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Salem and Strife sat quietly on the steps of the front porch. It was twilight and the sun was falling behind the trees to the left of them. It would be dark in only a few minutes and Salem would waste none of the daylight left. She looked over the Rider beside her gracefully, carefully, absorbing every detail she could. His eyes, she noted, were a tawny yellow that shone bright against his pale skin. She thought of them like cat eyes since he did act like a feline sometimes, certainly inhuman. His hair was medium length, made up of thin black strands that swept back. A bit of it covered his ears but she could still tell they were small and rounded. His nose was long and thin and so was his face. Usually the expression that occupied it was soft, uncaring of what happened around him, but occasionally there would be a smug and watchful look, always directed to her. At the moment his expression seemed carefree, slightly shifting around as he looked at the darkening scenery. It surprised her he wasn't staring at her for once, but she was also thankful for it. Now she could look over him without his notice. He may be blunt with his gazing but she wanted to be a bit more covert about it than him.
Every little detail she found, from the slight shadow of a jaw line to a smooth arc in his eyebrow entranced her. She felt like she was under some spell, some lovely demonic spell that had her practically drooling over him and fantasizing about doing anything and everything he wanted, like some slave. And that is truthfully what it could be called, a demonic spell, though the Council is no demon, however malicious they may seem at times.
As she continued to gaze over him, her thoughts fell on the previous days they had been together. Nothing special happened really, other than a few random touches here and there that made her euphoric for the rest of the day, but today had been alot different. It was eventful and thrilling instead of the usual routine of just coming home after school and awkwardly sitting around. He'd actually taken her for a little joy ride in the woods with no complaint from her. It was a wonderful ride, one she wouldn't soon forget, but it wasn't the part on the horse that had made it special. He'd stopped at a random area and made her walk with him for a while. It didn't seem quite like him at first, to just take a joy walk, but of course he surprised her. With a remark to a random question she'd asked he'd pressed her up against a tree and took her chin in his hand. With his eyes on hers he looked as if he might kiss her, which is what she wanted, but the teasing b**tard just held her there with that casual smirk of his. Then afterwards he continued to make sexual remarks and teasingly pinch her. So yes, it was an irritating moment, but also thrilling and unforgettable. She hoped this weekend would be similar, as her dreams seemed to fortell.
"Enjoying the view?" Strife said without even looking at her. She flinched and snapped her head up to look at his face. It seemed her eyes had drifted down a bit too far on him as she got lost in her thoughts. She frowned despite of the involuntary tug of a smile pulling at her face and looked down at the ground in front of her. She felt her cheeks warm again for only the thousandth time today and he looked to her and chuckled. "It's okay. I understand a rediculously handsome man such as me is hard not to look at. You're forgiven."
"I never said I was sorry," she shook her head slowly, her cheeks still burning a bright red. She let herself smile at him to add a little extra cockiness to her retort.
He continued to chuckle slowly as he admired her flushing cheeks. So she was trying to be cocky? He slid next to her just to see how long that cockiness would last before she let herself down again. It certainly didn't take long...because as soon as his leg grazed hers and his arm came around her she tensed up and her breath got caught in her throat. She leaned away from him and he snickered and cocked his head curiously. "Hmm..." He brushed the back of his hand across her cheek and she closed her eyes and could have purred like a kitten. The touch, even if it was under a glove, made her back and thighs tingle and mind sink into some moment of bliss. He brought a temptatious smile onto his face and surveyed her as she recovered from his touch. He'd never had a female react that way to him before, so innocently pleasured, and it was a new experiece for the both of them. His thoughts curiously wandered to pondering what was going on in her head at that moment. And truthfully, he was hoping she was thinking of returning the action in some way but he couldn't see her doing it. Perhaps in time she would become braver as he taught her a few things. And maybe soon, as she'd demonstrated then, she would stop blushing and tensing under his touch and begin to writhe and moan under it. Not that he didn't enjoy watching her face flush with embarrasment, he certainly loved it, but over the last couple of days he'd wanted to witness her doing something else. He hoped to start accomplishing that much more frequently from now on.
