, like everyone else. The woman was smiling as she watched the man at her side holding a squirming toddler aloft. The child, a little boy with dark curls, was smiling broadly, eyes lit up, and laughing that laugh that only children were capable of laughing. Rhia watched as the woman smoothed a hand over the gentle swell of her belly, a small and secretive smile sent toward the unborn child growing within her.
The man set the boy down on the blanket and put a pad of paper and a box of crayons in his pudgy little hands. The child settled in an instant, dumping the box of crayons all over the blanket in order for him to grab them easier. The young couple watched him a moment before turning to each other. They shared an intimate look, then leaned in and shared a kiss. When they parted, the woman's cheeks were stained with a blush and the man was looking at her with an expression that told Rhia he wished they were home in their bed. Together, the two of them turned toward the stage in order to focus on the music. The woman's hand reached out and stroked the boy's curls.
"You smell of longing," Nathaniel whispered in her ear. She should have known he'd pick it up, but she hadn't expected him to and it left her embarrassed. Rhia tried to cover it, but he caught her chin with a pair of fingers and turned her to look at him. "Do you want to have babies?"
It was a natural question. If she suddenly smelled of longing after watching a young couple with their child, it was likely that she wanted what they had. Her embarrassment at having been caught made it hard for her to accept that and she wished she could hide from him. This wasn't something she and Nathaniel had ever talked about. In fact, they hadn't really discussed their relationship in depth. He'd admitted he loved her. And she'd admitted the same to him. But that hadn't pushed their conversations toward what they expected of one another. Both of them knew far too well that love didn't always last. Sometimes, it was ripped from you in the worst way possible.
"I never really thought about it," she told him. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had thought of babies. Once, when she'd been young and sure that love would conquer every problem she could face. She'd found out the hard way that such thoughts were little more than folly. She'd never thought of having babies with Nathaniel. But now that he'd mentioned it...
He studied her intently, his gaze holding hers as he looked deep into her soul. At least, that's what it felt like to her because his eyes stayed locked with hers for such a long time. He offered her a gentle smile, one that held a touch of sadness to it. "You wanted to have babies with him once, didn't you?"
"I did," she admitted softly. She couldn't see a reason to lie about it. Even though doing so would likely hurt Nathaniel. "But I was naïve back then. I thought love would conquer everything. I thought it would never leave me. I didn't realize how easily it could be taken away."
"Do you want to have babies with me?" he asked. There was nothing in his voice to give away what he was thinking. She didn't know if he was upset by the fact that she'd just told him she'd considered having babies with someone else, despite how long ago it had been. She didn't know if he was upset because they'd never discussed the topic. When she didn't answer right away, Nathaniel stroked his thumb over her cheek. "Rhia? Do you want to have babies with me?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," she replied quietly. "But we've never discussed children before now. We've never really discussed where our relationship was going. I didn't want to assume or anything. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about children and the last thing I wanted to do was pressure you into something you weren't ready for."
He smiled at her. "There's never any harm in discussing something. We're both adults. We are definitely capable of a civil conversation about our wants and desires. So. Do you want to have babies with me?"
"I can't think of anything I want more," she told him. "Just... The way things are now, I don't know if its a good idea to start planning kids just yet. There's still the matter of the demon summoner. And we've got the added bonus of possibly being targets for the people who want Aedan dead. I don't know if those are the optimum conditions for conceiving and then rearing children."
"I understand," he replied quietly. "Things are a little dangerous right now."
She nodded, trying hard to keep the disappointment from showing. She was sure he was going to tell her that it wasn't the right time to have children. She'd listed off some pretty strong reasons. He brought his hands up and rested his palms against her cheeks, let his thumbs glide across her skin. "But then, when is it ever the right time to have children? There's always some reason against it. Not enough money. Not ready. Not sure you'd be a good parent. For some people, they're good reasons. But for others, they're just excuses because they're afraid to commit. I'm not afraid to commit, Rhia. If you want to have a baby, we can get started on it tonight."
"Are you sure, Nathaniel? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this because its what I want," she said, hoping he understood that she would never do something like that to him.
"I am absolutely sure, Rhia. I'm already picturing you with our baby growing in your belly. And I can only imagine what our baby will look like. Maybe it'll be a boy with my eyes and your curly hair. Or maybe it'll be a girl with your serious eyes and my auburn hair. Or maybe it'll be both. Can you imagine one of each?"
There was a touch of excitement in his words, almost hidden under the softness. Almost, but not quite. It was something he'd given thought to. And it was something he wanted. With her. Rhia felt tension slide out of her and she leaned into him again. The thought rushed through her mind. Babies. With Nathaniel. She thought of his kind, gentle nature and how he nurtured everyone. He was unlike any man she'd ever known. He would be such a good father. Loving and doting. Stern but fair.
Rhia hadn't thought it was possible to love him anymore than she already did. She'd thought wrong. The idea of having a baby with him thrilled through her, left her warm and soft inside. And she realized that it was absolutely possible to love him more.
~*~*~*~*~
Minette hated the arm on the chair. It didn't move, so it kept her separated from Jason on her left and Micah on her right. That was one thing a couch had over the seats in a movie theater. You could snuggle up to your sweetie, or sweeties, on a couch. Not so much in a theater's seats. Of course, theater companies had likely designed their seats to discourage such behavior in a public venue. It was likely they'd decided that snuggling would lead to other, not so public activities. Which, okay. That made sense. But it still chapped her ass that she could put her head on one shoulder or the other, touch one man or the other. Not both.
Micah had picked the movie. Actually, movies. One of the local theaters was running a double fantasy feature, pairing up 'Legend' and 'Labyrinth' for a night of fun and whimsy. Both films had been childhood favorites for her and she felt a touch of excitement at being able to see the two of them together on a big screen.
A tub of popcorn appeared on Minette's right, between herself and Micah. She glanced up and back to find one half of their rat bodyguards handing over the munchies he'd gone to get from the concession stand. Micah took the popcorn and settled it in his lap. Minette handed out their drinks, a Diet Coke for herself, while Micah had asked for Dr. Pepper and Jason had gotten Sprite. Next came the obnoxiously expensive boxes of chocolate, M&Ms with peanuts for Jason while Micah had gotten Raisinettes and she had Whoppers. Straws and napkins were passed around and the lot of them settled in for their night of movies.
She had to admit, going to the theater to watch a movie was like a breath of fresh air. It seemed like they'd all gone from one dangerous situation to the next in the past couple of months. It had felt like there'd never been time to really breathe. The movies were a perfect way to find some equilibrium back. Minette was sure some people would see it as juvenile or mindless, but she felt like maybe she needed a little juvenile and mindless right now. She knew the others had decided to have a date night kind of thing and she wondered what they'd all decided to do. She was sure Janika had mentioned something about a production. But she didn't recall what. Aedan had had absolutely no clue. It appeared that Jean Claude liked to keep her in the dark for their dates.
Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
The day had been especially trying because they were back to shooting lessons with Edward. While he was no longer trying to actively scare Minette to death and he actually seemed to be taking teaching them seriously, it was still unnerving to have to spend time with him. Especially when Minette had seen first hand how Edward watched Aedan. How he pushed her. How he talked to her. It wasn't anything like it had been during their first lessons, but there was a tangible edge to the man when he's been dealing with Aedan, as if he was afraid to let her out of his sight for even a moment. It was odd. And it had grated on her friend's nerves. By the time they'd left, Aedan had been on edge and cranky. So Minette hoped that Jean Claude had planned something that would take the woman's mind off her day.
She knew that Isis had been looking forward to her date with Damian and could swear she'd heard the lioness say something about hitting a club. That seemed an odd date for herself and Damian, but if they were happy and they had fun... Who was she to judge? No doubt the five of them would get together tomorrow and compare notes.
"I was in love with both of these movies as a little girl," Minette said, voice low so as not to disturb the others. She forced her thoughts away from the others and back to her own date. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw the men at her sides turn to look at her.
"I think these came out before you were born. You're telling me your parents let you watch these when you were a little girl?" Jason asked, voice clearly saying he was skeptical about that.
"My parents were progressive where I was concerned. Nothing was taboo, so long as I went to them and told them what I wanted to read or watch or listen to. Then we'd talk about it and they'd decide if I was really ready for it. I read books well beyond my age level. Saw movies that my friends wouldn't see for another ten years or more."
"It sounds like your parents took an active role in your education," Micah said. There was a tone of consideration in his words, letting her know he was thinking things through.
"They did," she responded, then reached out for a few bits of popcorn. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, checking out the trailers as they played. So far, she hadn't seen any that caught her interest.
"Yet you never went to them about Bruce," he said quietly.
"I was too embarrassed," she told him honestly. She turned to look at him, found him watching her carefully. The images flickering across the screen cast strange flashes across his face. "By the time I knew what he'd done to me, he'd done his best to beat me down until I was scared of my own shadow. He made me believe that they'd never believe me. That they'd never accept what he'd turned me into. How could I expect them to love me if they knew what a weak whore I was?"
"You were afraid they'd judge you for his sins," Jason supplied.
Minette nodded, then fell silent as the trailer switched and she was presented with a movie about vampires and werewolves. It was the badly made crap that she and Aedan would have watched in college and laughed about. She snorted softly, making her opinion about the movie known. "I was afraid they would never understand, that they'd blame me for everything that had happened. So I went along with what Bruce did and said. Let them believe we were dating, we were engaged, we were going to get married. I have no idea what they even think of me anymore."
"Maybe you should go see them and find out," Micah suggested.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that," she whispered.
It wasn't as if she hadn't considered doing just that. Back when she had gone off to college, when she'd finally been able to accept what she'd become because she'd met someone who didn't judge her for anything someone else had done to her, she'd considered penning them a letter and letting them know what kind of colossal fuck up Bruce had been. She'd just never been able to do so. What if he'd intercepted the letter? What if they'd gotten it but not believed it? What if they had?
"We can go with you if you want to do it," Jason offered. She turned to look at him, saw the sincerity in his eyes as he stared at her. One of Micah's hands covered hers, prompting her to turn and look at him.
"They deserve to know what he did to you, Minette. They deserve to know what kind of asshole he was," Micah said.
She frowned. Could she go? Could she tell them every depraved act he'd committed against her? Could she tell them how he'd used her again and again, how he'd clawed and bit her until he was sure he'd infected her with lycanthropy? She honestly wasn't sure."I don't know if I can be the one to tell them," she admitted. "If I did go, I would be honored to have you two go with me."
"Think about it," Micah told her, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. Just a gentle touch that let her know he would support whatever decision she made.
"Suppose I could take Aedan with me?" she mused. She wasn't serious about that. Not entirely.
"That might not be a bad idea," Jason replied. "She knows better than anyone other than you what Bruce did. She dealt with him more than any of us. And she's got that badge she can flash. It might give your words a little more weight if they hear from a Federal Marshal that what Bruce did to you was very much not legal."
Minette smiled at the image that suggestion presented. She liked to think that her parents would like her best friend. If for no other reason than the fact that Aedan was the one who helped their only child get away from that life. "I'll think about it," she promised.
"That's all I ask." Micah sounded pleased with her promise and he lapsed back into silence as they watched a trailer for the newest installment in the big dinosaur franchise.
"Haven't they given up on this crap yet?" Jason asked, leaning back in his seat. Minette glanced over at him, took note of the way he'd made an offering of himself. There was no other word for the way he lounged in the seat, legs stretched out before him and slightly spread. It was a tempting invitation.
"No more than you've given up on your dream of having someone sit on your lap in a darkened movie theater," one of the rats said from behind them.
Micah let go a laugh beside her. Even Minette found herself smiling, trying to keep the laughter from leaking out. Jason turned, tossing a few pieces of popcorn at his critic. "Hey! I'll have you know that I don't want anyone but Minette sitting on my lap in a darkened movie theater. I may be a horn dog, but I am a loyal horn dog."
