Just Friends (Kiefer, Ace)

[Lovely]

May 6, 2008
Follows: Smoke in mirrors...


Kiefer follows Ace into his private office after running into him on a call in his club.. it seemed they had a mutual interest in the two she was drawn her to help and might have to work together.

"-Mine- Damnit and bollocks to the rest of them."

"awww.." She pouted a little. "Now you're making me feel bad."

"Good. -MINE-" *laughs*

*spanks him*

*laughs more* "Do it like ya mean it!"

*Slaps his ASS hard!!

"Umm... is this supposed to be punishment?"

"Brat!"

"And?"

"stop it! dont make me like you.."

"Sweetness, I dont need to make you like me. Now, are you going to behave, or do I need to sling you over my shoulder and carry you off like a knight in somewhat dusty armour?"

"ohhh dear, thats a tough choice.. what does behaving involve?"

"Walking yourself to the bed... well, as far as you can get without me deciding I want to sling you over my shoulder.."

Arches an eyebrow at him and smiles but shakes her head. "Hmm not sure I can behave.. I think I remember something about you and the bed.. "

"Right, that's it. Up you go..." *Picks her up over his shoulder* "You know, I get a fantastic view of your ass from here..."

"I'm sure you do. Now put me down."

*Bites her ass gently* "Umm, not just yet..." *wanders off to the bed, and sets her down* "There. Mm. Pretty."

"Ooh!" Once set on the bed she looks up at him, making a mad face to try to look unpretty for him. "You bit me!"

"Yeah... You're cute when you're mad." *blows her a kiss* "Now you... Where've you been? All my life?"

[Lovely]

"I'm not mad.. I don't think I'm actually able to really get mad." Smiles again and looks up at him with an arched brow. "I don't know.. I'm rather confused. I thought I knew you but .. did that change? Did it go away? Is that why I only remember sometimes? Damn Ripple messing with everything.. though it's far better than what was happening.."

"Maybe you only remember sometimes cause you dont want to at all..." He muttered under his breath. "Well, doesnt this just suck. I remember you...All the time... just sometimes I'm busy and I dont have time to think.."

"That's not a very nice thing to say." She spoke quietly, shifting to get up off the bed as she looked him over. "You remember..?" She chewed at her lip, remaining in her solid form for now. "I remember.. there was a before and then there was nothing and then I was in your club, but it was all empty. You were there but then you were gone and you never came back. I thought I just imagined you after the Ripple. Everything was different and it was confusing and you were gone.. so much had changed." She shook her head and started to pace.

"I dont mean to... I just can't help it... Would you believe me if I said I was hurting?" He frowned, not liking the sound of it. "I was there, and my god, that was the best... I mean, I dont know anyone who wouldn't want to be there for a pretty girl to wake up to, especially one like you." He paused. "I thought I was doing good... Not ignoring the voice in my head and wondering off to France, playing the nice guy, helping a damsel in distress... I thought you'd be happy I was doing it..."

"I do believe you." She said quietly, looking down at the floor. "But what was I supposed to do, how was I to know any of that? You were just gone.. there was nothing, your club was empty and you never came back. It's been.. two years. Not one word, not one inkling that you even knew me after the Ripple."

"Two years?" He frowned. "It doesn't feel like that long... I have no sense of time anyway." He took a step towards her and stopped, holding out his hand for her instead, should she choose to take it. God, he hoped she did. "Kiefer... Im sorry..."

"Time passes quickly when we pay it no mind. Almost two years to the day Ace and not even a whisper from you." She looked at his hand and she could feel his need, being what she was she could hardly deny him that affection. She shifted toward him and gently slipped her hand into his. "I'm sorry too."

"What do you want? An apology on my knees? Promises to never let a day go by without telling you I Love You?" He frowned. "I dont know how to make this better, and its killing me that I did this to you... I didnt even realise." He sighed. "Actually... it really bothers me that I didnt realise. Just with jumping from here to home so much... I dont think I've seen more than three actual days..."

"No." She replied softly a strange smile on her face as a small memory flitted through her mind. "Do you remember when you asked me how I was born and if I could have children?"

