forever daydreaming

Adam spoke with a strict and unwavering voice, its pitch cutting through the distance between himself and the detective with near surgical precision.

Ethan's hazy grey eyes lifted to him, returning his icy stare before quickly setting back onto the half emptied glass he held, his narrow fingers grasping at the chilled surface. His heartbeat had grown restlessly hurried as it nearly always did whenever they met alone. The detective simply sat there, suddenly much tenser than he must've been few minutes prior.

"That is a fact..." Ethan had replied, his mind seemingly still sharp enough to muster a semblance of professionalism, yet not enough to dull the obvious discontentment weighting down his tone.

"I think I am allowed to drink on my off days, Mr. du Mortain." he added, the use of honorifics typical from their occasional arguments. It was a term he never employed otherwise, hints of sarcasm dripping from the word, something he reserved only for when he wished to suscitate a reaction... And while Adam could tolerate many things, insubordination was not one of them.

"And yet, you seem to forget that those who so persistently attempt to capture you do not take off days." He stated, crossing his arms across his taut chest, towering before the other man as he settled by the side of his seat, severely eyeing the liquor bottle his teammate had indulged in and reaching for it without a warning. "This is the last time you'll indulge in such things while you reside at the warehouse."

He remembered well how explicit about Ethan's previous addiction Agent Ulrich had been before assigning Unit Bravo to her son's wellfare. His safety was their first and only objective, a job Adam had taken more than seriously. He knew too well how easily the man could be tempted by any poison that offered a semblance of an escape, a liability he needed to consider at all time in addition to every circumstantial dangers out there that threatened Ethan's life.

He wouldn't ever be able to forgive himself.

With unshakable decisiveness, the vampire had sealed back the liquor, his broad hands tightening so strongly around the neck of the bottle it could've easily cracked, drawing a mildly offended gasp from the detective by his side.

"Excuse me..?" Ethan scoffed at his gesture, his frigid stare planted so intensely within his side he could almost feel the grey marble of his irises claw through him.

"You are excused." he replied sharply, patience already thin from Ethan's wordless defiance. Any other thoughts he might've had on the issue didn't matter, and if he was required to become the target of the detective's frustration to keep him safe, he would.

"I have the right to indulge the way I please on my days off, Adam. You can't just... boss me around whenever you disagree with my choices!" the man had protested, getting up much faster then either of them had expected and ever so faintly stumbling to the side, his tired features suddenly twisting into an alerted grimace.

It only took a second for Adam to wrap one of his large arms around Ethan's narrow middle, steadying him and allowing him to find his balance once more, the gesture only seeming to ignite a reciprocated desire inside them both, hearts hammering in near perfect sync as their bodies pressed close... So close he could feel Ethan's fluttering breath brushing across his jaw in a dangerous and addictive sensation he simply had to resist...

"Let me be clear..." Adam nearly growled as he subtly cleared the back of his throat. "As the Commanding Agent of this unit and as your handler, a decision you made of your own will, I am allowed to 'boss you around' as much as necessary. Am I being clear, detective Ulrich?" he practically sneered as he desperately attempted to swallow back the urge to reach for Ethan's hand, the frailer man's hazy eyes darting to his pale lips before quickly locking into his pale green own once more, a heavy frown twisting his brow.

The detective's pale complexion had flushed to a darker shade as his heartbeat noticeably picked up, something about the reaction making the vampire's ego swell with sheer satisfaction.

"You can't-- You can't possibly be serious..." Ethan muttered, voice calm but venomous as he attempted to look away from him.

"Oh but I am." the Commanding Agent replied, his voice much more sultry than he'd anticipated, cautiously glancing at the doorway before ever so slightly leaning in, his hold onto the detective's slander hips growing if only a little more possessive. "I will not tolerate you endangering yourself recklessly, Ethan." he'd confessed in half a whisper, his voice a little hoarse as if confessing to a fault.

Adam however, couldn't.

The last few weeks had been so very demanding, filled with endless patrols, more frequent kidnappings, and incessant trapper encounters... Now that he finally had a minute to spare and the excuse to linger by his side, the occasion to use his protection as pretext to remain so close to him, how could he have possibly taken his eyes away from Ethan? And for a moment, Adam wondered if it had always been so difficult to resist the need for his affection.

