Tweak

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Tweak says, "R.A.B."

Raven // Ezra (Shae) Dufraisne (in_the_wings) wrote in paxletalelogs,
@ 2010-10-02 22:55:00

Entry tags:

changing woman, raven

Who: Shae and Kamillah
What: Stairway to...heaven?
Where: The stairwell
When: October 2, shortly before midnight and after this thread
Warning: ...yeah, okay, there's a SMUT ALERT.

Two days, Shae thought as he pressed himself flush against the wall of the third floor landing. I'm gone for two fucking days, and everything goes to pot. He was seriously beginning to wonder if someone at the bar had spiked his drink.

His day was supposed to be done. He'd caught the perp, he'd collected on the bounty- hell, he'd even met an unsuspecting neighbor in the process. It was time to kick back and relax.

So why was he suddenly walking into a goddamn Egyptian tomb? And then some kind of Greco-Roman temple? The stairwell had seemed normal enough that he'd sought refuge there, and he'd been hoping against hope that somehow this elaborate hallucination of his would evaporate by the third floor, but- nope, no such luck.

Shae was usually a logical person. A rational person. Maybe a little gullible at times, and certainly susceptible to a well-planned swindle. But this...this, was out of control. Was he actually losing his mind, or were there trees growing out of the third floor? What would he find in his own apartment, if he could even make it that far without dissolving into a giant puddle of crazy? He was starting to get really nervous, and when Shae was really nervous, he had a bit of an itchy trigger finger. That didn't necessarily bode well for anyone else who might have been unlucky enough to take the stairs...

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in_the_wings
2010-10-06 01:55 am UTC (link)

Shae blinked as the woman suddenly rushed to stand, then looked down at his own attire. His clothes were rumpled from having spent the last two nights sleeping in his car, his five o' clock shadow was almost developed enough to walk on its own, his hair was starting to make its own gel, and it looked like some of the taco sauce from his lunch had found a permanent home on his left pant leg- oh, wait, there was some on his shirt, too.

Somehow, that didn't exactly scream law enforcement official to him, but what the hell.

"Don' worry, ma cher, I'm off da clock," he said, mustering up his most charming smile and reaching out to steady her. Okay, so something extremely unusual was going on in the building, and apparently it had sprung into being completely without warning. He was still a little unnerved by the whole situation, but at least he had a great view.

That's right, a whole five feet and four inches worth of dark-haired distraction...give or take a couple of inches.

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-06 02:18 am UTC (link)

As his hand gripped and steadied her, her head snapped up to meet his eyes again and a flicker of some confused recognition flashed through her dark-eyed gaze before she dispelled it with a little giggle. Her free hand reached up to clutch at his shoulder while they worked together to get her stable again. The step put her almost on level with him. Her chin only had to lift slightly for her to be able to smile thankfully straight into his face. Her hand lingered at his shoulder and she made no move to pull the other away either. Fascination and interest shone in her expression as she studied him almost rudely, intense and curious. Suddenly, she wrinkled her nose but, as far as he could tell, it had nothing to do with his state of hygiene. Certainly not if her hands were still on him like they were.

"Kami," she offered finally. Another pixie grin lit her face and she moved her hand at last from his shoulder, edging it slightly over his chest as if checking for a heartbeat but missing the anatomical area completely. "God, I hope I didn't hurt you..."

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in_the_wings
2010-10-06 08:03 am UTC (link)

There was definitely a moment, as they briefly locked gazes, when he felt something...familiar pass between them. The feeling was gone almost as soon as it appeared, leaving them in a bit of a staring contest.

Oh yes, Shae recognized that look- direct, unapologetic, appraising. She was checking him out, and he took the opportunity to do the same. From this vantage point, he had an incredible view of those gorgeous grey eyes and those full, sultry lips.

And she was touching him. Mm, what a development. It was good to know that little incident with the gun wasn't too off-putting for her. He glanced down at her wandering fingers, a highly amused smirk stretching across his lips.

"I don' bruise 'dat easily, Miss Kami, but feel free to look all you like."

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-07 02:01 am UTC (link)

At his teasing tone, her hand stilled against his chest in its vague attempt to check for injury and she met his eyes again. For an instant, she lost herself in wonder at how very dark they were. Almost as quickly, though, Kami regained control of herself and her smile glowed with more mischief than innocence. "I could," she drawled and she dared to walk her fingers along his collar bone before drawing her hand back to tuck a soft curl behind her ear. Her gaze never wavered from his even as her attention expanded to contain all of his lean frame. "But I should probably warn you that I don't even have a certification in first aid, mister."

