stuff us in boxes that's where you want us

cardboard is boring, we brought our matches - look how it burns

Their gaze strayed toward the bustling frustrating vampires that milled about the darkness kissed rooftop, moving with haste as soon that roof would be doused in the sun's light. The badlands, she thought almost amusedly to herself. What a damn near pristine sight it was, they looked like stooges bumbling about with very little means to stop their torment. Even without being able to hear them, their distress evident all the same.

It was then, in that moment that Matteo closed that final distance between them, that singular draped arm pulling the raven-haired woman in an embrace she undeniably found a semblance of comfort within. After the hell that had been thrust upon her, that simple contact seemed to bring her a sense of solace she hadn't quite known she needed. For even a fraction of a moment, she allowed her head to rest well against him as they simply shared and relished in this moment that could never be replicated quite like this ever again, this moment forever immortalized within her mind. She swore she could feel the beginnings of a purr nearly threatened to rumble within her chest, like a cat curling up in its favourite place in the window, relishing in the warmth of the sun peeking through the glass. There was something about the quietness before the dawn, something unique, peaceful... perhaps far more meaningful than a simple sunset that symbolized darkness and with it the creatures that drew out from their hidey-holes. Who knew what time that clock said and how little she cared, but if she could describe it, it was like the first inhale of a new day. That symbolism not entirely lost upon her.

The trio stood together, united far better than even the most epic of movie posters, she was sure. Especially triumphantly framed by the golden halo that framed them. They were like a force that could not be messed with, the hooded karma bandits had struck. It was almost surprising how much time had slipped away, bringing forth a sense of freedom to not only herself but those felines they had freed. It was when that peaking glow of the sun began to encroach upon Syn, left the vampires with no choice but to retreat.

Those nightmares felt but a lifetime away, without the injuries to serve a reminder. Perhaps something else healed in her too. That flickering fire within Harley scarcely had been suffocated from her it would seem. The woman was quite certain it was going to take a hell of a lot more than to suffocate it completely. In that moment, she met Matteo's gaze, had it been lingering, she hardly knew. It was impossible not to smile. The way the colours painted his face, she realized he was made for them. In those spoken words, Matteo had betrayed more about himself. Even despite his carefree demenour, he was nothing more than a desperate worrier.

Her intensely vibrant eyes rose to snatch his own, as if reading something he had hardly knew was written upon his face, her mind churning with various considerations. A moment later that banter flashed to life once more. "Hey... I listen perfectly fine.... When I want to." She teased, that playful sarcasm woven within her words having no qualms to admit her truth. If she heeded every warning she would hardly have lived. Perhaps the only lesson such a hitting stick would accomplish was making her infinitely better at dodging. Or stir up an outright duel. While Harley knew better than to challenge an ancient being with infinite time to hone ones skills, it hardly would stop her in the least. After all, was she not the woman who bested giants as a human? The raven haired woman perhaps destined to be hopelessly hopeless.
It would seem the Frenchman had other plans of his own. That final act to be nothing more than the cherry upon their sundae. The fae disappearing with a deep bow of a showman, a man entirely purpose filled to regain his title. Show off. Perhaps, he was just as hopeless as she was. If only he knew that Darius and her hardly possessed the desire to stay in one place, nor the desire to left out on whatever fun he was making for himself. It took hardly any convincing.... the magical horse taking it to its own... hooves and whisking them away in the boudoir of Risque. It was both everything she thought it would be and infinitely more. Instantly within that room, with no lurking danger to make her regret this moment. Even if this moment put Darius in a little heat, she was sure it was worth it. Especially as her gaze wandered about that very room with a sense of bewilderment.

