‘What are you doing?’
Ellis recognized the look he was giving her. She had seen it only twice before and both times had been pivotal moments in their life together. The first was when they first met and the second was when he tried to kill her. To say she wasn’t a little nervous was an understatement.
Moments later his aura engulfed her, surging into this thing that brought them closer than they had ever been and she lost her breath. To know what he was feeling; to actually be caught up in the emotions was exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. Being able to know – to never wonder what he was feeling was a gift that she just didn’t deserve, but knowing that he instinctively held back was a pain she could barely live with. Ellis felt tears well up in her eyes as the rush of emotions hit her, but when he resulted in physical touch instead of words, her soul strained under the weight of his love.
He kissed her so gently that the tears in her eyes made good on their threat and fell down her cheeks. Why was love such a sought after prize, but almost too painful to keep? They leaned into each other, not letting the simple kiss turn into a sexual frenzy, but let it be exactly what it was; an unbroken connection between the two of them, despite any and all transgressions from the past.
It simply was.
Ellis reached up and touched his face, gently returning his kiss with every bit of emotion he gave her. His thumbs smoothed the tears away from her cheeks and pressed his forehead against hers. They stood there like that, their lips brushing against each other, and their bodies impossibly close. Ellis looked up into his face and saw the strained expression. Suddenly he wrapped his arms around her waist and dug his face into her neck, hugging her tightly. She slipped her arms up around his neck and felt a sob escape.
It wasn’t about sex. It wasn’t about control. It even wasn’t about power. She was as much his as he was hers, and the pain she was feeling, the ache building pressure in her chest, was a welcomed one. Giving herself completely to Simon, something she should have done a long time ago, was as freeing as it was redeeming. And the first time in a very long time, if ever, Ellis whispered in his ear.
‘I love you.’
I'll see you in my dreams
Time, time will never be a friend of mine again
It tries to make your memory fade, but I won't let it end
Let the sun go down, so I can drift away
Let me close my eyes and live another day
You keep comin', you keep comin' back, you keep comin' back for more
- Giant, 'I'll see you in my dreams'
It was St. Patrick's day; green beer, short kilts, and Irish brogues were in full swing. Ellis moved slowly through the sewer tunnel that led to the entrance of her lair underneath Nachton's Opera House. She whistled a short, four note tune that was sharp, yet sad. In the darkness, Ellis walked without the benefit of light, listening to the click clack of her lighter case, opening and closing.
Reaching the end of the tunnel, Ellis waved her hand over the security panel and entered the code. In front of her was a nine foot high steel door, effectively keeping unwelcome guests out. It hissed as the locking mechanism rotated, opening the door. Ellis stepped into the lair and froze.
The lair was square shaped and sectioned into different living areas. In front of her was the living room, for the most part, not that she spent time in that part of the domain. There was a long hallway leading to the kitchen and extras rooms on the right. Further down the hall, all the way at the end, was her bedroom. The space was set up for efficiency, not so much luxury. It didn't feel like home, so she never bothered to make it one. Tai inhabited one of the rooms for private meditation or whatever the hell he did, but most of the rooms were empty. The space was wireless, automated, and had a security system similar to the Domicile, yet there was someone standing in her bedroom...and it wasn't Tai.
She reached out with her perception, but only felt the one presence, other than the opera house above. Heartbeats had distinct signatures that grow familiar and she could feel the employees above, but the heart beat at the end of the hall was not familiar, at least.... Ellis shook the thought out of her mind and continued playing with her lighter, flipping it open and then closing it again as she moved down the hallway slowly. Her left hand reached behind her and grazed the handle of her .38, but shrugged it off with annoyance.
Why do vampires carry weapons when they're immortal? What could possibly be above them on the food chain? She was an ancient, after all, and with age came strength and resilience, yet something was making her spidey sense tingle with familiar fear. Ellis unconsciously flipped open her lighter as she reached the end of the hall and stood just outside her bedroom suite. The door was slightly ajar, but in complete darkness. She took a deep breath, regaining her courage, and pushed the door open.
The automatic lights kicked on, after having shut off with the lack of movement in the room. Which meant whoever was in her room had sat still, and remained still, for at least 15 minutes. As the room was flooded with light, Ellis flipped her lighter closed with a snap.
'What are you doing here?'
Ellis stepped into the room and walked up to the figure sitting on her king sized bed with their back to her.
'How did you get in here, Kyle?'
