Slices of Life

Acheron flicked his fingers easily over the strings of his guitar, he was a little bored. Simi and Xiamara were visiting his mother in Kalosis, Alexion and Danger were in their private quarters and Urian was … somewhere. Worst of all his first choice for company was at Geary's, she'd invited him to join but he wasn't in the mood to leave Katateros.

"Here without you baby …" Ash mumbled his way through the chorus to a 3 doors down song he liked. "Shit -" He hit a bum note, "but you're still on my lonely mind …"

Ash sent a glance towards a photo that Tory had placed on the table by his throne; he stalled his hand for a moment so he could simply look at it. It was his favourite one, the one of Tory when she was fourteen on a boat with Geary, their arms wrapped around each other in wide brimmed hats and sun block. Ash swept his eyes over the throne room taking in the adjustments Tory had made to it, dotted here and there were side tables made of dark wood, plants and photographs. She'd done her best to convert Katateros's rather barren rooms and hallways into a large scale replica of her old home in New Orleans. She'd even got Danger and Simi to help in putting feminine touches everywhere. Ash looked back at the photo; it was simply a picture of love and joy, Ash's lips twisted sardonically, as he thought of his aunts. Chara (joy) and Agapa (love), this had once been their home, the home of the most powerful pantheon ever to exist, this throne room was where his mother and father would have held court with his aunts and uncles and the rest of his family. The family that had wanted him dead and ignited the events that led to their own demise, quite a few times over the years Ash had wished his mother had not saved him from them. His life up until Tory had been one of cruelty, depravity, bitter loneliness and unimaginable heartache.

"Ash?" Ash smiled when he heard Tory's voice calling to him and was caught off guard when she snapped a camera in his face. Ash blinked then frowned but Tory didn't see she was squeaking with delight as she checked out the photo on the small digital screen.

"Aww, baby, you look so sweet," Tory laughed and came forward to let him see the picture, Ash was shocked to see his likeness on the screen, he'd never allowed any pictures to be taken of him before. As a dark-hunter it was against the code, strictly forbidden and now, well … Ash mentally shrugged, photos had always only been for other people, for happy families. Ash felt a smile quirk his lips, but now he had family, he had Tory. Ash studied the photo, he didn't have his glasses on and even stagnant those horrid eyes of his swirled, he had a crooked, soft, half smile on his face, one that he reserved for Tory. It was the one he greeted her with before he opened his arms to welcome her in, he as bent slightly over the guitar and to Ash's mind he looked a little uncomfortable.

"Delete it," he said curling his lip, he didn't like to look at himself very much.

"Not on your life!" Tory said indignantly, Ash set the guitar aside and Tory took her place on his lap, Ash tucked his arm around her waist and watched over her shoulder as she flicked through the catalogue of pictures she'd taken.

"Where have you been today?" Ash almost laughed when she saw a picture of Kyrian and Tabitha, Kyrian was sending Tabitha a filthy look as she walked away from him eating what looked like the last piece of chocolate cake.

"I saw Amanda at the supermarket, she invited me back."

"I thought you were going to visit Geary?"

"I decided to go see Pam and Kim instead," Tory shrugged simply, she hitched herself higher on his knee before leaning back and holding the camera out in front of them. Just before she clicked the button Tory leant up and pressed her lips to his muscled jaw line, Ash smiled without thinking and the flash went, she turned it around eagerly and Ash held it still so he could see the picture of the two of them. For some reason it made his throat feel tight to see them together like that, they were like any other couple, young and in love. Tory laughed, "I'll call it me and Achimou!"

"No!"

"Why?"

"Forget it, Tory," Ash chuckled and took the camera from her hands, Tory leant her arm on his shoulder and swept his hair back in long, tender strokes, it sent chills over Ash's body. He began to click the button and scan the photos, Tory got up from his lap, Ash was too absorbed in the snapshots of their friends lives to notice where she'd gone.

First picture was of Pam and Kim in all their Goth glory, Pam had Kim in a headlock and was poking her tongue out at the camera, the next one was pretty much the same, Kim and Pam fooling around. Ash let out a huff of soft laughter it was Amanda and Tabitha standing side profile to the camera, their foreheads touching and looking straight into each others eyes, smiling identical smiles. From the side it was taken Ash couldn't see Tabitha's scar so it was hard to know who was who in the photo. Ash moved on, Marissa and Amanda, Kyrian and Amanda, Kyrian and Tabitha, a very pregnant Tabitha and Selena, Bill, Kyrian and Valerius, though to be fair Valerius was being held in place by Kyrian. The man did not seem to like being snapshot. Ash stopped on one of Tory, it looked as if someone had grabbed the camera from her and turned it around, she was casting it an embarrassed, adorable smile with her hands on her cheeks. Her eyes were laughing and her hair wavy and glowing. The image of her looking so lovely and happy was seared into his soul. Tory came back through the door walking swiftly, two boxes in her arms, "Ash, you around?"

Tory walked to his throne and put down the box with the cameras printer and the other which was actually a photo album. "Ackee, where are you?"

Ash materialised behind her suddenly and Tory shrieked, Ash snapped a shot of her and laughed, "This one is definitely going in a frame!"

"You're so odd sometimes," Tory said breathlessly then laughed, giving her heart a little pat, before she could move away from him however Ash caught her by the waist and pulled her closer to him. With his hand on the small of her back Ash pressed her closer, so her breasts were pushed up against his chest in delicious, creamy mounds that overflowed the V of her sweater. Ash angled the camera down and took a shot; Tory gasped with surprise and wrenched herself out of his arms laughing.

"You're such a perv sometimes, Achimou!"

"What?" he said innocently, "I get lonely when you're out visiting."

Tory gasped out a laugh again and turned to walk away from him; Ash zoomed in on her ass and clicked. Tory stopped abruptly at the noise and stood stock still, "fine, you wanna play?"

Tory swung around with another camera she'd manifested from thin air in her hands and at the same time made his shirt disappear, then snapped, "Hey!"

"You started it, boy!"

They danced around each other the cameras clicking and flashing non-stop, their laughter rang through the hallways, rousing even Alexion from his sleep.

"Okay, darling, love the camera!" Ash teased Tory and she laughed striking an exaggerated pose, "and again! Oh, the camera wants you!"

Tory laughed loudly at Ash's play, it was wonderful to see him so happy and care-free, she was glad she'd thought of the camera today. Ash held the camera up to his eye to take another shot when he missed his footing and went sprawling, with none of the grace expected of a powerful God, straight on his ass. Tory howled with laughter and flashed her own camera, "this is so going on the Dark-Hunter site."

"Don't you even think about it, Sorta!" Ash growled giving her a look that would have scared the hell out of any of his Dark-Hunters.

Tory simply laughed and shrugged before walking over to him and straddling his hips, "This was so fun. Actually when I think about it, you're a photographers dream; I mean people would pay big bucks to have you in their magazines."

"And their beds," Ash said in his self-deprecating way, to others he might have sounded arrogant but Tory knew he hated the way others craved him. Tory kissed him before looking at him seriously, "but they won't because you're in our bed with me."

Ash grinned, "I doubt you'll have enough ink in your printer for all these pics. You're insane with a camera."

Tory smiled proudly, "yeah, can you imagine when we have kids?"

Ash laid himself back against the floor, thinking of littler girls and boys with big brown eyes, "I can't wait," he said wistfully. Tory smiled, laying herself over him, cuddling like a happy kitten, "me too."