Past, Present, and Future (M.... It's us, guys...)

[The Huntsman]

I stared down at the tiny girl, tilting my head to one side, then the other. I sighed. Just like me, she had no idea how to handle friendship. I'd been forced to be alone, and she, had had every good connection ripped away from her. I squeezed her, then stepped back and away. What the hell were you supposed to do, when someone you cared about - did I care about her? Fuck, yes I did. I didn't want her to die. And she - didn't have a basis to form how to respond on. What the hell did you do here? What could I do? Kiss her?.

I stilled as that thought ran through my head. What. What in the hell had I just thought? I mean - fuck, yes, her kisses were nice. But while I cared about her - she was a friend. A friend. I ran my hands across my face. “Fuck.” I spun on my heel. “I'm getting us both some more meat. Sit down and wait, would you.” I needed to distract myself. I needed not to have her soft, scarred body pressed against mine. I needed not to think about the way she had flushed as -

Stop. There. I bit my tongue, letting the sharp sting of pain clear my thoughts. I pulled my knife free from my belt and knelt down, focusing on hacking at the wolves.

I turned to her and saw her, her bare skin pressed up against the cold packed snow. She said she didn’t really feel the cold, but her feet had tinges of blue and her body shivered. The jacket fit her nicely but without all the buttons done up, parts of her flesh were exposed. A nipple, her abdomen. The streaks of blood that had poured down her face and down her torso.

I cursed. She was - had she fallen? Damn it, no, she had sat down like I told her to. I dragged the carcass I was working on near her, then sat down, pulling her into my lap, off of the snow as I cradled her body with mine. I was warmer than she by far - I could warm her up then get the fire going. Just - don't let her notice. Please, moon, don't let her notice. I didn't need to deal with the added aspect of our strange sexual tension on top of the rest of our confusion.

“This is the weirdest way someones shown me they’re hard.” She commented. “I mean, I may be partially blind right now, but there are other ways.” I felt her lean her head back against me. “Or are you just trying to keep me warm and that’s a lil’ accident?”

Fuck. “I wouldn't say little. But yes. You're painfully cold, dawn girl. And we’ve already established I have an attraction to you. That is neither here nor there at the moment.”

I felt her shrug, then...then fucking wriggle that ass of hers against me to either tease me or make herself more comfortable. “True. True.” She smirked. “It doesn’t feel small. I appreciate the warmth.” I felt her relax in my lap. “I really do.” Fuck - but that was good, right? She liked the warmth? I curled my arms around her waist - to hold her, but also to hold her still.

“As I said. This wasn't why I was holding you. Please keep still.” If you don't, I'll get the wrong damn idea. And Dawn girl, you don't need to be fucked right now. This is much more like what you need. But I kept silent, except for asking her not to move. Thank fuck she listened. She simply leaned back and shut her eyes. Resting her head on the crook of my neck, her head tilted toward me.

I gently rocked her slowly. She looked like she was drifting off to sleep in my arms. That was - that was good. When she slept was when she had healed the most before - perhaps because her defences were down, and her body could take in the comfort and warmth of contact to heal better?

Her hands curled around my jacket and a soft murmur fell from her lips. She had fallen asleep. I felt a bit of tension ease from my shoulders. She felt safe enough to sleep in my arms. She shifted her face and her lips, still dotted with the blood of the raw meat she had eaten earlier - which was a little odd in and of itself, pressed themselves to the underside of my jaw. My eyes went wide. What in the hell - I turned my head down to see if she hadn't actually fallen asleep, and was instead trying to torment me.

The shift of my head caused her to murmur, she looked like she was asleep. Her lips pressed themselves again to my - Fuck. Fuck. I should not have looked down. Her blood-speckled lips felt, tasted, too damn good against mine. I went very, very still as she kissed me. Damn it. And I had thought about this earlier. Had I - subconsciously desired it? It was pure defiance against the people who wanted both of us to remain emotionless, connectionless. Twenty years of training warred against the newfound resolve to defy the people who had trained me. I opened my lips, slightly, against hers.

This would tell me if she was asleep or not. She didn’t pull away, she didn’t press her lips harder against mine in a feverish kiss like she had done so before. Instead- Fuck this may have been worse. Instead a soft murmur left her lips and she clenched my coat tighter. Her eyes fluttered as she pressed her lips softly against mine before she sighed and her grip loosened.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck me running with a ten foot pole. A drunken, horny kiss was one thing. The feverish ‘make out’ session to hide from the priests, another. I slowly drew my head back from hers, and she nestled against me, her head dropping back to my shoulder.

That. That was a kiss that spoke of affection. Of comfort, and appreciation. That was the kind of kiss that my false memories had tried to assure me was reserved for husband and wife, loving and tender.

What the hell was I supposed to do now? I tightened my hold on her, and she let out a soft sound of contentedness and curled against me tighter, drawing her legs up to her chest, forming a small ball in my lap.