He laughed, the sound foreign even to him. "Of course, I remember everything you say." He paused suddenly. "Why?"

"You seemed happy when you found out .. when you thought I couldn't have children. I can.. I didn't know then but I can and I do.. I have a daughter Ace."

[Lovely]

"Because I didn't want you to be with someone who couldn't give you something that would make you so happy." He shrugged. "Congradulations I guess." Yeah, sounded like she'd been missing him and everything.

"I thought it was because you didn't want them yourself and didn't want to risk.. it happening accidentally." She looked at him and she felt it twist inside of her that she'd hurt him. It hadn't been her intent, but he'd been gone and she honestly thought he would never return.

He closed his eyes and bit his lip for a moment, before looking at her. "I bet she's just as pretty as her mom." He moved back, from her and sat on the edge of the bed. two years... "None of my kind have ever been born, Kiefer. We can't be. It just doesn't work."

She followed him and stood next to him. "May I?" She asked, waiting to sit next to him rather than assuming it would be okay to do so.

"Of Course," He frowned "Although I remember a time you wouldnt have asked, and it will always be okay."

"You're upset with me.. I didn't want to push." She told him quietly as she sat down and leaned to curl around him a little, putting her head on his shoulder.

"You'd have to do a hell of a lot more than that for me to not forgive you, ever. I mean, I'd probably forgive you if you tried to kill me..." He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her alittle closer. Right now, he'd welcome it.

"Well I don't think we ever have to worry about me trying to kill you. You know very well I am non violent." She smiled a little, stroking his cheek lightly as she held him. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Yeah, but that shiny light thing you do, doesnt do me any good." He paused, looking at her for a moment. "You look so beautiful right now. I can't believe I missed two years of looking at you."

Deacon liked the shiny light thing she did.. or rather when she did it to others right before he collected their souls for Morte. It made them shine so much brighter in their vials and in his cavern. "I look the same as I always do."

"I know." He smiled. "Doesnt make you any less beautiful. It feels like I'm seeing you for the first time, all over again." He took her hand gently, kissing the back of it.

"Maybe you are.. the Ripple did many odd things to many different creatures.. " She smiled a touch sadly when he kissed her hand, what was she supposed to do now? Technically because of what she was she couldn't belong to one single being, so why was she so torn between two now?

"Maybe I have new eyes... That would be awesome.." His fingertips touched her hair lightly. "Maybe its this you being a mom, thing. Maybe that makes it different..."

"Does it? Hmm.. it is different. Surprising and amazing.. especially since I thought it wasn't possible."

[Lovely]

He shifted, leaning back slightly. "Tell me... Tell me all about her, and you." He wasn't quite as keen on the idea as she was, mainly because it meant someone else's hands where his now sat, but if it made her happy...

"You really want to know?" She asked softly, thinking he didn't really. "She's beautiful." She admitted with a smile, her daughter was just lovely. "We named her Rohana.. romance."

"Rohana? Thats nice.." Of course, the 'we' caused an involuntary, brief tightening of his entire body, but he tried to pretend like it hadn't, letting his fingers carry on playing gently with her hair. "How old is she?"

She noticed the tensing even though he tried to hide it and went on playing with her hair. "I'm not sure we should keep talking about this, I don't want to upset you more." She reached to run her fingers over his cheek.

"I told you, You can't upset me Love. I like listening to you talk... I like listening to you even more when you get all, happy and excited when you talk. Its nothing I cant.... deal with... Okay?"

"Alright.. if you're sure." She wanted to make him happy, she felt bad for hurting him even though it had been unintentional and of course she'd been very very in love with him at one time.. being that she was love, it didn't exactly go away just because she loved Deacon. "Like me she grew quickly from infant to.. woman. She has lovely long dark hair and gorgeous bright blue eyes.. She is as sweet and as passionate as her nature calls for. Like what I am to Love she is to Romance. She is learning her calling fast."

"You know, your eyes look lighter when you talk about her." He smiled a little. "Shame everyone has to have a calling, from such a young age."

"Do they?" She wondered about her eyes and smiled thinking if he'd said it that it must be true. "Having a calling isn't so bad if it's part of who and what you are."

