A Most Dangerous Tango

[Juno]

Caden went along with her, enjoying the simple playfulness she showed as she crawled to lean over him. His purr surged a bit for the feel of her hands in his hair, and his face gradually turned to one of sheepish helplessness as he knew he could hardly do a damned thing about it. Her kisses, though. Ah, her kisses.

It was such a tease, having her there showering him with affection. "You like it?" he asked slowly after giving a soft hiss for the light, fluttery nipping at his neck. So she does like it, he concluded, smiling in his amusement.

Looking up at her, he lowered his hands down along her back until they rested at her waist. So beautiful... I wish every day could be like this. Closing his eyes as she pressed gentler, slower kisses to his face, Caden felt very relaxed with her. It was nice. Simple. She felt like home.

His purring persisted in a steady, rolling rumble over and over again as he opened his eyes again to meet her own. Wait, what was that?! His wild eyes widening as she swooped down to kiss him, Caden made a quick decision to roll them over. After a time, their lips finally separating for a brief moment, he leaned over her with all the hope of a child in his eyes. "What did you say?" he whispered, brushing lips cautiously again as a redness rose against his neck and face.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris did not fight him as he rolled them both over. A blush warmed her cheeks at the look he was giving her, though. Unable to contain herself she began to giggle. "You look a little boy on his birthday," she told him. "Come here," she beckoned pulling him closer until they were forehead to forehead and nose to nose.

She stared at him, becoming entranced by his eyes again. Mahogany and violet shared a moment of anticipation and hope. Not answering, Tiraris lovingly kissed Caden again. She kept her eyes open, letting him see all the love she felt inside, letting him see her for who she really was.

Pulling away gently, she gave him a soft smile before leaning up to his left ear. "I love you," she crooned into it. She then turned and whispered it again in his right ear. This one she bit and nibbled at, once more running her hands through his hair. She clung to him now, not wanting him to see her face. She buried her face in his throat listening to the soothing rumbles of his purring and his heartbeat.

'There is no going back now. He knows now. Come what may, he is now the keeper of my heart.' She smiled and said it a little louder. "I love you."

[Juno]

The demon leaned closer at her beckoning, the flush of color not even hinting at letting up anytime soon. Even with their gazes locked, however, his eyes flickered around nervously as he studied her irises. Would she say it? Would she let him hear or tease him? Even through their kiss he wondered as he studied her eyes carefully. Please...I want to hear...

As she leaned close he lowered his head. The feel of her hands in his hair still caused little hitches to his breath, but those sweet words? A sigh of relief forced its way to the surface as he nuzzled against her even as she continued to repeat it for him. The little sharp pricks as she nibbled at his ear only caused a darker red to show. Caden hoped she couldn't see it through the darkness and shadows.

"Tiraris," he whispered against her, rubbing his cheek against her hair as she settled herself against his throat again. Chuckling softly, he said, "You really do like the purring, don't you?"

Remaining verbally quiet for a time, he pondered his next move as he held onto her, kept her close. "Can I tell you a secret?" he whispered against her ear, making sure to press stealthy lips to her neck.

[GoblinFae]

She laughed as he commented on the purring again. "It is like my own personal lullaby. A song only you can sing and only I can hear," she said nuzzling herself closer to him.

The moment was so peaceful that she began to fall asleep right there in the safety of his arms. 'I could spend the rest of my life right here and never want for anything again. I feel like I could do anything. I would do anything he asked to just stay by his side like this.'

His voice tickled against her delicate ear. 'A secret? What kind of secret? Is this a good thing or a bad thing? Caden, please do not ruin the moment! I just gave you my heart, do not force me to leave it behind.'

She nodded her head that she would listen. Inwardly, she was frightened. She did not want to lose him and believed that whatever he had to say would tear them apart once more. 'Please Caden. I cannot survive the separation a third time,' her mind begged.

[Juno]

He chuckled softly under his breath when she did not speak but nodded instead. Even as a wave of nervousness washed over him he kept his head bent to press airy kisses all along her neck. Moving down, he stopped at her collarbone and then lifted his head to look her properly in the eye.

"I love you, Tiraris," he whispered, the words coming slowly a grin overtaking his features as he leaned down to kiss her properly. His hands wandered down toward her hips, where they stayed. His affections were gradually slipping into something more carnal, even as he tried to steady himself, tried to keep himself from it. His resolve was slowly crumbling away.

