Cigars and Red Wine
Soft classical music drifted through the opulent room, not a word from it's two occupants, who looked as if they might be having a staring contest, what with the intensity they were looking at each other- not that the male's eyes were clearly visible through the dark glasses he wore despite the dim lighting. They could be mistaken as lovers- albeit ones in the middle of a fight.
They weren't. Lovers, or having a staring contest.
You might say they were colleagues, of a sort. Heads of rival companies who existed fairly peaceably beside each other, occasionally working together.
They were not friends. They didn't even particularly like each other. But they respected each other. They respected each other over the other fools that were at their level of power.
That was why they were sitting in the same room. They were consulting each other, and she did not feel like trekking out to the harbour, so she had invited him to discuss the matter over wine at her house, a plan to which he had tentatively agreed.
They had finished discussing (arguing), and conversation had lapsed.
Two glasses of deep red wine stood on the table before them, practically forgotten.
The woman finally broke the silence. "Cigar?" she offered.
The man gracefully declined.
She smirked, the light catching the scar that ran down the right side of her face.
"Oh, sorry, do you not mix alcohol and tobacco?" she asked tauntingly.
He seemed to glower. "No, I'm just not that fond of cigars, unlike you, you Ruskie."
"Oh dear, was that supposed to be an insult?" the woman asked, in a rather patronising tone. "There's no need to sulk just because I happened to be right."
"I'm not sulking," the man muttered. The woman simply raised her eyebrows in clear disbelief and leant back in her chair, bringing a cigar to her lips. As she couldn't see his eyes, she didn't see them watch her lips as they closed around the cigar when she lit it, and when she slowly blew out the smoke. Then she spoke again.
"I'm glad you see my reasoning for not informing the Maniserera Cartel."
"I still think that we will need the Cartel's assistance," he said, showing his view on the matter.
"And yet, as I explained to you, Abrego is incapable of teamwork. Besides, he's an absolute idiot, and a pain to work with," she said coolly, clearly putting the issue to rest.
The man smirked. "Why, Balalaika, it seems as if you're gloating. That's rather unseemly of a woman of your stature."
"Gloating? I was doing nothing of the sort," Balalaika- for that indeed was her name- innocently replied.
The man snorted. "You were."
"You're mistaken, Chang," Balalaika smoothly responded. "I don't gloat. I have no need to." She brought the cigar back up to her mouth.
Chang narrowed his eyes behind his glasses. Sure, he didn't particularly like Balalaika, but he had to admit she was an attractive woman, despite her scars. His imagination flourished as he undressed her with his eyes. His lips twitched as he thought of the challenge of the seduction of the great Balalaika. And how he loved a challenge.
With this in mind- and also the fact that he was quite possibly endangering a very delicate alliance between Hotel Moscow and the Triad, but that was rather minor- he chose his next words carefully.
"No, I suppose not. If there was any cause for you to gloat, it would be that fight a few years back. You got four bullets into me," he reminisced.
Balalaika exhaled and smirked. "And you only got three in me, despite being such an accomplished gunman."
"See? That is gloating," Chang pointed out.
"Hardly," Balalaika declared. "And in any case, you brought it up."
"Yes, I did. Anyway, I guess that means I owe you one." Chang smirked.
Balalaika's forehead furrowed. "Chang, I hope you're not expecting me to allow you to put a bullet in me, because I can assure you that is not going to happen."
Chang laughed. "As tempting as that may sound, I suspected that your answer would be in that vein. So, no, I don't expect to put a bullet in you.
"However... I was thinking... as putting a bullet in you completely out of the question, how about I... put... something else entirely in you?" That had sounded a hell of a lot better in his head, but hey.
Despite the bad wording, Balalaika caught what was being implied and it caused her eyebrows to disappear behind her thick blonde fringe.
"Are you propositioning me, baby?"
"Balalaika, I've told you before, don't call me baby. It sounds so lewd," Chang said with a hint of irritation.
"How is it any more lewd than what you said to me? And you didn't answer me: are you propositioning me?"
Chang grinned. "Maybe. Is your answer positive?"
A small smile flickered across Balalaika's face. "Positive for whom?"
"It can only be positive for the both of us," Chang glibly replied.
Balalaika let out a small laugh. "Sure of yourself, aren't you, Chang," she commented.
"I've found no reason not to be."
Balalaika smirked. "Just because it's enjoyable for you does not necessarily mean it was enjoyable for the lady."
"I haven't had any complaints."
"Have you ever bedded a woman you haven't paid for? Because whores don't count."
Chang let out a bark of laughter. "I'm hurt, Balalaika," he declared, looking anything but. "I don't pay for sex. I don't need to."
