RAZOR FIST

He kept emerald gaze upon her, watching her really as she worked at patching up the bleeding cut that his first aid from his cut man hadn't done a good job of. She had, he assumed at least for now. It did feel better than it had when it was first taken care of and he was about to thank her until she nearly snapped back. "Everything alright?" He asks with a brief look of concern, emerald gaze looking her over for a moment before a hand lifted to lightly touch at the now mended cut. "Everything seems fine." He half mumbles to himself, hand falling back to his side as he shifts attention back to her. Was that her blushing? She seems to almost avoid looking at him soon after, trying to be engrossed in the bag she was putting back together. His gaze never left her, keeping attention on her as she moved about. It added to how he thought she was cute, a small smile pulling at his lips as he remained seated and more at her eye level. Then she looks back to him, the question following making his brows furrow for a moment before he nods. "Yeah it does make me happy. It's where I feel like everything else is quiet, I can just be....me." He shrugs, not sure if that makes sense to her but it did to him.

this should've been the easy part for her. fancy dinners, winning people over. talking was her forte and should've come naturally. things got a bit heavy though when it was revolving around life or death. "oh! wait, wait wait.." she quickly grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing waiter then blew out a long breath, only for the glass to disappear from her hand a moment later. a choked sound squeezed out of her, almost resembling a whine that drifted into a sigh. her gaze shifted up... and up, until she met the gentle gaze of the giant man. red stained lips pursed, "i was only going to have one glass, don't give me that look! talking is so much easier when it's not forced to schmooze someone up." there were only ten days before the game. she'd spent nearly every single one of those days with andrei training her fighting skills but in the background.. gaining his knowledge. there was so much more to him than what others wanted to see. "just one drink." she held up a finger, giving him her sweetest smile.

This wasn't what he was good at, trying to be social and gain favors but that hadn't been anything new since he had been in her shoes. He hated it then and he hated it now but he also did what he had to do and that was what she was doing now. It was the nature of their life and something they just had to accept. He had long ago and it was rather obvious of how some people of the capitol looked at him. That was something he hadn't told her about and he didn't plan on it. Still, he was her mentor and he would do what he could. That meant taking the glass from her hand when he approached after seeing an opening to make his way over. Brow arches as she spoke, head tilting to the side just slightly as justification was made for her drink. "You need that?" He says with the same tone she knew by now. Jaw tenses at her request, green gaze lifting to look around the room before landing back on her. With the games being so close, what would one drink do? After all, he wasn't sure how it would go but he did want her to die and could only hope he had done enough for her to survive. "Fine." He says handing it back to her. "But just one. You have to be sharp here. Always." His last words more mumbled than the others.

his   building   had   been   easy   enough   to   find   –   towering   skyscraper   will   no   doubt   boast   an   over   the   top   penthouse   ,   given   her   cousin's   apparent   choices   .   simple   to   flirt   her   way   past   the   front   desk   ,   to   be   scanned   into   the   elevator   and   sent   up   on   her   way   ;   leading   here   ,   to   face   the   elder   romanian   head   on   .   &   that   she   does   ,   optics   narrowed   as   her   bag   shoves   hard   against   sturdy   chest   .   ❝  jesus   ,   andrei   –   i   knew   you   would   have   big   fancy   house   ,   dar   asta   depășește   imaginația   mea   cea   mai   sălbatică   .   ❞   slender   frame   slips   easily   through   the   crack   below   his   elbow   ,   pursed   brims   whistling   low   with   each   detail   taken   in   .   ❝  crezi   că   toate   astea   merită   să   renunți   la   potențialul   tău   ?   i   know   this   is   not   your   only   residence   ;   do   the   other   ones   make   it   worth   it   ?   ❞   forelimbs   crossed   atop   petite   chest   ,   finds   a   sitting   room   nearly   immediately   –   &   a   couch   on   which   to   throw   herself   down   .   ❝  do   you   have   anything   to   eat   ?   it   was   very   long   flight   , food was not so good .   ❞

@coeurdefoudre

𝑭𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑵 𝑴𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑨𝑵𝑼 . Via Tiktok ( x ) .

