Remnants of the Earth
AEDOLIS => Haviah => The Citadel => Topic started by: Draconian on June 05, 2017, 12:52:52 am
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[ liiiion! ]
Varali frowned down at her metal container. While she didnt bake often and didn't usually use sugar in her coffee it baffled her that the container was completely empty. Did Tix eat it?
"Tix," Varali grumbled, looking at the red creature ontop of the refridgerator, watching her attempt at cookies with bright eyes' "did you eat this?" She frowned at him and he rose his little paws up innocently. The way she spoke to plants and animals wasnt conversational, she just knew what they were saying.
Varali eyed Tix, not quiet believing it. Still, she needed sugar to finish her cookies. A neighbour maybe. It was a rest day for her, on call only for something major that needed to be fixed. So, dressed in a loose tank top that showed as much as it covered, loose pants and barefeet -toenails painted blue.
It'd take four minutes. Maybe. Varali pat at her hips like she was lookong for keys before she sighed, eyes closed. Deep breath. It would be fine.
Varali's wings trembled against her back nervously as the anxiety of going and asking for sugar built up. It would be fine. It was a Pilot. A coworker. Taking an appropriately measured glass, she left her apartment and went to the one beside hers.
It wasn't until after she knocked on the door that she remembered she hadn't even put a bra on that day. First article of clothing off. First on. She'd read a study once on now bras were bad for the girls so she tried to ... Anyway.
"Hi," she started simply once the door started to open up ready to cut to the chase so she could go hide again. "I was hoping to borrow This Much Sugar," she held out the item she wanted filled, "I'm making cookies."
-
"UUUUUGH!"
A hand slammed down on that blaring alarm that rang up from his bedside table. Honey colored eyes squinted skeptically at the reflective green display and the numbers that flashed. He was trying to glare it into oblivion, but when that didn't work, Apollo gave up and flopped his head back down on his pillow. It was too early for this nonsense.
And he promptly fell back asleep. Why? Because sleeping off a hangover was more important than getting up and getting ready for work. And it was about an hour in that he heard his phone going off, the vibration fluttering against the table that made him groan again.
"Nooo!" he whined, scooting Critter over so that he could reach across and snatch his phone from the table. He waited about fifteen minutes before responding to the texts that were blowing up his phone from Gerard.
"Can't come in today. Don't feel well. Been hugging the porcelain throne all morning," he texted back. And he ignored the angry response he got back. Apollo flopped back against the bed, trying to go back to sleep. But Critter had other ideas. The cat mewled and flopped over onto her back, paws in the air, trying to encourage Apollo to scratch her belly. His response, to be quite frank, was lackluster.
She made a mewl of frustration and purred against him, resorting to tucking herself against his face until she was suffocating him with her fur. "Critteeerr! Let me sleeeeeep," he whine again. Critter meowed, purring against his neck. "Critter!" And the only response was louder purring and began kneading her paws against his chest.
Apollo raised his eyes to see cat butt and he promptly sat up, catching the calico cat in his arms and smothering her with kisses. "Ugh! FIIINE! But I'm still not going to work. Sick day, remember?" Apollo threw off the sheets and crawled out of bed, wiping the crusts from his eyes, the cat pattering off after him. Breakfast was rather unappetizing at this moment, and all he could handle was a cup of coffee, black and strong with one extra shot of espresso and he just glared ahead at nothing. Slowly his eyes fell and he fell back to sleep on the sofa. That nap went interrupted for much longer, with Critter finally settling down on his chest.
Until there was a knock at the door. Apollo jerked awake. Fuck! That was Gerard, who else could it be!? The fucker came all the way from DoSaM to beat down his door and drag him off to work. Apollo scurried around his apartment, looking for a weapon. Anything that he could use to fend off that rat bastard. Oh shit...what if it was Hektor instead? Apollo set down the firepoker he he'd chosen and instead settled on a rolling pin. Slightly less fatal right?
"I'm coming," he replied and finally opened the door, holding the rolling pin behind his back, and ...it dropped the moment he saw who it was. Apollo stood there, in nothing more than his pajama bottoms and a sly grin spread across his lips as he observed the glory that was before him.