"But knowing from the start? No real childhood?" He shrugged. "It just seems... a little awful, that we get to miss these things because we're not... well, human."

"I was never a child really and neither was she.. and in truth what we are is nearly like an endless childhood. Of course we go to heed the calls but it's delightful to be what we are.. to guide and comfort and frolic with lovers to be the essence that fills them at that moment when they fall.." She got this dreamy look on her face as she spoke of it.

"Ah, Lucky you." He smiled. "So you have something like it... Thats not so bad." He kissed her forehead gently. "And should I even ask what's passing through your mind right now?" He teased gently.

"Falling in love and how wonderful love feels of course." She smiled thinking of when they had first met and also when she'd first met Deacon.. in some ways they were much alike.

[Lovely]

He smirked. "I can tell you how wonderful Love feels right now..." He ran his hands over her sides gently. "Pretty damn good to say she's a momma. Gorgeous body.." He winked at her, the smirk turning into a full-blown smile.

"You're a very naughty boy Ace.." She wagged her finger at him though she smiled and then bit her lip. "To say she about to be one again.."

He frowned slightly, not quite following that. "Huh? What? Im sorry, Im a little slow today..."

Her hands went down to her middle, because of what she was her visible form hadn't changed for him to see, though Deacon had. "I'm.. going to have another child."

Ace bit his lip, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly, he let it out, looking down to her. "Right.." His eyes dropped to the floor. "Congradulations again." He couldnt just move away from her... he couldn't bring himself to do it. He couldnt help the thought that he would love to be in the room if it wasn't happening to him... The high he would have been getting...

"Ace.." Her lip trembled and she wanted to take him in her arms and make it all better, but would embracing him only make it worse? "I'm sorry.. the timing and all. I really thought you were gone for good.. that you were never coming back. If I had known.. if I had thought there was a... I never would have. You know it's not in my nature, that I'm not capable of purposely hurting anything."

"Well, I know you said I couldn't keep you... That other people needed you... I didnt realise you meant like that too." He shrugged, not sure what to say. He wasn't even thinking, not filtering his thoughts so he didn't hurt her feelings. "And there again, if you thought it wouldn't hurt me, would that be going against your nature? Humans do it all the time.. and hellspawn - they've even been seen to give flowers, I hear.."

"Ace I thought you were gone.. like gone.. no more.. nothing. If I had thought for one moment.. don't you understand? I love you.. not the way I love those who call me .. but I thought you were.. dead.. I.." She felt the tears begin to slip down her cheeks.

"God... please, Kiefer, dont cry... please." His arms moved tighter around her. "Im such an Ass, aren't I?" He shook his head. "I'm just so happy to see you, to see you happy." He kissed her cheek, "I Dont mean to upset you..."

She hugged him back but still cried, she'd never felt anything like this. "Ace.. I've never felt.. I don't know what to do. I love everyone and everything.. it's what I am, what I do.. but I'm in love with you and with Deacon.. I can't stand to hurt either of you.."

"Well, darlin', really, He can't be any worse for you than I am." He shrugged. "Besides, you can and do have kids with this guy." He paued, taking a deep breath. "Its not a hard decision from where I'm sat, Love. I'll always be here if you need me.."

[Lovely]

She rested her head on his shoulder, quiet for a long moment. "You mean that? We can still... be friends?" She lifted her head to look at him and then chuckled. "Are you going to destroy a bunch of stuff and hurt alot of people after I leave?"

He smiled a little, but there was nothing in it, no emotion at all. "Its my nature."

She stared at him for a long moment and then slowly nodded. "You can claim that I can't upset or hurt you.. but I don't believe you. It hurts me and upsets me that I have. I am sorry Ace.. "

"Maybe you'd better leave before I start hurting people and destroying things." He hadn't hurt anyone in years... Let her think what she would of him.Really... He just wanted to be alone.

She'd been teasing when she said it and even in that she'd hurt him and it felt like it was going to swallow her. She nodded, blinking as the tears started to flow again, she leaned to kiss his lips softly before she melted into mist and was gone.

His head dropped to his knees for a moment. Christ, what was wrong with him? He didn't give up this easily... He didn't get rid of his elders to impress a girl to let her slip away now, right?
"Kiefer?" He stood, frowning for a moment. "Please.... I need You..."