"Jesus, Jason," Minette snorted, unable to hold back the laughter. "That's such a bad pun. Such a bad pun."
"Children," Micah warned, though there was plenty of amusement in his voice. "Let's behave. There are other people here and they don't need to know how depraved you can be."
"If you want to see depraved, you wait until Bowie is on screen. That crotch bulge..." Minette said, making a show of licking her lips in anticipation. "Yum. That's the stuff of very dirty, very erotic, very wet dreams."
"Thanks for that, Minette," Jason said, sitting up straight once more. He sounded a little deflated. "That's not an image I needed in my head."
Minette giggled and turned to him, reaching out to put a hand on his cheek. Jason turned to look at her. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, quick and to the point. "I'll make it up to you later, gorgeous. Promise."
"You'd better," he returned.
"Both of you. Behave. Don't make me separate you," Micah whispered.
"You're just jealous because Minette is considering sitting in my lap," Jason teased. Micah chuckled and shook his head. But they all quieted down as the trailers came to an end and they started the last run of concession stand ads and warnings to people to silence their cell phones before the movies started. Minette inched back in her seat and prepared herself for the movies. She tucked the box of Whoppers between her thighs and put a hand on the nearest thigh of the men sitting on either side of her. Micah dropped his hand over hers, thumb stroking absently against her skin. Jason reached out and put his hand on her knee, his palm warm and possessive through the denim of her jeans.
"We're going to have to do this at home, when we can sit next to one another without having chair arms between us," Minette whispered.
"Don't you mean sit on each other's laps?" Jason shot back.
"You're terrible," she returned and gave her attention to the screen just as the first frames of 'Labyrinth' began to play. Yes. They were definitely going to have to do this at home.
~*~*~*~*~
"When you said dinner and a night at a club, this isn't what I was expecting," Isis told Damian as she let her gaze slide around the interior of the dance club. It wasn't Danse Macabre, but a new club that had opened in the vampire district. So far as Isis knew, it was owned by a human, but the patronage was a mix of preternatural and mortal. So was the staff.
"I thought you might enjoy doing something that did not involve the coalition or the pride," Damian returned, body pressed up against her tightly. She liked the feel of his chest against her back, of his hands on her hips as they gyrated to the pulsing music playing over the loud speaker. "Is this not to your liking?" There was a distinct note of something akin to hurt in his voice.
"Oh, no. This is great. It really is," she let him know. And she meant it honestly. "This just isn't a place I'd expect you to want to go. That's all. I didn't think you'd be comfortable here."
"It is a place to come where one can dance and listen to music and feel alive," he informed her. His words saw her turning to face him, eyes searching his.
"Do you miss that? Being alive?"
His smile was soft, filled with a touch of indulgence. "It has been a very long time since I was alive, Isis. I do not remember what it was like. All I mean is that there is so much life here, so much energy and vitality. It is easy to become lost in it and to feel like I belong here."
She slid her arms up around his shoulders, smiled up at him gently. "You belong anywhere you choose to be. Fuck what any mortal might say or think about it. You're alive. Your heart beats. You can take a breath. You love and laugh and work and have sex."
"You make me feel alive, Isis. My beautiful one." It might have sounded silly and heavy-handed and possibly even fake had anyone else said it. But Damian rarely said anything he didn't mean. And he certainly wasn't prone to flights of fancy. Or to flowery words of purple prose.
"You're the beautiful one," she replied, absolutely meaning it. She let her fingers card through the brilliant red of his hair, let them memorize the silken texture as the length of it slid against her skin. She loved the feel of him pressed against her. Loved the glide of his hair across her fingertips and palms. "You make me feel like a queen."
"You are a queen," he reminded her.
"That isn't what I mean and you know it," she returned, one hand slapping gently against his shoulder. He grinned at her, hands urging her closer.
"It does not change the fact that you are a queen," he said softly. "You are my queen."
The heat in his words saw her falling silent. She kind of wished they'd had date night in, so she could strip him of his clothes and show him just what he did to her. She strongly suspected that doing that here would get them both kicked out. So she kept her hands to herself, but she made sure he saw in her eyes just what she wanted to do to him. What she planned to do to him once they were in close proximity of a bed. It would be a perfect way to end what had been a perfect evening.
Damian had picked her up at her condo half an hour after the sun had fully set, and she'd had to force herself to keep her hands off of him. He wore a pair of rich leather pants in deep black that clung to his hips and thighs and the curves of his ass as if the garment had been painted on him. The shirt he wore was silk, in a liquid bronze that made his hair look like a deep, dark, bloody red. It made her glad she'd put on a knee length sheath dress of silk in forest green. The sides were slit from the hem up to near the tops of her thighs, allowing flashes of her legs when she walked or danced.
Dinner had been at a moderately upscale eatery. Not the most upscale in the city, but not a McDonald's, either. People had stared when she and Damian had been led to their table, then they'd stared some more as the two of them had chatted their way through Damian watching Isis eat her meal. A meal that had been one of the best ones she'd ever had.
After dinner, the car had brought them here. Isis had eyed the club suspiciously, but she'd kept her thoughts to herself as Damian had escorted her inside. They'd found a table and Damian had ordered Isis a drink. Then they'd decided to get up and dance, the pulsing thrum of the bass vibrating its way from the floor up through her feet to her spine and into her brain. The place was trendy and hip, filled with people in sequins and silk and leather and flashing jewelry who danced and swayed with the beat. Lights strobed and stroked across the scene, turning all the dancers into stop motion animation characters. It was almost enough to make Isis forget that there were a pair of rats not that far from where she and Damian stood.
She wasn't sure she liked having a pair of body guards following her every move. She'd come from the bathroom once to find one of them waiting for her there. But Damian had informed her that they had been put into place by Jean Claude and they would shadows every move she and Damian made. There was no discussion about it. That simply was how it would be. She guessed that he wasn't willing to take any chances after the last attack.
"Its too bad we're here, gorgeous," she told him, making sure to turn her back to him so she could rub her ass against his groin. "Imagine the dancing we could do back at my condo."
"I have been imagining that all night," he whispered into her ear, leaning into her so that he could put his mouth right next to her. The intimate suggestion in his voice made her feet falter and she came to a stand still. She started to turn, so she could look him in the eye and suggest to him that they call it an early evening and simply go home. But his hands stopped her, held her in place with her back pressed tightly to his front. "But it can wait until later. We rarely go out and do something on our own. You deserve this night out. So we will stay and dance some more. You can have another drink or two. And then, later, we will return to your condo and we will dance in private."
His words, the tone of voice he spoke them in, the touch of his hands at her waist, did their absolute best to turn her brain into mush. To turn her legs into jelly. To spark a fire of need deep in her belly. She groaned softly. "That is so unfair," she told him.
She felt his smile of satisfaction against her throat, his mouth and nose nuzzling her hair out of the way so that he could press both against her neck. She heard him take a deep breath and inhale the scent of her, felt his body respond to her growing desire. She couldn't quite stop the moan when his fangs brushed her throat, teasing her right where the big vein pulsed thickly with her life's blood. "Think of how much more intense and satisfying our coupling will be after waiting. After allowing the anticipation and the need to build to a fever pitch."
"Think of how much more fun and satisfying it would be to go home and fuck right now," she returned.
Damian's grip on her tightened, fingers digging into her hips painfully enough to leave marks behind. She knew they wouldn't last, but that didn't matter. It was the small flash of pain that mattered, the reasoning for it. She liked knowing that Damian wasn't unaffected by her crass proposition. Liked knowing that she could turn him on by simply saying a few words. "It would be very fun. And very satisfying," he admitted.
She felt a thrill of victorious pleasure at his words. It made her try and turn in his embrace again, so she could look him in the eye when she suggested yet again that they go home and fuck. His arms slid around her, though, shifting his hold from her hips and waist to her abdomen. "But you so rarely do anything outside of the pride or your law practice. This is a night where you can put those cares and worries aside and simply live. Enjoy the evening, Isis. There will be time later for fucking."
She shivered at the use of vulgarity. At the suggestive tone he used. At the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. "That isn't fair, Damian," she replied, settling her hands over his. He leaned into her again, dropped a series of tender kisses on the taut skin of her neck. More shivers slid up and down her spine. It absolutely wasn't fair.
And two could play at that game.
Isis turned in his arms so that she could mold her body to his, from her chest down to her thighs. She tipped her head back so that she could almost completely look him in the eye and let him see the mischief dancing in her gaze. Then she pressed closer and rubbed herself against him. His reaction was instant, and very hard to ignore. Even over the ear shattering music and the dull roar of the club's patrons, she heard his low groan. "That is not fair, Isis," he threw her words back at her.
"You said you wanted me to enjoy the night out and dance. I'm dancing." She made sure to punctuate her statement by rubbing against him yet again.
He said something, but she didn't catch it. Either his voice was too low or it wasn't in English. That didn't stop her from hearing the frustration lacing his tone. She bit back her smile and settled her hands on his hips briefly. Then she slid them around until she could cup his ass, fingers kneading and squeezing while she pressed herself closer to him. This time, she felt his groan as it rolled up his throat from his chest.
Damian tightened his hold on her, stilling her motions with little effort. The look he gave her was filled with promise, eyes glowing with his hunger in the dim light. And the smile that went with it speared right through her, sending shafts of desire spiraling through her. She wanted nothing more than to strip him down and climb on top of him right then and there. Almost as soon as she had the thought, Damian's smile changed. Became something much more determined. Isis realized that he'd decided two could play her game.
So it became a battle to see which of them could better undo the other. Isis rubbed against Damian suggestively, cupped and squeezed his ass. Damian pressed close and leaned in to whisper dirty things in her ear. He nuzzled her throat, scraping his fangs against the sensitive skin there. She let her hands drift, managing to slide one into his hair while the other one slipped between them so she could shamelessly fondle his cock through the supple leather he wore. He retaliated by letting his hands skim her sides, fingers barely grazing her breasts as they passed.
Five minutes into their teasing, Isis' body was on fire with need. Damian's cock was hard, straining against the confines of his leather pants. He had no problem with pressing it sharply into her stomach or back when she rubbed against him, letting her know without words that he was just as eager for her as she was for him. And the knowledge that he wanted her so fiercely did more to drive her insane than any of his touches could.
It took another ten minutes before they had to call a cease fire. She could tell by the way Damian's hands held her that he was teetering on the edge. And she felt like just a glance from him would see her body exploding. He gave her time to finish up her drink, then took hold of her arm and escorted her out of the club. The hunger eating away at her control made her glad that Damian had elected to have someone drive them to their destinations instead of letting Isis do the driving herself. Then again, it would have been hard for him to pick her up if he hadn't had a chauffeur to drive him to her condo. So she was terribly thankful when the two of them climbed into the back of their chauffeur driven car and Damian gave instructions to the driver to return them to Isis' condo.
The ride was made in silence. But there really wasn't much to say. It gave her a chance to get her pulse under control, to stomp down on the rampant desire racing through her veins. She was sure that Damian was using the time for the same purpose. They'd found that, much as they enjoyed the actual act, there was something terribly enjoyable about the build up. They liked to tease one another until they were nearly mindless. Then they'd calm themselves and start all over again until one of them couldn't take it anymore. Usually, that ended up being her. Isis didn't mind.
She turned to look at Damian and found him watching her, eyes bright and shining in the darkness of the back seat. There was promise there. So much promise. Need washed through her and her pulse kicked up yet again.
It was going to be a long car ride...
~*~*~*~*~
Janika's eyes went wide when she saw the marquee sign on the building before them. She couldn't believe it. There was no way that this was real. She turned that astonished look Asher's way and watched as he smiled at her, obviously enjoying her shock and surprise. "Is this for real?" she asked him softly, gaze once more sliding back to the marquee. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asher reach into his coat and come out with a small folder, like the kind the airlines gave out with their boarding passes. He opened it and withdrew a pair of brightly colored pieces of paper from within.
