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.

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His hands continued to stoke over her back. Willing to put the questions away -- for now. And hoping to ease her into sleep.

It had been a strenuous few days.

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She'd slept next to Daemon. Falonar. That was it. She didn't usually let her guard down that much.

But she was tired, and he was warm, and he'd done nothing but try and protect her. To...she skittered away from any softer words. Protect was hard enough.

Her eyes drifted shut, relaxing into the soft touches.

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

Once he felt her eyes close, Rainer wrapped both his arms tight around her and began to drift himself.

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It was warm and...safe. The mere relief of it, of being held, of the nightmare being over...

The bitch was dead. She'd seen to that. And Daemon was gone again. And she was here, being held and the emotional roiling seemed to hit a high and a low all at once.

Hot tears leaked out of her eyes, though she stifled the sob.

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

"Surreal?"

Instantly alert, he brought both his hands to her shoulders as he lifted her just far enough to look into her eyes.

*Surreal?*

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She looked away, squeezing her eyes shut tight.

*I'm fine*

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*No. You're not.*

He had her tears on his chest now. Surely she didn't actually expect him to ignore that? The bitter taste of concern, in his mouth, made that impossible.

His hands moved again, soothing her shoulders and back.

*What is wrong?*

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She didn't know was half the problem.

*It's nothing. Just...tired. From the last few days* Weeks. Months. Years. Centuries.

Something.

She was far too aware of him under her, still pressed intimately against her, and for some reason the fact that she didn't want to move made her cry harder.

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Rainier made a soothing sound from the back of his throat, watching to see if he should draw her closer. He kept his hands in motion.

*The last few days have been tiring.*

He offered the explination in soft tones. Matter of factly. Did Surreal think she wasn't allowed to react to the events around her? To feel natural the natural reactions -- like exhaustion?

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She shivered a little, one hand sliding around him a bit so she could hold on, press closer.

*I don't cry*

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Both arms wrapped around her tightly. He sensed this was not the time to argue. And if his body and words were not completely reconciled? If he agreed with her, even while he pulled her closer? Protective?

So be it.

*You don't cry.*

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She didn't mind the incongruencies. She didn't even mind the protectiveness, just cuddling into him, holding on tight. For some reason, she couldn't stop the sobs shaking her body.

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Talking could be good. Distraction better.

Briefly, Rainier put a warming spell on the blankets.

*If you don't cry? Why don't you tell me what you do, instead*

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*I kill people*

She was shivering. The warmth helped, but it couldn't quite stop the tears or the quaver in her voice.

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He brushed as many of tears away as he could.

*What else?*

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She sniffed a little.

*I have sex?*

Granted, she'd done both of those today, and she was still sobbing.

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*You are very, very good sex.*

He tried running one hand through her tangled hair, soothing and straightening what he could. There was a kiss to her forehead.

*What else?*

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She gave a watery chuckle. *I should hope so after...* But she didn't want to go there.

She pressed a kiss to his chest, trying to think.

*I...don't know. Train? I don't...feel the need to cry often*

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

His hand continued to move through Surreal's hair, as he decided he might be able to help.

*You train. You dance. You like your steaks. You're a good friend.*

These were just some of the observations.

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She wasn't so sure about that last part. Friends beyond Daemon were still to rare. But she settled a bit against his chest, the tears slowing.

*I read a lot. For study and pleasure. Play with Graysfang* Silly wolf that he was.

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Hands, still there. In her hair.

And he followed every word except one.

*Graysfang?*

[birthrightgreen.livejournal.com]

She smiled a little.

*He's Kindred. A wolf. Seems to be under the impression I'm his human*

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Her smile eased the tension in his back and chest.

*A Kindred wolf that has claimed you as its human? He can't be far away then.*

Especially if he sensed her distress.

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Her smile was a touch sad. *He's not overly fond of the city, but he checks in as often as he can stand it* She rested her head back down on his chest. *At the Hall he insists on sleeping on the bed every night. I pointed out that if he was getting that used to civilization, Amdarh wasn't that big of a stretch. He wasn't convinced.*

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

His hands started to work down her back, pressure evenly applied to ease away the tension she still seemed to carry.

*Well, here or not. The Kindred still have a way of keeping close to their loved ones.*