For Love or Freedom

"In the Air Tonight" is by Phil Collins/Genesis.
She stopped at the mouth of the hallway and scanned the room, her eyes coming to rest on the window, where he was already on the sill. She took a breath in, and slipped into character. "Wait..."
He paused and glanced over his shoulder at her. He smirked at her plea, but didn't move. "Change yer mind, babe?"
She dropped her eyes, clutching her arms over her chest and shifting slightly. "I..." She sighed deeply as she looked back up at him. "Don't go. Please. I'm sorry. I just..."
She leaned against the wall, hugging herself tighter. He watched her, and debated for a moment. It wasn't that he at all minded the prospect of getting laid a second time tonight, but he wasn't totally sure what to make of the mood swing. Something inside of him didn't totally trust it. He turned and dropped back into her living room. He could at least see what she wanted. If he didn't like it, he could always walk away. It wasn't like she could stop him. And if she decided to be stupid and attack him, he knew damn well he could overpower her.
"You just don't understand," she whispered. "It's not... that I want to do it that way. I've just never been able..." She glanced back up hesitantly. "... to feel that. No matter how good my partner is. I just got to the point where I really don't expect it. I can't expect it, or I'll end up feeling let down."
Raph shifted slightly, relaxing a bit. He wasn't ready to walk away from her just yet, but if she was going to pull sentimental bullshit on him, he wasn't going to stick around. And if she got up in his face again, that'd be another quick way to end the evening. But she seemed shy and hesitant now, and he almost found it difficult to believe that this was the same girl whod been so angry and determined a few moments earlier. Her moods were like a fuckin' roller coaster. One moment she seemed innocent and helpless and the next she was far from it.
"What's there to be let down about?" he demanded, testing the waters.
She cringed just slightly. The vulnerability made her nervous even if it was just an act. "Just that... I want to feel that, I mean... what woman doesn't? But I can't..." She looked up, the beginnings of tears beginning to form in her eyes. "I think it's just me. And I... lashed out at you like that because it just... I dunno. I hate that about myself. And you... pointed it out. And that hurt."
Raph's expression softened a little at her words. Okay, he could understand that. And he felt a slight sympathy for her in spite of himself. She wasn't trying to talk sentimental shit to him. If anything, she looked like she was trying not to cry. He sighed as he realized that he'd managed to make a total ass of himself without even trying to. He hadn't been trying to hurt her.
With a deep sigh, he moved over to her and pulled her in close, slipping his arms around her waist. "I didn't know that," he said. His voice was low and gentle, but held an almost casual tone. "I ain't a mindreader, babe. 'Specially when yer lyin' to me. How'm I supposed to satisfy you when you're tryin' to make me think I already did?"
She lowered her head, pressing into him. I never asked you to satisfy me you cocky son of a bitch... "It's... I know. I'm sorry, it's not you."
He held her, lightly stroking her back through the thick robe. She turned her face into his neck and nuzzled gently, kissing his skin lightly. She needed to make the invitation blatant, without putting the pressure on. She still wasn't sure just how early he had realized she was faking him out, and the option of repeating that routine wasn't there. She had to actually let him control her a bit, without pressuring him. If he felt pressured, he'd giscoiscouraged when she didn't react. She couldn't have that.
Her lips slowly trailed up the side of his neck, nudging and kissing him. "I'm sorry... Please don't go."
He sighed softly and nuzzled into her kisses. "I ain't goin' nowhere. Long as you promise you ain't gonna pull that fake shit again." He considered that for a minute. If she tried it, she'd better know he was going to walk out that door and she'd never hear from him again. Not that he ever did plan to see her again. A one night stand was probably in the best interest of both of them.
Her mind ran back over the last time he'd had her like this, and her fingers slowly trailed down the center of his plastron. He wasn't extended, she wasn't sure how to get him extended, but she had another thing on her mind first. The back was the opportune target area... but his was kind of inaccessible. Which left his shoulders, likely an awkward reach, and his sides. He'd stopped her earlier from touching him there. Her fingers trailed over again, waiting to see if he'd stop her a second time. Was it a matter of trust? If so, she needed to gain his trust. Or maybe there was just something she didn't know. Hell, maybe it was nothing at all. Only one way to find out.