"Well, hi. Good morning," he chuckled, pushing the rolling pin aside with his foot. "Um, I think I've got something that'll fit inside that. Come on in!" he gestured her inside. "I'm Apollo. I don't think we've been properly introduced."
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Concern was the first thing she felt. The sound of the rolling pin hitting the floor made her wings tighten to her back and her gut clench. A quick glance down and then... Right. Of course the Pilots knew of one another, they all knew and could recognize eachother. Varali licked her lips and chewed on the inside of her cheek before her vibrant green eyes started at bare feet. Then loose pajama bottoms and - oh Skies he was topless.
Varali's eyes darted up passed that until finally his face. Eyes met and she quickly looked away, cup still in hand. Varali's wings extended and gave a little tremble and she took a calming breath. This was why she was a tech. People were beyond her. Give her a cat to talk to or a computer to fix but put a topless - why topless?? - man in front of her and words didnt work anymore.
"V-varali," she said softly, lifting a free hand to motion over her shoulder, "I'm - um, your neighbour?" A small hesitant smile and she nodded before entering his home. Varali didn't over think what 'having something that will fit into that cup,' meant and tried her best not to look at his chest.
Did her best to keep one forearm smooshed against her breasts before no one needed to know that her headlights were on. There was a pause and Varali's face brightened when she saw the cat. "Oh, she's beautiful," without further offer from Apollo, she moved into the apartment.
"Critter?" Varali said softly, giving pause before she pet at the tummy, "Tix would love you," she grinned and crouched down on the ground, little bright wings splayed out and lazily waving up and down in her enjoyment of something 'familiar'.
A glance over her shoulder and she stopped petting the cat and stood up, "sorry. I... kinda lose my mind when i meet animals." She cleared her throat and stood up, hands behind her back. "I... It's nice to meet you Apollo," wings were tight to her back again and she glanced away. "I can pay you. For the sugar i mean."
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Apollo hadn't seen her wings from where he was standing by the door. But when he did, his eyes flickered and his pupils considerably widened. They were so colorful! He had no idea that wings like that even existed and he had to say he stared at them while she sauntered inside and made herself right at home with his cat.
He kept that same wry grin, lips curling but relaxing some as he closed the door behind her. Somehow as she passed him, Apollo took the cup she'd had in her grip and he moved toward the kitchen, setting the small container down on the center island. His kitchen was...well, a bit of an eyesore, thankfully however, she was way more focused on his cat than she was at her surroundings.
For the most part, Apollo didn't give two shits about what his apartment looked like. He normally cleaned it on weekends, but what was the fun in that when there were brunches to be had, drinks! And canoodling! God! That's why he just wanted to pay someone to clean it, but noooo! Hektor fired every single cleaning person that Apollo tried to hire. And made it pretty clear that he might sleep with them.
Fuckscicles! That wasn't even true! But, what if they were hot!? He couldn't enjoy a show while they picked up around the place?
The dishes from the last two days had been in the dishwasher. He had plenty of clean ones, and at least his counters were cleared, well except for the takeout he had on the side. And an empty pizza box still lingering by the trash can. He sighed and took the takeout boxes from the counter, dumping them in the trash.
"Oh, you've met Critter before?" he asked, pulling the sugar jar from the side next to the fridge. It was a brushed metal cylinder, with a secured lid. He pulled up the clasp and flipped it up, taking a scooper and slowly filling it.
"She's cute isn't she?" he chuckled, stopping and turning around to watch their interactions. The calico meowed loudly and rubbed against Varali's legs and hands, purring. "She loves people. Kinda weird I think for most cats. They can be skittish! But she pretty much makes people melt when they see her."
He stopped what he was doing and stepped over to her and reached down to pet Critter, who scampered away and jumped onto her cat tree, as if to say, "Breakfast. Now." She glanced between Varali and Apollo, and just meowed.
