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Post by Orfeo on Nov 4, 2017 18:59:50 GMT -5
"I got into a fight."
Reaver gulped. His throat felt dry and closed. He hugged her, tight, because he didn't want to see what she was thinking if he looked at her. But he was also curious. He wanted to know how she'd react to his words. So he broke off the hug and watched her carefully, nodding his head down just a little, enough so that the two of them would be more at eye level with each other. It was oddly easy to breathe, and he felt relaxed still. His hands held hers gently, scared he's squeeze to hard if he let himself go. Instead, Reaver just spoke, mindlessly, without thinking, and as he spoke he saw himself back there again.
"Trying to protect somebody who would have had it worse than me if I hadn't done anything." He could not help his smile as he looked down for a second, "A stranger who probably doesn't remember that I exist." He looked back up. "It happened close to five weeks ago now. Some guy - I think he was in his late thirties - was harassing some girl about my age. She was clearly uncomfortable and he was starting to get a little physical, even a little aggravated. It was pretty obvious that he was kind of drunk too. We got into a fight." He paused, gulping. "I punched first." She'd told him, when he trained, to be careful with fights. Things could spiral out of control. She was right - he just didn't really believe her all that much at the time. God... she was right. "I punched him in the jaw in the same way you taught me. Hard. As hard as I could. It really hurt. It staggered him back and, in the heat of the moment, I looked to the girl, to make sure she was alright. So I lost my focus, and didn't realize that he had a knife." Reaver breathed hard, letting go of her hands to pull up his shirt. "It didn't hurt much at first," he said as he teased at the scar with his finger. "He stabbed in and then cut sideways. That's why it's so big. Then he ran. I guess, realizing what he'd just done. She ran too. But it was broad daylight, someone called an ambulance. I got scared, you know? Because there was a knife sticking out of me, and there was a lot of blood, and I was scared of pulling it out. So I left it there till I got to the hospital. I was there for, maybe, three weeks? It tore up a lot inside of me, and I lost a lot of blood, and I wasn't recovering well for a while. The scar is going to be permanent. Then, of course, I was let out." Reaver dropped his shirt.
"Before that, I got into another fight. I also started this one, and for the same reason too. I wasn't going to stand around like everyone else. How could I? This fight lasted longer, and I lost, but I also won. They stopped harassing the guy, who ran when I intervened. That felt... kind of good. Both these fights happened on campus, and both of them were started by me." He paused. "There was an investigation done while I was in the hospital by the Dean and the Board. They... ah... they concluded that not once in either one of those situations were the people I was supposedly protected under a threat of being harmed themselves. Which means there was no justification for my action. Furthermore," he was not talking as if he were the Dean, during that meeting, "you started both of those fights, striking first, without first trying to resolve whatever conflict you saw in an orderly manner. You put the lives of students on campus in danger through your crass and careless actions." Reaver shook his head. He was breathing hard now. His heart was hammering against his chest. He could hear it in his ears like drums. "They didn't see what I saw. They wouldn't have seen it if they had been there either. I knew what was going to happen to those people if I hadn't done anything. I don't regret doing what I did. But..." He stopped, then continued. "The school has a no-tolerance policy for assault. From the evidence they had gathered, from what they considered was a thorough investigation, they concluded that what I had done was not one but two acts of assault. No charges were filed against my by the police - thank god - but it didn't stop them from..."
Reaver couldn't say it, so he just moved on. "That meeting was three days ago, four days ago I was let out of the hospital. When I left the Dean's office I went to my room, packed my bags," he nodded to them with his head, "got you your gift, and booked a train back. I had to leave a lot behind. The train ride is two days long. I couldn't sleep." He continued after letting a silence fall for a few seconds, murmuring. "After the train ride, I took the bus here. And, as you know, the bus station is like, ten miles out from town. I didn't really know what to do, and I wasn't really sure on what you were up to when I got there. I didn't want to bother you. So I walked. And I thought during that would. The four hours it took me to get to the diner, that's when I made up my mind to message you. I didn't want to call, in case you were busy. But I knew you'd see the message. So I was just going to wait there, for as long as it took. Ten minutes, an hour, a day," he shrugged, "I had all the time in the world now. I wasn't in a rush. I knew you'd show."