His hands caught hers before they could reach his sides. She studied him carefully, more curious than she was shocked or deterred. "Why won't you let me touch you there?" she whispered meekly. "Does that hurt?"
Raph shifted a bit and sighed. He might as well explain. "It's easy to get hurt. It's a sensitive spot. Leave it alone."
Aha, so that's why. It made sense. Sort of. She'd never even seen a turtle up close but she'd always thought that skin was supposed to be covered by part of his shell. Good reason, too. She smiled faintly, staring up at him, totally non-threatening. "But... isn't it the body's most vulnerable places that feel good when they're touched the right way?" She ran her fingers down his arms and slipped them into his hands, watching him. She knew she had to gain his trust if she wanted him to be okay with her touching him there later, when she needed to. "Show me how," she whispered. "I'll be gentle."
Raphael eyed her carefully. It wasn't that he thought she'd try to hurt him. And it wasn't that his sides were some insanely vulnerable place; certainly no more so than his dick was. Difference was that women knew that had to be handled delicately. And it was true that the body's most sensitive, vulnerable places felt the best when touched correctly, but they could also hurt like hell with the wrong touch. Even accidentally wrong. He was cautious about letting women touch him there. Especially on a first time together. It was far easier for them to hurt him by accident than consciously please him and he didn't want to take that risk. But... she was waiting for him to lead and show her.
Very slowly, he guided her hands down to the lower regions of his sides, near his hips. Only the bare tips of her fingers touched his skin as he drew her hands up a short ways, then back down. "No higher," he warned.
She nodded slightly, watching his eyes carefully as he held his hands over hers, then eventually moved up to grip her wrists. Her hands were low, but that was okay. She could work with this. She ran her fingertips over his hips, up anddown with feather-light touches. She could feel how thin it was, and it got even more fragile at the top of her boundaries. Hmm... not good. If it was so thin and sensitive, she questioned if it would be sensitive enough to feel the needle. Probably. Alright. Plan B, awkward reach or not.
She could feel he was tense, ready to pull her back at any time. But she wasn't about to give him a reason to. She didn't need him to trust her, but it would certainly help. She smiled faintly up at him. "Does that feel good?"
He relaxed just slightly, still watching her. His grip on her wrists loosened just slightly as she developed a slow, easy rythm. Nerves tingles under her touch, and a quiet, brief, involuntary moan escaped him. "Yeah..."
She smiled. Good. She had him. Her fingers remained at his sides, brushing gently back and forth as she kissed his lips lightly, ready to pull back if he probed too deeply. She didn't need him discovering her attack. She gave brief thought to that, and to the weapons that were once again around his waist, and felt a hint of nervous apprehension. If he found out what she was trying to do... she couldn't be sure what he'd do. She was going to have to be very careful.
Raph churred at the caresses and kissed back, but didn't give any tongue. He could feel the slow build inside of him as his body reacted to the prospect of going a second time, and he didn't want her to change her mind at this point. If he had to go slow and let her lead, then so be it. He could be patient.
She ran her thumbs along the edges of his plastron as she touched him, craning her wrist to avoid touching the weapons, and stared up at him. "You know... this'd be a lot easier without your sais in the way..."
He watched her, noting somewhere in the back of his mind that she'd called his weapons by name before he'd told her what they were. He debated her intentions for a brief moment before letting go of her wrists. He tensed, ready to jerk away at any time. But she only smiled, making no move to overstep the limits he'd set. He let the belt drop, his weapons hitting the floor with a thud.
The expected wash of vulnerability came over him, as it did every time he dropped his sais. Not that he was in any way helpless, or that he felt he in in danger. She was unarmed and he could easily defend himself even if she weren't. But the weapons had become so much a part of him for so long... it was a distinct feeling of nakedness that came over him when he was without them.
