A/N: Inspired is an understatement. :) Thank you for the support, its brilliant, makes me grin. There may be more of these, with other characters...
Checkmate
Kara stared into the distance, Raiden other side of Jinsei Chamber, stepping out from life blood itself, hue carmine, pristine white robes stained black, stains larger, blotting page, ink bottle carelessly flung.
The God may as well have stabbed her in the gut with its quill, stomach heaving with sight.
This wasn't the God she knew. With each 'cleansing' of the Jinsei, Raiden changed, incarnation defiled, soul wasn't purified. It putrefied, thunderer's appearance the same, when alone, with her.
Normal. He mastered looking himself with her, despite knowing she knew his truth. Kara didn't like being treated like she were dumb, dullard, fractious child. Facing him grew increasingly impossible for the Goddess, until feeble heart reminded her that in order to respect the one she cherished, she must look.
Looking sank precious, tender, smarting heart, gazing stamped heeled boot onto it, after she threw it into dusty chamber corner...
Two decades, Kara held position of Goddess, single hopelessly aching, humanity lusting, deity pining after Raiden. Several times, she forced past her power threshold, pain barrier shattered, agonising headaches would accompany nosebleeds, waves of dizziness forcing her onto couch. She'd lie, were it not for the idea of errant drips, waterfall on cream linen deemed thoroughly appalling, enough blood being spilt, fluid incredibly stubborn to remove.
She wasn't shy about talk of menstruating, Raiden made aware of everything it did to her. Kara always apologised, blaming hormones, cramps, nausea for irritating turn in mood.
It wasn't him.
This was a lie.
It wasn't always him...
She began noting quiet became heavy, Raiden, well versed, incredibly astute man fell silent, speaking deemed ineffective, Kara incredulous. Part of her maliciously wished to use the 'L' word, placate him, but when she went to voice it, nothing came out.
She feared saying it, feared his reaction. Physically, they were compatible, dangerously so. They caused bruising, height, weight differences, having to accommodate that, injuries followed, passion easily slipping past soreness, pipping it to the post. She would catch skin with nails, lines running down arms, snaking, conjoined with veining, digging nails, heels into God's hips, back, anything to keep him there.
He couldn't move if she seduced him into restful slumber, getting what she wanted, whilst giving him what he needed. Using herself would have felt wrong, if she cared.
After ten years, she cared for his well-being, heart and head engrossed in keeping him the him she gave tattered soul, worn out heart to.
She found herself if she cared too.
He cared, locating her no matter how far she strayed from self-care, Raiden would guide her back to the world of the living, when her soul flew into the clouds...
Viewing change, subtle, Raiden took to apt solitude, days long, nights terribly cold, lonely, Kara hating every second, his side of the bed permanently frozen in time, time when he wished to be there.
If he did sleep, it would be in the Jinsei Chamber, filled to brim with energy, then some, much to spare. Kara taking some of it in, when he allowed it.
Closing in on edge of pushiness, pushing her away, knife ridge prodded Kara all over, God's tongue sharp, vicious, woman dejected, faith in herself waning.
Ceasing hope in Raiden was fruitless, woman forcing herself to look past misplaced resentment.
He was not upset at her, with her.
He was troubled with fact Earthrealm, despite murdering Shinnok, aligning themselves with Outworld, its new Emperor, Kotal Kahn, damage lingered, fractures in mantle, cracks in core, ground unstable.
Things falling to ruin around thunderer was common, his own chamber's floor, walls fissures. Kara's remained firm, held fast, her ground unshakeable.
So then, why did Raiden try to make it quake?
Why was he attempting to break her? She made herself brittle around him, paper thin walls letting him hear her destruction, fury let out in safety, sanctuary temple, violent bursts of spectrum purple energy erupting from pores.
Her nose would pour life, grenadine splashing hands, running between fingers, knuckles coloured nasty bruise hues, shading coarse, walking past him, head down, eyes downcast, stone evidently more interesting, devastating God as realisation made him acutely aware she looked at the ground because she could not stand to look at him.
She couldn't stand who he'd become. She tried to want who he had become, preferring old self, obvious. She didn't need to say it.
Washing dishes, much needed cool shower taken, Summer sizzle prompting woman to wear little, nothing step too far, she put on one of Raiden's cotton shirts, neck tie undone, sticky skin making fabric transparent. Telepathy was a funny thing, hearing someone's mind, whilst disconcerting, at first no longer bothered her.
Raiden was walking up garden path, large cobbles scuffed under foot. His aura, haze, cloud cream was splotched, muddy trails floating, phasing in and out.
When aura's grew messy, the kind of mess children made when left alone with creative supplies, it meant mental distress, strain, outburst imminent.
When you could see straight through someone, Raiden could try and fail all he wanted, though that also meant he looked beyond outer appearances...
"How are you?"
