And Then I Feel Alright. ((Okaaaaaami))

[Anonymous]

"Windows! I get it." She snickered then pulled another drag out of her cigarette. Then she felt his voice rumble through his back. She felt warm all over. Then he asked her to...rub his back and pushed into her hand more.

Oh this was gonna be good.

She grinned and put out her cigarette. She was fine with wasting a cigarette for this moment. Garrett hardly ever let her touch him. She had to sneak it. She knocked back another shot and then moved to sit on the couch one of her legs on each side of him. She smirked to herself knowing that he couldn't see her. She suddenly stopped and just stared at the back of him.

She'd never been able to touch him for prolonger amounts of times. She never really gave a guy a back rub either it was too close. She smiled instead of responding like she usually would and poured another shot knocking it back then following it with soda. She put her hands on him feeling very loose and relaxed. She couldn't get over how warm he was under her hands. She moved her hands over his back and squeezed every now and then. Her hands felt even more tingly now.

This was some good kettle like really good.

Makani leaned forward slightly her whole body tuned in to how he moved. God, he made  her so...yeah.

[Anonymous]

Garrett let out a contented sigh, he was alway hurting somehow and didn't usually let people get close to him long enough to help him out. Usually, Makani was at the top of the list, but right now he felt so good it didn't even matter. In fact, with the Kettle, rum AND Makani this had to be one of the best damn nights he'd had in awhile.

He leaned back into her hands for a moment, then closed his eyes and leaned back as far as he could against her and the couch. He'd never gotten this much attention from her, and it was mostly his own fear that kept her so far away.

A part of his brain was screaming at him, but the rest of his body didn't seem to want to listen. He felt great, and she felt great touching him. "Hey Mak, you're really good at this you know?"

[Anonymous]

He leaned against her more and more and she felt a need starting to bubble. He smelled and felt so good. Her hands moved on their own running over him. It was hard for her not to keep moving them to other places. She got brave as he leaded more against her and slid a hand under his shirt feeling the warmth of his skin against hers and continuing to run his back. She was starting to want him really bad. This was starting to get dangerous and she really couldn't bring herself to be afraid of it.

She leaned forward to thank him. She could have snarked at him about how people had told her that or that the ladies sure liked it. It's what she normally would have said, carefully reminding each other of the boundaries that existed because she couldn't behave. Because he was afraid. She let out a short breath and instead just said.

"Thanks Garrett."

[Anonymous]

"Mhm...welcome." Was all he managed to say, eyes still closed, with a half grin on his face.

His muscles were starting to un-knot and his brain shut down almost totally.He didn't seem to notice that he was actually starting to blush a little. All he wanted to do right now was feel, not think, not worry, not be scared, just feel her hands on his skin and let her work away all his tension.

She must have read his mind because Garrett felt Makani's hands slid under his shirt. His skin broke out into goosebumps, her hands were a little colder than a human's would be, but it felt fan-freaking-tastic. He bit his bottom lip and a shiver ran over him. He leaned his head to the side a little as she spoke and Garrett opened his eyes.

Normally he would have moved away from her gaze, if only to put a preacious few inches between them but he didn't. He looked at her face, she really was beautiful. The mage wanted to tell her but couldn't really think enough to say anything. It seemed to be a recurring theme when they were together.

[Anonymous]

Makani was caught in looking at him for a minute before he hands moved over a stray scar. Her breath caught in her throat for a second and she pulled one of her hands back.

"I'm sorry..." She lifted his shirt to look at the scar and felt her stomach sink slightly. She thought scars were sexy, no doubt about that but it made her sad that Garrett was all scarred up so much of the time. He was such a strong person to heal people like that. She shook the feeling loose and slid down off of the couch next to him. Still touching his back with one of her hands.

"Let's smoke another one of these boy."

[Anonymous]

He hissed in pain, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been earlier. Garrett shook his head and gave a small smile to Makani. "Don't worry about it, doll. It doesn't hurt so much now."

Garrett felt a little disappointed when she pulled away but he could guess why. Being in pain and scarred up all the time kept a lot of people away from him, but Mak didn't seem to mind. Most of the time she even seemed to forget totally that he was screwed up and Garrett was very happy about it most of the time.