❝  i'd   like   to   think   it   worked   out   pretty   well   for   me   ,   ❞   hums   contentedly   ,   nuzzling   in   beneath   earthen   scruff   before   rolling   her   torso   up   onto   sculpted   pectorals   .   ❝  for   one   thing   ,   you   did   have   deep   pockets   ,   ❞   playfully   quips   ,   shoulders   lifted   &   dropped   with   a   soft   titter   of   affectionate   amusement   .   ❝  for   another   ,   if   i   hadn't   tried   to   swipe   your   wallet   ,   i   would   still   be   living   in   a   run   down   apartment   ,   boyfriendless   ,   planning   low   level   heists   with   the   eye   instead   of   experiencing   rich   people   life   with   the   hottest   guy   ever   .   you   kinda   saved   me   ,   if   i'm   being   honest   .   ❞   monologue   punctuated   with   a   series   of   peckish   lip   locks   ,   lashes   flutter   as   a   kittenish   smirk   begins   to   bloom   across   her   countenance   .   ❝  plus   it's   kind   of   great   practice   for   my   magic   skills   ;   i've   totally   gotten   ruslan's   rolex   off   of   him   like   six   times   now   .   ❞

Arm loosens around her as she moves, adjusting once she is resting ore atop his chest to look at him. "No, you weren't wrong, though there were other ways to find that out you know." Andrei counters, though she still saw no wrong entirely in what she did. "If you had come to the club, I'm sure you would have had my attention without having to steal from me....Or trying." Though he accepts the kisses and the compliment, well the last one is more or less accepted in a shrug once lips part. "I don't know about saving. That's not necessarily something I do." But in her eyes, he supposed that was something close enough. "He has told me about that actually, though it doesn't seem like magic and more just slight of hand like you tried with my wallet." He points out. "He did ask me to talk to you about that too actually." A small chuckle leaving him. "So, maybe take it a little easy on him?"

Rand breathed out a small sigh, his shoulders falling as though a great weight had settled onto him. He nodded his head as he studied the look the man gave him. "Being partners in this will make sense." He stated simply. "I don't want a problem but I think that...I think that we need a bit of trust because things might get dangerous."

Jaw tenses, facial expression remaining the default glare but he looks away. In a way, Andrei knows the other is right. As much as he hated to admit it. A sigh leaves him before he looks back to the other. "Fine, I won't kill you and I'll make sure you survive. Is that what you wanted to hear?" And he would keep his word, it would be up to him if he chose to believe him. "Because if it is, then we can move on. Unless you also wanted to have a team up plan on how to go about this." Part of it was sarcastic but he had a feeling the other would want some form of a plan.

“ both of us are better off going back to how things were before... before we met. ” though she didn't much want to face him in this moment, byanka's head tilted slightly toward andrei with a look in her eyes weighing more than THE MERE DIPLOMACY THAT WAS THE VERY REASON the two of them were getting married in the first place. “ no matter the development of any emotions, such things only seems to serve as an INCONVENIENCE in this arrangement yet to come. ” ⎯⎯⎯⎯ “ so yes, denial will serve our alliance better and ensure the joining of our two houses will become nothing less than a dynasty. ”

Brows furrow at her own reply, showing she might not share the same outlook or feeling as he did. Not that it was surprising but he thought maybe she might want to at least try. Now, however, he wasn't so sure. She was calm, cool, collected and he admired that and it was no doubt because of the circumstances of how she was raised. He was of a similar manner, serious when he needed to be while being taught to be a proper heir. Which once more brought them back to this very position. A deep breath is taken in, head shaking slightly at what followed. "I don't think you'd like that and it wouldn't look good for us." He points out. "Besides, when I give my words I tend to keep it." That was something he valued, though he knew not everyone was the same. Arms fall to his sides, taking a step towards her as he looks her over. "But if that is how you feel, then this can remain as just an arrangement and nothing else. I personally don't see how denial long term might help but if that is your mindset then I won't change it."