She reappeared as he'd barely finished speaking the words, her head tipped to the side. She'd hardly left and he called her back, she gave him a small smile. "I'm here."

He moved close to her, his arms going around her quickly, returning the kiss she'd left him. "Sorry Love... I can't do it." He shook his head. "Never was keen on sharing you, but I can't let you go... not like this.."

She smiled softly at first, he held her and kissed her and she lifted her arms to rest against his with her hands on his shoulders. His words confused her though and her head tipped to the side. "What do you mean?"

He smiled a little. "I can't bear not to see you Kiefer... and how well do you think I could really keep this 'just friends' thing going? I dont want to loose you because I'm being stubborn and... well, other things, not so nice." He frowned. "I dont think I can live without you.."

"What is it that you want.. what do you suggest we do about all of this?"

"Bollocks to him." He shrugged, "Right now, you're here... now, 9/10ths of the law is possession... that makes you, right now, mine." He shrugged. "I just dont want you to go."

"What law??" She asked with a slight chuckle as she shook her head, she didn't try to leave though. "Alright.. I won't go yet. I suppose it's only fair to spend some time with you since we haven't seen each other in so long."

"Do you mean the high-school, sitting holding hands and talking kinds spend time, or the more grown-up kind of spending time?"

[Lovely]

She folded her arms and arched an eyebrow at him. "I didn't mean anything exactly.. other than not leaving yet. What did you mean?"

"I meant, would you like a drink, actually." He turned away, sighing. "I do have -some- form of self-respect, thank you."

"You're the one who asked the question first.. how come you can ask me that but I can't ask you the same?"

"Because I'm trying not to make things -too- hard for you... if I had my way, These," He guestured to her clothes, " would be looking pretty in a pile somewhere on the floor and you would be over there." He pointed to the bed, moving back to her. "And I would be enjoying myself.... kissing, you." He paused for a second, before touching the underside of her jaw. "Just there.."

Her eyes closed, she did so enjoy being kissed where he pointed to. "Even with me all.." She gestured to her middle where Deacon and she could both see her form swollen with their child, but for some reason that visage didn't show here.

"I'm sure it makes you look even more beautiful, my dear." He reached out and brushed back a few strands of hair for her. "And by now, I'd be kissing you here, so this side didn't feel left out." he touched the same spot at the other side gently.

That was really all it took for her form to change for him to see the small but distinct swell of her middle, smaller than human women but there and very much a part of her. She didn't know it had changed for him since she'd always been able to see it.

He raised his eyebrow, looking at her before looking down, and putting his hand on it gently. "Wow..." He looked back up at her. "I was right... You look stunning my love."

She blinked at him and then looked down to where his hand was as she giggled feeling a tickle, which he'd feel like a tiny bite as the little one said 'hello' by biting Ace's fingers.

He looked back, suprised. "Neat trick..." He laughed softly. "Very cute. Does this mean you dont mind me seducing your mom?"

"He's never done that before." She said quietly as her son bit at Ace again, more ferociously this time. It still didn't hurt her but she wondered how it felt to Ace.

Ace laughed. "Yeah, this one doesn't like me." He tilted his head to one side. "Evil lil.... How on earth are -you- having a child that bites, of all things?"

Kiefer laughed and rubbed her belly. "Now stop that you.." She looked at Ace with a shrug. "I have this thing for dark men? I've been dating an immortal.. Morte's son.. you know Death?"

Ace blinked. "I dont believe I've had the pleasure." He looked back down at her stomach. "How far can that trick reach?"

"I don't actually know.. like I said, he's never done that before." She shrugged again and looked down at her belly, rubbing it some more. "What does it feel like to you? It's like a tickle to me.. so odd."

[Lovely]

"Like a bite..." He frowned. "Weird." Let me just try something..." He moved closer to her and gently, slowly, kissed her lips.

When he kissed her, her belly felt a flood of tickles and she giggled as the baby bit in a frenzy at Ace's torso.

"Do you want to tell it that it shouldn't do that, because it feels good, or shall I?" He raised an eyebrow, kissing the aforementioned spot just under her jawline.