When people found out about how he was able to heal people, they treated him differently, like he was a fragile thing that was going to be broken. He was just thankful that she had never seen him when he was really fucked up.

He was still leaning into her one hand a little and gave a huge grin when she brought up the joint. "Damn skippy, let's do it." He let out a little laugh. "Smoke I mean."

[Anonymous]

Makani grinned when he called her doll. Another thing she would never admit about Garrett was that she liked it when he gave her little pet names like that. She sighed and leaned forward grabbing the lighter and lighting up the joint. She took a slow drag on it and smiled. It was just so good. This whole night was good. She couldn't believe they'd always been scared of situations like this! Everything was going perfectly well.

She let the smoke out of her mouth slowly and then took another hit and handed it off to Garrett. She let that smoke slide out of her mouth a few seconds later.

"I know I said it already, but this is perfect."

[Anonymous]

Garrett took a drag and, after a moment, he smiled letting the smoke roll out of his mouth.  His whole body was buzzing, his pain so far away it was fantastic. He nodded as he handed the joint back to her and slid down against the couch until his head was hitting the coushins.

He looked at Makani out of the corner of his eye and smirked again. "Yeah, it is pretty perfect isn't it?" Garrett knew she was talking about the weed but as his purple eyes were looking over her, he was talking about something else entirely. Usually he could keep himself in check extremely well but this stuff with the rum and having Makani's hand on him, his mouth filter was pretty much turned off.

Garrett laughed and laid his hands carefully on his stomach. "Maybe I need to turn down the buzz factor a little, I can't feel my legs." His phone vibrated in his pocket, but Garrett ignored it. He didn't care if the Council had caught on fire, he wasn't going anywhere.

[Anonymous]

She took the joint from him when his head hit the cushions and she took her first hit and held it in while she looked at him. She saw him looking at her. His eyes were all over her. She was close enough she could feel the vibration of his phone and it traveled through her legs. It felt amazing alongside the tingle of the high. Her whole body had goosebumps. She shivered still holding in the smoke.

Her center felt warm, hell all of her dead. Garrett still felt warmer she moved her hand off of his back and moved it to his thigh as she looked towards the visualization with the music. It gave the room a sort of strobe effect as the light and dark colors mixed together. She let out her smoke in it's direction and the smoke caught the colors in it. She almost purred. Everything just felt so damn good. She couldn't remember the last time she felt this good.

She lifted the joint to her lips and took a long hit then looked back towards Garrett. He almost looked like he was glowing in this light. She knocked the end of the cherry off into the ash tray and then half turned towards him then moved quickly sliding into his lap a leg on either side of his own and she pressed her lips against him exhaling into his mouth. One of her hands crawled up into his hair and the other was behind him on the couch.

[Anonymous]

Garrett tensed a little when Makani put her hand on his thigh and his mind nearly exploded when she moved to sit in his lap. Automatically his hands went to her hips and he breathed in deeply. Well if this was payback for earlier, it was payback and change.

His hands gripped tighter onto her his as Makani's hand found it's way into his hair. The mage didn't even think about it as he crushed his lips into hers and sat up with his back against the couch.

The tingle from the Kettle was nothing compared to the new sensations that ran over his entire body. His fingers dug into his skin and Garrett's head was swimming, the weight of her on him was beyond amazing. He had wanted her just where she was for so long and she felt so perfect....why hadn't they done this before?

Suddenly Garrett's senses snapped back on, his high overrun by the adrenaline. He pulled his lips away from hers with a groan and exhaled the smoke he still held in his lungs. He shut his eyes tightly digging his fingers into her hips and shook his head before he opened them and looked back at her.

"Mak, what are you doing?"

He didn't want to sound like he wasn't enjoying himself...intensely, actually, but he couldn't do this, couldn't risk losing her forever over one night of drug induced night.

[Anonymous]

Makani felt him grab onto her and her whole body vibrated. This felt so right, so perfect. She felt dizzy and hot as their lips moved against each others. It was hard to think they'd ever had a boundary for that one moment. That they had ever danced around each other. The passion in that moment blew it away.

