The Only Child

[Saiketsu]

He smiled at her response, more to himself than for her. "Well I'm glad you didn't." He stroked the sharp curve of her neck where it met her head, brushing stray hairs to the side patiently, a loving ritual he had developed long ago that he never acknowledged.

"Why were you going to Milan? Getting restless already?"

[Harlequin]

She leaned back into his touch, eyes half-lidded. "Runway show for a small couturier," she said, "I told them I had a family emergency. They sounded understanding."

She'd never admit -- perhaps even to herself -- that she gave up her lucrative fetish modeling career because of Pierre's obvious distaste.

"You need to go see the witch and get that burn healed. I hate seeing you like this." Tact had never been one of her strong suits.

[Saiketsu]

" 'Family emergency' is just about right, I'd say." He took her lean as permission to put more hands on her.

"If I didn't know any better," Pierre smirked, trying to recapture normal, good things with that indelicate sense of humor of his, "I'd say you like me just like this." A sly smile crept over him and he watched her for her reaction. He lay one of his hands on the curve of her waist, enjoying the feeling of her skin and never wanting to let go. The thought of flipping her off of him and pinning her to the bed with his hips flitted across his mind before disappearing as quickly as it came.

"Besides, no witch can do anything about this burn," Pierre said with a quiet conviction. His humor hollowed again with his wistful remembrance of what it was like to move his body without caution. "This is a demon burn. It's probably going to be a scar forever."

[Harlequin]

Nadia nearly purred at the gentle pressure of his hand on her waist. Her grin, for a moment, matched his. She wasn't going to let this go, though. As if to underscore  that, she pinched the raw flesh she spoke of between the pad of her thumb and her first knuckle, just hard enough to get her point across.

"She's a demon witch, fool." It wasn't often she knew more about the city than someone in Damien's crew. Had they really never heard of her? "I've heard she's twelve feet tall and can see the future."

Or something like that. The mortal she'd been feeding off of at venture had said an awful lot of things before she'd put her hand over his mouth, and she hadn't been particularly attentive at the time.

[Saiketsu]

The pinch, though playful and unconcerning to him as a whole, hurt like a bitch and Pierre made no qualms about letting that pain show on his face as she grabbed him. Weakened again by her hand, of course. Pierre groaned loudly as his burn throbbed arduously.

Despite this, Pierre snorted ungracefully in contempt at her words. "A twelve foot tall demon witch who can heal vampire wounds and see the future? You believe this?" With a network of immortals as big as the Aquillia family was, someone would have definitely heard of this magical witch - especially if this creature were that tall. "Anyone like that would break the Masquerade immediately, and wouldn't be allowed to enter the city, let alone live in it."

[Harlequin]

Nadia rolled her eyes. Stubborn Pierre. She was only trying to help.

With a sigh, she let it go. For now. He knew her better than to consider the matter dropped for long.  "Should we check on Damien?" she asked after a pause, changing the subject.

[Saiketsu]

He sighed deeply, torn between responsibility and selfishness. "He'll be okay," he said with a voice that echoed in his chest, low in his vocal register. "I sent Phinneus to go check in on him. He'll be fine." He had meant it to be reassured and certain, though he thought he sounded more like he was trying to convince himself as well.

"Besides, if I didn't know any better," he smiled cheekily and changed his focus off of the depressing reality that was their sires, "I'd say you were trying to get us out of this bed." He shifted her weight off of him and instead established himself over her and leaned down into her, enjoying the press of her skin. "And I for one am not ready to do such a thing." Pierre leaned down and kissed her jawline with soft lips that always wanted more of her.