They were running again. Julian was fully aware of the danger that came with venturing around the town in broad daylight, but he'd dismissed Katz's concerns with an airy wave of his hand, insisting that he did it all the time and hadn't gotten caught yet, so there was almost nothing to worry about. His manner changed only slightly when she told him that fine, if he was so confident in the unlikelihood of getting caught and sent to the hangman's noose, then she'd accompany him on his errand. He had at first tried to dissuade her from coming along, but she was firm, and he knew better than to try to change her mind when it was already set. All she asked was that they be done before the parade honoring Count Lucio started that afternoon, and Julian was quick to agree, as even he knew the increased danger of getting caught in the streets with the palace guards out in full force.
Julian donned his coat and grabbed his bag of coin, turning to Katz "Are you ready to venture forth, my dear?" He asked, with a dramatic swirl of his cape.
She nodded, fastening the clasp of her own cloak and joining him at the door; fixing him with a stern eye, she asked "You promise we'll be back in good time, right? We can't get caught out on the streets again."
He reached out and tucked a tendril of her aqua hair behind her ear, trailing his finger along her jawline "Of course! You have nothing to worry about. I only need a few things from the apothecary, we'll be back before you know it!"
Katz let her serious expression melt into a warm smile "Alright, if you say so, Dr." she teased "Let's go!" She swept past him as he opened the door, but halted on the front step, and dashed back inside.
"Wha-" Julian stared after her inquiringly "Did you forget something?"
"No!" She called over her shoulder before rushing back a moment later, a lavender silk scarf clutched in her hand.
"Are you cold?" He asked with a concerned frown "I can get you a warmer jacket.
"No, no," she answered, looping the scarf loosely around her neck several times before pulling it up to cover the lower part of her face and dropping her voice conspiratorially "I have to be prepared in case we need to disguise ourselves."
Katz had to suppress a giggle at the way Julian's eye lit up; he had such a flair for the dramatic and, though he had to be kept in check most of the time, she loved how happy it made him whenever she did indulge his theatrics.
They spent the next few hours dashing here and there all over Vesuvia, looking for Julian's ingredients. He had thought that it would be easy enough able to obtain them all from one shop, but due to the rarity of the ingredients, as well as Julian's ridiculously high standards, they weren't having much luck. As much as Katz was enjoying spending time with Julian, and simply being in his company, Julian was growing increasingly upset at their lack of success. He seemed convinced that he was wasting her time and putting her in unnecessary danger by not having accomplished their set goal, and it was making him more irritable by the minute.
As if the universe were conspiring against them, shouts broke out a few streets away from where they had stopped to consider their next destination.
"The palace guards! They're sweeping the streets in preparation for the parade!"
"Hurry! It'll be starting in no time!"
The next thing they knew, villagers were dashing in every direction, both trying to stay out of the guards' way, and looking for the best vantage point from which to watch the celebrations.
Julian's face went ashen "Now I've done it. We have to get out of here, Katz."
Hearing the alarm in his voice she looked up at him "We're too far away from Mazelinka's, and I can't take you to my room in the palace, we'd never make it. Where can we go, Julian?" As she spoke, she pulled her scarf over her mouth and nose "I can cast a spell that will cause the moisture in the air to reflect light around you so that you won't be noticed, but with all the dust and people running around, it won't last long. Do you know of a place we can hide until the parade is over?"
He paused for a moment, his eye darting here and there as he wracked his brain for ideas "Yes!" he exclaimed, snapped his fingers "I know a place just a few streets from here. It's been a while since I last visited, but we should be able to hide out there until the parade is over."
Katz stood in front of Julian and held up her hands up, palms facing him, making the shape of a triangle with her thumbs and index fingers. Focusing her magic on the space between her fingers, she slowly drew her hands apart in a sweeping motion, letting it flow around him. "There." she stepped back "That should do it."
Julian had been standing stock still as she worked her magic. Once she had finished, he sprang to life again "Right! This way, it's not far." He seized Katz's hand and they dashed off down an alley.
