all we'd ever need || KAHLAN

[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred Last night was a blur. He was slowly spiraling out of control and he didn't even realize it himself. The pain killers that he had gotten himself high on before he went out did nothing to help his situation and it was a miracle he had gotten home at all because of how awful he had been. The petite brunette beside him in his bed was proof that he really hadn't been thinking. Finn didn't bring girls back to the pool house that he had been granted permission to stay in. He didn't like the permanency of the situation. Instead, he usually wasted his money in renting out a hotel room, but it made it easy for a quick getaway in the morning. He was a tag 'em and bag 'em kind of guy, and as he managed to pick his head up from his pillow, he groaned as he saw the girl's arms wrapped around him. Still unable to really see straight, he picked her hand up with two fingers, as if he would catch a disease from touching her, and threw her arm from around his back. "Fuck." He managed to croak out, his voice cracking from its disuse. He couldn't believe that he had been stupid enough to bring a girl back here. How had they even managed to get back here? He felt like he had been hit by a truck. Groaning to himself, he stumbled out of bed, ignoring the girl's whine of protest as his warmth left her side. Not in the market to please her, he collided with the door frame to the bathroom, whacking his shoulder on it rather soundly. Cursing loudly, he punched the frame without truly thinking, and then swore once more. His hand was still sore from punching that man in the bar the other day, as well as nearly punching a hole through the wall of the pool house. Connor had ordered him to fix it, but he hadn't gotten around to it yet and he truly didn't give a fuck. Still angry with Connor for the words they had exchanged the other day, he gave him the big ol' middle finger when it came to listening to anything that he wanted him to do. Grumbling to himself now, he shook his hand out, noticing the bloody knuckles with a scowl. "You gotta be kiddin' me." He slurred out, then blinked in surprise. What in the world? Was he still drunk? Apparently so. Muttering incoherently to himself, he finally found some purchase to his legs, even though his bum limb was absolutely useless, especially in this state. But knowing what he needed to start to feel better, he bent over the toilet, flipping the lid up. The bitch had the indecency to put his seat down when she didn't even live here. He was going to get rid of her, and fast. As soon as he made himself feel better. Unceremoniously, and rather crudely, he shoved his fingers down his throat and promptly vomited into the toilet. And once it started, it didn't stop. After what seemed like forever, he managed to pick his head up from where it rested on the seat of the toilet, flushing the mess he had created. His stomach didn't feel like it had a pile of lead in it so he was thankful for that. Pushing himself to his feet, he went to his sink and squirted a bunch of toothpaste in his mouth, grabbing his toothbrush and scrubbing his teeth until he felt they were satisfyingly clean. Dropping his toothbrush into the sink, he didn't bother with a shower, but washed his hands until he didn't feel so filthy anymore, splashing his face with the cold water as well. Glancing at himself in the mirror, he actually grimaced. The black eye that Connor had given him did nothing for his appearance, and he swore at the Irish man all over again. The white of his eye that was actually showing was blood shot, and it was swollen to twice the size of the other. That's what he got for not icing it. Now that his head was splitting with a head ache, he felt the extra pressure in the injury and smacked his palm hard against the mirror. Done with the bathroom for the time being, he managed to sway back out to his apartment, and then tripped ungracefully over a pile of clothes that he hadn't deemed important enough to pick up. Landing face first on the ground, he let out an 'oomph', not even causing the brunette in the bed to stir. However, now that he was on the ground, he decided that he wanted to stay there for a few moments to regain some of his sobriety. Clapping a hand over his face to block out most of the light, he started drifting off. That is, until his doors flew open, admitting the Irish blonde bombshell inside. And she sure was bad at handling Finn during his numerous hang overs. tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games SLIPPING HER ARMS THROUGH THE STRAPS OF HER VINTAGE BABY BLUE BATHING SUIT, KAHLAN RAN HER FINGERS THROUGH HER SHORT BLOND HAIR, RUFFLING IT. DECIDING TO ALLOW IT AN EASY DAY - SINCE SHE WAS STILL FEELING LIKE TRASH THANKS TO THE AMOUNT SHE'D DRUNK THE DAY BEFORE - SHE DIDN'T BOTHER CURLING IT BUT ALLOWED IT TO CURL NATURALLY AROUND HER FACE. SHE'D WOKEN UP WITH A HEADACHE - AND NOTABLY ALONE, ALTHOUGH SHE WOULDN'T COMMENT ON IT - BUT THANKFULLY, PUKING ON CONNOR THE DAY BEFORE SEEMED TO HAVE DONE THE TRICK AT EASING HER HANGOVER TODAY. SHE'D SPENT THE DAY SHOPPING FOR CONNOR'S AND ELI'S WEDDING, AND SHE'D MANAGED TO RUIN A PAIR OF HER JEANS THANKS TO HER POST-DRINKING BINGE CLUMSINESS. SHE'D ALSO GOTTEN A PARKING TICKET AND A BAD ATTITUDE, SO SHE FIGURED SHE WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE NICE SPRING-LIKE DAY BY SITTING AT THE EDGE OF THE POOL AND SUNBATHING. SHE HAD ABSOLUTELY NO DESIRE TO SWIM, SO SHE WAS PERFECTLY CONTENT SITTING IN THE SUN AND RELAXING. SHE DIDN'T BOTHER BRINGING A TOWEL, BUT SHE WALKED BRISKLY DOWN TO THE POOL, THANKFUL SHE'D TAKEN SOME ADVIL SO HER HEAD WAS NO LONGER ACHING. GRABBING A BOTTLE OF WATER OUT OF THE REFRIGERATOR, SHE EXITED THE HOUSE AND AMBLED OVER TO THE POOLSIDE. DRAGGING HER FAVORITE CHAIR IN TO THE NOONDAY SUN, SHE SMILED PLEASANTLY AT THE HOUSEKEEPER AS SHE APPEARED OUT OF THIN AIR WITH THE DAY'S NEWSPAPER. "THANK YOU," SHE COMMENTED GRATEFULLY AS SHE SETTLED HERSELF ON THE LAWN CHAIR AND UNFOLDED THE PAPER. SIGHING WITH RELAXATION, SHE OPENED HER WATER BOTTLE AND TOOK A SIP AS SHE FOCUSED ON THE PAPER. READING THE HEADLINE OF PAGE SIX - SHE LOVED THE GOSSIP ABOUT PEOPLE IN TOWN; IT WAS A HOBBY OF HERS THAT SHE NEVER ADMITTED, BUT EVERYONE KNEW - SHE SPIT OUT THE WATER IN HER MOUTH IN SURPRISE, DRENCHING THE PAPER AND HERSELF. HER EYES WIDENED AND SHE STARED WIDE-EYED AND OPEN-MOUTHED AT THE PICTURE ON THE COVER. THERE SHE WAS WITH HER ARMS AROUND FINN'S NECK, KISSING HIM VERY OBVIOUSLY AND VERY OPENLY RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF UPSCALE. SHE BLUSHED INSTANTLY AT THE PICTURE, SNAPPING THE PAPER CLOSED AS IF SHE COULD SOMEHOW HIDE THE PICTURE FROM THE WORLD BY THE SIMPLE FACT THAT SHE COULD NO LONGER SEE IT. GRINDING HER TEETH TOGETHER, SHE GLARED ACROSS THE POOL AT THE SILENT POOL HOUSE. SLIDING SWIFTLY OUT OF THE LAWN CHAIR, SHE STALKED AROUND THE POOL AND REACHED THE POOL HOUSE. TURNING THE KNOB, SHE THREW THE DOOR OPEN ANGRILY, HER FACE ROSY FROM IRRITATION AND EMBARRASSMENT. THIS WAS WHY FINN HAD REFUSED TO TELL HER WHAT HAPPENED THE DAY BEFORE. SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANY OF IT EXCEPT SNIPPETS OF WHAT HAD HAPPENED AFTER THEY'D GOTTEN HOME WHEN SHE'D PUKED ON CONNOR AND BEEN THROWN IN THE POOL, BUT MOST OF IT WAS A BLUR. "YOU ARSE!" SHE EXCLAIMED, USING HER FAVORITE SLUR AGAINST HIM. SHE DIDN'T CUSS LIKE HER BROTHERS, SO THE WORD WAS HARSH COMPARED TO HER USUAL LANGUAGE. SHE STOPPED IN HER TRACKS AS THE SUNLIGHT ILLUMINATED THE DIM POOL HOUSE AND SHE ALMOST TRIPPED OVER FINN LAYING ON THE FLOOR JUST INSIDE THE DOOR. FROWNING IN CONFUSION, SHE NOTICED THE BOTTLES OF ALCOHOL - SOME EMPTY AND OTHERS HALF-EMPTY - AND THEN SMELLED IT ON THE AIR. SINCE SHE WAS STILL FEELING THE AFTER EFFECTS OF HER OWN DRINKING MISHAP, THE SMELL NAUSEATED HER, AND SHE CALMED HER BREATHING, SUMMONING HER IRRITATION AT HIM AS HER AMMUNITION NOT TO THROW UP. "FINN, YOU JERK, WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME WHAT I DID YESTERDAY?" SHE GRIPED LOUDLY, PLANTING HER FOOT ON HIS SIDE AND SHOVING HIM AS ROUGHLY AS SHE COULD MANAGE. THIS AMOUNTED TO VERY LITTLE EFFORT AT ALL SINCE SHE WAS WOEFULLY WEAK COMPARED TO EVERY OTHER MEMBER OF THIS FAMILY, AND SHE GREW FRUSTRATED WHEN HE CONTINUED TO LAY ON THE FLOOR LIKE A LOG. "WAKE UP, YOU LAZY ARSE," SHE URGED HIM, BALLING UP THE NEWSPAPER AND LEANING DOWN TO WHACK HIM ON HIS SHOULDER AND THEN THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD. "IT'S TWO IN THE AFTERNOON!" A STIRRING IN THE BED CAUGHT HER ATTENTION, AND HER EYES WIDENED AS A BRUNETTE LIFTED HER HEAD FROM THE PILLOWS AND GROANED AUDIBLY. KAHLAN'S MOUTH DROPPED OPEN AND HER CHEEKS HEATED INSTANTLY. SUDDENLY, SHE FELT VERY OUT OF PLACE AND AWKWARD. THE GIRL DIDN'T SEEM TO BE WEARING MUCH, AND IT WAS VERY CLEAR WHAT HAD HAPPENED HERE OVERNIGHT. NO WONDER SHE'D BEEN ALONE WHEN SHE WOKE UP. FINN HAD BETTER THINGS TO DO. THE THOUGHT IRRITATED HER MORE THAN SHE CARED TO ADMIT, AND SHE HIT HIM HARD ACROSS THE BACK OF HIS HEAD WITH THE NEWSPAPER TO MAKE HERSELF FEEL BETTER. "TAKE YOUR TRASH OUT BEFORE CONNOR FINDS YOU," SHE SNAPPED CAUSTICALLY, TURNING ON HER HEEL AND MARCHING OUT OF THE POOL HOUSE WITH HER PAPER WEAPON.

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[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred His head was pounding as he laid there on the floor, and he brought his other arm up so that he could hold it between his hands. Groaning loudly, he kept his eyes closed tight, feeling the dizziness that he had inflicted upon himself take a hold of him again. He really needed to stop combining medications and alcohol or one of these times he was going to kill himself, or at least make himself very sick. However, Finn was a take chances kind of guy. He loved to live for the risk and he did it more often than people believed. It was just a miracle he hadn't driven his motorcycle home last night or they would both be dead. While he couldn't say that he would rightly care about the brunette, he certainly would be rather upset if he was an addition to the pavement. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he was happy with giving himself time to recover. That is, until Kahlan nearly tripped over him. He was suddenly brought straight back to the morning before when he had nearly face planted because of a drunken Kahlan on the ground. If she wanted to be a hypocritical bitch, he would give her a piece of his mind. She had been just as drunk as he was last night, or so he would like to imagine, and he wasn't going to put up with any of her bull shit. Hearing her yell split the air, he clung more tightly to his head. "Shhh." He reprimanded her, not wanting to deal with her right now. On all days, in all moments, she had to choose now to come and pester him? Hearing her question, he moaned in annoyance and exasperation, feeling her foot dig uncomfortably into his side. Grabbing her ankle, or trying to anyway, he managed to grab a hold of her on his second try. "Stop woman. Shush. I told you. Classified information." He informed her, his voice still hoarse from the activities he had engaged in last night. Keeping his eyes closed, he finally released her ankle as she pulled way from him, only to be whacked on the shoulder with something that he couldn't recognize. And then she hit him in the side of the head. "Fuck youuu." He swore rudely, not caring that it was Kahlan standing in front of him because of how awful he felt. Covering his head with his arms now, he lay on his stomach, propping himself up on his elbows as he continued to protect his precious head from the likes of Kahlan Selwyn. When she told him to wake up because it was two in the afternoon, he scoffed loudly. "Says you who slept the entire day yesterday, and through the night. Stop being such a fucking hypocrite and get out." He was at his crankiest when he was this hung over, and she kept finding him in horrible moods because of his drinking sprees. He was getting worse and worse, but that was because he was trying to distance himself from her and from his feelings for her. He didn't even want to explore them to figure out what his fucked up mind was trying to tell him. It was useless and pointless. It was not a relationship that was ever going to work out, and she deserved better. She needed to find some rich