Author's note: No matter how twisted the pairing, I end up going the romantic route. So I will let those far more skilled than I take care of the hate!sex and keep on working with a mix of passion and fluff, as my friends tell me that is my forte. I'm also keeping the name Catherine for the Red Queen until canon proves a certain theory, and even then I may just not bother changing it. We'll see. There will be more of this pair in my future, so stay tuned.
xxxxxxx
Compromise
The Red Queen knew that something was off the second she stepped into her chambers.
Her private rooms in the castle were off-limits to all save for her personal servants, and she could instantly tell if even the slightest thing was misplaced.
Therefore: finding a box placed upon the bedcovers was just a tad alarming.
Catherine approached her bed cautiously, her gray eyes narrowing to assess the package carefully before finally reaching out to pick it up gingerly.
Who could have possibly? She stared at the box for a long moment, pondering her options. Her valets knew better than to touch anything without permission or introduce a foreign element, so she could rule them out.
"Are you just going to stand there or are you going to open it?" a male voice interrupted her thoughts and Catherine whirled around to find Jafar standing near her balcony window, an amused smile tugging at his lips.
She blinked rapidly at the sight of the handsome sorcerer. "How did you get in here?!"
He gestured behind him. "You should consider getting a lock for this. You never know what kind of dark, twisted character could show up."
"Oh you mean, like you?" she arched an imperious eyebrow.
Jafar chuckled from low in his throat and moved closer, appearing to almost glide across the room thanks to his robes. "Precisely," he stopped only inches away from her and, with grand flourish, pointed at the box within her hands. "Now please, open it."
"Well how am I to know if it won't explode when I do?"
He leaned in so that his breath was warm against her neck as he whispered. "I guarantee that it will not."
She suppressed a shiver that was not entirely unpleasant and emitted a resigned sigh. "Oh, all right, if it'll get you to stop nag—" her hand flew to her mouth to mask a gasp of awe when she untied the ribbon and lifted the top to reveal a stunning necklace comprised of red and black jewels.
Jafar's fingers came to rest on her shoulder. "Do you like it?"
"It's beautiful," she managed, peering to her left to look him in the eyes. "So what's the catch?"
A dismayed expression crossed his attractive face. "Why do you always assume there's a catch?"
"There usually is where deals are involved," she confessed.
"This isn't about a deal, this…" he paused and took a deep breath before explaining: "this is an apology."
Catherine's eyes went wide. "An apology? You never apologize!"
"Well perhaps that should change!" he ran his fingers through his dark curls carelessly before gently plucking the necklace out from its case and signaling her to turn around so he could fasten it around her throat. "I behaved rashly earlier today, and for that: I'm sorry."
She couldn't resist leaning back against his lean form, biting her lower lip to stave off a moan when his fingers massaged her nape gently.
"Well, there's no arguing from this end," she twisted and looked at him. "But that doesn't mean that I trust you."
He smiled softly and caressed her cheek before whispering: "Then I'll just have to earn your trust, won't I?"
"Mmm…good luck with that," she teased, grinning.
He grinned in return, and then bridged the space between them in order to claim her mouth with his.
He tasted of spices and sweet, forbidden magic: drawing her in and intoxicating her senses within seconds.
Catherine moaned and curled closer, draping her arms around his neck as the embrace deepened in passion, punctuating her affections with playful nips and teases at his lips.
Jafar smirked against her mouth and circled his arms more tightly around her waist, responding to her attentions with equal fervor until they had to pull away in order to breathe.
His Queen stared up at him, her full lips parted as she struggled to find air, and when she at last found her voice, it was to simply state: "You're off to a very good start."
The wizard laughed softly and traced along the shape of her jaw. "Then you won't mind if I do that again?"
"Not in the slightest," and then she hooked her fingers around his collar and yanked him forward, capturing his mouth in another ardent kiss that signaled that the discussion was over for the time being.
It didn't take long for hands to wander and start tugging insistently at each other's clothing, though Catherine quickly found that her quest to get to his bare skin would be more of a struggle than she anticipated.