A lot more. Tiny, little things. He didn't know where to start with them and wasn't sure how he'd explain them. But it must have been clear in those confused eyes of his. "I'm back for good... but it's too soon, and I still don't know what... I mean... I'm glad I'm back." He looked at her. "I missed you. I don't know what to tell the rest and-" He stopped. He forced himself to stop. "I can't let them see me like this," he continued. "That's why I need to crash at your place. That's why I need to be out in the next two days. Once I resolve stuff with my money."
Reaver didn't know how to explain the shame. He didn't know how to tell her that he was lost and no longer knew what to do with himself. He wasn't one to just sit by and watch the world go by, but he didn't know what to do either. There were endless open doors ahead of him, and in one night, all of them closed on him.
"And..." he murmured, a nervous laugh escaping his lips, "that's that, pretty much."
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Post by Ventia on Nov 4, 2017 20:17:54 GMT -5
Katie tried keeping her face hidden but Reaver was persistent and soon, she was forced to look at him. Really look at him and know his secrets. Katie couldnt help the little sniffle she had to take once they got onto eye level. So much pain...Katie could feel his pain almost like it was her own. It maybe might have been childish but she held on to his hands firmly. As if telling him while he relived his ordeal-that she was here.
Katie did it for herself as well because holding his hands was also her silent reminder-that he was here now. No matter how bad it got. Her mind flashed back to his scar and she squeezed his hands again. Then? Then Katie listened, smiling a little at the knowledge that once again-Reaver was protecting someone. That smile widened just a tad bit more at the punch but then all humor left her face as the scene played out in front of her.
She could see it in her mind's eye. Reaver had picked up on the man's intent. She didnt doubt it at the least because Katie knew how great his sense of intuition was. She knew how great he was at reading people too. He didnt need to have her advantage of better senses-no, Reaver could see it all by himself. If Reaver believed the woman to have been in danger-Katie believed him. Hell, she herself would have probably done the same thing-even if it was reckless.
"Wasnt smart of you to take your eyes off of the man," Katie scolded gently, her tone almost as soft as her mother's whenever she had done something bad as a child growing up. Because thats how she felt-as if she needed to be soft with Reaver-that one wrong move and she'd lose him. Katie didnt want that. No. Not at all. When he let go of her fingers to lift his shirt up-Katie scooted closer. She was sitting cross legged on the bed, the covers wrapped around her waist. Reaver sat on top of the covers, so when she moved closer, yes was practically touching him but not really.
She bent her head, twisting a little on the bed to get on eye level with the scar. Her fingers danced in front of it, not touching it, but near. As if she wanted to feel the skin. "Does it still hurt?" She asked in one of those quiet moments-doing her best to not let the pain show in her voice. Pain-at seeing him hurt. Even now, after she straightened and went back to holding his hands-Katie battled within herself to simply not cry.
"It's ok," she finally said, her own voice a little hoarse. "I understand Reav. It's going to be fine. Just me and you, yeah?" Katie squeezed his fingers, hard enough that it maybe hurt, but also because she wanted him to look at her. To really look at her through the hole he caved himself in. She realize then what exactly had changed. The extent of how deep the pain went. Of why this change mattered so much to them both.
"You did good, you know." Katie said, rubbing her thumb along the underside of his wrist. "Standing up to bullies or potential rapists. You didnt need to," she shook her head, staring at his shirt as she continued, "but you did it either way. Because your sense of justice is far too strong for you to just ignore it. I believe you and i'm really proud of you." Katie's eyes met his for a second before casting back down towards his stomach.
"Dont get yourself stabbed next time though." It was supposed to come out funny-so that they both could laugh while making a joke about it. So that he could let go of the pain a little, but no. It came out in a little whisper that ending up in a sob. Shit, there it was. Katie's vision of his stomach blurred because she didnt know what to say to him right now. Didnt know what to do that would ease away the pain for him. She desperately wanted to.
She saw that tortured look on his face and it broke her heart down-made her remember what he already had to endure and found it unfair that he had to keep dealing with more. Why? Why couldnt their lives be normal? Why couldnt they feel proud of themselves? Or be happy? She was sick of all the pain that everyone had to go through.