She smiled as she brushed the flat top of her nails up along his skin, touching lightly. Her lips trailed down along his jaw, then down the side of his neck as she leaned in to rub against him. Okay, Romeo, get on with it already... They'd already been through these formalities once, and she was far less interested in them now than she had been the first time. But she was playing submissive, and she knew she couldn't very well make the moves here.
He churred softly at the feel of her lips brushing over his skin, and slid his hands down to the knot of her robe. He still wanted to go slow, but his patience was hardly legendary. Her mood seemed to be shifting again, and he spent a moment evaluating it. She was getting more urgent. Good. About damn time. He leaned down and nibbled at her neck and shoulder as it was bared by the opening robe, nudging the fabric aside.
Finally... She nuzzled against him carefully. She didn't want to dislodge the weapon hidden in her cheek; such a slip could be deadly. She nipped lightly at his skin, rolling her shoulders back and letting the robe fall down her arms. As it pooled at her feet, she took a slight step back, lowering her eyes. Guys were visual. She knew that. She needed him turned on enough to where he wasn't thinking enough to be suspicious. She glanced up through her lashes and gave him a shy, seductive smile, keeping her arms down so that he could see all of her.
He watched as the garment fell, eyeing up her body appreciatively. She seemed so shy, yet like she knew exactly what she was doing all in the same breath. He didn't know what to make of her, but he wasn't going to argue if she was going to let him fuck her again. He could feel the pressure building in his shell, but he wasn't ready to drop just yet. He moved in and nibbled at her chin, neck, and throat while his hands slid down over her hips, massaging warmly.
She moaned slightly, tilting her head back to give him more room to work around her neck. She brought her hips forward, against his hard plastron, grinding against him just slightly. He groaned as he felt instincts force his rean. n. She had no idea what that did to him... Her head dropped to kiss at the side of his neck at the same time that he caressed hers with his warm mouth. She nudged him, moving up to about where she thought his ear might be. "Please... Don't tease me..."
He nipped at her skin, letting one hand slip between her legs and the other rose up over her belly to caress her breasts. Her legs parted and she sighed as his fingers brushed the warm space between her legs. He needed trk hrk her up a little faster. He was going to drop down a little sooner than expected if she kept grinding against him like that, and he didn't want her to back off. Teasing was the last thing on his mind. "Mmm... don't intend to."
He stroked her clit lightly, churring under his breath as he smelled her scent. She listened carefully. There was that sound again. She recognized it, but she wasn't entirely sure how much she trusted it. He was trained, and she could only take a guess at how well. For all she knew, his defenses could be just as high as hers were. She didn't want to find out the hard way, when she went to attack him.
The pressure between his legs was becoming almost unbearable, but she didn't know that. She could feel her impatience growing as she considered the idea of having to go to work in the morning. Her eyes flicked to the clock for just a fraction of a second. She wasn't going to get any sleep tonight. Something inside of her was slightly annoyed by that, but she held it back, not wanting him to see her hidden emotions.
She thought for a moment, going over her options. She was getting impatient. But she couldn't really call the shots. Oral sex wasn't a possibility while this damned thing was in her mouth. How else could she get him hot fast? Her hands ran down his arms. His sides were sensitive, but that wasn't enough. Besides, she could only touch a limited part of him without making him feel threatened.
A thought struck her. Maybe he wasn't into foreplay. Some guys were like that. She decided to try the direct approach. "Please..." she whispered. "Baby... fuck me..."
He sighed deeply and slowly allowed his hard shaft to drop out from under his shell. Her desperate words did wonders to his emotional state, but he wasn't about to outright fuck her. Not just yet. He stroked her clit a bit harder and massaged at her breasts, teasing and tugging at her nipples as he worked. She was hotter'n hell and he wanted her badly, but not badly enough to risk it. Yet.
She felt his shaft brush her thigh, but he went no further. Well, that's closer to what I had in mind... She growled softly. This guy didn't take a hint, did he? How much more obvious could she make it? Did he need it spelled out, letter by letter? What did he not understand about "fuck me"? She put that thought aside. She nearly threw the submissive act aside with it, but caught herself.