"It is for real, mon ange," he informed her, handing what he held over to her. Janika stared down at her prize in amazement. Even though she was staring at the words, she still didn't believe it was real.
"How did you even manage to get these? This has been sold out for months!" she asked, once more giving him that astonished gaze.
"I know someone," he replied, as if it was no big deal. No big deal that he'd just handed her a pair of tickets to a performance of one of her favorite stage shows of all time. One that had been sold out since it was announced. The production was direct from Broadway, with the actual Broadway cast.
"You know someone? Who just happened to get you box seats to 'Chicago' when it was sold out? Someone who just... got you tickets to the hottest stage show to come to town so far this year?"
He smiled at her skepticism. "Yes. I know someone. And, unless you intend to miss the show, we should go inside and find our seats," he told her gently.
"Oh. Right," she said and handed the tickets back to him. Asher slid his arm around her and urged her toward the doors. Janika let him push her into motion, though she did spare a glance over her shoulder for the rats that were shadowing them. Apparently on Jean Claude's orders. She got the impression that he hadn't taken the recent attack very well and had doubled security on all of them. It was kind of annoying, even though she appreciated that he was doing what he could to keep them all safe.
They walked together up to one of the sets of doors, then through. The lobby was filled with milling people. Some obviously worked there, selling playbills and other mementos one could take home with them. And some were patrons, milling around in groups, chatting amongst one another and generally waiting until the last moment to find their seats. On the far side of the lobby was the entrance to the theater proper, with red velvet ropes drawing a partition between the entrance and the patrons. There was a single opening in the center of the ropes, through which all patrons would go before entering the theater. Janika marked three main entrances to the floor seats, as well as a set of stairs on either side leading up to the second floor and the box seats.
She and Asher got into the line, his hand a gentle presence on her lower back. She was sure that it was a gesture with more than one meaning. The first was that he was using it to escort her without being too overt about it. The second was to proclaim to any who chose to wonder that she was there with him. Maybe the second one was a little outdated and silly, but she kind of liked that he wanted to be sure everyone knew that she was his date for the evening. As if he was afraid someone would try to steal her away from him at the first opportunity.
If anyone should be worried about their date being stolen, it was her. Asher looked amazing in a soft grey suit coat and matching trousers. His shirt was silk, in a shade of blue that one saw on the horizon just before the black of night stole the sky completely. The darkness of that blue only made his eyes seem paler, a startling contrast that would unconsciously draw someone's gaze to his. Of course his hair covered his face, helping craft that air of mystery that seemed to be Asher's trademark. Janika thought Asher looked smoking hot and wondered if some woman would try to steal him away if she had to get up and use the ladies' room.
"No one can compare to you." Asher leaned down to whisper the words in her ear. It was obvious he'd picked her thoughts from her head. Part of her wished she knew how to shield such things from him. The other part of her was thrilled that he was so sure no one else would be able to turn his head.
"You're cheating," she replied. There was no heat to her words, though. Just a statement.
"Shamelessly," he returned and smiled. Her heart did a weird pitter-patter thing and her brain completely forgot what she was supposed to be doing or thinking. Fortunately, Asher's hand on her back nudged her forward when the line moved, so she didn't hold anyone up.
"Tickets, please," the young man said as they approached him. He wore a white dress shirt, a black bow tie, a black vest, and a pair of black dress pants. Asher handed the tickets over and Janika watched as the young man gave them a quick, assessing look. He then tore most of them off and handed the stubs back to Asher. "Up the stairs on your left. Take a left at the top. Box G. Thank you and enjoy your evening."
"Thank you," Janika returned as Asher propelled them into motion once more. He turned them toward the stairs and started up. She kept apace, one hand resting on the banister to her right while the other kept hold of her clutch.
"You doubt my words?" Asher asked softly, and it took her a couple seconds to realize that he had decided to pick up the conversation they'd been having before they'd reached the ticket taker. She shot a look his way and considered how to answer him.
"Not necessarily doubt," she began. That earned her a raised eyebrow as he silently asked her exactly how it could not be doubt. "Okay. So its doubt. But you have to admit that you are positively gorgeous and I am a mere human. Whatever beauty I have can't compare to yours."
"You are far more beautiful than I am, mon ange," he replied. "The scars--"
She cut across his words before he could get them out. "The scars don't take anything away from your beauty, Asher. I will loudly proclaim that until my dying day."
"You are so vehement about this," he said. She thought he sounded just a touch amused.
"Because you are. And you don't see it. You think the scars take away from your inner beauty, which is probably what those stupid priests planned on doing in the first place," she remarked, a touch of heat coloring her last words.
"I believe their plan was to kill me, Janika." He didn't sound angry. Or even annoyed. More like resigned, as if he'd come to terms with it. Like it hadn't been an act of violence against him. As if he'd maybe deserved what they'd done to him.
"I don't care what their plan was. Whatever it was, it didn't succeed. Because you're still here. And you're still beautiful. Inside and out. Nothing you can do or say will change my mind on that," she said, tone gentle and kind. Then she frowned and shook her head. "And now we've shifted away from whatever we were talking about. Apparently I am very adamant about the topic."
"Apparently," he smiled. They'd reached the top of the stairs and Asher steered her to the left, as the ticket taker had said. "Do you recall what we were talking about?"
"I... No. I don't," she frowned. Wow. Apparently she'd gotten really adamant about Asher.
"I asked if you doubted my words," he reminded her.
"Oh. Right. That. Well. That wasn't an important topic anyway," she said, using one hand to mimic the action of brushing the topic aside.
"I beg to differ, mon ange," Asher said as he stopped before the entrance to their box. The curtains that signaled an occupied box had been left pulled back, giving Janika a look at their box and a brief glance at the rest of the theater. Asher motioned to the entrance with one hand. She stepped through the doorway and into the box. And stared at the majesty of the theater around her.
The box's three walls were painted a rich emerald green. There was the full wall behind them, then a partial wall on either side of the box, leaving them mostly hidden from the view of the occupants of the other boxes. The railing on the low wall in front was dark wood, polished to a high gloss and smooth as could be. The curtains that closed the box off from the hallway were velvet and emerald green. The material on their plush seats was the same.
Janika stepped over to the box's railing and looked out over the theater. The seats on the floor were packed with people. A low murmur rose up from the crowd as people conversed with one another while waiting for the show to start. The other boxes had filled up, men and women sitting in the chairs provided, either chatting or watching the stage. The low lights gleamed off dark wood and deep green. The curtains over the stage were a deep red velvet, obviously heavy and weighted because they didn't move at all.
"There is not a woman in this theater tonight that can compare to your beauty," Asher said, stepping up to stand beside her. He put a hand under her chin, turning her face to stare at him. The smile he gave her was soft and heart achingly beautiful. "Your beauty fills me with life every time I look at you. I want no one else."
"That's... I don't even know what to say. That was so beautiful," she whispered, vaguely aware that someone else had just stepped into the box. The curtain closed behind them, leaving them isolated in their own little world.
"It is the truth," he said quietly. Then he leaned down so he could press a kiss to her lips, as if he believed he needed to prove to her that he meant what he'd said. She nearly melted into him, but the soft chatter of people around her reminded her that they weren't alone. So she pulled back when he did, albeit reluctantly, and turned to see who else was with them in the box. She was, and wasn't, surprised to find that they'd been joined by the rats who were meant to be acting as bodyguards. She turned back to Asher.
"You know someone, huh? It wouldn't happen to be the Master of the City, would it?" she asked with a faint smile.
The corner of Asher's mouth curled up and he gave a slight nod. "There are benefits to being Master of the City. Which means there are benefits to being his second in command. When he heard that you loved the theater and that this was one of your favorite productions, he was more than willing to offer up his box for our use."
"His box?" she asked. "As in, his personal box?"
"Yes. This box belongs to the Master of the City. Jean Claude has given a good deal of money to the theater since he took over St. Louis. The theater repays him with his own box." His words trailed off a moment before the lights dimmed and flickered. "That is our cue. The show is about to start," he told her. It was unnecessary, but she didn't say that. Instead, she allowed him to settled her in her seat, then he took his beside her. She heard the rats settle into the chairs behind them.
Then there was no more time for thought because the lights went nearly completely out and the heavy red curtains parted. Spotlights came on, the orchestra came up, and Janika was lost in the opening scene of the show.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan stopped dead in her tracks and stared around her in disbelief. Then she turned that same look on the man at her side. He looked slightly bemused by her confusion, but he said nothing, Merely waited. No doubt he knew that she had something to say. She didn't disappoint. "The mall?" she asked, letting her disbelief crowd her voice.
"There is a problem?" Jean Claude asked in reply.
"You're taking me to the mall for our date?"
"You act as if this is not something people do together on dates." He stared down at her, his expression saying he was amused by her disbelief.
"Junior high sweethearts go on dates to the mall," she pointed out. "It generally isn't the place adults go. I was expecting... I don't know. Something other than this."
He smiled and reached out to nudge her forward with one hand, obviously not willing to stand in before the 'You Are Here!' sign and indulge her disbelief any longer. She begrudgingly fell into step beside him and let him lead her further into the mall. She could feel the Wicked Truth at their backs, as well as the rats they'd brought with. Aedan was pretty sure that if Wicked and Truth couldn't stop anyone who dared attack them, the rats certainly wouldn't be able to. But she was also pretty sure that Jean Claude wouldn't have listened to reason, so she hadn't bothered to point that out to him.
"You do not enjoy going to the mall?" he asked her.
"I don't think I've ever been to the mall," she replied, letting her mind wander back through the past few years. She couldn't recall any such trips. She'd spent too much of her college years in one class or another, trying to get her degree super quick. She'd never really thought much of doing what normal people her age had been doing. There'd never really been time.
"Then this is an experience you will always remember. I can give you fancy dinners. I can give you luxury trips. I can give you just about anything you would ask for. But none of that would mean anything to you. This," he paused and looked around, his gaze finally coming to a rest on her face. "This is something I can give you that you will remember. Because it is something that you did not expect. And it is something that you never got to do as a young girl."
Aedan frowned up at him. "We've gone on the weirdest dates. We went to the movies and a fast food joint. We played putt putt golf. We went to a carnival. Those were things that teenagers would do. And now we've come to the mall. Another thing that teenagers would do. Are you trying to give me my youth back?"
Jean Claude stared at her a moment, then gave her a gentle smile and reached out to smooth a hair away from her face. "Not give you your youth back. Just allow you to experience some of it now. Before things get so difficult that you have no time.You mentioned once that you did not do the things normal teenagers did. I am simply trying to give you something akin to normal."
She shook her head, a faint smile appearing. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you are far from being a teenager. This can't be anything that you enjoy doing."
He tipped his head to the side, an acknowledgement that he understood what she was getting at. "I enjoy seeing you enjoy yourself. I did not lie when I told you anything to make you smile, Aedan. And if something like this makes you smile, if it gives you memories to help when things get bad, then it will have been well worth it."
She considered his words a moment, the nodded at him. "Okay. So I can see where you're coming from. But the mall? It generally doesn't stay open past ten," she returned.
"Ah, but this is no ordinary mall. This mall is owned by vampires. It caters to vampires," he explained. He watched her eyes slide around the mall, as if looking for some kind of physical difference. When she brought her gaze back to him, he smiled. "You will find mortals here, as well. And lycanthropes. But it was developed with vampires in mind."
"So its open all night?" she asked, letting her gaze slide around the interior of the building again.
"It is." He motioned toward the spot where the wing they were in emptied out into the mall proper with one hand. "Where do you wish to go first?"
Aedan shrugged her shoulders and looked up at him. "I don't know. I've never been to a mall before. What do people do at the mall?"
"They go to the food court and eat," one of the rats suggested.
"Or you can just start wandering and see if you find a shop you like, then go in and look around," the other added. Aedan considered it a moment, then sighed and shook her head.
