S U B T L E
Zaine poured himself a second cup of coffee, silently admiring Lily as she dancing about the kitchen, graceful as ever.
"Plans for today?" he asked.
"None," she said, glancing up as she scooped copious amounts of sugar into her tea. So much so, that he swiped a hand out, closing his fist over hers as she went in for another. "Yeah, yeah, diabetes," she said, relinquishing the spoon into the sugarbowl and picking up her own to stir her now-mostly sugar tea. It made his teeth hurt just looking at it.
Zaine pursed his lips. He knew he needed to start pushing her to see Tucker, but part of him didn't want to. He was not fully confident he wouldn't lose her - but if he protested, it would look like he was hiding something. Why was it that when it came to Lily he was always at some tactical disadvantage? He didn't know. As if she could hear his thoughts, she looked at him, brow arched.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
He sighed. "I think," he said, setting down his cup and approaching her in two steps, "that you should visit Tucker today."
"Zaine." He could tell in her voice that she was
not in agreement. She set her own mug down, far more sharply than his. "I don't think I want to. Not yet."
"Yet is never going to come if you keep putting this off," he warned her.
"He could be dangerous," she pressed.
"I
am dangerous," he replied, reaching out to touch the scar on her neck gently. She moved out of his reach quickly, like he'd stung her.
"That's not the same," she said, looking away. She put her own hand up to cover it, crossing her other arm and pulling into herself.
"Lily," he chided softly. "Don't do that. You know it's the truth."
She may have been past it, but she didn't like to be reminded of it. She had never felt such fear, seen such blood. She looked up at him. "Don't, okay? Don't compare the situations."
He held his hands up. "Okay," he agreed. "My point was, you've dealt with dangerous. Made it your slave, in fact," he added with a chuckle. He saw her roll her eyes, but he knew he had her, because she turned around so he wouldn't see her smile
just a little. "You'll be fine going to sit down and talk. Can't kill you by talking to you, unless he's gotten a new ability we don't know about."
"Slave?" she repeated, her voice impish. She'd chosen to ignore everything else.
"Maybe I exaggerated."
"No, no, I like the sound of that." She turned around again, this time smirking. "Come closer, slave," she commanded.
"You don't have to order me to come closer, Lily," he said, but he did. He stopped right in front of her, thick brows knit as he looked down at her. "I really think -" he stopped, having now found her finger pressed against his lips. He actually jumped a little - he hadn't expect it, and his muscles tensed to attack. When he exhaled slowly through his nose, he realized Lily was
staring at him, looking intently into his brown eyes. It was like she knew she'd started him.
"Kiss me."
He obliged. First, her lips, then her cheek, and then her neck, lightly pressing down on the scar tissue that was his own dental imprint. She sighed against him, and inwardly he smiled, knowing that she had let the argument go. A few more of those and she'd forgive him. She always did.
"Okay," he said, pulling back. "I've got to go to work. And you've got nothing on your agenda today...?" He trailed, trying to see if she would give him any plans for her time off. He took a step back from her fully intending to go finish grab his coat and keys, but she jumped on him, complaining that he didn't have an exact time he needed to be in. He went backwards, navigating until he was sure he had something behind him, then dropped onto the couch with her, effectively pinned down.
"You're right," he said, trying to talk between kisses, "I don't have to be in at a certain time, but at least by noon because Lucien and I have a thing - Lily!" he protested.
She sat up, clearly irritated that he was trying to stop her. Weren't Serpiente supposed to be perpetually ready to go? Lately it was like she'd been chasing him in a circle, and it was seriously messing with her self-esteem. Of course, Zaine knew that, too. It was why he'd been so often not 'in the mood' as of late.
"What?" she demanded. "I'm starting to feel
rejected," she admitted.
Ah, there it was. He sat up, hands to her hips as she maintained her balance on top of him. "Lily, trust me, I want you," he said, laughing a little. "If I could cancel my meetings today and stay home all day, I would. But I
need to have a sit-down with Lucien. You're not there, now, so you don't see how busy it's become. And besides," he said, "you need to go see Tucker. Now, Lily,
dont fight me on this," he argued, already seeing her open her mouth.
"He could hurt me," she said, as though that were her excuse.
"
I could hurt you," he countered, bringing the argument back full circle. "But I won't. And I don't think he will, either. They said he's been doing really good with his progress. He's been cleared to have weekends with Alice," he added.
Lily frowned, but she didn't reply, which Zaine took as concession. She slid off his lap to the couch cushion next to him, frowning. Idly, she took Zaine's hand in her own, raising it to give it a kiss. "You would never," she mumbled, and it was anyone's guess who she was reassuring - herself or him.
Zaine lifted his other hand to look at his watch, and then sighed. "Okay, I really do need to go," he said. He turned, giving her a parting kiss, and held her face for a moment. "Go see him. He could use a familiar face." And with that, he ignored any further protest from her, getting up to grab his keys. He'd have to speed so he wouldn't be late, but the subtle ways in which he began to pull Lily's strings only presented themselves in limited opportunities, and he'd have to arrange to meet them accordingly.