search within (searchwithin) wrote in shadows_rpg, @ 2018-08-30 07:45:00 |
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Entry tags: | #november 2017, brianna, brianna x james, james |
Who: Brianna and James
Where: Home
When: Evening, Wednesday, November 8th
Status: Complete
Warnings: Turns NSFW
Nothing had felt right since their ‘family meeting’ the night before and Brianna hadn’t slept well. She went to work that morning tense and unhappy, taking out her bad mood on her staff until they were feeling tense and unhappy as well. Misery loved company, after all and Brianna was petulant enough to believe that if she wasn’t happy, no one around her should be happy either. Finally around five o’clock Brianna went to the gym to try and distract herself, but not even an overly aggressive work out had helped much. After showering and changing, Brianna drove to the Back Porch and had a drink to try and smooth out the frayed edges of her mood before finally heading home.
She found James in their bedroom, and given his attire, it seemed as if he had been home for awhile. Brianna closed the door and set her gym bag on the floor. “I think we need to talk,” Brianna said, her tone indicating that ‘talk’ likely meant argue, but it was what it was. “I don’t think we should be teaching the kids anything until we know what we’re dealing with.”
She wasn't wrong, they did need to talk, although James was equally certain it would end up in a shouting match this time around. As soon as she stated her opinion he knew he hadn't been wrong about that and he gave her a look that was pure irritation. "So you want to keep up the charade that got us into this mess in the first place?" he said sharply as he sat up and set his book on the nightstand. He was having a hard time looking past the fact that she had lied to him all these years and as far as he was concerned that meant a breach of contract and he was within his full right to break his promise.
"Sebastian got us into this mess," Brianna retorted, trying to keep the bite out of her tone and failing. "There's no charade. And all I'm asking you is to wait until we can speak with the proper people to find out what's really going on. Maybe teaching them magic will make things worse, James. How are you to know?" Brianna had considered driving over to Reagan Kelly's home earlier to demand to know exactly had happened with Sebastian, but she knew that in the mood she was in, nothing good would have come of it. Burning bridges before they got any real answers was not how she wanted this to go. But she also didn't want her kids delving into magic if it was potentially harmful to them either.
"Not teaching them magic will make it worse," James said and while they weren't at shouting levels yet he could feel that temperature rising. "They all lost control last week, they need to know how to handle their magic if they're going to survive. Trip almost burned down his dorm. They say it was an accident but his element just happens to be fire. I should be sending for him right now, make sure he learns too. Not learning is no longer an option, Bri."
"But you don't know that," Brianna pointed out. "They lost control because Sebastian gave his blood to a pair of witches for God knows what reason. What if they lied to him and they used his blood to make their magic lose control. What if learning more magic puts them in danger? I understand you're angry with me, but you're not thinking this through, James." As much as Brianna felt the undeniable urge to tap deeper into her own magic, she was still feeling cautious and wary, and unfortunately it felt like she was the only one.
"And your solution is what?" James asked incredulously. "To keep them ignorant with no way to defend themselves against others or even their own abilities? How is that going to help them? Their magic is awake, so is yours, you have to - all of you - learn how to control it." It wasn't a question, it wasn't even a request. As far as James was concerned his word on this was final. They had done it Brianna's way for this long and it hadn't worked so now it was his turn to take the reins.
"Defense." Brianna snorted. "What do they need that for? Sebastian's willingly handing out his blood to whomever asks for it. But, fine James. Do what you need to do. Dive in headfirst without any precautions. But if this comes back to bite us all in the ass, it's on you, not me." She tried to reason with him. To wait until they knew what was going on, but her husband was stubborn. It was a wonder she ever managed to get him to agree to keep magic from their kids in the first place.
She hit a nerve with that one and James bristled visibly, his jaw set and his eyes narrowed. "No, Brianna. It's on you. You lied to me all these years, lied to the kids. You think they might not have been more cautious about magic if they'd known it was literally dangerous to not only them but to you? So no, it's on you and I'm just trying to clean up your goddamn mess." He got up off the bed, really not in the mood to stay there and read his book as he felt way too antsy now and irritated. Get some work done, maybe research more, do a spell or two to calm his mind - that was a far better plan.
