Title: Punishment
Summary: Ivy flirts a little too much and nurtures Rachel's jealous side.
"Another drink?" With a sigh I looked away from the bar and up at the waiter approaching me. I tried to reign in my irritation, but like with most things, I failed. I knew logically, the man did absolutely nothing wrong, if anything he was being incredibly attentive as a server, but I still couldn't help my attitude from rearing its ugly head.
"Whatever," I snipped, "after all, its money in your pocket right?" Immediately I saw the waiter's eyes narrow, and I knew once again, I had unnecessarily pissed off another person just because I had no control over my mouth. I had a sinking feeling the Inderlander - or what I assumed to be an Inderlander as the club was an exclusive establishment that for the most part refused humans entry - would either spit in my drink, or poison it, and I figured I probably deserved it. I was being a moping asshole ever since Ivy sauntered off.
The night had started so well too. Both Ivy and I were in a rare good mood, prompting a nice night out. Ivy picked the place of course, but upon first walking in, I definitely agreed with her choice. We sat down, grabbing a table before they all disappeared with the influx of a crowd, and everything seemed to be going oddly smooth. That really should have been my cue that shit was about to hit the fan. After all, come on Rachel, ever since when have you been able to have a quiet night with Ivy? Not too long after we had ordered drinks, and were cautiously making conversation, a slutty young vamp plastered herself to Ivy's side. I immediately hated her long wavy brown hair, and light eyes. I hated the way she flitted up to the table with some damn school girl. I hated the stupid flirty smile she had on her face, and I especially hated the way her low cut v-neck black dress showed off her numerous bite scars, as well as how her thin black choker drew Ivy's gaze like a moth to a flame.
She didn't even spare me a glance as she walked up, and boy did that rub me wrong, then she proceeded to put herself on Ivy's lap, blocking me from view. Here we were, trying to have a good night Turn take it, and she had to go and ruin it. Minutes after interrupting us, she led Ivy away to the dance floor, and then, to the bar, leaving me here, alone, fuming. And oh boy, was I furious.
How could Ivy just leave? I didn't understand, I thought nothing significant had gone wrong yet. Okay, so maybe I might've hurt her feelings slightly when I twitched away from her when she was trying to help me with my jacket, but in my defense she was incredibly close to my neck, and therefore my scar. And, she might've been a little irked that when she handed me my drink and somehow ended up with my hand, I immediately pulled away, but again, in my defense...she was just a little too close for comfort, and they way she almost, melted, into my hand always scared me. And she might've been a little upset- Okay, so maybe the night hadn't gone so golden so far, but that certainly didn't give Ivy the right to ditch me. We came here together, and while it wasn't really a date, I still expected some semblance of respect.
A loud clink interrupted my thoughts and my glaring across the room, and I looked up, surprised to note the waiter didn't actually seem pissed to see me. If anything he had an odd look of pity on his face, and instinctively I followed his line of sight, which then prompted me to take a healthy swallow of my drink. The burn traveled down my throat, but it was a nice counter point to the sight of Ivy kissing down vamp slut's neck, I thought bitterly. Looking back at the waiter, some twisted semblance of a smile made its way on my face as I tried to glare down his pity.
"Why don't you just cut in?" the waiter finally said, apparently unperturbed by my glaring, but thankfully not sporting his earlier look of pity. His presence was both a relief and a pain. If he left, I'd go back to watching Ivy becoming intimate with the slut, but if he stayed, he would try and talk. In true Rachel Morgan style, I couldn't just take any sympathy from someone, I had to hysterically bark and bite back.
"I didn't realize I ordered a side of judgment with my drink," I blithely shot back hoping the words bit into him like the sight of Ivy's hand stroking the edge of the lace collar that damn slut was wearing bit into me. I wanted to be sorry, because again, I knew he was doing nothing wrong, and actually putting up with a lot from me, but I just couldn't. I was starting to feel a bit ill on top of it; I hoped I didn't end up puking my guts out because I wasn't paying attention and downed four shots of Turn knows what; maybe rat poison, hopefully rat poison.
Instead of promptly dusting me in the head with his drink tray like I thought he would, the man just sat down next to me with a raised brow and a faint grin.
"Huh, never heard that one before," he said casually, stumping me for a few seconds, "clever. My name is Marcus." His hand sat extended in the air for a few seconds as I just blankly looked at it, but eventually my wits caught up with the new development, and with one last burning glance towards the hand on Ivy's shoulder, I took his hand for a short shake. It was such an odd introduction, but at this point, I didn't care as long as it would distract me from the horror across the room. Unfortunately just that thought was enough to get me to look back over, and I was once again sucked into watching the show that twisted my gut.
A snort pulled me out of my darkening mood. I glanced next to me and Marcus was nearly choking with laughter. I apologized for being an ass by accepting his presence quietly, but I felt my temper flaring and idiotic words once again welling in my throat, but he cut me off before I got started on my retort.