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in_the_wings
2010-10-09 08:01 am UTC (link)

Shae wasn't the least bit concerned about whatever it was that she'd just said. Oh, he'd heard her talking alright, but those curious little fingers had captured most of his attention; the rest was mostly background noise. He tried to cover the fact by smiling winningly and nodding, agreeing with her statement even though it didn't exactly demand that sort of response.

Y'know, from this angle he also had a fantastic view of her...assets. Looked like a solid handful and maybe then some, so, what, at least a C? Shit, did it even matter?

"Where you goin' so late, ma cher?" he asked a little abruptly, the spell suddenly broken as she withdrew her touch from him. Her purse and duffel bag were still splayed out on the stairs beneath him, and he leaned down to retrieve both items, shouldering the bag himself and offering the purse out to her.

The unvoiced question here, made obvious by the expectant look on his face, was Can I come with you?

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-09 05:47 pm UTC (link)

Watching him pick up her things, Kami felt her interest rise and she accepted her purse with a smile. "Such a gentleman," she murmured, taking the chance to lower her lashes slightly and cast a coy glance up at him. He seemed more than a little receptive and the accent was to die for. Even if there wasn't a hint of don't I know you, she knew she would have given him a second glance. He was just that kind of tall, dark, and handsome she had trouble resisting.

Which could be an incredible problem sometimes.

Brushing off any concerns, Kami allowed herself to react to his direct and indirect question with another mischievous smile. "Me?" she asked, touching one hand to her chest lightly, briefly, in the universal motion used to direct a man's gaze to cleavage. "You're not worried about my safety, are you, officer?" Unable to maintain the pose, though, she giggled and shook her head. Then she indicated the bag on his shoulder with a wave of the previously more-intimate hand. "I was actually heading for the gym," she admitted. "This place is giving me the energy jitters."

As if to prove her point, she bounced momentarily up onto the balls of her feet and dropped down again with a sigh and a sheepish grin. "Here it is, nearly midnight, and I've got so much energy to burn off that it might get me in trouble. I figured the gym was safest. Maybe." She cast another quick once-over at him, eyes twinkling.

Her explanation might not have answered his unspoken question clearly but it did not exactly drop a boulder in the path for someone clever enough to take the way around.

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in_the_wings
2010-10-12 06:49 am UTC (link)

Those eyes. So much energy, so much mischief. He liked her already. That cleavage didn't hurt, either.

"Da gym, ma cher? 'Dis late at night?" Alright, he could rationalize the strange, uneasy sort of sensations the building created in him, but energy jitters? Goddamn if he didn't feel like he was about to drop!

Shae shook his head and, without saying a word, started up the stairs to the next floor, her duffle bag still hefted over his shoulder. He paused at the next landing to look back at her, an equally mischievous twinkle reflected in his own eyes.

"I can t'ink of much bettuh ways ta git yo' exercise, Miss Kami." That once-over hadn't gone unnoticed- or unappreciated- and he fully intended to give his companion a more thorough examination once they reached their final destination. Wherever that was. Hopefully somewhere without the trees, because that was still freaking him out just a bit.

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-12 07:29 am UTC (link)

Kami watched him curiously for a moment, head tipped to one side as if trying to understand his motivations, and then laughed before skipping up the steps after him. Reaching out, she gave the strap over his shoulder a half-hearted tug. "I guess I could run up and down the steps a few dozen times," she grinned, "but that's even less fun than the gym. Plus it's hell on the knees."

Her hand moved to slip briefly over his forearm, away from the strap and barely felt through the layers of his shirt and jacket, until he suddenly felt her fingers against the skin of his wrist. He looked down to see her smiling up at him again with the same impish sweetness of before; both on the landing now, she was almost a full half foot shorter than him. "I guess I could just go up to my own floor and down and up and down some more," she mused. "Six flights isn't too bad..."

Her touch left his wrist tingling and she tucked another wayward dark curl behind an ear. "Now how do I get my bag back from you, Mr..?" Kami allowed her words to trail off meaningfully as her mouth curved invitingly.

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in_the_wings
2010-10-14 05:18 am UTC (link)

The sudden sensitivity in his wrist- conveniently, right where Kami's fingers had pressed only moments earlier- caught Shae by surprise, and he glanced down at the arm in question for a few moments before looking over at the petite little temptress beside him.

This was a test. This had to be a test.

"...down an' up an' down some mo'?" He shook his head a little disbelievingly, although his grin betrayed his amusement. She was really something else, wasn't she? So deceptively innocent. He should've known better, with a rack like that. "An' you say 'dat wit' a straight face. Oh, ma cher."