This. This right fucking here. This soft, desperately alone side of her, that craved contact so much that she clung to someone she had only seen three times now. This was what I was trying to protect. Fuck it. Fuck it to hell. Fuck it all the way to the moon and back. I kissed her forehead and sighed.

“Fucking hell, dawn girl. Fine - kiss me when you need to. I'll take that connection.” At least - at least she was asleep, to not hear the softly spoken words that fell into her hair.

“Fil’ayn ….” She murmured and I stilled. Fuck. Did she hear me? Why did she use my name? What the hell - did she think of me when she dreamt whatever the hell it was that made her kiss me? Or - or was she awake?

“Yes, Amari?” I spoke very, very softly. Testing.

She didn’t reply. For a long time she didn’t say a word and looked to be resting contentedly in my lap. Just when I thought it was a slip of the tongue she spoke again.

“Fil’ayn don’t...put that in the cupboard.” My eyes went wide. She was dreaming. But - why in the absolute hell was she dreaming about - what the hell dream had another person putting something in a cupboard. Wait - was she - was she dreaming about - a life? Not - not this shit hell of a life, but an actual, in a house, life? Where I was visiting - or - or -?

My mind went blank and my body stilled as I tried desperately to process this.

“I love you.”

OH.

Oh fuck. She was. This was - a dream of a happy home. I felt something inside my chest lurch at those words. Ah. I'd - I'd never actually heard them said to me.

And I still hadn't. She didn't love me. She loved - the dream. Of peace, and warmth. Comfort and love. I tightened my arms around her and shifted so I was sitting against the log I had felled. I - I could not give her the reality. But I could give her this dream. I stroked her hair with one hand, as I had seen people do with their lovers. I ignored the pain in my chest and the stinging in my eyes.

[Amari]

Husbands pleasing their wives? Ugh… this had gone on too long. At first it was a fun game, a joke. Now? Now Scarlet wasn’t sure what to think of it. This whole situation with the man was painstakingly annoying. Like some poorly written fanfiction. It made her feel shitty, angry - like her life was just some fuckin’ plaything.

She had moved past that and was no ones plaything. Not her brothers, and not Lyes.

“Don’t give me that look.” Scarlet muttered as she regained her composure. She certainly wasn’t thinking about what he would do to her. No. Not at all.

“Look, Dawn girl?” He slowly stood up, looming above her as he rose up. Fuck he was tall, attractively so. Scarlet arched her neck back and had to lean back against the bed to meet his intense gaze.

“What?” He looked like he was going to respond - when there was a knock on the door. He flipped the coat onto her, then moved to the door. He took the plates of food, blocking the interior of the room with his tall, dense form, then closed the door with his foot. When he turned around, the smoldering look on his eyes was banked.

“Well?” Scarlet prodded, she wasn’t going to let him drop it. She shuffled back on the bed so there was enough room for the two to eat. The plates held a thin cut of venison and lumpy mashed potatoes. Scarlet wasn’t sure how good her appetite was for that. Still. It was food.

“Should have just bought some of the wolf meat to cook myself.” He snorted and handed her one plate, then folded himself up onto the bed. He leaned back against the wall, and closed his eyes.

“You, dear Dawn, are…” He paused, humming in thought. “Are maddening. Intoxicating. Many things I desire, wrapped in one appetizing package. You force me to think of things I would never consider. You.. Helped me, in a way I didn't even know I needed. What in the hells am I supposed to think of you?” His voice was thoughtful, calm. He was turning it over in his head as he spoke, clearly.

Scarlet slowly ate, wincing at the lack of taste. She used this time to think of a response. She honestly didn’t think she had such an effect on him. The two were alike, sure - but Scarlet just found him annoying, arousingly so - devious and curious. It was rare for her to find someone who put up with her. Yet, the her he knew wasn’t exactly her. It was subdued. It was tired.

Scarlet swallowed the last of her ‘meal’ and set the empty plate down on the floor and shoved it under the bed. “Cop out answer here, but think what you want. I’m gonna be frank. You don’t really know me. You know a lot about my past, sure. But the me you’ve encountered? That’s subdued. I’m weak. I’m tired. Normally I’d be cold. Callous. I’d have ripped out the throat of that man and taken his cart. But - for whatever reason… I’ve been weak.” Silver eyes focused on her.

“I helped you. Great. Whatever. It wasn’t planned. I don’t go out of my way to do that.”

“And? So what?” His voice was still calm as he tilted his head to the side. “So what if it wasn't planned. You did it. So what if you're normally a bitch. I'd have just tossed the man out of his cart and left him there for whatever the fuck lurks in the night around here.” He shrugged. “I'm not exactly the best of people myself.”

This guy wasn’t making things easy was he? She gave him a nod. Eyes staring at him. His dark skin, his scars. He was right. Hell, when she met him he was ripping wolves apart for the sheer fun of it. Then, he enjoyed ripping her apart. That’s not exactly going to get you on any nice lists.