Just because they had tough skin didnt mean that it didnt hurt. It always hurt. Why were they forced to bear with it while barely nothing happened to anyone else. She sniffled, keeping her head down low, her hair a curtain that hid her from him. Katie hated this, hated feeling useless. It ate at her-it always did. It was the reason why she kept busy-because she just couldnt stand being useless. She'd rather go on with barely five hours of sleep than be useless. Was that the reason why all her loved ones kept getting hurt? Because they just couldnt stand being useless?
Katie hated her tears-it made her feel weak. She couldnt be weak right now-not when Reaver sat in front of her looking more broken and lost then ever. Katie opened her mouth, forcing air into her lungs, and shook her head a bit. Her thoughts were all scrambled and her vision cleared. She eased her hands that were still wrapped in Reaver's away and under her face, so that she could wipe away the tears. She blew her nose out a little, thankful for the lack of snot, and then straightened.
Katie knew her face was pink from crying but she ignored it and talked as if she didnt just sob like a five year old in front of him. "I can help you look around for housing-whether that being the town or in the Deadlands." Katie couldnt look at his eyes though so she kept them just below his shoulder, near the right.
"I'm happy you're alive. Really really happy."
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Post by Orfeo on Nov 4, 2017 21:11:59 GMT -5
"It kind of hurts, but it doesn't hurt. If you poke it, then it won't hurt. But sometimes it does hurt. That doesn't make sense but that's how it is." He looked down a little, trying to get a look at her face through her hair. He didn't know what to say that would comfort Katie. Granted, there probably wasn't anything to say that would make either one of them feel better. Simply, they'd just have to face up to what happened and deal with it... some way or another. It helped talking it through though. Getting it off his chest.
It all reminded him of that time when he told her how much he hated that he couldn't shift and how much he felt like a mutt. That word used to hurt but now it was just a joke that he cared nothing about. It had been a problem that was maybe insignificant to others and really only impacted him, but a problem nonetheless that he managed to get off his chest, and over time feel better about. He knew that would be the case for this same situation. It hurt, it hurt him a lot, but he'd get over it sooner or later and in the end it would just turn out to be a memory that the two of them could look back on and laugh about. Just the two of them, because nobody else would probably hear this story again. Not in the same way he'd told Katie. He was good at putting out white lies and half-truths. When push came to shove and when his time to return to the pack for real finally arrived, Reaver would have a solid story in his mind to explain it all.
But she'd know the truth.
"It had to be the dumbest thing I've ever done in my life," he murmured lightly, a small smirk playing at his face. "And a hell of a lot scarier than that cave-in we went through together once." Because, back then, nothing really happened to him. "And it really isn't until a moment like that happens to you that you realize you really aren't invincible, but damn..."
Reaver laid down, forcing her to lay with him, next to him, even if she hadn't wanted to. He held one arm under her head and around her shoulders, his hand resting against her far arm, as his other hand fell across his chest, and his eyes moved to stare at the ceiling above Katie's bed. He just lay like that for a minute or two, contemplating what to say next, listening. Her house - it was all really silent with her mom and her brother weren't home. And when he and Kate weren't yelling at each other or making a hell of a ruckus, they were quiet as mice. Their conversations held in hushed whispers as if not wishing to let anyone listen in on their conversations. He closed his eyes and could already smell Ms. Black frying bacon in the kitchen below as his heart thumped at the workout Katie had just put him through outside in the yard. Pushups, sit-ups, jumping jacks, then three laps around the house - all just for a warmup to their eventual full workout that he really did not want to be a part of. After that workout came shooting practice, and after years, he still sucked with a gun. Hopeless, but still trying, and still hating the way it felt in his hands. Then came fighting practice, going over the basic moves, stances, and then sparring against each other; she always went easy on him first until his taunting became too much, at which point she proceeded to kick his ass in increasingly creative ways - simply to prove a point.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
Reaver squeezed her arm lightly. "God it felt good to punch them like that," he murmured, unable to contain a small laugh as he finally opened his eyes. "It's a little... addicting. Scarily so. But it was satisfying to do it." Sure, he got his ass kicked afterward, but "that first punch is always the best. When you take them by surprise and just, bam." He breathed in deep and breathed out hard till his lungs were empty, then breathed in again.