Then he pulled away.

She looked down, afraid to look at him. She felt the cold on her lips as he blew the smoke away.  She moved her hand down to his neck.

"Garrett." She met his eyes for a moment before moved to talk into his ear. "I want you." Her voice was low and gravely in his ear. She slid her hand down his neck. It felt so good to have his hands on her. Vibrations moved out from where he touched her.

[Anonymous]

Oh the Gods were cruel, cruel beings Who only delighted in making mortal's lives a living Hell.

"Garrett. I want you."

His stomach flipped and his entire body tensed when she whispered into his ear. He felt hot everywhere and he laid his forehead on her shoulder for a minute. He could see her pulse pumping through her neck as he turned a little to look at her.

Garrett bit his lip again and kissed her base of her neck, feeling her blood pumping under her skin and his lips. His hands moved from her hips and up her back, one resting on her spine under her shirt, the other resting on the other side of her neck. Without thinking, the magics inside his body escaped from his fingertips and a few tiny sparks of purple light sunk into her skin.

His brain started screaming at him.

Stop, for the love of the Gods stop right now. What are you doing?

The Mage couldn't even really feel the drugs and alcohol anymore and he quickly tore his lips from Makani's skin. He had to get out, now , before he did something incredibly stupid. He moved her from his lap onto the floor and stood as smoothly as he could, which wasn't to well actually.

"I can't, I'm sorry. I...I have to go..."

He didn't bother to grab anything except his jacket and headed out of the smoke room. Garrett walked down the stair as fast as he could without falling and into the garage. He ran his hands over his face as he approched his bike, letting out a heavy sigh. He climbed onto the bike and started it, shaking his head and putting his white sunglasses on then backed out of the garage.

[Anonymous]

For a minute everything was perfect. His lips touched her neck and his hands crept up her back and her back arched to push against him her fingers digging into him. He felt amazing. As his hands moved up her back she felt sparks, she could guess it was his magic. It felt like the feeling in the drug but straight. Her whole body shivered against him and she tilted her head back and a small sounds escaped her mouth.

Then suddenly the touching stopped. She felt him set her on the floor and her eyes opened and looked at him. She was standing up unsteadily. He was...leaving? She shook her head to clear her mind and felt anger rejection and pain. She bit her lips hard almost piercing it trying to wake up a little bit.  Trying to sober up to stop him from going anywhere. She got halfway up off the ground.

"Garret...but you can't..." But he was already gone. She thought about chasing after him but her stomach was sinking and reality was coming back into focus. She scooted herself back over to the table and stared at the rum. This was not a night for rum anymore. She stood up shakily and moved to the kitchen and sat the bottle of rum down and grabbed some whiskey. She uncapped the bottle dropping the lid on the floor and it rolled around. She waved her hand in it's direction and went back to the smoke room unsteadily. She turned and locked the door before sitting back down on the couch.

She drank straight out of the bottle without chasing it and then slid to the floor and lit the joint again. She swore she could almost taste Garrett on the joint and shook her head breathing it in. She slid her phone out of her pocket clicking through the contacts. Who could she trust to ask no questions? Who could she trust to just let let her ride and forget the pain that was trying to root itself in her body? She took another swig as she sent out a text message and then took a deep hit from the joint and pulled in the smoke.

It was easier to live life in a cloud of smoke. She should have remembered that before making a move. Everything had felt like it was going in the right direction then it pulled to the dreaded painful stop. She should have known better than to be alone with him for any amount of time. She felt ugly and unwanted. She felt stupid for thinking that the whole thing would have been alright. She should have applied the fact that she knew well. Friends weren't to be played with. She should have known better.

She knocked back more of the whiskey as her phone buzzed on the table lighting up. Her eyes moved down to look at it and her gut hurt. She reached out still holding the whiskey bottle in one hand as the world started to spin. She picked the phone up and looked at the text message and tried to read it for a few minutes before tossing the phone across the room. She heard it crash into the wall but it was muted by the smoke. She smoked the joint down to an ember then dropped it in the ash tray.