Ellis Duban
15 years ago
Simon Huntington
15 years ago
Simon pulled back and looked at her. He could not help the suspicion that trickled into their aura, but she didn’t react to it. As far as he could tell…she meant it. Those three words transmitted like a clear picture; it had all the colors and shadows that made up the solitary emotion and, for better or worse, Ellis meant what she said.
She loved him.
‘You have to understand something, E. There’s no going back to what we were. I’m not your side kick, boy toy, lap dog…that’s done. So if that’s what you want…’
‘It isn’t.’
‘If it’s want you want,' Simon shook his head slowly, his words grave and promising, 'then I’m gone.’
He meant it. His aura tempered down with the seriousness of his tone and enforced the promise. Her green eyes were wide and she nodded firmly. They stood there looking at each other for a long moment. Finally he raised his eyebrows and smiled down at her.
‘Alright, let’s get out of here then.’
Ellis took a step back and turned toward the door. Simon waited for her to step aside so he could get the door for her when she did something odd. She opened it herself and held it wide for him. He could not help his jaw from dropping slightly in shock.
‘Wow,’ he said, ‘you spoil me.’
‘Shut up.’
Simon put his hand on her lower back and gently walked her through the door first, closing the door behind him. Ellis stood waiting for him, small smile in place, and he took her by the elbow, walking down the sewer tunnel side by side when suddenly she reached out and tugged on his arm. Simon turned and faced her in the darkness.
‘I’m not going back there.’
Simon looked back at her lair door. ‘You don’t have to,’ he said softly.
She stepped forward and put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with her watery green eyes. He was suddenly very aware of the curves of her body and the golden glow of her skin against the silver of her blouse. She was his all over again. All his. Was it obsession, he wondered? Feeling within their aura, he tried to distinguish the different emotions being shared between them. No, not obsession, he decided. If their bond meant anything, it was a clear sign of a love worth fighting for.
Pulling her close, he let his lips hover over hers for a moment before finally pressing his lips against hers. The tip of his tongue reached out and parted her lips, eliciting a soft sigh from her. The kiss deepened with her hands coming up and tangling her fingers in his hair when his phone rang.
Ellis started laughing softly.
Typical, he thought, and answered his phone. ‘Hello?’
Simon listened to the hurried voice as he held Ellis close to his body.
‘You want me…to come bail you out?’
((Simon and Ellis out. Follow up in – My doppelganger did it. ))
She loved him.
‘You have to understand something, E. There’s no going back to what we were. I’m not your side kick, boy toy, lap dog…that’s done. So if that’s what you want…’
‘It isn’t.’
‘If it’s want you want,' Simon shook his head slowly, his words grave and promising, 'then I’m gone.’
He meant it. His aura tempered down with the seriousness of his tone and enforced the promise. Her green eyes were wide and she nodded firmly. They stood there looking at each other for a long moment. Finally he raised his eyebrows and smiled down at her.
‘Alright, let’s get out of here then.’
Ellis took a step back and turned toward the door. Simon waited for her to step aside so he could get the door for her when she did something odd. She opened it herself and held it wide for him. He could not help his jaw from dropping slightly in shock.
‘Wow,’ he said, ‘you spoil me.’
‘Shut up.’
Simon put his hand on her lower back and gently walked her through the door first, closing the door behind him. Ellis stood waiting for him, small smile in place, and he took her by the elbow, walking down the sewer tunnel side by side when suddenly she reached out and tugged on his arm. Simon turned and faced her in the darkness.
‘I’m not going back there.’
Simon looked back at her lair door. ‘You don’t have to,’ he said softly.
She stepped forward and put her hands on his chest, looking up at him with her watery green eyes. He was suddenly very aware of the curves of her body and the golden glow of her skin against the silver of her blouse. She was his all over again. All his. Was it obsession, he wondered? Feeling within their aura, he tried to distinguish the different emotions being shared between them. No, not obsession, he decided. If their bond meant anything, it was a clear sign of a love worth fighting for.
Pulling her close, he let his lips hover over hers for a moment before finally pressing his lips against hers. The tip of his tongue reached out and parted her lips, eliciting a soft sigh from her. The kiss deepened with her hands coming up and tangling her fingers in his hair when his phone rang.
Ellis started laughing softly.
Typical, he thought, and answered his phone. ‘Hello?’
Simon listened to the hurried voice as he held Ellis close to his body.
‘You want me…to come bail you out?’
((Simon and Ellis out. Follow up in – My doppelganger did it. ))