The right height.

The past couple days had gone by in a grumpy haze. I had gone out in fleets, or at least tried too, but not even that had eased my mood. Despite the bomber kill I got while trying to stir up trouble.

I sighed, staring into the terminal screen, noting that I would once again not be able to make it to the Friday night fleet, one I had hoped to make this week, and not just because I had promised Cass my guardian.  I wish I had another glass to throw.

I stood and stepped out of my bedroom, making my way over to my well stocked bar.  Well, kitchen I suppose it was called, not that I bothered cooking all that often anymore. I pushed around some bottles, mentally shutting down the nanites that swarmed my blood usually, keeping me from getting drunk, sick, drugged, or otherwise killed and took a long pull from a older, half full bottle of tequila. The stuff always got me into trouble.

It burned all the way down to the pit of my stomach, as did the second and third gulps. I took a deep breath and turned, placing my hands on the island sat in the middle of my kitchen, looking out the window into TXW. I just couldn't keep my mind from wandering, stood there for some time, staring out into space but seeing anything but. Everyone's got their own demons, women always happened to be mine.

Idly I reached back to the bottle of tequila lifting it to my lips a few more times, the warm feeling spreading from my stomach down my arms and legs. Whispered thoughts and ideas coming into clarity and then action.  I primped a bit before leaving, clean shirt, pants, hair more organized than usual, adding a little more cologne to cover the smell of the tequila I could feel in my veins.

I checked the clock, 0225, she was notorious for showing up to fleets, in pod, ready to go, very early. It would be hard to explain to her she needed to come out of her pod for them to speak.  I checked the pilot status board, she was still in her quarters.

I won't say my pace was calm and unhurried, but I somehow managed to avoid looking like a fool at a dead run to the spot I had planned for my ambush. It was nearly unavoidable, between her quarters and her ships, hopefully the right spot.

My back pressed up against the cool steel of the hallways to the pilots quarters in TXW, I nodded to other passing pilots and crew as they headed to their hangars, readying for tonights fleet. I'm just waiting here, trying to look like part of the wall.  Waiting for her to walk by.

I had time to reflect on what exactly brought me here.

I'm tired of waiting to see if she just wants to flirt with me and tease me, or something, anything else. I sigh sadly, my stomach dropping a bit as I try not to think about that too much. The liquid courage running through my body will only work as long as I don't think about that.

Subtle movement out of the corner of my eye as she turns the corner and sees me, thankfully alone. I don't give anything, but recognition, time to pass through her features before one of my long arms slides around her waist, pulling her towards me as I twist my body around, pushing her gently, but firmly against the wall. I've made sure not to box her in but to escape my grasp she has to head back the way she came, or pass all the way around me.  Her eyes flashed hotly, I didn't stop.

I leaned down, kissing up her neck, towards her ear. My hand slid down her narrow waist and over the flair of her hip, moving around to cup and lift her ass towards me suggestively. Thus forcing her body to arch towards mine. I leaned towards, my lips just barely grazing her ear, my words so soft, they don't carry past her ear "I think you should be headed towards my quarters after this fleet, of sex."

I release her ass, lowering her off her toes. Disengaging myself from her and slide around the corner, heading the long route, back to my quarters. It takes all my willpower not to look back at that corner. I turn the first corner away and realize I hadn't been breathing, my mouth popping open, gulping down lungfuls of semi-stale station air.

-----

I kept the alliance kills list open on my terminal as I work, watching minutes roll by without any significant action, judging my chances tonight by the billboard.  It looks bleak for a long while, until reports of battle filter down into the kill table, she's killed 3 ships more or less on her own, the fleet is on it's way back to the station. I get a chill that runs down to my toes, half excitement, half pure dread. I shove it all back in my mind, headed for the shower.

Barely free from the shower, but dry at least, I slide on my pants, proxy alarms beeping somewhere deep in my eardrum, someone was approaching my door. I pull my shoes on, leaving them untied, hopeful I know. Just reaching for a shirt as the main "someone's at your door" buzz slides through my rooms. A single quick glance at the monitor confirmed it was her, alone.