It was true, Harley was the only being in the room without a means for escape and yet she hardly worried as much as she should be. While the French fae certainly had a point, she hardly let any doubt creep in. She shrugged her shoulders easily, flashing him a look that stated it hardly matter. "I thought I was in capable hands... between you future sight and his teleportation. Relax. Everything is going to fine..." She wasn't quite certain what she would do if Risque or Darcy simply strut into that room right this very second.. He might have had eternity to live this life, but she did not.. She was going to seize every last moment. This, she was certain was one risk worth taking. That fire restored to her spitfire once more and with it.. her reckless antics had returned in full force. Was that not part of the purpose of this little walkabout. Regaining some of that lost control? That accusation he worried too much... uttered entirely teasingly as if to awaken that... adventurous streak within her companion once more. Prove me wrong, her vibrant gaze seemed to say.

The thought of Risque sharing her living quarters with Darcy in itself, seemed entirely amusing in itself. When did that happen.. or more importantly. How? She had stood in his room she was so sure was so certain was his permanent residence. Perhaps while she was locked away in that cage? The thought almost brought a frown to her feminine features, fucking vampires living it up while their captives remained locked away in metal cages. She eyed the picture with far more questions than answers, before allowing her attentions to focus on those fancy bottles that stood so tantalizingly upon that mirrored tray. She could hardly help the way she reached out to smell one of them. Why the hell not? Both of them had fed from her, the least they could do was let her smell those scents, as if a little perfume would make them seem anymore human. She placed that bottle back, finding little to be desired within it, that potent fragrance enough to give her a headache. She offered Matteo that slight shrug and her award winning innocent smile in response to that pointed look he offered her. He said not to touch anything, she didn't necessarily agree to it. Those French accented words left her companion once more, speaking of Risque and Darcy's bizarre romantic connection. Being a vampire hardly seemed desirable. "Fuck, I am glad I didn't turn into that... I was so... pissed when.. he... Nathaniel.. refused to turn me.. I thought it was because he refused to see me as an equal but now I see that I dodged a bullet." She spoke as she became absently lost in that picture frame. Would she even be herself if she had allowed herself to become the undead? How she once thought that vampires, the supernatural had all the power and yet all they seemed to do was cause more problems. How she would have traded everything to not be weak, but at what cost? "The things, I wish I could tell my past self.. not that I would have probably listened." She laughed in spite of herself, giving that photograph one more lingering look before peering up at the fae at her side...

Upon first glance, vampires seemed so human.. but better.. But when they stood in front of you. she knew they might have had fragments still left of being human but they were anything but. She caught a sigh to nearly exhale from her, before shifting her own thoughts to something far more amusing as that question bubbled within her mind. Like vampire anniversaries. That chuckle escaped him all the same. "If he shares, it might be too kinky to share with good ol' dad.. But for the sake of satisfying my curiousity.. do it.." She supposed there were weirder kinks out there then enjoying being bit.. and truly... there was something to it.. well consensual biting.. with that venom... while not all venom was equal.. some of it.. was... She shook her head to rid her mind of the thought, perhaps such thoughts were not meant for now.. She took that moment to meander further into the depths of that room while Matteo was left to his own exploration. He seemed curious of those old paintings, and the contents of what lingered inside of Risque's nightstand.. Harley too found herself eyeballing one of the paintings nearest her... a boring painting of some castle looking thing, eerie looking in the mist filled hillside that surrounded it. It looked like a pretty drab painting if you asked Harley or anyone else with vision.. but to Risque... it would have been far more significant. A painting of her home.. why she would have such a painting on her walls when the vampire now despised would have been a mystery to anyone. Some of those paintings seemed almost cliché to what you would have expect to see in a vampire's lair and yet others.. distinctly not. There was a rather.. gory interpretation of some battle scene that caught Harley's eye for a moment too long.. It was haunting and gave her the creeps. Maybe it was the brutal torture being represented in it... Or it was the look upon the faces of the women and men depicted in it.

