Aftermath of the Roses (backdated, follow up to scene at Mal's) - The White Tower

"Sofa?" the youth smiled as he picked her up again, carefully cradling her in his arms as he headed for the door and the stairs. "I'll get you a blanket and something to drink"

"Sofa sounds good," she smiled. So did the drink. She didn't cling to him-- she trusted him to get her down the stairs in one piece, she just simply relaxed and leaned into him. When he set her down on the sofa, her curling up into the corner was automatic-- making herself as small as possible.

"He appeared in my apartment out of nothing. He was just there. He did the same thing at Jim's. When he appeared he said that I had called him to me," she had to talk about it before it ate at her. Every tiny detail was fresh in her head and it would be forever.

Before moving to the kitchen to get her a glass, Charlie grabbed the blanket and tucked her in, kissing her head with a gentle smile.

"Called him?" he said from the kitchen, picking down a couple of glass and filling each with a familiar red liquid from a pitcher from the fridge before walking back to the sofa and offering her one before sitting down himself. "Did he say how?" the youth asked, gently pulling her feet onto his lap.

She nodded her thanks as she took the glass and sipped at it. Cass' toes curled slightly at his touch on her feet as she got comfortable, holding the glass in her lap with both hands.

"I prayed. That he came to answer my prayers and to help me find whatever it is I'm looking for."

She took another sip, not realizing just how.. hungry she had been. Crying bucket loads had helped, she supposed.

"That was when he told me he was one of God's Agents. That if it was guidance that I sought, it would be guidance that he gave me," she shrugged. "I told him that I thought his promise was an empty one. He became very angry. His eyes burned cold and his voice was like thunder," ugh... that was the worst part of it. It put the fear of God in her. "I don't know how else to describe it."

Seeing the first glass disappearing rather quickly, Charlie offered her his as well before moving his hands to rest on her ankles as she spoke.
"A demon is still a demon regardless of what form he might take" he said softly, sliding his hands from her ankles to her feet as he gently started rubbing them. "And a demon's promises..." the youth shook his head slightly with a low sigh before looking back at her. "I'm glad you're still here, that you didn't up and run because of him.."

"I'm not so sure, Charlie. I'm not so sure it was a demon," she looked at him softly. "In any event... you have Greer and Alex to thank that I'm still here. I was nearly out of the city when Greer and Alex both convinced me to come to them. I thought... if I left, it wouldn't target anyone I cared about. But it visited Greer, too."

She politely declined his glass, even as she finished her own and flexed her feet slightly.

"It went to Marvin, too. And Jim was so very calm when it appeared at his house. I thought Alex was going to try to attack it, but... He maintained his cool. It was when it showed up there that I called Mal. I didn't know what else to do. It wasn't... It wasn't that I thought Alex and Jim couldn't handle it. In truth I didn't call Mal to get me away from there-- that was his suggestion. But I had to let them know what was going on. They're clan."

She shook her head.

"But Mal said I was basically exacerbating the situation because of this... triangle... with you and Alex. That I needed to tell Alex what was going on and that I needed to do it right then on the phone. I couldn't handle both the demon... angel? thing... and that at the same time. I tried to leave, but Estaban stopped me. I can't tell you how long Estaban held me there before you and Jim got there. Time just seemed to move so slowly."

As she declined his glass, Charlie took a slight sip before leaning over and placing it on the table.
"Honestly, if a triangle was enough to agitate the interest of this -thing- then I doubt you'd be the first person on his list. People are, well, simply people and this, between us, you and Alex? My bet there are plenty of people out there with greater "sins" on their conscience" he said with a hint of a smirk as he continued rubbing her feet. "So whatever that little bitch said to make you feel responsible for this, fuck it. He's wrong"

Gently, he brushed a hand up her ankles while continuing to rub her feet with the other. Still gentle, still with the touch of someone simply out to please and comfort her.
"They probably meant well, though sometimes men are rather short sighted and unable to realize when they need to let go. So I apologize for taking so long to get there..."