socialite who would give her everything she deserved and more. Someone who could handle her family, someone who could handle her but function with her at the same time. Someone who wasn't him. It wasn't even going to be an allowed possibility in his opinion, if he and Connor could help it. Raising a hand from his head, he waved it at her, trying to get her to go away as she kept hitting him with whatever was balled up in her hands. And that was when he got the hardest hit of them all, actually making him yell out in protest because of the pain. "Not the head! Fuck, Kahlan." He shouted at her, the Russian in his accent coming out more because of his anger. Hating himself even more when he heard it and realized it, he punched his still bleeding fist into the floor below him and then heard her instructions. Freezing in place, he suddenly remembered the slut who had thrown herself all over him last night. It had been an easy lay. However, he never would want Kahlan to see that. "Great." He muttered to himself as he heard her storm out of the pool house. Sighing in a huff, he pushed himself up with effort, going to the bed and unceremoniously rolling the girl out of it in a heap on the floor by lifting his side of the mattress. "Get up, get dressed, and get out. The back door. And don't come here. Ever." He informed her, hearing her call him an asshole. Shrugging his shoulders because he really didn't care, he knew exactly how he was going to get back at Kahlan for her actions. Going to his dresser, he made sure the whore had left before changing his clothes. Pulling on his favorite pair of yellow swim shorts, he stumbled from the room and grabbed Kahlan from behind just before she made it to her chair. "I'll fucking teach you to be a fucking hypocritical ass, is what I'm going to do. No one else is allowed to be hung over, is that it? What am I, five?" He questioned her, not really expecting an answer but knowing he would get one anyway. And that was when he did it. He tossed her in the pool. For the second time in two days. And this time it was in the low end again, but this time she was sober enough to know she could stand. He turned from her and went to the deep end of the pool, stepping up onto the diving board. Flipping her off because he could, he dove into the water, still fighting his drunkenness as he surfaced and slicked his hair back. Swimming forward, he went into the low end, not touching her as she flailed around. "Welcome to swimming 101. Get going." tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games HE CRINGED VISIBLY AT THE SOUND OF HER VOICE AND THE LIGHT, SO SHE ONLY IRRITATED HIM MORE ON PURPOSE. SHE KNEW HOW TO GET UNDER HIS SKIN, IN PERFECT LITTLE SISTER FASHION, SO SHE PESTERED HIM AS HE COMPLAINED ABOUT IT. WHEN HE CURSED AT HER, IT ONLY MADE IT WORSE BECAUSE SHE HATED WHEN HE DIRECTLY THAT SORT OF LANGUAGE AT HER. WHACKING HIM VEHEMENTLY ACROSS HIS NECK, SHE HUFFED AUDIBLY, HER VOICE TENSE AND BREAKING FROM THE STRAIN OF HER IRRITATION. "DON'T TALK TO ME LIKE THAT," SHE HISSED. BUT HE COUNTERED HER BY CALLING HER A HYPOCRITE, THROWING HER DRUNKENNESS BACK IN HER FACE, AND SHE REDDENED IN ANGER AND MORTIFICATION. SHE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT, AND THAT ONLY MADE HER ANGRIER, SO SHE KICKED HIM BEFORE HITTING HIM THE HARDEST WITH THE NEWSPAPER. AFTER NOTICING THE WHORE IN HIS BED, SHE MARCHED AWAY, FILLED WITH A DEEP-SEATED PIQUE SHE COULDN'T IDENTIFY. HIS WORDS AND THE REALIZATION THAT HE'D SLEPT WITH SOME RANDOM SLUT DROVE DEEP IN TO HER GUT AND MADE HER WANT TO HIT SOMETHING. SHE WOULDN'T PUNCH A WALL LIKE HER BROTHERS WERE WONT TO DO, BUT SHE CAME CLOSE TO IT. HER THOUGHTS WERE MURDEROUS AS THE IMAGE OF THE BROWN-HEADED GIRL SLEEPING IN FINN'S BED SHIFTED ACROSS HER MIND'S EYE. SHE HAD HALF A MIND TO TEAR HER HAIR OUT, BUT ONLY AFTER SHE BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF FINN. HOW DARE HE CALL HER A HYPOCRITE? HE DRANK ALL THE TIME, AND HE SCREWED WHOEVER HE WANTED TOO. AT LEAST SHE WASN'T A SLUT. SHE KNEW THE THOUGHT WAS MEAN THE MOMENT SHE THOUGHT IT, BUT HER THOUGHTS WEREN'T TERRIBLY KIND TOWARD HIM AS SHE WALKED AROUND THE OUTSIDE OF THE POOL. A LOUD THUD ECHOED FROM THE POOL HOUSE, AND SHE HEARD HIS VOICE AS HE ORDERED THE GIRL OUT. SHE FELT AN INSTANT, MOMENTARY FLASH OF TRIUMPH. HA. HE MAY HAVE SLEPT WITH THE BRUNETTE LAST NIGHT - AND DONE GOD ONLY KNEW WHAT ELSE - BUT THE GIRL WASN'T GOING TO BE STICKING AROUND. AN IRRATIONAL FEELING OF VICTORY FLITTED THROUGH HER AND SHE DREW HERSELF UP UNCONSCIOUSLY AS SHE ROUNDED THE END OF THE POOL AND HEADED BACK TOWARD HER CHAIR. TOSSING THE NEWSPAPER INTO THE SEAT, SHE GLARED DOWN AT THE WOODEN SEAT AS SHE REACHED IT, BENDING AT HER WAIST TO CLIMB BACK DOWN INTO THE LAWN CHAIR. BUT FINN HAD OTHER IDEAS. HE'D MOVED QUICKER THAN SHE WOULD HAVE IMAGINED, APPEARING BEHIND HER WHEN SHE'D THOUGHT HE WOULD MOPE AROUND HIS APARTMENT AND LEAVE HER ALONE. THAT WAS ULTIMATELY WHAT SHE WANTED AFTER SEEING THAT ARTICLE IN THE NEWSPAPER. WHO KNEW WHAT IT ACTUALLY SAID. THE IDEA EMBARRASSED HER PROFUSELY. BUT SHE DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO THINK ABOUT IT AS HIS HANDS GRIPPED HER HIPS AND HAULED HER BACK AWAY FROM THE CHAIR. HER BREATH CAUGHT IN HER THROAT, MAKING AN AUDIBLE SUCKING SOUND, AND SHE STRAIGHTENED. HER HIPS BURNED AND HER HEART LEAPT IN HER CHEST AT HIS HARD, IRRITABLE WORDS. THE SOUND OF HIS VOICE, SO HARSH AND FORCEFUL, BEHIND HER MADE HER BODY TENSE AND REACT LIKE AN EXPLOSION HAD JUST BLOWN UP IN HER CHEST JUST BELOW HER RIB CAGE. OUTWARDLY, SHE GROUND HER TEETH TOGETHER AGAINST BOTH HER BODY'S DISOBEDIENT AND CONFUSING REACTION TO HIS TOUCH AND IN ANGER THAT HE WAS CALLING HER A HYPOCRITE YET AGAIN. SHE WAS, BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO HEAR IT OUT OF HIS MOUTH. SHE BEGAN TO TWIST TO CONFRONT HIM, BUT BEFORE SHE KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING, HE EASILY LIFTED HER AND SHE BECAME WEIGHTLESS. SHE SQUEALED IN PANIC AS THE WATER CAME IN TO HER VISION, AND SHE DESPERATELY TRIED TO TWIST AWAY FROM IT, TO NO AVAIL. SMACKING DOWN INTO THE WATER, SHE SCREAMED, RELEASING A TORRENT OF BUBBLES FROM HER MOUTH. HER FEET FOUND PURCHASE ON THE BOTTOM THIS TIME, AND SHE SHOVED HARD UPWARD, CATAPULTING HERSELF FROM THE WATER SO FORCEFULLY THAT SHE CAME OUT UP TO HER HIPS BEFORE SHE SANK BACK DOWN AND LANDED ON HER FEET. SLINGING HER HEAD BACKWARD TO GET HER HAIR OUT OF HER EYES, SHE FOUND HIM WITH HER WIDE EYES AND SAW HIM FLIP HER OFF JUST AS HE DIVED IN TO THE POOL. ANGER ERUPTED OVER HER, HOT AND FAST, AND SHE BALLED HER FISTS AT HER SIDES AS HER BODY BEGAN SHAKING FROM THE FEAR OF THE WATER COUPLED WITH HER RAGE AT HIM. SHE SHOULDN'T BE SO ANGRY WITH HIM, BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, SHE WAS. HE HADN'T TOLD HER ABOUT THE KISS, AND SHE'D BEEN WALKING AROUND TOWN ALL DAY WITH A PICTURE OF HER ON THE COVER OF PAGE SIX WHILE SHE HAD NO IDEA ANYONE AND EVERYONE KNEW SHE'D BEEN DRUNK THE DAY BEFORE. SHE WAS MORTIFIED AND EMBARRASSED TO THE VERY DEPTHS OF HER VIRGINAL SOUL. SHE DIDN'T DRINK, SHE DIDN'T DO BAD THINGS. HECK, SHE HARDLY EVEN WENT OUT IN PUBLIC ANYMORE FOR THAT MATTER. BUT HE'D DRUG HER OUT AND FORCED HER TO DRINK, BASICALLY - SHE FULLY INTENDED TO BLAME IT ALL ON HIM ALTHOUGH, DEEP DOWN, SHE KNEW SHE WAS THE ONE AT FAULT FOR DRINKING SO MUCH THANKS TO HER COMPETITIVENESS. AS HE CUT THROUGH THE WATER TOWARD HER, SHE TRIED TO MOVE AWAY FROM HIM BUT SLIPPED ON THE SLICK POOL FLOOR AND FELL WITH A GURGLE INTO THE WATER. SHRIEKING IN HER THROAT, A SOUND THAT WAS MUFFLED AND KILLED BY THE LIQUID, SHE WAVED HER ARMS AROUND LIKE SOMEONE DROWNING AND FINALLY HAULED HERSELF BACK TO THE SURFACE JUST AS FINN ROSE OUT OF THE WATER LIKE A FISH IN FRONT OF HER. HIS EASE IN THE WATER ONLY SERVED TO IRRITATE HER MORE, AND PAIRED WITH THE SMOOTH CHISELED CURVE OF HIS SHOULDERS ABOVE THE WATER, SHE WAS SPEECHLESS WITH IRE. HIS TAUNT MADE HER GRIND HER TEETH TOGETHER, BRUSHING HER HAND BACK THROUGH HER HAIR TO SLICK THE SHORT BLOND BOB OUT OF HER EYES. "BITE ME," SHE SNAPPED IRRITABLY AT HIM, REFUSING TO MOVE FROM HER PLACE IN THE POOL. SHE KNEW, TO GET OUT, SHE WOULD HAVE TO SHUFFLE ALONG THE BOTTOM AT THE VERY LEAST, BUT RIGHT NOW, SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE. SHE WOULD PROBABLY EITHER HYPERVENTILATE OR HER MUSCLES WOULD SPASM TO DEATH FROM THE WAY HER BODY WAS SHIVERING, BUT SHE DIDN'T CARE. SHE WAS TOO STUBBORN TO GIVE IN TO HIM. "I SPENT ALL MORNING IN TOWN RUNNING ERRANDS, NEVER KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY, THANKS TO YOU. AND THEN, I SEE THE NEWSPAPER, AND I FIND MYSELF PLASTERED ALL OVER THE COVER OF IT, ACTING LIKE A COMPLETE IDIOT FOR EVERYONE TO SEE." SHE DIDN'T ADDRESS THE FACT THAT SHE WAS KISSING HIM IN THE PICTURE. SHE LIKED TO ASSUME THAT HE WAS MERELY THE CLOSEST ONE AVAILABLE IN HER DRUNKEN SHOW. SHE HADN'T KISSED HIM BECAUSE IT WAS FINN. THAT WAS ABSURD. "I OFFICIALLY HATE YOU," SHE GROUCHED, CROSSING HER ARMS OVER HER CHEST AND HUDDLING IN HER SHIVERING CIRCLE OF WATER. "AND YOU WANT TO ACCUSE PEOPLE OF BEING FIVE YEARS OLD? HOW ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU JUST GOING TO THROW ME IN THE POOL EVERY TIME YOU HAVE YOUR PERIOD AND DON'T WANT TO HEAR ME ARGUE WITH YOU? REALLY," SHE BELLYACHED, WISHING HE WAS CLOSER SO SHE COULD HIT HIM AGAIN. SINCE HE WASN'T, SHE REACHED DOWN AND STRONGLY PUSHED A WAVE OF WATER IN HIS FACE, PLEASED WHEN IT DRENCHED HIM. WITH HIM CLOSER, SHE NOTICED THE DISCOLORATION OF HIS EYE, AND SHE FROWNED. BITS AND PIECES OF THE DAY BEFORE REMAINED IN HER HEAD, MOST NOTABLY OF WHICH BEING THE MOMENT SHE PUKED ALL OVER HER OLDEST BROTHER. SHE REMEMBERED FINN AND CONNOR ARGUING, AND AS SHE THOUGHT ABOUT IT, SHE REMEMBERED CONNOR PUNCHING HIM HARD IN THE GRASS ON THE FRONT LAWN. SHE FROWNED, A FLICKER OF CONCERN PASSING OVER HER PRETTY FACE BEFORE SHE WAS ABLE TO COVER IT AND HUFF STUBBORNLY. SHE WOULDN'T FEEL SORRY FOR HIM. SURELY HE DESERVED IT. HE WAS AN ASS.

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[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred Finn was reaching a point in his life in which he could not control himself. He couldn't control his anger, he couldn't control his inhibitions...he couldn't control anything. He just did what he wanted to do, lived how he wanted to live. He was going to burn himself out faster than he could even blink, but what bothered him the most was that he didn't even care. What he wanted to do now was separate himself from every member of the Selwyn family. He knew that making it on his own wasn't what scared him, it wasn't what stopped him from leaving. His damn loyalty was what kept him here, and because of it, he hated the trapped feeling that he had. While he knew that they would never bind him like that, he was still basically a part of the family. But with a start, he suddenly realized that he was not a Selwyn. He never was, and he never would be. Pain rocketed through his heart at that sudden realization, and he pushed himself up off of his floor with a newly discovered rage that he had never felt before. He was an orphan. The Selwyns had taken him in for a reason that he didn't even know. They had raised him as one of their own, they had made him believe that he belonged. But he didn't. And that displacement radiated through him now as he kicked the whore out of his bedroom, out of his life. Thinking about what Kahlan said about cleaning up his trash before Connor found him, he shook his head. He didn't give a fuck about what Connor thought. The man had been more of a womanizer than he was, and yet he had love now. What made him so much better? Fuming at the thought of the entire hypocritical family, he stormed out of his room, remembering the hard kick and the harder smack from the newspaper that Kahlan had given him. He was done trying to please everyone, not that he really went out of his way to do it before. He was just done. Ignoring his limp, ignoring his hazy mind, he grabbed her before she could run away from him, hearing her suck in a breath in surprise. He didn't care. He didn't care if she screamed. She could do whatever the fuck she wanted, but she was still going into that damn pool. Shoving her over his shoulder with little propriety, he let his hand hold her just under her butt, spinning around quickly so that he could deposit her where