Part 3: Discovery
It was cold out when the local Environmental Society decided to picket the
Mazoku Corporation. The president, a woman named Eris, had enlisted Filia and
Silviel to help make signs, and the rest of the women were just supposed to show
up when they got off work. Since Filia got off set early that day, she rushed
through feeding and cleaning the animals and hurried to find a parking spot near
the Mazoku Corp. building. Eris and Silviel were already there, Eris shouting to
passerby and Silviel looking shy and intimidated. Filia smiled to Eris's brief
greeting and waved to Silviel, who came over as Filia picked up a sign from the
pile of them near the building's front doors.
"Hey, Filia-chan," she said, smiling. Silviel was a nurse at the city
hospital, but she'd taken the day off for the picketing.
"Hi Silviel!" Filia smiled. She wore a long tan coat and black gloves, and
had her hair pulled back in a loose braid.
"Why weren't you at the last meeting?" They stood together and let Eris do
the talking to all the people passing by.
Filia blushed. "I, um . . . had a date." She looked at the ground and fought
back a smile, embarrassed.
Silviel was immediately intrigued. "Really? You're still going out with that
fellow you met at work? How long has it been? Two weeks?"
"Four and a half." Filia beamed at her friend and nodded. "Yes. He's *so*
wonderful. He's sweet, and funny, and exciting . . ."
"Is he cute?" Silviel's eyes were timidly curious, and her cheeks were red
from the cold.
Filia blushed deep red and laughed self-consciously. "I, um, I'd say so,"
she stammered. "Yeah," another nervous laugh.
"You really like him," Silviel nudged her, teasing.
"Yeah," Filia sighed, her mood dampening. At Silviel's probing look, she
burst out, "I don't know if he really likes me or not. He doesn't talk about how
he feels and sometimes I get the feeling that he's holding things back or -- or
hiding something, or . . . just not putting his whole self out there. He doesn't
talk about himself much at all, and I can't help wondering . . . if he really
likes me, or if he's just using me until someone with bigger breasts comes
along."
"Men are pigs, honey." Eris had come over and heard the last bit of her
rant. "All of them." Her lips pressed together in a firm, thin line, and her
eyes lost all humor. Filia took a moment to wonder if she had been hurt, and how
badly.
The rest of the day was spent with members showing up for their shifts in
picketing and handing out pamphlets on the Mazoku Corporation's use of animals
in product testing to passerby. Whenever someone tried to enter or exit the
building, they would be accosted and given a pamphlet as well. Eris usually took
that part pretty seriously and would get upset if someone slipped through
without notice.
It was around three in the afternoon when a murmur went around the group and
all eyes focused on the doors of the building.
Mr. Metallium was coming out.
There was a limo on the street behind them, waiting for him. But between the
limo and the building were twenty-four angry women, and they *weren't* letting
him get by without making him first listen to them.
"Would you like one of the guards to escort you, Mr. Metallium?" the ground
floor receptionist was asking.
"No," he replied, taking a moment to spy a familiar blonde head in the angry
mob. "My girlfriend's out there. She won't let them get violent."
The receptionist looked startled, but he ignored her and walked towards the
front doors, briefcase firmly in hand. For all he trusted that he would come to
no harm, he wasn't so sure what their scruples were about stealing his important
files.
He stepped outside and into the melee. He'd kept a firm eye on that head of
blonde hair, and decided that since everything was coming out anyway, he didn't
need to be subtle.
So he sidestepped the leader of the pack and went straight to Filia, who was
talking to a slender woman with long dark hair and wasn't looking at him yet.
When she looked up, pleasure and confusion mixed on her face to form a
particularly blank look. He took advantage of her surprise to sweep her into a
greeting kiss and murmur, "I'll see you tonight?" in her ear.
Then he released her and went confidently to his limo, where Phibrizzo was
waiting for him. They were going to discuss business over lunch.
The women parted to let him pass, all still too stunned to say anything.
Even the persistent Eris was silent for once. And when the limo door shut behind
him, all their eyes turned to Filia, who had a befuddled smile on her face from
the kiss and was still trying to figure out what had happened.
Eris came over to her and made some wild gestures, but couldn't seem to get
anything out. It was finally Silviel who asked, gently, "Filia . . . you're
seeing Mr. Metallium?"