Goddess went with submissive, reproach with usual demeanour. Raiden raised brow, upset that he wasn't as alone as he'd hoped.
"Redundant question."
Jaw dropping, common decency flew from the window nearby, scurrying away quickly, fear building.
"Redundant answer. I merely asked how you are feeling. No need to snap."
Fire lingered in Goddess' belly, she refused to back down, get on her back, side, too warm for form to react, Kara damning that it did, visible from, she was sure, other side of house...
"I am tired, Kara," thunderer walked to partner, fingers tracing jaw, working up to cheek, Kara blinking, tears making her wish to squint, "I am also sorry. I find myself working to the bone, heart no longer in it, mind flurry when I need it clear."
"Brain fog?" Kara placed her hand upon his. He nodded. "Can I try?"
She flicked kettle switch, getting out mug and box of green tea.
"For the body." Digits worked their way onto God's temples, mauve silk surrounding crown of ivory, relaxation immediate, secondary reaction goosebumps, making their way audaciously down length of spine. "For the mind." Kara smiled, taking tea bag, natural scent reassuring, pouring water into mug.
Noting Raiden's head tilt, woman mirrored it.
"Glad to see I've worked wonders. Magic fingers."
She winked, wiggling them, snorting victoriously. Attention taken off steeping tea, hazels kept watch on still blue waters. Reaching around her, Raiden took mug, barely acknowledging her existence further, making way towards couch, woman in disbelief.
Sighing, she lent on kitchen worktop, view making clear she had 'forgotten' to wear panties that day, and bra, with the excuse sweat gathering under breasts and between legs was repellent, especially when it soured.
She needed no excuse, God leisurely enjoying show.
Observing Kara rapidly became his favourite thing. Vice, if you knew him. He gave her space, though eyes drilled holes, woman's hands worming their way across figure, dips, curves. Whilst she refused to return look, flashes of pink emanated from irises, skin flushing similar pallete.
Concentration of a champion, Raiden remembered to blow on scalding liquid, before sipping, woman's legs wobbling, lines crevasse in head, around orbs, concentrating furiously herself, brow furrowed.
Head affixed in God's direction, burning, flashing irises melted his resolve, thunderer sighing, standing, closing aquamarine's, opening rubies.
Goddess, unable to move let it be known she was delighted with turn. Lover made it look easy, her look easy, body caving in seconds. Wailing, loud as she wanted to be, they were alone, giving affection complicated at the best of times, heaven in the worst, time taken to further make things difficult.
Taking seconds, freeing himself, pulling her hands behind him, holding hips hostage with his own, kitchen worktop, Kara guiding him herself, eager.
This wasn't saccharine, it hit stridulous level, brutal stake, claim made, purchase unable to be made, Kara making lip bleed, anticipated permission hovering, stars in eyes, exhales brief, inhales ragged.
Spoken authorisation couldn't have come soon enough.
It was two years in, signs things were shifting, sand displaced, there was a hardness in Raiden's eyes, taking Kara became dominant, woman far from complaining, coy futile, acting demure when Gods knew she wasn't from the moment she let herself meld with the opposite sex.
Kara took to bringing binds, marks on wrists, stunned thunderer handed authority, clout weighty, immensely enticed, coveting him, sneaky, making herself irresistible...
She required nod, mind twisting where this could lead, rope twisted in fists, wonder vast, where she could lead him.
Nod obliterated perception, third eye, instead writing God's novel, addendum, notes in margin when she discovered something new...
Turning tables, Kara took him in onsen, garden, chancing it in her Earthrealm home, her parents frequenting often.
They were not caught, careful, several uses of phrase. Neither wanted children, unwilling to place anyone else in mortal peril, placing kids in that mess abhorrent.
They had their priorities straight, despite hearts, minds disagreeing, strength voracious, until it required sating.
They would push and pull, push when it grew too much, pull when passion, agonisingly raw overflowed.
If Kara let go, knots untied, he would leave her.
If he flew away, Kara panicked that her fractured, clipped wings would not carry her, fear palpable, scaring her tremendously.
Did he know she cared? Was he aware of what he did to her? He drove her sanity to the Netherrealm and returned it charred, frazzled.
Raiden was cannily yet generous, Kara held no regret, little to complain about. Her own folly drove, spurred their union on.
Neither voiced their concern, their adoration, they merely used themselves to keep the peace.
Their treaty lay with them, beside them, unwritten.
They would get along to penning it another time...
It was checkmate the moment they slipped, masks they wore sloughing off, forms quivering, anticipating what future held.
Checkmate chipped at their monikers, rust falling onto sheets, as they sifted for glittering gold in pools of ash, scattered to wind, carrying melodies their hearts made collectively.
Heartfelt, tragic, mournful, light show emanating, ripples in sky, satin stillness.
Checkmate began without end, game frustrating, neither wished to win, surpass, outrun other.
Pieces would be played strategically.
What mattered was how they played them...