InsaneJournal

Physical Contact
Characters: Carmel and Wu
Setting: The gym, then Carmel's room, night
Other: NSFW

It was immediately obvious that something wasn't sitting right with Wu, or it would've been if there had been an observer. Yes, his expression was fairly even and composed, nearly as neutral as ever aside from a line creasing his brow and a thin set to his lips. But the rest of him? It showed a clear anger from the neck down as he worked away in the gym, hammering on the weighted heavy bag that dangled from a chain.

His hands were wrapped tight, arms, shoulders and chest shining with the sweat of exertion, and every bit of Wu was working with a speed and ferocity that rarely got set loose. It was deliberate too; he kept it confined to create the illusion of civility, to keep potential threats oblivious to his danger aside from the air of menace that usually hung around him. But here and now it poured off of him as he worked, smashing fists in and stepping with them to turn them to elbows, pressing closer to throw knee strikes against the bag with terse huffs of sound.

Every movement became an attack with practiced fluidity, as, in his mind he was beating a man to death; whoever it was that ran this place, whoever it was that dared to deny him answers. He sought to help the victims here, and the so-called overseers would shut him out? Fools, Wu thought darkly as he smashed a forearm into the bag edge-first, wrapping his other arm around it to hold it steady for a series of brutal knees, and at last pushing back from the bag with a snapped-out kick. Both hands raised up in feigned readiness as Wu panted for breath, staring daggers at his target. He had to shed this fury before tomorrow, it wouldn't do to lash out with violence on his first day as 'governor'.

Carmel had been hoping to seek out Wu today anyway, but when she saw him head to the gym, she headed to her room to quickly change into workout clothes and head on out there with him. She eased in the door and hesitated there as she noticed just how hard he was working out, pummeling the bag as if it had killed his favorite pet... though somehow she had trouble picturing Wu with a pet, at least at the moment.

She cleared her throat loudly enough she hoped he heard it, and made sure not to travel too quietly as she moved across the gym. She wasn't totally without caution, and she stopped and propped her hip (they were getting bigger, she feared, she really should work out more and snack less) on a piece of equipment, leaning casually as she watched him. She couldn't help the zing of attraction she felt, but also a note of caution. Dangerous men, though; something about them, she thought ruefully, even though that wasn't the draw for her, not really.

"Something the matter?" she asked once she had his attention, perceptive as she often was.

Those raised hands curled into tight fists at the sound of Carmel clearing her throat, spiking tension back into his shoulders for an instant. And when Carmel spoke? It was the damndest thing to feel the ire that had hit first lessen, but almost immediately be replaced with a different tension; some mixture of nerves and uncertainty unique to her presence. "Carmel," he greeted in his usual restrained manner, not looking her way immediately as Wu tried to force himself back together. He drew in a deep breath before he could look her way, pushing damp hair back with tape-wrapped hands and finally turning to face her and give a slight nod.

"Today was a reminder of the limits of this place," Wu explained, "And I find myself chafing under them." Which wasn't very enlightening about the actual problem, but it was confirmation of what she guessed at. That was a start, one Wu didn't hand out freely, though with her? It had always been hard to withhold since that first day, and hadn't become one bit easier. Not with everything he associated with the very sight of Carmel, or the allure of that sight in and of itself. "It is better to work through my frustrations here than with another resident," he noted with the crinkling around his eyes that was his usual show of humor, flexing his hands stiffly and moving for his water.

"You are well, though? You look it," he added, feeling less uncertain of saying such things since the last time he'd seen her.

Carmel stayed back and gave him his space, both verbally and physically, giving him the time to get himself together. She watched the way his shoulders tightened and relaxed a little, the play of muscles under the skin she could see. She smiled at him when he finally looked over at him, a warm expression. "Ah yes, this place does tend to chaff in the oddest ways and places," she admitted. She wondered what precisely he was talking about, and pondered whether she should press or not. She tilted her head slightly, her curls temporarily restrained in a tight bun on her head. "Is there anything I can do to help you?" she asked, instead of simply digging for more information.

She smiled slightly at his sly humor. "Probably for the best, though if you want a sparring partner, I can try to help out." She couldn't take the punishment the bag had been, of course; but sometimes it occupied the mind to have someone to respond to, even if you didn't hurt them. It wasn't an offer made lightly, since she knew enough to know what kind of damage he could do and how little she could do to stop him since he was so much stronger and skilled than her in the long run.

Carmel nodded. "I'm doing all right, thanks," she said with a smile. "Tired, of course, but nothing new on that." Make up helped, and she wore just enough to cover up what she wanted covered. She doubted she'd sleep any better tonight than last night, but that was par for course with her.

"You are still not sleeping well," Wu noted when she touched on her tiredness, frowning slightly. He wanted to help, but what could anyone do against a burden like Carmel's that was wholly in the mind? And more than that, Wu was realizing now just how involved he got with the women here without the buffering layer of his lieutenants that he'd had in the outside world. So many of them were deserving of better than what they had, but Carmel was... special, even in that sense. She'd been mistreated, but had fought back and made her own justice, and that was something Wu respected on levels he couldn't fully explain. "I will request tea leaves, they may soothe you and ease in resting."

And with her offers, both to help and to spar? Wu remembered just why she was special, why there was an allure beyond the warmth of her smile and grace of her form. It was the kind of thing he would actually be embarrassed to try and voice, but for a moment there? It was in his eyes as he watched her and lost some of his strain, just marveling at the sight of a beautiful spirit. "If you seek exercise, then yes, we may spar," he eventually offered when he snapped from his reverie, awkwardly uncapping his water with his hands still wrapped, "But it has been very long since I have done so." Which worried him, clearly. "Your offers are kind, Carmel. Exercise, I will accept, and help? Perhaps soon, when my thoughts have more order to them." Right now they were still a maelstrom of misdirected hostility, something Wu refused to let spill over onto her.

"It is an eternal struggle," she said, lifting one shoulder. Some nights were better than others. Maybe now that they had a 'system' here she would start sleeping better. Part of it was simply the unknown quantities of this place that made her uneasy. She smiled softly at his offer. "Thank you, Wu," she said, genuinely grateful. It meant a lot to her that he wanted to help in return.

