[complete] You Only Live Once (Attn: Marla)

[Jenn]

((Background: Winter's Frozen Heart and In Shadow and Sunlight. Also, less relevant but part of the story: A Rude Interruption))
Katrie "I can't tell you what it really is... I can only tell you what it feels like."

Katrie stared out the window of her new room, slowly rolling the small bag of coins between her hands. She found the rhythmic clinking and clicking soothing. She had no idea where the money had come from; the simple bag had been waiting for her in her new room, set down down in the very center of her new bed. If the congratulatory note was to be believed, the coin was from an anonymous benefactor. Now the pristine white of her dress was broken up with bands of colour at the wrist and hem. She looked down at the ring on the third finger of her left hand. Such a pretty thing, to have such cost attached to it.

She shook her head, purposefully turning her thoughts to something else. If she angled her body just so, tilted her head to the side and craned her neck as far as she could, she found that she could see the very corner of the Warder Yards from her window. Almond-shaped dark eyes watched for a glimpse of bright red hair. She couldn't say whether she hoped for it, or dreaded it.

It was surreal. Nothing felt real. And yet, everything felt too real. Her emotions were out of control, her nerve endings raw and exposed. She had no barrier against the world and everything about it was trying to make her feel more. She couldn't handle more. She needed some kind of buffer... some kind of shelter... distance. A way to escape. A way to forget... She wasn't picky! She just wanted something -anything- that would help drown out the piercing noise in her head.

Katrie crushed the bag of coins between her hands, the horrible metallic scraping sound a poor expression of how she felt. Nothing in the Arches had been real. But it had felt real... that made it real, didn't it? How could you live through something that wasn't real? Around and around her thoughts circled, pointlessly chasing and running and chasing and running until she couldn't stand it anymore. But she couldn't stop. She couldn't process what she had been through. She didn't know how to deal with it. So she hid in her room instead. But two days had been long enough, each passing hour spent alone making her feel worse. And, she was getting restless.

She peeked at the Warder Yards again, her mind suddenly latching on to a dangerous thought. Rav's key... Could she face him? She missed him… even if she had no right to. She shoved the small bag of coins into her belt pouch, the metal circles nudging against the plain metal key. Katrie didn't know if she could face him, but... Her hands, she realized, were shaking.

The next hour saw to it that she bathed, the pretty Cairhienin making sure to scrub at her face and neck. She changed out of her dress into another one that was exactly the same, only cleaner. Her hair was still damp when she pulled it up into a simple twist away from her face, but she didn't want to waste any more time in allowing it to dry. She could've used the Power, she supposed, but in her current state she was more likely to set herself on fire. She exited her room, having to take a brief moment to remember where she was now. After a pause to reorient herself, Katrie forced herself to appear confident and purposeful, two things that she absolutely did not actually feel.

She made a quick stop at the library where she filled her arms full of books so she could pretend she had a reason to enter the Warder Yards at all... yes, a delivery for a Drin. She guessed at titles that Rav might like – but really, they were ones that were more suited to what she would have picked out. He had been reading something on Hawkwing when they had first met, so she pulled every book she could find off the shelves within reach that had anything related to Hawkwing. Rav liked to read, and he went through books at a rate that was twice as fast as she did... so the reason was plausible. Katrie had no idea if anyone would believe her – if asked – but now was as good a time as any to find out.

Perhaps she had been a little overzealous with the sheer number of selections, the tall Accepted out of breath by the time she arrived at the Yards. To her surprise and immense relief, nobody stopped her and aside from the few curious looks directed her way as she made her way into the barracks. She mentally retraced the map that Rav had drawn for her... years ago, it felt like, detailing the way. He had also written down brief directions, in case his drawing didn't make sense to her. Katrie found herself in front of the door that lead to his room... supposedly. Leaning against the wall to help balance the load of books, she fished the metal key out with one hand, having to shove aside the bulk of the coins. She braced herself for a whole number of things... the key not working because she was at the wrong door... the books all falling over... being caught red-handed – or worse, barging into the wrong room while someone else was inside.

