OF PILGRIMS AND WHORES
"Did you notice what she was wearing?"
"Mmm... Someone's desperate."
"HA! And that hair!"
Helena's not one to talk. Clothes torn and hair a mess, Klarion's perception filter's worn off and she looks as if she's been through the ringer. The kind of look one gets after a very wild night of god-knows-what or one helluva roll in the hay. The cheap and dirty kind that leaves you sore and bruised, yet begging for more. The kind that leaves you satisfied and purring for a week.
Now, of course, she's had neither. Cheap thrills nor dirty sex. It's only lunch. But with Klarion, 'only lunch' can mean just about anything. One never knows what to expect. He plays by a whole different set of rules than the average human being. Everything's just so much more fun when he's around. So much better. Delightful and devious. And bad. But in a good way. She'd forgotten how much she missed it.
"So what's the story with Necro?" Helena begs for more gossip. "Him and Constantine used to be friends, right?"
"Indeed." Klarion obliges. "Until the Englishman stole his woman... AND his coat."
Together, they sit atop Wayne Tower. Sharing rumors and gossip. Nit-picking over the magic community.
Klarion's portal had brought them right back to where they had started. The same exact spot where he'd so boldly whisked her away to their lunch date. Except a couple dozen stories up, on top of the roof. And with the light breeze in their hair and the sun on their skin, it has all the potential for a perfect day.
"Now that's a good-looking man." Helena purrs.
"Who?" Klarion asks, feeling that all too familiar pang of jealousy coming on. "Necro?"
Helena laughs.
"NO! Constantine!" She gushes. "Blond hair, blue eyes, a little rough around the edges. Total babe magnet." Her tone turns flirty. "Think you can introduce me?"
Eyebrow arched, Klarion looks over to catch her grinning at him. That look on her face he knows to mean she's toying with him. Like the cat that ate the canary. She's yanking his chain. And with that look, his heart no longer feels the bitter tug of envy. It feels lighter. Jubilant and playful along with her.
"You evil vixen."
Again, he tackles her as he did in the bar. Wrapping his arms around her and making her giggle and kick. Laying together as their fun-fest subsides, neither letting go. A stray giggle escaping their lips now and then as they come down from their high.
"You promised." Klarion whispers into her ear, holding her close. "You broke your promise."
Now she knows he only means breaking her promise about never calling him a pilgrim again, and yet she can't help but feel guilty. As if she's broken more than just that one promise to him.
"I'm sorry." Helena mews. "I was drunk and I-"
"Was?" Klarion's quick to interject.
"Am." Helena laughs. "I am drunk. You got me drunk on my lunch break."
"You act as if it's all my fault."
"Because it is!" She teases. "I'm gonna tell my daddy on you..."
Klarion grins into her hair, absolutely loving this carefree moment they're having. Though with her in his grasp, the way she is, he must admit he longs for something more. Perhaps a bit more intimate. The brief kiss they'd shared a couple of nights back was not nearly enough to satiate his years of yearning. It's only left him wanting more. And yet, he holds back.
She's like a wild animal. Timid and unpredictable. She's been hurt before and so remains guarded. Afraid to trust and quick to scatter. If he wants to get anywhere with her, he must be diligent and patient. Offer his hand and allow her to come back to him on her own terms. Slow and steady. No rushing in or he might scare her off again. He has to remind her that it's safe here within his arms. That she can trust him. And with that trust will come her love.
At least, for now, he's earned her friendship. And for that, he's thankful. She's let her guard down enough to joke around with him, to let him be near her and hold her and touch her. It's much more than baby steps. She's allowed him to fall into somewhat of their old routine. Making quick work of coming back around to him. Perhaps not as quickly as he'd HOPED, but quicker than he'd thought. It's only a matter of time before she returns to him completely. And as a master of the dark arts, luckily, he has all the time in the world.
As close as they are right now, Klarion can hear her stomach growl. Feel it rumbling against his and in turn, making his grumble in hunger as well. How could he forget about lunch? Can't have a lunch date without lunch after all.
Untangling himself from around her, Klarion sits himself upright and begins rummaging around inside a brown paper sack. Their makeshift doggy bag after leaving the Oblivion Bar in such a hurry. He pulls something out and inspects it. Deciding it must be Helena's, he hands it over to her and returns to the bag for his own.
"It's a little smooshed." He apologizes.
She shrugs and begins tearing through the outer layer of foil to the prize inside.
Unwrapping his own lunch, Klarion curiously peeks over to see what it was that Helena had ordered. He spies a plate full of assorted chocolates and pastries and instantly grows jealous.
"A bit of a sweet tooth?" He chuckles.
Helena turns her nose up to the air, playing snooty.