"Mmhmm. That would be because you're so good with your hands, right?" Balalaika reiterated, a sparkle of amusement in her eyes.
He shrugged. "So the ladies say." He leant forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Would you like to find out exactly how good I am with them?"
Balalaika took another draw of cigar. "You have a most delectable grin on your face, Chang. If you're not careful, I might just take you up on your offer."
"That's what I'm hoping."
Balalaika raised an eyebrow delicately. "Chang, don't speak big and then disappoint me now."
Chang got up and made his way over to where Balalaika sat. He leant on the armrests so he was dangerously close to her face. "Balalaika, I might be an outlaw, but I don't lie. Especially about things like this," he whispered.
Holding eye contact, she slowly blew out smoke into his face, and flicked the cigar, causing the ash to fall on his hand.
He snatched his hand back, stepping back. "Balalaika, that hurt. It was hurt," he scowled.
"I know," Balalaika replied smoothly.
Chang stopped rubbing his hand and smirked. "Oh, so you're into rough stuff."
"Whatever gave you that idea?" Balalaika enquired nonchalantly.
"Very well, then," Chang muttered. Acting quickly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to her feet, wresting the cigar from her grasp. He ground it out in the nearby ashtray and stood up straight again, Balalaika's body pressed against him, him still gripping her wrist.
"I was smoking that that," she said quietly.
"There are some things you can't do simultaneously," he replied.
"So you just assumed my answer was yes," Balalaika responded coolly.
Chang quirked an eyebrow. "Wasn't it?"
She glowered at him, her lips twisting into a frown. "I don't like smart alecs, Chang."
"Tell you what, Balalaika. Why don't we stop with the words." She felt it rather than heard it, he said it so low.
"What if I don't want to?"
Chang sighed frustratedly. "Are you going to challenge me every step of the way?"
"Were you expecting anything different?" Balalaika retorted.
He twisted her around, pinning her arm around her waist.
"What're you doing?" she demanded.
"Whaddaya think I'm doing?" he replied as his free hand slid up her top, unbuttoning it as he went. Balalaika couldn't do much about it, seeing as he was holding her one wrist and her other arm was trapped between his arm and her body.
Once he had undone the last button, Chang released her hand and slid her top off her shoulders. Before she could do anything however, he grabbed both her wrists and pulled her back into him, holding her wrists behind her at his hips.
"How does it feel to be completely void of control, Balalaika," he murmured in her ear. She turned her head to face him, glaring daggers.
He kissed her. Roughly- it was more like attacking her lips really, but she reciprocated anyhow.
He decided she tasted quite nice- of cigars and red wine.
Then she wrenched away from him, freeing her wrists. She whirled around to face him and slapped him across the face.
"How dare you presume to dominate me," she hissed, her eyes flaring dangerously.
He glared at her, rubbing his cheek. "That was completely unnecessary," he spat.
She pursed her lips slightly. "I thought you were into rough stuff."
"Don't twist my words around, woman," he growled.
Balalaika calmly turned and walked towards the window. She slid herself onto the wide will and sat back, looking at Chang seething in the middle of the room.
"Well?" she asked, then laughed. "I knew you were all bark and no bite."
He made a strangled sound in his throat and stormed over to where she sat. He placed his hands on the sill on either side of her, himself situated between her legs, even though she sat back. He assaulted her lips again, feeling his anger melt into lust. She seemed to have quite a strong effect on him.
She pushed his coat off his shoulders and he raised his hands to allow it to fall to the floor. Hooking a hand underneath her left knee and the other settling around her bare waist, he drew her towards him. He felt the satiny texture of her stockings underneath his hand as he slid his hand up her leg. To his delight he found she wore garters and her stockings stopped midthigh. His fingers played with where the lace garter met creamy skin before sliding his hand back down her leg. He removed her shoe and chucked it behind him. They heard a crash.
Balalaika peered over his shoulder to see what the source was as he began to kiss her neck.
"You broke a wineglass," she informed him.
"Whoops," he said disinterestedly.
"You don't care, do you?" she asked as she undid his tie.
"I'm slightly preoccupied right now," he muttered, nibbling on her ear.
"Mmm, I've noticed," she purred, closing her eyes and resting her hands over his shoulder as he kissed her jaw. He kissed his way to her lips, and she began to diffibulate his waistcoat and shirt. She opened then to reveal a rather built chest. She felt a grin pull at her lips. Hey, if she was gonna have a roll in the hay with someone, at least he was hot.
Chang noticed her surveying him and smirked. "Like what you see?" he commented. She peeled her eyes to meet his gaze and shrugged carelessly.