After numerous twists and turns, as well as ducking behind a stall a time or two, they arrived at their destination. It was a low red door, set right off a quiet, out-of-the-way back alley, making Katz marvel at how exactly Julian kept track of all of his little hiding spots.
Several short raps brought a tall, solidly built woman to the door, who looked silently from Julian to Katz and back again, before pulling the door wide and ushering them inside. Without waiting for them to state their business, she pointed to a plaque on the wall "Rates are posted there. Prices reduce the longer you stay." Noting Katz's seeming confusion, she continued "I'll be here in the back when you make your decision." Having said her piece, she swept around the corner and they heard the click of a door opening and closing.
Katz's eyes narrowed, drawing her brows together, she turned to eye the Dr. suspiciously "Julian, this wouldn't be an hourly inn by any chance, would it?."
Under her pointed stare, a blush spread across his face "No! I mean yes, it is, but I never used it for THAT!" he rushed to explain himself "I don't have a regular sleep schedule; I'm always so busy that I just take sleep where I can get it, so I've utilized this place many times. For sleep."
She sighed resignedly "Fine. How long to you think we need to pay for?"
He shrugged "How long do you think the palace guards will be watching the streets? The parade shouldn't last longer than an hour I should think."
Katz shook her head and rolled her eyes at him "You do realize that the parade isn't actually set to start for another hour, right? Not to mention that these kinds of events are rarely prompt with their timing. Add on to that the fact that there will be many post-parade revellers cavorting about the streets that the guards will have to keep an eye on; I'd say we're looking at four hours at the very least, give or take just to be safe."
Julian looked sheepish "Ah. I see that I have grossly miscalculated our needs. No fear! I will pay the woman for six hours, and we can leave at any time if we like. Besides," his voice cheered a bit "this means I get to spend a little more time with you than we had planned."
Giving him a resigned smile, Katz nodded and watched as he stepped forward to call the landlady back and give her their payment. It warmed her heart that he was so happy just to spend the afternoon cooped up in a sleazy inn with her, and she made a mental note to let him know once they got settled.
They were soon climbing the narrow set of stairs that led to the upper floor, the keys clinking in Julian's hand as he idly spun them on his finger. He quickly located their assigned room, and opened the door, issuing Katz with a bow and flourish of his hand. Once they were inside, he waved his hand, gesturing about the room. "It's not that bad, you see? We can spend the next few hours here quite comfortably."
Katz had dropped her hood and was unwinding the scarf from around her neck as he spoke; nodding absently at his words, she walked over to one of the windows and found that it faced the street. Pushing it open, she leaned her head out, taking a deep breath and looking up and down the street, the bustling crowds forming a river of colorful bodies as the festivities began to be underway. Stifling a yawn, she pulled her head back in - leaving the window open because she enjoyed the low hubbub of the crowds below - and surveyed her companion critically. She was very tempted by the idea of a nap while they waited but, looking at Julian, she sensed that under his facade of easygoing cheerfulness, he was tense; he would be worrying about having her away from the palace for too long, and Katz was aware of his tendency to fixate on a problem until it drove both of them mad.
Sitting down on the one bed that occupied a corner of their tiny room, she turned to him "Julian, are you alright?" she finally asked, wanting to assess his awareness of his own emotional state.
At the sound of her voice, Julian - who had been leaning against the wardrobe, the relaxed nature of his posture betrayed by the intensity of the stare he had focused on the floor in front of him - started and fixed Katz with a look of concern. "I'm fine, darling, why? Am I behaving in a way that would suggest otherwise?"
"Well," she answered, picking her words delicately so as to avoid riling him up even more "I was thinking of sleeping for a bit, but I won't if you want me to stay up and go over our plan to get out of here."
He stood bolt upright "Yes! You had better get some rest, especially after the way I dragged you all around town today. I'm sorry I've been so careless of your feelings, you must be exhausted."