Filia flushed as it dawned on her. "Am I?" she whispered faintly.
"YES," Eris finally found her voice -- and she was pissed. "What the *hell*,
Filia?!"
Filia's stomach sank as she thought about the level of deception that must
have gone into their relationship. "All that time," she whispered, bringing a
hand to her mouth, eyes wide and disbelieving.
"How long have you been dating that animal-killing jackass?!" Eris demanded.
"He never told me his last name." She could barely get it out, and couldn't
look at anyone. What an *idiot* she was! She dissolved into tears and ran,
dropping her sign where she'd stood. She ran to the parking garage where she'd
left her car, sniffling the whole way, and didn't notice the footsteps behind
her until a hand was placed on her shoulder. She whirled and faced concerned
eyes.
She threw herself into Silviel's arms and cried.
When she could speak again, she gasped out, "He lied to me, Silviel. He
tricked me and lied to me and I *liked* him!"
Silviel stroked her hair, saying nothing, rocking her like a mother might a
child.
"And I have a date with him tonight, we were going to go to dinner, but I
guess I have to call and cancel . . . or not? I don't know . . . but I don't
know how I can go tonight, knowing . . ."
"You'll go," Eris said from nearby. "You'll go and you'll talk to him about
the problems in his company. You'll go and use what you have to get him to
change his policies."
"I don't have anything," Filia mourned, the tears starting up again.
"You have breasts, an ass, and are boinking the richest bastard in the
corporate world. I'd say that's something."
"I'm not 'boinking' ANYONE, Eris!" she snapped vehemently.
Eris looked at her contemplatively. "Not yet."
Before Filia had time to get properly offended, Eris had gotten in her car
and taken off, with the promise that she'd be by Filia's apartment in an hour.
Silviel went home with Filia to help her get ready for her date. After her
shower, they had trouble picking out a good dress, so Silviel carefully dried
and brushed Filia's hair, putting half of it up and letting the rest hang down
in a molten gold fall.
By the time she was done, Eris was there, bustling in an armload of things.
She dumped them on the bed and started rummaging in Filia's closet, nixing every
outfit she saw. She looked twice at a pretty golden dress, but finally moved
past it as well.
Satisfied that Filia's closet wasn't adequate, she picked something red out
of her pile and tossed it to Filia.
"Try that on," she ordered. Filia went into the bathroom and obliged.
It was a little tight in the bust, but the fabric was stretchy and clung
comfortably to the rest of her. When she looked in the mirror, she flushed
deeply to see how many curves she had, and how the fabric clung to them.
When she came out, Eris told her to push her breasts up. It relieved most of
the pain, but it made them bulge at the top! Filia was deeply embarrassed.
"I don't think this one is any good -- it's too tight in the chest. I'll
just wear my gold dress . . ." She blinked at Eris, who was standing firmly in
front of her closet.
"The dress is *supposed* to display your breasts like that. It's called
'being sexy.' Something you have very little experience in, obviously."
Filia frowned.
"Now," Eris started digging around Filia's closet floor, "do you have any
red shoes?" She answered herself in annoyance, "No, of course you don't. You're
little-miss-innocence. Who wears white shoes anymore?" She tossed one white flat
over her shoulder in disgust, then picked up a strappy black heel. "Whoa. Filia,
where did you get the guts to buy these?"
"Um," she stammered, blushing under Silviel's surprised look. "They were a
spur-of-the-moment purchase -- I never actually was able to wear them."
"Very nice -- put on some hose and these. Do you have any jewelry?"
"On the dresser," she replied, nervously digging through her drawer for some
nude sheer panty hose. Eris went to the dresser and Silviel sat on the bed,
watching everything a little dazedly. She was concerned for Filia, and what this
complication in her relationship meant. She . . . well, she really didn't want
her best friend to get her heart broken.
"Silviel, will you help me with my makeup?" Filia was putting on the
earrings and black pendant necklace Eris had handed her. "We have fifteen
minutes until he's supposed to pick me up." Filia tried very hard not to think
about Xelloss. She knew that would make her cry. There was a hard ball of
emotion sitting in her chest and waiting for something to trigger it. Filia sat
on a chair in her bathroom and Eris dumped a small bag of makeup on the counter.
"Pinks for the eyes, and this for her lips," she picked out a tube of
lipstick. "Trust me." And stood back to watch.