Please accept me...accept the truth. I'm not just saying it because you did and you know that...please show me you know that...

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris lay there frozen, her mind in overdrive. 'He...loves...me? He loves me? Me? Love? He loves me. Gods above he said he loves me! He loves me!' The realization was slow. No one had ever said those words to her and actually meant them, not even her parents.

Coming back into focus, she realized that he was looking at her in expectation. 'He thinks I am going to reject him. Oh, Caden it is far too late for that. You already have sole possession of my heart.'

Gently she rolled them over again and sat up on his lap. For a long moment she just stared at him impassively trying to come to a decision. 'How do I show him? How do I tell him I know, I understand, when I do not know what love is? Love is not sex. I do not want this to be about that. This is so much more that, at least I want it to be.'

Reaching out she took his left hand in her right and placed it over her heart and held it there. Her left snaked over, caressing his chest before resting over his own heart. "Do you feel the beating Caden? It is not real. It is just an echo of something I once had. My heart is no longer my own because I gave it to you, Hrydayesh, lord of my heart." She looked at him with pure, unadulterated love in her eyes, trying to convey everything she could into that single moment.

She laid down beside him, her head on his chest, fingers dancing around making patterns only she understood. "I have a secret to tell you too," she said breaking the silence. "I let you believe something that is not true." She stopped her fidgeting, listening and tensing for the slightest indication that he would be angry. "I was not hired to kill you."

[Juno]

All at once she'd effortlessly slipped them back again. Caden allowed it, trusting it was probably best for them right now. With violet eyes trained on her, he smiled wryly as he let her place his hand. Splaying fingers over her heart, he glanced down as she moved her other hand across his chest before settling it over his own heart.

The particular tenderness in his eyes was something he hoped and prayed she could see. Her words caused his heart to swell and a knot to coil in his throat again as he struggled to keep his breathing steady. It felt so right, so perfect and comfortable with her. She's...my home now.

As Tiraris laid beside him, Caden kept an arm around her as he just enjoyed her warmth and rare cuddliness. It wasn't long before she spoke up again, though, and he was definitely interested if she had something else to share with him. The subject, however, was not what he'd expected at all. What is it? She...lied about something? It wasn't this, was it? It was soon revealed and Caden just stared at her for a long while before saying anything.

Why would she do that? Why would she put me through such pain if she says she loves me... "If...if you weren't hired to kill me, then why did you tell me you were going to? ...are you going to kill me for reasons other than being hired to?" His questioning was slow but serious. He didn't want her to think he was furious because he wasn't, but his mind was definitely scrambling to find a reason for her to do this.

[GoblinFae]

She buried her head in his shoulder, listening to his questions. "I was angry. Humans say stupid things when they are like that. I said it in the heat of the moment out of frustration, not meaning a word of it. Then, because I wanted to protect you, I let you keep thinking it."

Sitting up she made sure to look him in the eye. "I am not here to kill you Caden, nor do I have any desire to." She sighed curling her legs into her chest and placed her chin atop them.

"People get hurt because of me. People die because of me Caden. I did not want that to be you. Up until now I did not know what love was. Even now I am unsure of what it means. What we have, is special. But, I do not know what to do and I am so afraid of losing it."

She looked around anywhere but at him. "I do not know haw to say this. I do not want to lose you. Caden, I was not lying about being hired. I really am here to kill someone. Gods about how do I tell you this." She ran her hands nervously through her hair, tugging sharply at it. "I am here to kill Remina," she blurted out.

Looking up at him to catch his reaction she rephrased it to make it perfectly clear to him. There would be no misunderstandings this time around. "I was hired to kill your sister Remina." She looked back down hiding her face behind her crimson curtain. "And I still intend to follow through with it."

[Juno]

What did she mean? She couldn't be serious, this had to be a joke! Right...?

Caden watched her as she spoke, his eyes losing that bright glow in exchange for something entirely humbled and sad. He didn't even know what he should be thinking as he held onto the woman who'd just told him she was here to kill his sister and meant to carry on with that plan.

This cannot be real... A cruel trick...that's what it is. This has to be a joke, a trick, a lie... Has to be.

Offering a sad smile and a forced sigh and chuckle, he reached to run his other hand through that hair so he could see the face he held carefully. "You... This is another joke, right?" he asked, the question full of pain.

