Something In The Water

[Trillian]

continued from Something In The Air


AFTER A VERY PASSIONATE INTERLUDE in Jenna's bed, and a quiet moment of lolling about, Jenna excused herself to get a drink of water.  She wrapped her hooded short pink robe around herself and made her way to the ensuite.  She ran the tap for a few seconds, until the cold water chilled a little and what was sitting in the pipes had come out, and the tips of her fingers could detect the difference.  Taking out her toothbrush and paste from the drinking glass she kept as a holder, she filled it up halfway and shut the tap off before drinking it all in one go.

The reflection directly in front of her followed her every move, and she tucked the empty glass into her chest and stared at herself.  She'd broken a promise she'd made to herself by sleeping with Sebastian.  A naive promise, perhaps, made in the second last year of high school, but one she'd kept for ten years.  After witnessing her friends regretting their lovers and hearing about marriages breaking up over affairs with other people they cared little about, she'd vowed never to sleep with anyone she didn't love.  If sex could impact on someone's life so much, then shouldn't it be done in the name of love and not on some physical whim?  Funny, it had been easy to keep her promise, because even though she'd liked many men, and she'd found them very attractive, she'd never had that lust for them as she had with Sebastian.  So what did that mean?  Had she never really been tested until now?  Did that mean her resolve was weak?  It was easy to keep a promise when there was no temptation, but now that there was, she'd indulged.

Putting the glass down back in its spot while frowning, she replaced the toothbrush and toothpaste into it and then leant on the bathroom counter to take a good long hard look at herself in close-up.  The light was off but her eyes were adjusted to the dark enough to see a woman glaring back at her.  This woman looked accusing, but what was she accusing Jenna of?  Breaking promises?  Or of over-thinking?

With a sigh she turned her head and the rest of her body followed.  Back out of the bathroom, where she paused near the doorway to look at the vampire on her bed.  He was beautiful and sexy and a sight to behold.

"Are you staying during the day?" she asked quietly.  She would understand if not, because it would be an immense amount of trust.  She didn't have the kind of electronic shutters that kept out the light like at Kerr's place.  Her curtains were block-outs, sure, and she would never put him in harm's way, but she understood that he might not enjoy the idea of a single sweep of curtains being able to end his existence.  Vampires were so frail during the day.

[pinkroses]

Sebastian’s eyes were closed when Jenna returned to the bedroom but he was well aware that she was there. He’d been expecting her to return to the bed after getting her drink, but when she instead loitered by the bedroom door and asked him if he was staying the day Seb let his blue eyes slide open to gaze across at her.

She was gorgeous, sexy and once she’d let her inhibitions down she had been a wildcat in bed. He was relieved she hadn’t clammed up on the trip back, or once they’d reached her apartment as he had almost expected her to.

He was lying on his front, the sheets a tangled mess around him and he propped his chin up on his hands to watch her properly. Her question didn’t sound all that welcoming to be honest. It was more as though she was asking if he had decided to stay rather than asking whether he wanted to. As much as he would love to stay curled up with her in bed all night and all day he couldn’t imagine her being willing to stay with him all day when she probably had work and there was little chance her home had the security a vampire would want during the day.

“No, I won’t today,” he said, wondering if when he left it would mean an end to whatever it was they had. But surely after the time they had had together she wouldn’t be regretting it?

“We have a few hours before I need to go though,” he said, reaching out a hand towards her, intending on pulling her back onto the bed if she accepted it and wrapping his arms around her again.

[Trillian]

His answer filled her with disappointment.  Oh, of course she didn't blame him for not wanting to remain during the day, and certainly thought his decision to return to his own place a sensible one.  It disappointed her all the same.  If they were about being sensible, they wouldn't have shared such a passionate event in the first place.

When he reached for her, she hesitated.  She looked at him until his hand wavered a little before she reached out to take it with a smile, though it wasn't one that came easily to her lips.  She was very happy to cuddle up close to him, to smell him and to be surrounded by him.  He made her feel protected and nurtured, and wrapped in his arms all of her doubts melted away, like magic.  Did lust do that to a person, or love?

Yes, she understood now why her initial promise to herself about being in love before climbing into bed with someone made everything much clearer and simpler.  This... this was complicated.

[pinkroses]

Seb began to drop his hand just as she reached out to accept it, his own smile faltering as she put on a bright one which didn’t reach her eyes. He pulled her close, wrapping his body around her and burying his face into her hair, breathing in her scent. Yes, it would be heavenly to sleep curled up beside her, but not practical.