She nodded. "I need the exercise. I haven't been as faithful at it as I was, now that I have a kitchen again, and my hips are letting me know it," she said with a small chuckle, hands slapping at them as she rolled her eyes slightly. "Don't worry. It's been awhile for me as well," she assured him, moving to find wraps for herself, though she probably wouldn't do herself up as much as he had himself. "We can start slow." She trusted him not to hurt her beyond the bounds of what was normal in sparring, she found. "And when you're ready for the other, you have only to say the word," she told him, coming over to him and resting a hand on his arm for a moment.

Whatever contact there had been before had been odd, though Wu had kept himself focused through it mostly. Carmel had earned an odd smile here and there, the closing of his hand on hers once, but otherwise he had maintained well. But now? Wu found himself wishing for proper exercise clothes, if only to have a shirt with sleeves separating her touch from his skin. And at the same time... he welcomed it. “Light contact,” he said first, extending a curled fist towards Carmel and poking two fingers out from it to touch her side in demonstration. “I would not mark you for any reason.” Not with a bruise or welt or any show of force.

He nodded at her offer of help then, taking a step back to stretch tension from his limbs as Carmel prepared her wraps. “Insight will be welcome. There is much at work in this place that has not been spoken of yet, and with roles assigned, it falls to me to speak it,” he mused with a stiff pop working free from one shoulder as Wu rolled it. “And I have said before, but your eternal struggle should not be. As you offer help, I will too if there is any means for it.” And he knew that sometimes there wasn’t; sometimes the damage was permanent. But for as much of the world as Wu accepted? He never could accept that, not for Becka, not for Haruko, and certainly not for Carmel.

She nearly wiggled a bit as he poked her, the surprising action provoking an aborted giggle out of her. She wasn't typically very ticklish, but she hadn't expected it, so it had been. She grinned at him and reached out to poke him with the same firmness he'd used with her. "Light contact, gotcha," she said. "Though I won't break if I get a few bruises, promise."

She nodded, understanding. "Congratulations, by the by," she said. "I voted for you." She had faith he would do well, and not be too hard handed with some things though she knew he was accustomed to such. She worked the wrappings as quickly as conscientiousness allowed. Her smile softened at his next words. "It will get better. The uncertainty of this place will surely lessen at some point," she said somewhat hopefully, though not naively. "I just wish people wouldn't keep disappearing again."

"Who else has gone?" Wu asked with a note of concern that overrode the smile her little jab was coaxing from him. He hadn't known the first man, Dominic, though he'd seen how losing him had struck Carmel, and Meg far worse than her. "Their willingness to remove us from this place makes the entire structure of jobs seem foolish. What confidence can a guard or leader build if they may be taken tomorrow?" It undermined any hope for this being real, both the chance of leaving and the one of creating stability while they were stuck here.

Wu gave a little huff of amusement, shaking his head to dispel his worries for the moment. They'd still be there tomorrow, and so would Carmel's. While he could, he wanted hers to lessen, even if it was just through exertion. "I was surprised to be chosen," he confessed. "And I expect some will regret their votes, but I will work towards what you speak of. It must get better here, there must be less uncertainty." The women couldn't live in constant fear of their doors slipping open in the night, not even if Wu believed many of them like Carmel or Jae would be more than a match for whoever did it.

Carmel sighed. "Leandro isn't here anymore," she said sadly. She had been fond of the tall, outgoing guy. He'd made her laugh and he'd been a lot of fun, and she enjoyed mothering him more than she would likely admit to. "Exactly.. and if they take them without giving anyone time to ease anyone else into a spot... How can we depend on anything?" At least in the real world there were set ups, training, redundancies for things like that.

Carmel nodded. "I think you'll be able to help," she told him. She had faith in him. She tightened one wrap a little and then stretched, loosening up before they started. She would hopefully find more peace soon.

Once again, it was a good moment to be Wu; his composure worked nicely to keep him from smirking at the news about Leandro. The younger convict had been a fool of the highest caliber, and arsonists were a unique threat to consider for the lot of them living together. “I only met him once, fleetingly, but I will hope he is nowhere worse,” he offered, and it was true enough even with his private disdain.

Why bother wishing him ill? He wasn’t a problem for Wu to deal with now, and that was the end of it for him. “Time will tell what effect I may have,” Wu went on, backing up from Carmel a little to look her over appraisingly. She was younger, blessed with reach... this could prove fun. Or risky. Either way he couldn’t back out now. “Show me what you remember,” he said then, waiting patiently for their sparring to start as he left the first move to Carmel.

Her fondness some would find odd, she was sure, but he'd put up with her motherhenning and even seemed to enjoy it. She would miss him. She smiled faintly at Wu's sympathy, though. "Me too," she said with a nod.

Carmel looked him over for a moment. He had strength and mass on his side. She eased into a stance and made sure her balance was secure before opening with a simple punch combination, making sure to keep the force out of it, and followed up on it immediately. Her eyes stayed mostly on his body; she knew his face would betray nothing, but the body almost always would.

It was very different for Wu to spar; in a normal fight he could take a hit, force himself to endure it, and strike in the aftermath. If she had been anyone he wanted dead, he would've accepted the last of those punches squarely and kicked a leg out from under Carmel, then hammered on her prone form until it was over. But this wasn't a fight, and she definitely wasn't someone he wanted dead. It changed the whole tactical side of it, and the distraction needed to adapt to it was a blessing to Wu's mind. Still, he reacted quickly and with a natural grace, hands raising to push aside the first few punches as Wu stepped in close and to one side, ghosting his hand up Carmel's arm to draw the next past him. He retaliated with a gleam of amusement in his eyes that may've been missed if she was watching his motions, darting his lightly curled hand in under her arm to try and tap her collarbone.

Carmel had used to spar and even do bouts, but that, she knew, was a very long time ago. But it'd been awhile, and in the meantime she had to adjust to it again, though it wasn't as hard as she had wondered if it would be. She was still pretty light on her feet, and she ducked to the side to avoid his punch, stepping forward to lever a couple of other punches at him and then quickly move back out of his reach again. A stronger opponent, she wouldn't want to get caught too close, not when she had decent reach. She grinned as she moved, blowing the curl that had escaped her tight bun out of her eyes so she could keep moving.