"I lied to protect you, not to hurt you," Brianna said, resting her hands on her hips to keep them from trying to strangle him. He was so infuriating sometimes that her temper began to fray so rapidly that she might actually lose her mind and try to kill him. "You're all treating me like I'm some kind of villain, like all of this was done maliciously. If this is all a lie, then I was raised on one too. I alienated my family by marrying you. I never wanted any of this to happen, James."
James shook his head. "You didn't even tell me the lies you were fed, I had no idea you came from a magic lineage, I had no idea you didn't want the kids to practice magic because it could be dangerous for them. For you." He mimicked her position, putting his hands against his hips to stop himself from over-using body language for emphasis. "All we can do now is try to fix this and that means getting the magic that's already awake under control."
"Then do it," Brianna said, angry that it felt like her words were getting lost under the blanket of you lied. He didn't understand why, and while Brianna could admit on some level that she had been wrong, she had never set out to purposely hurt him with her dishonesty. "Teach Ophelia and Sebastian whatever they need to know. Nothing dark and certainly nothing involving blood. If I were you I would talk to Veronica Kelly's daughter and find out exactly what she was teaching our son."
James didn't like being told what he should do even if he had considered talking to Reagan Kelly, if only to find out what Sebastian had already learned so far. "You too," he reminded Brianna, not happy with the way she was clearly trying to redirect his ire toward Reagan Kelly. She wasn't part of this family and she had nothing to do with this current argument. "You're learning as well, your magic is just as likely to get out of control as theirs. It's up to you if you want to learn with the kids or alone, but either way you are learning."
She knew James didn't like to be told what to do, or what he should do, and that was one of the reasons why she did it. Brianna felt completely out of control of the situation and she couldn't stand it. Her hands still on her hips, it took everything Brianna had not to dig her nails into her skin. Or try to. "You can't teach me if we're going to be angry with each other. I don't see how that could ever work. So until this... passes... focus on the kids. If I have to find someone else to show me what I need to know, I will."
"Oh, and who will you ask?" James asked sardonically. "Reagan Kelly?" He sighed then as he realized belatedly this wasn't really getting them anywhere. "We'll take the week to cool down, I'll start teaching the kids this weekend and if you want to join us that would be nice." He might be exasperated with her, he might even hate her a little right now but he still loved her too. Time would tell if they could get through this mess and if not... at least their kids were all growing up. "I want us to get through this as a family," he muttered. They might joke about it at the club but James wasn't overly thrilled with the idea of this marriage falling apart, even if it meant a younger trophy wife would probably come along.
Like Reagan Kelly was the only other witch in this goddamn town. Brianne could feel her pale skin start to burn, both from anger and frustration and it took everything she had not to unleash that fury upon him. Folding her arms across her chest, Brianna took a moment to calm down, watching her husband stoically as she tried to figure out whether or not he was being sincere. "If you want to get through this as a family then it's probably time we start acting like a family," Brianna said. "No more snide remarks, no more blame. I'm not doing this if we're going to be at each other's throats."
"Alright," James agreed because while he was angry he didn't want his home to remain a battle field. He wouldn't make it out of town for another week or two so he had no outlet other than the tennis court and magic and it wasn't enough for if he wanted to stay really mad. Brianna looked furious, it wasn't hard to see it when her skin got a little redder and her arms were folded that tightly. "I am still mad," James told her. "And so are you so I say we take the next couple of days to calm down, recuperate and think about where we want to go from here." All this rage wasn't going to get them anywhere and while James couldn't help but side with his kids on some of the things that were going on, he would much rather have a united parental front.
"Fine." Brianna said, and for the first time she felt intense resentment toward her mother for not telling her the truth about why they weren't practicing witches. Assuming her mother had lied, which her gut told her was the case. But she and James could come to an agreement about what to do and even that probably wouldn't quell the anger they felt. Brianna studied her husband wondering if they would both feel any better if they just slapped the shit out of each other. It would make her feel better, at least. "Maybe you should sleep in the guest bedroom until we cool down and work this out."
