Running

[rhiannon_lee]

Nighttime in Cottonwood Cove was a spectacle: a pale, pebble-strewn ground underfoot, ghostly Joshua trees twisting against a barren landscape, and a sky so black and velvety that Rhiannon longed to touch it. The moon hung low and full as she knocked at the front door of Cian’s little cottage, which had been built by a wealthy contractor as a getaway spot for his family during the construction of the Hoover Dam in the 1930s. With all that was temporary or mobile in this part of Clark County, Rhiannon appreciated the historical aspects of its framework, and how it lent a sense of time and place to an otherwise transient community.

The slayer’s dark hair was combed into a ponytail. After the sun went down, the desert temperature dropped sharply, and so she wore a loosely knit sweater over her tank top, jeans, and boots. A delicate crucifix glinted on her collarbone. She crossed her ankles and slipped her thumbs into her hip pockets as she waited for the Were to answer.

Comments

Re: Running

[cian_oneill]

He nodded slowly, drawing her closer and putting his other arm around her shoulders for a moment. "Think of me as the limb..." he murmured, eyes closing briefly, then opening again to look out into the moonlight.

There was something coming, not there, not in the valley they were in, but out there. He had come to find the hidden valley some time ago, not long after he'd arrived, and in the ensuing months he had searched and found the crystals and stones that had helped him create this area. He didn't know what it was, he didn't know when it would culminate, but he did know it was going to be more than he could deal with, and had come to terms with that.

A brick does not a wall make, but a wall without bricks can protect none. Annie had told him that so many times it had become a mantra, when he'd tried to do things on his own, especially manage his were. It had only been when he'd let Annie, and then Oonagh and Shane, help that he'd finally been able to break through. And he knew from his football days that no matter how good a striker a team had, they still needed a damn good goalkeeper, and wings before they could take on the best and strongest opponents, and win.

All these thoughts were going through his mind, the emotions strong and his hold light. He eased the hold on her shoulders, his arm sliding away till his hand rested on her shoulder, his other hand still holding her wrist, "... or y' crash helmet," he added, a hint of a grin flickering across his face and eyes.

Re: Running

[rhiannon_lee]

If he was the limb, he could break underneath her. If he was the limb, she might take a step too far and fall. If he was the limb—

Rhiannon closed her eyes.

‘Stop.’

This was simple, really. She either submitted to being with him, or she walked away. Cian was not the Council. He was not her father. He was not the cruel hand of fate winding up to knock her into place. He was just a man, and this vicious scramble she created was nothing more than a frantic reaction to the result of sharing his company. Peace, a relative stranger, had found its way to Rhiannon. And, she argued with herself, peace did not have to mean she wasn’t ready for war, so long as the war didn’t come from him.

Whatever came, she’d handle herself.

Rhiannon inched closer until her boots met his bare toes. With dark eyes focused on his light, she draped her arm around his neck and got a solid grip on his hair. She jumped up and wound herself around the trunk of his body. “Fine. You win.”

Re: Running

[cian_oneill]

Cian laughed softly, his arms wrapping around her, his feet moving slightly to adjust his stance as her legs wrapped around him. His face pressed against her neck, and he could feel hers against his.

He could sense the turmoil she had struggled with, his skin having felt like spikes were being jabbed at him, as if questions were being asked though no answers were expected. And just like hitting one's fist against a brick wall, it felt good when it stopped.

"Didn't realise it was a race," he murmured softly, the teasing clear in tone. "Next time I might try harder."

Re: Running

[rhiannon_lee]

“Huh-unh, not a race,” she said against his hair. “It’s a thumb war.”

That was the thing. She’d struggle like hell, give in, and he’d claim he wasn’t even out of breath. One day she’d manage to knock him on his heels, just to see how he liked it. But that required Cian to loosen up a bit. So far, she was pretty sure he hadn't.