It all felt a little better now. "I think by now you know the areas better than I do, so yeah, a little help with housing would be nice." He bit his lip, thinking. "I don't need any apartment. Just a small motel room to rent out for a couple of days, yeah? I don't care if it's in Town or if it's in the Deadlands, just as long as it's somewhere that pack people wouldn't normally show up at." They'd report it if they found out. The Alpha's nephew is here? Of course they'd report it. They'd be crazy not too. "Just till it's all sorted in my head. I know what they'll say when they see me. Oh, don't worry, it's fine. I know it's fine to them. And I know I have a home here with the pack. But that's not the point, you get me? The point is-" he stopped. "I don't know what the point is, actually. But it's there, somewhere. I refuse to show up empty handed while taking the pity of everyone around me like some damned lost pup just fished out of the fucking sewers." He had to stop again. Breathing hard. His heart was beating fast again.
"Sorry," he whispered lowly, turning his head to finally look at her, enjoying their shared warmth. Breathing this close to her he could smell her scent again. A calming scent. "It's good being back though. Here, at least. You've kinda done good for yourself a little." Reaver pulled himself in a little closer. "Also, you owe me a 'do anything you want' reward."
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Post by Ventia on Nov 10, 2017 15:51:12 GMT -5
Katie never cried in front of anyone before-anyone but Reaver that was. Katie didn’t mind crying because it had taken her a long time to understand that sometimes she needed to cry. Katie needed to get that out of her system and feel better-she just hated crying in front of anyone else.
Crying made her feel vulnerable and Katie didn’t like anyone seeing that side of her. It made her feel weak and helpless when Katie was by far not any of those things. But with Reaver, she knew that she was safe to cry as much as she wanted. Not that Katie was going to make it a habit and sob her eyes out every time she saw him-but Reaver was her safe place.
So when he pulled her down, Katie went, curling on his side as if it were second nature, her face pressed into his shoulder. His scent relaxed her, letting those last shudders ease away from her body and soon, Katie found herself breathing evenly as he rubbed her arm. Her hand rested on his chest, just a few inches away from his scar. Katie was still afraid of hurting him but she was reassured that it was completely healed.
She stayed quiet as he spoke, her fingers pressing against the fabric of his shirt, feeling the warm skin underneath. It felt good-hearing him talk and having him alive and next to her. Something came over her then and Katie closed her eyes, turning her face into his shoulder, rubbing her eyes as she did.
“Well if you like it,” Katie began, mumbling into his arm, “then we can always start training again. But I don’t think you’ll like it too much. Some self defense classes would be good for you and I think you should know enough so that nothing like this happens again.” Katie let her fingers hover on top of his injury and softly her fingers pressed against the shirt.
“A motel?” Katie frowned, her fingers still gentle, “nonsense, why a motel? I can help with a little room or something.” Katie opened her eyes finally to look at him because she couldn’t determine what he was thinking just by his voice alone. She took one look at his face and then snuggled closer, her hand moving clear from his wound.
“Fine. I know a good place that you can camp out for the first couple days or so.” Katie smiled at his next words, enjoying the feel of him pulling her closer or was he snuggling closer to her? Either way, Katie liked it.
“It’s good to have you back,” pausing, Katie turned on the bed so that she was lying more on her stomach and propping herself up on her elbows. She was still pressed into his side but now she could see him. Some strands of her hair fell around her shoulders, lying now on his arm.
“Oh?” Katie smiled, tucking a few strands back, “let’s hear it. Knowing you, you’ve been brainstorming about it since back at the diner. Come on,” she scooted closer, leaning a bit over him to get a good look of his eyes.
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Post by Orfeo on Nov 11, 2017 2:45:50 GMT -5
“I’m not scared of your training,” he muttered softly, almost laughing too, “but just go a little easy on me. These six months, well, I maybe haven’t been keeping in shape all that well.” Hardly at all, honestly. Reaver doubted his ability to keep up with one of Katie’s training days in the same way he used to right before he left. It was a silly thought as much as it was a little frightening as well. The girl could be relentless sometimes.