"Fine. Wandering it is. Let me know if you guys see anything you want to stop and look at," she told them, then started off toward the central area of the mall. Jean Claude fell into step beside her, and her necromancy told her just how far behind her Wicked and Truth were. She could feel the rats' energy off to the sides, letting her know they'd spread out in order to offer up the best protection they could.
When the reached the center part of the mall, Aedan stopped and stared. There were so many preternatural beings walking past the shops, stepping into them, simply staring into the windows. She found herself surrounded by clothing stores, jewelry chains, shoe shops, and various little esoteric shops that sold anything and everything under the sun. She saw a phone shop nestled between a big name underwear chain and a place that sold movies and music. It was an odd collection of places and people and things. It should have been uncomfortable and weird. It wasn't.
Aedan turned left and started along the central walk. She saw a pet store and a comic store. There was a trendy clothing boutique right next door to a place that obviously catered to the goth and punk crowds. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to step inside. See what was happening.
There was loud music playing over the store's PA, something she didn't know. The singer was practically screaming something about the government while a guitar screeched painfully in the background. She did her best to tune the music out and concentrate on the goods offered up for sale by the place. It was a bizarre mix of dark and depressing combined with sheer and sexy. There was a dash of cute here and there. Aedan found herself drawn to a wall of t-shirts with all kinds of sayings on them.
"We should get that one for you," she told Jean Claude, motioning with one hand toward a tee that had 'Vampires do it with bite!' scrawled across it in a crimson script that was pretty close to blood. Her eyes came to rest on one that saw her giggling. "That one's for me."
"You would wear a shirt that said 'Animators can raise anything' in public?" he asked her, eyeing the shirt critically. The A in Animators looked like a headstone.
"I would wear it at home. For bed. And possibly for other occasions," she told him, leaving to his imagination just what those other occasions might be. He slanted her a look that told her he wasn't amused.
"Is there anything I can help you folks with?" a voice asked from behind them. Both Aedan and Jean Claude turned to find a teen wearing something meant to look punk was staring at them eagerly, obviously hoping to make a sale. Then his eyes got really big when he got a good look at Jean Claude. "Holy shit! You're the Master of the City! Here. In the mall. In my shop. No one is going to believe this. Can I get a picture with you?"
"I am afraid that is out of the question," Jean Claude replied. The kid looked crest-fallen at being turned down. Aedan kind of felt bad for him. "My associates and I are simply out for a relaxing night on the town."
"Oh, come on. Let the kid get a picture with you," Aedan said. "One photo won't hurt anything. If you do it, I'll even skip the animators t-shirt. Maybe I'll get the other one instead." She was teasing him. The smile on her face told him as much.
"And will you wear it for me?" he asked her, his voice a suggestive purr as it echoed around her head.
Aedan only smiled brighter and turned to find her size. She heard Jean Claude chuckle. "Very well. You may have your picture," he told the kid.
"Here. We can use my phone," the kid said, already digging his cell from his pocket. Aedan came back with a t-shirt in hand and took the phone from him. She motioned him toward Jean Claude while getting the camera ready. The kid stood next to the vampire, a big grin on his face.
"Say cheese, boys," she intoned, then held the phone up and aimed it their way. The kid said it, flashing a mouth full of brilliant white teeth. Jean Claude smiled, gave her the barest hint of fang. Aedan hit the button. The flash went off and they all heard the sound the phone made as it snapped the picture. She handed the phone back to the kid, the picture on display for him. "Here you go."
"Wow. Thanks! This was awesome!"
She watched as the kid headed back toward the register area, staring down at his phone in amazement. Aedan grinned up at Jean Claude. Then she turned and started browsing again, looking for anything quaint and quirky that she might like. Jean Claude followed along behind her, his magic pressing against her skin unconsciously. She found it comforting.
In the end, she ended up getting the Animators t-shirt, too, as well as a bottle of cologne that reminded her of the cemetery and dead leaves. The kid was all smiles when he rang up their purchase. She handed him cash when he rattled off the total. He gave her her change, then her bag, and told to have a good evening and come back again. Aedan took the bag, looked at her companions, and headed for the door.
Jean Claude fell into step beside her, the Wicked Truth behind them and the rats on either side. As they walked, people began to stop and stare. She figured it was a safe bet that the Master of the City didn't slum it at the mall like all the normal vampires, which meant their date was going to be a momentous occasion for just about everyone there. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But there was nothing to do about it but make the best of the situation. She glanced at her date. "Are there any stores here that you'd like to visit?" she asked him.
She watched as he thought about it, then he turned to her with a smile that she wasn't sure she should trust. "There is one shop, if you will indulge me."
"My spider sense is telling me that I should say no. But I asked. The least I can do is go ahead and indulge you."
Jean Claude's smile grew bigger before he motioned ahead of them with one hand. "We are already going in the right direction."
They traveled along in silence, Aedan left to wonder just what Jean Claude had up his sleeve. She was fairly certain they weren't going to any run of the mill shop. She only hoped that she wasn't going to be embarrassed or anything like that. She could just imagine what he had in mind.
The crowds continued to stare, some of them stopping to whisper as they passed by. She could just see the headlines now: "Master of the City Slumming it at Local Mall!" If she was lucky, they wouldn't mention her in the story. On occasion, some of the vampires would stop and chat with Jean Claude, which left Aedan to stand at his side and wait patiently for the conversation to wrap up. Then they'd be on their way again.
They finally came to a stop in front of a brightly lit shop with windows full of fetish wear. Aedan shot Jean Claude a look that asked if he was serious. He only smiled and nudged her inside. The girl behind the counter glanced up at them, then moved to the back of the shop. Jean Claude escorted Aedan toward the girl, who smiled and opened a cabinet behind her. The cabinet was loaded with weapons. All of them were sharp and pointy. She looked up at him. "Seriously? Swords and knives?" she asked.
"After the charity event, and your ingenuity, I realized that you were in need of some easy to carry, easy to hide weapons. You may pick whatever you like," he told her, one elegant hand motioning to the weapons the girl was showing them.
Aedan smiled, then turned to look at the clerk. "They're all legit weapons? That will take down any foe?"
"Any foe. And if you need something tweaked, we can do that."
"So these are all custom made?" Aedan's eyes got big when the girl nodded her head. "Fuckin' A! Let me see that double edged sword with the leather grip."
Now this was her idea of shopping.
Chapter Sixty Three: Date Night
Fandom: Anita Blake universe
Rating: 18 and up
Warnings: graphic sex and violence, language, anything else i can toss in.
Disclaimer: the recognizable characters and places contained herein are the property of LKH. i'm merely borrowing for the sake of entertainment. no money is being made from this venture. the Sues are the sole property of their originators, Ginevra, Dazzledfirestar, Nanaea, SilverFoxChan and ladydeathfaerie. the concept and title of The Mary Sue Virus are used with permission from Dazzledfirestar.
Author's Notes: hey, look! nothing bad happens. to anyone. no. seriously. nothing bad happens in this one at all.
The Mary Sue Virus: Beyond Death - Index Link
Nathaniel's hand stroked her arm, fingers tracing over the small indents left behind after her encounter with the zombie. Rhia might have said something to him about it, but she suspected he didn't know he was doing it. She was fairly certain that it was an absent action, as if he was trying to reassure himself that she really was okay. She guessed she could handle it for a little while. It didn't actually bother her or anything. And, really, she was kind of used to the touch.
His attention was fully turned on the stage before them, focused on the group of people on the stage. It had been his idea to go to a free concert put on by a local orchestra. It was a string orchestra, with a couple of percussionists. There were no wind instruments of any kind. That was okay, because there was something absolutely soothing about the mellow tones of the strings. It was a good way to while away the time.
Almost good enough to make her forget about the rats that were sitting on a blanket not that far behind them.
She had to admit, she wasn't really all that surprised that Jean Claude had decided to assign body guards to her and Nathaniel for their date. But it was still annoying because she was constantly aware of their presence and it left her hesitant to show affection the way she'd like. She'd always been a fairly private person, so having someone watch her kiss or hug Nathaniel made her slightly uncomfortable. She wished they'd been able to come to the concert without chaperones, but there was no way Jean Claude would give in on that point. He'd made it abundantly clear, after the attack at the restaurant, that none of them would be allowed to leave the Circus without protection. She really hated it.
"Relax, Rhia. They aren't going to mind if you lean on me," Nathaniel whispered in her ear. She wasn't surprised that he seemed to know what was going through her head. He had an uncanny ability where her thoughts were concerned. It left her wondering more than once if Nathaniel wasn't just a touch psychic himself.
"Sorry," she replied, inching closer to him on their blanket. His arm slid around her shoulders and tugged her up against his side. When she turned her eyes his way, he was smiling at her. She could see his understanding in his lavender gaze. "It takes getting used to."
"Trust me, Rhia. Our bodyguards don't care one bit whether we get naked and dance the tango here in front of all these people," Nathaniel assured her, one hand motioning toward the clusters of couples that circled them. "The only thing they really care about is whether or not we get attacked by some deranged vampire."
"They're not really capable of handling a vampire on their own, are they?" Rhia asked, shooting a brief look over her shoulder at the pair of rats sitting only a few feet behind them. They gave the appearance of being caught up in the performance.
"Rafael is well aware of what kind of power we might come up against. He's putting his best people on us. A lot of the rats are ex-military. So they've got more training than a lot of the regular bodyguards you can hire."
"But vampires are stronger than lycanthropes," she returned, still not sure that she felt safer for the two of them being there.
"Stronger, yes. But not necessarily smarter. Now stop worrying and pay attention to the orchestra. Its a good way to take your mind off your problems."
Rhia frowned at him, but she turned and faced the stage again. The group, presently playing a piece she'd never heard before, wore black, the men in suit coats and the women in nice dresses. She found it odd, and maybe a little endearing, that they were taking their duties so seriously as to be wearing dress clothes to a simple, free concert in the park.
The violins played a merry tune, the notes high and flittering, as if a pixie or a butterfly drifted from one flower to the next. The violas were playing the same tune, only in a different key. The two sets of instruments blended well together, giving off harmonious notes. The cellos had a different tune, though it was an excellent addition to the tune the smaller instruments were playing. Their low, slow notes were more akin to some forest animal lumbering along without rhyme or reason. Rhia thought it was a great counterpoint to the fluttering butterfly wing notes that the violins and violas played. There were two basses in the group, and their low notes were short and abrupt, deep and forlorn against the more melodic tones of the other instruments. She wasn't sure what they were playing or who had composed it, but it made her want to dance and cry all at the same time.
"This was a good idea," she said, glancing Nathaniel's way. He pulled his gaze from the orchestra long enough to toss a smile her way. Then he leaned in an stole a kiss from her, his lips pressing hers without inhibition. Despite its quickness, it was heavy and filled with promise and it left her with her toes curled in her tennis shoes.
"I'm glad you like it. I've always wanted to do something like this," he whispered. One hand motioned toward the wicker basket packed with their evening meal. Then he motioned toward the sky, which was growing darker as the minutes passed. A glance up showed Rhia that stars were starting to glimmer and twinkle down at them, the sky moving from deep blue along the horizon to black directly above them. Someone was wandering the park, lighting torches set up around the stage and the grassy area where the concert goers sat. Those torches cast a soft, golden glow over the scene. Made it feel more intimate. Rhia snuggled closer to Nathaniel.
"Its beautiful here," she told him. "The music is lovely. And I'm touched by Goddess where ever I turn. It isn't a forest, but there are enough trees and shrubs to keep it from being too much of the city. Thank you for bringing me here."
Nathaniel smiled at her, then turned back to the orchestra. The song the cellos played had risen in volume and nearly drowned out the song coming from the violas and violins. Rhia shifted her attention fully to the orchestra and allowed the music to flow over her. Let it sink into her bones and fill her spirit. Paired with the presence of nature all around her, Rhia found herself relaxed. She leaned into Nathaniel further, until he finally slid his arm around her. She dropped her head onto his shoulder and let herself be swept away by the music washing over them.