"I think we should go inside," she said, her face twisted with several emotions as she looked down in front of her. "It's dark..."
"I can see perfectly."
"Oh...Well I can't."
He shrugged and waved his hand at Conquest who had been standing patiently for them and the mount turned and galloped off to do as he pleased for the night. They both stood up and she opened the door and was greeted with a burst of warm air. She wasted no time in going to the kitchen to make something to eat. The school had had crap food for lunch so she didn't eat there and Strife's ride kept her from getting anything here so now she was starving. Soup was not on the menu either, she told herself. When she made it to the kitchen she turned the stove on and threw some food in the pans before turning to Strife who was prowling in the kitchen. She thought of telling him to do whatever while she cooked but she knew he would do that regardless. Instead, she thought of his comment early about seeing perfectly outside in the dark. "So you aren't like...normal humans, right?" she asked. "You can see better, hear better, all that good stuff?"
"Well I don't wish to brag, but yes. My senses are much more keen than a humans."
"Is that a perk of being a Horseman?"
"No. It's a perk of being a Nephilim."
She nodded in a confused way but turned back to the stove and thought about that as she cooked.
When her back was turned, Strife's eyes glided down her figure and watched every move she made carefully. The way she shifted her hips occasionaly was quite arousing and, well, Strife wasn't the no-touchy at the museum kind of person. He came quietly up behind her and grabbed her waist, pinching her a little as his fingers curled into her skin. She jumped with a gasp and bumped her knee on the stove, making him laugh. Then she threw her head back to look up at him, since he was at least a foot or so above her, and he smirked at her as usual. Well, hello sexy, she thought of saying but her body wouldn't allow her. Neither would her mind. She just shook her head slowly and attempted to cook normally, despite that she was still tense and her mind was now focused on something other than food.
He grinned and grabbed her other hip casually and she tensed up again and squeezed the fork in her hand almost threateningly, though after a long and awkward moment she relaxed herself. That didn't satisfy him of course, so he started massaging them to try for another reaction. A little whimper sounded from the back of her throat and her face curled into unwanted satisfaction. It felt amazing but it was also awkward and made her weak in the knees, along with bringing a burning sensation into a few particular areas. She also became nervous because she didn't know how to act or what to do. He clearly enjoyed her teased discomfort but she felt it in her gut that there was another way she could make him happy that could benefit the both of them. Did she really have the guts to return a little sensual teasing though?
Strife looked down and studied her reaction, along with studying what he could see down her shirt from this position. Despite that this was just to tease her, he found that the sensation behind it was better than the intent. It felt good to hold her hips and yet somehow there wasn't just a physical pleasure. It was something a little deeper than that.
After another moment of massaging he noticed her leaning back on him with her eyes closed. He smiled and found he liked her gentle self just as much as her teased self. It reminded him of a more comfortable time.
"Your hips," he noted, "fit perfectly under my hands. Isn't that something?"
"Yes..." she said quietly as her brows knitted together in frustration. His comment gave her a moment of deja vu and she tried to remember where she'd felt and heard something similar. Of course before she could, his massaging stole her thoughts away and made her focus on the burning sensation he was giving her. It made her back tingle and she shivered slightly.
"Hmm..." he said listening with keen ears. "I wonder what your parents are going to think of this picture."
"Oh my God," she said snapping from her relaxation and jumping from his grip. "You're going to get us in trouble!" She backed into the stove and he stepped closer to her.
"The last thing I'm worried about is your parents," he said backing her up further and pulling her to him. She struggled for a minute and then seemed to almost accept it and let it happen since she did love being against him. He held her there for a moment and then mercifully released her as soon as the front door opened. She turned back to her food immediately and stirred the food violently to pretend like they hadn't just been pressed up against each other. Her parents, without any indication that they saw something happen, went to the bedroom to change from their work clothes.
