Notes: I have to confess this was by far my favorite chapter to write in this plot.
let's see what you all think.
She didn't need to open her eyes to know something was different. It had to be. The burning itch of silver was gone replaced by…..well by nothing.
"My sweet Juliette, why are thou so fair?"
Again, the waking vampire didn't open her eyes as she nuzzled her now unscared cheek into the soft caressing fingers ticking along her skin. "Cal?" as soon as her hunter's name had left her lips Juliette wanted to slam her hand against her forehead with how ridiculous the more questioning part of her lover's name was.
Of course, it was her hunter. She was loathed to be in such an intimate position as this with any other after finding her other half. Like her mother had before her finding her mate among the humans and then entrusting her love to safeguard her heart.
A rare moment of actual serenity before the oncoming storm already darkening the horizon beyond the leafy canopy of their haven. Her head pillowed against her lover's leaf-covered lap. Cal's fingers carding soft and sure thought her hair as they reclined together under the shaded protection of Mother Lilith's tree. The ripened fruit over their heads gives off its tempting flavor in the air. Not nearly as tempting to the legacy's pallet as her hunter's natural scent but no less appealing in its own way.
As if to prove her point the one above her gives a low chuckle. "you were expecting someone else?"
At once Juliette's eyes fly open as she sits up at what should have been too quickly a speed from her resting place across her hunter's lap with a hasty "no, no of course not. I want it to be you. I want you."
Again, her half-dressed hunter chuckles low at her more amusing antics as Calliope's fingers catch the legacy's jaw her thumb lightly following the path of what should have been a sliver laced cut from her father's spear. "You already have me, Jules." Her dark-eyed hunter soothes leaning in to rest her forehead against Juliette's own.
The shorter of the two let out a grateful breath at the reminder. "and you have me, Cal." She echoes wrapping her much steadier arms around her hunter's shoulders. "Forever." She adds far more playfully now as she leans in to press her lips to her hunter's.
After a few allowed beats of light kissing, it was Cal that pulled back long enough to ask a deliberate "If that's true then why haven't you woken up?"
"What?" Juliette questioned in a breath of a laugh. "I am awake." The legacy argued already trying to lean in once more for another kiss as if to prove her point.
The low hiss of the mother serpent signals the two to look up in tandem watching as the great snake slowly slithered down the tree trunk until it had coolly draped itself along Cal's shoulders.
"No, Jules you're not." Her hunter confesses the hand not still cupping the blonde's jaw moving to gently stroke over the Emerald Malkia's scaled head. "You're not and it's scaring me."
"You have nothing to be scared about, Cal." Juliette promised as the sky darkened a few more ominous shades overhead.
"You're scaring me, Jules." Cal repeats her eyes taking on a much more glazed look the longer her companion looks into them. "I can't think, I can't fight." The panicked hunter lists off. "I'm too scared. I'm scared I've lost you. I can't lose you, Jules. Not now. Not after everything." She goes on her tone ever wavering despite the bloody tear tracks staining her hunter's cheeks as she talked. "I can't fight, Jules." She whispered, "I can't fight without something to fight for."
"Can't fight?" Juliette parroted "Why would you need to fight, Cal? We're practically in Eden. There's no reason to fight." The legacy reminded the same time another bruised peach fell from the swaying branches overhead to join the slow collection of its fellows scattered around the two sitting underneath.
"You have to wake up Jules." Her hunter begged. "wake up and fight for me. Fight with me." She coxed. "Give me a reason to keep going."
Juliette was openly crying now too. Her arms locked tightly around her hunter's neck as she molded herself against Cal's strategically leave-covered front. "I don't want to fight anymore Cal; I just want to be with you. To be happy. With you." She argued hiding her face against Cal's neck as the mother serpent slithered quietly from Cal's shoulders to her own.
"But what's life without a little chaos every once and a while." Her hunter jokes her warm breath ticking Juliette's ear like the low hiss of the mother serpent now resting comfortably and claiming across the legacy's shoulders. "Keeps things interesting."
Jules gives a watery half attempt at a laugh at that nuzzling her face deeper against the dip of her hunter's shoulders. "don't give up, you hear me, Cal. Don't you dare give up." She coxes already feeling the tired sage of the body she was clinging to.
"She's too strong." Her hunter laments her soft fingers clawing hard at her legacy's smooth back holding on even more tightly than Jules was to her.
"Then it's time to even the playing field." Juliette decided feeling more than seeing the serpent coiled at her neck to press that much closer against the cords of her throat.
"H….how?" Cal questioned completely puzzled by the coy comment.
Jules only grins with a cocky "trust me" as her lips press hard and reassuring against Cal's own bloodied ones. The legacy's tongue flicked out to soothe the stinging cut of her hunter's split lip making Cal groan in longing against her mouth as the kiss deepened.