he so pleased. And as he launched her into the water, he watched her struggle for a moment, making sure she wasn't going to be an idiot like the previous day. Once he was certain she wasn't going to die, he limped to the diving board, glad that the swim shorts hid most of the horrendous scar on his leg. Launching himself into the water, he came out right in front of her and watched as the anger flashed through her eyes. He didn't care. Let her be mad. She wasn't the hung over one today. Who did she think she was anyway? His boss? He would chew her out if she pulled that bull shit over him. As she instructed him to bite her, he snorted caustically. "No thanks. You might yell at me for that even though you initiated it." It was a low blow, a double meaning, but his concern for her had flown out the window because of his horrible mood. He had caught sight of the newspaper on the pool chair before he had grabbed her. He had noticed the picture of her pressed soundly up against him and it had turned his stomach inside out. Of course he knew about the newspaper, but he wasn't going to be the idiot that exposed that to her. He knew that he would be the one blamed for this entire mess, and his body was already prickling defensively, his mind yearning to burst with the rage from it all. It was unfair. Because she was who she was, and because he was who he was, the blame pointed straight to him. Such was life, and he had to get over it, he knew, but for once...for once in his life he had acted like the gentleman and now he was getting shit for it. That was the last time he went out of his way for someone. It got you no where, quite obviously. His eyes narrowed as she threw the blame at him like he knew she was going to do, and his entire body tensed visibly. Finn was a soldier above all else, and his natural instincts took over to protect himself. He would defend himself. "That's rich Kahlan. I didn't tell you because what would you have done? It was better if you forgot about it because I knew this was how you were going to react. I'm sorry all of Boston can see you making yourself an idiot by kissing the likes of me, but I fucking took care of you." He shot back angrily, the hurt not showing in his words or in his face because of what she said. It did hurt. He was foolish to believe that she would be happy over the fact that she had kissed him. He knew that he shouldn't have gotten his hopes up. It had been a drunk reaction and he was certain that if any other schmuck had taken her to the bar, she would have done the same damn thing. "So, I don't know what you want me to say. I'm sorry I didn't tell you but I had already gotten enough shit from Connor and I didn't need it from you too." He finished hotly, his temper flaring as he clenched his fists in the water. He didn't know what to do or what to say. He did know that he needed to gain control of his anger and fast, before he did something rash. He was being harsh to Kahlan, more harsh than he had ever been in his entire life, and he couldn't stop it. He knew it was because he felt like shit in more ways than one. For a moment, the intense guilt over the entire situation flooded him and he looked absolutely defeated as his shoulders slumped. But just as quickly he recovered himself, the hard expression returning to his ice blue eyes as he flashed his gaze back to her. "I'm sorry for challenging you in the..." But his apology was cut off as she told him that she officially hated him. Bristling once more, he nearly growled as he stood there, watching her as she continued to ream into him over his actions. He put up a hand to stop her, not wanting to allow her to have the last word. "No. Fuck, god dammit Kahlan. I threw you into the pool because I didn't want to hear you bitch and moan, and you need to learn how to fucking swim. It's about damn time." He spoke out rudely once more, even though she had instructed him minutes before not to talk to her like that. He wasn't in the market for obeying orders though, which was to be expected from him. He was glad that no one was around to hear their heated argument. He would be at the center of the blame if that was the case. He was tired of being the one at fault. Although he did challenge her to the dare in the first place, he had tried to get her to stop drinking. He had taken care of her, he had made sure she was alright. Not like her. So far she had woken him up twice when he was severely hung over, and it was obvious that his temper was shorter each time that it happened. Then she splashed him. He took it, keeping himself silent because he didn't think she deserved any more words from him. He wasn't going to defend himself. He wasn't going to blame her. He wasn't going to do any of that because he knew his place. Huffing in irritation, he shook his head, his hair sending water droplets flying as it stuck up all over the place. Running his hand over his face, he cleared his eyes of the water, careful of his bruised eye in the process. Seeing the concern flicker over her face, he knew that she didn't want him to see it, so he didn't even bother commenting. "Fine. You know what, I don't have time for this shit. You hate me. Good. It's better that way anyway." He stated roughly, pushing himself forward through the water so that he could remove himself from the pool. He was finished with all of this now. tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games KAHLAN GLARED AT HIM AS HE SNAPPED BACK AT HER. "WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?" SHE ASKED HOTLY, PUSHING HER BLOND HAIR BACK OVER HER EAR ABSENTLY AS SHE WATCHED HIM WITH HER SHARP GREEN EYES. SHE WASN'T THINKING ABOUT THE PICTURE, IN THIS CONTEXT, AND SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THE BAR TO BE ABLE TO REALIZE WHAT HE WAS GETTING AT. DEEP DOWN, PAST HER EMBARRASSMENT THAT SHE WAS TURNING AND TAKING OUT ON HIM, SHE KNEW WHY HE HADN'T TOLD HER ABOUT IT. HE KNEW WHAT EMBARRASSED HER, AND HE WOULDN'T WANT TO BRING IT UP. IF SHE HAD BEEN ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT, HE KNEW IT WAS BETTER TO KEEP HER IN THE DARK ABOUT IT THAN TO MAKE IT WORSE BY ADMITTING IT HAD HAPPENED. THAT WAS WHAT THIS ALL BOILED DOWN TO: SHE WAS ABASHED BY HER BEHAVIOR THAT WAS NOW PRINTED FOR THE ENTIRE CITY TO SEE. SHE COULD ONLY IMAGINE HOW CONNOR WOULD REACT. MAYBE THAT WAS WHY FINN HAD THE BLACK EYE. SHE REMEMBERED THE TUSSLE IN THE YARD, BUT MAYBE CONNOR HAD HIT HIM AT SOME OTHER TIME. SHE COULDN'T BE SURE. HER MEMORIES WERE TOO HAZY AND FOGGY TO TELL. HE CONFIRMED HER BELIEFS BY STATING HE HADN'T TOLD HER BECAUSE HE KNEW HOW SHE WOULD REACT. WHEN SHE GOT EMBARRASSED, SHE GOT ANGRY AND FLUSTERED, AND SHE WAS PLAYING RIGHT IN TO THAT CHARACTER FLAW IN THIS MOMENT. SHE CROSSED HER ARMS OVER HER CHEST AND HUFFED AS HE SPOKE. HEARING HIM COMMENT ON HER KISSING THE 'LIKES' OF HIM, SHE FROWNED AT HIM AND SHOOK HER HEAD. "I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT, FINN. I WAS DRUNK. IT WAS JUST YOU," SHE COMMENTED OFFHANDEDLY AS IF IT WASN'T A BIG DEAL THAT SHE'D KISSED HIM. 'IT'S JUST FINN' PIPED UP HER SUBCONSCIOUS. EVEN AS THE WORDS CAME OUT OF HER MOUTH, HOWEVER, THE TRUTH DAWNED ON HER. IT WAS VERY SIGNIFICANT INDEED THAT HE HAD BEEN THE ONE SHE'D KISSED. SHE'D NEVER KISSED HIM, AND SHE ONLY KISSED GUYS SHE WANTED TO KISS. SHE WAS A VIRGIN FOR A REASON, AND BY EXTENSION, SHE DIDN'T JUST MAKE OUT WITH ANY GUY WHO CAME ALONG. SHE KNEW THAT, EVEN DRUNK, SHE WOULDN'T KISS JUST ANYONE. SHE WAS GLAD IT WAS HIM. THE FLUTTERING IN HER STOMACH AT THE REALIZATION THAT SHE'D DONE SOMETHING SHE DIDN'T EVEN REMEMBER - NOT TO MENTION THE FACT THAT IT WAS AN ACTUAL KISS WITH FINN OF ALL PEOPLE - SPRANG TO LIFE AS SHE SIGHED AND SHRUGGED HER SHOULDERS IN EXASPERATED CONFUSION. "WHAT MATTERS IS THAT I ACTED LIKE AN IDIOT AND EVERY ONE AND THEIR BROTHER CAN SEE IT, AND YOU DIDN'T EVEN TELL ME WHAT HAPPENED!" SHE EXPLAINED. SHE WAS LEAVING DETAILS OUT, SOMEHOW SHE INHERENTLY KNEW THIS. SOMETHING IN THE BACK OF HER MIND NAGGED HER THAT THERE WAS SOME FACT SHE WASN'T ADMITTING, BUT SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS. HER SUBCONSCIOUS GLARED IMPATIENTLY AT HER, BUT SHE IGNORED IT. SHE HEARD THE BITTERNESS IN HIS VOICE THIS TIME WHEN HE MENTIONED HER BROTHER, HIS BEST FRIEND, AND SHE WATCHED HIS FACE CLOSELY AS HE SPOKE. FINN ADORED CONNOR, AND SHE KNEW IT EVEN IF NO ONE ELSE DID. CONNOR CARED ABOUT HIM MORE THAN ANYONE ELSE OUTSIDE OF HIS FAMILY CIRCLE, BUT CONNOR WAS HORRIBLE AT EXPRESSING ANY TYPE OF EMOTION. STILL MIFFED AT HIM, SHE TRIED NOT TO FEEL ANY SYMPATHY OR EMPATHY TOWARD HIM, AND SHE LOOKED AWAY AS HE WENT SILENT. THE SILENCE WAS ONLY MOMENTARY BEFORE HE OPENED HIS MOUTH AND BEGAN EXPLAINING SOMETHING ELSE - SOME SORT OF APOLOGY PERHAPS? - BUT SHE CUT HIM OFF WITH A HEATED STATEMENT THAT SHE HATED HIM. OBVIOUSLY, IT WASN'T TRUE - SHE COULD NEVER HATE FINN - BUT SHE WAS BEING CHILDISH. HER ANGER WAS PIQUED, SO SHE WANTED A REACTION OUT OF HIM. SHE WANTED TO MAKE HIM MAD. IT WAS A SUBCONSCIOUS FEELING, BUT SHE FELT MILDLY VICTORIOUS AND GUILTY WHEN HE VISIBLY TENSED AT HER WORDS. IT SEEMED TO AFFECT HIM MORE THAN SHE'D BARGAINED FOR. SEEING HER OPENING, HER ANGER FLARED UP AGAIN AND SHE MOVED TO STEP TOWARD HIM THROUGH THE WATER, BUT THE SLOSHING AROUND HER CHEST INSTANTLY FROZE HER IN PLACE. GRINDING HER TEETH TOGETHER AS SHE WAS EFFECTUALLY TRAPPED IN THE POOL, SHE CLOSED HER EYES AND LIT IN TO HIM, ONLY STOPPING WHEN HE TALKED OVER HER AND INTERRUPTED HER. HER GREEN GAZE FLASHED TO HIM, ANGRY AND INTENSE LIKE HER OLDER BROTHER ONLY IN THIS MOMENT. SHE WAS ANGRIER THAN SHE SHOULD BE AT HIM, FOR REASONS SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. WHY WAS SHE SO ANGRY IN THE FIRST PLACE? IT REALLY WASN'T A BIG DEAL, BUT SHE WAS IRRATIONALLY IRRITATED WITH HIM. THE IMAGE OF THE GIRL SLEEPING IN HIS BED FLASHED UNWELCOME INTO HER MIND, AND SHE SHOOK WITH THE ANGER THAT WASHED OVER HER. SO WHEN HE TOLD HER IT WAS ABOUT TIME SHE LEARNED TO SWIM, SHE DRENCHED HIM WITH A WAVE OF WATER AND CLENCHED HER FISTS AT HER SIDE AS SHE GLARED HIM DOWN. HE COMPOSED HIMSELF, SHAKING THE WATER OUT OF HIS HAIR LIKE A WET DOG, AND SHE BREATHED HEAVILY AS SHE WATCHED HIM. FINALLY, HE SEEMED TO COME TO A CONCLUSION AND HE MUTTERED THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO DEAL WITH HER. HE BEGAN MOVING TO THE EDGE OF THE POOL, AND SUDDEN, RAGING PANIC TOOK HER OVER AS SHE REALIZED HE WAS GOING TO LEAVE HER HERE. "WAIT... FINN! WAIT, YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME HERE!" SHE SQUEAKED, SHAKING AS HE MOVED EVER CLOSER TO THE SIDE OF THE POOL. SHE ACHED TO GO AFTER HIM FOR THE LAST THING SHE WANTED WAS TO BE MAROONED IN THE WATER EVEN IF IT WAS THE SHALLOW END, BUT SHE WAS SCARED STIFF AND STUCK IN PLACE. THE WATER LAPPED AROUND HER AND HER HEART BEAT ERRATICALLY AS HE MOVED FARTHER AWAY FROM HER. "FINN! PLEASE, DON'T LEAVE ME. I CAN'T... I DON'T...PLEASE, STOP. I'M SORRY!" SHE ACTUALLY WAS SORRY, AND HER FEAR OF THE POOL BROUGHT OUT HER HONESTY PAST HER PRIDE. SHE LOOKED LIKE A TIMID DROWNED RAT STANDING IN PLACE IN THE WATER, GLANCING WILDLY DOWN AT IT AS IF IT WAS GOING TO EAT HER BEFORE LOOKING BACK UP AT HIM. SHE COULDN'T STAY HERE. SHE FELT CLAUSTROPHOBIC DESPITE THE BRIGHT SUNLIGHT AND THE CLEAR WATER AROUND HER. SHE FELT TRAPPED. SUDDENLY, HOT TEARS SPRANG TO HER EYES, AND SHE TRIED TO PUSH THEM AWAY BUT SHE COULDN'T. "FINN, I'M REALLY SORRY. PLEASE, JUST DON'T LEAVE ME HERE," SHE BEGGED HIM, HER EYES BRIMMING WITH THE TEARS SHE STUBBORNLY REFUSED TO CRY. INSTINCTIVELY, SHE STEPPED TOWARD HIM, AND THE WATER SWIRLED AROUND HER SO SHE FROZE IN PLACE AGAIN, WINCING AS IF SHE'D BEEN BITTEN. "I CAN'T DO THIS. PLEASE..." THE PANIC SEETHING IN HER BRAIN SHUT DOWN HER BODY, AND SHE THOUGHT SHE MIGHT PASS OUT. SHE WAS OVERREACTING, THE RATIONAL PART OF HER BRAIN KNEW THIS, BUT THE IRRATIONAL FEAR OF THE WATER OVERPOWERED ALL REASON. "DON'T LEAVE ME ALONE LIKE THIS. I NEED YOU. I..." HER WORDS TAPERED OFF AND SHE CHOKED BACK A SCARED LITTLE SOB AS SHE SHUT HER EYES AND TRIED TO CALM HERSELF. SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW SHE WAS GOING TO GET OUT OF THE POOL IF HE DIDN'T HELP HER. HER MUSCLES WERE LOCKED UP TIGHT, AND HER HEAD FELT DIZZY AND TOO FULL AS HER BRAIN TOLD HER TO GET AS FAR AWAY FROM THE WATER AS POSSIBLE BUT HER BODY WOULDN'T MOVE.

template by pan @ caution2.0!

