Pre-holiday jitters [rp for lapsedsaint]

[aesthetic_mojo]

Charlotte was a wreck. Shopping with Farah had been a wonderful way to spend a long day, but they hadn't accomplished all Charlotte felt she needed to. Her plans for Christmas day still felt awkward and incomplete. Never mind they'd be spending half the time in church, she knew she would end up disappointing somehow. She was an intelligent, competent professional. How could she feel so lost?

It didn't help she wasn't sleeping. A good portion of the night was spent staring at the ceiling and she was always up early. Very soon she was going to start drinking, which would be a bad, bad choice. The kittens were starting to shy way from her because they were tired of blinking away when she petted them too hard.

Up early, again, she flopped onto the long couch and groaned. "Maybe New Year's will be easier." Vivianne looked at her from under a chair and meowed softly. "Thanks, that's encouraging."

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[aesthetic_mojo]

She nuzzled his hand, purring with pleasure and even squirming a little. "You should be careful what you wish for, honey, Farah and I did stop at the leather store in the Village, you know."

She nipped at the palm of his hand. "Not that I need an excuse to tie you up beyond wanting to see you that way."

[lapsedsaint]

He traced her lips slowly, then slid his hand into her hair and pulled her down for a kiss. Before his lips actually touched hers, he whispered roughly. "You'd tie me up? Why?"

[aesthetic_mojo]

She groaned in frustration. She'd wanted that kiss. Her belly had tightened painfully for that kiss and he was talking? "You'd look so beautiful, so vulnerable. It heightens things." She nipped his lower lip, tugging hard at him. "Could sit back, watch you and touch you for as long as I want without ever coming close. See how mad I can drive you."

[lapsedsaint]

He gave a low growl and pulled her into the kiss he'd been denying her. In response to the nip she had given him, he exhaled cold air into her mouth as his fingers tangled in her hair.

[aesthetic_mojo]

She was so torn between the rush of excitement at the cold as she imagined other places that could be cooled that way and annoyance that he was using the ability when it hurt him. She pulled back again and shook her head. "That's going to get you tied up and beaten."

[lapsedsaint]

He laughed against her lips. "Promise?"

[aesthetic_mojo]

She yanked her hand out of his pants so she could grab both of his wrists and hold them over his head. She didn't wait for her hand to be free though, using her magic to give her a head start. Good grip established, she shifted her hips so she straddled his properly.

Another sharp nip and then she growled into the kiss. "Yes. And I keep my promises."

[lapsedsaint]

His breath was colder now as he shifted under her. He pulled at her grip with no real intention of getting out.

[aesthetic_mojo]

Even with just the additional muscle mass a man had over a woman he could easily get loose. Add to that his training and his general level of fitness, he could easily take her. She knew he was teasing and it made her shift her hips so she could press harder against him.

Smiling sweetly, she also made the air over his limbs heavy. "Now, now, you're going to earn yourself a real whipping soon."

[lapsedsaint]

He couldn't help but laugh. "You'd like that."

He bucked under her, dislodging her a little bit before he closed his eyes. After a slow, deep breath, the temperature of the air around them plummeted.

[aesthetic_mojo]

She was dressed, but only in light slacks and a tank, just enough for moving around their apartment. When he dropped the temperature her first response was to shiver violently. Her second response was to swear just as violently. She used her magic and her body to slam him back down onto the couch, practically snarling into his ear.

"You want to know what will push me that far?" She shivered again, the cold raising goose flesh on her arms. "You using that little trick to try and kill yourself, that's what." She lifted his wrists and then drove them back onto the couch above him. "Keep that up and I will beat the living hell out of you."

[lapsedsaint]

He answered her snarl with one of his own. Then his eyes narrowed further as he focused on her. A moment later, his voice sounded in her head. Let me up, now.

This was not a request. It was a command. And past it, he made no move.

[aesthetic_mojo]

She didn't let him go immediately. Her hands tightened first as the shock of hearing his voice so clearly hit her like a Mac truck. When she did let him go it was in a rush as she scrambled backwards to the end of the couch. Completely unreasonably, she put her hands over her ears and shuddered. "Don't do that!"

[lapsedsaint]

He climbed off the couch and headed for the kitchen and a drink. It was one thing to do it to the cats and another thing, entirely, to do it with a person. Even as he'd done it, it drove a spike through the middle of his head.

In the kitchen, he poured himself a double of whiskey and downed it in two swallows.

[aesthetic_mojo]

Her anger came back, hard, when she saw where he went. "Damn it, John! We don't know what's causing those headaches and you keep doing it." She swore creatively, cursing him and a few other entities, including God. "How long have you been able to do that?"

[lapsedsaint]

He shrugged, ignoring her cursing and her anger. "I don't know."

[aesthetic_mojo]

Her voice changed, going as cold as he'd made the room. "As stupid as this sounds, if you kill yourself doing this, I will never forgive you." She shook her head. "I know I encouraged it in the beginning, but this scares the hell out of me."

[lapsedsaint]

He didn't look at her, instead pouring himself another drink. He decided to let her hypocrisy speak for itself.

After the second double was gone, he looked at her. "I'm going back to bed." He passed her and headed back for the bedroom, calling the kittens as he went.

[aesthetic_mojo]

It was bad enough that he left her sitting there, shaking and upset, but both kittens trailed behind him more like puppies than cats. She wrapped her arms around her knees and closed her eyes against tears. It wasn't the same thing. Her magic didn't disable her.

When she thought she could face him without crying any more or screaming at him, she followed her family into the bedroom. Rather than joining him in the bed, she stood at the foot of it. "I'm scared."

[lapsedsaint]

He heard her come in and didn't open his eyes. "Of what?"

[aesthetic_mojo]

"Of losing you." She turned and sank down onto the end of the bed. Viv came over and sat next to her, leaning against her side. "Of losing you because of something I begged you to do."

[lapsedsaint]

He opened his eyes and sighed. "The room temperature doesn't hurt my head. Not anymore."

[aesthetic_mojo]

The tears threatened to come back, so she scooped up Viv and held her against her chest to hold off the waterworks. After letting out along sigh, she nodded. "How's your control on that now? I've only seen hints."

[lapsedsaint]

With his eyes closed again, he brought just the air over her legs down a considerable amount, then let it raise again.

[aesthetic_mojo]

She shuddered and brought her legs more tightly together, squeezing the cat at the same time. Viv blinked out with an indignant squeak and appeared on John's chest, complaining more. "You said you'd been practicing some, but I had no idea. Why didn't you tell me?"