"Not too heavy under the eyes," Filia told Silviel when she started
organizing the makeup. When she was ready for mascara, Filia stopped her hand
and dug through the small arsenal of makeup. She pulled out a waterproof
mascara. "This." Silviel looked at her in concern and Eris left to find an
appropriate purse.
It turned out that the lipstick was red. Very red. A deep, hot, spicy red.
Filia was shocked when she saw herself in the mirror, but, with one stern look
from Eris, said nothing. Her lips looked bigger, fuller, and her blue eyes shone
softly with surprise and guilelessness. They were open and honest and endearing.
"Blot," Eris told her, handing her a Kleenex. Filia obliged and looked at
the time. She had three minutes, if he was punctual. "I wish we had time to do
something with your nails, but they'll just have to do with that clear polish.
Here," she threw the lipstick and a compact into a black clutch and thrust it at
Filia, who took it. Eris bustled out of the bathroom and picked out an elegant
black coat. Filia followed her and slipped it on.
"It's so thin," she frowned, concerned.
"You'll do it for the sake of beauty," Eris informed her.
"And what exactly am I supposed to *do* tonight?" Filia was annoyed with the
thought of Eris commanding her to seduce Xelloss. He really was an okay guy . .
. A great guy, really . . .
She turned away from that vein of thought when her eyes started to ache.
"You're supposed to use your natural assets to get him to change his company
policy on animal testing. Simple."
Filia sighed, frustrated. "Can't I just do that by simple reasoning?"
"No," Eris replied, stepping back and looking at the finished product. "Men
only think with their pants. He won't listen to you if you don't get his
attention first."
"They have been dating for over a month," Silviel put in hesitantly. "I
would think he thought more of her than just . . . her physical aspects."
Eris snorted. "Please."
Filia tried not to get annoyed and decided to change the topic. "How do you
know so much about makeup and clothes, Eris?" She looked at the woman's baggy
flannel. "Not to be insulting or anything. This just doesn't seem your style."
Eris sighed, packing up her things. "It used to be." She paused. "I used to
date the man in charge of animal testing. He . . . was your typical guy." Her
voice was so laced with bitterness that Filia decided not to ask anything else.
She didn't need to, though, because Xelloss buzzed the apartment. "I'll lock
up," Silviel said supportively as Filia gave her a wild, nervous look. Her eyes
spoke of soothing promises and comfort -- and a place to go if she got her heart
broken tonight. When she looked at Silviel, she saw the possibility of getting
hurt by this man, and the steadfastness of her friend. Silviel would be there
for her when and if she fell.
"Nobody likes a shy girl in a sexy dress. So flaunt it," Eris whispered to
her before pushing her out the door. She took the elevator down and walked
slowly to the front door, where a tall figure was inside, talking and smiling
with an elderly woman who lived on the third floor of the building.
The old woman was obviously charmed. She was a building gossip, though, and
Filia was suddenly very glad of her black coat. She pulled it a little tighter
around her and gave Xelloss a strained smile, not quite meeting his eyes. He
came forward and tried to kiss her hello, but she breezed by him, not even
looking at him, and said with a very fake cheerful note to her voice, "Shall we
go?"
He usually opened the door for her, and she could tell he was trying to get
to it, but she swung it open and stepped outside before he had a chance. She got
immediately into his car and shut the door behind her before his fingers had
even left the unlock button. His body was a little stiff as he passed in front
of the car, she noted, which meant he was put out. But he was all cheerful
smiles when he started the car, and asked vague questions that she could answer
without touching on the problems between them. They finally fell into an
uncomfortable silence, and there was a line of worry in between his eyebrows.
Through all of it, Filia had kept her coat very closed. When Xelloss gave
his keys to the valet and they stepped into the restaurant, a man was there to
take it.
She took a deep breath and removed the coat, handing it to the man. He gave
her a slip of paper to reclaim it later and she put it in her purse, seeming not
to notice Xelloss turning around and looking at her.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see him pause. It was the slightest
of movements, a small jerk of the body and widening of the eyes.
And then he was the calm, cool, smiling Xelloss she knew, moving to take her
arm and follow a waiter to their reserved table. As they walked, he bent his
head and whispered without looking at her, "You look nice." She could hear the
smile in his voice, and it warmed her. Loosened the knot in her chest a bit.