[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred "Nothing. It doesn't mean anything Kahlan. Just forget I said anything." He wasn't going to waste his time sitting here and talking about something that she would never begin to understand. She was too innocent to believe that she had been the one to start anything when it came to the bar scene and he didn't have the heart to tell her that it was her that had kissed him and not the other way around. Shaking his head at her, he sighed loudly, obviously. He didn't want to do this anymore. He didn't want to be here anymore, not in front of her. The girl that had been his best friend growing up was slowly slipping away from him, but that was the way that it had to be. It would be safer for her in the long run. It would be what Connor wanted, and ultimately, it would be what she wanted. He knew in his heart that this would be for the best. She would see. She would understand too. This was the only option that he had available to him, and her words made it quite obvious that the kiss meant nothing. Seeing her frown, he watched her carefully, not truly understanding what was going on in her head. It was times like these that he wished he could understand women, that he wished he could read their minds, for this was just getting more and more difficult. He was confused, he didn't know what she wanted to hear from him. However, as the next words came forth from her lips, he couldn't hide the pain that flashed across his face. "It was just you." That silenced him and he stood there for a few moments, looking down into the translucent water that his lower half was submerged in. A small laugh, condescending at best, came forth from his mouth, sounding more like an exhale of air than anything else. Running his palm over the surface of the water, back and forth for a moment, he nodded his head in agreement with her. "Right. You're right, of course." Her words echoed over and over again in his mind and he knew what he had to do to get her to calm down. Glancing up, his icy blue eyes flashed with a defiance, and he spoke quietly after she said what mattered was that she had made an idiot out of herself. She seemed to forget that he was there too. "I did it. I kissed you first. I initiated it." There. At least her precious conscious could be cleared. This way, she wouldn't be at fault. He would tell everyone that he had gone in for the first move to. Anyone who questioned the situation would be told otherwise. He wouldn't let her reputation suffer. Leaving out all of the details about how he had kept her dress from slipping down over her head, from how he had kept her on her feet when it mattered the most, he threw himself under the bus so that her good name could be reinstated. "I'll fix everything, don't you worry." His fight was gone. This was a different Finn. This was a Finn that Finn himself didn't even know how to handle. He never gave up in a fight. He never waved the white flag first, but here he was, basically at his wit's end. He was done fighting with her over something that she wasn't going to sway on. As she continued to stare at him with unabashed anger, he let her ream into him. It was the only way that she could and would feel better, so he made himself her verbal punching bag. He turned to leave, but that was when her voice reached him, filling his chest with a tightness that he didn't care to explain. He stepped forward anyway though, tired and exhausted and just sick to his stomach. He didn't want to deal with this anymore. He just wanted to go back to bed, by himself, alone. It was going to be the best thing for him in all honesty. Taking a deep breath, he reached the side of the pool and placed his palms on it, pushing up to lift himself up. The muscles across his back tightened and pulled taut as he moved to get up out of the pool, but he didn't leave all together. Hearing her panicked tone again, he swung himself around so that he was sitting on the edge of the pool, watching her as she refused to move. Listening to her beg him not to leave, he sighed once more and held his hands out to her. "Walk to me." She had to overcome this irrational fear somehow, and there was no better place to do it than the low end of the pool. She could not drown here. He wouldn't let anything happen to her no matter how despondent he was. "I can't do anything for you unless you walk to me. The water can't reach your face. Just one foot in front of the other. When you get here, I promise I won't let you go. But you have to do this. Come on.." He urged her softly, his words missing any tone at all. He sounded emotionless, exhausted, and he was. It was just better not to feel at all. He couldn't put her at risk anymore. He wouldn't explain anything else that had happened that afternoon because in his opinion, it didn't matter. Her kissing him didn't matter, as she had pointed out more than once now, and he wasn't going to tell her why he had gotten the black eye. He was just done. It was just going to be easier to forget about the entire thing. tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games SHE HATED WHEN HE SHUT DOWN AND DIDN'T EXPLAIN HIMSELF, AND SHE'D ONLY SEEN HIM THAT WAY THE FEW TIMES HE'D ALLOWED HER TO SEE HIM HURTING. SHE IMAGINED IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BITTERNESS IN HIS VOICE WHEN HE MENTIONED CONNOR, BUT SHE WOULD NEVER IMAGINE IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH HER. SO WHEN HE BRUSHED HER QUESTION OFF, SHE ROLLED HER EYES AND SIGHED LOUDLY. HE WAS SO DIFFICULT AT TIMES. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHY SHE BOTHERED. BUT SHE DID KNOW. SHE LOVED HIM LIKE A MEMBER OF HER FAMILY, LIKE ANOTHER PART OF HERSELF. SHE COULDN'T EXPRESS HOW IMPORTANT HE WAS TO HER, AND WHILE THE BICKERING THAT WENT BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THEM WAS ADMITTEDLY FUN, SHE HATED ACTUALLY BEING MAD AT HIM. THEN HE REACTED TO HER BRUSH-OFF ABOUT THE KISS JUST BEING WITH HIM, LIKE IT WAS NO BIG DEAL. THE WAY HE LAUGHED WAS SO HARD AND DEMEANING, SHE BALKED AND STARED AT HIM WITH A MIXTURE OF EMOTIONS IN HER FACE. SHE FOUND THAT SHE FELT HURT BY THE WAY HE REACTED, BUT SHE WAS ALSO CONFUSED BY HIS REACTION. HE SEEMED ANGRY, AND SHE'D KNOWN HIM LONG ENOUGH TO TELL THE SHIFTS IN HIS MOODS. SUDDENLY, HE LOOKED UP AT HER AND CONFESSED HE WAS THE ONE TO KISS HER FIRST. SHE BLUSHED INSTANTLY AND HER MOUTH DROPPED OPEN SLIGHTLY IN SURPRISE. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO SAY. SHE'D SEEN THE PICTURE, SEEN HER ARMS AROUND HIS NECK, BUT SHE HONESTLY DIDN'T REMEMBER WHAT HAD HAPPENED. SHE WANTED TO BELIEVE WHAT HE SAID SIMPLY BECAUSE IT TOOK THE BLAME OFF OF HER, AND THAT WAS HUMAN NATURE TO DISPLACE BLAME, BUT HER SUBCONSCIOUS KNEW HE WAS LYING. EVEN IF SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER IT, ALL SIGNS POINTED TO THE SIMPLE FACT THAT SHE'D DRUNKENLY KISSED HIM. AND THAT WAS ALL IT WAS. SHE HAD BEEN DRUNK, HER INHIBITIONS HAD BEEN DOWN, AND SHE'D DONE SOMETHING SHE WOULD NEVER NORMALLY DO. SO WHAT? SHE KNEW IT MEANT MORE THAN THAT. SHE KNEW SHE COULDN'T SO EASILY JUST WRITE IT OFF, BUT SHE WANTED TO BADLY. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO EXAMINE HER ACTIONS WHEN HER MIND WAS LOOSE ENOUGH TO ACT OUT OF INSTINCT. THE SIMPLE FACT WAS: SHE WOULD NEVER DO THAT IF SHE WAS SOBER. SO WHAT DID THAT SAY? WHAT WAS SHE THINKING UNDERNEATH THE LAYERS OF SELF-CONTROL THAT WOULD LEAD HER TO ACT SO OUT OF CHARACTER? THERE HAD TO BE SOME CATALYST DEEP IN HER MIND THAT WOULD MAKE HER REACT IN SUCH A WAY. LIFE WASN'T A RANDOM STRING OF EVENTS. SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE THAT. BUT IF SHE OVERANALYZED IT, SHE WOULD HAVE TO COME TO GRIPS WITH FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS SHE MAY NOT BE PREPARED TO FACE. INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING ALL OF THE RUSHING THOUGHTS IN HER HEAD, SHE PUSHED IT ALL TO THE BACK OF HER HEAD AND NODDED SLIGHTLY AT HIM AS HE CONFIRMED HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF ALL OF IT. IT WAS LIKE THE CLOSE OF A BUSINESS DEAL, AND SHE HAD TO ADMIT SHE HATED IT. SHE HATED WALLS BETWEEN THE TWO OF THEM BECAUSE SHE WAS USED TO BEING ABLE TO RUN TO HIM WHEN SHE COULDN'T EVEN TALK TO HER OWN BROTHERS. SHE DESPISED FEELING THIS WAY, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT IT TO CONTINUE. WHEN HE MOVED AWAY FROM HER TO THE SIDE OF THE POOL, HER PANIC BECAME ALL-ENCOMPASSING. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE ALONE IN THE WATER, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO WALK AWAY WHEN HE WAS ANGRY AT HER, OR SO DESPONDENT AS HE WAS. HER EYES WERE WILD AND PLEADING AS SHE WATCHED HIM PUSH HIMSELF UP ON THE SIDE OF THE POOL, THE MUSCLES IN HIS BACK RIPPLING POWERFULLY AS HE DRUG HIMSELF UP OUT OF THE WATER. SHE COULDN’T EVEN ENJOY THE VIEW – ALTHOUGH SHE FOUND HERSELF WANTING TO FOR SOME WEIRD REASON – BECAUSE SHE WAS SCARED WITLESS. HE GENTLY ORDERED HER TO WALK TO HIM, AND SHE SHOOK HER HEAD VEHEMENTLY, HER BOTTOM LIP TREMBLING SO SHE BIT IT TO KEEP IT STILL. “I CAN’T MOVE ANYWHERE. MY LEGS DON’T WORK,” SHE GRIPED IN A SMALL, PLAINTIVE VOICE. SHE RELEASED A SHAKY BREATH, EMBARRASSED THAT SHE WAS SO WEAK. SELWYNS WEREN’T WEAK. SHE COULD PRACTICALLY HEAR CONNOR’S VOICE GRIPING AT HER IN HER HEAD. BUT INSTEAD OF CONNOR’S CHIDING TONE, SHE HEARD FINN’S VOICE AGAIN, URGING HER TO WALK TO HIM. HE WAS RIGHT, THE WATER COULDN’T DROWN HER AS LONG AS IT STAYED WHERE IT WAS, AND SHE DIDN’T IMAGINE A TSUNAMI SHOWING UP ANY TIME SOON. CLOSING HER EYES, SHE STEELED HER WILL, USING ALL OF HER SELWYN RESOLVE TO PUSH HERSELF FORWARD. SHE SHOOK AND THE WATER WAS THE ONLY THING KEEPING HER UPRIGHT AS SHE WALKED TOWARD HIM. HER EYES SNAPPED OPEN IN SURPRISE AS SHE FELT HERSELF MOVING. WHEN SHE GREW CLOSER TO THE SIDE OF THE POOL, SHE MOVED WITH SUCH HASTE THAT A WAVE OF WATER RADIATED OFF OF HER. LEAPING FOR THE CEMENT EDGE, SHE CLAMBERED UP OUT OF THE WATER AND YELPED IN A MIXTURE OF EXCITEMENT AND RELIEF. PULLING HER FEET OUT OF THE WATER, SHE HUDDLED WITH HER KNEES PULLED UP TO HER CHEST FOR A MOMENT. IMPULSIVELY, SHE RELEASED HER KNEES AND WRAPPED HER ARMS AROUND FINN, HUGGING HIM TIGHTLY TO HER. SHE KNEW HE WAS STILL MAD AT HER, BUT HER FEAR OF THE WATER HAD REMOVED ALL IRRITATION SHE HAD WITH HIM. SHE STILL SHOOK AS SHE HUGGED HIM, AND HER TEETH CHATTERED SLIGHTLY IN ECHO. “I-I’M S-SORRY,” SHE APOLOGIZED, PULLING AWAY FROM HIM AND WRAPPING HER ARM GENTLY AROUND HIS, HER FINGERS SLIDING IN TO HIS HAND. SHE DIDN’T THINK ANYTHING OF IT. SHE WAS USED TO SHOWING HIM AFFECTION LIKE THIS. THEY WERE FRIENDS, NO MATTER WHATEVER HAD HAPPENED AT THE BAR. LEANING AGAINST HIS SHOULDER, SHE TURNED AND LOOKED UP AT HIM, HER EYES WIDENING INNOCENTLY AS SHE SMILED CUTELY OVER AT HIM. “YOU’RE MY BEST FRIEND, AND I SHOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN SO MAD AT YOU. I’M A JERK.” AFTER A MOMENT OF SILENCE, SHE FELT AN AWKWARD TENSION RISING IN HER CHEST, AND SHE GENTLY RELEASED HIS HAND, BRINGING HER HANDS BACK TO HER LAP. AS HER MUSCLES RELAXED, SHE ALLOWED HER FEET TO DANGLE OVER THE SIDE OF THE POOL, TENTATIVELY DIPPING IN TO THE WATER. IT WOULDN’T HURT HER. SHE WASN’T ALONE, AND EVEN IF HE HATED HER FOR THE THINGS SHE’D ACCUSED HIM OF, FINN WOULDN’T DESERT HER. GLANCING OVER AT HIM, HOPING TO LIGHTEN THE MOOD, SHE SMILED SLIGHTLY, HER EYES TAKING ON A MISCHIEVOUS GLINT ONLY HE EVER SAW. “YOU KNOW YOU HAVE A TYPE, RIGHT?” SHE ASKED, TEASINGLY. “OR ARE THE BRUNETTES THE ONLY ONES YOU BRING HOME.” SHE RAISED HER EYEBROWS AND COCKED HER HEAD, SMIRKING AMUSEDLY AT HIM. SHE DIDN’T ADMIT THE TWINGE OF WEIRD JEALOUSY THAT RIDDLED ACROSS HER HEART, AND HER FACE DIDN’T SHOW IT AS SHE SMILED AND LOOKED AWAY FROM HIM AND DOWN TO HER TOES WHERE THEY DIPPED IN THE WATER.

template by pan @ caution2.0!

[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred How could he make her understand that they couldn't be what they were any longer? It wasn't right, it wasn't appropriate. Finn would never stop caring about her, he never could, but this had to be done. He had to shut himself up and away from her, he had to remove himself from the Selwyn family all together because it was going to be safer that way. Finn had felt off since he had returned from his stint with the Russians. He wasn't the same young man he had once been, although admittedly, his temper was still as fiery as ever. He was...empty. There was no soul to him anymore and he couldn't begin to pretend that he had one. Once where there had been a glimmer of concern wrenched deep in his heart, it seldom, if ever showed now. Kahlan's drunken state had been the only thing to unearth it, but since then it had crawled back into its hole. He couldn't do this. He couldn't pretend to be friends with her when he didn't even know how he felt about her. Grinding his teeth together, he stared down at her as her face rose in a blush and her lips parted in silent surprise when he admitted that he kissed her first. "Yeah, that's what I thought." He spoke out crudely once more, knowing it was an easy way out for her. Blame Finn. It was everyone's easy way out. He was the adoptive member of the family. The things that he did, the things that he said, would not have the impact that the actions of an actual Selwyn would have. He had to fix this situation before Connor got wind of it and he was certain that he already had. Looking down at her now, he shook his head, wanting her to know the extent of the damage that was done. "I'm not even supposed to be near you, to be quite honest. He caught me kissing you in the garage too. You can make your own conclusions as to what happened after that." It was all a lie, but then, Finn was a professional liar. He could make anything sound real, he could make anything believable. It was his ability, his skill area. It was why he had been chosen to serve the Russians. He could lie his way into and out of anything, and he had obviously succeeded. His ability to mimic accents had served him well, but now he was stuck with the remnants of the Russian. It was just another reason for him to despise himself on the long list he had constructed. Catching the nod of her head, he returned it, glad that the matter was settled. "I'll take care of it." Didn't he always? While Lennox cleaned up things for the mob more often than he did, Finn had always thrown himself into the social embarrassments that had happened to some of the members of the mafia before, including Connor on their drunk escapades. He always managed to weasel his way right into the middle of the spotlight, and his near invisibility next to Connor allowed the tabloids and the rumors to die down in a few days time. Finn constructed lies to feed to the press and they fed on them in frenzies. It all went hand in hand with his ability to lie. Proud of himself in that moment and in that moment alone, he figured at least he could fix something. Connor couldn't be that mad for long. Or so he hoped. Shaking those thoughts from his mind, he simply pulled himself up onto the side of the pool, hearing Kahlan melt down behind him. Of course this couldn't go over without a hitch. He was left sitting there, his long legs dangling in the water, his yellow shorts riding up his knees. Without him realizing it, the ugly scar from the shot Connor had ruined his leg with was quite visible. It was still red and angry looking, an obvious source of his discomfort. The warm water of the pool was somehow refreshing, and he reveled in the feel of it, glad for the relief that the floating sensation gave his limb. Relaxing back now, he watched Kahlan as she shook her head over and over again at his first instruction. He wasn't going out there for her. She could sit there all afternoon if she wanted, but he wasn't going to be the one to rescue her. Hearing her words about her legs not working, his memory was brought straight back to where she had fallen at the bar. "Well that's familiar." He spoke out, more to himself than to