Salem turned back around and shook the fork at him. "You! You..." She sighed and crossed her arms since she wasn't able to make an argument and then, after a second, a small smile pulled at her lips. "You should do that again sometime..." She turned around and pulled a plate out, mostly so she wouldn't be able to see his reaction, which was a victorious smile.
"Shall I do it now?" he purred and put his hands back on her hips lightly.
As much as she liked it, she pushed his hands off of her. "Ha. No."
"Then I will take you up on it later."
She held back a smile as she sat down with her plate at the bar. She truly hoped he would take her up on it, only when it was a bit more private.
"What are you making, sweety?" asked her mother when she came back into the living room.
"Crap. You never taught me to cook properly..."
Strife snorted a laugh and sat down beside her. Her mother laughed as well but when she looked to Strife her warm smile disappeared. "What did you do today?" she asked, this time sounding concerned.
"Went to school, came home, did my homework...The usual." Salem looked down as she lied to the woman.
"Oh...Okay..." The woman pressed her lips into a hard line and then went to sit on the couch and turn on the tv. She thought about the enormous amount of time Salem was spending with this boy and wondered if there wasn't something more going on than a simple school program. The father came in a few moments later and joined her on the couch, hardly noticing what a mother might.
"They're acting curious..." Salem looked to Strife and whispered.
He put his elbows on the bar and leaned foreward. "Maybe because they know you're lying. They probably think we've been f***ing or something."
Her lips pursed but she didn't say anything. He was most likely right about that. She knew she should have told her they worked out or did something productive, or else her lie in the beginning was for nothing. She grew quiet as she worried and started picking at her food absentmindedly. Then she thought of what he'd said earlier and decided it was a better topic than her parents. "So...What's a Nephilim?" she whispered quietly so her parents were unable to hear.
He looked to her and almost seemed like he didn't want to answer the question. "It's my race. What I am," he replied hesitantly.
She nodded thoughtfully. "And are there more of you?"
"A few."
"So you have your own home world? Like humans have earth?"
He blinked a few times, feeling offended, but he brushed it off knowing she didn't understand and probably never would. Now wasn't the time to get all pissy and offensive about it. "No, we never did. Say do you have a cup?"
"Umm...A cup?"
"Yeah."
She looked at him curiously but got up to get the glass for him and herself since she hadn't gotten anything to drink yet either. When she handed him the cup and sat back down he got off the stool and squatted down to start snooping through the cabinets. "Now where is that alcohol..." he whispered to himself.
"Strife!" she shouted in a whisper. "You can't drink that. My parents are here."
"That's why I'm using a cup." He found the cabinet that held the bottles and poured some before getting back on the stool. "They'll never know." She started laughing in disbelief when he took a sip and her parents looked back at them in agitation from the disturbance. Salem's smile disappeared and she stuffed food in her mouth casually until they looked away. "What is this?" Strife asked, motioning to the glass. "It tastes like s**t." She laughed even harder but shook her hands at him to be quiet.
"Of course it does. You have to mix it with something else."
"Hmm..." He took the glass from her hands and poured some of it into his and then tasted it again. He shrugged, finding it to be a little better this time but said, "Still tastes like s**t." She laughed again until her father looked back at her angrily and shushed them. Strife made a disgusted look and glanced at Salem for an explanation as he swished the cup around for a better mix.
"They get grumpy when they come home from work," she whispered. "Let's just go to the bedroom." She took the plate and cups to the sink as he downed the rest of the alcohol but before they could walk out of the kitchen her mother stopped her.
"Is there something you want to tell us, Salem?" she asked carefully. She'd noticed that her daughter had been giggling an awful lot, and she picked it up as flirtation.
The girl frowned and threw Strife a quick glance. "No..."
"Alone?"
"No, ma'am," she said more polietly as she grew nervous.
The woman thought about this for a moment, wondering if she should try to send the boy away to speak with her daughter in private. She decided against it and asked about his being there at night.