There hadn't been much formal training in Wu's life, but that wasn't to say that there had been none. More than once, after nearly falling? He had pushed himself, sought out strong teachers, and learned little tricks to see him through the next attempt on his life. And that he was here now was a testament to how well the strategy had worked, but so were his movements. He swayed to one side to avoid a punch, leaning sharply to let another float in surprisingly close, and then as Carmel retreated? Wu pressed in with a low hooking foot that seemingly fell short against her retreat, turning on his heel to spin a backhand after it. Neither was a truly threatening press, though they looked utterly genuine. But this was a different tactic, a steady shaping of the direction both of them would move as Wu sought to herd her and set his own footing for a truly opportune strike.

Carmel shifted, slid to the side, and pressed in again. The best defense was a good offense, she had always been told, and anyway, she was still testing to see his responses. Once they'd sparred a few times she was sure things would get more interesting. Her hands moved fast and light, trying to get a few good ones in.

Wu could tell himself any number of excuses; that he was taking it easy, that he was positioning for a hit, or that the light touch he felt wouldn't have done much even in a real fight. The simple fact was that she got him, sneaking a punch in close to tap him just an instant before he could see his own plan through. Still, his hand caught Carmel's arm as she struck, anchoring her in place as Wu hooked another foot out low in an attempt to topple her. Only seconds had passed, and already he knew he'd be hearing about that scored hit. But already, too, he was smiling as he fought back.

Carmel let out a breathy, pleased sound even as he caught her arm. Her balance did go off, between that touch and the way his foot hooked hers. Her arm shifted, though, grabbing his in return instead of wrenching away, and she stepped further in instead of away, her knee hooking with his. While he still could topple her, it would be harder with her either trying to pull him with her or clinging to him like a limpet until she could slip away. Carmel grinned at him and chuckled quietly. If she actually wanted to go down, she could even manage an off balanced kick on the way down.

There were no stalemates, not in the world Wu had come from. There was victory and defeat, and even something lighter like this moment was subject to those rules for him. He went with the pull, hefting their locked legs up off the ground as Wu put all his balance on the other, gripping Carmel's arm to drop her gently but quickly and committing himself to going with. His free hand came down to brace his own impact, knuckling tightly to touch the gym floor and stopping Wu close to her.

He gasped in a breath, helpless against a small smile as he looked down at Carmel, seeming on the verge of words. And he had been; he'd been on the edge of asking if they should begin again, or if that counted as a point for each of them. The words never made it out, though, caught up on the look in Wu's eyes as he stared down at Carmel to drink in the exuberance of her grin and the faint glow that exercise had brought to her. And instead? All he could do was keep his balance, reaching his free hand from its' bracing spot to gently brush the same stray curl as before back from Carmel's brow, his thumb light on her skin.

Of course he knew the flaw of her position, Carmel thought. It didn't deflate her at all; she had known the risk of it, and he had fought more than her. If he'd wanted, he could have slammed her down if it were for real, but as it was, he did it fast but gentle, not even hard enough to knock her breath out of her.

She wondered what he'd been about to say, but the words seemed lost and then she forgot about them completely as his thumb gently skimmed over her skin, stealing the breath that the fall hadn't managed to. Her stomach fluttered a little. She raised a hand up to gently skim her fingers to his hair, something they'd wanted to do in the past but hadn't been able to. Sudden but not completely unexpected was the urge to lean up and kiss him. Unconsciously she licked her lips slightly, her hand going to curve around the back of his neck.

In his old life, having people that one cared about was a liability. They were instant targets, and ensuring their safety kept them cloistered more than anyone could bear if they weren't from Wu's world. And so, in his old life? Wu had never allowed it for himself; he would never put a woman in that sort of danger. But this wasn't that life, at least not while he was here... Even thinking that, Wu would've backed away in the belief that he wasn't someone who could be wanted; he was a beast, a killer, the Devil. And he had made his peace with that decades ago.

But to feel one hand on his neck and another threading into his hair? That let him wonder if the flush in Carmel's cheeks was something different and turned the dart of her tongue to moisten her lips into a maddening sight, a compulsion that rooted itself into his bones. There were no stalemates, only victory or defeat; an idea Wu committed himself to as his hand slid from Carmel's brow to cup her cheek longingly, coaxing her up as he leaned in to kiss her with a smoldering urgency.

If he hadn't closed the distance, she would have, she knew. She leaned up and into the kiss, both yielding and participatory. It had been so long since Carmel had been kissed - really kissed, not that on the cheek thing Reece had done earlier. And it felt good, excellent, especially so because it was the man she had been drawn to since she had met him. Her hand in his hair tightened, her other moving to wrap her arm tighter over his shoulders, keeping him close.

She moaned softly against his mouth, feeling completely breathless but not from exertion. She might have secretly wondered before, especially earlier, what kissing him would be like, but she was definitely pleased at the actuality of it, the heat and spark she felt from it.

The sum total of the moment was overwhelming in the way that nothing was lost to Wu's senses, every detail piercing his awareness and stoking his longing for this when he might have thought that kissing her would sate it. The softly plaintive moan from Carmel buzzed his lips as the tightening of her hands on him sparked a rush of possessiveness, and the lean up into him spoke volumes about the warmth and contour of her body against his as well as the sheer need that existed between them. None of his doubts could decry that, not with such a supple creature as Carmel working to keep any space from existing between them.

Drawing out the kiss with a ghost of breath passed from his lips to hers, Wu eased an arm under Carmel as she wound into him. If there had been any spare room for thought, he may have surprised himself with his deftness in the moment as he slowly eased back and lifted her with him, falling back to his knees and guiding her in against him without a break in that fervent kiss. He wanted her, wanted the taste on his lips to never stop, but some subconscious thread of Wu's mind wasn't expecting to take her here on the floor of the gym. Even lost in passion, he knew that a woman like her deserved better.

Carmel followed him up, half-instinctual as she really didn't want any extra space between them just now. She pressed herself up against him, straddling him comfortably and not loosening her hold at all. Part of her wondered if he would think bad of her for this passionate reaction to his kiss, but with his being equally so she didn't think he would. She refused to feel guilty for it, though her upbringing had and would sometimes nag at her for things such as this. That was for later, though; right now was for this, and kissing him, and enjoying it completely.