His eyes flicked over her when she finally succumbed to his idea. Of course, she’d know a place. That’s why he had gone to her first and foremost. Once again, Katie was pulling through for him for the… shit, he’d lost track of how many times she’d done him a solid favor. Reaver groaned internally, adding another checkmark to his mental list of things he needed to do to return favors for her. He didn’t really say anything, though. She had probably already figured things out by the time she spoke, so if she wasn’t going to bring it up now then it would come up later. A topic for the next day.
It warmed his heart a little whenever she said things like that, telling him it was good to have him back. He felt a sense of belonging he hadn’t felt since the day he left. Reaver sighed out a little, watching as Katie rolled over, smirking as her hair tickled at his arm.
“Well…” Reaver bit at his lip, his view of the ceiling now slightly obscured by Katie’s penetrating gaze. He tried to make the effort to not look into them but couldn’t as well help that wandering gaze of his. It was difficult to read her sometimes, as easy as it seemed other times. At this very moment? Well, she could’ve been thinking anything. She’d probably be thinking about what he was thinking, in which case he was thinking about a lot of things. Too many things. Granted, all revolved around her, yet still it was more than he was ready to process. “I might have given it some thought.”
Reaver brought a hand up and gently brushed his finger across her cheek, hooking some strands of hair against the inside of his thumb and placing them behind her ear, killing his smile briefly to try and make himself look as serious as he possibly could. “After all, you made me eat cheesecake. That’s, like, a transgression of the soul. A national crime. A capital offense. A… A…” again, biting his lip. He did that too much. “…A crime against humanity. My humanity.” He chuckled, happy with himself and his dramatic little speech. He brushed his thumb lightly against her cheek and pulled his hand back against his chest, blinking lightly as he gazed back at her. “Which means that, if anything, my reward should be me punishing you.”
A wide grin played at his face, one which he could honestly not control, as he used his arm to prop himself up a little – it was just enough so that there were but a couple of inches between him and her. Reaver no longer tried to look anywhere else but in her eyes. “I just get this awful little feeling that you’re kinda into getting punished.” He shrugged – a small movement of his shoulders up and then down – and then spoke a little more softly, gently. An in between of murmuring and whispering. It put a light strain on his voice, made it sound more raspy and deeper than it normally was. “I mean, you still haven’t shown me your sex toys. Meaning that you’re hiding them for a reason because I refuse to believe you have none. And if you’re hiding them it means it’s something… kinky?” He huffed, blowing air against her face, and dropped himself back against the mattress, again creating that distance between both their heads. “Probably a whip or something.” Reaver rolled his eyes as the grin turned into a small smirk. "Who knows?"
He chuckled again. Low, rumbling, guttural, straight from his chest. With a small and mischievous smile, he continued, “So I’m stuck at this crossroads then. On the one hand I kind of want to actually punish you for making me eat cheesecake, like making you do something you wouldn’t necessarily like to do or forcing you to tell me some juicy little tidbits about your life you haven’t told me yet; on the other hand, I want to make myself feel better about eating cheesecake, cause I’m greedy like that, so maybe I want you to go get me a stiff drink since you're the pro bartender between the two of us, or maybe a kiss?” Lord, he fought hard to fight that blush that threatened to show, spreading a wide smile to seem as snarky and cocksure of himself and as challenging as he could.
“Your choice.” Again, Reaver shrugged, smiling wide, finally turning his eyes away from hers and turning his head slightly to look off to the side in a futile attempt to hide a knowing smirk.
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Post by Ventia on Nov 15, 2017 16:08:03 GMT -5
Katie smiled a little but her mind was elsewhere-like back to the days where she had trained him. Spent hours in the sun-sometimes with Jareth by their side or Mom watching from the porch-just trying to get him more used to either exercising or weapon training. She remembered when he tried shooting-how'd he close both of his eyes just as he was about to pull the trigger. Katie's smile widen as the memories played out. "I'll be nice," she promised, brushing off invisible lint from his shirt.