"I just like him being here..." Salem answered sheepishly.
Her mother's eyes flashed between the two and then the father turned around to add his own bit. "You two watch yourselves," his deep voice grumbled.
Salem nodded slowly until her parents turned back around, then for a moment she stood unmoving in her spot until Strife came up behind her and ran his hand down her waist again to break her from her thoughts. When she finally looked at him he led her by the arm to the bedroom. He thought she'd gotten upset over the little interrogation but after the door was shut she snorted a laugh. "I could have handled that better," she admitted.
"Ah, parents. I don't miss mine." He plopped down on the chair beside the bed and she remained in front of the door.
"I never have had a good relationship with mine. I mean, I like them," she clarified, "but they're never around. I guess I like it that way though."
"You're an independant loner. I get it," he said knowing the feeling all too well.
"Yeah," she nodded and laughed while playing with her shirt.
When a few quiet moments passed she looked to the dresser where some clothes were laid out. He didn't seem to be making sexual comments at the moment...she wondered if now would be a good time to change into something comfortable. For the last week and a half she'd had to endure going to bed in her school clothes simply because she was too nervous to even go to the bathroom and change while he was in the room. Sure, in the back of her head she wanted him to strip her naked but she also knew when it came down to it she would probably be as skittish as a horse.
"I'll be right back," she said holding her finger up at him and slipping into the bathroom after grabbing the clothes. She locked the door behind her, just in case, and exchanged them as swiftly as she could. It was a light blue tank top and some long but thin sleep pants and the feel of them made her sigh in relief. It was cool and light, much better than those stuffy jeans and itchy shirt. When she came back out Strife had his gloves pulled off and was picking at his nails absentmindely. When he looked up though, his eyes widened and he leaned foreward with fresh anticipation as he started to look her up and down. She blushed and tried to ignore it, even though she did enjoy his attention.
"Good thing I removed my gloves," he smirked.
Her lips parted as she stared at him and then she awkwardly side stepped to the bed and clambered up. He turned in his chair and propped his arm up as he looked at her, deciding whether or not to make a move up there. When she made eye contact and then looked away with a shy smile, his decision was made for him. He stood up and hopped up beside her, cocking his head a little as an animal might do when looking at something interesting. From this position he could look down on her and her perfectly rounded breasts through the tight little shirt with no trouble at all. Then again, they looked amazing from all angles in any kind of shirt, so he'd noticed so far. "Now seems like a good time to take up your offer from earlier," he sneered. A banner of hope seemed to rise in her but she looked at his vest. Somehow it just wouldn't feel like a real hold with that in the way. She frowned and looked down and she heard him chuckle deeply. "I'll take it off," he offered, "if you remove it." She looked up to him in disbelief but then started considering it. Hesitantly she raised one of her brows and turned to him on the bed. After biting her lip, she nervously raised her hands to his vest and began pulling at the velcrow. Internally her mind screamed and heart beat out of her chest, but the loud velcrow kept her from being drowned in it. Carefully she removed each strap and he watched her patiently with a mocking smile. When all the straps were removed he pulled it over his head for her and dropped it on the floor. He too, as she had done in the bathroom, breathed a sigh of relief.
With that now removed, she stared at him without care for what he thought or how he looked at her. Bravely, so bravely, she raised her hand to his chest and pressed it against him. Even with the vest gone, his chest was still hard. Hard with pure muscle. The corners of her lips trembled as she felt him breathe beneath her touch. He cocked his head again and watched her carefully as she quietly ran her hand over his chest curiously. She glanced questioningly at his face only once before boldly moving even lower to feel his abs, though she knew she needed no permission to revel over his body. He would have allowed her to do so proudly the first day he came here.