She tried to hurry – she had gotten away with it this far... though she supposed waddling around with an armful of books stacked up to her chest was not the best way to approach sneaking about for a clandestine rendezvous. For no reason whatsoever, that thought struck her as hysterically funny and she had to muffle her giggle into the spines of the books. She let out a little noise of aggravation, her wrist hurting as she tried to angle it enough to turn the blasted key. The telltale click as the key turned and the empty room that easing the door open showed was anticlimactic. Katrie let out a breath, both disappointed and relieved that Rav wasn't there.

She pressed the door shut behind her with the flat of her shoe, moving quickly across the room to deposit down the stack of books on to the desk. It felt... wrong, that she was standing here while he wasn't present, so she did her best not to reach out and touch everything, like her curiosity demanded. She couldn't just leave without letting him know that she had been there though... Katrie looked around for something to write on and with. She found a scrap of paper wedged between the wall and the desk. And... the inkwell... it was like nothing she had ever seen before! So pretty... she thought, yanking her hand back when she went to touch it. Not the time, now was not the time.

Rav, I thought you could use some more books.

It didn’t say nearly what she wanted, but Katrie left it at that. The note was unsigned, the pretty Cairhienin confident that he would recognize her writing. She left it tucked between the cover and first page of the topmost book, making sure that half of the note was left hanging out so he would see. Suddenly, Katrie became very aware of where she was. Panic ensued and she practically bolted out of the room, shutting the door as quietly as she could. Her fingers fumbled for the key again and she had just gotten it locked when an amused voice sounded no more than ten paces away from her.

“That must've been a pretty piss poor tryst. You were only in there a few minutes.”

She jumped in surprise, smacking her elbow painfully against the door. She cursed, then cursed again as she dropped the key. It clattered noisily to the floor and she couldn't help the way she winced at the noise.

Katrie looked up reproachfully. A man stood close by, presumably the same one that had startled her. No, stood was the wrong word for it. He... lounged, his posture indolent. How in the Light had he gotten so close without making any noise? Katrie studied him in unabashed curiosity and to her surprise, he didn't bother looking away, going so far as to return the favour. Now that was something different. He wore the uniform of a Ji, and he filled it out rather nicely.

A tryst. With Rav. She could only wish. “He wasn't there,” she answered slowly.

“No need to defend the boy,” came the amiable reply, accompanied by a grin. It... it was flirtatious. But that couldn't be it, could it? He couldn't be flirting with her instead of sending her off to the Mistress of Novices... could he? That look was giving her said he was definitely flirting. Why? She obviously had her own reasons for entering Rav's room – best to shut up about that.

She watched him for a long moment, feeling something inside of her snap and break open. It made her flush with anticipation... Light, what was wrong with her? Light, why was she fighting it? It had been a long time since she had been with a man... Her cheeks tinged pink. Since before she had arrived at the Tower, actually... The Arches... the memories... she just wanted to forget. She missed Rav… but she couldn’t face him. His lips… his eyes… his touch… Light! Maybe this man could help her forget. Maybe he could help her…

She blocked off the rest of her thoughts and stuffed them into a box in the corner of her mind. She bent over to retrieve the metal key, tucking it into her belt pouch next to the smooshed bag of coins. Katrie gave him a long appraising look, the corners of her mouth lifting. “And I suppose you're going to tell me you can do better?”

[Sunny]

OOC note: I did a lot of research to find the line between “PG-13” and “R”, and we toe that line in this thread. I don't think we cross it, but it's pretty close. We have reasons for going this route, but figure it would be polite to let potential readers know what they’re getting into.
Dax

Satisfied that he had met the requirements of his new training regimen, the former mercenary took his leave of the practice yards, wiping his forehead on the back of his sleeve as he went. Judging by the sun, he had roughly a bell before he would need to clean up for dinner, and he had every intention of using that time to take a nap.

When he arrived at the barracks it was to find them mostly empty, the normal inhabitants busy with various afternoon activities. As he ghosted through the men's quarters on the way to his own small room, he heard a female voice mutter a furtive curse, and his eyebrows flew up. What is a woman doing in this part of the barracks? He followed the noise, but when he rounded the corner the corridor stood empty. After a moment of deliberation Dax leaned against the wall with one shoulder, his entire demeanor bespeaking indolent boredom. If one of the Drin'far'ji had had a visitor, he wanted to know about it.