her, and then shook his head. "They work. Just take a step like you would normally." He finished, still sounding despondent and off. When she finally started walking forward, he sat up a bit, watching her with his carefully trained gaze. As she reached the side of the pool, he looked down at her as she shrieked and managed to haul herself up onto the ledge. "Graceful." He commented, looking out across the water once more as she settled beside him, pulling her knees up quickly. He didn't understand how someone could be so fucking afraid of water that it literally crippled them. However, he didn't have long to muse over the subject, for her arms were suddenly wrapped around him. He didn't pull away, but his body tensed visibly at the touch. Finn wasn't a very touchy feely person, and she knew that. He knew that she was doing it out of fear and that was the only reason why he didn't push her away. He knew she would read deeper into it because of his anger, but he was past the point of caring. The truth was, he just didn't like to be touched. Not usually. Unless you were a drunk Kahlan falling all over the place in a bar. Not unless he was dating a girl, did he usually allow himself to be touched in such a way. Kahlan would hug him sometimes, but it was always in a way that felt like family. Now, after what they had shared, Finn couldn't shake those thoughts and those feelings from his mind or his body. When she finally sat up, he relaxed a bit, aware of her arm wrapping around his. Feeling her fingers entwine with his, he let it happen, squeezing her hand momentarily before softening his grip. Looking away from her, he felt her eyes on his face as she spoke up. "I know you're sorry. It's fine Kahlan, really." He didn't pick back at her like he normally would have and it was strange. Normally he was quick with his words, and he would bicker and banter with her. He just wasn't in the mood. He was too hung over to really strain his mind too much and being in her presence was doing just that. As she let go of him after a few moments of awkward silence, he nearly got to his feet to excuse himself. He could pretend he was going to puke or something. She couldn't get upset with him over that. Then she was pointing out his type, and he shot his gaze over to her, his eyes narrowing as she mentioned brunettes. "Or maybe it's because I would only prefer to have one blonde in my bed." He snapped without thinking, watching her without the ability to control his anger. And then he realized what he had said. His eyes widened slightly, almost inconspicuously, but he was certain she was staring. "Oh fuck me." He snapped out, his irritation obvious. Pushing himself up without even explaining himself to her, he brushed past her, his limp pronounced as he headed straight back into the pool house. His mattress was still turned on its side from where he had dumped the brunette, and the place was an absolute disaster, but he paid no attention to it. Going straight into the bathroom, he reached into the shower, turning the spigot to hot water, putting it on full blast. He just needed to wash the memories of yesterday and today away. That was all. Pissed beyond belief now, he leaned his hands against the frame of the shower, his back tightening as he flexed involuntarily from his tension. Things just kept getting better and better. Hanging his head now, he closed his eyes and slowly let out a breath, wondering how in the world he was going to be able to function normally in this forsaken family. tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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template by tippy of caution.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games WHEN HE BEGAN EXPLAINING HIS CONNOR-IMPOSED KAHLAN-EXILE, SHE FROWNED AT HIM. SHE KNEW HER OLDER BROTHER WAS PROTECTIVE. PROTECTIVE WASN'T EVEN THE RIGHT WORD FOR IT. POSSESSIVE AND CONTROLLING WAS MORE LIKE IT. HE SAW HER AS HIS INNOCENT LITTLE SISTER, A FRAGILE FLOWER WHO COULDN'T BE LEFT ALONE IN THE WORLD. BUT SHE WAS NOT SOME IDIOT WITH NO MIND AND ONLY THE DESIRE TO BE A PRINCESS OF THE IRISH MAFIA HER ENTIRE LIFE. SHE'D RUN AWAY FROM HOME WHEN SHE WAS SIXTEEN BECAUSE SHE HAD GROWN TO HATE HER FATHER FOR PUSHING HER INTO THE FEMALE'S TYPICAL ROLE. SHE'D BEEN TRAINED AND GROOMED FOR PERFECTION SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD. CONNOR WAS A SOLDIER WITH GUNS, AND KAHLAN WAS A SOLDIER WITH SOCIETY. KYSON HAD INADVERTENTLY BRED HER TO BREATHE GOSSIP AND MANNERS, LEARNING THE INS AND OUTS OF SOCIAL ETIQUETTE THE WAY CONNOR KNEW THE PIECES OF A GUN. SHE WAS THE SELWYNS' SOCIETAL HOWITZER. BUT SHE'D ALWAYS BEEN FORCED TO DO WHAT HER FATHER WANTED, AND NOW, WHAT CONNOR WANTED. KAHLAN WAS A FEMINIST AT HEART, A WOMAN WITH A STRONG OPINION AND PERSONALITY, AND SHE HATED BEING TYPECAST BECAUSE SHE WAS FEMALE. SHE MAY NOT BE PHYSICALLY STRONG AND ATHLETIC LIKE ELI, BUT SHE WAS INTELLIGENT AND INTUITIVE, AND SHE HATED BEING SECOND-GUESSED. HEARING THAT CONNOR WOULD BAN FINN FROM EVEN TALKING TO HER, FOR SUCH AN INFANTILE REASON, PISSED HER OFF TO THE EXTREME. HER ANGER REDIRECTED TOWARD CONNOR, AND SHE WAS HALF A MIND TO STORM IN TO THE HOUSE - AFTER SHE GOT OUT OF THIS GOD FORSAKEN POOL - AND TELL HIM THAT HE HAD NO RIGHT TO INTERFERE WITH HER LIFE. EVEN IF SHE WAS DRUNK AND HAD NO IDEA WHAT SHE WAS DOING. WHEN SHE FINALLY SUCCEEDED IN DRAGGING HERSELF OUT OF THE POOL, SHE HEARD HIM PICK AT HER, AND SHE GLARED AT HIM PLAYFULLY AS SHE HUGGED HER LEGS TO HER CHEST AND TOOK DEEP CLEANSING BREATHS. RECOVERING, SHE RELEASED HER LEGS AND HUGGED HIM INSTEAD, FEELING HIM TENSE AT HER TOUCH. HE WAS SURELY STILL MAD AT HER, BUT SHE IGNORED IT AND HUGGED HIM ANYWAY. SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY - OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT THEY'D ALWAYS BEEN THERE FOR EACH OTHER - BUT SHE NEEDED TO BE CLOSE TO HIM NOW. HE COMFORTED HER EVEN IF MOST PEOPLE WOULD CALL HIM AN ASSHOLE. SHE KNEW HE ULTIMATELY WASN'T, AND SHE OFTEN TEASED HIM THAT IT WAS ALL JUST AN ACT. BUT SHE KNEW THERE WAS MORE TO IT THAN THAT. HER BROTHER CONNOR AND HIS BEST FRIEND WERE VERY SIMILAR. HOWEVER, CONNOR'S INABILITY TO COPE WITH HIS EMOTIONS WAS TIED BACK TO HIS LIFELONG RESPONSIBILITY TO BECOME A MINDLESS, UNCARING MACHINE. WITH FINN, IT WAS SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAT SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND. SHE COULDN'T KNOW THAT HE FELT LIKE THE ODD MAN OUT BECAUSE HE WAS ADOPTED AND HAD NEVER FELT AS IF HE BELONGED. HE HAD ALWAYS BELONGED IN HER MIND, SO SHE DIDN'T SEE HIS DISCOMFORT. STILL SENSING HIS UNEASINESS, SHE SLIPPED HER FINGERS IN TO HIS AND SMILED SLIGHTLY TO HERSELF WHEN SHE FELT HIM SQUEEZE HER HAND SLIGHTLY IN RETURN. HE WOULDN'T HATE HER FOREVER. THAT WAS A RELIEF. WHEN SHE FINALLY RELEASED HIS HAND, SHE NOTICED THE TIREDNESS IN HIS VOICE AND HIS LACK OF RETORT. USUALLY, HE SNAPPED RIGHT BACK AT HER, BUT THIS TIME, HE SURRENDERED WITHOUT AN ARGUMENT. SHE WAS HONESTLY DISAPPOINTED. REALIZING HE WAS PROBABLY SEVERELY HUNG OVER, IF THE STATE OF THE POOL HOUSE WAS ANY EVIDENCE TO HIS NIGHT, SHE SUDDENLY FELT LIKE A HUGE SELF-CENTERED IDIOT. SHE BIT HER BOTTOM LIP AS THE SILENCE BETWEEN THEM GREW MORE UNCOMFORTABLE, AND SHE WANTED TO APOLOGIZE AGAIN, BUT SHE KNEW THAT WOULD ONLY IRRITATE HIM. WHEN HE WANTED TO LET SOMETHING GO, HE LET IT GO. DECIDING SHE DIDN'T HAVE TO FOLLOW HER FAMILY'S TENDENCY TO HOLD ON TO AN ISSUE FOREVER, SHE LIGHTLY TOUCHED THE WATER WITH THE BOTTOMS OF HER FEET AND WENT WITH THE FAIL-SAFE METHOD BETWEEN THEM: TEASING. HE TURNED AND LOOKED AT HER WHEN SHE MENTIONED BRUNETTES BEING HIS TYPE, NARROWING HIS PIERCING BLUE EYES AT HER, AND SHE SMIRKED HAPPILY, BELIEVING HE WAS GOING TO TAKE THE BAIT AND PICK ON HER IN RETURN. SHE'D SPENT ALL MORNING STRESSING HERSELF OUT OVER WEDDING PLANNING AND RUNNING ERRANDS AROUND TOWN, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP FIGHTING WITH FINN ON TOP OF ALL OF THAT. BUT HIS CURT, HARSH RESPONSE MADE HER START IN SURPRISE. HE WAS SERIOUS. SHE COULD TELL BY THE INTENSITY OF HIS EYES AND THE TONE OF HIS VOICE. HER NAIVETY INSTANTLY MADE HER CONFUSED. WHAT DID THAT MEAN ANYWAY? HE PREFERRED TO HAVE ONE BLOND OVER TEN BRUNETTES ANY DAY? BLONDS WERE ACTUALLY HIS TYPE, AND SHE WAS WRONG? THEN HIS EYES WIDENED SLIGHTLY AND HE MUTTERED AN OATH AND PUSHED HIMSELF TO HIS FEET, LEAVING HER SITTING NUMBLY BESIDE THE POOL. HER LIPS PARTED AND SHE STARED AT THE RIPPLING WATER IN FRONT OF HER AS HIS WORDS SLOWLY SEEPED IN AND SANK IN TO HER MIND. SURELY HE COULDN'T HAVE MEANT WHAT SHE WAS BEGINNING TO THINK HE MEANT. MAYBE HE'D JUST PHRASED IT INCORRECTLY, AND THAT WAS WHY HE'D LEFT THE WAY HE HAD: HE WAS EMBARRASSED. OR HE THOUGHT SHE WOULD MISCONSTRUE HIS WORDS AND THINK HE MEANT HER SPECIFICALLY, AND THAT WASN'T ACTUALLY WHAT HE MEANT? BUT THE LONGER SHE SAT STARING DUMBLY OUT IN FRONT OF HER, THE MORE SHE BELIEVED THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT HE MEANT. HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER. HE OBVIOUSLY WASN'T TALKING ABOUT ELI - UNLESS HE'D DEVELOPED SOME SECRET OBSESSION WITH HIS BEST FRIEND'S FIANCEE AND KAHLAN HADN'T NOTICED - AND WHO ELSE COULD HE MEAN? SHE HADN'T BEEN KIDDING WHEN SHE TOLD HIM SHE NOTICED HIM ONLY WITH BRUNETTES. EVEN AT PARTIES SHE'D ATTENDED IN HIS PRESENCE, HE NEVER LEFT WITH A BLOND. IT WAS ALWAYS A DARKER HAIRED GIRL. SHE'D JUST ASSUMED HE DIDN'T LIKE BLONDS. MAYBE SHE FELT MILDLY JEALOUS BECAUSE OF IT, TO BE HONEST, BUT SHE NEVER SAID ANYTHING. SHE NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT IT. SHE JUST BRUSHED IT OFF. SHE PUT IT IN THE CATEGORY OF 'FINN THINGS' THAT SHE PROMISED HERSELF DIDN'T BOTHER HER. BUT, ULTIMATELY, THEY DID. SHE WAS FEMALE, AND SHE WASN'T BLIND. FINN WAS GORGEOUS. SHE'D ALWAYS THOUGHT SO, BUT SHE'D FORCED HIM IN TO THIS 'BROTHER' BOX IN HER HEAD BECAUSE LIVING IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH HIM AS A TEENAGER HAD FORCED HER TO KEEP HERSELF DISTANT FROM HIM. SO THEY'D BECOME FRIENDS INSTEAD, AND SHE WAS OKAY WITH THAT. BUT SHE WASN'T A TEENAGER ANYMORE. NEITHER OF THEM WERE. SHE WAS TOO NAIVE AT TIMES, BUT SHE COULDN'T BE STUPID. SHE COULD FEEL THE HEAT IN HER LIMBS AS THE REALIZATION THAT HE WAS TALKING ABOUT HER SANK IN. HER CHEST FELT HOT AND SHE PANTED ANXIOUSLY AS HE DISAPPEARED INTO THE POOL HOUSE. HER IMAGINATION TOOK OVER AND GAVE HER UNBIDDEN MENTAL IMAGES OF BEING THE ONE TO WAKE UP IN HIS BED, AND SHE FELT HER FACE HEAT AS HER CHEEKS TURNED RED. SUCKING IN A BREATH, SHE CLOSED HER EYES AND PUSHED HERSELF TO HER FEET SHAKILY. SHE SHOULD PROBABLY LEAVE, BUT SHE WOULDN'T. HOW WAS SHE SUPPOSED TO JUST LEAVE WHAT HE SAID HANGING HEAVILY IN THE AIR? SHE COULDN'T. SHE NEEDED TO HEAR IT FROM HIM. SHE NEEDED HIM TO TELL HER WHAT HE REALLY MEANT BY THAT SO ALL OF THE IDEAS IN HER HEAD COULD BE RESOLVED. ROUNDING THE POOL, SHE WISHED HER HEART WOULD STOP RACING SO FAST, BUT IT WOULDN'T. THE DOOR TO THE HOUSE WAS OPEN SO SHE WALKED THROUGH IT AND GLANCED THROUGH THE MESS, NOTICING THE DESTROYED ROOM AND OVERTURNED MATTRESS. ANOTHER WAVE OF HAPPINESS THAT HE'D LITERALLY DUMPED THAT GIRL OUT OF HIS BED RIPPLED THROUGH HER AS SHE TURNED TO HEAR THE WATER RUNNING IN THE BATHROOM. APPREHENSION FILLED HER CHEST UNTIL SHE ALMOST TURNED AND FLED. SHE DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO KNOW WHAT HE MEANT. IT WOULD ONLY COMPLICATE THINGS IF HE MEANT WHAT SHE THOUGHT HE MEANT. WHAT WOULD HAPPEN THEN? CONNOR WOULD KILL HIM IF HE TOUCHED HER, AND SHE KNEW IT EVEN IF SHE DIDN'T REMEMBER CONNOR EXPLICITLY SAYING AS MUCH THE DAY BEFORE. BUT SHE DIDN'T CARE WHAT CONNOR THOUGHT. IT WAS NONE OF HIS BUSINESS WHAT SHE DID WITH HER LIFE. THEN THERE WAS THE SIMPLE THOUGHT THAT SHE COULD BE WRONG AND FINN DIDN'T HAVE FEELINGS FOR HER, AND SHE WAS ABOUT TO MAKE A FOOL OF HERSELF. SHE WAS EMBARRASSED ENOUGH ALREADY, CONSIDERING THE NEWSPAPER ARTICLE ABOUT THEM. SHE DIDN'T NEED HIM MAKING FUN OF HER FOR THINKING HE WOULD EVER CARE ABOUT HER. FINN DIDN'T CARE ABOUT ANYONE, NOT WOMEN ANYWAY. HE WAS A NOTORIOUS WOMANIZER LIKE HER BROTHER HAD BEEN. HE DIDN'T TIE HIMSELF DOWN TO ANYONE, SO SHE KEPT HERSELF SAFE BY REMAINING HIS FRIEND. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO RUIN THAT WITH A MISUNDERSTANDING. BUT SHE COULDN'T LET IT GO. SHE HAD TO KNOW. PUSHING THROUGH THE HALF-OPEN DOOR TO THE BATHROOM ONCE SHE WAS SURE HE WAS STILL CLOTHED, SHE WALKED IN AND PAUSED IN THE ENTRANCE. SHE HOVERED ON THE PRECIPICE NOW, THAT LINE THAT SHE COULD CROSS AND NEVER CROSS BACK. SHE SWALLOWED SILENTLY, THE WATER FROM HER BATHING SUIT AND HAIR DRIPPING QUIETLY TO THE FLOOR. HER FINGERS RAN ALONG THE HEM OF HER BATHING SUIT WHERE IT RESTED AGAINST HER HIP, AND SHE WATCHED HIM FOR A MOMENT WITH HER WIDE, INNOCENT GREEN EYES BEFORE SHE SPOKE. SHE WATCHED HIS BACK AS HE STOOD FACING AWAY FROM HER, HIS MUSCLES TENSE AND TIGHT AS HE LEANED AGAINST THE SHOWER DOOR. KAHLAN WAS NOT GOOD AT BEING IN TOUCH WITH HER SEXUAL SIDE, BUT SHE FOUND HERSELF WITH THE STRANGEST DESIRE TO JUST TOUCH HIM. SHE BLUSHED SLIGHTLY AT THE THOUGHT, AND A SHIVER OF DELIGHT RAN THROUGH HER SO SWIFTLY IT MADE HER BREATH CATCH IN HER THROAT. "FINN..." SHE ADDRESSED HIM FINALLY. WITH HIM FACING AWAY FROM HER, SHE FELT MORE CONFIDENT, BUT SHE WAS TOO TIMID TO SAY IT. STEPPING CLOSER TO HIM, SHE TRIED TO MUSTER UP THE COURAGE TO ASK HIM WHAT HE'D MEANT BY WHAT HE SAID, BUT SHE COULDN'T. WITHIN ARM'S REACH, SHE IMPULSIVELY REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED HIM, HER FINGERS GRAZING THE CHISELED TIGHTNESS OF HIS SHOULDER BLADE. HER HEART BEAT RAPIDLY, LEAPING IN TO HER THROAT, AND SHE TRIED TO SWALLOW IT BUT FAILED. UNACCUSTOMED TO LUST LIKE WOMEN WHO SLEPT AROUND OR SLEPT WITH ANY MAN THEY WANTED, THE FEELING WELLING UP IN THE PIT OF HER STOMACH OVERWHELMED HER. HIS WORDS CAME BACK TO HER ALONG WITH THE IMAGINED IMAGES OF HIM HAVING HER THE WAY HE'D ALLUDED, AND SHE RELEASED THE BREATH OF AIR SHE JUST REALIZED SHE'D BEEN HOLDING. HER FEET SHUFFLED FORWARD WITHOUT HER URGING, HER FINGERS SLIDING UP HIS SHOULDER AND ACROSS HIS BACK, UP HIS NECK, AND IN TO HIS HAIR. CURLING HER FINGERS IN HIS HAIR, SHE PULLED THE SHORT STRANDS OUT GENTLY BETWEEN HER FINGERS AND RELEASED THEM. HER HAND FELL BACK TO HIS SPINE, TRACING A LINE DOWN HIS BACK UNTIL SHE REACHED THE SMALL OF HIS BACK AND SHE PULLED HER HAND AWAY SHYLY. SHE'D NEVER TOUCHED HIM IN SUCH A WAY BEFORE, EVEN IF IT WAS PURELY INNOCENT AND INQUISITIVE. IT OBVIOUSLY WASN'T THE TOUCH OF SOMEONE WHO WAS STILL ONLY HIS FRIEND. THERE WAS CLEARLY SOMETHING ELSE GOING ON HERE EVEN THOUGHT SHE WAS DEEPLY ENTRENCHED IN DENIAL AND ANXIOUSNESS. FINN HAD BEEN WITH MORE WOMEN THAN SHE COULD, OR CARED, TO COUNT. SHE HAD BEEN WITH NO ONE. SHE'D HAD BOYFRIENDS, BUT CONNOR HAD RUN THEM ALL OFF, AND SHE'D LET HIM. SHE'D NEVER HAD SEX BECAUSE SHE HADN'T FOUND ANYONE SHE WANTED TO DO IT WITH, AND SHE DIDN'T PLAY AROUND WITH MEN BECAUSE SHE RESPECTED HERSELF MORE THAN THAT. SHE'D ALWAYS BEEN COMFORTABLE AROUND FINN. SHE COULD PLOP HERSELF DOWN IN HIS LAP OR HOLD HIS HAND OR TELL HIM SHE LOVED HIM, AND HE WAS SAFE. HE DIDN'T THINK ANYTHING OF IT, AND NEITHER DID SHE. BUT SOMETHING HAD CHANGED. SOMETHING HAD HAPPENED WITHIN HER, SOMETHING THAT TRIGGERED HER KISSING HIM WHEN SHE WAS DRUNK. SHE WAS REMINDED THAT SHE WOULD NEVER DO THAT UNLESS SOMETHING DEEP WITHIN HER WANTED TO. AND STANDING BEHIND HIM, HAVING JUST FELT HIS HOT SKIN AGAINST THE TIPS OF HER FINGERS, SHE WANTED TO KISS HIM. SHE WANTED TO REMEMBER IT. SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IT FELT LIKE FOR A MAN WHO KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING TO KISS HER. SHE WANTED FINN TO KISS HER, AND SHE WANTED HIM TO WANT TO KISS HER. "WHY..." SHE MANAGED, UNABLE TO MAKE A COMPLETE QUESTION OUT OF THE WORD. WHY WOULD HE ADMIT NOW THAT HE WANTED HER? WHY WOULD HE WANT HER? SHE COULDN'T FORM THE QUESTION, SO SHE LEFT IT HANGING IN THE AIR AND SIGHED. WHY DID THIS DAY HAVE TO GET MORE AND MORE COMPLICATED?