He had already taken off his coat and draped it over Katz's shoulders and was bending down to start untying her shoes when she reached out and tousled his crimson curls. "You don't need to do that, Julian," she laughed "I am perfectly capable of removing my own shoes, please try to relax."
He looked up at her, blushing slightly "I'm sorry. I really am fine, you know. You can sleep without worry."
Even though she distrusted his words, Katz wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt; Julian could be wildly dramatic at times, and though she liked that about him, one drawback of that characteristic was that she sometimes had some difficulty in taking him seriously. He didn't always have the best judgment, but he had a genuine and honest heart; he wasn't a child and she didn't want to discourage his trust in her by treating him like one. "In that case, if you're sure..." she trailed off as she curled up, tucking her knees close to her chest.
Julian pressed a kiss to her forehead "I will be fine. Just sleep."
Katz settled in and cleared her mind, using a technique Asra had taught her to help wall herself off from her surroundings; she'd gotten so good at it that she could fall asleep almost anywhere in a matter of minutes. She had just drifted off when the rhythmic sound of Julian's heel tapping against the floor brought her back. Lifting her head, she called to him "Julian, babe, would you mind not tapping your foot on the floor like that?"
The sound stopped immediately, his whispered apologies profuse as he settled himself and crossed one leg over the other, and folded his arms across his chest, letting his head fall back as he stared at the ceiling.
It was unfortunate that Katz was such a light sleeper; this time, she was just on the edge of slumber when she heard the faint, but still insistent, drumming of fingers against wood. She lay there for several minutes working out the best way to deal with the situation; on one hand, she wanted to strangle Julian, but she knew that his anxious behaviors stemmed from valid concerns, and that he was often right to be worried, regardless of the extent of his exaggeration. Making her decision, she sat up, swung her feet off the side of the bed and, without a word, walked over to where Julian sat, leaning against the low table, his chin resting in one hand while the other beat an erratic rhythm on the table surface.
Upon seeing Katz get up, he realized what he had been doing and jumped to his feet, his eyes wide as he seized her hand, kissing it, and showering her in apologies, insisting it wouldn't happen again, and if she would just get back in bed, he wouldn't make another sound.
She lifted a hand to his mouth, pressing a finger to his lips, effectively shushing him "I know you mean well, love, and you aren't wrong to be worried about us getting caught together but-" she saw that he was about to protest, and silenced him with a stern look "but, you need to relax. We're fine here for now, and there's nothing we can do to help our situation for a good few hours, you understand that, right?"
He nodded "I know I tend to be a little...intense, dear Katz, but I'm fine. I just got a little distracted, thinking about what we would do once the parade and revelry were over, that's all. Please go back to bed, I will be as silent as the grave, you'll see."
Looking up into his sincere expression, Katz felt her heart melt a little; giving Julian a sweet smile, she pulled her had from his "Just turn around, hon."
He fixed her with a confused frown, making as if to protest, but she reached out and grasped his elbow with one hand, guiding him to turn his back to her. After some resistance, he complied and allowed her to place him the way she desired. Once he was where she wanted him, Katz retrieved the silk scarf from where she had laid it on the foot of the bed and proceeded to tie it tightly but comfortably around his wrists, securing them behind his back.
Feeling what she had done, Julian glanced over his shoulder "Ahem." he coughed "My dear, while I do love your little games, this isn't really the time, wouldn't you say?"
Surveying her handiwork, Katz placed a hand on his arm and one on the small of his back as she guided him back around "Babe, I know you think you have to be constantly working toward your next solution, but sometimes you have to acknowledge that there is nothing more you can do, and simply let the chips fall where they may." She led him over to the bed and pushed him to a sitting position; framing his face with her hands, she leaned in and kissed him warmly before drawing back and admiring the view.
Julian blushed under her gaze, but assumed his usual air of cocky flirtatiousness "If you like what you see, you should unwrap the package." he told her with a smug grin.