The silence felt tense, this damned magnetism pulling both of them closer to the other despite all his best efforts, something addictive in the way Ethan's narrow hands pressed onto his chest and sank against him, ready to push himself away but never actually doing so... The way he always seemed to unconsciously expose his soft and pulsing neck when he turned away to hide his face, cheeks flushed and red.

Adam had never in his life desired to be so weak, wished for his reason to crumble and finally allow him to fully give in to Ethan. To say something... anything.

"You don't need to be cruel..." the detective weakly stammered, his profound grey eyes locking within Adam's frozen own, exchanging a longing stare even as he frowned.

"If you learn to behave, I might give you what you want." Adam had spoken before he could even reflect on his choice of words, swallowing a thick gulp as Ethan's entire body lit ablaze from his touch alone, his scent now carrying the tingling heaviness of arousal.

Ethan's breath hitched, something in Adam's reply worsening the unease inhabiting his body and that already twisted his brow, and before Adam could even anticipate it, the detective's hand had coiled around the knot of his necktie and pulled his face about only an inch apart of his own reddened lips.

He couldn't.

"Don't be ridiculous Adam. You never give me what I want..." Ethan hissed, desperation seeping through each words as his free hand slithered along Adam's chest intently, gripping at his shirt before offering the vampire a desperate and yearning glance, sending shivers rippling through the vampire's entire body as he so direly attempted to remain in control.

The detective's palm hesitantly ventured against the hem of his trousers, fingers cautiously teasing at the edge of his hardening bulge, rendering Adam momentarily breathless with need.

He so very desperately wanted to, but he couldn't.

"Ethan..." he protested, feeling the weight of his self consciousness creep in, the sudden realization of how intensely his own needs could carry him away felt much more than disconcerting. Adam kept the other man close, but a certain resistance had already built back within his touch.

"I know." the detective sighed defeatedly, pushing himself away from where he'd been nestled within Adam's arms, and taking with him the feeling of wholeness in his chest before leaving the room.

Adam had not called out to him. it was better this way...

He knew it would be better this way.

He simply needed to endure.

touching someone's necklace/bracelet/watch

Gabby

Gabby rolled to her side, unable to fall asleep. Not after the night she had. To think, only a few hours ago she had been in a frozen state, terrified out of her mind from Bobby of all people. But she hadn’t expected that kiss. And instead of fighting back, she just...stopped. Deer in headlights. Wasn’t she supposed to be this cornered animal, lashing out at any threat?

She faced the one who brought her out of that fear, that feeling of being prey. Mason breathed slowly, a quiet snore tussling the hair over his face. He had made her forget the unwanted touch, as she had wished he would. Moonlight shone through the window, illuminating his naked figure. She could even see his freckles reaching down his chest and bare arms in the dark, thanks to that light.

The amulet he always wore rested against his skin, gleaming.

She didn’t fully understand yet what it was for. What it did for him. But she knew it was important. So important he kept it close to his chest, protected it. As if it was his own heart.

She reached for it, feeling it with her fingers as gently as she could. Somehow, this felt more intimate than what they had just done.

He must have felt the same, as suddenly his hand grabbed hers, eyes wide awake and glowing in the dark. He held his breath as he glared, his grip tight. Was he afraid she would take it off?

Even though there was more of an immediate threat in his expression, she felt no fear at all. She stopped moving, staring right back at him. Waiting to see if he would pounce first, as he waited for her to. She felt a slight tremble in his hand as he squeezed harder, making her in turn squeeze harder on the amulet. Yet she relaxed. She realized she just liked the sensation of having her hand held.

He felt her relax too. Confusion flashed in his eyes momentarily, but then he relented and loosened his grip. He expected an attack of some sort, that never came. A moment of near normalcy passed them, for who would not see this as a couple holding hands in bed?

For a long time, they did not take their eyes off each other. They did not speak, because they didn’t know what to say. What did it mean, when you held the power to destroy someone, but chose not to?

Ava knew that what she said last night wasn’t wrong. More so, the words were exceptionally fitting for the moment, and she still believed it. Then why did she feel a pang of guilt when she looked at Grace, who peacefully drank coffee while sitting across the table from her? Was it because that morning Grace was completely silent after she let out a polite greeting? Was it because her expression was so very neutral in a way it never was before? Grace was full of emotions, and it showed in everything she did, but that morning there was nothing. Ava was ashamed to admit it, but she was relieved that Grace let her into her apartment and didn’t shut the door in her face.