She shook her head. "Don't apologize. Please, it couldn't be helped. I'm just glad that you could get there... I'm glad that Mal left the decision to me."

She leaned to the side and set her glass down.

"Jakobs... He sounded like Alex," she shook her head. "Not in his voice, just... he said something familiar to me. That I shouldn't take anything or anyone I care about for granted. That I need to keep my loved ones close. It's confusing."

"Doubt can be the greatest source of pain there is..." Charlie leaned over to ease an arm under her and around her waist, pulling her gently into his lap so that he could look up at her and rest his free hand on her hip. "Don't allow him to get to you Cassiel..." he pulled her close to him, pulling at the blanket to move it up to rest at her hips as she sat across his lap. "You're better than that. So much better..."

"I'll try not to," cuddling up against him, arms wrapped around his waist. "If he stays away... If I never see him again, it would help. I'd just count it as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. But that's become a regular occurrence. I miss normalcy-- my kind of normalcy. I don't like appearing weak, Charlie. I know I'm not weak. So why is it that I'm suddenly and continually forced to my knees?"

Gentle hands eased slowly up her back as he closed his eyes.
"You keep getting back up... that alone tells me you're not weak" Charlie whispered to her. "A weak man allows himself to be beat to his knees and stays there. It's the stronger man that stands back up even if he knows he'll receive the same punishment all over again. And that, Cassiel..." he pulled at her robes slightly, just enough to expose a bit of her shoulder so he could press his lips softly against her skin. "Is why you're strong.."

The Rose gave a content sigh as the feeling of his lips against her skin, her lips parted slightly. Her hold on him tightened just a bit.

"But is it weak to just want a break?"

"No..." came the whispered answer against her skin. "Everyone needs a break now and then. Even the strongest of us.."

"Because I really need a break," she whimpered into his chest.

The youth's lips parted against her shoulder, letting her feel the light touch of his fangs though he didn't bite.
"Anything I can give you to ease your mind...?"

Her shoulder rose in response to the feel of his fangs, pressing back lightly against them.

"Turn my mind off for a while. Please?"

At least that he could do. The youth's arm around her waist tightening his hold of her slightly as the other pulled at her robes again, easing it completely off one shoulder before slowly sinking his fangs into it with a low sigh under his breath.
Sometimes.... sometimes you simply needed a break from your own mind one way or another. At least this way was a pleasurable one...

Cass whimpered again, but it was one out of pleasure, not out of distress. A much better sound to the ears. Her nails gripped into his side-- into the bandages around his chest and for a moment her entire body went rigid just to come back down and relax again. She groaned against his chest and trembled at the Kiss, but otherwise stayed still and just... utterly relaxed.

It was exactly what she needed.

Her reaction brought another soft sigh from his lips, the sound muffled against her shoulder as he continued to hold the Kiss for a good long time. Strong arms keeping her close, caressing with gentle fingers across her exposed skin as he bit down a little harder at the sound of her whimpering.

If anything, the youth wanted to make sure that by the time he broke the Kiss, her knees would be too weak to stand as allowing her to simply float on the waves of pleasure was probably the best he currently had to offer her. He wished he could give more, wished he could give her the reassurance that no harm would come to her again. But no...
A break from it all was all he had to offer. Though it would seem that perhaps, for the time being, that was enough.

It had been a long night. Perhaps too long. By the time Charlie did pull his fangs from her flesh, her knees were weak, yes. But so was the rest of her body. She managed a simple, final sigh before more than just her knees gave out.

Her trembling ceased and her hold on him simply gave out. She had fallen asleep on him-- just another corpse with a couple of stray, blood tears rolling down her cheeks as the exhaustion took over. The Kiss had helped... pushing her to dreamless, thoughtless sleep.

A soft hand brushed the tears away before he gently picked her up as he got to his feet and cradled her in his arms.

They could probably both need some sleep...

(fade?)

(Sounds good. )