So she didn't notice the stares she got from other men as they passed.
Xelloss did, though, and he gave a few scalding glances.
They got a table in a secluded corner, with indirect lighting and romantic
music being piped through the room. Classical, mostly.
Filia glanced through the menu and looked immediately to the prices. She was
stunned. "Xelloss," she started, and he looked up at her. "Did you know this
place was so expensive?"
He smiled, a little patronizing. "Yes. I've eaten here before. You don't
think I can afford it?" He raised an eyebrow at her and his smile took on a
humorous tone.
Filia didn't look at him for a while. "Why didn't you tell me, Xelloss?" she
asked quietly.
He sighed and put down his menu, smile slipping away. "Would it have made a
difference, Filia?" he demanded.
"Kind of," she replied, motioning as if it were an understatement.
He was silent until she looked up. "That's why I didn't tell you," he said
softly. And they went back to their menus, Filia pressing her lips together, not
quite satisfied with his answer. She would have bitten her lip, but she was
afraid of getting that red lipstick on her teeth.
She got an eggplant salad and Xelloss had a chicken salad, partly so that he
wouldn't be eating a lot of meat in front of his vegetarian girlfriend. He
ordered wine, but she just requested water.
"How has your day been?" she asked quietly as the waiter set a pitcher of
ice water near Filia.
"Fair," he replied, looking at his salad. "The Ryozoku Corporation is trying
to find a way to sue us. They have nothing, though." He shot a covert glance at
the rest of the room. "Actually, that's their president over there. Valgarv.
Lousy guy." On sculpted hand toyed with his fork and he frowned, then looked up
and blinked. "Sorry. I'm boring you."
Filia gave a noncommittal head shake, looking at him from under her lashes.
So that's what his life was like. Big business, corporate takeovers, and
sizzling competition with the Ryozoku corp. He suddenly seemed very far away and
very different.
She was sitting across from a total stranger.
"I wish you wouldn't eat that," she said when he put a bit of chicken on his
fork with some lettuce. This stranger had no moral values. He ate animals. He
killed animals. Tested his products on them.
Xelloss looked at her, gauging her petulant tone. "And I wish I could be a
vegetarian. Maybe then you'd have a little more respect for me."
"Respect?!" Filia cried. "Respect?!?! I'm supposed to respect you after you
*lie* to me for three weeks, when you torture poor innocent animals for your
company's experiments, and you stand for everything I'm *against*?!" She was
getting progressively louder. "I can't believe you, you . . . UGH!" And with the
culmination of her emotion, she picked up the pitcher of water and hurled the
contents onto him.
It wasn't quite the seduction scene Eris had wanted, but it did make an
impression.
Filia grabbed her purse and walked stiffly on her high heels to reclaim her
coat -- the jolting movement of her walking made her breasts bounce as she
marched through the room. The woman handed her the black coat, Filia taking it
with a polite "thank you," her back straight, mouth firm, body rigid with anger
and flushed with embarrassment. Xelloss had started across the floor,
thoughtfully wiping at the water on his suit with the cloth napkin the
distraught waiter had brought him, when a large man in a suit approached Filia
and gripped her arm.
"Miss, you're disturbing the other customers. We're going to have to ask you
to leave. If you'll just--"
Filia looked straight into the big man's eyes and bit out, "I've had a very
bad day, so I will give you one chance to let go of me."
The man got annoyed. "Miss, please."
He was so concerned with not raising his voice that he didn't see the slim
fist coming at him until it was too late. A moment later he was clutching his
nose and Filia was thanking the doorman on her way out.
Xelloss, paying the bill, had seen the whole thing and kept a blank
expression on. He added an extra hundred dollars to the tip and told the lady
behind the counter to split it between the poor waiter and the man Filia had
punched.
Then he went outside, the cold wind slicing through his clothes and making
him shiver. Wearing ice water in winter was not a good idea.
The valets already had his car. Xelloss got in, tipped the man, and drove a
little bit ahead of where Filia was walking. She was surprisingly far for being
so impeded by her insensible shoes.
He left the engine running and got out, striding toward her. She stiffened
and turned, walking away from him as quickly as her heels would allow. Her
breasts were probably bouncing under her coat.
Filia was still annoyed, but it was dampened by her profound embarrassment.
