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

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

"To be fair? Not very many people have." At least from their perspective. "I may not be able to guide you towards anything close to simple. But I think I can promise some fun."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled a little. "It's been a while since I just had fun."

She wasn't sure she ever had, when she thought about it.

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

He pulled her closer, still careful to keep the embrace loose.

"We will have to fix that then."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She sighed, softly, a content little sound.

"I'd like that."

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

"I'd like that too."

He was unable to mask the slight purr in his voice.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

Her breath caught at the purr, and she looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

"It's warmer inside..."

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

He nodded.

"I am sure that it is."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She swallowed, wetted her lips, which felt too dry.

"Would you like to come in?"

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

"I suppose, my answer is?"

Rainer reached out with his free hand, two fingers tucked under Surreal's chin as he tilted it upwards.

"That depends."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She held his eyes. Her voice was very soft.

"Depends on what?"

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

He didn't take his hand away from her face.

"On if I will be trading weeks worth of your company --"

Deft fingers traced the elegant line of Surreal's jaw.

"For just one night."

Not that it would ever be just one night. Rainier knew that. But he wasn't sure what the morning after would look like, and he much prefered the idea of seeing her again.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She tilted her head closer to his.

"I..." Her fingers traced his cheek, unsure of what she wanted. Except that the one thing she was sure of was on his honeymoon. And she... "I don't want to be alone." Even that much vulnerability made her want to snarl at herself.

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

"Then I will stay."

That was something different. Did she sense that?

He quietly pressed a kiss to her cheek.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

The kiss on the cheek was unexpected, gentler than what she expected. What she wanted, out of sheer contrariness to herself and what she'd planned.

She turned her head to find his lips, her hand sliding around the back of his neck.

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

*Surreal?*

Since their mouths had given up on words, he chose another form of communication.

That was before the growl from the back of his throat, as Rainier tugged her closer. He could only take so much.

She kissed like she tangoed.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

There. That...feeling sliding through her. Heat and desire and want. It was simple if you reduced it to this.

Her fingers wound through his hair, ceding control of the kiss, but only slightly.

*Come inside...*

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

He stood, lifting her with him before pressing them both into the door.

He wasn't past the point of saying no. Not yet.

But it was another edge they traveled, and it was getting sharper with each second.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She slid an arm around him, one hand tracing down his back. A moment to savour the pressure, the feel of him against her, warming all the right places.

She opened the door using Craft, breaking the kiss only out of some vague sense that her presence might bring the staff running.

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

The moment the kiss broke, he reached for one of Surreal's hands.

"If you run away from me tomorrow morning?" He whispered the words outloud. He wanted to taste the tone first, and make sure it was right. "I am going to be very, very dissapointed."

His kissed her wrist with obvious heat.

"Think of all the plays we would miss."

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

"I promise I'll still go to the theatre with you..."

She didn't, couldn't, promise it would happen again. That she wouldn't run from this. But she wouldn't run from him.

Her fingers wound through his, eyes staying on his as she moved towards the stairs.

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

His thumb traced her palm.

*Every performance. You take care to remember that, Lady.*

Eyes on hers, Rainier followed Surreal step for step.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

*Every performance...* She agreed with a nod.

Her room. A low fire laid to warm it, ready for her, though the house sounded like it slept. The door closed behind them, and then she slid into his arms again, face tilted for another kiss.

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

*Good.*


He kissed her, teasing her mouth open with his own. Warm palms pressed into the small of her back, pulling Surreal closer as his thumbs traced the curving lines of her hips.

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She pushed everything else out of her mind to focus in on him. Her lips parted for him as her hands stroked over his back, smoothing down the material of his coat, feeling his muscles under it.

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

Slowly, he explored her mouth, tongues tangling briefly before becoming something softer. He broke away, mouth finding her cheek. Her jaw. Her collarbone.

He focused in, listening to learn what pleased her.