Maybe... enough of the.. weird torture shit and check out that massive walk in... that seemed safe and perhaps a little more interesting than Risque's latest must reads. Harley padded across the room, eyeing the door with a cautious assessment of simply waltzing in. Perhaps somewhere in the back of the woman's mind rang alarm bells, like she shouldn't be here. Never mess with another woman's clothes.. Yet, it would seem, she just could not help herself. Giving into touching those expensive fabrics. It was a pity she couldn't take something.. like that one particular leather jacket on display.. Risque's closet was truly a fascinating place, perfectly organized and almost like it should have been apart of a high-end shopping mall. Deeper into that closet she went, the glimpse of a corset had her wondering if her boobs would fit into that particular number. Her fingers caressing that fabric as that question slipped from her lips and a nearby Matteo of course had to hear that one declaration, his laughter betraying his location nearby. That clouded leopard... that launched at her with a fury sent her retreating from that closet, locking the vengeful creature inside. Matteo's laughter escaped him unbidden as a startled Harley met his amused face after glaring at the door. Stupid weird leopard. She all but scoffed at his words. "What? I didn't hurt anything... she has... interesting taste." There was no way she was going to admit the fae was right. She lifted her hands as if to appear far more harmless than she was. She needed to keep him from this hitting stick by any means necessary, she was sure of it.

It would seem that Matteo had been touching things of his own, his form lingering near the bed where those cuffs he currently diligently examined. She wandered nosily closer to where Matteo now lingered. That question had caught her off guard. How quickly he switched on that game.. a tactic she was sure to see if he could ensure a swift victory. She refused to give it to him but not without rewarding him with that utter surprise that overtook for features first. Matteo's fascination however, perhaps should have surprised her more. She could hardly help the way her cheeks flushed, almost threatening to give way to a full blown blush.

That utterance of her name... She cast him an innocent glance that seemed to ask him.. what?

She took a moment to consider that question, all but flopping onto that comfortable plush bed, before giving him her own version of an answer. Unflappable... she was determined to remain in these moments. Flopping onto Risque's bed seemed all but second nature.. damn this was one comfy bed. She seemed to test that surface, finding the ultimate sweet spot. It was far more than she could ever have imagined. How easy it would have been to steal a little cat nap here.. and yet the topic of conversation made it seem hardly possible. She turned her head to look at him, casual as very upon that bed like she had made a home of it. Looking back she would have to admit it was a tad outrageous a place to choose to get comfy in. As much as this appeared to seem a room of opulence, it housed arguably the two worst creatures of them all.

Matteo so easily appeared at ease in that conversation, perhaps even slightly curious. That declaration that it could be far more pleasurable in experienced hands.. "Isn't that with all things?" She turned her head to look up at him, her lips curled into an all too feline smirk. While she had yet to have a partner that possessed such finesse in the bedroom, she was always the curious creature, far more open to exploration than her partners. It would seem those overpowering men had little desire in those fine tuned touches and more into that uncontrolled lust and being in control of it. Harley focused on that mention that perhaps she was doing it wrong. And while she all but rolled her eyes at him, there was something in the way he uttered those final words that left a burning question lingering within her mind. It burned a hole right out of her mouth, curiousity certainly killing the cat. The moment she saw that impish expression she couldn't help but wonder what she had let out of the bag. Without another word, he offered his hand out toward her. She eyed it near suspiciously, feeling the rise of her heart rate fluttering within in chest. She wasn't going to handcuff her.. was he? Trust me.. was all he said. She rose her head, studying him with those vibrant eyes as if considering she was insane simply for considering it. She supposed she would play, not entirely prepared for just what he had in store for the raven haired woman. Without a word, she lifted herself off her comfortable spot, her hand placed within his own. Harley's gaze met his own before he so tug the raven haired spitfire to her feet. That inquisitive expression turned into.. more of a now what. Was it time to go? Instead of words, he acted. His other hand reached for her other hand, his movements slow... precise, fully aware of what was to come next. Anticipation seemed to crackle like energy around them.. that unknown causing her heart to race and with her hands bound by his own she felt at his mercy.. sure she could have pulled away and yet she allows him this control. How that control was so often stolen from her and yet now.. she offers it freely. That choice seemed empowering in itself and yet to the French fae before her who now drew her arms above her head in a fluid action of a man knowing exactly what he was doing. One hand held her hands in place, his grip adding a surprisingly pleasant pressure that increased her heartbeat, her breath entirely suspended as if anticipation had left her forgetting to breathe. His words slipped past his lips, the prickle of desire laced within his very words that seemed to tug at something from deep within her. Words threaten to spill from her lips.. some witty retort and yet in that moment it was like she had forgotten to speak.