"Who's Tix?" he murmured, grinning back at Varali and eyes flicking down to see that it was rather nippy in here, wasn't it? Damn did she have nice tits? Was this lovely creature hiding next door to him this whole time? Apollo's face heated-up slightly, but it was a little harder to tell under his tan. He reached up and brushed his fingers through his hair. Couldn't have his hair disheveled around company now could he?"
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Was he watching her? Varali had been so taken with Critter - poor girl - that she didn't even hear Apollo go about and slyly clean up his kitchen. A happy flush to her cheeks from being with the cat and she finally looked to him when he spoke. "Met?" She whispered. Oh no. Varali tilted her head and pushed a tumble of lavender over her shoulder.
"She told me," Varali said simply, looking to Crittee again on her cat tree. Aaah, hungry. A quick glance to Apollo and Varali forgot herself because kitty was hungry. Turning from the cat, Varali moved to Apollo's newly tidied kitchen, stretching up to get the food.
When Critter gave a meow Varali switched cupboards and finally, she was kneeling at a cupboard beside the stove. A glance over her shoulder at Critter and she pulled the bag of food out. "Tix is my roommate," she said simply, looking to Apollo before flushing and looking away.
Still topless. Varali filled Critters food dish and put the food away like it wasn't a big deal and she gave her wings a ruffle, not noticing one bright blue feather fall from her and drift its way further into Apollo's kitchen.
"Oh," she looked around, "I'm so sorry. That was so rude. I... uh..." Varali was quite pink now, her pale hair helping her look all the more flushed. There was the sugar. Quickly Varali grasped it and cleared her throat. "Uh... thank you Apollo," she nodded to him and tucked her wings tight to her back while she made her way to the door. "I... I... Uh.. If you ever need anything I'm right next door." She pointed to the right side, "that side."
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Apollo was supposed to be filling that container with sugar. Yeah, he remembered she came over for something important right? And not just to stand there looking like stepped out of a steaming shower with the way her shirt clung to her skin like that. Oh yeah, because that didn't happen in anything other than pornos. The worst pornos ever.
Apollo snickered to himself at the thought. "She...wait, you said she told you?" he murmured, shaking his head. Wait what? Oh yeah, if she was a Pilot, which she was, then she was psychic. But she could read his cat's mind? Well, that was just fucking cool.
Aaaaand then she was making herself right at home in his kitchen. Like she just knew where everything was. "Let me guess, Critter told you to feed her as well?" he chuckled. "Oh.. wait, hey! It's not filled! Don't go just yet."
He rushed toward her and cupped his hands around hers, gently prying the cup from her grip. "I didn't fill it yet," he laughed. Apollo moved back to the counter to finish scooping up the sugar, taking his time about putting it in there. In the meantime he could make small talk.
"So how come if you live right next door to me," he said, gesturing to the right just as she did. "How come we've never met face to face before?"
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"Sort of," she said softly, glancing at Apollo before she gnawed on her lip and glanced away. Just... she needed to get out. The sooner she was away from him the sooner she could stop noticing his chest. The way his pants hung on his hips. The way his hair fell and how pretty his eyes were.
Varali cleared her throat and gasped, jumping slightly when he told her to wait. Teal green eyes were wide and she trembled slightly at the touch before she snapped her hands away from him and curled them around herself. Shifting awkwardly and listening to Critter eat.
Eyes snapped to Apollo when he took his sweet time filling the sugar and she shifted uncomfortably. "I... Work tech," she said simply, "Sometimes its odd hours. I... I'm quiet. I don't... I don't..." Varali rubbed her arm, forearm pressing under her breasts before she remembered that she didn't wanna advertise those.
"I'm... just the sugar please Apollo," she whispered, looking away, flushed and uncomfortable. Wings flittering behind her back, a direct display of how not comfortable she was here. Now that there was no cat to distract her, eyes downcast, she waited. "I'll bring you some cookies when they're done... If you like."
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What in the actual fuck? How could this have been hiding next door to him this whole time and he hadn't noticed. Apollo could have - and should have - kicked himself for not being more aware of the goings-on about his neighbors. Normally he was pretty content to not care about what they were doing as long as they didn't bother him none.