“For how long am I supposed to withstand this silent treatment?” Ava asked, trying to hide her frustration. Grace would always be the one to lead a conversation between them, and trying to poke into the silence she created felt wrong, but what else was Ava supposed to do when she needed to see something - anything - to make sure they were alright?

To her question, Grace simply lifted her eyes at Ava and swirled the coffee in her mug again before taking a sip that was followed by silence. Why did she have to make it this hard?

“Grace…” Ava’s hand slipped across the table, about to grasp Grace’s palm in a gentle grasp, before Grace sharply pulled her hand away.

“Agent Warren is fine,” Grace spoke with venom in her words. “Since we’re so hung up on titles these days.”

Of course, she would only speak to remind Ava about her mistake. As if trying to torture her, Grace leaned back in the chair, allowing Ava to see the thin satin fabric of her pajama tank top strain against her chest. Ava didn’t want to stare, but how could she stop herself when Grace was always so tempting?

“You can’t possibly still be mad at me. I was simply trying to keep you away from danger. Because I care about you.”

Ava’s pleading only made the situation worse – from neutral, Grace’s expression turned to a frown as she looked at her.

“And I’m so very grateful for it, Commanding Agent,” her words were filled with sarcasm, but Ava was willing to take that if it meant there would be no more silence between them. “How could I, a mere human, figure out what’s dangerous for me if it wasn’t for your endless wisdom? I meant what I said, from this moment on, I’ll be following all of your orders, since that’s what you want from me.”

When they entered the relationship, Ava foolishly hoped that it would be the end of their fighting and the frustration that came with it. She should’ve known better. If she knew that reminding Grace that she was her Commanding Agent and that she had to follow orders would result in this situation, she would’ve picked a different approach, but it was too late.

“That is not what I want from you,” at times, it was impossible to deal with Grace’s stubbornness. “Is it so wrong of me to want to keep you safe?”

“It’s not about what you did, and you know it,” Grace’s irritation was coming to the surface, and witnessing it was still much better than her staying neutral and cold. “It’s about how you did it! We share a bed every night, and you acted as if it was nothing and I’m just some fucking intern who doesn’t know what they’re doing. We’ve been together on enough missions for you to know that I’m not careless when it matters. So please, forgive me for acting frustrated when you use your fucking title to push me around.”

Grace looked hurt as she crossed her arms on her chest and looked at the table, avoiding Ava’s gaze.

“You are right, I shouldn’t have…” the apology didn’t come out right, mostly because Grace completely ignored it by getting up and making her way to the kitchen sink, where she loudly washed her mug. Her back looked stiff when Ava looked at her. She couldn’t stand it any longer. She wanted things to go back to normal, she wanted Grace to joke and flirt with her as she always did. Ava didn’t realize how good she had it until she lost it. But she wasn’t about to give up on their reconciliation.

Ava stood behind Grace and put her arms around Grace’s middle, pressing their bodies together. Ava felt her go still, but she didn’t give up on her plan. She kissed the back of Grace’s neck, over the ink of her tattoo, before moving to her shoulder. There was nothing Ava loved more than holding Grace like this, inhaling her smell, feeling her heartbeat so close.

“I was wrong,” Ava avoided saying those words to anyone for centuries, but she was willing to say and to promise much more if it meant Grace would stop being mad at her. At least she didn’t try to push her away yet. “What can I do to earn your forgiveness?”

These words, these actions should’ve made Ava feel weak and pathetic, but she felt none of those emotions. She was willing to do anything for Grace, it was simply a fact, one she was helpless against.

“One might think it’s inappropriate for my Commanding Agent to touch me like this,” teasing returned to Grace’s tone as she looked back at Ava. “Since you have so much power over me.”

“You’re well aware it’s not true. You’re the one who can undo me with a single word,” for some unknown reason, admitting that didn’t feel scary. And hearing Grace’s laugh felt like a good enough reward for that.

She turned around in Ava’s arms, their faces almost touching. Ava never felt so grateful to see Grace’s smile.

“That’s a little too dramatic for this early in the morning, don’t you think?” Ava felt arms wrap around her neck, while the tip of Grace’s nose brushed against hers. “I should’ve made you work harder for my forgiveness, but I’m too weak when it comes to you.”

Ava couldn’t help but smile at her admission. “At least it means we’re weak for each other.”

When Ava returns to our flat, it's all I can do not to wrap myself around her, holding her tight while I crawl into her skin. She's fine. She's safe.

"Are you alright, my love?"