emerald   optics   sparkle   as   she   blinks   repeatedly   ,   incredulous   indignation   sewn   throughout   the   expression   of   the   demigoddess   .   ❝  .   .   .   yes   ?   i'm   strong   enough   to   do   this   ;   you   should   know   ,   you've   trained   me   more   than   the   camp   at   this   point   .   ❞   back   in   their   favorite   spot   on   the   dock   ,   though   this   time   gazes   land   upon   each   other   rather   than   the   sparkling   water   all   around   .   slender   shoulders   lift   &   fall   ,   button   nose   scrunched   as   she   itches   with   the   heel   of   her   palm   .   ❝  besides   :   percy   &   annabeth   made   it   to   hades   &   back   as   children   ,   &   they   were   doing   way   more   than   delivering   a   message   from   zeus   .   how   hard   could   it   possibly   be   ?   ❞   she   knows   she's   downplaying   the   risks   ,   knows   he'll   likely   end   up   coming   along   whether   she   likes   it   or   not   .   but   the   daughter   of   aphrodite   is   full   of   pride   ,   such   that   admitting   her   doubts   &   hesitations   simply   won't   do   .   ❝  it'll   only   take   a   couple   of   days   ,   babe   ;   you're   blowing   this   way   out   of   proportion   .   ❞   slender   palms   rested   atop   battle   marred   counterparts   ,   deep   respiration   scores   the   purpose   of   the   talk   .   ❝  do   really   you   not   think   i   can   handle   it   ?   ❞

Brows remained furrowed even with her answer, watching her closely in the process as his gaze only was on her. A sigh, however, soon follows as he then looks away for a moment. "I know I have....I know you're strong, I wasn't trying to say you weren't." Using his words wasn't something he was good at, she knew that. However, Andrei was trying to his best to let her know there was no insult meant to be thrown her way. All in all, it was mainly his worry about her wellbeing. "I know they did and they've almost died or have practically died." Andrei points out in her own argument. Besides, why couldn't she see that it was because he cared? That was all it was. "You know there are always others out there who want to see people like us dead." He adds that in a more quiet tone, wondering if she is able now to see that all of this was because he cared. Either way, in his mind he had already made his decision. Andrei wasn't going to let her do this alone. Though expression twists, more upset now than before at the words that leave her lips. "No, why would you think that?" Clearly she hadn't picked up on what he was trying to convey. His hand moves from her's, running it over the top of short hair as he took in a deep breath. "I don't want anything to happen to you. Don't you see that?" Andrei finally admits, more openly than he had before.

𝑭𝑳𝑶𝑹𝑰𝑨𝑵 𝑴𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑨𝑵𝑼 . Via Tiktok ( x ) .

consistently   so   kind   &   considerate   ,   the   man   she's   come   to   cherish   so   dearly   .   never   upset   when   she   misses   an   ending   ,   or   wakes   up   half   way   through   the   film   with   a   million   questions   .   simply   wraps   slight   frame   safely   within   prodigious   embrace   ,   allowing   the   rest   of   which   the   brunette   finds   herself   so   deprived   .   ❝  you   ,   not   hungry   ?   are   you   feeling   okay   ?   ❞   teases   fondly   ,   tender   peck   stolen   before   brims   part   into   a   deep   yawn   .   ❝  alright   ,   bed   time   it   is   .   ❞   lifts   up   from   sturdy   perch   ,   digits   entwined   with   those   of   the   romanian   as   she   tugs   him   toward   the   bedroom   .   quick   work   made   of   her   nightly   routine   ,   settles   comfortably   into   bed   beside   her   love   –   draped   in   the   oversized   fabric   of   a   stolen   shirt   .   ❝  how   was   your   day   ,   baby   ?   ❞   murmurs   low   ,   exhaustion   bleeding   from   quiet   timbre   as   a   cheek   rests   indented   upon   soft   fist   .   free   palm   flattened   upon   sculpted   chest   ,   tracing   languid   shapes   onto   taut   flesh   with   each   contented   breath   .   ❝  did   you   do   anything   fun   while   i   was   at   work   ?   ❞   doe   eyes   peer   up   toward   stoic   visage   ,   serene   simper   flexing   plush   brims   .   ❝  nothing   too   exciting   without   me   ,   i   hope   .   ❞

@coeurdefoudre