There were other ways - better ways - of getting all of this out of their systems and James watched Brianna for a few seconds before he closed the distance between them, stopping right up in her personal space. "Is that what you want?" he asked and while he'd never hit his wife or hurt her, they did sometimes have angry sex and it rarely failed to make them feel better. He was close enough that he could smell alcohol on her breath and a small, wry smile tugged on the corner of his lips.
Brianna felt the anger inside of her shift as James approached her, and her fingertips pressed into the flesh of her arms before she forcibly relaxed. Even when she was furious with him, his proximity rarely failed to affect her. The faint smile on his lips irritated her, because she knew he could probably tell she had been drinking. Only one drink, but that wouldn't matter. Her arms finally loosened and she lowered them to her sides, relinquishing the remaining, defensive barrier between them. She reached out to grip in his shirt with one hand, already picturing the scratch marks she could leave on his back, and hoping they would hurt. "You're so fucking infuriating sometimes," Brianna told him, although she was sure he knew that as well.
"So are you," James retorted before shutting her up by kissing her, slipping his arms around her waist to pull her in close. That was something he had never gotten sick of with Brianna, kissing her and fucking her, she just fit so nicely against him and she was a far better kisser than most of the girls he dabbled with when he left town. She really did fit that stereotype of the fiery redhead with her hot temper and even hotter passion. Now he knew she was a fire-witch on top of it all and it made sense to him. His kiss was greedy and he moved her easily toward the bed, clutching her thin body tightly.
Brianna returned his kiss with a feverish, intense one of her own. It would have probably been healthier to let go of the anger she was feeling toward him, to relent and make love to her husband without the dark cloud of resentment hovering. But Brianna wasn't feeling overly healthy, and she could tell James wasn't either. She allowed him to move her toward the bed, but her hands clutched at his shirt down by his hips to tug it up and off during the short journey. It was no secret between them that they both indulged in extra-marital affairs, but Brianna could admit to herself that no one had been able to stoke the fire inside of her the way James always had. She loved him, but now she wondered if some of that had to do with how their respective magic reacted to one another. Even if hers had always been dormant, it was still there, buried deep down.
She felt different to him now that her magic was awake, hotter in a way that had nothing to do with her element. He could feel her power strumming under the surface and as angry as he had been with her, now he couldn't really wait to help her master it. Having someone else teach her was out of the question, he wanted to know what she knew. That magic licked at him now, raw and out of control in a way that their sex life so often was and he started not so gently tugging at her clothes to get them loose and off her body. He didn't really care if anything ripped, they could afford new clothes and in his case he had plenty of suits that looked pretty similar.
As they undressed one another and Brianna got her hands on his bare skin, the impatient anger that had been still simmering inside of her seemed to shift into something more desperate. She had always known he was a witch, but she had never felt his abilities before, never felt his power the way she could now. Her own magic - element? - seemed to ache for it now. Still, the frustration Brianna felt towards him lingered and was evident in the way she tore his clothes off of his body. In the midst of the frenzy Brianna could hear the distinctive sound of popped stitches as their clothing fell to the floor beside the bed. She kissed him hard again, her teeth nipping into his lower lip.
James growled softly at the bite but he'd had worse and it was sexy. His clothes could be replaced and he did that on the regular anyway since he loathed things that were worn out. It barely even registered that some of them were ruined right now, he shook off what remained and threw Brianna down on the bed, wasting no time in crawling up over her, kissing and nibbling on her thigh and stomach before pulling her panties off in a rush. There was nothing gentle about it, it would feel out of place to go slowly right now, they were both still pissed off and horny. He moved over her body again once he'd tossed her underwear aside, licking his fingers before kissing her hungrily and reaching between them to slip them between the folds of her labia.