They were really close, Katie couldnt help but notice. She was pressing against him constantly. The whole right side of hers was pressed into Reaver's left side. Her elbow was nustled just in the spot between his armpit and chest. Her hair was draped on the bed, her back, and parts of him-Katie should have moved it out of the way (once again thinking she'd ought to have a haircut) but at the same time, she liked seeing it against Reaver. It was pretty and it made Reaver look even more-more like Reaver. Which was in a way, a retarded thing to say, because Reaver was always Reaver-
But on the other hand, Reaver was the real Reaver only when he was with her. It made him look comfortable, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. It made him look like he was finally home. He was, wasnt he? Yes, Katie thought, he had told her so already. She flicked her attention away from his arm and caught his eyes instead, her eyebrows raising slightly to indicate that she was waiting for whatever it was that he thought of.
Katie could have moved out of the way-away from his touch. She studied body language for her whole life-she knew he was goiing to touch her the moment his spine striaghtened and his arm lifted. But Katie stayed there, silent. She wasnt sure why she had always found herself quiet in moments like these, where a touch meant more than words ever could. But she did, and when his fingers touched her cheek, Katie's eyes closed. Warmth cupped her cheek, her head tickled, her ears started to flush, and when Katie opened her eyes again, she had naturally leaned into his hand, bringing her slightly closer.
"Drama queen." Katie rolled her eyes, her voice was a little breathless as if she had just done a few laps. "It's really not that bad, I think that you just act like this to get under my skin. Psh." He had touched her with the hand that had his tattoo on, it caught her eye when he caressed her cheek, and Katie couldnt help herself. She bent down, pressed a kiss to the side of his wrist, and then watched him move it away. She was smiling as well even if his words should have alarmed her.
It definitely did something new to her-like she had thought before. This was new territory between them-uncharted waters that they have never be in before. At least-not with each other. Katie felt her heartbeat kick up a notch as he laid on his elbows, making their faces closer than it had been before. Once again, Katie couldnt help but notice how close they were. His face, now just a few inches away from her own, his body, warm and solid and pressed against hers. Her cheek was still warm from his touch.
She swallowed, unable to look away from his eyes. Such pretty eyes-she knew Reaver had a thing about his eyes before but Katie always felt most at home when those eyes were looking at her. Now those eyes were hiding something that hadnt been there six months ago. Even his words-sure they've talked about sex before and they joked around-but this was...different.
Different and left her stomach both warm and in a twist. "Punishment?" Katie asked softly, feeling as if she spoke too loud then he'd be able to feel her breath on his lips. "You think I like punishment?" Her lips curved upwards just a little, her cheeks were slightly pink, and her eyes were dark-almost completely black. Something wolf-like came alive in her dark depths and she curved her body, moving closer to Reaver until her nose touched the soft and delicate skin of his neck.
Katie let out a breath then, letting it touch another's skin, even as her teeth started to throb with a persistent ache. Reaver smelled good-too good now that he was fully bathed and had her scent on him. It was slightly hypnotic, being in such a dangerous and life threatening position, with her teeth begging to become canines, and having Reaver smelling more like her than ever. His scent filled her head, his throat throbbed as he spoke in that sweet low voice of his, and she cocked her head-her nose still in contact with his throat.
"You're right." Katie told the jumping jugular and then eased away just as Reaver had. When she met his eyes, her own were bright blue-almost shinning in delight. "Also, my choice? Arent you just the sweetest thing, Reaver. You dont take what you want-you just give choices." She tsked then, curling a strand of her hair with her finger.
"Such a shame." She blew out air-this time not afraid if it touched his face, and then scooted off the bed. She had taken off her shoes but didnt mind walking around in her socks. Her house was clean enough-if it hadnt be, she'd taken the time it took to put her boots back on but no.
"I'll be back with one stiff drink since you're so greedy for alcohol." Katie gave Reaver a look before opening her door, taking her time to go down the stairs, feeling her face burn with every step. A kiss? Katie reached the bottom of the stairs and turned, making her way to the kitchen on autopilot. She had alcohol in her room-she just wanted a minute away from Reaver. Away from the spell that he had been creating. Away so that she could think.
