CHAPTER 10

One little peck

"Evey, would you… kiss me? There, it was out and just that made him feel relieved, regardless of her answer.

"Kiss you?" She'd heard him perfectly well the first time.

"Yes. Kiss me." It was a bit easier to think now that she'd stopped caressing his hand, although he was still as excited.

"Kiss you as in –kiss you-? Apparently she knew thousands of variations to kissing.

"Yes."

"I'd love to."

He almost knew she'd say no but still had to ask. It wasn't dishonorable to turn down a request of such nature so early on and he had no right to be offended, after all they were still getting used to having the other around. He would have to try some other time, maybe in a month or two after he'd figured out how to tempt her. He asked because he had to ask; uncertainty drove him mad. On top of that he still had to perfect the logistics it would involve if she said yes. She said she'd…love to? V looked at her just in time to see her lacing her fingers between his and standing up, obviously expecting him to follow her. His mind was still confused but apparently hers was sharper than usual and since she was fully in charge, all he could do was obey. He stood up and waited for her instructions.

"But not here" She added while looking around as if they were standing at a busy street corner. "You'll have your privacy" And headed for her room, dragging him behind her. He didn't know what she intended to do but she seemed determined to make the transition as smooth as possible for both. She pulled him into her bedroom and released his hand to conduct a quick search, making sure every light was off as she briefed him on what would happen next.

"Rules of the house for the evening, sir; no light except what comes in from the hall, no touching above the neck except the strictly necessary for kissing, that kinky wig stays, and its partner goes." She meant the mask, obviously.

"As for the rest, I'm sure we'll manage" She added with more than a hint of promise and mischief. "Are we in agreement, then? V had to admit Evey was well ahead of him adapting to his special needs, respecting his wishes and at the same time not making it sound as if it were a burden. She must have planned the whole thing in advance. Did she also say the wig was kinky…?

"Yes." He was so nervous but everything was perfect. It would be a shame to ruin it.

"Excellent. The door will stay ajar to let just a bit of light in. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to end up kissing someone else instead, would you?" She was enjoying the moment and V couldn't help but let go some of his tension. Once the room was practically dark, she took his hand and gently pulled him behind the door where light was less likely to become an annoyance.

Evey rested her hands on his waist and asked him for the last time if he was sure he wanted to go ahead. He could say no, her tone said. Even then he could say no and walk out of there with his dignity intact –and his wish unfulfilled- to maybe try again some other time or he could stay, be very uncomfortable for a short while and leave that room with something to be proud of, plus a kiss from Evey.

"I am sure about this." The calmness in his voice surprised him, considering how nervous and aroused he was but all of a sudden it did not seem a task so difficult to achieve. Evey nodded and turned around to give him even more privacy, even in the dark.

"Whenever you are ready." It was so final, so simply put. She didn't even need to be blunt about what she was talking about. V waited for a moment, as if he were saying farewell to part of his life and with practiced ease undid the fastenings that kept his porcelain face in place. He held it in his hand for a few seconds and abandoned it atop the pile of books to his right.

"I'm ready." He declared, and his voice sounded even warmer than before. Evey turned around and in one fluid motion used her weight to push him against the wall. V panicked for a second, not having expected her to do that. If she was pressed against him like that she would notice what state he was in, there was no way she wouldn't feel it. Oh, she'd just felt it and… approved. At least that's what her rubbing against him translated as. She very much approved. She draped her slim arms loosely around his waist well within the safe zone as promised and paused to focus on that kiss exclusively. There would be time for further torture later.

Evey could feel on her cheek his warm, ragged breath and tried nuzzling his chin, just to feel her way around. The neckpiece concealed most of it and it was difficult to find much detail but she could tell it was delicate yet firm, very much like the mask. The skin felt slightly different but it was warm and it was his, and that was enough to make it right, especially in the dark, that marvelous concealing dark.

