Cerulean Sins - Chapters 41-42

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude prowls anxiously in his room awaiting Anita, his black velvet opera coat not quite brushing the floor as he paces. It's not like the master vampire to have nervous energy, but something about the past nights have brought it out in him.

Asher, meanwhile, stands deathly still, tracking Jean-Claude with only his eyes. Where Jean-Claude was twilight and darkness, Asher was dawn and the sun, clad in pale gold and shiny leather.

The altercation between the two of them and Anita earlier was still eating away at him, and he knew it was doing the same to Asher. They had been given a brief moment, something close to what they both had been dancing around for months now, and then Anita ruined it by hurting Asher's feelings.

Hurting a heart not yet whole again.

He pauses to glance at Asher, his beautiful goldfinch, bright like day, and a longing in him to reach out and touch, to kiss, to just be near him, rises up as powerful as the ardeur.

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[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher meets Jean Claude's gaze and holds it, slowly bringing his hands behind his back, tangling his fingers together to keep from reaching out. Now he has had a taste of Jean Claude once more, has been more intimate with Jean Claude than he had been in hundreds of years, he is finding it near impossible to stop himself from moving forward, from sliding his hands through dark curls, kiss him again.

He visibly shakes himself, tearing his eyes away from Jean Claude, looking down at the floor instead.

"How long do you think she will keep us waiting?" He murmurs, flatly.

[masterofstlouis]

"Woman's prerogative," Jean-Claude replies with a sigh. "Ma petite will take as long as she takes, and we, as gentlemen, will neglect to comment on it. Such has been the case for longer than you and I have lived."

Jean-Claude steps just a little closer, his gloved hand wanting to take Asher's. "Asher, we will need to speak of what happened sooner or later," he murmurs. "And not just with regards to Anita."

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher stills as Jean Claude draws nearer, wanting nothing more than to close the distance between them, to let slender fingers find their way through the intricate fastenings of Jean-Claude's clothes, ruffle his carefully put-together appearance.

He shakes his head, dropping his gaze to the floor, letting his hair fall forward, gold waves mingling with the sparkling embroidery on his jacket.

[masterofstlouis]

"Asher--"

And then the door opens and Anita stalks in, putting a halt to anything more Jean-Claude would have said.

[anita_blake]

Anita draws to a halt halfway into the room, blinking several times as she looks at the pair.

They were dressed to kill, she knows that much, and it's Asher she notices first. She isn't sure it has to do with him having fed on her or not, but it could have simply been how bright and sparkly he was. Asher was dressed in white and gold, ruffles and shining trim. His outfit -- from the shoes to the trousers to the jacket -- enhanced the gleaming gold of Asher's hair, drawing your attention to him with just the sheer brightness of him. He was like the sun, Anita thinks, so beautiful to look at it would blind you if you stared too long.

But then, beside Asher's sun, there was Jean-Claude. Like the moon, she thinks, pale and dark. Where Asher was gold and white, Jean-Claude was black and sapphire. The cerulean shirt he wore amid all the darkness made Jean-Claude's eyes stand out as burning jewels, like living gems in the paleness of his face. Anita takes it all in, from the butt-high boots that she first thought had been nothing but trousers to the opera coat to the fall of Jean-Claude's pitch-colored curls, and she was speechless.

All she can think of is the excitement she feels at the prospect of getting to be with them both, that they were both hers.

[masterofstlouis]

"Ma petite," Jean-Claude begins without preamble, "I feel that we three need to... 'clear the air', as it were, regarding our earlier disagreement. Asher and I are prepared to admit our fault in the matter, but there is responsibility enough for all, and we feel that there are things you must answer for as well before we can all consider the matter settled and...."

He trails off, noticing the glassy-eyed look Anita is giving both he and Asher. He feels the urge to snap his fingers in front of her face, so entranced does she look.

"Ma petite, have you heard anything I have said?"

[anita_blake]

Anita blinks, coming back to herself, and it occurs to her that their mouths had been moving this entire time. For the life of her, though, she can't recall a single word they'd said. She feels a blush creep over her face.

"No," she says, an embarrassed smile finding its way to her lips.

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude sighs, half in exasperation, and half in amusement. Exasperation because this is important to him and to Asher, and Anita isn't treating it as such. And amusement because, well, it was rare to see the normally unflappable necromancer struck so utterly and caught in it besides.

"It is what I feared Asher," he says, turning to the other vampire. "She is completely entranced by you. If we cannot break her from it, she will be useless tonight." He finishes the statement by flicking his head to the side, just enough so that Anita can catch the wink he tosses her.

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

"If I had thought she would be so affected by my bite," Asher murmurs, looking between the two of them, skittish and shy, as if waiting for a master's cruel words, expecting to be banished from the room, "I would not have rolled her so completely."

[masterofstlouis]

He turns, putting his back to Anita and facing Asher fully.

"No, mon ami? Could you truly have held back, denied the full pleasure only you can give?"