The sound of childish laughter from her left battled for dominance with the orchestra, prompting her to turn and seek out the source of the laughter. A young couple sat on a blanket, like everyone else. The woman was smiling as she watched the man at her side holding a squirming toddler aloft. The child, a little boy with dark curls, was smiling broadly, eyes lit up, and laughing that laugh that only children were capable of laughing. Rhia watched as the woman smoothed a hand over the gentle swell of her belly, a small and secretive smile sent toward the unborn child growing within her.
The man set the boy down on the blanket and put a pad of paper and a box of crayons in his pudgy little hands. The child settled in an instant, dumping the box of crayons all over the blanket in order for him to grab them easier. The young couple watched him a moment before turning to each other. They shared an intimate look, then leaned in and shared a kiss. When they parted, the woman's cheeks were stained with a blush and the man was looking at her with an expression that told Rhia he wished they were home in their bed. Together, the two of them turned toward the stage in order to focus on the music. The woman's hand reached out and stroked the boy's curls.
"You smell of longing," Nathaniel whispered in her ear. She should have known he'd pick it up, but she hadn't expected him to and it left her embarrassed. Rhia tried to cover it, but he caught her chin with a pair of fingers and turned her to look at him. "Do you want to have babies?"
It was a natural question. If she suddenly smelled of longing after watching a young couple with their child, it was likely that she wanted what they had. Her embarrassment at having been caught made it hard for her to accept that and she wished she could hide from him. This wasn't something she and Nathaniel had ever talked about. In fact, they hadn't really discussed their relationship in depth. He'd admitted he loved her. And she'd admitted the same to him. But that hadn't pushed their conversations toward what they expected of one another. Both of them knew far too well that love didn't always last. Sometimes, it was ripped from you in the worst way possible.
"I never really thought about it," she told him. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had thought of babies. Once, when she'd been young and sure that love would conquer every problem she could face. She'd found out the hard way that such thoughts were little more than folly. She'd never thought of having babies with Nathaniel. But now that he'd mentioned it...
He studied her intently, his gaze holding hers as he looked deep into her soul. At least, that's what it felt like to her because his eyes stayed locked with hers for such a long time. He offered her a gentle smile, one that held a touch of sadness to it. "You wanted to have babies with him once, didn't you?"
"I did," she admitted softly. She couldn't see a reason to lie about it. Even though doing so would likely hurt Nathaniel. "But I was naïve back then. I thought love would conquer everything. I thought it would never leave me. I didn't realize how easily it could be taken away."
"Do you want to have babies with me?" he asked. There was nothing in his voice to give away what he was thinking. She didn't know if he was upset by the fact that she'd just told him she'd considered having babies with someone else, despite how long ago it had been. She didn't know if he was upset because they'd never discussed the topic. When she didn't answer right away, Nathaniel stroked his thumb over her cheek. "Rhia? Do you want to have babies with me?"
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," she replied quietly. "But we've never discussed children before now. We've never really discussed where our relationship was going. I didn't want to assume or anything. I wasn't sure how you'd feel about children and the last thing I wanted to do was pressure you into something you weren't ready for."
He smiled at her. "There's never any harm in discussing something. We're both adults. We are definitely capable of a civil conversation about our wants and desires. So. Do you want to have babies with me?"
"I can't think of anything I want more," she told him. "Just... The way things are now, I don't know if its a good idea to start planning kids just yet. There's still the matter of the demon summoner. And we've got the added bonus of possibly being targets for the people who want Aedan dead. I don't know if those are the optimum conditions for conceiving and then rearing children."
"I understand," he replied quietly. "Things are a little dangerous right now."
She nodded, trying hard to keep the disappointment from showing. She was sure he was going to tell her that it wasn't the right time to have children. She'd listed off some pretty strong reasons. He brought his hands up and rested his palms against her cheeks, let his thumbs glide across her skin. "But then, when is it ever the right time to have children? There's always some reason against it. Not enough money. Not ready. Not sure you'd be a good parent. For some people, they're good reasons. But for others, they're just excuses because they're afraid to commit. I'm not afraid to commit, Rhia. If you want to have a baby, we can get started on it tonight."
"Are you sure, Nathaniel? I don't want you to feel like you have to do this because its what I want," she said, hoping he understood that she would never do something like that to him.
"I am absolutely sure, Rhia. I'm already picturing you with our baby growing in your belly. And I can only imagine what our baby will look like. Maybe it'll be a boy with my eyes and your curly hair. Or maybe it'll be a girl with your serious eyes and my auburn hair. Or maybe it'll be both. Can you imagine one of each?"
There was a touch of excitement in his words, almost hidden under the softness. Almost, but not quite. It was something he'd given thought to. And it was something he wanted. With her. Rhia felt tension slide out of her and she leaned into him again. The thought rushed through her mind. Babies. With Nathaniel. She thought of his kind, gentle nature and how he nurtured everyone. He was unlike any man she'd ever known. He would be such a good father. Loving and doting. Stern but fair.
Rhia hadn't thought it was possible to love him anymore than she already did. She'd thought wrong. The idea of having a baby with him thrilled through her, left her warm and soft inside. And she realized that it was absolutely possible to love him more.
~*~*~*~*~
Minette hated the arm on the chair. It didn't move, so it kept her separated from Jason on her left and Micah on her right. That was one thing a couch had over the seats in a movie theater. You could snuggle up to your sweetie, or sweeties, on a couch. Not so much in a theater's seats. Of course, theater companies had likely designed their seats to discourage such behavior in a public venue. It was likely they'd decided that snuggling would lead to other, not so public activities. Which, okay. That made sense. But it still chapped her ass that she could put her head on one shoulder or the other, touch one man or the other. Not both.
Micah had picked the movie. Actually, movies. One of the local theaters was running a double fantasy feature, pairing up 'Legend' and 'Labyrinth' for a night of fun and whimsy. Both films had been childhood favorites for her and she felt a touch of excitement at being able to see the two of them together on a big screen.
A tub of popcorn appeared on Minette's right, between herself and Micah. She glanced up and back to find one half of their rat bodyguards handing over the munchies he'd gone to get from the concession stand. Micah took the popcorn and settled it in his lap. Minette handed out their drinks, a Diet Coke for herself, while Micah had asked for Dr. Pepper and Jason had gotten Sprite. Next came the obnoxiously expensive boxes of chocolate, M&Ms with peanuts for Jason while Micah had gotten Raisinettes and she had Whoppers. Straws and napkins were passed around and the lot of them settled in for their night of movies.
She had to admit, going to the theater to watch a movie was like a breath of fresh air. It seemed like they'd all gone from one dangerous situation to the next in the past couple of months. It had felt like there'd never been time to really breathe. The movies were a perfect way to find some equilibrium back. Minette was sure some people would see it as juvenile or mindless, but she felt like maybe she needed a little juvenile and mindless right now. She knew the others had decided to have a date night kind of thing and she wondered what they'd all decided to do. She was sure Janika had mentioned something about a production. But she didn't recall what. Aedan had had absolutely no clue. It appeared that Jean Claude liked to keep her in the dark for their dates.
Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.
The day had been especially trying because they were back to shooting lessons with Edward. While he was no longer trying to actively scare Minette to death and he actually seemed to be taking teaching them seriously, it was still unnerving to have to spend time with him. Especially when Minette had seen first hand how Edward watched Aedan. How he pushed her. How he talked to her. It wasn't anything like it had been during their first lessons, but there was a tangible edge to the man when he's been dealing with Aedan, as if he was afraid to let her out of his sight for even a moment. It was odd. And it had grated on her friend's nerves. By the time they'd left, Aedan had been on edge and cranky. So Minette hoped that Jean Claude had planned something that would take the woman's mind off her day.
She knew that Isis had been looking forward to her date with Damian and could swear she'd heard the lioness say something about hitting a club. That seemed an odd date for herself and Damian, but if they were happy and they had fun... Who was she to judge? No doubt the five of them would get together tomorrow and compare notes.
"I was in love with both of these movies as a little girl," Minette said, voice low so as not to disturb the others. She forced her thoughts away from the others and back to her own date. Out of the corners of her eyes, she saw the men at her sides turn to look at her.
"I think these came out before you were born. You're telling me your parents let you watch these when you were a little girl?" Jason asked, voice clearly saying he was skeptical about that.
"My parents were progressive where I was concerned. Nothing was taboo, so long as I went to them and told them what I wanted to read or watch or listen to. Then we'd talk about it and they'd decide if I was really ready for it. I read books well beyond my age level. Saw movies that my friends wouldn't see for another ten years or more."
"It sounds like your parents took an active role in your education," Micah said. There was a tone of consideration in his words, letting her know he was thinking things through.
"They did," she responded, then reached out for a few bits of popcorn. Her eyes stayed glued to the screen, checking out the trailers as they played. So far, she hadn't seen any that caught her interest.
"Yet you never went to them about Bruce," he said quietly.
"I was too embarrassed," she told him honestly. She turned to look at him, found him watching her carefully. The images flickering across the screen cast strange flashes across his face. "By the time I knew what he'd done to me, he'd done his best to beat me down until I was scared of my own shadow. He made me believe that they'd never believe me. That they'd never accept what he'd turned me into. How could I expect them to love me if they knew what a weak whore I was?"
"You were afraid they'd judge you for his sins," Jason supplied.
Minette nodded, then fell silent as the trailer switched and she was presented with a movie about vampires and werewolves. It was the badly made crap that she and Aedan would have watched in college and laughed about. She snorted softly, making her opinion about the movie known. "I was afraid they would never understand, that they'd blame me for everything that had happened. So I went along with what Bruce did and said. Let them believe we were dating, we were engaged, we were going to get married. I have no idea what they even think of me anymore."
"Maybe you should go see them and find out," Micah suggested.
"I don't know if I'm strong enough to do that," she whispered.
It wasn't as if she hadn't considered doing just that. Back when she had gone off to college, when she'd finally been able to accept what she'd become because she'd met someone who didn't judge her for anything someone else had done to her, she'd considered penning them a letter and letting them know what kind of colossal fuck up Bruce had been. She'd just never been able to do so. What if he'd intercepted the letter? What if they'd gotten it but not believed it? What if they had?
"We can go with you if you want to do it," Jason offered. She turned to look at him, saw the sincerity in his eyes as he stared at her. One of Micah's hands covered hers, prompting her to turn and look at him.
"They deserve to know what he did to you, Minette. They deserve to know what kind of asshole he was," Micah said.
She frowned. Could she go? Could she tell them every depraved act he'd committed against her? Could she tell them how he'd used her again and again, how he'd clawed and bit her until he was sure he'd infected her with lycanthropy? She honestly wasn't sure."I don't know if I can be the one to tell them," she admitted. "If I did go, I would be honored to have you two go with me."
"Think about it," Micah told her, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to her lips. Just a gentle touch that let her know he would support whatever decision she made.
"Suppose I could take Aedan with me?" she mused. She wasn't serious about that. Not entirely.
"That might not be a bad idea," Jason replied. "She knows better than anyone other than you what Bruce did. She dealt with him more than any of us. And she's got that badge she can flash. It might give your words a little more weight if they hear from a Federal Marshal that what Bruce did to you was very much not legal."
Minette smiled at the image that suggestion presented. She liked to think that her parents would like her best friend. If for no other reason than the fact that Aedan was the one who helped their only child get away from that life. "I'll think about it," she promised.
"That's all I ask." Micah sounded pleased with her promise and he lapsed back into silence as they watched a trailer for the newest installment in the big dinosaur franchise.
"Haven't they given up on this crap yet?" Jason asked, leaning back in his seat. Minette glanced over at him, took note of the way he'd made an offering of himself. There was no other word for the way he lounged in the seat, legs stretched out before him and slightly spread. It was a tempting invitation.
"No more than you've given up on your dream of having someone sit on your lap in a darkened movie theater," one of the rats said from behind them.