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[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred Finn was truly an idiot of a different breed. What in the world was he thinking? He always had control over his mouth when it came to situations like this, so why did he have to lose it when he was talking to Kahlan? This wasn't allowed. If Connor knew what he was feeling for his precious baby sister, Finn was as good as dead. And he could not face the barrel of Connor's loaded gun for a second time. He had just barely managed to survive it the first time and he was simply not capable of handling it another go around. He valued his life because he had come so close to losing it and he also valued Kahlan, although he would never admit that to her. Shaking his head now as he leaned in the frame of the shower, he really just wanted to sink himself into the water and stand there until the stress of these past couple days just washed clean. But he knew that would never happen. He knew that things were not going to go his way. Especially after he made that phone call today. He was going to make all of Boston believe that it had been him who had come on to her, and he knew that the paparazzi could spin the pictures differently. There were always ways around the truth. And he would be certain to find them, even if it meant he had to commandeer the printing himself. Closing his eyes, he was unaware of the footsteps that were soft on the floor of the pool house, despite his extensive and expansive training. He couldn't hear because of the sound of the water. He should have been more aware. It was another thing that Connor would have his head for. Sighing to himself once more, he didn't budge until he heard a timid voice speak his name. Why had she followed him? Why did she even bother? She could have just let the statement alone. He had actually gotten up and walked away from her. Didn't that show that he was quite done with the entire scenario? She knew him well, better than a lot of others knew him, and she would know when he didn't want to talk about something. He honestly thought she wouldn't have been able to figure out what his coded statement meant, but apparently he wasn't giving her enough credit. He wanted to punch himself over and over again until he found some sense. He was giving himself away easily and that was not something that Finn did. He never crumbled. He never showed his emotions. That was why he was thrown for such a loop. Especially because the girl that was making him change was none other than the Princess of the Irish Mafia. What had happened? What had changed between them? What had made them travel from being best friends to a relationship that wasn't easily understood by either of them? Kahlan had always been a conservative young woman, but there she was, accepting his drinking challenge in a public setting. There she was, wrapping herself up against him even though he had tried to resist at some points, kissing him so hard that he had actually kissed her back. That wasn't Kahlan. He shouldn't have kissed her back. He was as much to blame as she was, and he couldn't sort his thoughts out as he refused to turn and look at her. If he met her eyes he really would be done for. He couldn't handle her. She had to understand. "You shouldn't be here." He stated quietly, his tone guarded and careful. It was a tone that he never used around her. It was a tone that made him sound as if he was being cornered, and essentially he was. There was no escape here, for she blocked the door. He didn't want to touch her in fear of what he would do, of what she would do to him by that simple action, so he couldn't get out. His hands clenched around the sides of the shower as he stood there, his knuckles turning white despite the dried blood that covered his right hand. Grinding his teeth together, the corner of his jaw twitched from the intense pressure. He needed to get a grip on himself and on his anger, for he was about to become explosive with rage, and it would all be directed straight towards her. And no matter what had just happened between them, no one deserved that type of anger. Especially not her. Connor, he could handle it. Hell, even Lennox could handle it. They knew how to control Finn, they knew how to calm him down. It was just as Finn knew how to gain control of Connor. He was one of the only ones who could do that physically, besides Lennox. The three of them had a system. He needed to find it with Kahlan standing there innocently behind him. The last thing he expected to feel was her touch, and as her soft fingers hit his muscled back, he flinched obviously. But she kept at it, even though he wasn't sure if he should be accepting of it. If Connor ever found out he was going to get worse than a black eye. It didn't matter how much he meant to the Irish man in the grand scheme of the mafia. He could be replaced. He wasn't blood. He wasn't family. The motto, blood above all...that didn't include him. It never did. It was why he never said it. It was not his place, it was not his right. He was easily interchanged with another willing soldier and he would do well to remember his place. This was what he needed to become again. He needed to be a simple soldier. He needed to disconnect himself from the family, become cold and distant no matter what that meant to his relationships with them all. It was the only way that anyone was going to survive whatever storm would come from a relationship with Kahlan. It was never going to happen. So, as she touched him, he willed her with his thoughts to stop. He needed her to drop her hand, he needed her to stop making him feel the way that he did. His stomach muscles clenched involuntarily as her fingers reached the nape of his neck after brushing across his shoulder blade, and he sighed out in a hiss as he felt her tug gently at his hair, messing it up even more. Closing his eyes tightly, he kept his head bowed, letting her continue tracing his body as if she had never done it before in her entire life. And secretly, he wondered if she hadn't. With the way that their relationship was, he felt as if she would divulge a fact like that. They didn't usually keep anything from one another, even if Finn had his secret thoughts when his adoption was concerned. Other than that, their lives were one another's open books, and he didn't know what to think. While he knew she would be embarrassed to tell him, she would. He knew she would. But in that moment, as he thought about Kahlan and her sex life, he hoped that it was non-existent. As he stood there, with her feather light touches, he realized suddenly that he wanted to be the one to show her, to take care of her, to take her for the first time. He wanted to teach her, to have her understand that it could be beautiful before it had to be anything else. But what the fuck was he thinking? Sex was sex. It didn't matter who you had it with. He got himself the pleasure he needed and he usually didn't give a flying fuck about the woman that he was with. While they usually finished before him ninety percent of the time, he didn't rightly care if they didn't get the experience they needed. However, he never heard a complaint. He needed to stop going soft. Grinding his teeth together once more, he suddenly pulled his hand back from where it rested on the door frame, hearing her simple, one worded question. Slamming his fist into the panel of the shower door, he was pleased that it didn't break, but there was suddenly a very apparent crack that traveled from the point where his fist hit. Little rivulets of blood speckled down through it, giving the shower door a crimson color to it. His hand couldn't take much more abuse, but he didn't care. Cursing under his breath, he wheeled on her suddenly, the intensity in his eyes blazing with a fire. Grabbing her wrist with his uninjured, free hand, he didn't squeeze hard, but he applied enough pressure so she was forced to take a step away from him. He would never hurt Kahlan, but he could not deal with this now. She had to understand. Above everything else, Finn was a trained killer. He would not show affection, he would not show love. She was safe as long as she stayed away from him because he would never be able to give her what she needed. He and Connor were so alike when it came to that kind of thing that it was rather frightening. He didn't want to think about changing. He wouldn't change. His ice blue eyes stared down at her now as he stepped with her to the door, his voice rising in his fury. "There is no why Kahlan. None. Just get out. You need to get out." He finished erratically, curtly. She didn't understand what she was doing to him. It wasn't her fault because of her naivety, and his ability to keep everything inside without an explanation, but it just had to be done this way. It was about time that she realized that sometimes it was just better to leave him well enough alone. "You..don't understand. I can't do this. I can't...just get out Kahlan. Please." He never said please. Ever. That was why it resonated so clearly after he said it. But he was dead serious. She needed to get out of this pool house before he did something that they both regretted. He would not be responsible for taking her virginity, no matter how badly he wanted to. He would treat her the way she deserved to be treated. He wouldn't kick her out. He would appreciate her, show her that it was a loving, slow thing. But there he went again, thinking stupid, disgusting thoughts. He needed to stop, and quickly. He was getting out of control. Stepping forward once more, forcing her back and out of the bathroom, despite the fact that the shower was still running, he shook his head. "Leave now." tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games SHE WAS SO FASCINATED BY TOUCHING HIM, EXPERIENCING A TOUCH THAT SHE HADN'T FELT BEFORE, THAT SHE WAS SURPRISED WHEN HE SUDDENLY PUNCHED THE SHOWER DOOR. SHE SUCKED IN A SHARP BREATH, SEEING THE BLOOD RUNNING DOWN THE GLASS, AND SHE STOOD FROZEN AS HE WHEELED ON HER AND GRABBED HER WRIST. HER GREEN EYES WIDENED IN SHOCK, BUT HE WASN'T HURTING HER. SHE KNEW HE WOULDN'T. SHE TRUSTED HIM. SHE WAS STANDING ALONE IN A ROOM WITH A TRAINED KILLER, A MAN WHO DIDN'T FEEL REMORSE AND DIDN'T RESPECT WOMEN, BUT SHE WASN'T AFRAID. HE WAS FINN, HER FINN, AND SHE'D GROWN UP WITH HIM. SHE KNEW HIM AS WELL AS SHE KNEW HERSELF, BETTER THAN SHE KNEW HER BROTHERS PERHAPS. HER WIDE GREEN EYES STARED UP AT HIM AS HE GRIPPED HER WRIST, AND HER HAND WENT LIMP IN HIS GRASP AS SHE WATCHED HIM, UNAFRAID AND FASCINATED BY HIM. SHE'D NEVER SEEN HIM LIKE THIS, AND WHILE SHE DIDN'T UNDERSTAND IT OR WHAT SHE WAS DOING TO HIM, SHE WAS ENRAPTURED BY THE SIGHT OF IT. EVERYTHING ABOUT HIM WAS RADIATING HIS DESIRE FOR HER TO BE AS FAR FROM HIM AS POSSIBLE, BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT TO MOVE. HE PUSHED AGAINST HER ARM, AND SHE INVOLUNTARILY STEPPED BACK AS HE PRESSED HER TOWARD THE DOOR. SHE WAS INTENSELY AWARE OF HIS BARE CHEST AND THE FACT THAT SHE WORE NOTHING BUT A BATHING SUIT AS THEIR BODIES ALMOST TOUCHED. FROWNING UP AT HIM AS HE TOLD HER SHE NEEDED TO LEAVE, SHE FIXED HIM WITH A STUBBORN GAZE. "I DON'T WANT TO," SHE ARGUED, FIRMLY STOPPING IN PLACE AS HE TRIED TO PRESSURE HER BACKWARD TOWARD THE DOOR. IF SHE LEFT THE ROOM, SHE WAS AFRAID IT WAS A BOUNDARY SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CROSS AGAIN TO REACH HIM. "STOP IT, FINN, I'M NOT LEAVING," SHE STATED HARDHEADEDLY, GLARING UP AT HIM. HE PAUSED IN HIS PRESS FORWARD, AND HE TOLD HER HE COULDN'T DO 'THIS'. "YOU CAN'T DO WHAT? YOU'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING," SHE POINTED OUT. HIS VOICE WAS SO GENUINE, ASKING HER TO LEAVE, BUT SHE WOULDN'T. SHE COULDN'T EVEN IF SHE'D WANTED TO, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO. WHEN HE STEPPED TOWARD HER AGAIN, HE ALMOST RAN IN TO HER WHEN SHE REACTED LETHARGICALLY. SHE STUBBORNLY DIDN'T WANT HIM TO SUCCEED IN PUSHING HER OUT OF THE BATHROOM BECAUSE SHE INEXPLICABLY KNEW HE WOULD SHUT THE DOOR IN HER FACE AND THE CONVERSATION WOULD BE OVER, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT THAT. SHE BACKED AWAY FROM HIM UNTIL SHE FELT THE SLIGHT DIP IN THE FLOOR THAT SIGNIFIED SHE WAS OUT OF THE BATHROOM. A FLASH OF IRRITATION AND PANIC WASHED THROUGH HER, AND SHE HALTED INSTANTLY, WHICH BROUGHT HER STOMACH IN CONTACT WITH HIS BECAUSE OF HOW CLOSE THEY ALREADY WERE. THE TOUCH MADE HER INSIDES CURL AND TIGHTEN, AND HER MOUTH BEGAN TO WATER AS HER LIPS PARTED SLIGHTLY AND SHE LOOKED INTO HIS ICE BLUE EYES. INSTINCTIVELY, SHE REACHED OUT TO BALANCE HIM, AND HER FINGERS BRUSHED HIS RIBCAGE. SHE'D NEVER FELT SO MUCH TENSION IN HER LIFE. IT WAS A PALPABLE, ELECTRICAL THING THAT RAGED BETWEEN THEM AND MADE HER FEEL HYPER AND ON EDGE. THE WAY HE LOOKED AT HER TORE HER OPEN AND MADE HER INSIDES FEEL RAW AND WANTING. SHE'D NEVER FELT THAT WAY IN HER ENTIRE LIFE, AND IT WAS FOREIGN AND EXCITING TO HER. THE LOOK IN HIS EYES WAS DANGEROUS, BUT SHE DIDN'T BACK AWAY FROM HIM. INSTEAD, HER FINGERS TOUCHED HIS SKIN ONCE MORE, ACCEPTING THE TOUCH OF HIM INSTEAD OF BALKING FROM IT. HER FINGERTIPS CURLED GENTLY, LIGHTLY, IN TO HIS SIDES AND HER TONGUE NATURALLY LICKED HER LIPS. HE TOLD HER TO LEAVE AGAIN, AND SHE GLANCED DOWN AT HIS MOUTH BEFORE LOOKING BACK IN TO HIS EYES. "NO." IT WAS A SIMPLE, STUBBORN RESPONSE, BUT SHE WOULD REFUSE HIM. SHE WASN'T GOING TO LEAVE. ON THE CONTRARY, HER BODY AND MIND HAD OTHER THOUGHTS ENTIRELY. IMPULSIVELY, SHE REACHED UP AND TOUCHED THE SIDE OF HIS FACE, RUNNING HER FINGERS ON EITHER SIDE OF HIS JAW UNTIL THEY SLID BENEATH HIS EAR AND IN TO HIS HAIR. SLOWLY, SHE LIFTED ON TO HER TIP TOES, LEANING AGAINST HIM IN HER WET BATHING SUIT. HER NOSE BRUSHED HIS, AND HER LIPS BARELY TOUCHED HIS AS HER EYELIDS LOWERED BEFORE SHE LOOKED UP IN TO HIS EYES WITH THEIR FACES A BREATH APART. HER FACE TURNED UP TOWARD HIS, AND SHE KNEW HE WASN'T GOING TO KISS HER UNTIL SHE KISSED HIM, AND SHE DIDN'T CARE. SHE WANTED TO KISS HIM. SHE WANTED TO REMEMBER IT. HER FINGERS CURLED INTO THE HAIR AT THE BACK OF HIS HEAD AS SHE LIFTED COMPLETELY TO MATCH HER MOUTH WITH HIS. IT WASN'T A TENTATIVE KISS, NOT LIKE SHE EXPECTED IT TO BE. INSTEAD, SHE NATURALLY KISSED HIM HARD, WANTING TO FEEL HIM THE WAY HE WAS. HE WASN'T A SOFT MAN, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT TO KISS HIM SOFTLY. NOT THIS TIME. AS THEIR LIPS FINALLY MET, HER HEART RATE INCREASED ANOTHER STEP, AND SHE PRESSED HERSELF AGAINST HIM. HER STOMACH AND BREASTS FLATTENED AGAINST HIS HARD ABDOMEN, AND HER OTHER HAND REACHED UP TO CIRCLE HIS NECK TO HOLD HER AGAINST HIM. SHE KISSED HIM SO PASSIONATELY SHE COULDN'T BREATHE, AND SHE HAD TO PULL BACK FROM HIM SLIGHTLY TO SUCK IN A BREATH THROUGH HER MOUTH. "OH, FINN..." SHE MURMURED. HER VOICE WAS SO FULL OF WANT THAT IT SOUNDED FOREIGN TO HER AND MADE HER HEART LEAP IN HER CHEST. AS SHE SPOKE HIS NAME, SHE FELT HIS MOUTH BRUSH AGAINST HERS BECAUSE OF THEIR CLOSENESS, AND SHE FELT HOT FROM THE INSIDE OUT. HER HANDS SLID FROM HIS HAIR DOWN HIS ARMS AND RESTED IN THE CROOKS OF HIS ELBOWS AS SHE LIFTED HER CHIN AND GENTLY GRAZED HIS NOSE WITH HER OWN. HER EYES FLITTED CLOSED AND THEN OPENED AGAIN AS SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM, WONDERING IF HE WAS GOING TO GRAB HER AND FORCE HER TO LEAVE. HER HEART BEAT SO HARD IN HER CHEST IT WAS ALMOST PAINFUL, AND HER BODY ACHED AS SHE LOOKED UP IN TO HIS HANDSOME FACE. SHE'D NEVER FELT THIS WAY IN HER ENTIRE LIFE, AND IT SCARED HER AND THRILLED HER SIMULTANEOUSLY. BUT IT WAS FINN. SHE KNEW HIM, AND SHE LOVED HIM. SHE'D NEVER THOUGHT OF IT AS ROMANTIC LOVE, AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT IT WAS NOW, BUT SHE FELT SAFE EVEN WHEN HE LOOKED AT HER WITH THAT DANGEROUS, THREATENING GLINT IN HIS EYES. "DON'T MAKE ME LEAVE," SHE REQUESTED, BUT IT CAME OUT MORE AS AN ORDER. "I WANT YOU TO KISS ME AGAIN, AND THEN AGAIN..." SHE SMILED EVER SO SLIGHTLY, HER CHEEKS REDDENING AS SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM. "I'M NOT GOING TO GO UNTIL YOU DO." SHE SHRUGGED SLIGHTLY, HER GREEN EYES SPARKING WITH THE CHALLENGE.

