D.Grayman, Cloud 9/Rinali
Title: approach Author/Artist: shiegra Fandom: D.Grayman Pairing/characters: Cloud Nine/Rinali Rating: PG13/R Prompt/challenge you're answering: * Rinali and Cloud Nine: "Don't make me come over there."
They were not, perhaps, the best suited for practicing together.
Rinali was fast; Lau Jimin was fast as well, and Cloud Nine hardly without speed or skill herself. They could both attack from long distances, Rinali clearing them with lightning quickness and Cloud Nine creating new distance. Rinali dodged the whip not without effort but with admirable competence, and they had agreed not to subject the practice rooms to Rinali or Lau Jimin’s more effective and less bodily physical attacks.
Rinali landed first, stalking away, hands in fists. She had no affection for the Black Order, and not much more for those who served it; the scars were still visible in her eyes, in the jaggedness of her control and fear spiked anger. “This is useless.” She whispered harshly, but her opponent’s voice rang out across the space.
“Stop!”
She wheeled around and saw the General pacing toward her, pale hair disheveled over her shoulders and mouth set in a firm line. “Where are you going?”
Rinali hesitated, and then shook her head hard. “This is useless.” She said miserably. “I’m not improving, you’re just…” She shrugged, one shouldered and jerky. “I don’t understand what’s—”
She understood the crack of the whip only after her legs were carrying her away from it, throwing her into a roll and onto her feet in seconds. “What--?”
Cloud Nine smiled, a bare, almost gentle curve of her lips. “Do you honestly think,” she said, “that your battle reflexes have not been honed? Do you think your own speed so negligible?”
Rinali opened her mouth and closed it.
“Rinali.” She said, voice velvet, “come here.”
She balked sharply at the order, her heels digging in through pure instinct—there was, after all, little enough real reason to reject the command—and Cloud Nine’s visible eye settled on her, calm scrutiny. “Don’t make me come to you.”
It was less a threat than a cool challenge, and Rinali sucked in a sharp breath, closed her eyes briefly, and then began to walk forward.
The handle of the whip slid cool against the chin, tipping it up. “You are…admirably competent. But giving up is not the way to gain anything, Rinali Li.”
She bit into her lip and looked away.
“Must I teach you everything?” Cloud murmured, “you do not look away from your opponent—” and Rinali went to her toes and kissed her.
The General rocked back on her heels and caught her shoulders, long fingers curving cool and firm against her skin. Rinali kept her eyes opening and watched the pupil in the general’s one visible eye dilate, black swallowing up the paler iris.
The whip whispered and instinct and thought both carried her back, a clean flexing leap that put the wind beneath her, Cloud Nine’s heavy-lidded and measuring gaze. Rinali landed, Boots stroking over her thighs, and stared a challenge.
The General trailed the black whip through her fingers, drawing it out in a slow caress, and her mouth was touched by a slow smile, surprisingly young. “Shall I teach you everything?” She asked, voice enough now holding a murmur of wryness.
Rinali let herself ghost down, landing light on her feet. “Yes,” she said, “please.” And reached out to tangle her fingers in pale hair and draw them closer.