fire in the sky
Summary: Because it is right. Because he is Cassidy. Because this is just another night. OneShot- Teresa, Cassidy.
Warning: 15-minutes challenge. Attempt at plot-less fluff without a single trace of angst. (Prompts and challenges given by my esteemed readers are welcome. "Challenge" used as in "15 minutes until the plot has a beginning, a middle and an ending, onwards from then".)
Set: Story-unrelated.
Disclaimer: Standards apply.
If your eyes had seen what mine had, you would sing, too.
…
"Cassidy. You are in charge today. Be back at dawn."
The weather forecast promises rain. The air hangs low and heavy, too humid for an early summer's day, and clouds are piling up dangerously. A thunder storm seems inevitable.
Teresa is looking forward to it.
"Jay, you're in charge of Team One, consisting of you, Ten and Jaq. Terrence and Nadya, you're Team Two. Rese and I am the third. Fan out, check the safeways. Don't stray, don't get involved in things that don't require your interference. We meet at the usual place in four hours."
"Why does Jay get to be in charge?"
"Because he needs the practice, and you need to learn to obey orders without questioning them. Now go."
"Just because you're the second-eldest…"
Hunters disappear into the falling darkness without a sound. Teresa tears her gaze away from the bleeding sky and draws her weapons.
"Let's go."
Cassidy doesn't question her taking the lead.
…
Drops of light fall through the stormy clouds as the sinking sun colors the world a fiery gold.
"Look what we've got here."
"Damn, vampire, what do you want?"
Snickering.
"You'd think hunters would notice our presence earlier."
"Maybe we knew you were there all along."
"Of course."
A charming smile, all white teeth, green eyes and red hair.
"By the way, vampire. Keep those fake night passes to yourself, will you?"
"Wha – I – how?"
"You'd think vampires knew more words than that, wouldn't you."
Cassidy makes her smile, just like that. Cool winds caress her face as she follows him from the clearing into the mists of the safeways again.
…
"You wouldn't."
"Take it or leave it."
He actually attempts to drop it into the next bin. She grabs it from his hand and glares at him.
"You're horrible."
"And you love it."
Cassidy is the only hunter she knows who always carries sweets with him when he goes hunting. Teresa had long ago suspected he did it for Mar and Ten. She wasn't so sure now.
…
Sometimes she wonders whether it is possible to walk all the safeways, to visit all the places the mists hide from mundanes' eyes. Staying to the well-known routes is safest but sometimes the veils slip.
"You hear that?"
"What?"
His eyes are the sharpest ones of all of them but Teresa has a better sense of hearing.
"There's something going on over there."
"What can you hear?"
"Someone's singing."
"You'd better not listen."
"I don't think these are Fair Folk."
"You know what they said about cats and curiosity."
"We're friggin' Hunters."
"Who leave the night be as long as the treaty is obeyed."
His hand is warm where he takes hers to lead her on.
…
Still no storm in sight. Darkness has fallen completely.
…
"What the hell has happened here?"
Cold embers mark the center of the clearing, a ring of trees obscures it from sight.
"It smells… urgh."
"Hmmm. Looks like…"
"Trampled grass, beaten trees – and is that blood over there?"
"It smells burnt. Like…"
Suddenly, he laughs.
"You know what happened here, Rese?"
Suspicious, she eyes him. "What?"
"Barbecue night."
…
"Hunters. Hunters. Hunters."
The whisper runs through the collected gathering for shifters.
"What do you want, Children of the Angel?"
"We are not here to interrupt your gathering."
Teresa makes sure to keep her hands clear off the hidden weapons in her sleeves and at her hips. Cassidy behind her is a statue, still as a shadow in darkness.
"We have come to pay our tribute."
With that, the silent procession around them continues. A small girl with cats' ears and luminous green eyes stares at them.
"Can you really curse us by just looking at us?"
Cassidy grins.
"I could make you turn to stone this instant."
Wide eyes stare at him, either in adoration or shock. Teresa wants to push him but he knows exactly what he is doing.
"But only if you are a bad girl. You're a good girl. I can see that."
The girl smiles – wide and full of missing tooth – and disappears in the procession.
…
"It's almost dawn."
"Hm."
"No rain in sight."
"Hn."
Eloquence in person, once again. The later it gets (or the earlier?) Teresa gets tight-lipped.
"You turning into a pumpkin?"
"Oh, shut up."
He grins. He knows her too well.
…
Only a few more meters to their designated meeting point. The night is almost over.
"Wait."
He grabs her arm, draws her in until she stands so close she can't see his face, even with her night sight. His glasses reflect the light of the moon.
"What? Ten and the others will be waiting already."
Her voice is barely audible.
"Being a minute late won't hurt."
And he kisses her.
…
Teresa has long ago given up fighting the pressure of his lips on hers she loves the feeling loves the softness loves the warmth loves him because this is right this is Cassidy this is them she does not think only reacts only feels his hands on her back his lips on hers his body against hers the warmth that spreads through her entire being makes her float makes her smile makes her want to cry he is there he is close he is everything and the world fades away in a brilliant sky of storm clouds and red and golden sunlight at dawn so when he retreats a bit she kisses him back closing the last insignificant distance between them tries to fold her body into his her arms hold him too tight because she is so damn afraid he will disappear but he is there every time she opens her eyes every time her hands feel for him they meet warmth and blood and flesh and he belongs to her selfish as it might be his hands travel down to her waist and up again and her skin her hands her body her lips are a part of him are his the need is not new but isn't old either there is an art in the way he looks at her because she feels beautiful every time she feels his eyes on her like he can create her within the blink of an eye can breathe life into her like she is half and incomplete without him and so much more when he is there and perhaps she should be more cautious more intent on keeping him at arm's length but there are enough empty castles and unused emotions and abandoned dimensions to fill a dozen lives and if she cared for them in the first place she would not have chosen this so she just feels his hands on her bare skin feels his lips on her lips feels his body against hers and kisses him back with everything she was is and ever will be because nothing matters not the cold stone in his back not the dark shadows at their feet not the darkness because stone is warmed by the midday sun and shadows are children of the night like they are and darkness is what they live on sail on the wings of the dark while moonlight pulls the tide and gravity keeps them circling around each other in a dance that is older than the world than life than darkness and then she just clings to him holds him while his arms wrap around her and his voice whispers memories into her ear as she buries her head on his chest and wills the world away
…
He is looking at her with that kind of smile that makes her want to hit him – because it makes her blush. She's already beet-red, Teresa guesses, because she can feel the heat in her cheeks. It is as real as his arms were around her only a few minutes before, as real as his lips on hers. As real as the warmth she can feel right now.
"What?"
Jumping at a raised bait always was her weakness.
"I just thought about what to say to Ten and the others."
"Why?"
"Because you look like… well."
His eyes tell her this certain look leaves him wanting. And despite her furious blushing he has her – hook, line and sinker. Even if she wanted it she wouldn't be able to not ask. The breathless note in her voice makes her stammer even more.
"What'd you tell them?"
"That you fought a crazy vampire just two minutes earlier."
Her hands rush to her face. Another hand tugs them down again gently.
"Don't hide, Rese. You're beautiful."
The morning sun hits the slowly dispersing clouds with an explosion of colors. The thunder storm never came.