She'd made such a spectacle of herself in there! And she'd embarrassed Xelloss
by treating him like that -- and knowing that his business rival was watching,
as well.
"Filia," he said, voice stern. "Filia, come on, get in the car." He ran to
catch up with her, but she wrenched away from him. "Stop it," he ordered,
turning her to face him. She just turned away from him, pressing her lips
tightly together.
Xelloss looked at the ground for a moment and then wrapped an arm around her
waist, picked her up, and put her in the car himself. She was too stunned to
speak, but he didn't give her time to gather her wits and got in the driver's
side.
Filia tried not to cry, but couldn't help it. She was glad of the waterproof
mascara.
What if he never wanted to see her again after this? She had envisioned
herself dumping him, but not the other way around. The prospect of it made her
stomach sour and her knees weak. The tight ball in her chest returned in full
force.
She didn't want to lose him before she could even get to know him. He must
be *so* frustrated with her. He wasn't even talking, and he was being so distant
-- shutting her out.
She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't notice Xelloss pulling
into a secluded neighborhood until they reached a gate where he pushed in a
security code.
"Where are we?" she asked softly, subdued. He looked so angry . . .
"My home," he said, voice clipped. He didn't even look at her.
Filia sank further into her seat, depressed. I guess we do have to talk, she
thought. He would want to break up with me in private, instead of embarrassing
either of us further. He's so thoughtful . . . She shook her head and stopped
those thoughts. She would just concentrate on getting through this evening
without breaking into tears.
Xelloss let her out of the car in the garage and led her into the house,
hanging his keys on a peg by the door. The garage led into the kitchen, which
was huge and beautifully decorated in dark blues and whites. Outside of that was
a hallway that led to the living room, which had tall, draped windows and a very
high ceiling. Xelloss turned on a lamp and Filia stood nervously, pulling her
coat tighter around her and not looking right at him.
"I guess . . . we have some--"
He kissed her. Filia was so stunned that for a long moment she didn't
respond, just stood there in his embrace, uncertain of what to do. And then the
surprise wore off and she kissed him back, her knees weakening to the point that
he was almost totally supporting her.
Xelloss pushed her back onto the couch and continued to kiss her, hands
under the coat, running up and down her back and dipping down to trail lightly
across her bottom.
Filia was flushed and breathing heavily when he pulled back, his eyes glazed
and not a little unmussed himself. She fought to collect her thoughts.
"You . . . aren't mad at me?" she was confused.
Xelloss blinked at her, startled. "Mad?" He seemed even more confused than
she was.
"You didn't talk to me in the car," she whispered, a twinge of shame
returning. She'd been so . . . *horrible* to him in the restaurant! "You didn't
even look at me." She gave an apprehensive look up through her lashes and
Xelloss was nearly floored by how pretty she looked, reclining in the couch
pillows, cheeks flushed and lips swollen, her coat gaping wide open to show him
those delicious curves.
"Filia," he murmured, smiling and nipping at her sweet white throat, "I
wasn't mad." He lifted his head and actually blushed a little. "I . . . well, it
was really sexy the way you hit that guy." He growled a little in his throat and
kissed her cheeks, the fervor creeping into his touch again.
"But," she gasped, pushing him a little away, "I poured water all over you!
And in front of people you know!"
He grinned. "It was probably for the best. I wouldn't really want to
advertise how much I like you the moment I stand up."
Her eyes widened. "You were already . . ." she glanced down at his pants and
back up to his face. He chuckled again.
"Just a little." He contemplated her fondly. "I always am when I'm with you.
You're a beautiful woman."
Filia's head spun. This was certainly news!
"Filia," his eyes were dark again, and his mouth lowered to hers. Soon, his
hands were running over her thighs and her legs were around his waist. She was
pressing herself against him as firmly as she could, and he finally picked her
up and stood, settling her more firmly on his hips, and kissed her hot and hard.
She was straining against him, some inner fire making her want to get closer.
One of Xelloss's hands was tangled in her hair, and the other was supporting
her position on his body. He had to stop kissing her, though, to take her
upstairs. She kissed and licked and nipped at his neck the whole way, and there
were two or three times that he had to stop and push her up against the wall for
a brief indulgence in his own passion.