Brianna was panting heavily now, spurred on by arousal and lingering frustrations. She didn't want gentle. Not tonight. Her hands reached for James and she all but dragged him up to her before their mouths clashed, tongues and lips fighting for dominance. A sharp noise escaped her as soon as she felt his fingers between her legs. Her hips lifted against him instinctively and Brianna gripped his hair tightly in one hand, the other falling to his hip to dig her nails into his flesh, wanting to maneuver him to just the right spot. "Fuck me," Brianna demanded against his lips. It wasn't a request, nor would she beg. Even now she was struggling for control, desperate to regain her footing in the midst of everything that had happened.
James wasn't easy to control but she wasn't demanding anything from him that he didn't want to give and he grunted into the kiss, pushing his fingers inside of her. It wasn't enough, not for her and not for him. He was already rock hard and he wasn't going to leave her waiting if she was ready so he withdrew his fingers almost as quickly as he'd pushed them in and shifted his hips to align himself the way she wanted him. With anyone else he might have grabbed her throat by now, reminded her that he had her life in his hands while they fucked but it was Brianna. If anything she tended to be rougher with him than he was with her though he sometimes lashed out too. He entered her in one quick thrust, tangling his fingers in her hair and tightening them into a fist.
Brianna arched and released a sharp cry at that first, hard thrust. Her knees drew up his sides instinctively and Brianna released his hair to grip his shoulders. There was a subtle sting from where his fingers had tightly curled into her hair, but Brianna welcomed it. She didn't always get off on pain or rough sex, but there was certainly a time and a place for it. Like here and now. Unable to keep still, Brianna lifted her hips to his, her fingernails pressing harder into his flesh. There was a familiarity to James, to the way they connected physically. She may stray from time to time, as did he, but Brianna supposed one of the reasons they remained married even now was that they still desired one another, even if they still sought sex elsewhere.
She was going to leave marks and it both pissed James off and excited him. Pain wasn't a receiving game for him but a woman digging her nails into his back during sex was the kind of pain even the most vanilla suckers enjoyed. He thrust his hips hard against her, fucking her in deep but quick strokes as he pulled on her skin with his teeth. The sounds she made never failed to stoke the flames of his desire and he had to hold back to not get overly dominant with her. They both fucked around and they both knew that but his kinks remained a well kept secret so far. There were times like these when he wondered if Brianna might be into it but she wasn't the problem, it was James who needed to compartmentalize.
The bite of his teeth was just painful enough for Brianna to enjoy it and it sent a fresh wave of heat between her legs. James was never overly rough with her, she usually got that elsewhere when she wanted it, but he still knew exactly what to do and how to do it in such a way that it drove Brianna crazy with desire. With her moans and the sounds of their lovemaking filling the room, Brianna raked her nails down his back, maybe unconsciously wanting to leave marks there for whatever nameless whore he slept with next to see. She never feared James leaving her for someone else, but there were times she had difficulty tamping down on the possessiveness that occasionally surged to the surface. Brianna was well aware of how hypocritical that was, considering her own extramarital activities, but it was what it was.
James hissed against her skin and caught her arms, pulling them back to pin them down against the mattress at the wrists. He fucked her harder, keeping the weight on her wrists as he moved to kiss her again, maybe partially to make sure she didn't tell him to knock it off and let go but he didn't think she would. It felt right in the moment, they were both pissed off and horny and every little move felt like a mix of sex and a battle, especially with how hard he was fucking her and the way she bucked back up against him. It felt more like a race than lovemaking, and he wasn't really sure what the competition was about or what the prize for the winner was.
There was no real resistance when James pinned her wrists to the bed, but she arched her hips sharply to his, groaning against his mouth when he kissed her again. Her teeth sunk into his lower lip, but she had to break away from him to breathe as her cries grew louder. Pleasure throbbed painfully through her body the harder James fucked her, and in a way, it did feel like some kind of twisted competition. Why, she had no idea. Sex was a mutually beneficial thing, for the most part, but it seemed quite obvious that the two of them were simply trying to work out their frustration towards each other. Brianna's eyes opened to peer up at James, her fingers curling into her palms where her nails bit into her skin. Her body began to tremble violently as her orgasm began to spiral out of control and as soon as she exploded Brianna was torn between kissing him and cursing him. A strangled cry escaped her lips instead and she closed her eyes tightly, losing herself in the intense pleasure.