Micah let go a laugh beside her. Even Minette found herself smiling, trying to keep the laughter from leaking out. Jason turned, tossing a few pieces of popcorn at his critic. "Hey! I'll have you know that I don't want anyone but Minette sitting on my lap in a darkened movie theater. I may be a horn dog, but I am a loyal horn dog."
"Jesus, Jason," Minette snorted, unable to hold back the laughter. "That's such a bad pun. Such a bad pun."
"Children," Micah warned, though there was plenty of amusement in his voice. "Let's behave. There are other people here and they don't need to know how depraved you can be."
"If you want to see depraved, you wait until Bowie is on screen. That crotch bulge..." Minette said, making a show of licking her lips in anticipation. "Yum. That's the stuff of very dirty, very erotic, very wet dreams."
"Thanks for that, Minette," Jason said, sitting up straight once more. He sounded a little deflated. "That's not an image I needed in my head."
Minette giggled and turned to him, reaching out to put a hand on his cheek. Jason turned to look at her. She leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, quick and to the point. "I'll make it up to you later, gorgeous. Promise."
"You'd better," he returned.
"Both of you. Behave. Don't make me separate you," Micah whispered.
"You're just jealous because Minette is considering sitting in my lap," Jason teased. Micah chuckled and shook his head. But they all quieted down as the trailers came to an end and they started the last run of concession stand ads and warnings to people to silence their cell phones before the movies started. Minette inched back in her seat and prepared herself for the movies. She tucked the box of Whoppers between her thighs and put a hand on the nearest thigh of the men sitting on either side of her. Micah dropped his hand over hers, thumb stroking absently against her skin. Jason reached out and put his hand on her knee, his palm warm and possessive through the denim of her jeans.
"We're going to have to do this at home, when we can sit next to one another without having chair arms between us," Minette whispered.
"Don't you mean sit on each other's laps?" Jason shot back.
"You're terrible," she returned and gave her attention to the screen just as the first frames of 'Labyrinth' began to play. Yes. They were definitely going to have to do this at home.
~*~*~*~*~
"When you said dinner and a night at a club, this isn't what I was expecting," Isis told Damian as she let her gaze slide around the interior of the dance club. It wasn't Danse Macabre, but a new club that had opened in the vampire district. So far as Isis knew, it was owned by a human, but the patronage was a mix of preternatural and mortal. So was the staff.
"I thought you might enjoy doing something that did not involve the coalition or the pride," Damian returned, body pressed up against her tightly. She liked the feel of his chest against her back, of his hands on her hips as they gyrated to the pulsing music playing over the loud speaker. "Is this not to your liking?" There was a distinct note of something akin to hurt in his voice.
"Oh, no. This is great. It really is," she let him know. And she meant it honestly. "This just isn't a place I'd expect you to want to go. That's all. I didn't think you'd be comfortable here."
"It is a place to come where one can dance and listen to music and feel alive," he informed her. His words saw her turning to face him, eyes searching his.
"Do you miss that? Being alive?"
His smile was soft, filled with a touch of indulgence. "It has been a very long time since I was alive, Isis. I do not remember what it was like. All I mean is that there is so much life here, so much energy and vitality. It is easy to become lost in it and to feel like I belong here."
She slid her arms up around his shoulders, smiled up at him gently. "You belong anywhere you choose to be. Fuck what any mortal might say or think about it. You're alive. Your heart beats. You can take a breath. You love and laugh and work and have sex."
"You make me feel alive, Isis. My beautiful one." It might have sounded silly and heavy-handed and possibly even fake had anyone else said it. But Damian rarely said anything he didn't mean. And he certainly wasn't prone to flights of fancy. Or to flowery words of purple prose.
"You're the beautiful one," she replied, absolutely meaning it. She let her fingers card through the brilliant red of his hair, let them memorize the silken texture as the length of it slid against her skin. She loved the feel of him pressed against her. Loved the glide of his hair across her fingertips and palms. "You make me feel like a queen."
"You are a queen," he reminded her.
"That isn't what I mean and you know it," she returned, one hand slapping gently against his shoulder. He grinned at her, hands urging her closer.
"It does not change the fact that you are a queen," he said softly. "You are my queen."
The heat in his words saw her falling silent. She kind of wished they'd had date night in, so she could strip him of his clothes and show him just what he did to her. She strongly suspected that doing that here would get them both kicked out. So she kept her hands to herself, but she made sure he saw in her eyes just what she wanted to do to him. What she planned to do to him once they were in close proximity of a bed. It would be a perfect way to end what had been a perfect evening.
Damian had picked her up at her condo half an hour after the sun had fully set, and she'd had to force herself to keep her hands off of him. He wore a pair of rich leather pants in deep black that clung to his hips and thighs and the curves of his ass as if the garment had been painted on him. The shirt he wore was silk, in a liquid bronze that made his hair look like a deep, dark, bloody red. It made her glad she'd put on a knee length sheath dress of silk in forest green. The sides were slit from the hem up to near the tops of her thighs, allowing flashes of her legs when she walked or danced.
Dinner had been at a moderately upscale eatery. Not the most upscale in the city, but not a McDonald's, either. People had stared when she and Damian had been led to their table, then they'd stared some more as the two of them had chatted their way through Damian watching Isis eat her meal. A meal that had been one of the best ones she'd ever had.
After dinner, the car had brought them here. Isis had eyed the club suspiciously, but she'd kept her thoughts to herself as Damian had escorted her inside. They'd found a table and Damian had ordered Isis a drink. Then they'd decided to get up and dance, the pulsing thrum of the bass vibrating its way from the floor up through her feet to her spine and into her brain. The place was trendy and hip, filled with people in sequins and silk and leather and flashing jewelry who danced and swayed with the beat. Lights strobed and stroked across the scene, turning all the dancers into stop motion animation characters. It was almost enough to make Isis forget that there were a pair of rats not that far from where she and Damian stood.
She wasn't sure she liked having a pair of body guards following her every move. She'd come from the bathroom once to find one of them waiting for her there. But Damian had informed her that they had been put into place by Jean Claude and they would shadows every move she and Damian made. There was no discussion about it. That simply was how it would be. She guessed that he wasn't willing to take any chances after the last attack.
"Its too bad we're here, gorgeous," she told him, making sure to turn her back to him so she could rub her ass against his groin. "Imagine the dancing we could do back at my condo."
"I have been imagining that all night," he whispered into her ear, leaning into her so that he could put his mouth right next to her. The intimate suggestion in his voice made her feet falter and she came to a stand still. She started to turn, so she could look him in the eye and suggest to him that they call it an early evening and simply go home. But his hands stopped her, held her in place with her back pressed tightly to his front. "But it can wait until later. We rarely go out and do something on our own. You deserve this night out. So we will stay and dance some more. You can have another drink or two. And then, later, we will return to your condo and we will dance in private."
His words, the tone of voice he spoke them in, the touch of his hands at her waist, did their absolute best to turn her brain into mush. To turn her legs into jelly. To spark a fire of need deep in her belly. She groaned softly. "That is so unfair," she told him.
She felt his smile of satisfaction against her throat, his mouth and nose nuzzling her hair out of the way so that he could press both against her neck. She heard him take a deep breath and inhale the scent of her, felt his body respond to her growing desire. She couldn't quite stop the moan when his fangs brushed her throat, teasing her right where the big vein pulsed thickly with her life's blood. "Think of how much more intense and satisfying our coupling will be after waiting. After allowing the anticipation and the need to build to a fever pitch."
"Think of how much more fun and satisfying it would be to go home and fuck right now," she returned.
Damian's grip on her tightened, fingers digging into her hips painfully enough to leave marks behind. She knew they wouldn't last, but that didn't matter. It was the small flash of pain that mattered, the reasoning for it. She liked knowing that Damian wasn't unaffected by her crass proposition. Liked knowing that she could turn him on by simply saying a few words. "It would be very fun. And very satisfying," he admitted.
She felt a thrill of victorious pleasure at his words. It made her try and turn in his embrace again, so she could look him in the eye when she suggested yet again that they go home and fuck. His arms slid around her, though, shifting his hold from her hips and waist to her abdomen. "But you so rarely do anything outside of the pride or your law practice. This is a night where you can put those cares and worries aside and simply live. Enjoy the evening, Isis. There will be time later for fucking."
She shivered at the use of vulgarity. At the suggestive tone he used. At the feel of his body pressed so close to hers. "That isn't fair, Damian," she replied, settling her hands over his. He leaned into her again, dropped a series of tender kisses on the taut skin of her neck. More shivers slid up and down her spine. It absolutely wasn't fair.
And two could play at that game.
Isis turned in his arms so that she could mold her body to his, from her chest down to her thighs. She tipped her head back so that she could almost completely look him in the eye and let him see the mischief dancing in her gaze. Then she pressed closer and rubbed herself against him. His reaction was instant, and very hard to ignore. Even over the ear shattering music and the dull roar of the club's patrons, she heard his low groan. "That is not fair, Isis," he threw her words back at her.
"You said you wanted me to enjoy the night out and dance. I'm dancing." She made sure to punctuate her statement by rubbing against him yet again.
He said something, but she didn't catch it. Either his voice was too low or it wasn't in English. That didn't stop her from hearing the frustration lacing his tone. She bit back her smile and settled her hands on his hips briefly. Then she slid them around until she could cup his ass, fingers kneading and squeezing while she pressed herself closer to him. This time, she felt his groan as it rolled up his throat from his chest.
Damian tightened his hold on her, stilling her motions with little effort. The look he gave her was filled with promise, eyes glowing with his hunger in the dim light. And the smile that went with it speared right through her, sending shafts of desire spiraling through her. She wanted nothing more than to strip him down and climb on top of him right then and there. Almost as soon as she had the thought, Damian's smile changed. Became something much more determined. Isis realized that he'd decided two could play her game.
So it became a battle to see which of them could better undo the other. Isis rubbed against Damian suggestively, cupped and squeezed his ass. Damian pressed close and leaned in to whisper dirty things in her ear. He nuzzled her throat, scraping his fangs against the sensitive skin there. She let her hands drift, managing to slide one into his hair while the other one slipped between them so she could shamelessly fondle his cock through the supple leather he wore. He retaliated by letting his hands skim her sides, fingers barely grazing her breasts as they passed.
Five minutes into their teasing, Isis' body was on fire with need. Damian's cock was hard, straining against the confines of his leather pants. He had no problem with pressing it sharply into her stomach or back when she rubbed against him, letting her know without words that he was just as eager for her as she was for him. And the knowledge that he wanted her so fiercely did more to drive her insane than any of his touches could.
It took another ten minutes before they had to call a cease fire. She could tell by the way Damian's hands held her that he was teetering on the edge. And she felt like just a glance from him would see her body exploding. He gave her time to finish up her drink, then took hold of her arm and escorted her out of the club. The hunger eating away at her control made her glad that Damian had elected to have someone drive them to their destinations instead of letting Isis do the driving herself. Then again, it would have been hard for him to pick her up if he hadn't had a chauffeur to drive him to her condo. So she was terribly thankful when the two of them climbed into the back of their chauffeur driven car and Damian gave instructions to the driver to return them to Isis' condo.
The ride was made in silence. But there really wasn't much to say. It gave her a chance to get her pulse under control, to stomp down on the rampant desire racing through her veins. She was sure that Damian was using the time for the same purpose. They'd found that, much as they enjoyed the actual act, there was something terribly enjoyable about the build up. They liked to tease one another until they were nearly mindless. Then they'd calm themselves and start all over again until one of them couldn't take it anymore. Usually, that ended up being her. Isis didn't mind.
She turned to look at Damian and found him watching her, eyes bright and shining in the darkness of the back seat. There was promise there. So much promise. Need washed through her and her pulse kicked up yet again.
It was going to be a long car ride...