“True. You’re not.” Scarlet said. “Think of me however you want.” she said again, as though her shitty answer had any sort of impact on what was going on in his head.

“I am.” Again that intent, intense stare, silver and piercing. A shiver ran down her spine. If she was a werewolf, that gaze might be enough to do damage. Then he blinked, and looked away, to the window. A gust of wind had rattled it, breaking his attention as his body tensed, like a giant serpent coiling to strike. But it was just the wind, nothing more.

“Second floor. Nothing can really crawl up through it, and if it did it’d be dead before it hit the floor.” His eyes swung back to her, her voice drawing his attention back to her. Scarlet stilled. “What?” She said. “What’s with that intense gaze?”

He blinked, and a crooked grin came onto his face. “I'm imagining your screams. Ones I would cause.” Then he shook his head. “No matter. Dawn - your stone.” He sat forward, and rested his chin on a propped up hand, his elbow pressed against his knee.

Scarlet looked down to it. “Ah.” She picked it up and turned it in her hands. “It’s got...three charges left before it needs to be recharged. I think I use mine more than you yours. I can’t put it back in….” She paused trying to concentrate. Did he really casually say he was imagining her screams? She should rip his throat out for that. She should ram her hand into his chest and destroy his heart.

She should…

She should…

“I should put this back, but not on the chest. Here…” She handed the stone back to Hunter. “Somewhere it’s less obvious.” Scarlet pointed to her inner thigh. “If I put it here and bury it deep enough, it should blend in with the corruption scars across my body. It’ll be too awkward of an angle for me to do it. If you want to hear me scream so much you do it.” There was a moment of pause. Hunter seemed to be thinking of something. Then he reached to his coat and drew out a sharp knife. He spun it in his fingers.

“You have three charges of summoning, and four to initiate communication. I have five, and four. I cannot really summon you - too much risk for you at the moment.” She blinked as she saw him suddenly grit his teeth - and he plunged the dagger into his right thigh, cutting into the meat and flesh. His body shook once, then he drew the blade out, setting it down on the bed, staining both the bed and his clothes purple. Then his fingers dug into his leg - and she was right, it did look like an extremely awkward angle - then with a wet sucking sound, a purple, glistening black stone was in his hand. He stared at it a moment, his body shifting slightly.

“You'll take this one, I think. More insurance.”

“What?” Did he just fucking…. “Ok. Fine.” Scarlet shook her head, she wasn’t sure who was more insane, he or her. She shuffled forward and opened her leg before lying on her back. To anyone else, it might have looked like she was offering herself to him. Hell, she may as well have been. Blood and pain was sort of his gig wasn’t it?

“Whenever you’re ready.” Scarlet said. “Try to keep it near the corruption lines, I get this is your thing but be a ‘little’ neat at least.” He let out a dark chuckle - and she felt the knife tip dig into her leg. It was - it slid in with ease, gliding through her skin, then muscle. Then he twisted ever so slightly - widening the gap. She gripped the bedsheets, which were quickly becoming stained with her blood. Oops. As he twisted the blade again Scarlet swore. It hurt, not much considering all she had been through but the pain still tickled her and burned her senses. It… fuck so close to more erogenous areas caused other feelings to stir. Things she couldn’t allow to get out of hand. Even so - a soft murmur fell from her lips.

Then she felt his fingers work into her, gently pressing their way through her muscle. But - it was his left hand, not his right. Where was - her eyes shot open. His right palm had cupped her mound, his palm grinding against her. Then the stone was deep inside of her as he ground the heel of his hand against a very sensitive bundle of flesh - hard. “What the fu-a-ahhh..” her words turned into a loud moan. Oops. She stared him down, her face flushed. Had she really just made such a sound? When was the last time her body was given such attention?

He pulled away, and looked between his hands, a thoughtful expression on his face. “I wonder which tastes better.” One was covered in her blood - the other, not. Then his intense silver eyes focused back on hers. There was a definite hunger there now. Fuck. Slowly, he lifted the hand stained red up, and gave it a slow lick. “Still delicious. But I knew how this tasted.” Eyes locked on hers, he lifted the hand that had cupped and pressed against her, and dragged his tongue along it. “Oh. I think I have a winner.” His lips twisted in a slow, dark smirk. “They complement each other, Dawn.” His hand trailed back along her thighs. Then two fingers drove into her, piercing long-untouched folds, and he hooked them inside of her.

She grabbed his wrists, hands immediately singing his flesh. “T-The hell do you think you-ahh doing!?” She hissed as she sat up. This..this shouldn’t happen. This shouldn’t feel that good. This- dammit. Dammit… he curled and ground his fingers inside of her, his silver eyes not wavering from hers. He didn't react to the burning grasp on his wrist.

“I’ll rip your throat out!” Scarlet hissed at him as she lifted one hand to clasp around his throat. “You DARE think you can j-ungh….” Her breathing wavered as his fingers slid in and out of her. This thumb pressed against her clit.

Fuck… this may get too out of hand.