Pulling my shirt over my head was never elegant, the three spikes planted there made sure of that. I managed with a minimum of hassle even while narrowly avoiding tripping, sliding the hallway door closed. The door opened to reveal Usagi, I could have stopped myself, but didn't want to, needing a quick mental picture of her standing there in my door.  It ended up not being a quick mental picture, my eyes moving down her body.  Regaining some sense took a few seconds, but I stood to the side, "glad you could make it gorgeous, please come in."

'Charming,' I said to myself, hiding my self grimace as she stepped in. She looked around before turning to face me, her back to the island in the middle of his kitchen.  The position made me think of how much easier it would be if he just forced her over that counter, it looked the right height. Her voice, slightly higher pitched met my ears. "Was glad you asked me to come." Probably choking back laughter. Most capsuleers would be laughing at the small space, but it was all he needed, here at least.

The door slid closed, unnoticed, behind them, the same metallic rumble whisking the door closed.  I smiled, feeling my cheeks heat up a bit, remembering. "I'm not sure 'asked' is the right word to use, but I needed to do something, short of stewing in here for another night."  Her eyes had caught mine and I found it suddenly difficult to talk.  I had learnt from last time this happened and just kept my mouth shut for a moment.

I broke the silence, "may I get you anything?" Me perhaps? My arm saved me indicating the stash of booze behind me.  Though I wasn't sure if it was indicating the booze or just re-emphasizing that I was included in the anything.

It seemed she had gotten her laughter under control now, mostly, her voice had returned to normal. "Whatever you're having is fine." Her eyes moved off mine to look at the stash behind me, I thought I caught a twinkle in them as she looked at all the booze. My free hand slid around hers, my body requiring that I touch her, make sure this is all real. How she wasn't slammed up against the island already was a mystery, I was barely holding that part of myself together.

I blurted out, "you look great." pulling her closer as I said that, my right fingertips tracing up her side, having to go some distance before finding a shirt under her jacket. My eyes held her gaze, the distraction of her skin carried the pause on uncomfortably.

Simply Casanova, I was, more like how was she still even here.  I realized I didn't have any glasses, umm, on-hand. "I uh, don't exactly have a" moron "glass right now…" A nervous laugh spilled out of my lips. "I hope something out of the bottle is okay?"  M-O-R-O-N. I forced myself to shut up internally.

She blushed, likely from embarrassment, of me, but her smile still made my knee's a little shaky. "Bottle is fine, thank you.  I…"

You are still an idiot… SHUT UP! Ahem.

"I probably have some extra glasses I could give you…." she trailed off looking up at me and then down to my hand around hers. "…assuming you need them…" I stepped closer to her, her soft, clean scent hitting my nostrils memorably, "No, I'm sure I'll eventually get around to buying more, they much such a satisfying crash when thrown properly too."

It hit me just then, I was a complete ass, and rambling, I apologized, and offered her a seat.  Graciously she replied "It's okay, I enjoy listening." I knew that meant she didn't need for me to continue.

"I have the couch there, and the table if you prefer?" I smiled, "I'll sit on the table." Where was that bravado I had just a few hours ago? Damn tequila. I grabbed two bottles from behind me, watching her move away, her body moving with the soft grace that belies speed. I stripped my eyes from her swaying ass, and looked at the two bottles that had won by default.

"It would be rude of me to take your seat." I looked up and she stood next to the couch, a private smile on her face. I reply with "Umm, Tequila and Vodka." I slide into my couch, towards the middle, reaching up to grab the front of her pants, twisting her into my lap, for the most part, her ass on one of my thighs, her face just inches from mine.

Her being that close, that sweet smell, the warmth of her body, my hands went white around the bottles, my other arm providing a sort-of back rest for her. I resisted tearing at her like a animal, turning all that desire into a grin, looking up into her beautiful blue eyes. Mumbling something about her choice of seating, I just stared into her eyes. She took the Vodka bottle, placing it on the table next to us before sliding herself out of her jacket. Leaning down to show off her lower back tattoo, bluish-black it resembled the Gurista's design, with a Usagi touch to it. That detail added to the mental images didn't help, one bit.