She tried a bit higher and found a little nose, yes, she was just where she wanted and everything seemed to be in place. Sometimes she wasn't even sure they belonged to the same species. She wanted to reach up and touch him, to break her own rule and just get an obstacle out of the way already but he trusted her so she couldn't, not without his permission. Instead she pressed the tip of her nose to his, to give him a chance to get used to having her so close without the mask, which must have been just as strange to him.

His breath was warm, and Evey enjoyed spending a few moments just breathing the same air. She could have stayed like that for far longer but V was waiting with his arms around her, trembling with anticipation. Evey tilted her head and pressed her moist lips to his, making sure she wasn't going to fast. He couldn't move, he just stood there frozen, letting her explore his lips slow and carefully. He didn't even know his body was already enjoying the experience.

Evey took pity on him and ran her hands up and down his back to relax his muscles and help him out of his stupor. She broke the kiss briefly to let V find some order within his mind. Soon he looked down at her wondering if his wish had just been fulfilled without him being there to appreciate it and Evey charged again, repeating the slow exploration and then adding a little more. This time V knew what to expect and even made shy attempts to respond. His lips were warm and Evey regretted he had not asked for a kiss before. She ventured to deliver a playful lick and it startled him enough to make him laugh nervously.

"What was that?" Apparently he had recovered the ability to speak just to prove beyond any shadow of a doubt that even when he had at his disposal immense amounts of knowledge, he'd never kissed anyone before. At least he didn't seem to remember. Evey wasn't cruel enough to rub it in his now naked face and was twice as determined to make it as pleasant as possible for both.

"Come here and I'll show you again" She challenged him affectionately and he pleased her, far more relaxed and willing to enjoy stage three of the kiss, step by step and from the top. She licked him again and although he still couldn't respond properly, he didn't recoil either. Her tongue delivered gentle touches that tickled and sent little shivers down to his belly. Evey broke the kiss again to make sure he was comfortable and V groaned his displeasure for her stopping.

"Do you like it?" She asked just because she could and a wigged head nodded emphatically. "Would you like some more?" She was barely finished saying that when V's mouth was already on hers. Very nice, she thought. V had just figured out he could reciprocate and he didn't seem willing to break contact again so his arms pulled her tighter against his chest. The girl had to admit kissing V was extremely pleasurable and considered it proper to deliver the next lesson of the night.

Evey waited for the right moment when he was licking her and opened her mouth to lick him back. He moaned deeply and his knees gave briefly under him when he felt her tongue playing with his and slipping into his mouth to explore him slowly. Then he was lost again, conscious but too focused on her to think on anything else except the pleasure.

He let her do as she pleased, he would have let her slit his throat with his own knives if she'd wanted to …and then it was over. Evey let him go with one last peck and settled for caressing the small of his back, just waiting for his reaction, getting away with tracing that indecent curve of his with the tip of her fingers.

"That's it?" The complaint was out before he could stop it and the slip made him blush and feel like a complete fool. It wasn't fair that after all that trouble his kiss had ended so quickly. It was –his- kiss and it should have lasted much longer; at least until he thought it had been enough.

"You asked for a kiss, I gave you a kiss. More than once, actually" It was true; he had no way to argue. "So, did you like it?" The little vampire enjoyed teasing him even then; that much was obvious. He was dizzy, unable to think. He didn't know if he'd answered her question. Sometimes he could not tell if she was curious or simply having fun tormenting him. It saddened him deeply to think that his kiss, his only kiss, could have been after all nothing more than a little girl's game.

"Yes, thank you." There was no reason to be rude, especially if he wasn't sure about her but he was again behind the mask without even having to put it back on. "I should go." God, he hadn't meant to sound so hurt but it was too late, she'd heard him. One more point for her, something to be really proud of. He didn't want to play anymore, she was the undisputable winner. To the victor the spoils.

He recovered his abandoned mask and gently pushed her away to put it back on and leave the room. He'd decide what to do later. "The hell you will" She declared with a voice that couldn't possibly fit inside such a tiny body. "No, sir, I've done a great job and you are not leaving this room until we are even. Did you like the way I kissed you?" This wasn't a little vampire, this was a demon, you couldn't show fear to demons.