The casually volunteered information about her floor didn't escape him, and he did his best to put blinders on as he passed the new developments on the fourth, then fifth floors. No use in freaking out over the decor when his new friend was being so...hospitable. If he was lucky- and he was becoming more confident with each step- he might even get to see some of Kami's interior design talents.

"I won' be satisfied 'til you back in yo' apartment, Miss Kami," he returned, pausing at the sixth floor landing and smiling down at her. "Lemme carry 'dis fo' you, yeah? Make ol' Shae a happy man."

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-14 06:06 am UTC (link)

"Shae?" she repeated thoughtfully as she drew to a stop at his side. The way she said it made it sound like she was tasting the syllable, rolling it around in her mouth for a test drive. She smiled back at him brightly. "I like it. It's a little exotic. To me, anyway, but then my full name is Kamillah so there you go. So... Shae," she said again but this time it was on a faintly amused, sweet-toned exhale.

Reaching out, Kami touched his elbow and took a step closer to him until she could feel body heat. Up close and personal, closer than she had dared get before, she noticed details lost previously in the potent mix of being threatened by a gun and then flirted with until her toes curled. He was most definitely interested and she knew what that smile meant but there was also a bit of exhaustion at the corners of his dark eyes and tension in his shoulders. Without thinking, Kami reached a hand up to rub surprisingly strong, clever fingers over the back of the shoulder closest to her, edging in until the warmth of her skin was against the juncture of neck and shoulder... And there was some kind of stain on his shirt. Her smile tilted into a mixture of affection and appreciation. Cute boys, sigh.

She gave him another quick massage and drew her hand away to touch his elbow once more. "I probably should warn you," Kami said, "that my floor looks like something from Hercules. Don't worry, though. 607 isn't too far and I still have my own furniture if you want to sit while you have a cup of something." Then she took his hand and dragged him through the cool marble hall without so much as a by-your-leave.

Luckily, her key was readily accessible in her purse and Shae suffered very little under the strange sterile decor before Kami got the door open and he was pulled through the door. Inside, there was still an overabundance of marble but the furniture itself reflected warmth and comfort. A pearly gray couch sat prominent in the living room, strewn with pillows and a discarded blouse, facing a small television and a glass coffee table. A few more pieces of furniture were scattered about the place, adding to the homey, feminine feel of the place.

"So..." Releasing him, Kami tossed her purse on a nearby chair and held out her hand, smile big on her heart-shaped face. "Do I get my bag back now, Mr. Shae, and what can I get you as thanks?"

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in_the_wings
2010-10-25 09:19 am UTC (link)

Kamillah. He liked that; it sounded sweet if a little old-fashioned, like the quaint image of a woman of his great-grandmother's generation. Probably better if he didn't say that thought aloud. Personally, he had a bit of a fetish for exactly the sort of things most people considered antiquated or outdated, so he'd know how to appreciate-

...oh. Oh. Ohhhhhh god, that felt so good, did she have magic fingers or something? He just barely restrained himself from groaning, although his eyes slipped closed in appreciation. His entire body felt like a tightly packed coil that had sort of...gradually gone slack. Strange feeling, that, but not wholly unfamiliar; it was a workplace liability, after all. Guh, he was thisclose to kicking his leg- little more to the left...

Shae nearly missed what she said about her apartment, but as she led him down the immaculate marble corridor to door 607, he realized that the scenery had somehow gone from completely overwhelming to mostly bearable. Was he adjusting to the totally unexpected and improbable set change around him? Or was there really some comfortingly familiar power about the woman touching him, as he'd suspected (on some level, anyway) when they'd first locked eyes in the stairwell? Something subtle, quiet, whispering in the back of his mind that he knew this woman even though he was sure they'd never actually met-

He wasn't quite ready for the contact to end as quickly as it had, that much was obvious from the look on his face. "I only answuh ta 'Shae'," he said with a small smile, "unless you t'ink of somet'ing bettuh." The strap of the duffle bag was offered up to her as he took in his surroundings, eyeing the couch with interest.

"What I really need is a showuh, ma cher." Yes, the funk was beginning to concern him; not because he was a walking human cesspool or anything to that extent, but for the fact that he hadn't bathed in a handful of days and wasn't quite at his hygienic best to entertain a lady friend in her own home. On her own couch, even. "Wash da day offa me. I don' expect dat's anyt'ing you could offer, 'dough."

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-25 07:09 pm UTC (link)

"Oh, I have a shower that you can totally use." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Kami blinked a bit, the faintest of color rising to her cheeks at the combination of a) her casual offer of her personal space and b) the almost immediate (tempting) image of a naked Shae in her personal space. She knew she had fewer hang-ups about some things than other people but this was getting almost ludicrous. Since when did she drag home strange men and push them into her shower?