But here she was. In his apartment in the flesh and by gods she was adorable. Apollo finally finished filling up the sugar cup when she said she was tech. So that would explain the reclusiveness. He wasn't going to judge. Not right away
Apollo carefully packed the sugar and put his jar away on the counter and walked over to her, taking her hand and settling the cup at the palm of it.
"Yeah. I'd love that," he murmured. "I can also fill your mouth with wonderful sweets that explode with flavor." His touch was lingering as he went on, grinning charmingly at her. That's right, turning it up to 10...
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Mistakes had been made.
Varali felt her heart lurch in her chest as Apollo went on. Doing her best to not stare at his tanned back. The attempt was valiant and her eyes mostly remained on the floor where it was safe. She'd pretend it wasn't crumbie and she chewed on the inside of her cheek in her nervousness.
Being here for neither work nor while in uniform meant she was just... Herself. Here casually. In her not work clothes. Without a bra on. Hair a tumble of blue and lavender to curl over her shoulders and frame her assests.
With a start, she looked at his hand and goose flesh crawled up her arm and she not so slyly moved her forearm to cover anything else that decided to stick our and draw attention. Varali looked up at him at last, felt heat pool in her belly from his grin and she saw him talk.
Oh. Oh dear. Varali flushed brightly. "No, thank you."
"It was nice to meet you, Critter, Apollo." she said simply, looking into Apollo's apartment before she turned around, opened his door and ler herself out, closing it behind her none too gently. Quickly she scurried to her apartment, opened the door and moved to the kitchen. Tix snoozing away on his own bed in the living room.
The glass of sugar was placed on the counter and she leaned on it to calm down. That was awful and Varali decided that was the last time she was gonna forget ingedients.
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Wait, what? What was happening right now?
Did she just suddenly want to turn tail and leave? Apollo hadn't even really realized she'd been inching for the door until already she was scurrying behind it and slamming it shut in his face. He was reeling.
And his mouth was agape before he carefully thumped his skull against the door just by the peephole. "Oh, come on!" he hissed. No one has ever left his apartment that fast before and frankly, he didn't think it was possible. Did he do something that annoyed her?
Hmm, he pushed off from the door, mulling it over and wandered over to the kitchen, shrugging. She seemed awfully tense, and had made it pretty clear that she was uncomfortable. Was it just stemmed around anyone or just him? Apollo grinned to himself, finally cackling aloud. Certainly loud enough that she might just be able to hear it in the next room beside his kitchen.
She was so cuuute. And frankly her shyness was just fucking adorable! Apollo buried his face in his hands, now fully awake and he felt his foot brush against something soft. Except Critter was still by her bowl munching away. A glance downward and he saw that a small blue feather was there, that wasn't there before. "What do we have here?" he murmured, plucking it up and gently brushing his left index finger over it.
"Looks like today is going to be a busy day after all," he chuckled and shifted over to his shelt just above the sofa in his living room. Apollo gently tucked the feather under a glass covering on what he dubbed his knick-knack shelf, just little things he liked or thought were interesting to be put on display for any visitors that came by.
Except Varali, she just wanted to get the hell out of here. Apollo snorted and burned the small glass casing just enough so that the feather was properly displayed. Little did she know that she'd left more than a piece of herself behind.
-
It had been a week or two since her little sugar incident. Varali had made the cookies and they'd been decent. Alas, having no real friends and not being one for cookies, after her craving had been sated they had gone stale and were forgotten about. Then thrown away.
Today, Varali had found herself at DoSaM. Near to the point of tears but keeping her expression stoic and as cement as she could. She was a Pilot. One that stood out. Lavender blue hair, fluttery bright wings. A clear indication of how agitated she was, the way her bright little wings flared out and then folded in.
Quietly she spoke to a nurse at the desk and she was led aside. Varali didnt want to make a spectacle, her heart was already pounding out of her chest. Taken to a room, she was asked to take a seat on the examination table and that a Doctor Hecates would see her soon.