"Of course I liked the way you kissed me."

"Good, then you owe me and I want to be paid in kind. Kiss me. Now."

He heard what she'd said but couldn't understand the meaning of her words. "Unless you don't want to kiss me, that is." She added with a touch of spice, knowing perfectly well that he was dying for another kiss.

"Whenever you are ready." She said for the second time on one night, and relaxed against him, offering her parted lips, just waiting for him to take the lead. Can't show fear to demons, V heard inside his head and disengaged to focus entirely on showing her how well he'd learned his first lessons. He didn't notice when his hand put the mask once more where it had been before, atop the pile of books but he knew she tasted like his favorite tea, the one with jasmine flowers…

It was liberating to know what he was doing and to be in control. He knew she was still in charge, he knew she could snatch all power from him if she wanted but she let him taste her, explore her, show her what he wanted as soon as he'd discovered it himself. Then he found his kiss, the one he'd asked for and feared she had taken away from him. He was lost but still where he was supposed to be and time passed at a slower pace, his pace.

She even granted him one last wish; she let him choose when and how to end it. V delayed the moment for as long as he felt was right and then lingered on the border, taking his time to feel every stage of –his- kiss. He didn't regret it when it ended; in more than one way it felt more like a pause, a prelude for other things. He didn't want to think on that, there would be time for it later.

Evey waited for his reaction, no being able to see much in the dark of her room. He seemed content, though, relaxed and still very interested according to what his body was telling so clearly, something to focus on later. After all they were just getting started. She'd make sure of that.

She rubbed against him to remind him she was still there, which seemed to work to some degree.

"Hi…"

One just had to smile; the great actor, the avenger, the master of big words had managed to say hi. Perhaps it was a bit premature to ask for a complete review, something she wasn't about to annoy him with.

"Hi" She replied as she caressed his back.

"I'm exhausted…"

"Too exhausted for more?" She teased him one last time, already guessing what his answer would be.

"No." V didn't waste time and ventured to take his turn at exploring her like he'd just been taught. The little vampire still had cards up her sleeves and soon after he seemed to be growing too comfortable, added a new trick and instead of simply letting him kiss her, captured his tongue with her lips to suck on it gently. V didn't know how to respond to that but she seemed perfectly capable of handling it and he considered it proper to follow her lead and let her do as she pleased, barely aware of the fire burning inside him, the fire he only felt when… Oh, he was close, so close but he'd asked for just a kiss and nothing more. He couldn't possibly expect her to… satisfy him. She'd be furious if he took advantage of the kissing to let things get that far, she'd never forgive him such deceit and then he'd lose everything he'd suffered for. No, he just couldn't do that. They had to stop and now. He should tell her, he had to tell her. If only she stopped rubbing against him, if only she stopped stroking him…

Panic, sheer panic. That little devil with pigtails distracted him with the kissing and as promised kept her hands below the neck but below his waist also. V broke the kiss to stare at her silhouette in the dark, unable to comprehend how she'd managed to undo the fastenings on the breeches but quite frankly he was too damned glad about it to complain. Evey had asked if he wanted more anyway and he had said, no, he had shown her that he did want more. Panic was just a mental state and at that point he didn't have much of a mind left. Her little hand squeezed him and he hissed, quickly forgetting about modesty and excuses.

Evey stopped and looked up to make sure he wasn't mad at her for going too far. "Should I stop?"

"Don't…"

"Don't what, V? Don't touch you –or- don't stop touching you?" She asked playfully in his ear, squeezing a bit harder than before to stress her point. A deep moan resounded deep in his chest and he had to look away a little embarrassed for slipping like that and for being unable to hide how painfully aroused he was.

Evey was an open channel, her undivided attention was centered on V and on taking careful note of every tremor and every moan she could tear from him. She pressed harder against him, pushing his legs apart with her knee and gaining better access. And he was so tired of fighting, so very exhausted. He could not surrender before when it was his very soul Fate was gambling with but what about now? What could he possibly have to lose, his focus on revenge? He could have it all, couldn't he? He found it impossible to think clearly with those little hands working him with such skill, keeping him suspended between heaven and hell.