She kissed him more deeply, hungrily, as if making up for that fact that until now they had barely touched, just hands briefly, a kiss on the cheek a couple of times. For now, it didn't matter that they were on the floor of the gym, though it would probably make her blush once she realized it again. She melted against him, lips moving more slowly against his as she shifted to savoring the kiss after a long moment. Warmth filled her, making her feel loose-limbed and buzzing with desire. Her fingers stroked through his hair, fingers skimming against his scalp, though her other arm around him didn't loosen at all, keeping him in place.

There was no way this could reflect poorly on Carmel, not with the realization Wu had driven home again in the moment that he’d wanted this. He’d been caught by her early; perhaps not the first day, but not long after it. Carmel’s kindness and resilience had intrigued him, her patience had won him over, and now? Her hunger had unleashed his own. There wasn’t even a consideration of guilt as Wu returned the fervor of the kiss with the slightest tremor of sheer enjoyment wracking his body; a shred of evidence at how far his control had slipped. And he was glad for it.

His arm drew tighter around the small of Carmel’s back, winding her into him without an inch of space remaining as she straddled his lap, and the other slipped from her cheek to travel past it. Gentle but eager, Wu traced the arc of her jaw as he kissed her, describing the curve of Carmel’s ear with a fingertip before he slipped his fingers across the nape of her neck. Eventually, damnably, the need for air forced recognition in him as Wu broke away just a fraction of an inch, shuddering with his first breath and looking raptly at Carmel. “You cannot be real...” he murmured, transfixed in the aftermath of what they’d shared.

Carmel's hand soothed across his back, feeling the tremor and shivering faintly in return, another soft sound slipping from her. It was a heady feeling, having him kissing her like this; knowing he was more open right now with her than he had been before. She arched easily against him, into his touch, and shivered again, breath catching as he traced along the sensitive skin of her ear. It elicited something between a giggle and a moan, and her head tilted a little to encourage him. Even after his fingers found her neck, she could still feel the tingle where they had trailed across her jaw and ear.

She drug her eyes open slowly, lips turning up in a slow, warm smile. Her tongue darted out to lick them again, knowing they were fuller from being kissed than they had been before and feeling a smug satisfaction of having been very well kissed. Her breath came more quickly, as if they'd had a bout instead of a light spar. "I'm very real," she assured him softly, her voice huskier than it had been before. She stroked his hair back again, leaning in to kiss the corner of his mouth more lightly, tempted to kiss him again. "Very real and right here right now." She didn't want to think too far ahead, not yet; she wanted to enjoy this and not let worry mar any bit of it.

He wanted to ask how that could be possible for a man like him, but knew that the moment he did he would begin to doubt again. Wu would decide this was a passing moment for her, or that he was too old, or that future plans meant this blissful present couldn’t exist. And knowing that, he decided to be stubborn against himself and crush those doubts unformed. It was easy, really, with the slow passage of her hand along the bare skin of his back; a travel he could imagine, smiling at her as he pictured fingertips traipsing over the ‘L’ of his Leavenworth tattoo. In fact, that was just the icing on the cake for Wu.

The very sight of her made it simple to embrace this warmth, from the flicker of tongue over her full lips to the slight movement of her other arm corresponding with the feel of fingers in his hair, and most definitely the curve of Carmel as she arched against him. Turning his head slightly to catch her lips, Wu turned the teasing kiss into a full one for just a moment before he leaned in to speak softly into her ear. “Then I am blessed,” he whispered, brushing his lips against the hollow between her jaw and ear, “Prisoner or no.” Leaning in, Wu’s hand tightened around Carmel’s waist as he breathed deeply where he lingered, basking in the scent of her skin and hair before he trailed his lips down her throat.

Part of her was terrified of him pulling away at some point. She'd been rejected before, even though she'd understood even at the time it happened. Those fears she pushed away for the moment, because he was holding her and his lips were warm and he made her feel so beautiful and wanted even as she wanted him. She made a sound reminiscent of a purr as he deepened the kiss, her tongue flicking against his. Her lips pouted faintly as he broke the kiss again, but they didn't stay that way. She shivered as his ears brushed that sensitive hollow by her ear.

Blessed. No one had ever thought of saying that of her before, she was sure, and her heart swelled with feeling. "We're all prisoners. Doesn't matter," she murmured, face tucking against his jaw for a moment. She didn't want it to matter. For now, they were both here. She didn't want him to be taken away, or herself. She didn't want to worry about that unknown future that she probably wouldn't get to include him in, even if part of her wanted to. She would take what she could get, and give as much as she could give, and it would have to be enough. "Both blessed here." Her voice was very soft, very sincere.

Her breath left her slowly as her head tilted back to give him better access. Both hands went into his hair, encouraging those lips. She leaned back slightly as well, trusting his hands to keep her in place. "Ooooh," she breathed as he found a sensitive spot. She bit her lower lip, dragging it slowly free from her teeth. She did not want him to stop at all right now.

It was late, and Wu doubted anyone among their ranks would walk in on the situation, and the cameras? They would be in the bedrooms just as much as the common spaces, leaving nowhere to hide from the oversight of their wardens. And flimsy as that logic was, it was enough to keep him rooted in place, anchored by the soft sounds of encouragement as Carmel yielded to him and spurred him forward in the same moment.

The solitary arm around her was strong indeed, more than needed to support Carmel as she leaned back in supplication that Wu accepted gladly. He was fervent, almost worshipful in the way each press of his lips touched skin as his other hand settled at her hip naturally, as if she belonged there.

And before he could really recognize his movements for what they were? Wu was leaning in with the recline Carmel had started, easing her back to where this had all begun, now without the tangle of sparring limbs. His hand smoothed up from her back as he settled her, cradling the back of Carmel’s head in lieu of any cushioning as Wu’s head trailed back up the expanse of her neck, seeking her lips again.

They fit together, she thought warmly as he held her. Her fingers rubbed against his scalp, ever encouraging, feeling the heat of each kiss to her skin go through her and settle in her body like a very welcome drug. She realized after a moment that they were moving back down, and her grin took on a hot edge as she caught his eyes for a moment. Like Reece suspected, there was another side of her; she was a good girl, but no one said this wasn't a kind of good to her. She shifted her legs, hips cradling him to her as a leg hooked back behind his leg.