It had been a while since an episode. Varali had gotten good at being able to tell when it was just her head and when it was a real issue. Nothing was helping with right now though. Seated on the table, knuckles white against the edge.
Varali took deep breaths, extended her wings as far as they could go and tried to breathe with her eyes squeezed shut, but nothing wss calming her down.
-
The infamous "Sugar Incident" as it would thus be called by the ages, as foretold by the prophets of Estrogenei and her consorts, was a constant source of entertainment for Apollo. Of course that also meant that his neighbor had left quite the impression on him. He didn't make any obvious attempt to catch her attention, but when he wandered out into the hallway, he had hoped to casually run into her here and there, taking out the trash, walking Critter.
Even his cat scratched at her door and rubbed her side against it. No response of course, and he just pretty much put it passed him once the next few days had gone by.
Apollo finally did go to work. He had to, or he'd never hear the end of it from Hektor if he missed more than a few days at a time. And even Apollo would start to miss Lenny's ugly mug if he didn't bother showing up and he'd definitely wouldn't miss Gerry Jensik nagging him like an old hag. Ugh, he'd just be sleeping under his desk anyway.
Apollo had gotten in early and made sure to actually be catching up on all his work when people were watching him. The rounds were easy enough and for the most part the day was going so smoothly. He hated it. This was DoSaM. Weren't people supposed to be rushing in here on the bring of death and it would be up to the great doctors on staff to save lives!?
Ah, well, if nothing exciting was going to happen today, then he could very easily nap under his desk without worry of being interrupted. Or well, he would have had his nurse not notified him that there was someone in need of examination. And it was rather urgent. And despite his questions, no there were no other doctors that could take it. Because, as she snarkily replied, some doctors actually have patience to take care of.
"Okay fine!" Apollo waved his hands if only to get her out of his hair and he threw his stethoscope over his neck, fixed his hair and walked over to the examination room where Pilot Echo Orion was waiting. And when he opened that door, he blinked slowly, wondering if this was really happening.
"Pilot Echo Orion?" he said, looking over the paperwork on his clipboard. He slid one item out of the way and looked up at her. "How are you today, Varali? What seems to be the issue? I rushed over here right away, I didn't have a chance to look over your chart, and frankly I'd much rather hear it from you."
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Deep breaths.
Varali sucked in a breath, held it and then blew it out slowly while she waited. Still her heart hammered and she could feel her pulse in her head and her eyes and her finger tips. A startled sucked in breath when she heard the door. A weary little nod when she heard her name. Another breath.
"I can't breathe," she puffed out, "My heart won't stop pounding." Varali finally opened her teal eyes and then it felt like her heart stopped all together and she swallowed the saliva in her mouth and her face fell. The flush was gone and instead she was just pale.
"It's you," she gasped out, taking another breath and squeezing her hands on the end of the bed. "You're a doctor?" Varali said softly, licking her lips and looking at him. He looked better with clothes on. "I'm just... I don't know. Sometimes my heart doesn't stop beating and i can't breathe and... And i came here because it might be... bad. And I don't want it to be bad."
While she spoke and did her best to be calm, her wings slowly spread and curled up rhythmicly.
-
"I am a doctor. Luckily for you! So you're in good hands. The best hands."
Apollo could give all the cheesy grins in the world and not a single one of them would do anything to make her feel better in that present moment. So as he closed the door behind him, he immediately set the clipboard down and shifted closer to her, putting the stethoscope in his ears and gently breathing on it to make sure that it was working properly.
"Okay, Varali, I'm going to need to listen to your heart beat, okay? So that means I'm going to have to invade your personal space. Don't worry, I'm a professional," he murmured softly, voice a slight purr and he shifted the stethoscope to her back carefully avoiding the appendages of her wings and shifting it around toward where her lungs would be.
"Okay, now take in a deep breath," he instructed and mimicked the action with her. As he detected her breathing to be rather normal, he tapped the end of the stethoscope again. Hmm, that really didn't sound like heart attack material. "Once more time for me. In, two three, out two, three."