What were they? Now? When he had left-there was a understanding that they both liked each other in a different way other than just best friends. There was a tension-ever since their first date. But they never truly talked about it-just hanged out with that knowledge between them. There were plenty moments, Katie thought as she pulled two glasses out of the rack, where it felt like they were dating. Plenty moments.
He had came back and called only her-he didnt want anyone but her to know that he was back home. Didnt want the Pack knowing. Did she mind that-hiding him from the Pack that she spent all this time trying to better? Did she mind doing that to the Pack? No, not really. Katie loved the Pack-she saw herself staying here all her life but did she feel guilty for hiding Reaver? No. Why?
Why didnt she feel guilty about not reporting him in? She knew the answer-oh yes, Katie knew it. She didnt care because Reaver meant more to her than what the Pack did. The Pack was her home yes-the place where she grew up-but Reaver was so much more. He was, Katie thought to herself as she poured herself a hefy amount of whiskey in her cup. Then she took a gulp out of the bottom, feeling the alcohol burn her throat as it went down.
Katie took two more swallows, then then a third, and then went on to making Reaver's drink. It wasnt with whiskey-Reaver didnt share her like of that but instead it was a white rum. Smooth and left your mouth feeling tingly. She mixed it with just ice, as was her own cup, thinking he'd need the alcohol as much as she did. With both of the bottles in one hand, and the two cups in the other, Katie made her way back up the stairs, back up to Reaver.
When she looked at him through the opened door, she smiled. "The drink is on the house. It's the kiss I want."
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Post by Orfeo on Nov 15, 2017 21:44:54 GMT -5
He was frozen for all the wrong and all the right reasons. The proximity wasn’t one he’d grown used to, even when it came from Katie. It was a relative new experience for him. Yet he also wasn’t pulling away because he kind of liked it too, the soft touch against his neck, barely perceptible as her breath tickled at his skin whenever she spoke. It was distracting, so much so that Reaver didn’t register many of Katie’s words until she commented on his tendency to give choices. He’d just been looking over her shoulder, still as can be, his breathing making his body press against hers ever so slightly whenever he filled his lungs with both the scent of her and the clean quality the air in her room.
Reaver only wrinkled his nose a little when he felt air hit him in the face, his lips curved into a small and sheepish smile. “I’m a wolf in sheep’s clothing!” he called out as he watched her leave. “I take what I want when you least expect it. It’s more fun for me like that.” Though by the time he finished his sentence Katie had already been out of the room, so he doubted that she heard him say that.
“Greedy about alcohol my ass,” Reaver mumbled as he shook his head slowly. It’s not like he could help himself. Especially so when he was around someone who was more than willing to provide him with what he wanted if he just asked nicely and flashed a smile. Reaver blinked, realized there was some truth to Katie’s words, and then sighed in defeat.
A small chuckle formed at the back of his throat, that one kind of chuckle he always let out whenever an idea began forming in the back of his mind. They were ideas that quickly molded and reformed into other ideas, over and over again until it was nothing compared to that original thought he had. Reaver had sat up as soon as Katie had gotten past the threshold to her room and he draped his legs over the side of her bed, his eyes darting left and right as he took in his surroundings once more in silence.
Her old bed was nicer than the twin she had now, but at the very least her room looked more spacious for it. Reaver bit his lip, jumped off the bed and got on his knees, and very quickly he took a peek under the bedframe. His heart was skipping beats but then he just heaved a disappointed sigh when he found nothing he could really embarrass her with. With a shrug he sat back on the edge of the bed and sat staring at the door, waiting for the girl to make her return.
Was he crossing a line by now? Maybe… no – not maybe. Reaver was more than certain that he was crossing a line by this point. Should he feel guilty about it, especially when he knew that he was crossing these lines? No. No guilt. Not when it felt so natural. Beside, the line was so blurred as it is, there may as well not have been one to begin with. But if it felt so natural then why play at the little games that he did? Because, often, he asked himself as to why he didn’t just go out and take that next step. It felt as if there were a string attached between the two of them, being tugged back and forth. At times that string was slacked, yet others it was pulled taut. Tension. He loved the tension. He loved watching how she’d react to the way he reacted. These little games built around so much truth kept him on his toes, and maybe they did for her too. It kept things interesting.