Moments later one of the nearby doors opened and an Accepted slipped out, fumbling with the lock in her haste to depart. “That must've been a pretty piss poor tryst. You were only in there a few minutes,” he commented dryly. She jumped, and smacked her elbow as she did, causing the key to fall to the floor. He winced in sympathy, but did not move.

The woman in front of him was young and pretty, with dark hair twisted up to bare her neck, and big brown eyes. She wore the same gown every other Accepted did, but on her it seemed to fit more snugly, and to cling in all the right places. He didn't question the phenomenon, simply enjoyed the results as his eyes traveled over her body. To his surprise, she did not glance away as so many other women did, nor did her dark eyes turn angry or accusatory when their gazes finally met. Instead, she inspected him in turn, eyes lingering on his torso before she spoke. "He wasn't there."

Dax cocked his head to the side and grinned. It was obvious that she spoke true, and yet he could not resist the urge to tease her. “No need to defend the boy,” he drawled in a teasing tone, curious to see how this strange woman would react. Her cheeks flushed pink, but she gave him a look he knew very well indeed. Appraising. Calculating. Cautious but interested beyond simple curiosity. She bent to retrieve the key, and he couldn't help but admire the curve of her hips beneath the simple white skirt.

No channelers, he reminded himself sternly. Channelers are nothing but trouble. Before he could force himself to leave, she stood and caught his eyes, giving him a teasing smile that made his skin prickle. “And I suppose you're going to tell me you can do better?” Heat flooded him, reminding him that despite his assumed responsibility, he was still very much a man with needs. The fact that she was a channeler fled his mind; all that mattered was that look in her eye, the tone of her voice, the flush in her cheeks and the curves hidden beneath white wool.

"My name is Dax," he said, his lips curving up as he pushed away from the wall. "I can certainly do better than any backwoods country boy still wet behind the ears, love." Each word was enunciated with precise intensity, and accompanied by a step; he stopped in front of her, well within arm's reach. His demeanor reflected his interest and confidence as he cocked his head to the side. "If I knew your name, I might be convinced to...demonstrate." He waved his fingers in a vague way.

"Katrie," she said. She shifted somehow, and suddenly she was looking up at him through sultry eyelashes, her entire demeanor screaming a message that his body knew all too well.

His mouth twitched up in a teasing smile. Then, eyes never leaving hers, he reached forward and took one of her hands in both of his, lifting it palm outward to chest level before bending to press his lips against her finger tips teasingly. When he pulled away, it was only far enough to speak, his breath still warm on the palm of her hand. "I know of better places to arrange for better things," he said suggestively. "If you care to accompany me."

[Jenn]

Katrie

Each deliberate kiss Dax placed on her fingertips sent sizzling heat cascading through her. The effect was cumulative, Katrie feeling herself flush from the very tips of her toes to the roots of her hair. Her fingers twitched uncontrollably, but he was very much against letting her hand go. Exhilaration and anticipation unfurled like blooming, opening petals in her stomach that ignited her very core. Light! What else could the man do with his lips? Despite herself, she shuddered at the way her imagination took off at a full run with that.

His hands were warm, his thumbs drawing small teasing circles against the inside of her wrist. Katrie felt her knees tremble. How long had it been? Too long. She was very aware of the way he looked at her, blue eyes smoldering. For a fraction of a second, she could see herself, reflected back in the shimmering heat of Dax's need and desire. Her body was quick to make what it wanted known to her, responding to the Ji with such startling alacrity that it left her breathless. It wanted more than empty memories that left behind an ache that couldn't be fulfilled.

Those wonderful lips of his stopped the dazzling things it was doing, but Dax's gaze never left hers. “I know of better places to arrange for better things, if you care to accompany me.” His voice was a low suggestive drawl. The pretty Cairhienin found that somehow, she had matched her breathing to his, her chest rising and falling in perfect rhythm to the teasing hint of breath that passed from his mouth, his lips, to tickle at her palm.

She dipped into the shallowest possible curtsey, her fingers sliding ever-so-slightly against his hands. There were calluses on Dax's palms as well. “Lead the way.” She was thrilled at the way he reacted, pleased at the slight intake of breath that he pulled in.
* * * * Almond shaped eyes peered around with unfeigned interest, the pretty Cairhienin delighted that the world had finally stopped literally spinning. She didn't remember the name of the inn. Or what the stuff in her cup was called. No wait, it was water now. What the stuff in her cup had been called. She didn't care, suppressing a giggle even though she didn't find anything particularly funny. But it was funny!