"Hmm, your breathing seems okay," he said. "But, to really be sure you're not having a heart attack, I'm going to have to examine your chest. Unfortunately that means you'll have to take your shirt off." Apollo looked her over, putting a hand on her shoulder, gently and sensing her nervous system. There was tension in her all right. A lot of it, however, she didn't seem to be having the typical symptoms of a heart attack? Of course he wanted to be sure, and he was a medical professional, so it was only natural for him to ask her to take her shirt off.
Of course.
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Deep breaths.
Varali was compliant. Any potential beef with him was passed and she knew that he was just here to help her. At least that was what she wanted to believe. A brief glance at him, looking at his face. His lips. The way his golden hair fell over his forehead and Varali squeezed her eyes shut again for another moment.
It calmed her slightly that he spoke to her that nothing sounded wrong. Still though, she felt awful. Her chest felt empty and her gut clenched. "Aah..." Varali's mouth opened and she flicked her eyes to Apollo. Doctor Hecates. A doctor. Really? Her wings pulled in tight against her back and she took a deep breath.
"Off?" She whined, eyebrowd drawn together. It was okay. He was a doctor. Varali licked her lips and moved her hands to the back of her neck, unclipping the back of her uniform before she peeled her top off, putting it beside her on the table and shifting.
It wasn't anything fancy. A plain black bra that fit nicely. Varali felt self concious, shifting her wings slightly to press against her side. "Will I be okay?" She gnawed on her lip, giving Doctor Hecates a nervous look. "I don't wanna lose a limb or something."
-
Oh gods. Gods!
It was Apollo's turn to take in a deep breath. He sucked in air sharply through his teeth and he rolled his shoulders. Right she was a patient. There were certain levels of propriety to be had here, but that didn't mean that he couldn't think that she had a nice rack. Surreptitiously of course. That wasn't a surface thought he wanted to be heard.
"Let me see here," he said and stood back to get a good look at her rack, as if deciding where would be the best place to place his stethoscope before finally settling on the center of her chest. Apollo tapped it once more, settled it between his fingers and held one hand on her shoulder then carefully set the small circle against her flesh.
And was actually startled to find that she was a little warm. Oh, but then he remembered he was standing right next to her, without her shirt on, and his hand was practically on her boob. Hm, well on her boob. Better slide that back right in the center again. Yes, that was much better. And he felt down her back again to feel her breathing, sending small signals of electricity to her nerves there so that they could read back to him, and he could feel then that he breathing was still even.
"Deep breaths, Varali," he said, and her heart beat, while fast, sounded completely normal. Nothing at all out of the ordinary except the sheer tension in her chest. And it became pretty clear what was wrong with her. 'Varali, do you come in here a lot? To DoSaM or other clinics closer to the Citadel?"
"Also, why would you think you were going to lose an arm with a series of chest pains? Another deep breath, Varali, don't stop breathing please. That's good advice for anyone." He snorted at his little joke. And he felt a little further down between her breasts to feel her heart a little more and pulled the circle away from her chest, settling the stethoscope around his neck.
-
This man was a doctor.
He was also her neighbour.
Varali did the even breathing as was instructed while her mind reeled. Not because of her potential heartillness but because maybe... Maybe she could just go see Apollo. He was close. She could... Feed his cat. Or something.
Deep even breaths. Eyes closed. Hissing slightly when the cold thing was pressed to warm flesh and finally she could feel herself calming down. Without the help she knew she'd have freaked herself out to the point of hyperventalating until she passed out. It had happened before under a desk. Luckily the office had been empty and she woke up quickly.
Then went to talk to a doctor.
Apollo's question had her eyes snap to him and she stared at him for a moment, lips parted. Her chest heaved with her controlled breathing and she looked away for a moment, flushing. "I... Yes," she whispered, licking her lips, "I... Could have anything. I .. I would rather not have anything than maybe have something," she whispered.
Another breath.
"Am I okay?" She whispered, leaning to look at Doctor Hecates eyes, eyebrows scrunched together in her worry. Her gloved hands still gripped the tableside and her arms trembled with her grip. Her wings gave a little impatient flutter and she leaned in further, "Doctor?"