"You like that it's biting you?" She was nearly in a fit of giggles from the way it tickled on her side as the baby tried to gnaw at Ace through her tummy. "Oh my!" She put her hands up to stop Ace as her belly shifted with the movement, though it still didn't hurt her.

"Spoilsport." He laughed softly. "ITs... different. Shadowlord pretty much equates to slave to sensations... especially new ones. There's a hand... Kiefer, Why are there hands?"

"Hand?" She looked down at hers and held them out, looking at them and then at Ace's, not realizing what he meant.

He shook his head. "You put yourself in the way... Silly thing to do... Maybe you shoul sit down?"

"Alright.. sitting down may be wise.. I still don't know what you mean about the hand? What hand?" She asked as she moved to sit down.

He moved around her, pulling her onto his knee. "Dont worry about the hands...they're out of the way now." he rested his head against her lightly for a moment. Unable to behave himself, he kissed her lightly, looking up incase she wanted to give him a proper one.

The baby bit at Ace again, trying harder this time and Kiefer had to bite her lip to hold back the giggle. "This is terribly.." She didn't know what it was, kind of amusing really.

Ace's eyes lit up suddenly. "I have an idea..." he slid her off his knee and stood. "Lay down a second..."

"What?" She started to get up and looked at him curiously but she had always trusted him and so she gently lay back like he'd asked. "Why?"

"Just.... tell me where it tickles when I touch you, okay?" He set his finger on her cheek lightly.

She pointed to the side of her tummy where it seemed to lurch a little and once again bite the Shadowlord.

"okay, how about here?" He touched the bottom of her ribcage on the other side.

She giggled again and this time she pointed over where Ace had touched her, she didn't know if he was feeling the bites but she surely was as tickles of course.

"okay, here..." the side of her hip this time.

[Lovely]

This time she actually squirmed a little, pointing to where he touched her and putting her hand over her mouth to hold back the giggle.

He raised his eyebrow, tracing his fingertip over her hip and letting it rest low on her abdomen. Now... if he got this in just the right place... "Tell me how it feels.." The shock of the bites each time was a tiny jolt to him... but her sheer joy and laughter overrode all that, filling his senses with happy things. He'd be 'off' for a day or two after this.

The sensation followed his finger and she was at it's mercy, nearly in tears, her eyes watering a little for the delight of it, like tiny tickling fireworks inside of her. She couldn't answer him at first, her fingers fluttering toward where he'd touched her.

He smiled. Yes, that was it.. "Are you okay? Now dear, keep your hands to yourself.." He smiled, tracing a tiny figure of eight over and over that particular place, keep an eye on her.

"Oh.. ohhh!" At first she did as he said but it was too much and she suddenly pushed his hand away from her, curling into the sensation. "Oh my.. " She wrapped her arms around herself, her eyes watering but none of it was bad, it was all pure pleasure and joy.

Smiling, he kissed her head, letting her unfurl in her own time. At least now he knew that worked.

She was quiet, laying there for a few moments to gather herself, she felt really good but strange at the same time. "Did you find out.. what you wanted to know? and.. are you going to share what it was.. why you did that?"

"I found out exactly where you're most ticklish. "He said with a grin. "Are you okay Kiefer?" He brushed a brief kiss against her cheek.

"That was all about tickling me? That was.." Kiefer glared playfully as she waved her hand, a bit blown away. She smiled though as she pushed herself up. "I'm ... I don't know what I am." She glanced around and reached down to rub her tummy. "I think.. I need to go.."

"Not quite... But nefarious plots and all..." He smiled, "You think you need to go, or you need to go?"

She laughed feeling strangely light headed.. just odd with what she was, but carrying a child did strange things to woman of all kinds. "I need to go.. I'm sorry."

"Are you okay to Misty-thing, or would you be better off with a lift?"

"Thank you, I'll be alright.. it's a short trip." She smiled at Ace and leaned to kiss him softly.

He moved to the kiss, afraid as always, that she'd disappear before hand.

She disappeared once the kiss had been given, simply evaporating so to speak and leaving only her sweet lingering scent behind.