But they finally reached the master bedroom and he put her on the bed,
running his tongue along her lips and thinking of the way she'd stalked away
from him that evening, legs firm, breasts . . . He groaned and slipped the
straps of her dress down -- she'd left the coat in the living room.
And Filia didn't protest -- not to a single thing that night . . .
She woke up to sunshine and the smell of pancakes. The spot beside her in the
bed was empty, and it took her a moment to remember what had happened the night
before. She moved her legs experimentally and winced a little. Ouch. That would
ache for the rest of the day . . . Feeding the animals on set would be hel--
Filia cursed and scrambled out of bed, her legs nearly giving out at the
shock of being used again so soon. She grabbed her red dress and found a
bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her, and taking a moment to use
the toilet.
Then, while she washed her hands, she took stock. She had small bruises in
various places where Xelloss had bitten her or been a bit too rough. She blushed
at the marks on her breasts and bemoaned her tangled hair. It would take hours
to get those out. The crust around her eyes, mixed with her old eye-makeup, was
disgusting. She washed it off first -- all but the waterproof mascara.
Which, thankfully, didn't look too strange.
She looked longingly at the shower, but just slipped her dress back on and
ran her fingers through her hair, hoping she didn't look too rumpled. Or,
rather, hoping she didn't look too much like she'd had sex last night.
Before she left the bathroom, she spotted a tube of toothpaste and put some
on her finger, rubbing it all over her teeth. She really wasn't quite sure why
she cared, but she wanted to have a semi-clean mouth when she saw Xelloss again.
She rinsed and gargled and spat, and decided that the present freshness of
her mouth would have to do.
Then she came out, picking up her stockings and underwear from the floor.
She gave them a brief fragrance test and decided not to try wearing them again.
They'd just make her smell funny.
She found her shoes near the bed, one underneath it, and carried all the
items down the stairs, moving as quietly as possible.
Xelloss saw her as she passed by the kitchen doorway, and he set the pan off
the hot eye to walk into the living room. Filia was picking up her coat and
purse, heading for the door. He leaned against it, waiting for her.
"I have to get to work," she looked at the doorknob and then his face,
knowing he had to move and let her out. "I'm already really late."
"No you don't," he shook his head and smiled. "I called Lina and told her to
inform the director that you were sick and couldn't come into work today." At
Filia's surprise, he shrugged. "I figured you needed to sleep in after . . .
well, last night." The look he gave her made her heart speed up and her knees
shudder in a way that affected all the new aches and pains she'd gotten. He
stepped forward and kissed her hair tenderly. "Why don't you go upstairs and
take a shower, change, and I'll have breakfast done when you get down."
Filia wasn't sure whether she should protest or not, but his lips moved
gently to hers and she lost all thought for a long minute. When she was quite
breathless, he released her and ushered her to the stairs, smiling sweetly as
she climbed them, too dazed to protest.
Filia found some towels and a washcloth and got into the steamy water of the
shower.
It was heaven to get clean. She scrubbed her hair and her face and all the
bruised, achy parts of her body. She trailed her hands gently over her soapy
stomach and thought about Xelloss's hands there, tracing the same curves.
She sighed as her stomach growled, spoiling the moment. "Okay, okay, I'll
feed you," she murmured to it, and rinsed the soap and shampoo all off.
After blow-drying her hair, she went into Xelloss's room and dug through his
drawers. She finally found an oversized t-shirt to slip into -- it fell to
mid-thigh and she was secretly pleased with how much leg was left bare. Maybe
Xelloss would still find her attractive . . . or maybe he wouldn't like her
anymore now that he'd had her . . .
She kept her mind planted firmly on the kiss he'd given her before sending
her upstairs and went down. Xelloss was working on the eggs, a big plate of
fluffy pancakes near his elbow on the counter. He glanced up when she entered
and winked, smiling.
"It'll be ready in a minute, if you'd like to get out the orange juice."
She silently complied, holding the neck of the button-up shirt closed
nervously at her throat, and didn't look at him.
After she'd found cups and poured two glasses of juice, she went back over
to him. He was just finishing more pancakes. There was a small plate of bacon by
the pancakes on the counter. She wrinkled her nose at it and sighed.