He's still torn between being angry and amused, but amused is winning out since anger is ultimately counter-productive at the moment. The corners of his mouth twitch into something of a smile, unnoticeable unless looked for, to signal to Asher that any lingering anger is not directed at him, or at least, not at him alone.

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

"While Musette and her people are here? Yes, I would." Asher sighs, though his eyes glint with a little humour, in response to Jean-Claude's faint hint of a smile.

"I would not have weakened us so - for Anita to be distracted, so very easily..." he shrugs, knowing there is nothing to be done about it now.

[anita_blake]

Anita blinks at them, a frown darkening her face.

"Wait a second," she says, shaking her head. "This has nothing to do with Asher or his powers, unless they extend to Jean-Claude because right now, you both are... wow. Just... wow. I want to laugh and clap my hands, childishly jumping because I get to be with you both now." She feels her cheeks color slightly. "I really don't like talking about this."

[masterofstlouis]

Jean-Claude mirrors that frown, even before turning to see it on Anita's face. "What are you saying, ma petite? You have never been this distracted and entranced with me before."

[anita_blake]

"Fine, you need to be reminded?"

Anita sighs, grabbing them both by the hands and pulling them to full length mirror, chastising them for being slow to move. Finally, she stands them side by side, so that the creamy whiteness of Asher's clothes spills over the darkness of Jean-Claudes and that gold-gilded hair mingled with midnight black. She shoves them close enough together that the sapphire pin Jean-Claude wears brings out the stunning blue of both their eyes.

"Just look at yourselves," she says, standing back. "Look and tell me a mere mortal wouldn't be stunned for a few minutes taking in the pair of you."

[masterofstlouis]

At this, he laughs despite himself, and can't help but do a little twirl for her benefit. "It is too much, you think?"

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher looked into the mirror, letting his eyes glide from head to toe, critical of his own appearance as always. He does the same to Jean-Claude's reflection, then turns to look at Jean-Claude in the flesh, watching as he smiles. He's not sure he understands exactly why Anita is so distracted. Jean-Claude looks beautiful, but not extraordinarily so - he always takes care over his appearance.

"For you, mon merle noir, this is restrained."

[anita_blake]

Anita chuckles, watching them.

"I agree with Asher," she says. "So, allow me my time to stand in awe of such perfection, okay?"

[masterofstlouis]

"How poetic of you, ma petite. It is rare to hear the word 'awe' anymore without being followed by 'some'," he observes with that teasing edge to his voice.

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher watches them tease one another, feeling shut out though he stands just as close to them as they do to each other. He moves away silently, still fighting that urge to reach out, to touch. Nerves he had thought never to feel again thrum, dread about the upcoming banquet leaving his face blank, emotionless, as he stares into the fire.

[anita_blake]

Anita hesitates when Asher walks away from them. She's had some time to think, some time to mull over both Asher's words and Jean-Claude's.

And she doesn't like the conclusion she's come to.

She glances at Jean-Claude, but he only makes a slight motion with his head towards Asher, a silent suggestion to go to the golden vampire. Anita takes a deep breath and slowly approaches Asher, as if she's afraid he'll run from her if she comes too close too quickly. She's thankful when Jean-Claude follows her, his hand sliding into her's, but she doesn't know quite what to say when she's standing in front of Asher.

It takes her a few minutes, but then she lifts her head to look at him.

"I think I've fucked up," she admits, not liking it one bit. "I think I've really fucked up, Asher, and I also think we should deal with that before we go out there and face Musette."

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher looks at her, hiding his surprise. That's the closest to an apology Anita's come, and it's entirely unexpected. It's enough of a gesture that Asher is willing to offer an apology of his own.

"I was so angry, cher," he sighs, "angry, and hurt. It did not occur tome that you might have just cause to be angry yourself." For if she had been as unwell as Jason had said she was, it is no wonder she shies away from him.

[anita_blake]

She glances at Jean-Claude, whose expression remains carefully neutral. Her eyes return to Asher, and she shakes her head.

"No, Jean-Claude was right," she says, shifting uncomfortably. "You did what I asked, even if I hadn't really known it was what I was asking for."

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

Asher isn't sure what to say, other than, 'yes, I did'. He keeps his face blank, waiting for her to continue. If, indeed, she plans to.

[anita_blake]

Anita sighs, looking away from Asher and back.

"Even if you'd been able to see inside my head," she admits reluctantly, "you would have done the same thing. I wanted you to bite me. I wanted you to be in me, somehow. I didn't care how it was accomplished."

Her cheeks are a rather lovely color of pink as she talks about this, because she doesn't want to be discussing sex or apologizing.

"I just wanted it to be like it used to be for all of us, like it was of old," she quietly admits.

[ash-imperfect.livejournal.com]

"Cher, it can never be that way." Asher says sadly. "We should never have thought it would be." He looks from Anita to Jean-Claude, his eyes growing darker as he looks at his old friend. "It was foolish of us all."