Slayer [vampire+vampire hunter]

Slayer 21

She inhaled shakily, then breathing out, "Yes."

I was abruptly conscious of how unbelievably close we were, our thighs brushing slightly as I leaned forward to grasp her jaw, her skin silky smooth under my fingertips. Her heartbeat pounded erratically, the wet sound reaching my ears to create a flood of desire that I had to wrestle away to keep myself from lunging for her throat. My other arm lightly brushed her side, and we both took a sharp breath at the same time. The bloodlust was completely surpassed by a different emotion-lust, longing for her body, wanting to express the capacities of my love to her physically...

I was afraid to kiss her. If I did, my body would almost certainly take over, judging by the effort it took to resist the urge to just jump and take her now. I was even scared to merely touch her, the sensation of her at my hands almost too much to handle. But I couldn't bring myself to draw my hand back, put some space between us to try and combat the yearning gnawing away at my insides. It would've been easier, but it was harder just to be farther away from her. I was beginning to wonder if she possessed magnets wired into her body that matched with the ones in mine. I always felt the urge to gravitate toward her, to touch her and hold her and make sure she could never get taken away. The protective instinct was almost overpowering.

She closed her eyes, and I admired the dusky, natural tan color of her eyelids until they fluttered back open to look at me with dark, bottomless eyes. I swallowed hard, unconsciously leaning forward, listening to her harsh, heavy breathing...

~*~

"Wait," I breathed out, exerting a massive amount of energy and effort to push the word reluctantly out of my throat. The longing coursing violently through my body was almost enough to paralyze me, but I managed to press my hands against his bare chest and hold him away, shocked at the reaction of our skin contact. It felt as if little jolts of fire were piercing through my skin, scalding anything they touched. I shivered but kept my hands firm.

He withdrew as I wished, his eyes still intense with passion. I knew it was cruel to push him away when we were both like this, so riled up and yearning, but I couldn't let it happen like this. I wanted everything to be perfect for it, not when everything was still an awful mess. I really did want him, but I just couldn't do it yet. Not until I'd set everything right. Then it would actually be perfect, and I didn't want anything less. Something as special as this could not be taken lightly.

Even though he was suffering, I knew he understood. He pressed his mouth gently to my brow, then extremely lightly on my mouth. Anything deeper would've been too much, and I was so grateful to have someone like him, I would've thrown my arms around him. His shirtless torso, however, was too distracting for that...

With a wry smile, he slipped out of bed to retrieve a new shirt, tossing the other one in the basket meant for the wash. Pulling it on and once again obscuring the spectacle that was his chest, both to my chagrin and relief, he crawled back to my side, beckoning me back into his embrace. I hesitated, unsure if he could control himself, but gave in, unable to resist it when his eyes when he gazed so pleadingly at me. I rolled into his arms, automatically cuddling to his side, and he touched his lips to my temple. I sighed contentedly and drifted back to sleep.

~*~

I blinked against the bright light when I finally woke, squinting at the window where it came from. Suddenly, I was plunged back into shadow, and I sat up to smile at Xavier, who had come over to stand in front of the sunlight. He turned to close them slightly, letting just the fewest rays of sunshine to filter in, illuminating the room just enough while my eyes adjusted. I pulled back the sheets, stumbling drowsily to my feet, and approached him, marveling at the strong line of his jaw and the slope where his broad shoulders melted in his neck, the muscles flowing easily. It was all I could to dreamily appreciate the little details of his body, from the firm bulge of his bicep to the way he held his frame-confidently, powerfully.

He turned around, his expression tender, and I tucked myself into his embrace, my cheek pressing to his chest. "Mmh," I exhaled happily. I was only truly at ease in his arms. As long as I was with him, it would all work out-I hoped.

"Princess?" he whispered, the endearment making me smile.

"Yes?" I answered, stroking my fingers through the soft strands of his hair.

"I want to fight you."

~*~

I twirled Laktnoz idly in my right hand, assessing his stance with critical eyes, using skills and techniques ingrained deeply into my mind and muscles. He stood in a very slight crouch, so relaxed you could barely tell he was tensed in preparation. His eyes were clear and alert.

I took a deep breath, recalling the first time we'd ever fought. That attempt had been the wrong kind. This time, I had a different approach-and sprang.

At the ledge jutting out from the wall, latching on and then diving for him from the back. He whirled around so fast I couldn't discern his features, lips pulled back in an instinctive snarl, and blocked the swipe of my blade with a hand to its side, driving it back toward me. I absorbed the impact, my wrist stinging slightly, and dodged his retaliation.

As I darted behind him and he whirled around just barely quickly enough. I silently thanked all of my fighting partners-Navidon, Verderyn, Svarpsi, and especially Brescia-for giving me more experience. Fighting real vampires were different from practicing with slayers. My past missions had not done much; I'd rarely had a full-scale fight and usually killed the vampire before anything big happened. They had been surprised at how well I fought, maybe, but I knew that wouldn't enough when it came to Xavier. Now that I knew his bloody, violent past, full of killing and killing and more killing, I could understand him and his priceless hoard of experience. He must've fought many different styles of fighters that all wanted his throne, and he'd beaten each and every one of them. Even though this was just a fake battle, a casual skirmish, none of us trying our best, I could feel my slayer side reacting with anticipation for the kill.

We fought for what seemed like hours, me barely fast enough to be in level with him, but finally, I leaped at the opening he'd left, latching into his back and pressing my blade to his neck before he had the chance to free himself from my grip. He exhaled in a sudden rush, startled, having had frozen, his approving eyes staring into mine. I replaced the cold metal with my warm lips, and he loosened as if he melted, pressing his mouth to mine.

I was suddenly aware of the animalistic atmosphere, something more primeval than our civilization, our bodies still charged with excitement of the fight...but now it was something different that aroused us. His touch on my lips was just enough to send us stumbling, almost falling over the line.

Everything that happened after was a blur, but I remembered I'd maintained enough reasoning to stop him just before it went too far. I hated how I had to push him away once I'd charged him up so much, how cruel that was, but he told me with a wistful smile that he didn't mind so much. "It feels too good to not, even if we have to stop," he said, grinning sheepishly. I leaned over and kissed the corner of his mouth lightly, and he took me back into his arms, where I belonged.

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who read 'firm bulge' and thought it as something else xD