Grabbing her cigarettes she lit one and growled as she did so. She reached back behind her sliding one of the cushions off the couch and putting it next to her to lean on. It smelled like Garrett and she inhaled harder on the cigarette like it could block out all the things she never wanted to see or feel. It did a pretty good job. Her mind felt lost, everything was spinning. She could still feel where she was though and that would do no good. She didn't want to be able to smell Garrett still there, or the tickle of his magic up her back.

She leaned a little more to the left and grabbed the whiskey swallowing more of it straight. She stared at the cup of soda for chasing it and slowly tried to grab it. She got a hold of it and sipped some of it. She could barely taste it. She leaned back against the couch and smoked the cigarette down to the butt. Makani knew there was no exact science anymore to getting her pass out drunk. It used to be way easier.

She smoked several more cigarettes, one more joint and took several shots before she couldn't make the room stand still and she laid down on the pillow next to her. She squeezed her eyes closed trying to steady the room but found that only made it worse. Her eyes flew open and she swore she could see Garrett. Her hand started to move out towards him then it dropped onto the pillow as dizzyness turned into black.

[center:wl606ae3]____________Two Weeks Later______________[/center:wl606ae3]

These two weeks had been the hardest in Makani's life. She hadn't talked to Garrett for two weeks. The first week had been filled with her fiendishly selling dope and other substances to replace her phone. When she had thrown it across the room she'd cracked it. She had been terrified he had been trying to get a hold of her. Though after the first couple days she had her phone she knew better. He wasn't saying shit.

After the first week she had started to text him. She felt like one of those terrible clingy people she always had to peel off. She felt like she never though she could. She just wanted to know that everything was going to be alright between them. She had thought long and hard about Garrett after that night. She hadn't smoke or drank this whole second week, or had sex.

She was pale, pissed off, depressed and shaky. She just wanted to know everything would be alright. She sort of wanted to say that she couldn't live without him, but he never answered her text messages. She felt like shit. She was getting a dose of her own medicine and she didn't even get to sleep with him. Everything felt wrong. She was sitting on Serpentine and smoking trying to decide whether she should go and see him. That was crazy right?

She felt crazy.

So she went.

[Anonymous]

Garrett stood in his small bathroom in just his boxers, staring at his scarred face in the mirror. The entire left side of his body was burnt, his hair had just grown back but his skin was still sickeningly white and angry red. He turned his head and cursed, angry at himself for so many reasons.

His phone sat on the edge of the sink and he glared at it before opening the medicine cabinet and pulled out a jar of medicine. He screwed off the top, dipped his fingers into the cream and began to rub it into the open wounds and red skin.

It had been two weeks since he had seen Makani, not from her lack of trying though. It was strange her texting him so much, she never really text him unless she needed drugs or someone to hang with but he assumed that she was trying so hard to get to him because she was pissed about what had happened.

But he couldn't let her see him, not like this.

He had been replaying the night over and over again in his memory. He had barely gotten home and as soon as he did, his brain had overloaded and he passed out. The next day he decided maybe there should be a little space between them for a few days.

Garrett had tried his best to go about his normal business, selling drugs. He had stopped by Frank's garage. The guy always had someone new in the garage, fixing cars or bike. The problem Garrett had with him was that usually they were so baked they had no idea what they were doing. He had just finished dealing with Frank when it happened.

Some stupid newbie was playing with a bike and had crossed the wrong two wires. Before anyone knew what was happening the bike had fallen over on top of the boy and he was screaming while the fire climbed over his skin.

Garrett growled at himself as he moved to rub what he could onto the burns on his back, if he had to pick what he hated to heal from the most, it had to be burns. They always healed so slowly and hurt the most. His phone vibrated again and he picked it up with his good hand.

Makani.

Gods he missed her. He couldn't get the taste of her out of his mouth or her smell out of his mind. Having been without her the past couple of weeks hurt more than the burns that covered half of his body. He sat the phone back down and finished applying the medication before putting it away, grabbing the phone and heading to his bedroom.

Carefully he laid down on the bed, groaning as the covers touched his skin. He had tried not to think about her but it was completly impossible. He couldn't text her because the conversation they needed to have was not going to work over the phone. And he knew if he told her how badly he was beaten up she would come rushing over to take care of him and he'd be damned before she saw him this bad off.