With each move of her hand she could feel the defining rise and fall of muscles beneath and when she made it to his lower stomach he snickered. "You keep going any lower and you might find me aroused beyond return tonight." Her hand paused and she was tempted to try and see if he was bluffing, but she knew it was quite the opposite. Her hand retreated to her lip to bite at her mid-knuckle and she sat back and crossed her legs timidly with a deep breath. "You look shaky, Dear," he teased, "I'm guessing it wouldn't be appropriate for me to touch your chest yet, would it?"
Her laugh was half-hearted and her blush was heavy but her smile was like she'd just been asked to prom. "I don't know, Strife, why don't you tell me."
"Mm! Say my name again," he said with too much enthusiasm.
She blushed and paused for a moment. He could certainly turn an awkward moment into an even worse one, she thought. But, as he wanted, she muttered his name again, only quiter this time while she nervously looked down and picked at her shirt.
He couldn't believe she'd done it, considering he was only trying to make her blush, but with a pleased chortle he layed back on the bed to stare at her. After a minute he put his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and crossed his legs, his guns jingling lightly as he moved. She turned to him and saw how comfortable he looked and for a second she pitied him. For the last few weeks he'd just been sitting up and staring out the window or sitting in the chair on the floor. He really didn't have a comfortable place to stay, yet he never complained. She wondered how that Council, or whatever he'd called them, could send him unprepared to Earth and expect him to watch over her. What if he had to sleep outside in the rain or something? For a moment, all sexual thoughts aside, she wanted him to sleep in her bed. If only so he could be comfortable, considering she wasn't sure if he actually needed to sleep or not.
When he opened his eyes to see her simply sitting up and looking him over he grinned with a fresh idea. "Feel free to join me," he offered. With only a short moment of hesitation she layed down beside him, though it wasn't quite close enough for his liking. "Over here, Salem," he said patting his own chest. Her eyes grew wide and lips pursed but she did move in to lay her head on his arm and hands on his chest. "Am I going to have to teach you everything, girl?" he sighed and grabbed her leg to pull her over him so she was straddling him. With a gasp she tensed up and a wicked grin pulled at his lips. "That's better. Now lay your little head down and go to sleep."
She stared at him and wanted to jump up but his tawny eyes were too entrancing to deny. This is what she wanted anyways, she had no idea why she had to be so nervous about things. Why couldn't she be as bold as him?
She eased herself down with a sigh and layed her head on his chest, though after a moment she said, "If I start feeling three guns under me it's going to get really awkward."
"It won't be awkward for long," he said, his voice booming through his chest under her ear. He wrapped his arms around her as she started to sit up and held her down.
She kept from snorting a laugh but he still felt her chest shake against him which made him smile. After a moment she finally relaxed herself on top of him and her hands actually came to his sides. She listened to his relaxing slow heart beat and breath and she finally smiled against him without feeling so embarrased. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before finally trying to sleep. It may still be early in the night, but his warmth below her and the hard day she'd been through knocked her out quickly and gave Strife a proud grin.
XX
When she woke it took her a moment to register where she was. Her back was against a wall and there were covers blocking her view. She sluggishly moved them and sat up to look around the empty room. No Strife. She threw the covers off of her and made her way to the bathroom for the usual shower now that she had the opportunity.
She'd made it quick and when she got out of the steaming tub she wrapped her long hair in a towel and another one around her body. Unfortunately she'd forgotten to get clothes before she came in so she'd have to step outside to get them. It was no biggy, until she saw Strife standing in the middle of her room. She screamed from the surprise and backed up against the bathroom door, holding her towel tightly over her body. "I thought you were gone!" she barked.
"I drank that alcohol yesterday so I had to take a piss."
"Well why didn't you use the bathroom!?"
"Because the weeds outside looked like they needed to be properly destroyed," he retorted nonchalantly.
"That's very funny," she said with sarcasm.
He shrugged and then raised an eyebrow. "Are you going to let that towel drop or am I wasting my time?" She let out a loud hiss and yanked an outfit out of her drawer before going back into the bathroom. "I suggest you lock the door," he added. There was a click and he chuckled. "As if that would stop me anyways."