I looked down, stuck with the Tequila bottle… shit. "You would leave me with the tequila bottle, stuff gets me in trouble." So far, this time it had been good trouble, I popped open the top with one hand. "Enjoy the trouble you bring upon yourself!" A little toast to lighten the mood, right?  I meant to take a quick gulp, but found my mouth inundated with tequila, forced now, I was swallowing quickly, the tequila fire spread down my back, a hot shiver following the liquid.

Usagi took a large pull off the Vodka bottle, grinning as she took it easily. "Terrible." Looking back down her body I notice her short tank top, showing off her stomach, my free hand, curing around her back to run fingertips over her stomach. I looked back over to her, lust rising, quipping back, "yes it looks terrible," I acted as if I was going to stand, not that I could, for more than one reason. "Should I get you something else?..."

Usagi leveraged her hips and arms, pushing me back against the couch, her voice all at once an authoritative, undeniably seductive and emphatic no. I couldn't have stood after that, and didn't want to. My fingers, on the damned soft, smooth skin of her back, tracing small patterns.  Fingers spanning and contracting on her low back. Just touching her made me shiver, "I think that's the first smart thing either of us has said all night." I joked, before taking another long pull from the tequila to hide my self-satisfied grin.

She took another drink, as if winding up for something big, tossing the vodka bottle back on the table, sliding around me quickly, hotly, her legs to either side of mine now, hand wrapping around… the tequila bottle, taking a swig from it as well, before placing it behind her on the table as well. Her hips groung into into mine, biting my lower lip was the only prevention from groaning out loud.

I released my lip just as she leaned down and kissed me, her body pressing into mine in JUST the right way, her lips parting a bit, teasingly letting me taste the vodka and tequila on her lips. It was the first time she'd kissed my lips, the electricity was definitely there. My mind moved towards the off position, my hands sliding down her legs, I could feel the blood thumping past my ears, barely picking up her words. "What do you want?" It was said in the same tone as her no, shaking me and my mind back to 'on.'

I fumbled around a bit, trying to come up with something other than the mono-syllabic, though true, response of 'you.'  I went with "I think I've made that pretty clear? I want to see if you and I are…" compatible, no, umm, right? No. Meant for each other, how melodramatic can I be? NO. "More." I hope if someone was writing a story about this they would put a period after that word, and not the question mark it felt like.

Her hands guided mine higher on her body, up her firm thighs, hips and flat, taunt stomach, sliding my large hands over her chest, strands of her red hair falling out of her pony tail, and over her face. "Are we?" She asked, while working me like a master.  My vision had just clouded over, lust bubbling up and over, I tried to say something, anything, my mouth worked, then, later actual words came out.

"If this is come kind of new torture technique please only ever use it on me." I panted those words out like a first timer. At this time I would tell this woman the truth of anything she asked. "I mean, if we weren't, would we be here?" I threw out the words, desperate.

My hands spanned her chest, teasing her back, trying to force her mind down to his primal level.  It failed, she sighed softly, talking as she turned away, her hips still firmly on mine, warm body pressed up against me. "This means nothing. Sex is just sex. I want to do that with you, but also…" her voice broke a bit, moisture forming in her lidded eyes.

"Once we start down one path, we can't ever go to the other." Slid my hand around the back of her head, turning her back to face me, the back of her head was still slightly wet, red hair tangling in my fingers.  I told the truth, "I think we both know, and want, this to be more than sex, or we would have had at it days ago and not looked back. Instead I find myself brooding in here, breaking my only glass because I just assumed you'd show up." For me, I left out. "Tripping over myself like a moron I may add."

She turned like a cat in my lap, looking down at me, directly into me. "Can you love me?" There it was, I had left off the jealous part of me stalking back into The Last Gate trying to find out if she had left with Morgane that night and not me. I wasn't sure. When ever are you? Shut up, I dove in.

"Only if you'll let me." I stopped looking at her eyes, expecting the worst.  By the time I looked back up her eyes were closed.  She mouthed something, maybe 'thank you.'  She leaned back down to me, her lips finding mine, this kiss slamming my brain fully into the 'off' position, and everything else to on. I hardly let her pull back enough to tug her shirt off. Mine didn't last much longer. nor in one piece.

Let me say; the counter, it was the right height.

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Usagi's Blog