"Xelloss, we need to talk." He glanced up at her, eyes questioning but not
concerned. "You know I'm against some of your business practices -- like the use
of animal testing. And . . . I'm not asking for special privilege because I'm
your girlfriend," Eris will kill me, she thought grimly, "but I am asking you to
consider making a change -- as a concerned citizen." She blushed a little as he
looked at her speculatively, an impish little gleam in his eye. He put an arm
around her and pulled her close, one hand still on the pan as he kissed her
neck.
"A very sexy concerned citizen," he replied with a wink, and calmly flipped
the pancakes.
She kept her patience -- which was easier than she was willing to admit.
"Yes, but what about the animals?"
"They save us money," was all he said, putting the pancakes on a plate and
turning the eye off.
Filia could just stare at him. Had she heard him right? Was he naturally
this cold and callus or was it just on this matter? And . . . how dare he be
rude to her?! HER! She refused to acknowledge that maybe he *did* have a right
to ignore this subject in his own home and simply sputtered for a moment, fury
raging. "What the HELL?!?! You care more about money than the lives of innocent
creatures?! What kind of a monster ARE you?!"
He waited for her to finish her rant before kissing her. When he did kiss
her, she clung to him, first in surprise and then in something else, returning
his desire reluctantly and then with fervor. He pushed her up and settled her
onto the edge of the table, kissing her again. "You know, you're incredibly sexy
when you're angry. I've already told you that, but apparently you didn't
listen," he murmured into her willing ear, working to take off his pants -- he
had to stop for a moment to undo the belt, and looked at her while he did. She
was leaning back on her arms, chest thrust toward him and eyes dazed with need.
Her lips were swollen from his administrations and her thighs were spread wide,
waiting for him.
It was that sight that made him pause and something sprang into his mind,
sending chills through him. His voice, no longer thick with passion, brought
Filia out of her foggy reverie and her legs automatically crept closer together.
"Are you on birth control?" he asked, eyes sharp and questing. Serious.
Filia's legs *snapped* together and she sat up, eyes widening. "I never
needed it before," she whispered.
Xelloss cursed, quickly redoing his belt, and continued cursing as he backed
up and ran a hand through his hair. He wouldn't look at her, either, and that
was what Filia found hardest to deal with. After a long moment of silence,
holding his head in his hands, Xelloss turned and went upstairs. Filia, alone,
slipped off the edge of the table, ashamed at herself for being so wanton and
furious with herself for allowing him such easy access of her body.
Easy. That's what she was. Easy.
Tears formed in her eyes. He didn't want her anymore. He was angry with her
for her stupidity. She hadn't protected herself from pregnancy and if she got
pregnant from this, they were both in trouble.
Or maybe just she was. He had every right to break up with her and just send
her child support, refusing to take any kind of active part in the baby's life.
He would be the type -- he killed animals, after all.
When she'd finally made herself turn to get her things and leave (she would
call Silviel and have her pick her up), Xelloss came trotting back down the
stairs, face grim and hand clenched around something. She stared at him,
frightened, realizing just how weak she was compared to him. What if his anger
turned to violence? She was physically fit for most intents and purposes, but no
match for him in strength.
He shoved some pills at her and told her to take them.
"What are they?" she asked, picking up a glass of orange juice.
"Birth control. You take them the following morning. You should be fine
now." He didn't look at her.
Filia took the pills miserably and set the juice back down on the table.
Xelloss told her to sit and eat -- she didn't want to, but he insisted and sat
across from her as she unhappily put a pancake on her plate and drizzled syrup
over it.
He didn't eat -- just sat and stared at his plate instead. Every swallow
felt as big as a tennis ball to her, and the one pancake felt like a lead weight
in her stomach.
When she was done, he offered to drive her home. She accepted gracefully --
meaning she didn't break down in tears as she whispered her assent.
She put the black coat on over the too-big shirt and he gave her a bag to
carry her other clothes in. The whole time, they didn't say anything to each
other unless it was absolutely necessary -- and then only in short sentences and
monosyllables.
He took her to the front of her apartment building. She hesitated before
getting out.
"Are you mad at me?" she whispered.
He didn't answer right away. "Filia . . ." he sighed, "I'll call you." And
nothing else. She could feel the vibes coming off him in waves: *leave, leave,
leave, leave, leave.*
Tears in her eyes, she picked up her bag and clutched her coat tightly shut,
stepping out of the car and walking slowly to the front doors, unlocking them
and letting herself in. She looked back only once, but he was already gone.