When she came back out she was dressed in a dark blue jogging hoodie and pants. It was snug around her and revealed her hourglass figure. Of course, he made a loop around her to check her out. "Just making sure it looks trail worthy for today," he simpered when she eyed him.
"Suuure you are," she smiled as she pulled at her hair to ring out the water.
He watched her and said, "Did I ever mention I have a thing for red heads?"
"I don't believe so." Her smile was coy this time as she realized she had a feature he admired, other than her boobs of course.
He nodded and she held her smile as she sat back on the bed to rub her hair with the towel. He followed and leaned against the bed on his hands in front of her. "What's the plan for the day?" he asked.
"I guess we could ride."
"Oh, Salem, you just got a ride last night," he shook his head.
"Maybe on a gelding that didn't move," she smirked. "And that wasn't the kind of ride I was talking about."
"Wait a minute, what's 'gelding' supposed to mean? You're just lucky I haven't showed you my stallion side yet! You might get hurt."
"Am I lucky?" she smirked. "And besides I think you've demonstrated a bit of it," she said refering to his sexual teasing.
"Well then, my mare, I'll start demonstrating even more if that's what you wish." Her shy laugh came through clenched teeth as he leaned towards her, but he abruptly stopped and pulled back. "Then again, I'm trying to be a patient wolf, not an impatient nag." He turned his head away from her but kept his eyes on hers.
She sighed and rolled her eyes, then tossed the wet towel into his face and hopped down from the bed. He let it fall on him, though he could have easily caught it, and then pulled it off and shuffled his hair back into place before following her into the kitchen where she started making breakfast.
"So," he started. "You did enjoy last night?" He already knew the answer of course. She'd slept harder than a baby on top of him, much more content than her usual tossing and turning and murmering.
"I was warm, yes."
"You fell asleep mighty fast," he grinned. "I hope you don't do that when we're actually doing something."
She raised her eyes and stared at the wall with her back to him. So he wasn't just teasing her? There was going to be a time when all his touches and holds and sexual remarks pay off? She almost shivered at the thought and bit her lip with anticipation, though she also considered he could just be teasing her again. "I...don't think I would," she finally replied after a few moments. "I don't think I'd be getting any sleep."
"You read my mind."
She kept her lips tightly sealed, so to speak, as she ate breakfast, refusing to be the one to start conversation. He remained quiet as well, allowing her to eat in peace until they went outside. It was a chilly day, despite it being early summer, and Salem was glad she'd put on the light hoodie. Strife whistled for his mount and he came galloping up, making his usual dust storm.
"Cowgirls first," he said motioning to the saddle. Salem hopped up with ease this time, considering she'd had over a week to practice. She did miss his hand of guidence though, however perverted it may have been. He jumped up behind her and reached around for the reins, intentionally moving his hand under her arm so he could wrap her waist and pull her to him.
"I see you never put the vest back on," she said as she finally felt his warm chest against her back.
"I thought since I wasn't getting shot at it wasn't necessary. Besides, I know you would just beg me to take it off again."
"Oh, I don't know about begging," she said looking back at him. "I would just pull it off again."
"I see. Then for every article of clothing you remove from me, I shall remove from you. And since you don't have a vest...I guess there would be a substitute, hmm?"
"I'll be sure to wear a jacket," she teased. He chuckled and urged the mount foreward into a fast walk. For a short while they rode in silence as he looked around at the scenery and she looked down at his hand as he stroked her stomach. She was tempted to grab his hand and lock her fingers with his and even brought her hand up to do it but she shyed away from it. He didn't seem like the type and she didn't want to embarrass herself if he yanked away from her. She didn't see him doing it but she wouldn't take the risk. Instead, she looked up and around trying to think of something for a decent conversation.
"So when am I going to see you shoot your guns?" she asked curiously, knowing it would be a good subject.