He was probably doing it on purpose. She'd told him not to tease her, so he was going to. Damn it... she hated guys like that. So fucking cocky and sure of himself when he didn't know a damn thing about her. Her blood boiled as the thoughts continued to build up inside of her, one on top of the other. Her logic clouded, she grew impatient. She'd never in her life had a target who was so fucking uncooperative. Most of the time they were more than willing to fuck her and/or anything else that walked. He'd been like that earlier; what the fuck was his problem now?
She knew there was no way in hell he could turn on and off like that. He was just as worked up. He was fucking hiding it. Trying to tease her. Damn him... But fine. If the bastard wanted to pretend he wasn't ready to fuck her, let him. She'd only have to put up with this for a few more minutes anyways.
Rapnsednsed a brief flicker in her mood, but shoved it away in the back of his mind as frustration. He smiled to himself as he stroked her slowly. Sure, he wanted to fuck her, but it was much more of a challenge now than it had been earlier. She'd never had a man who could make her come? Well, he was going to be the first. He'd already gotten off once tonight and could afford to be relatively patient. She wasn't the first woman he'd been with who took a helluva long time to get off and she wouldn't be the last. He'd just have to test his patience and hope she didn't outlast him. And see just how far he had to stretch the tension before she snapped.
She pulled close to him, running her fingertips lightly up his sides. She hadn't expected to be standing up for this, but she'd had enough of this asshole trying to control her, like he knew what she wanted. Standing up, his shoulders were a better target than she'd anticipated them to be. And then he could tease her all he damn well felt like it. It'd be the last thing he did. Given about ten minutes, he wouldn't even be breathing anymore.
Her arms moved up and circled around his neck, pulling in close to him. She rested her head on her arm, her opposite hand close to her mouth. Very carefully, she swept her tongue along her cheek. She could only hope that his nervous system was like a human's. If he felt this needle, she'd likely be dead before he would. She'd have to use her teeth against him, and avoid any major nerve endings, and hope he mistook it for a misbehaving nerve when he felt the pinch.
He churred and pressed closer as he continued to stroke at her clit and occasionally down towards her slit. Ignoring him completely, she brought the dart up between her front teeth and very carefully withdrew it from her mouth. He could feel her teeth nip at his shoulder and had vague thoughts of how fast this was compared to a few minutes ago, though he was hardly about to complain. She worked slowly, twisting the cap with her fingertips. She very carefully flicked it off, running her tongue along his skin.
He didn't feel her remove the needle or uncap it, but he knew he was in danger. He froze as he breathed in a scent that was completely unrelated to either of their bodies. He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it wasn't good. And it was too close, which meant she had produced it. Acting instinctively, and totally on reflex action, he jerked back grabbed her wrists from behind his neck. His eyes went to the tiny dart between her fingers and his eyes widened as the shock hit him. That smell was poison. Shit, she was trying to kill him! "What the fuck're you tryin' to do, lady!"
She had just enough time for her eyes to get really wide as she realized he had her wrist. She struck instinctively, her free hand and foot coming toward him at the same time. Shit! This was very bad. How the hell did he...? She had no time to think, only to act. Her fingers went to his throat in a quick jab, her knee heading up toward his groin. There was no method to it, only an instinctive reaction to get away.
Raph spun her before she could connect, none-too-gentle with his grip on her arms. She gasped in surprise and let her body go limp, instinctively aware that fighting him was going to land her with a broken wrist. He shifted, grasping both her wrists in one of his hands and prying the dart from her fingers.
He raised it in front of her face, just inches away from her eyes. She tensed, and stopped breathing. Caught completely off guard and well aware of just how vulnerable she was at the moment, she didn't move. He had her pinned. Now it was only a question of what he was going to do with the poison in his hand. He waved the needle in front of her face. She could hear his breath in her ear, but her eyes remained locked on the weapon. "Naughty naughty..." he whispered. "It's not very nice to try and poison a guy who's doin' you a favor, you know..."