template by pan @ caution2.0!

[finnegan malachi odaire]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 420px; border-top: #002436 8px solid; border-bottom: #002436 10px solid; background-color: #ffffff; background-image: url(http://i739.photobucket.com/albums/xx40/tippykazoo/Caution/pattern3.gif);] [atrb=width,400] tales of love & hatred "Please.." He asked of her again, looking into her wide eyes as she stared at him, taking in the scene that had just occurred in front of her. At the rate he was going, he was looking at repairing the entire pool house if he wasn't careful. If Connor were to come in and see it like this, he would skin him alive. But he didn't want to think of that man now. He didn't want to think of Kahlan, or Lennox, or even Asher. He just wanted to be free from the family for a day. Just a day. He didn't want to even think about them for the time he needed to clear his head, but apparently, Kahlan had other ideas. She continued to stare at him as he tried backing her out of the bathroom, but it was like she wouldn't budge. Driven by his anger, driven by this sudden, panicked needed to be alone, he tried desperately to get her to go, to get her to leave. But she was being a typical Selwyn. She was being typical Kahlan and challenging him. She had to understand that this wasn't the time for something like that. He would be back to joking and bickering with her tomorrow if she just gave him a little space. If he could only just take a break. What was so hard to understand? Feeling her wrist go limp in his grasp, yet feeling her use her entire body as a weight to slow him down, he fixed her with a look. "I'm serious." He informed her, watching her as she glanced from his bare chest up to his face. Not even taking a moment to bask in the glory of her wandering eyes, he shook his head as she announced that she didn't want to leave. "Right now, for once, I don't really care what you want and don't want to do. Get out Kahlan." He repeated yet again, still trying to get her to back up. But the closer they got to the door, the harder she balked, and he had to apply more pressure to her as he pushed her. He didn't want to hurt her. He wouldn't hurt her. That didn't mean that he would stop being slightly rough and tough with her. If she didn't listen to his kindness, to his patience, then she had it coming. His anger was pulsating just beneath the surface, parallel to his raw desire for her, but he knew which would win this time. His anger was going to come hard and fast and he didn't want her here for it. He already felt bad because she had seen him punch the door and he was no bleeding all over the tile of the bathroom floor. Glad that it wouldn't stain, he continued his attempts in trying to get her to leave. She was turning out to be more stubborn than her brother. At least he could punch Connor when he was being disagreeable. When she told him to stop, quickly followed by the statement that he wasn't doing anything, he furrowed his brow in a frown, his heart beat skipping a beat erratically. Of course he wasn't doing anything, not yet. And of course she wouldn't understand the meaning to his words. Giving an exasperated huff, his frustration was palpable as he shuffled her along. "Just...Kahlan, get out!" He shouted, resisting the urge to curse at her because he knew that it wouldn't do either of them any good for once. Snapping his mouth shut with a click of his teeth, he shook his head and then dropped her hand away from him when she suddenly pulled up short and he bumped into her. Sucking in a sharp inhale, he let it out slowly, refusing to meet her eyes as their stomachs brushed together. The touch sent shocks through him and he wished that he was able to get a better hold of himself. As her fingers brushed against his ribs, he inhaled quickly once more, his thin waist becoming even thinner as he reacted naturally to her soft fingers. His heart beat was out of control, and he was afraid that she would be able to tell even from where she was touching him now. Trying to calm himself down, Finn looked away from her as she repeated no yet again. Closing his eyes, he looked absolutely defeated in that moment, not even giving himself the ability to recover from the frustration and exhaustion. He really wished that he wasn't dealing with a hang over because he believed that he would be handling this ten times better if he had a clear mind. "Why are you doing this?" He questioned her desperately, shaking his head back and forth a little bit as he opened his eyes and finally made eye contact with her. He didn't understand. He didn't know if she got some relief, some entertainment from all of this, but it didn't seem that way. There had to be a purpose to her actions and he wanted to know what it was. And then she was touching him. Her hands were slipping up to cup his face and he tried to pull away before she got a hold of him. She was faster than he expected and she was soon holding his entire head between her hands, her fingers still so light that he found it hard to believe that she was actually attached to them, if that made any sense. Her fingers slipped up to under his ears, combing through the hair at the nape of his neck and he couldn't stop the goosebumps that peppered his skin from her simple, soft touches. It was the gentleness of her actions that got him the most which honestly surprised him. He wasn't a man who normally took things slow. He went fast and hard in anything and everything that he did, and that included getting a woman in his bed. Kahlan wasn't going to be in his bed today, certainly. It didn't feel right, or...well sanitary after the brunette had been there, and he didn't know if she wanted to go that far, or if that was even right. But what in the world was wrong with him? They hadn't really even kissed yet. It didn't count. That is, until suddenly, her lips were hard against his and his eyes widened in surprise. What was she doing to him? He tried to pull away in the beginning, he really did. He tried to put a stop to this, but now he couldn't control his inhibitions. His reservations and his doubts fell away as one. His inability to follow rules came through yet again, as loyally as ever, and he finally lifted his otherwise unused hands, bringing them to her waist. Sliding them up her sides, softly, he traced her back, pulling her into him without hesitation and pinning her there, his lips capturing hers with his. He let her control it this time, knowing it was something that she needed to do and he allowed himself to become lost in her ministrations. When she pulled away, breathless, he struggled for his own oxygen, listening as she spoke his name huskily. Feeling the bottom of his stomach pull at her tone, he could only smile in response before finally finding his voice. "Lan.." He whispered softly, his lips brushing against hers because of their proximity. As she brought her hands down from his face, he didn't let her go, feeling her hands settle at the insides of his elbows. Hearing her requests, Finn shook his head. "Don't go." Confusing at best, but quite apparent now. He didn't want her going anywhere. He couldn't let her go anywhere. "I want to kiss you again..." He broke off, his lips touching hers gently, teasingly, making her want for more. "And again.." He repeated the action, giving her just a taste of what she wanted, knowing how to drive her insane even before he really did anything. "And again." This time he didn't hesitate. This time he didn't tease. This time he met her lips with his own passionately, roughly, his tongue slipping through her lips and dancing over her teeth, asking for entry. As she allowed him in, he touched his tongue to hers, tasting her, experiencing her in a way that he never felt possible. Lifting one of his hands from her back, he brought his hand up to clasp her chin, not allowing her to pull away until the very last second so that she was heady from the lack of air and from the kiss. Finally allowing her to part, he grinned now, speaking up once more, his voice low and deep. "I'm not going to let you go now. You should have gone when you had the chance." He parried her challenge, his eyes darkening with his want, with his desire for her, with his challenge. Stepping back from her for the moment, he left her, still wanting for more, walking to the front of the pool house and closing the doors soundly. Locking them, he drew the blinds, which still allowed for some natural light to come in. He really didn't need anyone spying on them, even if they were only kissing. He wasn't taking a change. Walking to her once more, he reached for her hand, taking it in his and pulling her forward. "Come here." He stated, not giving her much of a choice to refuse him. Reaching the couch that was set up in the other room, he sat down first, not caring that his bathing suit was still damp and would get the cushions wet. They would dry. Suddenly, he pulled her down, making her fall into his lap. But he directed her. His hands went to her thighs, parting them instantly, making her straddle his waist before she really had time to think about what she was doing. Ignoring his hand, he took both of her hands, wrapping them around the back of his neck. Looking up at her now, his crooked, handsome smile returned and he studied her. "Tell me what you want Kahlan. I won't do anything more, I won't do anything less. You just need to tell me." It was simple really. She was calling the shots, which he never allowed. It just showed how truly special she was. tag: kahlan word count: idk outfit: just shirtless muaha notes: this is gonna be good.

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[KAHLAN AIDEEN SELWYN]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, width: 505px; -moz-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; -webkit-border-radius: 0 185 185 0px; background-color: #FF4031;] so we burst into colors -------------------------------- colours and carousels, fall head first, like paper planes & play ground games THE ANGER WAS RAW AND POWERFUL AS IT ROLLED OFF OF HIM, BUT SHE DIDN'T BACK DOWN. IT WAS AS IF PART OF HER MIND HAD SHUT OFF, THE PART THAT SHOULD BE AFRAID. HER ABILITY TO FEEL FEAR WAS GONE, AND SHE STOOD UP TO HIM INSTEAD. SHE WAS STUBBORN - IT WAS A FAMILY TRAIT, AFTER ALL - AND TOO HARDHEADED TO OBEY HIM WHEN HE VEHEMENTLY TOLD HER TO LEAVE. SHE BELIEVED HIM WHEN HE CONFIRMED HE WAS SERIOUS IN WANTING HER TO LEAVE, BUT THAT DIDN'T MEAN SHE WAS GOING TO LISTEN. SHE SAW HIS ICE BLUE EYES FLARE DANGEROUSLY, AND HER HEART SKIPPED A BEAT, BUT SHE DIDN'T BALK FROM HIM. IT WAS STUPID, STARING AN ANGRY BEAR IN THE FACE AND NOT RUNNING, BUT SHE COULDN'T HELP IT. SHE WAS DRAWN TOWARD HIM INSTEAD OF AWAY, NO MATTER HOW HE THREATENED HER. SHE RESISTED HIM EVERY TIME HE TOLD HER TO BACK AWAY OR TO GET OUT, AND SHE ONLY JERKED AWAY FROM HIM WHEN HE PRACTICALLY SCREAMED IN HER FACE. THE VIOLENCE IN HIS VOICE, THE WAY HE YELLED AT HER, MADE HER FLINCH BUT SHE STILL DIDN'T HEED HIS WORDS. SHE WAS STUBBORN AND STUPID AND HER DESIRE TO BE CLOSE TO HIM OVERPOWERED ANY FEAR SHE COULD HAVE. SHE KNEW HE WOULDN'T HURT HER, NO MATTER HOW MURDEROUS HE MAY BECOME. SHE DIDN'T BELIEVE IT. SO AS HE PUSHED HER BACKWARD ONE LAST TIME, SHE REACHED OUT AND TOUCHED HIM. IT WAS AS IF SOME INVISIBLE BARRIER HAD BEEN BROKEN DOWN AS HE VISIBLY REACTED TO HER TOUCH. HIS SHOULDERS ROSE AND FELL WITH THE INTAKE OF BREATH AND HE DIDN'T LOOK AT HER RIGHT AWAY. SHE FELT HER OWN HEART BEATING IN THE TIPS OF HER FINGERS WHERE THEY TOUCHED HIM, AND HER PULSE RANG IN HER HEAD AS SHE STARED WIDE-EYED UP AT HIM. HIS QUESTION, AND THE SUDDEN DEFEAT THAT SETTLED OVER HIM, THREW HER OFF GUARD. HE LOOKED AT HER, AND SHE BREATHED IN A SHAKY BREATH. HE ASKED HER AS IF HE WAS ACCUSING HER OF TORTURING HIM, AND SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER. SHE WAS OVERCOME BY A FASCINATION WITH HIM, AN OVERPOWERING DESIRE TO JUST BE CLOSE TO HIM, TO GET BENEATH HIS COLD OUTER SHELL. HIS QUESTION THREW HER FOR A LOOP SO SHE WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER HIM. THE NEED TO KISS HIM OVERCAME HER AND THAT WAS WHEN SHE ALLOWED HER BODY TO LEAD HER. SHE'D ALWAYS FELT AWKWARD IN ROMANTIC SITUATIONS IN THE PAST. SHE'D NEVER FELT RIGHT, EVEN WITH BOYFRIENDS SHE LIKED IN RETURN. SHE'D BEEN TRAINED IN COTILLION AND SIMILAR ENVIRONMENTS TO KEEP HERSELF AT A SAFE, PROPER DISTANCE FROM A GUY. BUT THIS WAS CERTAINLY BREAKING ALL OF THOSE RULES, STOMPING ON THEM, AND TOSSING THEM OUT A WINDOW TO FALL TO A FIERY DEATH. SHE FELT HIM FIGHT AGAINST HER AT FIRST, BUT SHE COULDN'T STOP, AND SHE PULLED HERSELF AGAINST HIM EVEN AS HE SURRENDERED AND ALLOWED HIMSELF TO KISS HER BACK. SHE DIDN'T THINK SHE COULD BE ANY CLOSER TO HIM, BUT WHEN HIS HANDS WENT TO HER WAIST, HE PULLED HER TIGHTER AGAINST HIS CHEST, AND SHE ALMOST GASPED IN DELIGHT AT BEING CRUSHED AGAINST HIM IN SUCH A WAY. SHE COULDN'T PULL AWAY FROM HIM NOW, AND SHE WOULDN'T. SHE MELTED IN TO HIM, STANDING ON HER TOES AS HER HANDS RAN IN TO HIS DAMP HAIR. WHEN SHE COULDN'T BREATHE, SHE FINALLY PULLED BACK FROM HIM AND SUCKED IN A BREATH, HER EYES FLITTING OPEN AS SHE HEARD HER NAME ON HIS LIPS, ECHOING HIS NAME ON HERS. HEARING HIM SAY IT, THE NICKNAME ONLY HE HAD FOR HER SINCE EVERYONE ELSE USED HER FULL NAME OR SHORTENED IT TO 'KAY', SHE CLOSED HER EYES AGAIN AND SOAKED IT IN, HER THROAT CONSTRICTING WITH THE SOUND OF HIS FAMILIAR VOICE SO FULL OF DESIRE. THEN HE COMMANDED HER NOT TO GO, AND SHE LOOKED UP AT HIM WITH A WILD MIXTURE OF DELIGHT AND DESIRE IN HER GREEN EYES. SHE ADMITTED SHE WANTED HIM TO KISS HER, AND SHE KNEW IT MEANT SHE WANTED HIM TO KISS HER THE WAY HE WANTED TO. SHE'D ALREADY KISSED HIM, BUT SHE WANTED TO FEEL HIM GIVE HER WHAT HE WANTED. SHE WANTED TO FEEL WHAT HE FELT. IT WAS ALL SO OVERWHELMING FOR HER, WANTING TO FEEL THESE THINGS FROM HIM AND FOR HIM. SHE WAS COMFORTABLE WITH BEING HIS FRIEND - IT WAS A ROLE SHE'D FALLEN EASILY IN TO OVER THE YEARS - BUT NOW SHE FOUND HERSELF WANTING SOMETHING MORE AS SHE STARED UP IN TO HIS PIERCING BLUE GAZE. HE ADMITTED HE WANTED TO KISS HER AGAIN, AND HER BELLY CLENCHED INVOLUNTARILY, AND HER LIPS PARTED AS SHE SUCKED IN A BREATH. HE LEANED IN AND KISSED HER, BUT IT WAS BARELY A PECK AS HIS LIPS BRUSHING TEASINGLY ACROSS HERS. SHE ALMOST WHINED IMPATIENTLY, BUT HE REPEATED THE WORD, KISSING HER HARDER THE SECOND TIME. HER BODY NATURALLY ATTEMPTED TO PRESS AGAINST HIM, TO DEEPEN THE KISS, BUT HE DIDN'T ALLOW HER. HER BREATH GREW SHORT WITH THE ANTICIPATION AS HE PULLED AWAY A SECOND TIME, DRAWING OUT THE MOMENT. HER MUSCLES ACHED WITH THE DESIRE TO FEEL HIS LIPS AGAIN, AND AS HE REPEATED THE WORD ONE LAST TIME, SHE WRITHED WITH ANTICIPATION. HE WAS MOVING TOO SLOWLY, KEEPING FROM HER THE ONE THING SHE DESIRED IN THIS MOMENT. BUT THEN HE WAS KISSING HER, GIVING HER EXACTLY WHAT SHE HAD WANTED. THIS WAS FINN. HE KISSED HER HARDER AND DEEPER THAN BEFORE, CRUSHING HER AGAINST HIM AND CLAIMING HER MOUTH WITH HIS TONGUE. THE SENSATION, THE TASTE OF HIM, MADE HER BODY TENSE EXCITEDLY. SHE HAD NEVER BEEN KISSED LIKE THIS IN HER ENTIRE LIFE. NO KISS LIVED UP TO THIS ONE, AND HER EXPECTATIONS WOULD FOREVER BE BLOWN OUT THE ROOF BY WHAT HE WAS DOING TO HER IN THIS MOMENT. INNOCENT, AND UNPRACTICED, SHE ALLOWED HIM TO EXPLORE HER, WILLING HER INSTINCTS TO TAKE OVER AS SHE FELT HIS TONGUE AGAINST HER OWN. THE HEAT ROSE THROUGH HER BODY INTO HER NECK AGAIN AS THE KISS CONTINUED, AND HER EARS RANG FROM THE POWERFUL HORMONES RACING THROUGH HER BLOODSTREAM. HIS HAND LEFT HER BACK AND TOOK CONTROL OF HER CHIN, FORCING HER TO KEEP KISSING HIM EVEN AS HER BREATH GREW SHORT. THE SENSATION WAS AMAZING AS HER HEAD BEGAN TO SPIN FROM THE LACK OF OXYGEN. SHE CLUNG TO HIM, BEGGING HIM TO GIVE HER AIR WHEN HE WANTED HER TO HAVE IT, TAKING HIS KISS IN AS THE OXYGEN SHE NEEDED. HER HANDS TIGHTENED AROUND HIS ARMS, GRIPPING HIM WITH A DESPERATE, GROWING DESIRE. FINALLY, HE RELEASED HER, AND SHE GASPED, HER HEAD SPINNING FROM THE FEELING OF HIM KISSING HER AND THE LACK OF AIR. SHE PANTED AS SHE TRIED TO REIN HERSELF IN AND FOUND SHE COULDN'T. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WANTED, BUT SHE DID KNOW SHE NEEDED THAT TO HAPPEN AGAIN AND AGAIN AND AGAIN AS HE'D PROMISED IT WOULD. OPENING HER EYES, SHE SAW HIM SMILING DOWN AT HER, AND HER LIPS CURVED UPWARD AS SHE SMILED UP AT HIM. ALTHOUGH SHE'D CHALLENGED HIM, NEITHER OF THEM HAD LOST IN THIS COMPETITION. NEITHER OF THEM WOULD. ALTHOUGH SHE WAS WOEFULLY UNACQUAINTED WITH THE OPPOSITE SEX - ESPECIALLY IN COMPARISON WITH FINN - SHE SOMEHOW KNEW THAT HE WANTED HER NOW. HE DIDN'T HAVE TO SAY IT. SHE'D FELT IT IN THE WAY HE'D KISSED HER AND SHE HAD FELT HER OWN BODY'S DESIRE FOR HIM. WANTING HIM SO INTENSELY FRIGHTENED HER, ESPECIALLY AS THE THOUGHT OF SEX FLUTTERED THROUGH HER MIND LIKE AN ERRANT BUTTERFLY. SHE HAD NO EXPERIENCE, AND HE WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER TRAINED AT IT THAN SHE WAS. SHE WANTED THE RIGHT MOMENT, AND SHE DIDN'T WANT SEVERAL HEATED KISSES BETWEEN THEM TO LEAD TO A ONE NIGHT STAND. SHE WOULDN'T RECOVER FROM THAT. SHE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO SEPARATE THE TWO VERSIONS OF HIM ANY LONGER. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO RETURN TO BEING FRIEND-KAHLAN AND TO PRETEND NONE OF THIS HAD EVER HAPPENED. THAT WOULD TEAR HER IN TO TWO PIECES AND END HER. SHE FELT WEAK AND PATHETIC WITH THAT REALIZATION, BUT IT WAS TRUE. SHE NEEDED TO EXPLORE THIS SIDE OF HIM SHE'D NEVER SEEN, AND NEVER WANTED, BEFORE. HIS PUPILS DILATED AS HE LOOKED DOWN AT HER AND ANNOUNCED SHE SHOULD HAVE RUN FROM HIM WHEN SHE STILL COULD. HER HEART SKIPPED AND SHE BIT HER BOTTOM LIP AS SHE ALMOST GIGGLED IN DELIGHT IN RESPONSE TO THE HEATED WORDS. BUT THEN HE RELEASED HER, AND SHE ALMOST SLUMPED IN DISAPPOINTMENT BEFORE SHE REALIZED WHAT HE WAS DOING. WHEN THE DOORS CLOSED, AND HE LOCKED THEM, HER HEART CONSTRICTED WITH EXCITEMENT AND WARINESS. SHE WASN'T READY TO SLEEP WITH HIM. SHE WANTED IT TO MEAN SOMETHING, AND EVEN IF SHE KNEW HE WANTED HER, SHE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE ALL HE WANTED. SHE WANTED HER FIRST TIME TO BE IMPORTANT AND SPECIAL FOR BOTH PARTIES BECAUSE IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE FOR HER. INHERENTLY, SHE KNEW HE WOULDN'T PUSH HER FARTHER THAN SHE COULD GO, BUT SHE HONESTLY HAD NO IDEA WHAT THIS SIDE OF HIM WAS LIKE. THIS VERSION OF HIM SHE COULDN'T CONTROL AND HE WAS LIKE A STRANGER TO HER. IT THRILLED HER AND HEIGHTENED HER SENSES AS HE CLOSED THE BLINDS AND TURNED BACK TO COME TOWARD HER. SHE KNEW WHY HE'D ENCLOSED THEM, AND SHE WAS IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT WITH HIM. CONNOR ALREADY WANTED TO KILL HIM, APPARENTLY, AND HE DIDN'T NEED MORE OF A REASON. HE WAS IRRATIONAL WHEN IT CAME TO HER PURITY, AND MAKING OUT WITH FINN DID NOT QUALIFY ON HIS LIST OF ACTIVITIES SHE WAS ALLOWED TO PARTAKE IN. HE WOULD BE HAPPY IF SHE CHOSE TO BE A NUN, BUT HE COULD ALSO KISS HER BUTT IF HE THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO DO WHAT HE WANTED HER TO DO. HE REACHED HER, TAKING HER HAND AND ERASING HER STRAYING THOUGHTS WITH HIS TOUCH. HE URGED HER TO FOLLOW HIM, AND SHE DID SO WILLINGLY INSTEAD OF ARGUING WITH HIM AS SHE USUALLY WOULD. SHE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING SHE DIDN'T WANT TO DO, BUT SHE WANTED TO BE WITH HIM NOW. SHE WANTED TO KISS HIM AGAIN. HER MIND AND BODY WERE FAR GONE BY THIS POINT, GIVEN IN COMPLETELY TO HER LATENT FEELINGS FOR HIM. IT WAS INEVITABLE THAT SHE WOULD BE ATTRACTED TO HIM AFTER SO MANY YEARS OF BEING CLOSE. SHE KNEW HIM AS WELL AS HE KNEW HER, AND IT WAS THE PERFECT BREEDING GROUND FOR THE BLOSSOMING FEELINGS IN HER CHEST. WHEN SHE LOOKED IN TO HIS EYES, SHE COULDN'T READ HIS MIND AND TELL IF HE FELT THE SAME WAY, BUT SHE HOPED HE DID. SHE NEEDED HIM TO. SHE COULDN'T, AND WOULDN'T, BE ANOTHER ONE NIGHT STAND FOR HIM. HE LED HER TO A LESSER-USED ROOM OF THE EXPANSIVE POOL HOUSE, AND SHE WATCHED HIM INTENTLY THE ENTIRE TIME. HER BODY WAS A MIXTURE OF TREPIDATION AND EXCITEMENT, HER HAND SQUEEZING HIS INVOLUNTARILY AS HE DIRECTED HER AFTER HIM. THE ROOM WAS CLEANER THAN THE MAIN ROOM, AND IT SEEMED APPROPRIATE THAT HE WOULD BRING HER HERE WHERE SHE WOULDN'T BE IN THE MIDST OF THE FILTH HE CREATED WITH SOME OTHER GIRL. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO BE PART OF THAT. SHE WANTED HER OWN PRISTINE ROOM IN HIS LIFE, IN HIS MIND, WHERE SHE WAS DIFFERENT AND SPECIAL FROM ANY OTHER WOMAN HE HAD BEEN WITH. SUDDENLY, HE SAT ON THE COUCH AND TUGGED HER WITH JUST THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF FORCE THAT SHE STUMBLED FORWARD AND HER KNEES BENT, CARRYING HER IN TO HIS LAP. HIS HANDS TOUCHED HER THIGHS, AND SOMEHOW, HER BODY REACTED INSTANTLY TO HIS TOUCH, ALLOWING HER LEGS TO PART SO SHE WAS STRADDLING HIM AS SHE LANDED WITH A SOFT BREATH OF AIR FROM HER LIPS. HER FACE GREW HOT AS SHE SAT ON HIS LAP, HER CHEEKS REDDENING WITH WHAT SHE KNEW WAS LUST. SURE, SHE STILL FELT AWKWARD AND OUT OF HER ELEMENT, BUT HER BODY WANTED HIM. SHE WASN'T ACCUSTOMED TO FEELING THIS WAY, AND IT SCARED AND EMPOWERED HER SIMULTANEOUSLY. HE TOOK HER HANDS, GUIDING HER ARMS AROUND HIS NECK, AND SHE WATCHED HIS MOVEMENTS AS HE WRAPPED HER ARMS AROUND HIM. SHE DIDN'T FIGHT HIM AND WENT WILLINGLY, ENJOYING SITTING ON TOP OF HIM MORE THAN SHE LIKED TO ADMIT. WHEN HE SMILED AT HER, SHE INSTANTLY SMILED BACK, HIS HANDSOMENESS OVERTAKING HER. SHE HAD ALWAYS THOUGHT HE WAS GOOD-LOOKING, BUT IN AN OBSERVATORY SORT OF WAY. NOW, SHE REALIZED HE WAS EXTREMELY ATTRACTIVE AND SEXY, AND THE THOUGHT MADE HER THROAT CLENCH. WHEN HE FINALLY SPOKE TO HER, BREAKING THE SILENCE BETWEEN THEM, HER SMILE FADED AND HER EYES WATCHED HIM, SOAKING IN HIS FACE AS HE TOLD HER TO LEAD HIM. HER FEARS THAT HE WOULD DO SOMETHING SHE WASN'T READY FOR EVAPORATED WITH HIS WORDS, AND HER SHOULDERS ROSE AND FELL AS SHE SWALLOWED HEAVILY. HER EYES LEFT HIS, LOOKING DOWN AT THE DIP WHERE HIS NECK MET HIS CHEST BEFORE SHE MUSTERED THE STRENGTH TO LOOK AT HIM AGAIN. SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WANTED. SHE DID, BUT SHE DIDN'T WANT IT NOW, AND THAT CONFUSED AND OVERWHELMED HER. THE FEMININE, LUSTY PART OF HER THAT HAD NEVER SEEN THE LIGHT OF DAY UNTIL HE'D JUST AWOKEN IT WITH HIS KISS, WANTED TO HAVE SEX WITH HIM. SHE KNEW SHE DID. WHEN HE LOOKED AT HER, HIS EYES DARKENED AND HIS PUPILS DILATED WANTINGLY, SHE WANTED HIM. WHAT SHE KNEW ABOUT SEX WAS LIMITED TO TEXTBOOKS AND NOVELS, BUT SHE WANTED IT. HOWEVER, SHE DIDN'T WANT IT NOW. SHE WASN'T GOING TO THROW HERSELF AT HIM IN THAT WAY. SHE COULDN'T RISK IT, EVEN IF HIS REQUEST OF HER GAVE HER THE FAITH THAT HE WOULDN'T USE HER THAT WAY. SHE COULDN'T MAKE HERSELF ANY PROMISES UNTIL HE PROVED IT TO HER. HER FINGERS RAN UP INTO THE HAIR AT THE BASE OF HIS SKULL, AND SHE SMILED SHYLY DOWN AT HIM AS SHE FINALLY LOOKED BACK IN TO HIS EYES. "I'M NO GOOD AT THIS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT I WANT, I JUST..." SHE TRAILED OFF AND PULLED IN A BREATH, MOVING ONE OF HER HANDS FROM AROUND THE BACK OF HIS NECK. HER FINGERS RAN GENTLY, LIGHTLY, OVER THE TOP OF HIS SKIN TO HIS CHEST. HER INDEX FINGER TRACED THE CIRCLE WHERE HIS NECK MET HIS CHEST AS SHE LOOKED IN TO HIS EYES. "I WANT TO KISS YOU, AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO INTERRUPT, AND I WANT TO GO FROM THERE." PERHAPS IT WAS VAGUE, BUT SHE DIDN'T CARE. HER PALM FLATTENED OUT AGAINST HIS CHEST AS SHE SHIFTED HER WEIGHT AND LEANED TOWARD HIM, SMILING SLIGHTLY. "DO WHAT YOU PROMISED ME YOU WANTED TO DO," SHE DARED HIM, RAISING HER EYEBROWS.

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