~*~*~*~*~
Janika's eyes went wide when she saw the marquee sign on the building before them. She couldn't believe it. There was no way that this was real. She turned that astonished look Asher's way and watched as he smiled at her, obviously enjoying her shock and surprise. "Is this for real?" she asked him softly, gaze once more sliding back to the marquee. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Asher reach into his coat and come out with a small folder, like the kind the airlines gave out with their boarding passes. He opened it and withdrew a pair of brightly colored pieces of paper from within.
"It is for real, mon ange," he informed her, handing what he held over to her. Janika stared down at her prize in amazement. Even though she was staring at the words, she still didn't believe it was real.
"How did you even manage to get these? This has been sold out for months!" she asked, once more giving him that astonished gaze.
"I know someone," he replied, as if it was no big deal. No big deal that he'd just handed her a pair of tickets to a performance of one of her favorite stage shows of all time. One that had been sold out since it was announced. The production was direct from Broadway, with the actual Broadway cast.
"You know someone? Who just happened to get you box seats to 'Chicago' when it was sold out? Someone who just... got you tickets to the hottest stage show to come to town so far this year?"
He smiled at her skepticism. "Yes. I know someone. And, unless you intend to miss the show, we should go inside and find our seats," he told her gently.
"Oh. Right," she said and handed the tickets back to him. Asher slid his arm around her and urged her toward the doors. Janika let him push her into motion, though she did spare a glance over her shoulder for the rats that were shadowing them. Apparently on Jean Claude's orders. She got the impression that he hadn't taken the recent attack very well and had doubled security on all of them. It was kind of annoying, even though she appreciated that he was doing what he could to keep them all safe.
They walked together up to one of the sets of doors, then through. The lobby was filled with milling people. Some obviously worked there, selling playbills and other mementos one could take home with them. And some were patrons, milling around in groups, chatting amongst one another and generally waiting until the last moment to find their seats. On the far side of the lobby was the entrance to the theater proper, with red velvet ropes drawing a partition between the entrance and the patrons. There was a single opening in the center of the ropes, through which all patrons would go before entering the theater. Janika marked three main entrances to the floor seats, as well as a set of stairs on either side leading up to the second floor and the box seats.
She and Asher got into the line, his hand a gentle presence on her lower back. She was sure that it was a gesture with more than one meaning. The first was that he was using it to escort her without being too overt about it. The second was to proclaim to any who chose to wonder that she was there with him. Maybe the second one was a little outdated and silly, but she kind of liked that he wanted to be sure everyone knew that she was his date for the evening. As if he was afraid someone would try to steal her away from him at the first opportunity.
If anyone should be worried about their date being stolen, it was her. Asher looked amazing in a soft grey suit coat and matching trousers. His shirt was silk, in a shade of blue that one saw on the horizon just before the black of night stole the sky completely. The darkness of that blue only made his eyes seem paler, a startling contrast that would unconsciously draw someone's gaze to his. Of course his hair covered his face, helping craft that air of mystery that seemed to be Asher's trademark. Janika thought Asher looked smoking hot and wondered if some woman would try to steal him away if she had to get up and use the ladies' room.
"No one can compare to you." Asher leaned down to whisper the words in her ear. It was obvious he'd picked her thoughts from her head. Part of her wished she knew how to shield such things from him. The other part of her was thrilled that he was so sure no one else would be able to turn his head.
"You're cheating," she replied. There was no heat to her words, though. Just a statement.
"Shamelessly," he returned and smiled. Her heart did a weird pitter-patter thing and her brain completely forgot what she was supposed to be doing or thinking. Fortunately, Asher's hand on her back nudged her forward when the line moved, so she didn't hold anyone up.
"Tickets, please," the young man said as they approached him. He wore a white dress shirt, a black bow tie, a black vest, and a pair of black dress pants. Asher handed the tickets over and Janika watched as the young man gave them a quick, assessing look. He then tore most of them off and handed the stubs back to Asher. "Up the stairs on your left. Take a left at the top. Box G. Thank you and enjoy your evening."
"Thank you," Janika returned as Asher propelled them into motion once more. He turned them toward the stairs and started up. She kept apace, one hand resting on the banister to her right while the other kept hold of her clutch.
"You doubt my words?" Asher asked softly, and it took her a couple seconds to realize that he had decided to pick up the conversation they'd been having before they'd reached the ticket taker. She shot a look his way and considered how to answer him.
"Not necessarily doubt," she began. That earned her a raised eyebrow as he silently asked her exactly how it could not be doubt. "Okay. So its doubt. But you have to admit that you are positively gorgeous and I am a mere human. Whatever beauty I have can't compare to yours."
"You are far more beautiful than I am, mon ange," he replied. "The scars--"
She cut across his words before he could get them out. "The scars don't take anything away from your beauty, Asher. I will loudly proclaim that until my dying day."
"You are so vehement about this," he said. She thought he sounded just a touch amused.
"Because you are. And you don't see it. You think the scars take away from your inner beauty, which is probably what those stupid priests planned on doing in the first place," she remarked, a touch of heat coloring her last words.
"I believe their plan was to kill me, Janika." He didn't sound angry. Or even annoyed. More like resigned, as if he'd come to terms with it. Like it hadn't been an act of violence against him. As if he'd maybe deserved what they'd done to him.
"I don't care what their plan was. Whatever it was, it didn't succeed. Because you're still here. And you're still beautiful. Inside and out. Nothing you can do or say will change my mind on that," she said, tone gentle and kind. Then she frowned and shook her head. "And now we've shifted away from whatever we were talking about. Apparently I am very adamant about the topic."
"Apparently," he smiled. They'd reached the top of the stairs and Asher steered her to the left, as the ticket taker had said. "Do you recall what we were talking about?"
"I... No. I don't," she frowned. Wow. Apparently she'd gotten really adamant about Asher.
"I asked if you doubted my words," he reminded her.
"Oh. Right. That. Well. That wasn't an important topic anyway," she said, using one hand to mimic the action of brushing the topic aside.
"I beg to differ, mon ange," Asher said as he stopped before the entrance to their box. The curtains that signaled an occupied box had been left pulled back, giving Janika a look at their box and a brief glance at the rest of the theater. Asher motioned to the entrance with one hand. She stepped through the doorway and into the box. And stared at the majesty of the theater around her.
The box's three walls were painted a rich emerald green. There was the full wall behind them, then a partial wall on either side of the box, leaving them mostly hidden from the view of the occupants of the other boxes. The railing on the low wall in front was dark wood, polished to a high gloss and smooth as could be. The curtains that closed the box off from the hallway were velvet and emerald green. The material on their plush seats was the same.
Janika stepped over to the box's railing and looked out over the theater. The seats on the floor were packed with people. A low murmur rose up from the crowd as people conversed with one another while waiting for the show to start. The other boxes had filled up, men and women sitting in the chairs provided, either chatting or watching the stage. The low lights gleamed off dark wood and deep green. The curtains over the stage were a deep red velvet, obviously heavy and weighted because they didn't move at all.
"There is not a woman in this theater tonight that can compare to your beauty," Asher said, stepping up to stand beside her. He put a hand under her chin, turning her face to stare at him. The smile he gave her was soft and heart achingly beautiful. "Your beauty fills me with life every time I look at you. I want no one else."
"That's... I don't even know what to say. That was so beautiful," she whispered, vaguely aware that someone else had just stepped into the box. The curtain closed behind them, leaving them isolated in their own little world.
"It is the truth," he said quietly. Then he leaned down so he could press a kiss to her lips, as if he believed he needed to prove to her that he meant what he'd said. She nearly melted into him, but the soft chatter of people around her reminded her that they weren't alone. So she pulled back when he did, albeit reluctantly, and turned to see who else was with them in the box. She was, and wasn't, surprised to find that they'd been joined by the rats who were meant to be acting as bodyguards. She turned back to Asher.
"You know someone, huh? It wouldn't happen to be the Master of the City, would it?" she asked with a faint smile.
The corner of Asher's mouth curled up and he gave a slight nod. "There are benefits to being Master of the City. Which means there are benefits to being his second in command. When he heard that you loved the theater and that this was one of your favorite productions, he was more than willing to offer up his box for our use."
"His box?" she asked. "As in, his personal box?"
"Yes. This box belongs to the Master of the City. Jean Claude has given a good deal of money to the theater since he took over St. Louis. The theater repays him with his own box." His words trailed off a moment before the lights dimmed and flickered. "That is our cue. The show is about to start," he told her. It was unnecessary, but she didn't say that. Instead, she allowed him to settled her in her seat, then he took his beside her. She heard the rats settle into the chairs behind them.
Then there was no more time for thought because the lights went nearly completely out and the heavy red curtains parted. Spotlights came on, the orchestra came up, and Janika was lost in the opening scene of the show.
~*~*~*~*~
Aedan stopped dead in her tracks and stared around her in disbelief. Then she turned that same look on the man at her side. He looked slightly bemused by her confusion, but he said nothing, Merely waited. No doubt he knew that she had something to say. She didn't disappoint. "The mall?" she asked, letting her disbelief crowd her voice.
"There is a problem?" Jean Claude asked in reply.
"You're taking me to the mall for our date?"
"You act as if this is not something people do together on dates." He stared down at her, his expression saying he was amused by her disbelief.
"Junior high sweethearts go on dates to the mall," she pointed out. "It generally isn't the place adults go. I was expecting... I don't know. Something other than this."
He smiled and reached out to nudge her forward with one hand, obviously not willing to stand in before the 'You Are Here!' sign and indulge her disbelief any longer. She begrudgingly fell into step beside him and let him lead her further into the mall. She could feel the Wicked Truth at their backs, as well as the rats they'd brought with. Aedan was pretty sure that if Wicked and Truth couldn't stop anyone who dared attack them, the rats certainly wouldn't be able to. But she was also pretty sure that Jean Claude wouldn't have listened to reason, so she hadn't bothered to point that out to him.
"You do not enjoy going to the mall?" he asked her.
"I don't think I've ever been to the mall," she replied, letting her mind wander back through the past few years. She couldn't recall any such trips. She'd spent too much of her college years in one class or another, trying to get her degree super quick. She'd never really thought much of doing what normal people her age had been doing. There'd never really been time.
"Then this is an experience you will always remember. I can give you fancy dinners. I can give you luxury trips. I can give you just about anything you would ask for. But none of that would mean anything to you. This," he paused and looked around, his gaze finally coming to a rest on her face. "This is something I can give you that you will remember. Because it is something that you did not expect. And it is something that you never got to do as a young girl."
Aedan frowned up at him. "We've gone on the weirdest dates. We went to the movies and a fast food joint. We played putt putt golf. We went to a carnival. Those were things that teenagers would do. And now we've come to the mall. Another thing that teenagers would do. Are you trying to give me my youth back?"
Jean Claude stared at her a moment, then gave her a gentle smile and reached out to smooth a hair away from her face. "Not give you your youth back. Just allow you to experience some of it now. Before things get so difficult that you have no time.You mentioned once that you did not do the things normal teenagers did. I am simply trying to give you something akin to normal."
She shook her head, a faint smile appearing. "Please don't take this the wrong way, but you are far from being a teenager. This can't be anything that you enjoy doing."
He tipped his head to the side, an acknowledgement that he understood what she was getting at. "I enjoy seeing you enjoy yourself. I did not lie when I told you anything to make you smile, Aedan. And if something like this makes you smile, if it gives you memories to help when things get bad, then it will have been well worth it."
She considered his words a moment, the nodded at him. "Okay. So I can see where you're coming from. But the mall? It generally doesn't stay open past ten," she returned.
"Ah, but this is no ordinary mall. This mall is owned by vampires. It caters to vampires," he explained. He watched her eyes slide around the mall, as if looking for some kind of physical difference. When she brought her gaze back to him, he smiled. "You will find mortals here, as well. And lycanthropes. But it was developed with vampires in mind."
"So its open all night?" she asked, letting her gaze slide around the interior of the building again.
"It is." He motioned toward the spot where the wing they were in emptied out into the mall proper with one hand. "Where do you wish to go first?"
Aedan shrugged her shoulders and looked up at him. "I don't know. I've never been to a mall before. What do people do at the mall?"