Interesting? He bit his lip. That was the crux of it all, he guessed. There was a small fear in the back of his mind, whenever his thoughts strayed to that territory of taking the next step, that always made him pull back just a little. How to keep her interest. Reaver scratched at the back of his neck, already knowing that he was being absurd by just thinking these things, and yet also painfully aware of the fact that he was scared he wouldn’t be able to make himself seem interesting enough to keep her fascinated, on her toes, expecting an unexpected – a fear that he wouldn’t be able to pull back and create that tension that was always there if he dared take that next step. Absurd, extremely absurd, he thought to himself, and realized that if Katie ever had a peek at these thoughts she’d probably slap some sense into him.
Those thoughts were dispelled when his ears caught that familiar sound of padded footsteps against the floor, right outside the room. Reaver had been looking down at the ground, his hands clasped together in thought, but at that very moment his eyes looked back up with a rejuvenated spark to them, and a soft and warm smile replaced pursed lips that threatened to betray his state of deep (almost meditative) thoughts.
Reaver stood a little bit too quickly as he watched Katie, looking at her face and then her hands. “Really?” he questioned, fighting and failing to suppress how his face burned at her very forward demand. He stretched is hands out over his head and groaned softly, then lazily made his way over to her, quick enough so he’d catch her before she made it too far into the room. He was glad that her hands were occupied with bottles and cups, so much in fact that it almost showed through the mischievous grin on him. “You know, the point of a choice is that you’re supposed to pick between one or the other. Once you start taking everything, well, then it’s no longer much of a choice, is it?” Reaver tilted his head a little, gently placing his right hand against the side of her neck, his fingers tightening around Katie’s soft skin just slightly, while he reached up with the other hand to tease at some of her black hair, running it lightly between his fingers.
“Between the two of us,” he murmured, lowering himself a bit so they’d be more at eye level with each other while at the same time pulling himself in closer, “you come out as the greedy one. Not me.” Reaver leaned in a little bit more, carefully watching her eyes, until at last he felt his lips brush against hers.
Though, it could hardly be called that. The contact lasted for merely a split second – purposefully so. It only gave Reaver the most feint sensation he could possibly feel. Hell, had his eyes been closed he could have easily mistaken that small touch to just the wind caressing the very topmost layer of the skin on his lips. He wasn’t sure on how it would be for Katie, knowing that she was more sensitive to touch than he was, but figured it wasn’t anywhere what she would have wanted by telling him that she wanted the kiss. It was, after all, the plan. His masterful creation he’d concocted in that brief spell of silence he had when Katie had left the room. Maybe that’s what he wanted? To let her know, show her, just how dangerous it was to leave him to do things by his own volition.
Reaver pulled back with a sly smirk after huffing softly on her face, lightly licking at his lip, his hands pulling away from her neck and hair so they could take the cup and bottle that now rightfully belonged to him. “You get your kiss when I decide that you get your kiss,” he continued, then turned to give her his back as he took two hard gulps of white rum, smiling with a satisfied – ah – as his eyes threatened to water up. “In other words,” he spoke over his shoulder as he sauntered his way back to Katie’s bed, “you’ll get it when I decide to take what I want.” He shrugged, turned, and carefully sat himself back down on her bed. He placed the bottle down on the floor between his feet, then his mismatched eyes fell back on to her as his hands both clasped tightly to the cool cup in his hands.
“I sure hope that’s okay with you,” he continued with an obviously mock tone of innocence, wiping the devious smirk on his face by taking another small gulp of rum. He paused for a second, as if he was thinking, and then added, “But then again, you could always just go ahead and take what you want.”
Reaver couldn’t help it. He couldn’t help the grin on his face. He couldn’t help these little games he threw at her. Even when it had been his suggestion in the first place to get that kiss. He couldn’t help himself from trying to turn a situation around on her. He couldn’t help but make things just a little bit more difficult for Katie. After all, it kept things interesting, and somewhere in the back of his mind, deep beneath his subconscious thoughts, Reaver reassured himself that this meant Katie was not going to get bored of him. Not now. Not in the near future. Not in the far future.
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