How frustrating it was to not be able to move, to meet him in that dance, step for step. A dance they did so well, always out of reach, pushing limitation just to see who would crumble first. Did she trust him? Did she not follow him to hell and back? Trusted in him to get them out in one piece? Did she not allow him to bind her now in this room? The room of her enemies here and now. How easily he moved around her, still holding her wrists in place so that he positioned himself behind her. He took his time, before tugging her body flush against her own, that position they had so found themselves multiple times before. His free hand purposely found her hip his trailing fingertips not stopping there as they so normally did, she hardly wanted him to stop.. That circular pattern he so teased her with creeping ever closer to those sensitive places on her body that made her breathing quiver. Yet how much it surprises her that she hardly wanted him to stop, in fact she wanted him to release her arms just so she could.. her thoughts seemed to cease as if encased in cement. How easily he made her forget where she stood. That they were in the bedroom of one of her greatest enemies... the woman that had it out for her...who would surely kill her if she found her where she stood. And all she could think of Matteo, the warmth of him pressed against her back, the placement of his hand and that yearning for more. She felt like she could have melted into him then.. desiring nothing more than to move her own hand to touch him. That torturous touch moved purposely toward her inner thigh and how she so badly wanted to move, to press into him.. to kiss him.. to feel more.. and yet she was at his mercy. She was sure she could have broken those binds and yet... she hardly knew if she wanted to.. it was then that he moved his fingers to the most sensitive part of her.... She could only imagine how much more electrifying it would have felt without clothing and yet.. there was something erotic about this.. almost painfully so with how much his touch ignited her. Just a simple touch has her mind blurring. Her eyes fluttered shut, her breathing deepening as her lips part as she gave into those expert touches. She had no choice, because she gave it to him. There was something steamy about that very thought, giving into it. She pressed into him then, frustrated to found herself limited.. because hell she felt like she needed him now.. This game they played, teetered them so close to a ledge of just mere flirting.

His voice a hot whisper against the back of her neck caused her whole body to clench with desire. He could have said anything, but his explanation of this game was equally as erotic as whispering bedroom talk into her ear. Just when she thought he couldn't have driven her, his finger move with just the right amount of pressure. That breath hitching and she had thought she had gone blind, forgetting she had closed her eyes. "Fuck, Teo... I.."

He all but stole the words from her. She didn't want him to stop.. a soft cry of protest parting her lips as his teasing touches wandered away, but his fingers never left her body that he so brought to life. How hyper aware she was of those touches. How badly she wanted to feel flesh on flesh. It was then that his trajectory changed.

"Let me touch you.." Yet he hardly lessened his hold, simply ignoring her request, his hand slipping underneath her shirt. Such a simply act and yet almost the same as before.. but this time.. it felt far more purposeful. His hand lifting up that jacket and hem of her shirt, and she relished in that exploration.. She pressed her behind as much as possibly could, as if to defy his could.. to make him crumble like she was, to allow that grip to slip.. or better yet to hear an unbidden sound from his lips. What had gotten into her? She was so entirely consumed, that she was hardly aware of the horse that also was in the room.. The shit he must have seen... the things he would have saw if they kept going... and normally, she would have cared and yet in this very moment it didn't matter if Risque herself walked in.. alright maybe it did... a lot.. because it would have meant they were very much.... Dead..

Her skin seemed to rise to his touch, and she seemed almost prepared for that brush upon her chest... a soft sound of pleasure a ghost of a sound upon her breath. He seemed to hold back and yet only toying with her flesh like he was a master to it.