She could, however, still recall the things that had happened in her Arches, but that had been pleasantly dulled with enough of what she had been drinking. So she wasn't too upset at the bartender... or whatever he was... who had decided that she didn't need to be drinking anymore.

Katrie felt a grin split her face and she leaned over to nudge Dax with her shoulder. They sat at a private table closed off from the rest of the inn-place-type-thing. She miscalculated the distance and ended up almost falling over sideways into his lap but somehow, the Ji caught her before she ended up prone and she was helped upright again by hands that caressed and lingered far too long against her body.

“I think... I can see straight again...” she told him cheerfully, slapping her hand down on the table.

The look he gave her was one of amusement. “Drink your water, love.” That was said softly, his intense blue eyes following the the graceful curve between her neck and shoulder before his lips followed suit.

She couldn't say what kind of noise she made, only that it elicited a similar type of sound from Dax, a low chuckle rumbling through his chest as he moved to tease at the spot just behind her ear where her jawline began. Heat brought clarity which brought an entirely different set of problems. “Can't drink,” she gasped out, “if you keep doing that.”

The cup was pressed into her hand and she drank it all down hastily. His breath stirred the fine hairs along the nape of her neck. Katrie wanted more and spun halfway around before Dax could resume his maddening teasing. She managed to place her hands on either side of his face before pressing her lips against his, impatient and demanding. If he thought her too forward, it definitely didn't show in the eager way he responded, his own need coming across rather clearly before she purposefully broke off the kiss. His mouth hung slack as she spent the next few minutes repaying him in kind for the glorious torment he had made her endure.

Dax didn't weather the experience nearly as well as she had, and it wasn't long before he was on his feet, her hand once again captured in one of his. If he moved any quicker, she would have been literally dragged behind him in his haste to reach the room. She couldn't remember when he had gotten a room... but Katrie found that once again, she didn't care. She had no plans to stay past tomorrow morning, preferably gone before he woke, but until then... Dax...

She couldn't help the pleased little purr that accompanied her flash of teeth and the sultry laugh that came from her that she barely recognized. Her grin was as mischievous as it was inviting as she beckoned to Dax. “You look better out of that uniform than you do in it.”

[Sunny]

Dax

Dax watched, lips twitched upward in a bemused smile, as his latest conquest spun through the last steps of a dance with another man. Her dark hair had taken on a life of its own, dark tendrils wrapping around her face as she threw back her head and laughed at something her chosen partner had said. She was perfection in a white dress, brown eyes sparkling with glee when she needled him, lips soft and warm when she pressed kisses against his skin. He felt prickles rolling up his body at the thought of those lips, and shivered.

The lanky Tairen certainly had not expected the evening to go like this. Some sweet talk, a few kisses, maybe hands sliding on soft flesh in a dark corner of the Tower, but this...just as she had surprised him with her inquiry, so she surprised him with her willingness to touch. He had never met anyone like her, and he had known more than his share of women. The complications that had risen with Avarie faded at the sound of this Accepted's laugh, and he could not find it in him to care. Why should he? He could not deny it was marvelous to let go and simply be.

Had she bewitched him? She could channel. She was the next thing to an Aes Sedai, had even confided him, in a conspiratorial whisper after her third or fourth drink, that she might ask to join the Brown Ajah. He had chosen to ignore that; anything that reminded him of what she sought to be conflicted with his visceral attraction to her. If she had bewitched him, he decided as he took a sip of his beer, he did not mind losing that battle.

She moved as if the mead she had consumed had gone to her head; it would not be long before the barkeep of the Blue Falcon refused her any further service. A moment later and she found him again, sliding into the bench to lean against his chest. She misjudged the distance and pushed herself until she nearly lay in his lap. He caught her, helped her upright, unable to resist the temptation to allow his hands to linger. She had not stopped him before, she did not stop him now. He bit his lip. “I think... I can see straight again," she commented, her voice slightly slurred.

"Drink your water, love," he said, carefully extracting one hand to push the tall mug of said liquid toward her. Then he could no longer ignore the curve of her neck and pressed his lips against her dusky skin. She made a most enjoyable sound and he pulled her against him as best he could, intent on his purpose. A moment later she gasped something unintelligible about drinking, and he came back to the present with a disgruntled noise of protest. If she could not walk, their evening would end early. Thankfully, she seemed to understand. At least she drained the cup he offered, which he took as a good sign.