Of course he'd known his sister had someone after her, but he hadn't had any idea it would be Tiraris. "Is that why we met?" he asked slowly, eyes suddenly dropping to look at the hand touching her instead of meeting her eyes. His features tensed as he felt himself straining to not volley off a string of questions and frustrations.

It would have been her either way, he told himself as he clenched his eyes shut at the thought of the woman he'd fallen for so quickly only being after his sister. She would have been the one whether it happened like this or not. Don't question it. Don't make this hurt her, too... Don't do it. Don't ask.

"Why are you telling me this?"

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris shook her head sadly. "Caden when have I ever joked with you? I am not lying. I am not joking. I am speaking only the truth now. I was hired to kill your sister and I gave my word I would or die trying. My word is my bond. I have no other choice."

She gave a small nod of her head next. "Yes, I went looking for you for information on your sister. Caden, I..." her voice faded as she realized it would be no use. 'How do you tell the person you love that your first meeting is when you started falling? How do you say that things did not go according to plan and you are happy for that? You try and hope he understands.'

"I do love you Caden. When we first met I was using you. But, as the night wore on and the games became less seductive I began to like you. When I threw you out I was so upset that I cried the whole night. When morning came I decided to find your sister on my own and not seek you out again. I did not want to complicate things and I did not want to get hurt. That whole month without you was hell. One night with you and I felt like I would never be whole again, like I was one half of a soul, a soul that you had the other half to. I feel pulled to you. No matter how much I resist, how much I try to push you away, to save you from the destruction I bring, I keep ending up right back at the beginning."

She stood up moving to where she had placed her armor. From the pile she pulled out her dagger, the same one she had thrown through a wall a month ago. She placed the hilt in Caden's hand and knelt on the bed in front of him, sharing his gaze. "I know how much you love your sister. I cannot stop myself, so you must." She reached forward taking his hand and positioned the blade at her heart.

"Do it Caden. There is nothing there anymore now. I gave you my heart. What beats within my chest is but a cruel forgery, a fake, for you hold the real thing. I do mean it when I say I love you. But," she began to choke up and her vision blurred with unshed tears. "But, I know that I cannot put myself between you and Remina. You are hundreds of years old and can find someone else to love, someone prettier, and smarter, and" the tears crashed from her eyes, "and who can love you better."

'Hold it together Tiraris. If you start sobbing he will lose his nerve and this will just cycle through again and again. You knew it could not last. Do not fight the ending now, not when you have come so far.' She hung her head, waiting for the killing blow. 'I love you, Caden. I really do.'

[Juno]

He understood, but these were difficult truths to hear. What he saw before him was a woman heartbroken, his eyes picking up all of the signs in her body language, her voice and the obvious welling of tears to her eyes. From the moment he saw her go for the dagger he felt the creeping crush of a weight on his chest even as he scrambled to sit up.

She feels it? She knows what it's like...

When she forced the dagger to his hand? A slap across the face.  Her putting it to her chest? A rage began burning that soon flared as she asked him to take her life. "Coward," he muttered coldly, snatching the blade away from her and slamming it into the wall above the bed. "How dare you," he growled, eyes narrowing sharply as he grabbed her up by her arms and pulled her close. It was possessive, as if someone else had threatened her and not herself.

"I can take care of myself, Tiraris," he snarled, keeping his arms locked around her and refusing to allow her to make any rash decisions. "How dare you say there is nothing when we have everything before us now! Everything! How dare you ask me to kill you! How dare you ask me to choose another! I cannot!" he bit, his breath coming raggedly as he tried to calm himself enough to speak to her properly.

"My sister is different from my love!" he strained on the words, his hands desperately clinging to her. "I cannot replace you! And I have absolutely no intentions of ever harming you either, Tiraris!" Caden felt his claws stir and jaw ache as fangs threatened to burst through for the shaking anger coursing through him. "I love you! Do you not understand what that means for me? For you? For us? It is different. It's different for us! My sister...will always be my sister, but you are the woman I must be with. I will not kill you. No matter how much you may beg and plead I will never do it. Never!"