He flicked the needle aside and brought that hand down across her hips, holding her steady as she struggled frantically again. She didn't blink, her eyes remaining wide. There was no way in hell she could think of anything to say back to him.
For his part, the shock had worn off. Surprisingly, he found that he actually wasn't angry. Amused, more than anything. Who was this chick that she got off on trying to poison him? She had some seriously fucked up ideas of foreplay... And in a way, it was kind of erotic. She had a hell of a lot of nerve to try something like that, and even more nerve to expect it to work. She was strong, and he liked that. Instantly, she became a thousand times more interesting to him.
He held her steady, nuzzling his beak into her hair. She was wild, startled, unpredictable... and still potentially dangerous. She needed to calm down before he even considered letting her go. "Shh..."
She froze as she heard his whisper in her ear, and realized there was no way in hell she was going to get away from him. She began breathing again, panting as she wracked her brain for an escape method. Struggling against him wasn't going to work. He was a hell of a lot stronger than she was. Especially when she'd not been pursuing the hobby of eating lately. She could feel her body shake just slightly as she realized there wasn't a damn thing she could do. He had her trapped. Damn it...
Her brain wouldn't work. She couldn't think of what was best to say. She said nothing for a moment as she heard his breath in her ear, then turned her head, pulling away, watching her shoulder more than she was actually watching him. She was prepared to die in that moment, and to do so without giving him the satisfaction of seeing her beg. It was an determined resolve that came over her, and she swallowed hard, breathing out slow. "Go ahead," she spoke. Her voice was low and unafraid, but she was still panting. "You'd better do what you're gonna do before I scream."
He didn't move, loosening his grip on her wrists just slightly as he considered that he was probably hurting her. He waited for her to relax. Part of him was more than a little annoyed by this game of hers. He considered the thought of slamming her up against the wall and fucking her good and hard, whether she liked it or not, but he quickly put that thought aside. He could still feel the adrenaline from his brush with death, and the hard-on from his brush with her sex, but his brain was in working order. He didn't really want to hurt her, though he was rather curious as to what was going on in that fucked up mind of hers. "I wouldn't mind hearing you scream," he murmured as he nuzzled her. "But what do you think I'm gonna do, huh?"
She growled, a newfound boldness coming over her at the realization that she didn't care if she lived or died. "Fuck me? Kill me? I don't really care." She smirked, glaring down at the floor. "It's all the same to me."
He was even more amused by her words. Sex and death were the same in her book, huh? Well, that explained some things. It was a notion he understood a lot better than she knew. Danger, blood, intensity... that was all very erotic to him. Why not death? He didn't enjoy death nearly as much as the battle, but he knew the feel of the power she was after, whether she got it from sex or death. But his thoughts lingered for a moment on the fact that it was her death she was talking about...
He hadn't come all this way to kill her. Wouldn't have minded having sex with her a second time, but he could deal. He didn't need it. "If I really wanted to kill you, you'd be dead by now," he reminded her. "What happens at this point... that all depends on what you want."
She struggled hard against him, just briefly, and his grip tightened again, pulling her back hard against him. He could feel his cock pressed hard to her thigh and forced himself to ignore the rush of heat that came with the intensity of the moment. She growled again. "This yer fucked up idea of pillow talk, stud? You're so goddamn sure of yourself. And you haven't given me any reason to believe you're half of what you seem to think you are."
He laughed. She had some serious issues to deal with if she thought he was even remotely pillow talking her. He was sure of himself, that was true, but he was also sure he'd given her a reason earlier to believe he was everything he thought he was. She couldn't exactly take back her reaction to his size, or the moans that had come from her that he knew were real.
"Really, now?" he challenged.
"Yes, really!" she shot back, not amused by his teasing tone.
He growled softly and leaned into her, bringing his teeth against the side of her neck. She froze, her heart pounding in her ears as he threatened her. He bit down just hard enough to make her realize he could hurt her, then pulled away to kiss and lick the spot. "Don't lie to me, babe. You wanted me earlier. I could smell it."