She slammed it on the table and leaned into him, her lips capturing his. Her kisses were too much, his body's need too strong, the fire of alcohol stoking his desire higher than he could bear. When it hit fever pitch he shoved himself to his feet, pulling her behind him as he headed for the room he had reserved earlier. He heard the ribald encouragement of the other occupants of the room, and made a rude hand gesture to the air behind him as he yanked her into the hall. The answering roar of approval followed them up the stairs, but the sound of his heart pounding in his ears drowned it out.

They reached the room shortly after and he kicked the door closed with a blind foot. Then the swordsman spun around, pinning Katrie against the wood with his body. His fingers curled into hers and held her hands against the door on either side of her head as he kissed her. He felt the moment when she stopped resisting, the moment when her body softened and molded against his, and could not stop the groan of pent up need he felt. He pulled away for a moment after a long time lost in the feel of her lips and tongue, and she murmured "You look better out of that uniform than you do in it."

"So I've been told," he commented teasingly, running the back of his curled fingers along her cheek. Her eyes flashed, and she turned her head to bite his hand. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "and I like teeth, kitten." She shoved him, he stumbled backward, she followed. Their hands collided in their eagerness to remove the cloth that separated them; laughing, they eventually freed themselves. Somehow they found the bed. A questioning look from him and an answering nod from her, and he pulled her down on top of him, laughing.

Eventually sleep claimed them, their sweaty bodies tangled inextricably with one another on the bed.
* * * * In the silver-gray light before the sun rose, he felt Katrie slowly shift away from him. He knew that maneuver all too well. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked sleepily, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her against him to nuzzle at her ear. She froze, then made to get up again.

"Back to the Tower," she said, her voice level. "Let me go."

"Stay awhile kitten," he murmured. His fingers played over her body in lazy circles, remembering the caresses she had enjoyed most the night before. ""I'll take you back long before anyone knows you are gone." The words shocked him even as they slipped from his mouth. He could count on one hand the number of times he had stayed when a woman asked him to….and he had never been the one asking. The Accepted twisted to press her lips against his, ending that line of thought. He wrapped his arms around her and proceeded to make good use of the time they had.

When he finally took her back to the Tower, he stopped her as she was about to slip into the Accepted's quarters. "You know where to find me if you want me, kitten," he said with a grin.

[Jenn]

Katrie

Katrie found herself in Hama Valon again for the second time in as many days.

No one paid her much attention, the occasional passerby sparing her a sidelong glance of casual interest that waned quickly, eyes sliding off the banded colours at hem and cuff as curiosity moved on to the next thing to distract and see. If they noticed that her gait was somewhat awkward, and that she held herself stiffly, no one commented on it. The pristine white dress served as an adequate enough shield to hide the most obvious results of Dax's passion. Her hair, worn loose, and strategically applied powders covered the rest of the marks he had left behind on her neck.

She couldn't honestly even pretend that it upset her. She had left her own marks upon him and his body as well... probably more. The night had been glorious... and the morning after, entirely unexpected. Stay a while kitten. He had said, half-asleep, his want and desire for her as open and as naked as he was against her. Dax had been vulnerable in his need... but then, so had she. She had been defenseless against his eyes, his mouth, his caresses... the way his body fit against hers. Maybe that's why he had asked her to stay. Maybe that's why she had stayed.

The memory of his voice alone was enough ignite her blood, the phantom sensation of needy lips and teasing fingers sending exquisite heat throbbing through her entire body. Katrie shuddered involuntarily, her breath quickening, the very tip of her tongue going out to wet suddenly dry lips.

You know where to find me if you want me, kitten.

Her hand pressed against her side, feeling the fat little pouch of powdered herbs carefully tucked away in her bulging belt pouch that had replaced the small bag of coins. By her estimation, the preventative would last well into the next month, if she was careful. Not yet, she reminded herself forcefully. Not yet. The pretty Cairhienin had to make sure that nothing... complicated arose from this first, before she could let herself go and indulge in Dax again. His wide-open invitation burned like liquid fire in the very pit of her stomach.