She stretched out under him, not self conscious for the moment, and a hand reached back to yank out her hair tie so her head could lay back more comfortably. Her curls cascaded as if thrilled with the freedom she gave them. A little more time here, she thought. And then she'd drag him back to the nebulous privacy of one of their rooms. She just wasn't prepared to move right now, unless it had to do with moving against him. Her hands explored his shoulders and back, following lines of muscle and scars and bones. It was exploratory and almost possessive. She nipped his lower lip lightly before tilting her head back a little, kissing him deeply.

Without doubt, Carmel would’ve been shocked to know that the grin she fixed on Wu, with its’ unspoken appetites and wicked bent, was the first thing to stir his nerves in years now. He hadn’t taken a woman to bed in far too long, had never dipped into his own stables, and just from what Carmel was showing him? Wu had his work cut out for him. But when had any task in his life seemed so enjoyable in its’ prospects?

’Never’, he thought hungrily, exulting in the roaming passes of her hands over lean old muscle and cords of scar tissue. And even with those long-gone women, none of them frequent enough to be called a lover, there had never been those possessive notes that he was shown now; no joining of the legs to keep him held close, no fire dancing behind their eyes with promises of taxing pleasure...

There was just enough time for a small laugh of pure delight at the way Carmel’s hair sprang forth before she was kissing Wu again, claiming his mouth heedlessly, as if she had a right to it. And if pressed? Wu thought he could agree to that. That made it easy to give in to this; to slip back into the seamless flow of shared breath and exploratory touches that Wu turned back on her, guiding a hand along the outside of Carmel’s thigh to hitch it tighter around his waist.

His laugh stole her breath away. How could she make him do that again, she wondered. She loved it and wanted to see that look in his eyes again. She'd made him do that, and it was a fiercely powerful feeling that zinged through her. She lifted her other leg and hooked her ankles, pulling him tightly against her for a moment, hips rolling slowly and fitting comfortably to his. She moaned into his mouth, fingers digging into his shoulders for a moment. This time she definitely felt possessive. Like she'd said once today, she didn't share, and right here in this moment he was hers.

There had been a few people in her past, most notably her former fiance, but right now this fire seemed to make all of them pale in comparison. She'd loved Franklin, but it hadn't been like this. If it had, things might have turned out differently, but she wasn't going to think of any of that right now. No, her focus was utterly on the man she was wrapped around.

She leaned up slightly, lips skimming along his jaw before she nipped his earlobe. "Bed?" she whispered thickly against his ear, feeling daring. It wasn't an invitation she'd ever made lightly, even before everything, and though it might be considered fast, she wanted him. Even if there was only more of this. Her tongue flicked to the hollow under his ear and jaw.

It was a welcome question to hear with the rush of breath against Wu’s skin, prompting silent thanks that at least no one else in the facility might stumble upon them. The cameras would be there no matter what, but with the idea of moving elsewhere he became aware once again of just how public this moment truly was. And he wanted to go; he wanted that even before Carmel cinched him in tighter and worked against him, drawing a stifled growl of want up Wu’s throat as he buried his face against her neck.

“Bed,” he agreed in a low voice, lips brushing her neck as Wu spoke, “Now.” He had to give himself to the idea fully, because just knowing that they would disentangle from each other was already creating room for worry to creep in. It was as if he knew that any space at all would bring him back to the lonely confines of himself, and the comparisons of the situation that did him no favors. There would be time for that tomorrow, there was no need to make time for it now. Steeling himself against the thoughts he knew would come, Wu placed a heated kiss at the side of Carmel’s neck before knuckling both hands down on either side of her, pressing to separate grudgingly.

The growl zinged through her, right to her lower belly, making her groan in return, a low needy sound. It was like a feedback loop of pleasure, and she wanted him very badly. Now sounded really, really good. He pushed up and her hips went with him, her legs not having unwound themselves yet. Her lip pouted out faintly as she forced them to release, obvious as reluctant as he was to have to move, though she was just aware enough to know she didn't want to do this where just anyone could happen upon them. There were people who enjoyed late night workouts besides them.

For a moment she stayed laying stretched out on the floor somewhat wantonly, and she ratcheted that up a little as she grinned at him, eyes half closed. She stretched quite deliberately, toes pointed and arms above her head, for a moment before she reached her hands up to him to help her up. It was only her comfort with him that allowed her to do such a thing; otherwise she'd be too self conscious. She tried to keep her body doubts under control, for like many women she did have them.

This woman... she was going to bring trouble for him. Wu knew it just from the effect Carmel’s smile had, from the compulsions she triggered with her stretching, her pouting, all of it. There had been very good reasons he’d let no one in close in the outside world, but here and now it was too easy to both forget them, and to remind himself how different this place was. This wasn’t some rash decision, but a breaking point reached after eleven long days of puzzling over Carmel and her effect on him, and now that his resistance had been broken? Why not revel in it with her? Why not free each other?

Reaching down with one tape-wrapped hand, Wu let her grip with both of her own before he tensed muscles and began to ease Carmel to her feet. He brought his other to his lips as he did, setting teeth to the hand wraps with a crooked smile before he tore into the tape. Everything involving Carmel? Wu intended to do right. But the bits of obstacles remaining in their way, from the hand wraps to the trip to her room? He had no problem with shortcuts. If he’d known her worries, he would’ve never lifted her up from the floor, instead rejoining her there until Carmel had no doubts left about what he thought of her body. But Wu didn’t consider such things, not even in his own case where age had definitely started to slacken skin around lean, weathered muscle, or in the instance of his scars in all of their rough, knotted and mottled glory.

She liked his strength, letting him pull her up while holding on, though she took her weight from him as soon as she was balanced. She shivered and her breath caught audibly as he used his teeth to tear the tape so he could get the wraps off her. Her dark eyes seemed to turn darker, the pupils wide despite the light of the gym. She pressed close to him as he worked her wraps off the one hand. Carmel's lips found his neck, pressing a series of hot kisses along it. She lingered right over his pulse, sucking gently and not really caring if she distracted him just now, despite wanting to get the wraps off so she could touch properly.

Once the one hand was free, she reached up to skim it back into his hair, reveling in the texture and turning his head so she could claim another kiss. She was hungry for his kisses, she found, and she really should do something about his tape so he could touch her too. She pulled back slightly after a minute, lifting her other hand and wiggling her fingers. "This one too?" she asked huskily. Her free hand trailed down to the back of his neck, fingers caressing. She obviously had no problems with his scars other than the body fascination of tracing and exploring them.