This was the prize, James realized. Making her come despite her annoyance with him and without actually focusing on her clit. He knew he was rubbing up against it with the way he moved but that was different. He grinned a little to himself though it faded fast when she squeezed his cock in pulsing rhythm. Her climax never failed to trigger his. It wasn't all about her satisfaction though part of it was, mostly it just gave him a egotistical rush and this time it was no different. He fucked her through her climax, moaning low and deep in his throat as he followed her over that edge, his grip tightening on her wrists for the duration.
It probably said something about her that she found it easier to get off when she was angry than when they were content with one another and just making love. In the moment Brianna didn't really care, because it felt so damn good and the aftershocks continued to shiver down her spine even after James thrust deep and tensed against her. She vaguely wondered if she would have bruises around her wrists, but that was something else she didn't care much about. It would have been worth it. Breathing heavily, Brianna's legs loosened from around his waist and she let her feet fall to the mattress. With her eyes still shut, she turned her head to try and catch her breath, her body sinking into that delicious, sated afterglow. She didn't feel like talking. She was afraid if they started talking they would just start fighting again.
James was fine with not talking, in no mood to fight more and acutely aware there were still plenty of things to fight about. He stayed where he was for a few long moments before pulling out of her and rolling onto his back by her side. It was a good release and a good workout and he felt a lot better and yet there was so much bullshit still churning away in his head, slowly returning as the pleasure faded. "Still want to sleep alone?" he asked, fully expecting her answer to be yes. That was fine, he could sleep in guest room, take a shower there, use some time by himself.
Brianna rested her hands on her flat stomach, her eyes remaining closed even after James slipped away from her. Her body shivered a little, now that the warmth of his body was gone and her own blood was cooling. She let his question marinade for several moments until she finally opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. She didn't really want to sleep alone, but it was better than dealing with whatever tension might be lingering between the two of them as they tried to sleep. "It's probably for the best. At least for a couple nights so that we can both cool off."
James agreed with that and for a moment he said nothing, simply stared up at the ceiling, content in the afterglow of sex. Finally he sat up and leaned quickly over Brianna to kiss her. It was a brief kiss but a soft one, far more than just a peck. "I love you," he told her without much sentimentality, it was a simple fact and it felt like they could both use the reminder. He didn't need to hear it back, watching her with a warm kind of patience for just a couple of seconds before he rolled away and got up off the bed.
Brianna's lips curved in a small smile, because while she knew he loved her, it was still nice to hear it, even now with so much turmoil in their family. Her gaze followed him as he left the bed, but Brianna was in no mood to move. She needed to shower anyway. So she rolled onto her side and rested her head in her palm as she watched him. "I love you too," she said, because she wanted him to hear it too, even if he knew it already. They would get through this. Maybe it would make them stronger, as a family. Or maybe it would end up tearing them all apart. She supposed all she could do now was wait and see.
"I know," James said cheekily and this time he smiled at her. He might be mad still but Brianna was family. You could be mad as hell with your family and still love the shit out of them, in fact, he wouldn't be so angry if he didn't care about her. "I'll shower downstairs," he said as he grabbed a pair of sweatpants to wear. "Enjoy your alone time." He tugged his pants on and glanced back at Brianna again. She looked gorgeous in that after glow, sated and sleepy looking, marked by him and ruffled. Despite everything, she was his, no matter who else she fucked or how many secrets she kept.
"I'll do my best." Being alone wasn't always enjoyable, especially after sex, but Brianna was aware that it was probably necessary. They still had a lot to work through, but she was in no mood to try it tonight. Their problems would still be there in the morning. So she nodded softly, deciding that maybe her planned shower could be a hot bubble bath, where she could linger for an hour or so. Brianna exhaled softly and finally found the strength to get up off the bed so she could head for the bathroom. She touched his arm briefly on her way, more than ready to sink into some hot water and try to relax for awhile.