Just a little while longer, she soothed herself, her lips parting already in anticipation.

-----

Though unpleasant, her cycle had passed more or less as she had expected. Reassured by that fact, as well as the spoonful of powdered herbs she took every morning with some strong tea, Katrie had managed to stay away from the Warder Yards – and by extension Dax – for two whole weeks. The feat was... difficult... to a degree that she had never struggled with before. Her mind offered her glimpses of tantalizing memory when she was otherwise unoccupied, of taut muscle flexing beneath her probing fingertips, of splayed fingers clenching in her hair, of shallow breaths and gasps, of callused palms gliding up her bare back.

Her steps were perfectly even, as measured and as composed as she appeared to be as the tall Accepted passed through the very outer edges of the Warder Yard. Beneath the surface of her skin, however... she was anything but calm. Katrie wasn't sure she could enter into the barracks again without being caught, but... if Dax had meant what he had said... well, he was resourceful.

[Sunny]

Dax

Dax wiped sweat from his face and shoulders after showing a young Drin'far'ji the proper footwork for Willow Embracing the Breeze. It took hard work to be a good swordsman, and even more to train others. It took a certain type of person to be good at both, and against all odds, Dakson Torellion fit the role. With the quasi-permanent blur of alcohol gone from his mind, he found himself reaching out without thinking about it, correcting a grip here, suggesting a better stance there. He could tell his sudden activity perplexed the Gaidin, and took silent, devilish delight in their confusion. When they finally assigned him a class to teach on his own, he had laughed all the way back to his room. Then he had gone about proving to them how badly they had misjudged him.

He felt eyes on his bare back and turned away from his student to search for the source.

As usual, there were a collection of Ji'alantin and Drin'far'ji on the field, split into groups to practice. Also as normal, a collection of men and women in fancloth sparred on their own, or stood to the side and watched silently. Against the fence opposite the Gaidin, a group of women had gathered. Again, nothing out of the ordinary. Some were obviously Aes Sedai, others still sported white skirts or banded hems, but some number of women were there nearly every day. They watched, but unlike the Gaidin he could hear their giggles and whispers on the opposite side of the Yard. The attention kept him focused, but for the most part he ignored them. He had no use for women looking for someone to die for them.

None of those familiar figures drew his attention. His eye fell instead on a tall, slender figure in an Accepted dress. She stood there so casually amidst the other Accepted he could almost believe she had not come there for him. She met his eyes, and any lingering doubt vanished in the blistering furnace he saw there. For a moment he forgot he was even in the Yards, his mind consumed with memories. She turned to laugh at something one of her companions had said and he exhaled sharply, his focus shifting back to his student. Thankfully the boy hadn't noticed anything amiss.

A few minutes later he found reason to excuse himself, those eyes -and eventually Katrie herself- following him down a narrow path that led north.

[Jenn]

Katrie

“Hush, kitten, hush...” Dax's voice was nothing more than a strained whisper, his cupped hands protecting her sensitive skin from the rough tree bark in the far end of the corner most alcove that existed in the Gardens.

“Can't!” Katrie gasped out, tasting salt and something that was uniquely Dax as she pressed her mouth against the side of his neck to muffle whatever noise it was that she couldn't stop herself from making.

The sound that escaped him would have been a laugh, had he the breath for it, his words holding odd notes of wonder and triumph. “So you did miss me.”

She exhaled through her nose, pulling away just enough so that she could smile up at him. She held his gaze as she rolled her hips purposefully. “As much as you missed me.” His legs buckled a little and those blue eyes rolled up into his head. She giggled, thrilling at his reaction and finally relented, losing herself in him. “I won't make you wait so long next time.”

“Good.” His lips were rough, his kisses ravenous. “Good.”

[Sunny]

Dax

Hidden in the loft above the barracks one day, she spoke as he drew circles around her abdomen with his tongue. "Dax, I want to try something." He looked up, and one slender finger brushed his hair out of his face. "I can create a- a wall, with the One Power, that would block sound from escaping." She smelled spicy and sweet, her body taut beneath his fingers. He knew he should be alarmed, and yet...What could she do to him that she had not already done? His fear of channeling seemed so distant in that moment. He nodded slow consent. For a moment she was not with him the way she had been, her eyes distant. He pulled away, watching uncertainly as she drew an invisible circle around them with her hand. The hair on the back of his neck rose in protest, and he struggled to keep his discomfort hidden.