They would just have to wait a few more days, at least until his skin had healed. Then....then they could talk.

[Anonymous]

Oh, screw this.

She waited for what she thought was a fairly decent amount of time before she decided to go. She flicked her still burning cigarette into the dirt around her before she took off. She should have known that she had fucked everything up. Somehow she had thought it should have been alright. Now she couldn't stop thinking about him. She couldn't let him go. She should have been able to let him go and let him go about his life so she didn't hurt him anymore but she couldn't.

Makani kicked Serpentine into life and took off towards Garrett's apartment. It was all that mattered to her right now. Even though she felt sick as hell and craving a fix she needed Garret more. She rushed through the streets barely thinking about the authorities that might catch her. She tucked Serpentine into a shadow after sliding off the bike and went to the front door and slipped inside.

She walked to his door from memory. Every step felt like it was dangerous, that maybe she should turn around, but she couldn't lose him she just couldn't allow that to happen. When she arrived at his door she stood there for awhile feeling out of it and tugging at the bag across her front and back. She wanted a cigarette but she knew he was more important.

She lifted her hand up and knocked at his door, half scared of what might be answering it.

[Anonymous]

Garrett groaned a little when he heard the knock.

Who the Fuck is that?

He had been ignoring everyone, and no one really knew where he lived. Still in his boxers, the mage grabbed the cover off the bed and gently set it around his shoulders. He made his way to the door slowly, every step hurting a little.

Carefully, Garrett looked through the peephole and his heart nearly jumpped out of his chest. His blood was banging in his ears and he let out a sigh. It was Makani. What was she doing here? Like he didn't know the answer. His hand touched the doorknob and then shook his head.

No, he couldn't let her come in.

"Mak, please go away. I can't see you right now..." It hurt to even think the words, hurt even more to actually say them. He swallowed hard, and his voice cracked a little. "Please..."

[Anonymous]

Oh hell no!

There was no way he was going to turn her away when she came all the way over here. She understood the instinct but that was just rude. Plus, she needed to talk to him. There was no getting around it.

"Garrett we need to talk about what happened. I'm not gonna lose you over confusion...or sexual tension or whatever." She sounded pissed. In all actuality she was being more vulnerable than she'd ever been before.

[Anonymous]

The mage smirked a little at her tone. He should have known she wouldn't take no for an answer. His smirk faded quickly though, she wasn't going to leave. It was almost like his worst nightmare for her to see him like this, but it seemed he didn't have a choice.

Garrett let out a deep sigh and muttered under his breath, probably loud enough for Makani to hear though. "Alright, don't say I didn't try to warn you, doll."

He shut his eyes tightly for a second and pulled the cover as tight as he could around his body before he opened the door. He looked at the floor and swallowed hard before speaking, "What's up Mak?"

[Anonymous]

Her breath caught in her throat when he opened the door. He was all curled up in a cover. She could guess what that meant. Maybe that's why he hadn't been talking to her he was always sort of proud around her. She had nothing but respect for him though. He was strong and he had saved her on occasion. She couldn't forget something like that.

"Oh, baby." She lifted a hand to touch him but was scared to put it anywhere.

"I thought you were hiding because of..." She trailed off. She guessed that he knew what she was referencing to.

[Anonymous]

He tilted his head into the apartment and carefully shut the door, the cover sliding a bit to show his scarred stomach. Garrett sighed. "I kinda was..."

He shied away from her a bit when she moved to touch him, but she had already pulled her hand back. Desperatly he wanted to cover his face, have her look anywhere but him, but he knew she would keep staring.

Garrett slowly walked over to the couch and hissed a little as he sat down. He tried his best to keep the left side of his body under the cover, and tried not to stare at her. Just having her in the room made him want to scream. He had always wanted to grab her, to kiss her, to hold her. But now he had gotten a taste and he wanted her even more.

"Sorry I didn't answer..I was gonna wait until...." He didn't even think about it as he motioned with his burnt arm, then hissed. "...Damn it."