Since now, apparently. If she tried to puzzle it out, it only hurt her head. He was familiar and tantalizing and interesting and hot as hell. There were lines that nice girls didn't cross but he looked so tired and she really, really wanted to help. It had nothing to do with the thought of him shirtless. Oh, no. Nothing at all.

Taking the bag from him, she gave a little shrug and rewarded him with a warm, welcoming smile. Then she tossed the bag aside without looking. "What the hell, hmm?" she murmured. Her dark eyes swept up and down his lean frame, pausing here and there as she went. Again she felt the mix of attraction and comfort. It would be safe. Sure, it would. She stepped forward and took his hand again before turning around and tugging him along behind her down the short hallway to her white and black bathroom. "I promise I won't walk in and play Psycho on you, Shae," she giggled. "Or anything else."

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in_the_wings
2010-10-26 12:35 am UTC (link)

Shae probably should have been more surprised at how easily she conceded to the whole idea, but strangely enough, he wasn't; he'd had a nagging suspicion that those pretty, dark eyes of hers were far from innocent. That's why he'd suggested it in the first place.

He chuckled a little amusedly at her Psycho remark. Beautiful girl living alone, inviting a perfect stranger into her home...and now she was reassuring him? "'Dat IS yo' showuh, Miss Kami. Walk in whenevuh you lahk."

As if to illustrate that he was completely serious, he easily shed his jacket and went to work loosening the strap on his shoulder holster, apparently set on stripping down in front of her. Once that had been carefully discarded (the gun was loaded, after all), he pulled a leather card holder from his back pocket and offered it out to Kami for safekeeping. It was an equally reassuring gesture in that she now held both his badge and identification card- and of course, all the personal information contained within.

Fortunately for Kami, Shae'd never had any particular body image issues, so it was with little self consciousness that he tugged his shirt over his head to expose his tattoo-riddled torso. The invitation in his eyes was clear as he smiled at his host- Join me?

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-26 05:06 am UTC (link)

Kami looked very, very tempted for a moment, biting down on her full lower lip as her gaze skipped from one inked design to another, tracing her way up and down his torso again. Tall, dark, and handsome - got her every time. Damn. Then she gave herself a little shake, licked her lips slowly in an absent gesture, and then met his look straight-on. "You," she nearly purred, "are a very bad man."

Lifting his card holder upwards, she tapped the uppermost edge against her lips as if to hide her renewed smile. The brightness of her eyes, though, gave away the game. "I'll think about it," she added, voice only slightly less heated on the second attempt at talking. She laughed and that cleared things a bit more as she tucked the little leather envelope into her back pocket and motioned around the bathroom. "There's towels in the little cupboard behind the door," she continued. "Use whatever products you like but the scrubbies are mine. No touchie."

Suddenly, she stepped forward and snatched his shirt away with another laugh. "I'll just take this, though." Her fingers flickered over the area of his chest that was equivalent to the taco sauce spot on his shirt. "I can probably get that out."

Then Kami stepped back again as if worried what further touching might lead to and gave him a wink. "Take your time. I'll just be out front." With that, she slipped nimbly out of the bathroom, a final little wave encouraging him to do what was necessary.

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in_the_wings
2010-10-26 06:49 am UTC (link)

Tempted, yes. Shae was very tempted to shuck off all of their clothes and drag her into the shower stall with him, but the lady had spoken. He'd just have to bide his time. They'd only just met, anyway...he'd give her another hour.

He stripped off his jeans, filthy things they were, and stepped into the stall only to be totally overwhelmed by girliness. Holy god, he'd stepped straight into Barbie Hell. He diligently avoided the numerous dangling shower poufs, which seemed to be strategically sorted in rainbow order, and searched for a shampoo that would least offend his masculine sensibilities. Things weren't looking good.

...what the hell. So he'd smell pretty for a day.

After a good ten minutes of hot streaming water and citrusy-jasmine scented soap, he emerged from the shower dripping and ready to escape- he'd felt like he was somehow tainting her flowery, sanitary femaleness by invading the space, and he needed out. It was starting to remind him too much of his childhood, having to share a bathroom with five females. He'd lost before he'd ever even begun.

The jeans, he realized a little belatedly, were a lost cause. He made a quick decision and secured one of the larger towels around his waist before poking his head out the bathroom door. "You still 'dere, ma cher?" He asked as he shuffled back into the living room in his makeshift garment, raking a hand through his wet, matted curls.