And what of his allegiance to family? His sister? Even Caden did not yet know what fate would befall the D'Andarces.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris was startled by him calling her a coward and throwing the knife. She flinched and tensed as he pulled her in close. The fire and love in his eyes frightened her. She had never seen its ilk before. 'Can you Caden? Can you really protect yourself from me? No one else has managed, what makes you so different? Funny, though. Remina said the same thing.'

"I ask it of you because you must!" she shouted back. "I cannot be what you want of me. One way or another this ends in heartbreak, Caden. I am a poison, a pestilence on love. My parents would not even love me growing up, what makes you think you can do better? I, who has never had a family, wishes to protect yours and you ridicule me for it! Why are you driving me to do this? She is your family, not me! You are beautiful and caring. Kind and funny. What could you possible want with me? Why am I so special that you can no other to replace me?"

She was furious and hurt. She did not want this. She did not want her last moments to be arguing with him. One way or another she would die. If he would not do it than either she or Remina would. Tiraris reached for the magic within her and was shocked to find it dormant. Despite, her fury and pain, it had not risen to protect her.

'What is the meaning of this? Why can I not feel that which has always been such a large part of me? Why can I not feel the energy anymore?'

"What have you done to me?" she hissed at him accusingly. Her hands came at him clawing cruelly at his face, his arms, anything she could reach. She screamed and growled trying to fight her way out of his grasp. Like a cornered cat, she was out for blood and was willing to die trying.

'Come on Caden, lash out. It would not take much now to release the demon inside. Let it go and I will stop the fight. One last thing for me Caden and I will bother you no more.'

[Juno]

How had it become this way? This woman who had cried over him and confessed her feelings to him was now asking him to kill her and move on to find another for his heart. If someone had told him earlier that this would be happening right now he wouldn't have believed them for the world.

"I will do better." But what did he want with her? Why was she so special? Before he could even hope to begin explaining she was lashing out and screaming at him. Caden growled right back, though, wincing as her nails raked her nails across his skin. Tilting his head up helped to keep her away from his face, but his arms, chest, and neck were still taking a beating. "Stop it, Tiraris!" he roared, tightening his grip and forcing her closer to try and keep her from drawing any more blood than she just had.

Every fiber of his being screamed to release that darker side, to let the monster out to do what it pleased. His eyes glowed with a decided fierceness but still he kept his control of it all.

"If you calm down and quit making threats I will explain it all to you," he told her with as little emotion as he could muster, not looking down at her even as he felt the tickling of blood dancing across his skin. "And if you refuse then you will be made to calm down," he warned. "I've had enough of this...if you aren't going to let me tell you then you need to quit making assumptions."

[GoblinFae]

Even as he roared in her face she refused to let up. She just fought him harder. Her desire was clear and she fought to complete her final mission. 'One of us has to die, Caden. I chose me.'

Every muscle in her body strained as she flailed and lashed about. "I will not calm down!" she roared back childishly. Seeing her chance she slugged him angrily in the jaw. "It does not matter anymore! I am a grown woman, let me make my own decisions!"

She saw it in his eyes, he was close to losing it. 'Let go Caden, let go. It will be better this way. Just let go.' He pulled her closer placing her face in line with his neck and throat. "I hate you," she cruelly spat at him. "I hate you!" she screamed out again latching her teeth onto the juncture where shoulder meets neck and drawing blood.

'I love you, Caden,' her mind wept.

[Juno]

His jaw stinging like mad, Caden growled for her childish defiance. It only infuriated him further as she started screaming about hating him, the thought that she would spout such lies caused such a livid glower to persist even as she bit at him.

Hardly feeling a thing for the adrenaline surging through his veins, Caden grabbed Tiraris roughly by her shoulders and tore her off of him as he pushed her down to the bed. Unceremoniously, he laid himself across her to not give her any chance at all doing any real damage if she decided to start kicking as well. Grabbing her arms, he hovered over her as he struggled against her to force her arms down beside her head. "I told you I would make you," he growled, those eyes still glowing bright violet, the action so unnatural for any human.

"Say you're sorry for lying," he demanded, lowering his face close to hers as he bared his now fully shifted fangs at her. "And don't you dare think about biting me again or you'll really have a reason to be sorry."

[GoblinFae]

'There you are pet.' She almost smirked when he threw her back and pinned her down. It was so close; soon she would win. She was only sorry that Caden would have to pay the price of regret for it. 'Come on Caden, get angry!'