Brushing a thumb thoughtfully across her lower lip, Katz looked him over; as much as she wanted to pounce on him right then and there, she knew that he needed more than just pleasure. It wasn't a secret that he had been fretting over their investigation, and that worry permeated every aspect of his life; it was getting to the point that she wouldn't have been surprised if he keeled over from exhaustion at any moment. No. Her lover needed to be shown, gently but firmly, that it was safe to let go of his cares, allowing himself to be vulnerable and relax.
"I might just do that." She said as she reached out, tracing the side of Julian's face with her finger, running it down his neck, digging her nail in slightly as she dragged it across his chest, making him shiver under her touch. Reaching the buttons of his shirtwaist, she began slowly unbuttoning each one, feeling his eyes intently following her every move. The shirt soon fell open, and Katz pushed it over his shoulders, letting it pool around his wrists where they met behind his back, her eyes roving over his shoulders, chest, and torso, lovingly memorizing every curve, dip and scar.
Nudging Julian's knees apart with her own, Katz stepped forward to stand between them; placing her hands on each of his shoulders, she leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to his eyelid, following it with another to his cheek, and another where his jaw met his neck.
Julian had let his eye fall closed, his heartbeat steadily increasing as her lips roamed over his skin.
On an impulse, Katz reached out and lifted his eye patch, kissing that eyelid as well, and making Julian's eyes fly open in surprise, the red of his affected eye contrasting starkly against his pale skin.
"Katz! Wh-What are you doing?" His eyes searched her face, trying to discern her intentions.
Katz knew how vain he was, even though he worked hard to hide it; his constant posturing and theatrics were a smoke screen to hide his insecurities, and it was clear to her that he cared deeply about how she perceived him.
Leaning down again, she pressed a kiss to his cheekbone, just under the wide crimson orb "You're beautiful, Julian." she whispered, her lips still brushing lightly against his skin "Every. Single. Inch of you." Punctuating each word with a kiss, Katz traveled from his cheek, down his neck and over his clavicle, leaving soft little tokens of her unconditional acceptance on his skin.
When she reached his collarbone, she pulled his skin into her mouth, leaving a puckered red mark when she released him, drawing a hissing gasp from Julian, his eyes growing wider and darker as he watched her intently.
Being that her magic had deep ties to water, Katz could feel every modulation of Julian's blood pressure; it had been steadily climbing from the moment she had slipped the silk around his hands, and was now at a consistent low humming that swelled against her magic.
Continuing her exploration of his skin, Katz moved to a crouching position and proceeded her attentions, roving over his chest, and down his stomach, kissing every scar and mark as she went. When she reached his lower abdomen, she rose to her feet again; answering his questioning expression with a teasing smile, she began opening the clasps of her own garments, slowly removing each one until she was down to nothing but the sheer slip that was the only undergarment she wore.
Julian had been watching her like a hawk, biting his lower lip until it was raw. He swallowed thickly as Katz undressed, the red of his cheeks intensifying as each article of clothing dropped to the floor.
Untying the last few laces, she let the garment slip off of her shoulders into a silken pool at her feet, stepping out of it and closing the distance between them once again. Taking his head in her hands, she pulled him in so his forehead rested against her chest, running her fingers through his hair and letting him nuzzle in between her breasts.
Julian took the opportunity to do some of his own exploring, planting his own kisses in the valley that separated her breasts, before taking one of her nipples in his mouth and rolling his tongue over it, sighing shakily. He soon began trying to move downward, assuming that she was going to let him have his way.
Before he could get very far, Katz pulled his head back up, laughing softly and dropping to her knees between his legs, sliding her hands up his thighs as she stared up at him with eyes full of impassioned adoration.
Taking a deep breath, he strained against the cloth that bound his hands "Katz, my dear," he said, taking on a charmingly persuasive tone "untie me, let me touch you."
She smiled, rubbing her cheek against his knee "Not until I teach you a lesson or two, love. You'll have to be patient."