He brushed a few dark strands from her neck to kiss her throat tenderly, longing to taste again, but not tonight, there would be other chances, hopefully.

“You are stunning,” he murmured, letting his fingers drift over her arm, wanting to pull off her robe as he had done her jacket and shirt a short time ago. But the mood had changed since then, he would have been an idiot not to realise that.

“Tell me what’s wrong,” Sebastian said, propping himself up on an elbow to look down at Jenna with a small frown. “You wouldn’t want me to stay the day here. I’m not good company then,” he added in a teasing tone, wanting to make her smile again.

[Trillian]

She did smile at his words, her arms on the bed and bent at the elbow so she could hold him, fingernails gently scratching his skin. Her heart still did little flips of joy whenever she looked at him, and she wondered how long such a thing would last.  Forever?  She'd always heard that lust faded and love was eternal - but even love wasn't eternal, just look at the amount of divorced people in the world.

"I don't know what's wrong," she told him honestly.  "I'm just silly, I guess."  She studied his face for clues as to his thoughts, but he looked just as he always did - beautiful and unreadable.  "I feel young and foolish around you," she admitted.  "Maybe that's what it is."

[pinkroses]

“That’s not silly,” Seb said, his frown disappearing and being replaced by a smile as she admitted to feeling young and foolish. “You should embrace anything that makes you feel like that. I try to,” he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. She was still worrying, all humans did so much, about the smallest things and none of it mattered in the long run.

“You are very good at it, you should definitely do it more often,” he added with a sly grin, catching one of her hands and weaving his fingers through hers.

“What time do you need to go to work tomorrow? Do you need to sleep yet?” he asked, ignoring his own advice about being foolish for a couple of seconds, not wanting to keep her up to all hours if she would regret it when she got to work the next day.

[Trillian]

She gave him a very serious look.  "I would hate to meet the thing that makes you feel young and foolish," she said, wondering what on this earth could possibly do that to one so ancient as he.  At his suggestion her expression became dubious, but she couldn't hold it before it turned into a grin and then a breathy chuckle.  She enclosed her hand to a fist and gave him a tiny prod with her knuckles upon his arm that she'd been holding, before holding it once again.

"I don't work weekends," she said, and looked at him thoughtfully for a moment.  "Are you an investor too?  I mean, do all vampires have squillions of dollars socked away in various accounts?"

Kerr's riches had far surpassed her parents' wealth, and that was saying something.

[pinkroses]

Seb raised an eyebrow at her declaration that she would hate to see the thing that made him feel young. That was odd, but perhaps she preferred to see him acting his age, not the age he looked.

At her question of money Sebastian let himself drop down onto the bed beside Jenna rather than lying over her, but he left one leg draped over hers and his arm across her, lightly playing his fingers across her arm.

“Not all are, the sensible ones who have had time to build themselves up. I’ve seen vampires in rags, or those who steal anything they want, who move into houses and simply kill the owners. But yes, I invest, I have done so for many years now. I like buying the best, earning what I own. For a long time I had nothing and I was happy with that. When I did have money I would give it to those who needed it more. After all, what do I need? Something alive to drink from and to be able to hide myself away from the sun, even if it’s just by burying myself in the dirt. But as I said, now I like to treat myself. And I like that you don’t have to go to sleep just yet,” he said, finishing by nuzzling against her throat gently with a grin before gently kissing her again, unable to resist her lips for too long, but managing to keep it brief.

“Do you think I act old and sensible? Because around you I often feel foolish,” Seb said thoughtfully, still finding it strange that she wouldn’t want to see him behaving in a youthful way.

[Trillian]

"No, you're far from acting old and sensible," she replied with a sideways smile, liking his almost unconscious touches and kisses.  She was surprised that he felt foolish around her.  He seemed quite together and opinionated, and their opinions usually didn't gel.  They often led to misunderstandings or frustration.  "Why feel foolish around me?" she asked.  "Surely you've been there, done that, with many other women?"

She realised belatedly that she'd just asked him about his previous lovers, which was a no-no in her book.

"Oh, I didn't mean... you don't have to tell me anything, I just thought with your age that you've done it all?"

Oh no, that was even worse!

"I mean, women shouldn't surprise you, anymore."

That was a bit better.

[pinkroses]

Seb’s smile grew as he watched Jenna stumble over her words, then backtrack and try again, then again.

