AU for _deadlydance_, set immediately after "The Price"

[birthrightgreen]

She wasn't nervous. She had nothing to be nervous about. It wasn't like it was a romantic evening. They'd just worked so hard on the case, working to catch the rabid witch who'd been slaughtering innocent males. And they had, with Jaenelle's help. Now Jaenelle and Daemon were back on their honeymoon and she...

She was here in Amdarh, back how she had been, nursing the bruises Falonar had left. So, why, exactly was she changing her dress? The one she had on was perfectly acceptable. She was going out dancing with a friend. She could use a friend right now. What she couldn't use was a male thinking he was just going to sweep in and carry her off.

Not that he was probably thinking that, but she was suspicious.

He was a male, and years of seeing them abused by her own sex still hadn't made her trust them as a gender. Then again, she didn't trust most people.

With a growl at herself, she finally settled on a black dress with enough slink to impress and a enough swirl to make a statement on the dance floor, no matter how elegant and formal. Hair pinned half up, the rest left down. If people stared at her ears, so be it.

She was ready. It was going to be fun. She kept repeating that. Fun. With a friend.

Just a friend. He wasn't expecting anything. He wouldn't be that foolish.

She just wished she knew what he wanted.

Comments

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled her thanks, sliding her arm through his.

She didn't know why she was still trembling a little.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

He called her wrap, and took his time placing it over her shoulders.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She snuggled into it, but didn't say anything else until they were outside again.

"It's been...an illuminating few days.'

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

His arm linked hers once more, as he carefully watched her.

"It certainly has." He could not help but ask, though. "Does the good outweigh the bad?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She glanced up at him and she was quiet for a moment, then she nodded.

"I think so, yes."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Then every night. The theater." He watched the street ahread, the path the lights made. "I will make sure you see every moment of that festival."

The sidewalk was narrower. It was why he wasked closr.

"It will be your reward, for being so open, when it is all so different." Rainier finally looked down at her again. "I know it isn't easy."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"I get a reward for being open?" She asked lightly, scrambling to find some of her equilibrium. "Why didn't someone tell me that? I might have tried it ages ago."

But she welcomed his warmth as he pressed into her, pressing into him as well and trying not to think of all the other ways they could warm up on such an abnormally cool night.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"Maybe the time wasn't right before," he offered quietly, before trailing off to enjoy Surreal's initiative. Rainier briefly considered walking to the theater, every night.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"Maybe not," she agreed with a slightly rueful smile. She shivered a little, and cast a warming spell on her wrap, though not so much as to need to move away from him.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"You can draw the line you know." Rainier felt the need to reassure her as they approached her door. "If their behaivor doesn't please you, and if the -- fussing becomes too much. You just have to let them know."

There was a tightness in his smile.

"They respected your wishes in the alley, and they will keep respecting them. That is simply how it works. And if you ever come across one who doesn't listen?"

He finally looked at Surreal again.

"Well, you are the strongest Blood here. Of course you can handle things."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled at that acknowledgement, an open smile, a touch of relief in her eyes, feeling the last little bit of tension drain away.

"That works in the theatre, sugar." A little teasing smile. "Any tips on how to handle the males in my family?" She certainly wasn't clashing the Gray against the Black. "From the perspective of a male and a Warlord Prince."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

Rainier was careful not to let the simple pleasure from being asked for his opinion, reflect on his face. Not because he did not have them - he most certainly did.

No, there were other reasons.

"I suppose, to give the best answer, I would have to know more about how they -- handle you."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She considered that for a few minutes. "It's not that they aren't respectful..." Never that. "They're just..." She thought of Falonar. "Very protective. Uncle Saetan and Lucivar perhaps aren't as aware of what my life was, but Daemon knows. They know I can take care of myself. But if someone...insults me..." She shook her head slightly. "Jaenelle's the only one who can stop them from rash behavior."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"I don't know about that," he said fimly after a moment's thought, paying specific attention to each word. "I think you could stop them if you wanted to."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She gave him a wry smile. "Perhaps. When all three of them descend, though..." A little shrug, pushing her hair back behind her ear again.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"I've dealt with them all individually, so the implications there are not beyond my comprehension." Well, truthfully it was. Buy at least he was aware of that fact.

They were at her door, and Rainier looked it for a moment before extending one hand to offer Surreal a seat on the stoop. Some converstions were better had outside.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She looked slightly surprised at the thought of staying outside, but she acquiesced out of curiosity if nothing else. A bit more warmth from her wrap, and she looked up at him expectantly.

"Trust me, sugar. They're far more forbidding as a group. Though at least I've some idea of how to handle Daemon, and he's the most volatile. It makes the other two easier on an individual basis."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

"We've talked some about your old life Surreal, about what it was like before." He sat down next to her. "But what about now? What is your life like now?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She considered that for a long time, taking a moment to scoot closer to him.

"I don't know. It's in flux, really. Things changing. I suppose I'm just trying to figure out where I fit here."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

His voice was quiet, but focused.

"I think? That when it stops fluxuating, and you figure out what you want? When you take control of your life -- now?"

He studied her in the darkness.

"Then they will finally stop trying to control so much of it for you."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She sighed a little. "That would be...nice. Coming here, leaving Askavi. It's what I'm trying to do. Take control back."

And she was very afraid of giving it away again. The tremble that ran through her said that as loudly as any words could have.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

The arm he placed around her shoulder was there to sooth. And to comfort.

"This is a good place to try."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She tensed for a moment, tempted to pull away. In the end, she leaned into him, accepting the comfort.

"It certainly seems as if it could be."

[http://users.livejournal.com/_deadlydance_/]

A flare of understanding passed through him.

"It's never been simple, has it?"

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"No," she admitted quietly. She slowly lowered her head to his shoulder.