“This one too,” Wu agreed quietly, showing what might’ve been a note of restraint as he took Carmel’s other hand in both of his and leaned in to her wrist. As with the first, he only needed a small tear in the tape, though this time once he had it started, he worked it free straight up her palm with iron-strong fingers tearing it neatly. It was restraint, though it wasn’t any diminishing hunger that caused it, but simple prudence. She was stoking the flames higher and brighter with every word and touch, every moment they were close...

If he kept giving in to the increasingly maddening signs Carmel was giving him? They weren’t going to make it out of the gym. Wu needed just a shred of focus to work from, and while he’d found it, he hoped it didn’t seem like him withdrawing. “And now...” he murmured, wadding up the discarded tape as he basked in Carmel’s roving touch for a moment, “...lead, and I will follow.” Her room was close, he thought, and with her leading? Wu would have enough time to rip away his own hand wraps.

She probably should be scared of how little effort it took him to tear it all, but fear didn't equate into any of her encounters with Wu. If anything, she felt completely safe with him. And there was just something to flutter the stomach about feeling safe with someone that strong. It took a moment for her to step back and away, finding her own control for the moment. It wasn't that she didn't have it, it was just that she was enjoying herself too much, wanted it very much, and for once found waiting to be something she didn't especially want.

"Certainly," she said, pushing her hair back and giving him a warm smile as she turned to make her way to the door of the gym. Her hips swayed a little more than normal, though it might not be deliberate so much as unconscious. She glanced back behind her more than once, making sure he was following. She didn't want to 'lose' him on the way, she thought as she reached out a beckoning hand, holding the door open for them both. Her room was close, which was why she headed there. It was late and the air outside was cooler than it had been during the day, though still warm. Not as warm as her skin was right now, though, so it made her shiver slightly as she glanced at him again and head for her room, fishing her key from the thong she'd put it on around her neck, tucked down safely into her exercise shirt and sports bra. She almost fumbled it, not from uncertainty but from anticipation.

Wu was behind her indeed, his shirt draped over one arm as he walked after Carmel and idly unwound his hands. Just as he’d feared, space was fostering room for doubt, and that left Wu thankful that it was so short a trip. He didn’t want to dwell right now, not on their age difference or the vast divide in their personas; he wanted to find release with her, to hope Carmel might sleep and to watch her do it. He wanted to put his hands on those swaying hips... a thought that quelled some of his anxiety and brought the fire back to Wu’s eyes as they reached the door. Stepping up behind her as Carmel fished the key out, Wu slid a hand around her waist, moving in close to her as he lingered. “I have wondered about your space,” he murmured into her ear, nuzzling the curve of it slightly.

Carmel leaned back into him, amused by the fact that she missed the keyhole the first time rather than embarrassed. "You've always been welcome to come in," she said quietly, her head tilting in welcome as he nuzzled her ear. She laid her hand over his around her waist, keeping it in place as her other hand was finally able to turn the knob. "It's nothing much. I haven't gotten anyone to paint it for me yet." And she didn't know what base color to use to get what she wanted, nor did she have the talent to do it herself. She could make pretty things in the kitchen, but not artwork. She pushed open the door and led him inside. It was kept neat and tidy, and notably arranged where her back wasn't to the door in almost any situation, at least when she was laying down. She'd closed the blinds earlier, so that was already done. Some of the flowers he had given her were still in water, but others were hung for drying in a way she hoped was right but wasn't sure.

Stepping in with her still so close, Wu peered around the room over Carmel’s shoulder intently. She’d rearranged, but beyond that had done as little with her room as he had before swapping with Becka. Here, as with his space, the flowers helped to liven things up a touch, and he enjoyed seeing that she’d kept them still and even tried to dry them herself. Pushing the door shut behind him with a heel, Wu held her tight to keep Carmel from walking too far in, giving a soft rasp of amusement into her ear. “Decoration matters little. I wondered about you, in this place. It was what I wished to see,” he admitted, reaching up with his free hand to lift the back of her hair. It only took a slight shift of his head for Wu to press a hungry kiss to the back of Carmel’s neck, letting his hands tease the edge of her top slightly, and his mouth trail down her spine as he gradually bent at the knee to work his way lower down her back.

"Mmmm. Well, y'can come by anytime," she murmured, her hand reaching back to cover the back of his neck and hold him there for a moment, warmth flaring hotter in her belly as he kissed her neck. She leaned into him trustingly, shivering with pleasure. She hoped he'd come around more, as she definitely thought she could do with more of this and him in her life. Her hand fell back as he kissed his way lower. They curled into the bottom of her top, sliding it up some so the lower he went, his lips would find skin again. She wanted it off, but she wanted to know what he was doing next too, and his lips were very, very distracting, making her lose her thread of thought several times, shirt only halfway up.

She got her answer about Wu’s intent quickly as he worked his way down, dropping to his knees as he kissed the small of Carmel’s back. So few times in his life had held this heat and appetite, and whatever happened tomorrow? Wu wasn’t going to regret any part of tonight. He set both hands at her hips, almost rough with the way he turned Carmel to face him, and when he looked up at her? There was something genuinely eager, a supplicant’s pose mixing with an expression of desire as Wu gave a short, throaty laugh and leaned in to set his lips below Carmel’s navel.

She turned easily, yielding without question to him. It was possibly the most open she'd ever seen his face, and it made her heart ache in a good way. His smile and laugh pleased her immensely and made her breath catch in her throat. Her hands cupped his cheeks, slid along them, smoothing back his hair to cradle the back of his head as she swayed slightly toward, him, her eyes drifting shut as she sighed with pleasure. After a long moment, letting his hands keep her in place and steady as she went back to pulling her shirt up, up and over her head. She tossed it away blinding, not particularly caring about her normal tidy habits at the moment. She wasn't dressed in fancy things; she'd worn a simple sports bra to exercise in. She didn't even think she had anything genuinely sexy or nice here to wear under things; simple and efficient tended to describe her for most things.

He was joining her in the effort to shed those few simple pieces of exercise clothing, not daring to look up as the shadow of her discarded top went by Wu’s peripheral vision; that was a distraction begging to happen. And he’d let it soon enough, but first he was focused on her leggings, fingers hooking in the waist of them to work them lower as Wu’s lips followed suit. This could be a rare opportunity that he wouldn’t see again soon, and if it was? He’d use it to make Carmel feel revered, even if it took the whole of the night.