"I've seen better," she replied airily. No way was he ever gonna know she was impressed. Her other shoe slipped off her foot and landed on the floor with a thud. As if the sound were a cue, they were at each other's mouths again, her divesting him of his shirt and waistcoat, tossing them behind him in hurry. He eased her towards him, his hand unzipping her skirt. She clung to his neck as he lifted her up slightly to slip off her skirt. It came off easily and she was replaced on the sill. He broke the kiss. His breath was hot on her ear as his fingers played with the back lace of her underwear.
"Expecting someone?" he murmured.
She chuckled. "Don't flatter yourself, Chang."
"Who said I was talking about myself," Chang asked.
Balalaika's eyes narrowed and her finger's tightened slightly on his shoulders. "Are you trying to say I'm a slut?" she hissed dangerously.
Chang smirked. "Now why would I say something like that?" he asked innocently, tugging slightly at her panties.
She tossed her head impatiently. "Just so we're absolutely clear on the matter, I was not expecting anyone," she informed him crisply.
He quirked an eyebrow. "Oh, so you wear these on a daily basis? Well, that's interesting."
She dug her nails in slightly harder. "This does not leave this room," she breathed, the threat clear in her voice.
"Why would I want it to?"
Balalaika had been running her hands down his back, and she immediately raked them back up, digging in her lethal nails. He hissed and captured her in a rough kiss, biting her lip viciously. The shock of it caused her to push him back. He stood within arms reach, staring at her through his glasses. Bright red blood trickled over her lip, a sharp contrast to her usual pale pink lipstick. They were both breathing heavily, pumped with adrenaline. She reached forward and hooked his belt, slowly drawing him towards her. He was unresisting. He leant down and licked the blood off her lips. And then the tense calm broke as they clashed together, hands flurrying everywhere as he hoisted her up to remove her panties and as she undid his belt and pants and pushed them down. She threw her head back and gritted her teeth to prevent from making a sound as he plunged into her.
The ride was short and turbulent, their climaxes swallowed by the other's lips.
He stood up, and she sat, afterwards. She had her eyes closed and was breathing deeply. The room was silent for a little while.
He looked up at her, sitting on the windowsill in her garter held stockings and black lace bra. He grinned.
"So do you still think I'm exaggerating?" he asked.
She cracked open her eyes and viewed him. "Get dressed, Chang," she said, ignoring his query.
His grin didn't waver as he pushed himself back and pulled up his pants, securing them. He turned to go fetch his shirt, picking up his tie en route. Balalaika hid a smirk as she saw the long scratches on his back, some of them thin red lines. He turned as he secured his tie and buttoned his shirt.
"We're done discussing. You may go," Balalaika told him as he was pulling on his coat.
He laughed, and hung his scarf around his neck. "I can show myself out," he said, making his way to the door, stopping to finish his wine- the unbroken glass.
"That would be appreciated."
Chang stopped just short of the door. "Balalaika, I told you I leave my women satisfied."
Balalaika smirked. "Who said I'm satisfied?"
Chang simply mirrored her smirk and stepped out of the door. As he left the house (escorted by one of Balalaika's officers) he slipped his hand into his pocket. He grinned as fingered the scrap of black lace that was there. He wondered what Balalaika would do to him when she found out. Maybe he should step up his security for a bit...
o0o0o0o
After she saw Chang leave the room, Balalaika allowed herself a small chuckle as she slipped off the window sill, steadying herself as her legs still felt slightly wobbly from her orgasm. Although she would never admit it to him, his confidence was not undeserved. She should probably get dressed. Her smile grew into a frown as she surveyed the room. Now, where were her panties...
-END-
A/N: ...yeah. Don't ask me to explain the logic between the pairing of Balalaika and Chang. It just... I don't know, the pairing's just fascinated me since... I don't know. For a while in any case. Now, my opinion is that maybe they don't particularly like each other, but... I think there's chemistry there, goddamnit! It may be microscopic, but it's still there! Humph.
...Moving on. Yeah, so I dunno about you, but in my opinion they're slightly bi-polar in this story. There is an explanation. You see, I had this fixed idea in my mind of how I wanted the story to play out. You know, roughly. As in I knew roughly how I wanted it to be and I wanted it to be rough(ly). So I'm writing it, and they kept on being nice and I'm like 'no! stop being nice!'. So they ended up seeming kinda bi-polar. But it works. Kinda. Sorta. Maybe. I hope so.
ANYWAY. MMay you please please please review and tell me what you thought of my story of what my friend has termed the first crack pairing in Black Lagoon. Please.