“People change. And I’ve done a lot, there have been times when I thought nothing would surprise me again. But everyone’s different, and times change. Some things I could say to a woman before I went to ground would be scoffed at now and there are things people nowadays wouldn't bat an eyelid at which would have shocked people then. And you…”

Seb shook his head slightly. “I’m still trying to find my way with you. Do you think we would fight so much if I had encountered dozens of people like you before?” he asked softly. He didn't enjoy making people angry or upset but at times that was all they seemed to do.

[Trillian]

She wasn't sure that she liked his explanation about how he could avoid their bickering.

"Are you saying that if you knew what I wanted to hear, that's what you would say?" she asked tentatively.  She looked thoughtful.

[pinkroses]

“I would be able to be more tactful. It’s not about knowing what you want me to say, it’s about knowing how to phrase myself more efficiently, to stop myself from upsetting you with my turn of phrase. And you have me feeling foolish again because I am obviously unable to at the moment and usually I am far more eloquent,” he said, recognising the wary look on her face and getting a bad feeling this peaceful, pleasant, passionate evening could easily take a turn for the worse.

[Trillian]

"Sounds like you're trying to tell me you're a smooth talker," she accused with a giggle, but she was relaxing.  It wasn't something she believed of him, because he'd been terrible whilst trying to charm her.  He'd said all the wrong things, implied all the wrong things... no, he was in her bed because she wanted him there, not because he'd talked her into it.  Mind, it wasn't easy being with him, and she wondered if they should subtract all of the conversation and add only the physical.

Casual sex relationship?  She cringed at the thought.

[pinkroses]

Seb laughed at the sound of her giggle, rolling on top of her and kissing her deeply. Yes, he could be a smooth talker, but definitely not with Jenna. It was like she was immune to his usual charms – it couldn’t just be that times had changed because he’d done well a few times he’d gone out since waking up.

And yet, he was still here. She had insulted him, argued with him, been offended by the tiniest things he’d said or done, but she’d still come to bed with him so he had to be doing something right.

“Like I told you, you make me feel foolish. If I ever thought I was a smooth talker before you have proven me very wrong,” he said with a grin as he pulled back from her, lifting a hand to run through her beautiful hair.

[Trillian]

She kissed him back and when it ended she smiled up at him lazily.  His sweet words and soft caresses were enough for her to close her eyes and make a positive murmuring sound at them.  Because she was tired, and they'd been out late even before they'd come back to her apartment for some activity, she began to drift towards sleep, though she was still aware of him with her.  It was a place between wakefulness and sleep, and his words registered with her enough to reply.

"Yes, you tried to kiss me far too soon," she confessed, telling him exactly where he'd gone wrong the night they'd first properly spoken at the museum.  The light slur in her words told him that she was drifting.  "Should've waited after the tour," she added before she went back to smiling lightly.

[pinkroses]

Sebastian curled himself around her as he saw her eyes sliding shut and felt her drifting off to sleep. She was so beautiful, so peaceful looking as she began to head to the land of dreams, but she was starting to talk again.

“I know,” he said, “I read you wrong, made assumptions I shouldn’t have. Forgive me?” he asked with a smile. He couldn’t really believe that if he had waited until after the tour she would have let him take her as he’d wanted to that night – but maybe he would have realised he needed to take more time with her. It didn’t matter now anyway, they had ended up here and now together.

“Shall I wake you before I go?” he asked softly. He didn’t want to disturb her sleep, but he didn’t imagine she would be impressed by him disappearing in the early hours of the morning.

[Trillian]

"Mmhmn, forgiven," she said, and her eyelids fluttered a little like she was trying to open them but failing.  "I don't want you to go," she said, and this time her words were very deeply slurred.  "I want you to take my boots."

And then she was asleep.

[pinkroses]

Sebastian raised an eyebrow at her last words before she drifted off to sleep, not sure if that was what she had meant to say or not. If she hadn’t meant it literally, what on earth was she going on about? She had to be referring to their earlier discussions, but it was very odd. Perhaps she meant her ability to walk all over him.

He stayed with her as she dreamt, wishing her could stay with her through the day like she wanted him to, but he didn’t know if it was  safe for him and since she was asleep now he would just be in her way. He would be able to wake up and maybe say a few words – but they would probably be as coherent as her words were at the moment.

About an hour and a half before sunrise Seb pulled himself away from the warmth of Jenna’s bed and got himself dressed. He gazed at her boots thoughtfully for a moment before finding a pen and writing out a brief note together with his address.

If you want your boots back, come after sundown.

He left the note by her bedside table, brushed a kiss against her cheek before scooping up Jenna’s discarded boots and leaving the apartment. He checked the door locked behind him and then used his supernatural speed to get home well within the safe time for him.