Carmel stepped out of the leggings automatically, her hands going to his shoulders to steady herself as his lips pressed to her hip. Simple underwear that wasn't out of place with her simple bra hugged her hips. She moaned quietly at the feeling of his breath and lips on her skin, and she forgot completely to be self conscious -- forgot the tiny scar on her navel, where she'd once had her belly button pierced in a fit of daring; the way she thought she needed more exercise to keep her hips down; she even forgot as his hands traveled over her skin that there was a scar on the inside of her right thigh from the attack as well as a couple more, vaguer than that one, on her left breast. Those were two things she rarely forgot about, but as her hands stroked his shoulders, all she could think about was his reverent touch and how much she wanted to kiss him again.

And after he let himself linger there for several long moments, tasting her in the purest sense? Carmel got her wish. Wu stood slowly, eyes smoldering as he slid an arm around her waist to pull her in tight and kiss her fiercely. This moment... this was the only part of his downfall he would regret not having, if it could’ve been undone. He tried to convey that in his kiss, but how could he? Even with the full expression Carmel was drawing from him tonight, it was beyond Wu’s ability to ever really say. “Tonight is ours alone,” he said instead as he broke from the kiss, taking a coaxing step back towards the bed with her. And even if it fell short, to manage that still felt like a milestone for Wu as he drew Carmel with him.

She clutched hard at his shoulders, panting and moaning and opening to him in every way, trusting him without restraint, a rare thing these days for her. Her legs trembled slightly as he rose and she panted quietly, but her kiss was hungry and needy as her arms wound tightly around his neck and shoulders. "Ours," she agreed, a hand going to splay over his heart in a silent gesture of affection. He had to know this wasn't something she would offer without feeling. It might not be vocalized, but they'd both been drawn to each other. Her hands pressed on his shoulders, urging him onto the bed and crawling up on it as well, straddling him firmly. She drew her last piece of clothing up and over her head, tossing it away to leave him as the only dressed one in the room. She leaned back in, pressing herself to him and kissing a hot line down his neck to his shoulder. "I want you. Want you all night," she murmured thickly against his skin. She wanted him to stay all night; wanted him to be here when she woke up, even if there might be nightmares. If she wanted more, if she wanted more nights, well, she knew she would just have to take them as they came, but she would reach for them as much as they could, she knew that.

She was heat incarnate, it seemed; an endless current of warmth and smooth skin moving against him, pushing him back, voicing his own wants as hers. That Wu had enough presence of mind to unfasten his belt was a miracle in itself, keeping one hand flattened against the small of Carmel’s back as the other kept working to undress him. The blissful heat she was radiating was enough to provoke a chill anywhere that she wasn’t, though it was a delicious contrast that drew a shudder from Wu as she kissed along his neck. “I will stay...” he murmured softly, craning his head up to speak into Carmel’s hair. A loaded gun wouldn’t be able to change that. it’d only provoke the worst of Wu’s wrath for shattering this idyllic moment. Neither of them would be denied; not tonight.

Her hands slipped between them to help him get his pants off faster. Her mouth worried at his collar bone as her hands pushed at his pants, eager and wanting. She made a small, happy sound at his affirmative. She kissed a line down his chest, lingering on any spot he seemed to like as her hands caressed, light and then firm. She pressed more tightly against him, wiggling against him in need. "Please," she murmured huskily, eyes dark and needy as they met his before she leaned in to kiss him fiercely. "Please, Wu."

And for just a moment? Wu knew they should stop, at least long enough to grab a condom. He’d scolded Reece for this exact failing, had always insisted his girls be safe, but even so? Carmel wasn’t one of his whores, he wasn’t a john, and neither of them was living the dubious circumstances of Reece or Susanna. Which, ultimately, were all excuses for a lack of will as Wu did nothing to stop her.

How could he? She seemed to be touching him everywhere at once, her lips leaving burning impressions on his chest. Wu swore he could feel his eclipsed sun flaring hot over his heart, and knew it couldn’t be true. It was her. And it was just so blissfully easy to give them both what they wanted, to reach between their bodies and align himself with Carmel before he rolled his hips upwards and pushed inside her, gasping into her mouth at the magnitude of feeling.

Carmel wasn't even thinking of safety right now. Though she knew that she'd been assured, repeatedly, that it'd take an act of God to get her pregnant (or extreme works of science) and so perhaps subconsciously she was less concerned. But in the end, it was just the fact that she wanted him so much, and she didn't really care elsewise just now. She groaned loudly into his mouth, legs tightening around him as she clenched around him. "Oh God," she groaned, face burying into his neck for a moment as her hips rolled to his again, pushing him deeper.

It had been so long, and it felt so good. It eclipsed her memories for now, and that didn't surprise her; this sheer need wasn't something she'd felt quite like this. She clutched at him, lips skimming along his skin as she moved with him, unable to keep quiet even if she'd given it a thought.

It was almost over before it started, it had been so long for Wu. The heady bliss of those first moments and the way Carmel heightened them, deepened them, and enveloped him in them all nearly pulled Wu right past the edge of control. But only nearly. He could feel the threat of ecstasy tightening the muscles in his legs and back and snarled mentally for control, for discipline from his very flesh. For a moment, it worked.

But it meant sacrificing his own attempts at silence and composure, giving way to a drawn-out groan and shaking hands that grasped Carmel desperately, running up her sides and back as Wu craned himself beneath her, exploring her frantically with every method available to him. All at once he snarled with sheer lust, fingers digging into her flesh to hold Carmel close as Wu rolled with her held, swapping their positions and driving in with all his weight.

She liked the fact that his composure wasn't perfect, that she could hear and feel how she affected him. She reveled in the feeling, wanting to make him feel what he made her feel. Carmel quivered, panted, moaned under his frantic touch, her body responding with its own urgency and need. She clung to him as he flipped their position, crying out raggedly in surprise and pleasure as he drove so deeply into her. Her hips snapped up to his hard as her back arched, her head flung back.

She keened long and soft in pleasure as her body suddenly clenched hard around his. She hadn't expected it yet but but the feeling coursed through her in a fierce wave. Her nails dug into his back, hard but not nearly enough to break skin, and drug down his back encouragingly. Her legs were wrapped tightly around his waist, holding him tightly to her.