She glared fiercely back at him. Her mahogany eyes  seemed to bleed to crimson as the fires of her angry glowed through. Her jaw was clenched tightly while the rest of her body remained tensed, ready to spring at the first chance she got.

She bared her pathetic human teeth right back at him before deciding on a different tactic. She closed her eyes, ignoring him and blatantly refusing to apologize. 'If I cannot see you, then you must be not there. Go ahead Caden,' she internally challenged, 'do your worst.'

[Juno]

She wasn't saying anything at all, just glaring. When she closed her eyes and he realized what she was doing, Caden strained to not react explosively. Stubborn...just stubborn... Relax, relax... He felt that rise beginning to fade again. Frustrated that she wouldn't talk, he just kept her there for a long while as he just breathed, trying to gain that calmer strength back. It was working.

"You torture my very soul, woman," he whispered harshly. "But I will never stop loving you. Not for a minute, not for a second. Never at all. So you can stop this nonsense now." Then, he leaned to close that space, placing a few swift kisses to her cheek before claiming her lips hungrily. He didn't care what she did, if she bit him again or kicked or punched. Any way she fought he would just keep her down, too stubborn to let her leave this situation before it was settled to his satisfaction.

[GoblinFae]

Tiraris could feel it. The tension was there but the anger was fading. 'No Caden! Hold on to it! Hate me for needing to, for wanting to kill Remina!'

She remained in her frozen position not even reacting as he butterflied kisses against her flushed cheeks. It was only when he pressed a bruising kiss to her lips that she reacted. Like a mad woman she began to fight him, her strength renewed. She screamed into his mouth, eyes ablaze once more.

He had her pinned too well though. All she managed to do was turn her head and break the kiss, she could not break any freer than that. She hissed at him baring and snapping her teeth at his face. Something feral within her was rising up. She did not know whether it was her now dormant energy, her primal fight or flight tendency, or something else entirely. All she did know was, she was pinned and she was furious.

She strained against him, arching her body up. But, try as she might, she could not dislodge is larger, heavier form. Giving a final scream, she went limp beneath him. Extinguished were the fires in her eyes and her soul. All her fight was gone, she could not win. Blankly, she stared into the space in front of her, not truly seeing. She was defeated.

[Juno]

The thrashing about hardly did anything to him. Her hiss and the rage in her eyes only caused him to put more effort into keeping her down as she strained against him. Scowling as she screamed in his face yet again, Caden watched curiously as she finally seemed to be giving in.

"Tiraris," he whispered, his voice exceptionally calm compared to her angry yelling as he let loose a bit of what he'd been wanting to tell her before. "Please accept me... I will do anything you ask besides harm you or...leave you... I want this...us, more than anything."

[GoblinFae]

She refocused her gaze on him, staring dully. Her eyes looked as dead as she felt. Her fight was gone, she had lost. It was a first for her, to give up so easily. In the past she had been through more stressful and painful situations both physically and mentally and had always won. To admit defeat now was worse than any humiliation her pride had ever undergone before.

By nature Tiraris had always been independent and self-sufficient. The environment of her childhood had only enforced and enhanced those attitudes until they finally drove her from the nest. Tiraris had no become an assassin because of her mother's cruel and cutting words or her father's absence and disappointment. She did not chose this profession because it gave her escape from her responsibilities and the long line of leering suitors. No, Tiraris had become an assassin to escape herself.

'Caden, can you not see? I do accept you. It is me that I cannot accept.' Her eyes blinked lethargically open and closed. That simple effort feeling too much for her. 'You hurt Caden! You hurt the one you claimed to love! You are a monster!' her mind accused. Her diaphragm spasmed as she fought to hold dry sobs back. She had no more tears left to shed.

"Monster," she whispered letting the word ring aloud and remind her of her true nature. "How can you love...?" her question faded off as her eyes closed and did not open again. The simple effort seemed so incredibly exhausting. 'So tired,' she thought. 'So weak,' her mind spat back.

All Tiraris wanted to do was curl in on herself. She wanted to find a dark corner and hide in it like a child. She wanted to be the little girl afraid of monsters under the bed, anything to get away from the monster that she herself was. 'Forgive me Caden, for I cannot forgive myself. I have only done what I thought best. If I have to hurt you to leave you then at least I know you are alive. After all, the dead feel no pain.'