Julian's only response was to sigh and close his eyes, his jaw clenching as he tried to regulate his breathing. He was used to putting his partner's pleasure first; in fact, he was uncomfortable any time she tried to make him the focus of their intimate moments, and she could tell that he was already having trouble being the sole recipient of her attentions, without being able to reciprocate. Yes,she thought to herself, he would have to learn to let her give him all her attention without the obsessive need to get her off first. While she very much appreciated his enthusiasm and desire to make sure she was well satisfied, Katz wanted him to be able to take his pleasure without feeling guilty about it.
Her nimble fingers soon found the buttons of his breeches, and made quick work of them, pushing them open and freeing his cock from its constraints. Glancing up at Julian, Katz saw that he had turned an even deeper shade of crimson, it seemed that he was so entranced by the sight of her, that he couldn't tear his eyes away from her face.
She stared back at him as she tilted her head to the side and planted a kiss on the side of his shaft, eliciting a sharp intake of breath from the bound Dr. Smiling up at him, she held his gaze as she slid her mouth over the head of his cock, sucking gently and flicking her tongue over the tip while she ran the nails of one hand up his thigh, and then releasing him with a wet 'pop'. She loved making him writhe under her touch; he'd never been good at hiding how she made him feel, and she was glad for it. She had always appreciated his fiercely passionate nature, especially when it came to their more intimate pursuits.
She continued to tease him, swiping her tongue along the sides of cock and stopping every now and then to suck on the sensitive skin of his low abdomen, leaving little raised red marks. Her marks.
Once she had tortured him enough, Katz leaned in and slid her lips over Julian's cock, taking him in completely in one motion, feeling his thighs flexing as he did his best to remain still. Pressing her tongue to the underside of his cock, she drew out and then back in again, moaning softly and maintaining eye contact with him the whole way, letting him know how much she loved seeing him in such a state.
Focusing on her job in earnest, she increased her pace, bobbing her head up and down, and sucking a little harder each time; one of her hands finding its way to lay flat on his stomach, while the other continued to dig its nails into his thigh. Katz could feel that Julian was reaching his peak; his cock was twitching with urgency and she could taste the saltiness of the precum on her tongue, her magic telling her that he wouldn't last much longer. After one particularly deep stroke, she came up and let his cock fall from her mouth, her saliva and his own fluids dripping onto her chest.
Groaning in frustration at the sudden lack of friction, Julian let his head fall back, his fiery curls clinging to the sweat that had been collecting on his brow.
Gazing up at him with a devilish glint in her eye, Katz whispered to him "What do you need, Julian?"
He responded with a choking sob "I need you, of course." he managed to gasp out, still not lifting his head.
"And what do you need from me?" she asked, pressing him to be explicit in expressing his desires.
He finally raised his head to look at her, his eyes wild, desperation written all over his face "Come here and do whatever you want to me, just let me be inside you."
Deciding that she'd heard what she needed to, Katz stood up and cupped Julian's face in her hands, kissing him deeply before pushing him down to lay on the bed, leaving his hands still bound. Climbing on top of him and settling herself in a sitting position on his stomach, she continued kissing him until she felt his cock twitch against her ass; reaching back, she took it in her hand and found that it was painfully engorged, to the point where she knew he wouldn't last more than a minute or two once she mounted him.
Katz reached out with her magic, letting it roll over Julian's body and focus on the humming of the blood rushing through his veins, using it to calm the water in his blood and thus reduce the pressure in his cock, leaving him with a full erection, but ensuring it would last longer.
He stared up at her wide eyed and gasping slightly "How did you do that and why haven't we tried it before?" The words came tumbling out as he looked at her with a new light in his eyes.
She just smiled down at him and pressed a finger against his lips "We can talk about that later. For now just relax and let me give you what you need."
Steadying herself by planting one had on his chest, she lifted her hips and, reaching down, took hold of his cock and guided it to her entrance, once again using her magic, but this time to make sure she was properly prepared for the intrusion. Katz lowered herself down onto Julian's cock, relishing the feeling of being completely filled, the corresponding sound of slick skin sliding against skin making them both let out moans of anticipation.