Her ears perked up. He could smell that she... shit! The pieces clicked together. He wasn't human, he was a goddamn turtle. How the fuck was she supposed to know he could smell better than she could? That had to be how he knew about the dart. There was no other way he could've possibly known and reacted that fast. It wasn't exactly the first time she'd used that method. But it was the first time she'd been caught. She glared at the floor, grinning evilly. "Guess I was just getting my hopes up. But you aren't any better than any other asshole I've ever been with. Just took me a few minutes to see that."
His eyes narrowed. He kissed her neck once more, drew his shaft back up into his shell, then pulled back, letting her go and pushing her forward to throw her off balance long enough for him to step back. She blinked, startled, and almost fell as she found herself without him at her back. He didn't take his eyes off her. She was still a potential enemy and he knew that until he was able to determine her to be harmless or otherwise unwilling to attack, he couldn't turn his back on her. "How the hell do you know if I'm no better, babe? You didn't give me a chance."
She stared at him. He'd let her go. Why the hell did he let her go? Was he stupid? Was it just an accident? No, it wasn't an accident. And he wasn't stupid. He must just be afraid to kill her. She would've thought, with the weapons he carried, that he'd be a le moe more crtabrtable with death...
He was still watching her very closely. He wasn't underestimating her. Not that she'd know what to do if he was. ackiacking him... was not something she could fathom right now. She could only stare, caught totally off guard. She made a few unsuccessful attempts at speech before finally managing a choked "What?"
Raph leaned back against the wall almost casually, watching her flounder and struggle to gather any form of coherent thought. That was the third or fourth time that night that he'd caught her off guard and he wondered faintly if she realized that. It was almost certain that he could do it again with how unstable she seemed. First she was shy, then she was confident. First she was innocent, then she was devious. First she was helpless, then she was determined. He allowed his expression to remain impassive and kept his hands where she could see them, not making any attempt to attack.
"You heard me. How can you be so certain that I'm no better than any of your other lovers when you never let any of us please you?"
"I..." Another attempt at speech ended abruptly. She suddenly remembered that she was completely naked, and noticed his eyes on her. She didn't feel like he was appraising her, or sizing her up. His eyes were on her face, but she suddenly felt very uncomfortable nevertheless. She crossed her arms over her breasts and swallowed hard. "What..." She swallowed again and breathed deep, finally regaining her ability to speak. "The men I'm with could care less about pleasing me. And you shouldn't care either. You got what you want, what the hell difference does it make to you what I feel?"
Raph frowned. Those were the words of a prostitute. She wasn't the first one who'd told him something like that. Was that what she was? That would certainly explain why she'd been so comfortable with faking herasm.asm. But she hadn't admitted to it yet, and he didn't call her on it, just kept it tucked in the back of his mind.
"If sex is so unenjoyable for you, why do you do it? You coulda told me to leave."
"I never said it was unenjoyable," she shot back immediately.
He raised an eyeridge at her. "Never being able to get off? Never having any guy care that you didn't get off? You can't tell me that doesn't get frustrating. You need release as bad as any of them ever did."
She raised her eyes to his and glared. "I don't need anything. Not from you or anyone else."
He hid his smile. Those harsh words just further proved his theory. She was masking her need. And this one, he was going to pull out into the open. "Bullshit. You just don't want to admit that you have needs 'cause you ain't found no one yet who can satisfy 'em."
Something inside of her felt a pang of sadness at his words. In reality, her needs were the last thing on her mind most of the time. And maybe he was right about why. She couldn't live her life mourning things she "needed" and couldn't have. She couldn't rely on people, not him or anyone else, and she couldn't waste time trying to find the right drug to satisfy the part inside of her that could still feel. Too many years of hurt and loneliness had taken their toll on her. What she couldn't satisfy herself, she simply accepted that it would never be satisfied. She looked away, unable to manage a biting comeback at him and unwilling to leave herself exposed.