Oh, and what she couldn't reach under his clothes, she certainly could stimulate with her words. Yes, she'd learned one or two things from her masked teacher. He should be proud of her, shouldn't he? V found it deliciously sadistic that she would whisper in his ear a detailed chronicle of what it was like to fondle him and how much she enjoyed it, point she found necessary to prove by reaching down inside her panties to then lick her very wet fingers right before kissing him again to give him a fresh sample of her juices, making him look desperately for places on the wall behind him he could cling to but still faithful to her promise of not touching him above the neck except for kissing. Her hands didn't let go but stopped stroking him a second time to gain his attention.

"So, should I stop touching you now?"

Little by little he realized he had already made his choice and he wanted to scream and he wanted to tell her that if she stopped now, if she deserted him and didn't catch him at the end of the fall, he'd break on the inside, this time to never heal.

"You'll kill me if you do…"

He almost sobbed with relief when she went back to stroking him, even if she did it at a slower pace, as if thinking. Evey stared at him with a curious expression no one could see in her darkened room, part concern and part enlightenment, as if she'd just figured out how to operate a loaded assault rifle. Perhaps V had managed somehow to make her understand what he was going though. Perhaps he'd even managed to say the words.

Evey nodded her understanding and used much of her weight to hold him against the wall. "Yes!" Was all she had to say and took him by the wrists to drag him as quickly as possible next to her bed and then give him a very undignified push that made him land unceremoniously on his back and across the mattress, something neither cared about.

That was just what V needed to finally abandon himself and let a warm mouth surround him and take away his pain. Evey hurried, skipping all flourish. There was no need to keep V on the edge for much longer and there would be time later for delicacies. The desperate body beneath her grew more and more tense, V no longer caring if he moaned and begged. It was strangely liberating to realize that Evey gave exactly what he asked for and if he asked for more, he didn't have to wait for long to have it. Fire, he was on fire again but where once was pain, now he found only pleasure engulfing him and making his ears buzz. V was resigned to die of it and with the very first spasms he thought he was crossing over and that it was taking him an eternity to do so, which at the same time no longer mattered.

Then he was once more aware of the busy little vampire between his legs. He looked down and it occurred to him that it didn't seem possible that such a small mouth could swallow him whole like that. He groaned his admiration when he figured out exactly what Evey was doing and since he wasn't dying after all, the only other reasonable things to do were laugh as hard as he could remembering his morsel musings and shudder in Evey's mouth until he was empty and incapable of moving.

A playful bite to his neck reminded him there were vampires in the world and the greediest of all was currently straddling him and rubbing against his chest. Obviously he wasn't very good at fighting vampires.

"Hello there" Said a pretty voice somewhere near. He tried saying something but nothing coherent came out. The voice giggled and granted him a moment to collect his very few remaining thoughts before talking again. "V…" She whispered in his ear and made him shiver. He was definitely in the hands of a demon. "V, I love your taste…" Oh God, more sweet torment and he couldn't even move. He tried but the darkness inside the room was crawling inside his mind.

"Sleep…" He finally managed to whisper and the weight over him shifted, still giggling. He was vaguely aware of putting back on the mask someone pressed to the palm of his hand -something so firmly implanted in his mind that he would have done it even half-dead- and of Evey quite busy rearranging fastenings on his clothing before pulling the loud blanket up to his chin and saying something about having to take care of something herself because of people with bad bed manners. He had no idea of what "bad bed manners" meant or why she'd have to take care of anything when she could perfectly take a nap with him instead but he'd sure take care of the unnamed rascals in the morning, no matter how funny she thought their rudeness was.

For the time being there was nothing more he could do but marvel at what had just happened and let himself drift into sleep once he had finally achieved the physical likeness and spiritual enlightenment of a rag doll, thinking that he should also ask for another kiss as soon as possible.

End of part I