And if Wu had already been fighting to keep his own pinnacle at bay? That was a sudden bolster working against him and sealing his defeat, wonderful as it was. Every gesture from her begged for more and praised his actions, and every sound was perfect to his ears. The pain across his back edged the pleasure everywhere else, raking down over Wu's skin and coaxing a hiss of satisfaction from him as he spurred himself onward desperately.

Hips rolled despite Carmel's clinging grasp, pushing with hers in that sublime way that two bodies were meant to do together as Wu raised her up in her arching motion. He was positively greedy now, biting at her collarbone and lower to lavish warm, wordless praise across her as he pushed again and again. And then... the world cracked for him. Every muscle locked tight, the very breath in his lungs seized solidly as Wu's eyes snapped wide and his jaw trembled. "Yes," was all he could manage; a fierce whisper as he felt himself flood Carmel, dropping her back to the bed and pressing in with her to silence himself with her lips.

She urged him on as much as she could. God, it felt so good, and she felt gloriously beautiful under him, moving with him. Carmel gave another small, exultant cry as he came, pulsing a little more gently around him this time. Her hands smoothed up his back as she kissed him deeply, stroking and soothing his skin. Her legs stayed firmly around him. Her tongue tangled with his, a slower and lazier exploration than earlier as she drew it out lingeringly. She thought she could feel his heartbeat where her hand splayed on his back, going as fast as hers was.

She broke the kiss to kiss her way down his jaw. She made a low, satisfied noise that sounded more like a purr than it did anything else. She trembled faintly, but it was a good feeling, and she was comfortable for now with his weight on her. He wasn't trying to restrain her, so long as he didn't do that, she was generally okay these days.

The moments after his climax were the closest thing to a zen state of mind that Wu could ever recall, rising above the satisfaction of seeing true fear at the sound of his name, or the calming effect of ending an enemy’s life and knowing he was definitively stronger. It was... it was peace, and it ebbed like a tide in him as awareness of Wu’s body slowly returned. There was Carmel beneath him, warm and soft and encouraging in her trembles and embrace; a soothing presence to reaffirm just how real it had been.

It was more than enough to make him smile down at her, leveraging himself slightly on an arm to look down at her affectionately as Wu stroked her hair back. “You cannot be real,” he insisted quietly, “Such wonder does not exist in the world I know.”

Carmel smiled back at him, bright and warm and definitely satisfied. She felt as if she were warming herself in his smile, and she soaked in the affection she saw there. She reached up and caressed his cheek with gentle fingers. "Welcome to a new world," she murmured, hand curving around his jaw. She wanted to give him a new world, a future since she knew he didn't seem to have one for himself beyond his revenge plans. She wished she could give him one, since she could imagine one vividly for him. "Where I get to be a wonder and have you." She leaned up and nuzzled her nose lightly to his for a second, kissing him lightly.

"I like this new world," she whispered before laying her head back, her cloud of curls spread wildly around it. She'd call it a medusa, though it tried to be orderly. Sometimes. Her hand continued to trace along his skin, lightly, as she basked in the afterglow.

If Wu could’ve known her thoughts, doubt definitely would’ve crept into his mind again. He wasn’t ready to believe in more than his vendetta, even if it was far from his mind right now. It was still him, still in the fiber of his being, but for the moment? He could believe in the simple graces that had found him.

Slow and gentle, he shifted onto his side to stop pinning Carmel under him, curling against her as she brushed his jawline. His smile dimmed slightly as the afterglow settled, not from displeasure by any means, but simply from Wu being Wu. He still felt amazing, humbled, secure... “I do as well,” Wu agreed, studying Carmel’s profile intently, then reaching out to idly run a hand through her hair and curl strands of it around his fingers. “Staying in it with you... this is something I welcome.” At least tonight, while he could. Before the reality of it all crashed back in tomorrow.

She sighed softly, pouting briefly gracing her lips as he moved, but unable to stay long because she felt too good right now. She kept a leg hooked up over his hip, though, feeling comfortable and relaxed. His settled expression didn't bother her, though she hoped to be able to make him laugh and smile again later. It was something she enjoyed very much, seeing his face open and expressions flickering across it.

Carmel curled one hand under her cheek so she could look over at him. Her eyes half-closed as he played with her hair, intensely enjoying the intimacy of the movement. "Stay as long as you want," she told him quietly, splaying a hand over his chest. She hoped it would be more than tonight; oh, not the staying in the room, but whatever this was between them. She wasn't a just-a-night kind of person, and she really liked him. She knew she did, or this wouldn't have happened. She tried to hold no expectations of anything, though. This place didn't do well with expectations.

It’d be strange to do so, though Wu did want to. But that was part of the strangeness. Staying here tonight, sleeping so near to someone else, even just being here in the quiet calm that was overtaking him... they were all strange to Wu, but welcomingly so. He wanted this, wanted the reality of the situation to allow for it for once, for there to be no interruptions. And already he knew it couldn’t play out that way, that at most he might get tonight to just exist with Carmel and drink in the little bits of body language that told him just how relaxed she was. “I do not know if I am a restive sleeper,” he warned, nearly playful in the words. “But if I snore, remember that it was your invite that brought it upon you.”

She smiled at him, the expression soft. She wasn't worried about his sleeping so much as her own. "If I wake up flailing or anything... It isn't you, it is me," she told him quietly, eyes serious. "So.. don't leave if it does?" Her voice was both hopeful yet understanding - she wouldn't blame him for leaving if she did wake up from a nightmare. After all, she had been with Franklin for years, and even he'd left because of it eventually. Carmel curled more into him, lips brushing his shoulder fondly. Despite her worries, she knew that for once, at least, she would fall asleep easily, feeling safe and warm in his arms.

“I will not leave,” Wu promised softly, head shaking twice as he laid there with her. Long before ending up here, he’d known about Carmel’s night terrors. And long before imagining he would end up here, he’d wanted to cease them. Maybe he wouldn’t tonight, but if he could try? It was worth the attempt. Shifting gently to draw a blanket loose, Wu leaned in as Carmel kissed his shoulder, letting his own lips touch her temple. “And we will deal with tomorrow when it reaches us.”