Almost immediately there was a swift move of his arm, a click, and then a loud crack that echoed through the woods. Her ears rang and she tensed in her spot immediatly and heard something plumet beside them. So quickly did she lean over to see what it was that she almost fell from the saddle. She caught herself though and stared down at what seemed to be a bird with a missing head. Little splotches of blood pooled around the dirt by the neck and it's little legs still twitched from the sudden death. She looked back to Strife who was smirking and holding his gun up beside him.
Sure Salem felt for the little bird but she was too stricken with excitement to worry. "Oh my God," she said smiling in disbelief. "That was fast!" Her eyes shifted between him and the bird on the ground for a moment.
He smiled and raised his head proudly. "Eons of practice makes perfect."
"Can I see?" she said looking at the gun.
He lowered it for her to behold but said, "Unfortunately, along with my human disguise, it looks like a normal earth gun. Only much more powerful."
"Human disguise?" Her brows puckered with confusion but she continued to look over the gun.
"Yes. I look only a little different from my original form though. The disguse was mostly for my siblings. They are...repulsive. I'm sure in any form they take," he laughed.
"Oh." She laughed quietly, not quite picking up on what he'd meant. She could only figure he refered to the Horseman, Death. She believed him to be a skeleton in a cloak from what she'd heard of him. For the other Horsemen she was unsure. She had picked up on another thing he'd said though, and had to question him. "They're your siblings?"
"Brothers in arms," he clarified.
"What are they like?" she asked. He became irritated over this subject and for a short second he looked down angrily at her. She frowned and looked back at the gun instead of his scowl and muttered, "Sorry," though she didn't understand his dislike on the topic. She figured he wasn't supposed to talk about it.
He frowned and relaxed himself, almost feeling bad for getting angry over it so easily. She just didn't understand. Being on Earth was like being on vacation and he didn't want to talk about his siblings right now.
Salem was biting her lip nervously, and he found it to be attractive, but he figured he'd gotten her upset. "Want to shoot it?" he offered as an apology.
"Um, no. I think I'd break my wrist."
"Doubt it. Might shake those tits up though. Come on," he said dismounting and stepping away from the horse. She was reluctant and knew she was about to be embarrassed or worse but she jumped down and stepped over the dead bird anyways. When she joined him she noticed his casual cocky expression had returned and she could only note he was a bit bipolar. But if he was fine now she would just try to forget he'd ever seemed angry in the first place and try not to talk about that subject again. Obviously there was something about it he didn't like. She stepped up beside him and he handed the gun to her. She was surprised by how heavy it felt and how it made her hand turn cold, much like your feet might do when standing on an edge. Like her body knew it was dangerous and refused to let her feel the full power in her hand.
"I don't think I should do this," she warned.
"You're lucky I'm letting you so much as touch it. I suggest you enjoy it." She looked at him nervously even though he was smiling. "Fine then," he said. "Shall I make you another inticing offer?"
"Might be motivating," she shrugged with a sly smile.
"Alright. You shoot this gun and I'll let you shoot my other one later." She glanced at the other holstered gun on his hip, already not liking the offer but he grinned. "No, my third one."
She paused and stared at him. "...You don't have a thir- OHHHHH...My God."
He winked at her and her cheeks started burning like they'd just been lit on fire because she knew he would keep his offer. In fact, last night when he'd pulled her over him he'd completed an offer he'd told her a week before when she was hesitant to mount his horse. Mount him now and you can mount me later, she repeated his words in her head. She was certainly motivated to shoot the gun now, but she didn't want to seem too eager about it either.
After thinking of a reply she rolled her eyes and said, "I don't know, I like bigger guns myself but whatever."
He straightened up and stared at her with a trio of blinks and then reached down for his zipper. Her face turned cold and then hot as she stared at him. "I...was only joking," she muttered, unsure if she really wanted him to unzip or not. Conquest snorted and turned his butt end towards them. He didn't put it past his rider and he didn't want to see the view if it happened. Strife started laughing and took his hands away from his pants with a slow nod and a grin.