But he knew this game. He understood this battle, and the way she avoided his gaze. He understood her a lot better than he cared to explain. He didn't like to rely on anyone but himself. Sure, in battle, you had to rely on your allies to watch your back. But on a more personal level? He'd tried satisfying himself, but he knew damn well that it wasn't the same as having someone else there for you. But life had proven to him over and over again that nothing was going to come of his wanting and wishing. And he wasn't going to feel sorry for himself about it. Instead, he buried it. He buried it deep until it grew and boiled and yes, sometimes overflowed in a rush of anger and agression.
He didn't speak, still watching her. The long silence made her a little uneasy, but she didn't look up. The idea of meeting his eyes made her even more uneasy. She felt a chill go through her, and kept her head down, not moving. She wasn't entirely sure what she expected him to do. He wasn't threatening her... was he going to leave? If he was, then why wasn't he gone yet? Her head was still swimming with confusion, and she didn't dare attempt to speak. He was still for a long moment, then he took a step forward.
Her muscles tensed, instinctively prepared for an attack as he gently took her shoulders between his hands. But she didn't move. Her eyes remained down, her head turned to the side as she felt his large hands on her frail shoulders. She winced just slightly at the realization of how easily he could probably snap her in two, but didn't move. The feel of his flesh against hers reminded her again of just how thin and weak she was right now. He could easily feel her bones protruding from her shoulders. There was little tissue around them.
But he didn't grip her hard, actually holding far more gently than any of her other "lovers" had ever cared to. Carefully, he released one of her shoulders and slipped a finger beneath her chin, tipping her face up to look at him. She raised her eyes to his slowly, hesitantly, and swallowed hard as she met his gaze.
His face was relatively expressionless, but somehow compassionate. She still wasn't sure what to expect from him. She wouldn't scream, she knew that much. But she wasn't sure if he intended to kill her or kiss her. She wasn't sure which frightened her more. He was too close. She should be throwing some insult at him, driving him back. He was getting far too comfortable with the idea of touching her. But somehow, she couldn't break that stare. She wanted to. But something about it was almost... comforting.
Something deep inside of her growled dangerously at the weakness that came with that thought. She didn't need or want him, or anyone else for that matter, to comfort her. He didn't know her. He didn't know anything about her. But she was weak right now, and he knew that. She could tell he knew that by the look in his eyes. He knew how vulnerable she was, and that scared her. For the first time in a long time, she was truly frightened. Not by the prospect of injury or death, but by the prospect of him keeping her alive, knowing full well where her weakness lie.
He watched her carefully, trying not to scare her. As much as he hated to admit it, she facinated the hell outta him. If not for sex, he at least wanted to get into her head a bit and just see what he could find there. He knew right away she wasn't "normal". Maybe she wasn't even sane. He grinned at the dangerous thought of sleeping with someone just as psycho as he was, then slowly moved in to kiss her.
Her lips parted slightly, more in an attempt to breathe than acceptance of his kiss, but she didn't pull away from him. She didn't move, still watching his eyes carefully as his lips brushed hers. Her hands gripped her upper arms tighter, still crossed over her chest, and her eyes flickered with some unidentifiable emotion. But it was all the reaction she offered as she stood silent, completely still.
Slowly, he pulled away from the kiss and released her. He took a few steps back, sweeping his belt and weapons off the floor. Sure, he'd love to stay and play, but he didn't trust her any more than she trusted him. And he wasn't stupid; walking away from her now wouldn't make him trust her any more tomorrow. But it would give her some time to decide whether she wanted to be a friend or an enemy. He stopped at the window, hands still tying his belt, and glanced up at her again.
She was staring at him, not moving, hardly breathing. He was leaving? He... yes. He was just... leaving. "The name's Raphael... don't you forget it."
She blinked. He was gone. Her eyes remained locked on the second story window, only briefly wondering why he chose that as an exit. Slowly, the shock wore off. Her eyes dropped to the tiny dart resting on the carpet. She stared at it as her surroundings faded back into focus and hit her with the force of a tidal wave. She glanced back up at the window, as she realized the music was still playing. But she was still far too confused to react.
~I can feel it coming in the air tonight... oh Lord...
And I've been waiting for this moment... for all my life...
Oh Lord...~