She growled in frustration when her gown pooled to the floor but he was nowhere near being uncovered. "For a man from a desert land you wear an awful lot of layers. And how the hell did you get that corset unlaced so quickly?"
His dark eyes glinted with mischief. "There are plenty of uses for magic, my dear." To demonstrate: he waved his hand once and suddenly her long hair was spilling across her shoulders, down from the bun that she usually styled it in.
"Nice trick," she murmured.
He smirked and raked his eyes appreciatively over her mostly naked form. "I have others."
She gasped when he snapped his fingers and suddenly, the rest of their clothes disappeared.
Well…that at least takes care of the work for me, she thought wryly, though her attention was very easily distracted now that she could appreciate all of his perfectly toned form.
Her hands came to rest upon his chest, feeling the warmth of his bronzed skin against her palms as she looked in his eyes and her heart skipped a beat at witnessing the desire there.
Then he swept her into his arms for yet another passion-filled kiss, and whatever resolve she had left disappeared.
The next thing Catherine knew, they were reclining back on her bed, Jafar's lean body settling against hers as limbs entwined.
The sorcerer quickly proved a skilled lover: taking his time to worship ever y inch of her skin with kisses and touches, lingering over the more sensitive areas that he discovered.
She did some eager exploring of her own in retaliation, and before long a battle for dominance ensued.
A sharp, snake-like hiss escaped Jafar as he found himself pinned against the sheets, Catherine straddling his hips and weaving her fingers with his so that she could trap his arms over his head.
Her storm-colored eyes glittered triumphantly at having him exactly where she wanted him. "You said that you wanted to earn my trust…well that goes both ways. Do you trust me, Jafar?"
He inhaled shakily when she dipped her head and began peppering kisses along his chest. "I trust you not to start something you don't intend to finish," he managed.
She chuckled dryly, and then spent the next few minutes enjoying having him completely at her mercy.
It was a while before he could breathe properly again, let alone gather the strength to move, and Catherine admired the alluring image he made with his shoulder length hair tousled hopelessly and his chest gleaming with moisture.
She stretched, cat-like, against him, and leaned in to touch her lips to his elegant throat.
He sighed in contentment when she laved at his clavicle and then trailed her mouth along the line of his jaw, his nimble fingers stroking languidly along her spine as they simply basked in one another.
Her lips found his, and he gladly returned the kiss she bestowed, his arms draping over her waist and drawing her as close as possible.
She didn't protest when he twisted so that she was once again under him, far too consumed with lust to do little other than arch her hips towards his in invitation.
He joined them together in one fluid motion, his mouth straying from hers in order to dart kisses along her pale neck and shoulders.
She dug her fingers into his dark hair and guided his lips back to hers, and then, finally they began to move in time.
She locked her legs around his waist, ensuring that every possible inch of them was touching as they built a perfect symmetry, and before long: they soared.
xxxxxxx
"Have I earned your trust now?" Jafar murmured, hours later, as the pair recovered from what had turned into many rounds of lovemaking.
Catherine sighed and curled closer into his arms, toying idly with the necklace he had given her, which still remained around her neck. "You're certainly gaining reliability, although this could prove a problem if we're not careful," she gestured at the two of them: still entangled and making absolutely no move to stop touching one another even though their passion had finally subsided.
The sorcerer chuckled. "You're the strategist, my dear. Surely you can find a solution."
"Currently, my solution is that I never let you leave this bed," she groaned, resting her head on his chest and listening to the steady beat of his heart.
"As pleasant as the thought is, it's not very practical," he admitted, brushing his lips to her forehead. "Perhaps a compromise?"
"What do you suggest?" she situated herself so she was laying half-way on top of him, her chin tilted so that she could look into his eyes.
His fingers inched slowly up her spine. "Since we're working together anyway, perhaps I should just stay here in the palace."
"What, you mean like move in?" she quirked an eyebrow.
"Is it such a terrible idea?" he searched her eyes, trying to gauge her feelings.
After a long moment of silence: a rare, genuine smile graced her lovely features. "Not at all. I think it's perfect."
Jafar's response was to claim her mouth in another kiss, which showed his delight at her response and proved that no other words were necessary.
The End