Suddenly those words were spoken into the back of her neck, and it took her but a second for her to open her desire flooded eyes. Blinking back into awareness of that room. "What?" she breathed that very questioned in protest his hand suddenly releasing her with a gentleness.. a sigh escaping him as if regretful for that interruption. It was clear he wasn't unaffected either their breathing, almost ragged in want. It was the sound.. of voices that might as well have been a shower of ice. Which only caused her to tense, her shirt and jacked falling back into place with a help of her flattened hands. Oh fuck... this was not good... her heart seemed to forget its beat as Matteo quickly straightened out that bed, erasing the last trace that Harley had chosen to lay there. How she had forgotten herself.. What was she even doing? Was she out of her own mind? Risque's fucking bedroom? Really?

It was when the sound of the beep and click of the door unlocking and the sound of a rattling door knob... had her stomach fall to the floor. Darius was already there ready to move into action. At least someone was thinking. She brought her hand to clasp over her mouth, her cheeks absolutely still hot and flush from that prior desire... but now it is to stop herself from saying a word.. to remain as quiet as possible. She placed her freehand upon Darius and in a moment not too soon they were wrapped up in that teleportation. It hardly mattered where they went, only that it was far away from here. Just like that, they were within her own apartment once more, that light blinding in comparison to the dim lighting of Risque's room.. That now opened window allowing in a lovely breeze, pressing against her hot cheeks. She leans against Darius, deciding he was now the only reason why she stood. She clung to him then while Matteo seemed just as comfortable as ever.. as if they were not seconds away from their own execution. He leaned against the table with that impish simper. His silver gaze never leaving her own. She found herself unable to move..

"Well... that was.... Close." Close didn't seem to cut it. Harley was truly for once in her life.. truly frazzled. What if they hadn't been interrupted.. she could not help but wonder.

That declaration that he had won had her mind come reeling back. Like hell he did. "You wish.. You play a dirty, dirty game but that hardly stands for a victory and you know it." She had yet to trust herself to strut over to him yet, to give him a piece of her mind in full Harley fashion. But it was enough to sober her some, despite her still racing heart. After a stabilizing breath, she so strut right to the gloating fae, that violet fire raging in her eyes.

"But there is a flaw. I have yet to yield to you.. That makes me.. in fact, the indefinite winner thus far. Technically Darius saved my ass, you, can't teleport me. Actually, Teo.. from where I stand... You've lost every single time you propose our little game... You know what I also think..." she stood before the resilient fae, placing her hands on her hips in an attempt to seem bigger, badder, somehow. That confidence hardly wavering even though her mind was reeling from before. Perhaps that adrenaline was exactly what she needed. She leaned in close enough to meet him eye for eye... irritation clear as he so tried to spin this to his victory!

"You are an ass.. but you are a talented.. wonderfully unusual ass." She frowned, her nose wrinkling unsure what it was she was getting at.. She needed some fucking sleep.. she shook her head before. She issued out a sigh, clearly bent out of shape. Why did every time Matteo come sniffing around she ended up wanting a stiff drink?

It was then that Matteo's face grew far more serious.. the sincere look in his eye had her near confused at what was going to come from his mouth. Never in a million years... expect a thank you... from him. Maybe they both were in need of some sleep. She shrugged. "I got to rain on Risque and Darcy's parade.. the only thing I am sorry about is I couldn't prolong it. That's all the thanks I need." She thought carefully about.. that comment of Risque, her lips pulling into a grim line.

"I know.. I know this.. I know she doesn't .. and perhaps one day, I will be there to see the look on her face when she realizes she isn't."

She bet that... today.. she would sleep like a baby.

" Did she see it? Did you regain your title?" She lifted her chin slightly, raising a brow at him, leaning against that dining room table next to him. A soft sigh escaping her lips that formed a perfect pout.. "The sad thing about all of this.. is I think I am going to miss her bed.." Sometimes... there were things... that you never knew you were missing out on.... And tonight certainly portrayed two of them. Risque's bed... and Matteo's prowess.. who would have thought?

Harley Westward