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-26 07:39 am UTC (link)

"Right out here, Shae!" Busily smoothing his shirt across the back of a bar stool so the small, treated area on the front could dry, Kami looked over her shoulder from where she stood near the kitchen bar. Her smile was already in place, automatic at the sound of his voice, but the flush rose to her cheeks again as his state of near-nudity struck her. She did not shift her eyes away, though, but took him in deliberately. Why not? In for a penny, in for a... Whole lot.

"Well," she breathed finally, "I see you found the towels." She turned then and leaned back against the bar slightly. Part of her was glad she had opted for her more restrained pajama option but another part was feeling totally overdressed. One ankle crossed loosely over the other, the hems of her brightly patterned cotton sleep pants lifting up a bit at the motion. Just as she made a study of him, his own review moved up from bare feet to a few tantalizing inches of flat, pale stomach exposed by her cropped camisole, lace edging and a vibrant purple contrast to her skin. "Your shirt is going to have to dry a bit," she continued. "Sorry."

She didn't sound particularly sorry at all.

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in_the_wings
2010-10-27 03:49 am UTC (link)

No, there was most definitely no apology evident in her voice. Shae smirked at the subtle display before him, wondering if she was countering his less-is-more look with...well, more-is-more. Sexy obviously wasn't just a low-cut neckline, and Kami seemed to naturally have it in spades.

Granted, he was sort of imagining her topless at the moment, but she wasn't exactly discouraging that line of thought. Sayeth the naked man in the towel.

"Ah," was the best he could come up with as he sauntered toward her, flicking at the treated spot on his shirt with his fingers, "'Den I' jes' hafta stay heah a little longuh, n'est-ce pas? Can' send me home like 'dis."

He propped an arm on the bar beside her and just smiled, eyes wandering briefly over her figure. "Dat's a good color on you."

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-27 04:42 am UTC (link)

"Oh, this old thing?" Kami grinned impishly as she lifted one hand and hooked a single finger under one of the camisole's thin straps to shift it a bit. Another strap, this one white with tiny pink dots, stood revealed; he should have known a figure like that required a bra until the last minute. She let the thin lace snap back into place and pushed herself up with one elbow so she could better watch him, close and comfy, faces a hands-breadth apart. "Why, thank you, Mr. Dufraisne," she murmured.

Dropping her eyes a bit, she studied his chest from beneath lowered eyelashes and it was almost passable as a demure, ashamed look. Except the situation of him naked in her apartment pretty much negated any sort of claim to delicate innocence. "I couldn't resist looking," she admitted and a giggle followed the words almost immediately as she lifted her gaze to meet his again. "You hand something like that over and I had to see what was in it."

Kami gave him a frank look of assessment, no hesitation this time as her eyes roamed his naked skin. Suddenly, she lifted a hand to trace two fingers over the scar at his shoulder, light as thought and twice as teasing. "So you're a bondsman," she continued. "Like a bounty hunter, right? Did you get this from someone even more dangerous than you are?"

Words and touch ended at the same time and, while her fingers rested just barely on his skin, she met his eyes with interest and warmth.

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in_the_wings
2010-10-27 06:22 am UTC (link)

Ah, so she'd taken the bait. Perfect.

...except that now, with her fingertips tracing burning paths over the sensitive scar tissue lacing his shoulder and collarbone, he had the sneaking suspicion that maybe, just maybe, Kami had the upper hand in this situation. He was the naked one, in her apartment...growing desperately impatient and increasingly aroused at her featherlight caresses.

Woman knew what she was doing, no doubt. And here he'd thought he was the seduction mastermind.

Normally he had more control than this, Shae tried to reassure himself as he abruptly leaned down and pressed his lips to the skin beneath her ear, closing his eyes and discretely inhaling the scent of her perfume. Well, so much for THAT line of questioning.

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sugar_cycle
2010-10-27 06:54 am UTC (link)

What escaped Kami's slightly parted lips at his touch barely counted as a word - too breathy and soft and surprised; it teased against his damp hair, along the curve of his ear. Her hand at his shoulder shifted, too, at his increased closeness until her fingers curled over him. Short nails dug slightly into his skin as her grip tightened.

Catching her reaction a few seconds too late, Kami giggled breathlessly and forced her fingers to relax. Then she slipped her palm along his shoulder to rest, cupped, at the base of his neck. "You know," she whispered, "I'm doubting anyone's more dangerous than you at this point."

Almost without thinking, her fingers worked their way into his damp curls. Kami's eyes half-closed and he could hear her take a shallow, impatient little breath to calm herself. "Really, really, really doubting it, Mr. Ezra Dufraisne. God."

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