After he was done chortling he turned her around, lifted her arm, and put his hand on her back to straighten it. Naturally she blushed as her skin burned under his. "Strighten up your elbows. You aren't riding a horse," he told her. She did as he asked and with a few other instructions she was ready to aim at what she wanted. He stepped behind her with his hands on her shoulders and she looked around for a target. While she could hit no bird as he did, the thick tree a few yards away looked pretty interesting. With a determined look she pulled the trigger and jumped back from the power of the gun. He laughed as he straightened her, and despite the size of the tree, there was no evidence she'd hit it.
"How the f**k I miss!?"
"You pulled the trigger too quickly and it messed up your aim."
She scowled and sighed, swinging back to him and handing him the gun in defeat. "Here, I'm done."
He shook his head and put the gun back in her hands. "Watching you shoot was rather sexy. I'd like to see it again."
"You just want to embarrass me," she squinted at him.
"If I were trying to do that it would be in front of your peers."
She sighed and turned back around, trying to get into the same position he'd put her in before. This time she took a deep breath as she aimed and eased on the trigger. It didn't knock her back as bad this time and Strife was there to hold her anyways. When she saw the bark from the tree flying out, her face lit up and she looked back at Strife for a reaction. He smiled and nodded at her. "A little more practice and you might be able to hit an elephant from a foot away."
She giggled despite of his teasing insult and was quite proud of herself so she shot around at the trees for a while longer. She missed occasionally when she got too excited but other than that she could hit the dead center. "Let me see you shoot," she said turning to him when her arms and hands got tired.
He took the gun from her. "You will. Shooting trees isn't really my thing."
She nodded enthusiastically and walked with him back to the horse. Sympathetically she looked down at the dead bird near Conquest's hooves and frowned. "We should bury it."
"It's just a bird," he rolled his eyes.
"But what if it had a family?"
"Tsk." He rolled his eyes and jumped into the saddle. "Humans."
She ignored him and decided to let nature take its course so she clambered up into the saddle and left the bird alone. It probably had diseases anyways.
When she was situated in front of him, he wrapped his arm around her again with a grin and grabbed the reins with a kick. They didn't head anywhere in particular since there weren't many places to ride that weren't boring. It didn't matter to Salem anyways, so long as she was with Strife. And Strife didn't care either, so long as he wasn't cramped up in that cabin for too long. Not that it was uninteresting when Salem was there to give him something to look at, but still, the fresh air was good for them.
When it all grew quiet she let out a sigh of boredom yet didn't know what to talk about. The weather? That would be a pathetic topic. And asking about his past and origin? That was a big nope. Instead, once again, she looked down at his hand on her stomach. It was warm and made her feel protected and safe. And it was also inviting...Her lips twisted at what she was about to do, but bravely she put her hand on top of his in despite of the pressure. The touch was light and she dared not try to lock her fingers with his. She was already trying enough as it was... For a few seconds she believed all was good and she started to smile at her accomplishment, but then his hand slipped out from under hers and her cheeks immediately burned. It literally felt like a world had just fallen on top of her. But then, to her surprise, he replaced his hand on top of hers. She tried to keep her face composed, as did Strife, and she held back a girlish sqeal. Everything in that moment felt perfect to her. She was leaned against his chest with his hand on hers, there was no one around to bother her, and not a worry on her mind. She could have simply been dead in Heaven at that moment and feel no better.
"You can still breathe," he commented when he no longer felt her stomach move in and out. She took a deep inhale as she realized she'd stopped breathing and he slowly chuckled. She would certainly be in Heaven if she didn't start watching her breathing whenever he does something to her. And that seemed to be quite often now. She hoped it stayed that way because she wouldn't complain one bit.
No birds were harmed during the writing of this fanfiction.
Thanks for your patience and support guys and girls! x3 I hope to be updating soon since the next chapter has already been plotted out. Of course, I'm always open for more ideas if you have some interesting situations you'd like to see Salem and Strife in ;D