"They go to the food court and eat," one of the rats suggested.
"Or you can just start wandering and see if you find a shop you like, then go in and look around," the other added. Aedan considered it a moment, then sighed and shook her head.
"Fine. Wandering it is. Let me know if you guys see anything you want to stop and look at," she told them, then started off toward the central area of the mall. Jean Claude fell into step beside her, and her necromancy told her just how far behind her Wicked and Truth were. She could feel the rats' energy off to the sides, letting her know they'd spread out in order to offer up the best protection they could.
When the reached the center part of the mall, Aedan stopped and stared. There were so many preternatural beings walking past the shops, stepping into them, simply staring into the windows. She found herself surrounded by clothing stores, jewelry chains, shoe shops, and various little esoteric shops that sold anything and everything under the sun. She saw a phone shop nestled between a big name underwear chain and a place that sold movies and music. It was an odd collection of places and people and things. It should have been uncomfortable and weird. It wasn't.
Aedan turned left and started along the central walk. She saw a pet store and a comic store. There was a trendy clothing boutique right next door to a place that obviously catered to the goth and punk crowds. Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to step inside. See what was happening.
There was loud music playing over the store's PA, something she didn't know. The singer was practically screaming something about the government while a guitar screeched painfully in the background. She did her best to tune the music out and concentrate on the goods offered up for sale by the place. It was a bizarre mix of dark and depressing combined with sheer and sexy. There was a dash of cute here and there. Aedan found herself drawn to a wall of t-shirts with all kinds of sayings on them.
"We should get that one for you," she told Jean Claude, motioning with one hand toward a tee that had 'Vampires do it with bite!' scrawled across it in a crimson script that was pretty close to blood. Her eyes came to rest on one that saw her giggling. "That one's for me."
"You would wear a shirt that said 'Animators can raise anything' in public?" he asked her, eyeing the shirt critically. The A in Animators looked like a headstone.
"I would wear it at home. For bed. And possibly for other occasions," she told him, leaving to his imagination just what those other occasions might be. He slanted her a look that told her he wasn't amused.
"Is there anything I can help you folks with?" a voice asked from behind them. Both Aedan and Jean Claude turned to find a teen wearing something meant to look punk was staring at them eagerly, obviously hoping to make a sale. Then his eyes got really big when he got a good look at Jean Claude. "Holy shit! You're the Master of the City! Here. In the mall. In my shop. No one is going to believe this. Can I get a picture with you?"
"I am afraid that is out of the question," Jean Claude replied. The kid looked crest-fallen at being turned down. Aedan kind of felt bad for him. "My associates and I are simply out for a relaxing night on the town."
"Oh, come on. Let the kid get a picture with you," Aedan said. "One photo won't hurt anything. If you do it, I'll even skip the animators t-shirt. Maybe I'll get the other one instead." She was teasing him. The smile on her face told him as much.
"And will you wear it for me?" he asked her, his voice a suggestive purr as it echoed around her head.
Aedan only smiled brighter and turned to find her size. She heard Jean Claude chuckle. "Very well. You may have your picture," he told the kid.
"Here. We can use my phone," the kid said, already digging his cell from his pocket. Aedan came back with a t-shirt in hand and took the phone from him. She motioned him toward Jean Claude while getting the camera ready. The kid stood next to the vampire, a big grin on his face.
"Say cheese, boys," she intoned, then held the phone up and aimed it their way. The kid said it, flashing a mouth full of brilliant white teeth. Jean Claude smiled, gave her the barest hint of fang. Aedan hit the button. The flash went off and they all heard the sound the phone made as it snapped the picture. She handed the phone back to the kid, the picture on display for him. "Here you go."
"Wow. Thanks! This was awesome!"
She watched as the kid headed back toward the register area, staring down at his phone in amazement. Aedan grinned up at Jean Claude. Then she turned and started browsing again, looking for anything quaint and quirky that she might like. Jean Claude followed along behind her, his magic pressing against her skin unconsciously. She found it comforting.
In the end, she ended up getting the Animators t-shirt, too, as well as a bottle of cologne that reminded her of the cemetery and dead leaves. The kid was all smiles when he rang up their purchase. She handed him cash when he rattled off the total. He gave her her change, then her bag, and told to have a good evening and come back again. Aedan took the bag, looked at her companions, and headed for the door.
Jean Claude fell into step beside her, the Wicked Truth behind them and the rats on either side. As they walked, people began to stop and stare. She figured it was a safe bet that the Master of the City didn't slum it at the mall like all the normal vampires, which meant their date was going to be a momentous occasion for just about everyone there. She wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. But there was nothing to do about it but make the best of the situation. She glanced at her date. "Are there any stores here that you'd like to visit?" she asked him.
She watched as he thought about it, then he turned to her with a smile that she wasn't sure she should trust. "There is one shop, if you will indulge me."
"My spider sense is telling me that I should say no. But I asked. The least I can do is go ahead and indulge you."
Jean Claude's smile grew bigger before he motioned ahead of them with one hand. "We are already going in the right direction."
They traveled along in silence, Aedan left to wonder just what Jean Claude had up his sleeve. She was fairly certain they weren't going to any run of the mill shop. She only hoped that she wasn't going to be embarrassed or anything like that. She could just imagine what he had in mind.
The crowds continued to stare, some of them stopping to whisper as they passed by. She could just see the headlines now: "Master of the City Slumming it at Local Mall!" If she was lucky, they wouldn't mention her in the story. On occasion, some of the vampires would stop and chat with Jean Claude, which left Aedan to stand at his side and wait patiently for the conversation to wrap up. Then they'd be on their way again.
They finally came to a stop in front of a brightly lit shop with windows full of fetish wear. Aedan shot Jean Claude a look that asked if he was serious. He only smiled and nudged her inside. The girl behind the counter glanced up at them, then moved to the back of the shop. Jean Claude escorted Aedan toward the girl, who smiled and opened a cabinet behind her. The cabinet was loaded with weapons. All of them were sharp and pointy. She looked up at him. "Seriously? Swords and knives?" she asked.
"After the charity event, and your ingenuity, I realized that you were in need of some easy to carry, easy to hide weapons. You may pick whatever you like," he told her, one elegant hand motioning to the weapons the girl was showing them.
Aedan smiled, then turned to look at the clerk. "They're all legit weapons? That will take down any foe?"
"Any foe. And if you need something tweaked, we can do that."
"So these are all custom made?" Aedan's eyes got big when the girl nodded her head. "Fuckin' A! Let me see that double edged sword with the leather grip."
Now this was her idea of shopping.
Tags:
- author: ladydeathfaerie,
- character: aedan kinkade,
- character: asher,
- character: damian,
- character: isis moonrip,
- character: janika odon,
- character: jason schuyler,
- character: jean claude,
- character: micah callahan,
- character: minette poulson,
- character: nathaniel graison,
- character: rhiannon fitzpatrick,
- universe: anita blake
(no subject)
Date: 2018-06-21 06:56 am (UTC)It was absolutely lovely to see a (relatively) normal evening out for everyone. (Relatively considering the ongoing threats hanging over their heads and whatnot, of course.) It's a great and much needed respite and exploring characters is always fun, and you do it so well. :-)
Nathaniel and Rhia NEED that baby, dammit! :-) Soooo sweet!
And oh gads, Minette's one lucky lady - Legend, Labyrinth, Micah and Jason?! I must say, what a delicious combination. :-) Love how Micah sort of takes on a 'fatherly' role, at least for a moment. "Children..." *snickers*
I do believe Isis and Damien have taken Dirty Dancing to a literal level pretty much. Long ride home indeed...lol. ;)
Asher and Janika doing 'Chicago' is so great! Leave it to JC to give them access to his own personal box at the theater. It IS in who you know. :-)
And holy shit on a shingle, Aedan and JC killed me at the mall! LOLOL! Oh my god...just...that vampire knows her too damn well and knows what gets to her - a clandestine weaponry place. Is that next to Hot Topic or Auntie Anne's pretzels? ;-)
Had a great time reading this and, like I said, it's nice to have a brief interlude from the darkness and danger and just explore the characters in a relatively normal, relaxed way. :-) Back to business in the next chapter I 'fear'...LOL. ;-)
Kudos!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-06-21 01:38 pm (UTC)i know it seems like its always violence and death and gore and threats and darkness and danger and... well, it mostly is. but there are occasions where we get to see a softer side to everyone because it cannot be grimdark all the time.
i imagine Nathaniel and Rhia would make amazing parents and i really kind of want to see Nathaniel cradling a wee baby in his arms. it would be enough to melt my heart.
i'm sure Minette thoroughly enjoyed her evening at the movies. great fantasy and great company. the best of times. and of course Micah would be the one taking on that fatherly role. even if it was half-hearted and only for a few seconds. someone has to be the adult.
Isis is a girl who knows what she wants. and she wants Damian. she was just trying to convey the message. she should have known better than to play that game with someone as old as Damian is. the man was a Viking, after all. he plays to win.
i admit that Asher and Janika going to see Chicago has a great deal to do with Daz and her love of musical theater. it really kind of seemed like a natural progression there. and i really think its a good outing for Asher. he's spent too much of the series being angry. and treated like crap. its time he got to be in the spotlight a little bit.
Aedan and Jean Claude originally stumped me. i could not figure out what the two of them could do that was a fun, mindless date night thing that they hadn't already done. the mall just kind of rose up to mock me. and seeing as Jean Claude is trying hard to give Aedan some of the childhood she missed, it seemed fitting. also, i'm sure they left that shop with more than weapons. it does specialize in custom made fetish gear, too...
thanks for reading. i'm glad you enjoyed!
(no subject)
Date: 2018-08-05 08:03 pm (UTC)Also the music and outdoorsyness was quite lovely.
Minette and her boys watching a double feature - somehow that seems oddly fitting. Two guys. Two movies. Just me? Yes. Alrighty then. Moving on....
Isis and Damian out dancing was a nice change. She is just so blunt. LOL I'm surprised they didn't get it on in the back seat of the car.
I might be a little jealous of Janika. Just a little bit. Asher is so yummy here and just so much more likable than in the damn books. And Chicago is one of my favorites. Lucky, lucky girl. I'm glad I get to live vicariously through all of them.
The mall? Why am I not surprised by that. Honestly, the biggest shock was JC agreeing to the picture, even if Aedan did have something to do with that decision. I can only imagine the headlines. Does he have a PR person working for him at the local papers? I bet he does.
(no subject)
Date: 2018-08-05 09:56 pm (UTC)i liked the idea of Minette and the boys just kicking back and doing something normal. Micah and Jason are pretty level-headed and just... calm? so movies and popcorn and laughter and fun seemed like a good way to go with the three of them.
you know... its likely that they've gotten it on in the car. at least once. just sayin'.
i am so determined to make Asher as normal as possible. i'm not saying he's not allowed to be angry about what happened. people generally don't get over things like that easily. and he's had hundreds of years to think about it. but he shouldn't be angry all the time. i think she's done him a great disservice by treating him that way. she honestly writes him like a child a good portion of the time. and that's not fair to him or his fans. he's so much more than that. (also, its so convenient that Asher is more into men than women because that makes it easier to cut him out of Anita and Jean Claude's bed. cos she's a fucking coward) so, as i said before, this story is my homage to Asher and who he should be. and i'm really fucking determined to make sure he's a normal human being with normal wants and desires and everything that goes along with it.
to be honest, i struggled for something for those two to do together. Jean Claude is so determined that Aedan have a taste of what she missed growing up. and once the mall popped into my head, it just kind of stuck there. but i had to make it more than just the regular mall. you know?
really, the whole point of this chapter was to have everyone just doing something normal. cos it can't be all blood and guts and gore all the time. that would give the characters fatigue. and it would give you guys fatigue. so there has to be some normal stuff. this is what my brain came up with.
glad you got to read, honey. and i'm glad you liked it. thanks for the read and the comment.