"Wow, you are incredibly jealous," he cackled, leaving me incredibly flabergasted.
"Jealous? Of course not," I scoffed when I finally regained the ability to speak. I immediately felt the need to correct him. It wasn't that I was jealous, I was angry. I was just trying to have a good time with my roommate, and she was just waltzing off, ignoring the fact we were barely able to spend time together lately. "I am however, incredibly pissed that someone is being incredibly rude, and that 'someone' is supposed to be my roommate."
I leaned back into my chair and huffed, but surprisingly I felt a bit more relaxed over all. I guess I just needed to let out my frustration over the whole situation.
"Roomie huh? You seem oddly invested just to be a roomie," Marcus commented, setting some alarms in the back of my head off. I felt a bit of wrongness around me, but I couldn't find a single thing to attribute it to. Even with that though, I couldn't shake the feeling I had gotten myself into a terribly stupid situation. "It seems more like you like the vamp, but not that she's a girl," he pressed on, once more putting me on the defensive. I was starting to feel like maybe just brooding and staring at Ivy would have been preferable, but as I snuck a small look just in time to notice the stupid slut put a hand on Ivy's thigh, I figured any company was preferable.
"No and no," I said, feeling nervousness and that displaced wrong creep on me more and more. It really isn't surprising that it took me so long to figure it out, but it sure would be nice once in a while to be able to escape from situations with a little more grace. Stupid witch.
"So you don't like vamps?" Marcus questioned with another raise of his brow, "that doesn't seem true." I opened my mouth to protest, but instead of the denial I expected to come out of my mouth, I just slowly smiled. Everything suddenly felt thicker, like I was suddenly living in a world under water.
"Yeah, that's not exactly true," I said to my own surprise. Not that I regretted it. I still felt rather comfortable, if a bit heavy, and so what if I were a little freer with the truth? That wasn't a bad thing right? "I want her, but her vamp side scares me. She was Piscary's scion, she's more dangerous than most."
"How is it your choice?" The question should have offended me, but I was still too lethargic for it to bother me. Very slowly I was becoming aware that I was in big trouble, but was unable to do anything about it. I slowly answered, even though I felt like answering was a bad idea.
"She never claimed me. She was too sweet and in control to try and take me against my will. It wouldn't be like she wanted if she did it that way." the minute the words came out of my mouth I realized that actually, Ivy was incredible to fight her instincts the way she did for me. I had never looked at things the way I spelled them out just now, and it made me look at Ivy in a whole new light. Unconsciously I looked across the club floor, this time with the intent of finding Ivy, and was soon floored when I got what I wanted. My gaze crashed into Ivy's and the full weight of hers, slightly darkened by lust, bored into me.
Her gaze pulled a visceral reaction from me, and I found myself breathless, and unable to stop a low moan and her gaze continued to keep a hold of mine. It was almost like she was pulling an aura, but I just knew she wasn't. Something was playing with me, but I just couldn't quite think. Suddenly, instead of being caught in Ivy's eyes, I found myself looking at a pair of unfamiliar blue eyes. Blinking, I tried to open my mouth to question what was going on, but found myself unable to do it. Everything was pressing on me to just submit and lay down. A paralyzing tingle radiated out from the scar on my neck and far too late did I realize exactly who, or what my new companion was.
"Definitely unclaimed I see," Marcus murmured to me. I wanted to be angry, to rail and scream against his violation, his play on my greatest fear, but just couldn't do it. I was powerless and I hated it. I hated Marcus, I hated pheromones, I hated vampires, and I hated Ivy. Only when Ivy was involved did I go from reckless to stupid. Ivy made me stupid. Stupid Ivy.
"Stupid Ivy." The words popped out of my mouth and suddenly I realized I could talk again. That I was aware again. Sitting up from where I confusingly laid on the floor, I was shocked at how things had changed in what felt like a second. Not a chair or table was touched, but on the floor next to me was that vamp Marcus, with a very angry and snarling Ivy atop him, choking him, and definitely keeping him restrained. Looking around the room, the atmosphere had quieted, but as nothing was really destroyed, people for the most part were ignoring what was happening.
"Stupid Ivy?"My head snapped back to next to me where a very pissed, snarling, fangy vampire was shooting me a dark look under a slight curtain of hair, and I groaned. She had heard me. She had heard the worst part of what I said – of course. She didn't catch the part where I praised her control, but she heard the part where I called her stupid.
I had meant to simply apologize, but I suppose I was still wound really tight and angry at not realizing earlier stupidity, and definitely did not apologize. Instead I snapped back.
"Yeah" I shot back ignoring the pinned Marcus like he wasn't even there. "Stupid Ivy. I just wanted a good night and you wander off leaving me with that idiot," I railed flapping a hand at the choking vampire under Ivy, and was promptly cut off by her.