Placing her hands on Julian's chest to steady herself, Katz began rolling her hips, slowly at first, feeling herself tighten around him. Her hair fell around her shoulders in waves of blue and aqua ombre that shimmered with her every movement, making her look like a sea nymph come straight from the ocean to meet her lover.
That must have been exactly what was going through Julian's mind, because he simply stared up at her, drinking her in with his eyes, the fascination evident in on his face. Soon Katz's movements were drowning out all other stimulation, and he was once again straining at the scarf that bound his hands.
Katz smirked to herself; she'd done an excellent job securing her lover's bonds, and feeling cocky, she picked up her pace, clenching her inner muscles to grip him harder while digging her nails into his chest. The desperate moans she received in response only added fuel to her fire. Changing tactics, she gripped Julian's hips more tightly with her legs and leaned forward, letting her hair trail lightly over his chest and stomach before she sat back up; slowing the undulations of her hips, she moved her hands to her abdomen, sliding them up over her stomach to her chest where she stopped, taking her breasts in both hands and squeezing them as she moaned softly.
This was Julian's breaking point. With one last frustrated groan that sounded more like a growl, he ripped the scarf apart, freeing his hands which flashed to Katz's hips, gripping so hard the knuckles turned white, while he gave one hard thrust, pushing himself as deeply into her wet heat as he could.
The action almost unseated Katz, forcing her to fall forward, but she caught herself with her hands on his chest again, the feeling of Julian's cock buried deep inside her sending tingling chills throughout her body. They stayed frozen like that for a moment, both of them catching their breath before continuing in earnest. Katz was the first to move, swiveling her hips and staring wildly into Julian's eyes as if daring him to continue what he had just started.
After a heated stare, he tightened his grip on her thighs and began slowly pumping his hips, thrusting up into her, shallowly at first, though the look on his face said that he was doing his best to control himself.
Feeling her own need bearing down in her, Katz began rolling her hips in time with his thrusts, prompting him to move faster and harder, and digging her nails into his chest when he complied.
The room was soon filled with desperate gasps and moans as the two lovers chased their pleasure into each other's bodies, completely removed from their surroundings, and lost in the other.
Julian, his knuckles white where they gripped Katz's thighs as if he were drowning and she a life raft, had let his head fall back on the bed beneath them, his eyes closed and his curls clinging to his sweat drenched forehead as he bit his lip raw. But with one exceptionally powerful buck of Katz's hips, his eyes flashed open and he sat up, winding his arms around her waist and crushing her to him, his groans muffled in the soft skin of her breasts.
Katz had felt her orgasm slowly building from deep within her, and wrapped her arms around Julian's neck, her breath coming faster as she rode him harder. Leaning down, she nipped along his neck where artery bulged under the skin, feeling his heartbeat in the pressure there.
Sensing that she was reaching her peak, Julian slid his hand down between them and began stroking a finger over her clit, drawing little gasps from her throat until she couldn't last any longer, and she went tumbling over the edge.
Just as her orgasm hit her, Katz dropped her head and sunk her teeth into Julian's shoulder, triggering his own climax, and they went over the precipice together, the other's name on their lips as they collapsed on the bed.
It felt like hours before either of them made any effort to move, preferring to remain as close to each other as possible in their afterglow. Julian finally moved to pull the blankets over them after observing Katz shiver, her skin puckering in goose bumps. "I believe you made your point, love." he said with a chuckle, pulling her into his arms.
Looking up at him, she could see that the tension that he usually carried in his jaw and shoulders had eased, and he looked quite placid for once. Yes, I believe I did." she remarked, snuggling closer to his side "Though something tells me that I'm going to have to remind you again."
He laughed, absently twirling a finger in a stray lock of her hair "Oh yes. It'll have to be a regular occurrence, I'm afraid. And on that note," he said, leaning up to blow out the lamp on the nightstand "We have about three hours left of our time here, and I believe they are just starting the fireworks. We'll be able to catch a glimpse of the larger ones from here, so we might as well enjoy our confinement while we can."
Katz sighed happily, laying her head on his chest and thinking to herself that there was nowhere in the world she would rather be.