She returned to herself a moment later, relaxing and giving him a challenging grin. "Oh, is that how it is?" He asked, sliding up to kiss her, his teeth grazing her lower lip. His hands took on a life of their own then, tugging at her restraint, teasing her into a frenzy. In the time that followed he extracted every shred of sound she had had to muffle in their prior trysts, delighting in what he could do without worry of discovery.

Spent at last, she collapsed against his chest with eyes half-closed, clinging to him as if her life depended on it. When their breathing steadied, she spoke again. "I am not as strong as the others," she murmured. "This is not something I can repeat often, peacock." Her lips grazed his ear as she spoke, and he shivered, pulling her hard against him.

"Thank you, kitten."

[Jenn]

Katrie

The cramped space smelled musty... but his tongue was warm and rough against the hollow of her throat.

“A broom closet? Really?” Katrie's voice was hushed, but it vibrated with her need.

“I couldn't wait anymore,” came the perfectly unapologetic reply. Dax's body leaned in against hers, easing it back until she was pressed back flat against the wall. There was no light, save for the tiny sliver of white that denoted the crack between the door and the floor.

She ran her hands over his shoulders, across his chest, wishing that there was enough room to have him properly disrobed. “Poor poor peacock.”

The pretty Cairhienin felt him take her arms, and she didn't resist as he lifted them slowly. One hand clasped firmly around her wrists, keeping them locked in place high above her head. She gasped when the felt Dax's other free hand move beneath the white banded skirt, a teasing fingertip trailing along knee then inner thigh. His breath tickled over the delicate shell of her ear as he murmured, “Make it better, kitten...”

[Sunny]

Dax

"Don't tell me you got those bruises sparring." A hand probed at his throat, and Dax responded instinctively, his arm hooking around the man who had touched him and yanking him down. He realized who it was a moment later, and pulled back just before pulverizing Darren Kitsaki's face on the table. He let the other Ji'alantin go with a muffled curse and an insincere apology, then let his head drop back into his hands.

Entirely unperturbed, the Kandori man rounded the table and sat on the bench across from Dax. A moment later Ban Derlow slide in next to him. The Tairen rolled his eyes up, and his head followed, until he faced his unwanted companions, his cheeks still resting heavily in his hands. "What. Do you want."

"Tell us about this lady friend of yours," Ban said cheerfully, spooning sugar on his porridge. "We know you want to."

"Why in the Light would you ask Dax about that?" A woman sitting at a neighboring table asked in an irritated voice. "Weren't you at dinner last night? He ran his bloody mouth for an hour. Some of us would like to eat in peace, you know."

Dax turned to look at her. "Thank you so much for sharing your opinion with the class, Salene," Dax told the Ji'dar with scathing sarcasm, "If you're looking for company tonight, I'm afraid I'm booked with someone far prettier, but I might have space next week if you ask nicely." She flushed, but her friends tugged her back to face them, leaning in to whisper furiously in her ear.

Encounter already forgotten, Dax returned his attention to the two men. "You aren't going to leave me alone until I tell you, are you." It wasn't a question. Ban looked embarrassed, but Darren merely shrugged cheerful agreement, stirring his porridge with vigor.

Everyone "knew" he avoided channelers like the plague. So long as he didn’t mention name and rank, their secret would be safe...and the opportunity to annoy Salene could not be passed up.
* * * * "Are you out of your mind?" Katrie's heated whisper echoed in the empty classroom. He lazily traced her jawline with his tongue, and her outburst ended in a choked off gasp. He could feel her heart pounding, hear her breath change when he caught her skin between his teeth. After a moment she continued in a strangled voice, "there's a class in this room in half an hour!" Despite her objections she shifted her body to fit against his a little better. He buried his hands in her hair, pulling her head back to bare her throat.

He found the danger of discovery to be almost as heady as the woman he now explored, fuel to the fire that threatened to consume him. "It wouldn't do to get in trouble," he murmured as he covered that tender skin with purposeful kisses, reveling in the shudders that wracked her as his body rocked against hers. He pushed her back gently until she lay on the desk, objects falling to the floor unheeded. "Best to hurry."