"My fault? How on earth was this night my fault? You ask me out, then barely give me your attention, and definitely don't let me get near you. You're shocked I decided to salvage the night from that?" Ivy's eyes darkened even more, and while fear did stir in my stomach a tiny bit, it was less than normal, which was insane as she was currently crushing a man's throat. "And I'm stupid? You're the one letting some guy pretty much suck on your neck, and all you have to say is 'stupid Ivy?' It sounds like you wanted it, so yeah stupid Ivy for believing your bullshit."
The swear startled me; Ivy never swore. My eyes flicked down to Marcus and I realized her grip had increased if anything, and even I had to wince as Marcus gurgled helplessly in face of Ivy's onslaught of anger. I winced, but I also felt a different tightening in the pit of my stomach, it was a little like fear, but was definitely different. While Ivy's anger was certainly terrifying, it was also arousing, and that only fueled my anger more. I wasn't supposed to be aroused by Ivy damn it.
"The only reason he was able to get close was you," I shot back unreasonably, "So yeah, stupid Ivy. I was so busy moping over you and super slut-" I froze as Ivy suddenly stood inches away from me, the use of her vampire speed unnerving me, and making me a tad jealous. It wasn't that I was afraid I realized in that moment, it was that her use of her vampire abilities made me feel inferior, and off balance, but that discovery took a back seat to Ivy's closeness. Her familiar scent pored into my inferior nose, and made me relax, but unlike Marcus' pheromones, Ivy's regular scent didn't weigh me down, it lifted me up.
"Moping? Over me?" Ivy's eyes were rimmed with black, but there were slivers of brown, and my gaze instantly zeroed in on them. Slowly the fear gripping my body slacked, and by the way Ivy's nose flared subtly, I knew she was aware of the change.
"I hate that slut," I said matter-of-factly, happy that my voice was near the semblance of normal. Ivy let out a small breath, and my lips quirked a bit as well. Now comfortable with Ivy's closeness, my fear had completely dissipated, only to be replaced with the earlier burning and twisting, especially when I glanced down. Comically Marcus was still in her grasp, though it had loosened, and he looked unconscious. Without thinking a shudder ran through me, I couldn't help it. Faced with the knowledge that all of that beautiful power was coiled in the body before me, and held at bay for me, was intoxicating.
Looking up, I caught Ivy's gaze fully for a second time, and watched, almost in slow motion, her eyes darken with lust, but instead of it scaring me, it only intensified the burning settling lower in my body. My fingers itched, like they had a mind of their own and wanted something I wasn't giving them, and my scar tingled. Not like it was being manipulated, but as if it wanted to be. Ivy was surrounding me with everything she was - with her scent, with her physicality, with proof of her strength and her vampire nature in her eyes, and in the way she casually tossed Marcus away from us. But instead of shying away from all of that surrounding me, I walked closer, crowding Ivy back. Her nose flared again, and I knew that I was having a similar affect on her as me, and that made me proud. Ivy might have been a big bad vampire, but I was a pretty good at being a big bad witch.
I wasn't so sure who moved first, but I suppose it would be more accurate to say we moved together, and met in the middle, in our first kiss. Her lips were so soft, but as my hands slid up to her neck and her back, I could feel the steel of her muscles laying in wait until the need arose, and it made me grip her harder, remind her I was the same way. I wasn't some little thing that needed to be treated like glass in her hands, but I was a grown woman, and I'd be damned if Ivy didn't get that straight away.
Her hands reflexively snapped tighter on my hips, and I hissed a little at the almost bruising pressure, pulling away from our chaste kiss to pull in a breath. Her eyes narrowed and I felt her presence pull away before her physical body did. It was like the warm blanket of Ivy was yanked away, and I wasn't simply going to let it go. I grabbed at her harder, pulled her with what force I could muster, and thankfully I caught her off guard and it didn't take too much effort. She almost fell into my lips, and I took advantage of our position to slip my tongue into her mouth, effectively ending her retreat.
I liked her rough hands, and I liked her gentle hands, I thought somewhat deliriously as she and I somewhat fought for control. I liked the feel of her on my hips, and my ass, and my thighs, and even my neck. I liked the way she nipped at my lower lip, and I definitely liked the way she somehow controlled me and made me loose control all at once. Slowly we pulled away. I'm sure neither of us wanted to, but personally, as much as I loved the feeling of her lips and tongue teasing me, I needed to breath again. Instead I settled with threading my hand through Ivy's short hair, thrilled that it was indeed as silky as I always imagined it would be.
"Leave?" Ivy husked at me, her voice, like her presence twining around me. I nodded, a small goofy smile spreading on my face. I wasn't so sure how I got where I was, here, holding Ivy, kissing Ivy, but I rarely knew how I got myself into anything, so it didn't bother me so much that I didn't. I just, dealt with it, with no plan B, and certainly no plan A either.