"You said I could have anything I want."
The Warlock tisks.
"That's not much of a lunch."
"You're just jealous you didn't think of it first." She purrs, licking a gob of frosting off her finger.
Sitting side by side next to one another, Klarion leans over to grab a cupcake off her plate.
"I should test these to see if they're safe for consumption." He jokes. "I think I saw the runner spit in this one."
She smacks his hand away, giggling.
"Get your own!"
Klarion sits forward, staring down into his plate of smoked meats and rustic bread. A simple lunch, but he'd never been one for extravagant fare. Must have been the way he was raised.
He does have ONE weakness, however. At a young age, Blue Rafters had introduced him to the luxury of sugary delights. Cakes and cookies. Fudge and chocolate... He's been hooked ever since. And it would seem she has the same tastes. Though he doesn't recall her ever keeping many treats in the apartment when they lived together. Guess he rubbed off on her more than he thought.
The witch breaks off a piece of his bread and hands it to the huntress beside him. Mouth full of some sort of tart, she looks over at him with a confused look on her face.
"A trade then." He offers.
She swallows her treat and smiles, accepting his broken bread and sneaking a piece of meat from his plate.
"No need to trade." Helena says happily. "We'll share."
Klarion scoots over, closer so they can split their food. Teekl sits right beside his master. Not one for the sweet stuff, he nibbles on the end of a sausage link. Together, they share a meal as well as each other's company. Making small talk and just enjoying being near one another.
"So you live in Manhattan now?" Helena asks, switching between bites of cake and bread.
"Part time, yes." Klarion answers, stealing a square of chocolate from the plate on her lap. "I try to divide my time the best I can between Limbo Town and topside. It shall be so much easier when they're one and the same."
Helena nods and swallows, wishing for a pint of milk to wash the confections down.
"What do you do for fun?" She continues, wiping her mouth. "Take in any good shows?"
Licking his fingers, Klarion thinks.
"I did see this one. Wicked?"
"Oh yeah!" Helena replies excitedly. "I've been wanting to see that. How was it?"
Klarion's brow ruffles. He sighs.
"Your society's portrayal of witches is... something to be desired."
Helena laughs and he, alongside her. Chit-chatting the afternoon away as lunch turns into hooky and minutes turn into hours. Watching as the day wastes away into night. She can tell five o'clock has come and gone by the steady stream of employees exiting the building. After a while, it becomes nothing but a trickle until finally it stops. Besides the night crew, they must be the only two people left.
"I'm pretty sure I'm exiled from the Oblivion Bar." Klarion sighs.
"No way." Helena giggles. "There's no way you were EXILED from the Oblivion Bar."
"But I started it." He whines.
"Please... You were only fooling around. They gotta know that." She snorts. "And besides, it's not like YOU did any real damage. Not like those other guys... I mean, I've SEEN you mad. THAT was just play. And I've SEEN you do WAY more damage with a friggin' SNEEZE! You were totally in control the entire time. It's not your fault they didn't get the joke."
Klarion grins, looking down at his lap. "But what if I wasn't kidding? You promised to never call me that again. How could you expect to know how I'd react?" He inquires. "Or was that the point? To see what I'd do? Am I nothing but a ball of yarn to you?"
Turning his head to the side, he looks at her. Right into her eyes. Still sparkling with the excitement and adrenaline from before. She smiles and he wonders why he'd even asked such a silly question. He already knows the answer. Because it's fun. Because she can. And because she's good at it. Good at pushing his buttons and even better at getting a reaction out of him. A trait she'd gotten from both of her parents. The testing and the toying.
Klarion's lips turn up into an devilish grin. Of course, this means war.
"Does that mean I get to call you a whor-"
"NO!" Helena interrupts.
"But that isn't fair!" Klarion whines. "You get to call me a pilgrim, but I can't call you a wh-"
Placing a hand over his mouth, Helena throws herself at him, stopping him from finishing his sentence yet again.
"Life isn't fair." She sing-songs. "You can't always get what you want."
A sad smile warms his lips. If only she could read his mind, she'd know. The only thing that he wants in this life is her. And he'll do everything in his power to get just that. What he wants.
"Fine. For now, I suppose." The witch sighs dramatically, rolling his eyes. "But I do reserve the right, next time you cross me."
I think it might be a totally New 52 creation because I can't remember Huntress ever having much of a sweet tooth, but in the recent comics, it's like EVERY issue has Helena eating some kind of pastry. It makes me think of that panel of Klarion in Seven Soldiers #3 where he's eating cake for the first time. *giggles* Just wanted to make a connection that it's something they both have in common. Hell... EVERYONE loves cake! Right!?