Also gave him a good look at clevage. Wonderfully inappropriate clevage.
-
Oh dear! While Apollo was pretty sure running to a doctor when you were sick was a good thing, making it a lifelong ritual was probably not very good at all. And he was rather afraid that was just the thing she had going on.
Apollo bit down on the inside of his lip - hard, to keep his laughter under control. The whole situation was rather ridiculous. Not to mention interrupted his perfectly good nap! Oh, his nurse was going to get an earful of that if got around to it. If he didn't forget. If he came in tomorrow and was sure to write it on his calendar when he got home... Hmm, maybe it wasn't that big a deal after all.
Apollo pulled a rollie stool out from the side beside a counter and sat down on it. "Yes, I'm afraid that you're going to die," he said with a sigh and placed both of his hands between his legs, half-straddling the stool and cupping both hands around the edge of the stool, and flexing his back so that he was sitting more comfortably.
"Eventually." He added after a deep inhaled sigh. "But not today. Varali, I think what you just had was nothing short of a panic attack caused by a great deal of stress. Unfortunately, they can feel very similar to one another."
His chair was remarkably close to where she was sitting, although their positions were sheer opposites of one another. Apollo again refrained from grinning, and he kept his face as somber and professionally serious as possible. And it was getting harder and harder to maintain that visage. "Is there anything recently that might have been brought on this stress? Anything maybe going on in your personal life?" He kept his gaze glued to hers, even though the tempation to stare at her breasts was growing stronger and stronger by the second.
-
His words chilled her to the bone.
Goosebumps pricked her skin when he said so seriously that she was going to die. Varali whimpred and stared, breath short before her heart picked up again and she just looked at him with wide eyes. "I --" she wad cut off though. Because he was a piece of shit Doctor.
Eventually.
Hot shame climbed up her throat and she shifted uncomfortably, glancing from his eyes to his chest and then to his hair. Varali couldn't believe he was a Doctor. His question needed to be answered though and she closed her eyes and dipped her head forward.
All the while her little wings gave impatient irritated twitches, though for the most part they stayed pressed tight to her back. "I... My personal life?" She whispered, giving a shake of her head , "the last person I was with was you." Simple shrug and she moved her hands to hug herself around the midsection.
"I don't have a personal life. I work. I go home. Then I go to work, and then I go home." She glanced to the side of the examination table and gave another shiver, "Can I put my shirt back on?"
-
It was the closest to the truth he could get without bursting out in complete and utter foolish laughter. Besides, lying to her would be much much worse. What kind of doctor would he be if he told her he was going to live forever? An asshole kind that's what. There was so much more to tease her about anyway.
"Oh yes, ma'am," Apollo agreed and took her shirt from the side to hand it back to her. His fingers delicate and releasing it as if his hand were a clothing hook. "Please. It is pretty chilly in here. I wouldn't want you to catch a cold."
One more look at her assets and he sat up on that stool, giving her a least a foot of air to breath through. "If that's really all you've been doing, then it's no wonder you've had a panic attack. All work and no play makes for a very stressful Varali. Even if you don't like contact with people. You have to remember that social, physical, and mental health are all interconnected. If you only neglect one, the others too will likely follow."
He spun once in his chair, simply because he felt like it. "So, Varali. What is it that you like to do for fun? What do you do on your down time? I'm asking purely as your doctor of course." Because what she really needed as a decent dose of Vitamin A.
A for Apollo of course.
-
Catch a cold?
Varali frowned slightly, eyes downcast while Apollo spoke. Could she catch a cold? Was she going to get sick? Delicately she took the shirt from the doctor and pulled it on carefully, wings bending to br let out of the clothing and she buttoned up the back of her neck.
A stretch of her little wings and a roll of her shoulders.
There was a burning pit of shame in her. Being chastised for not... Socializing. She was an adult! Who was he to tell her that she needed to do more people-talking! A doctor. Varali sighed and fixed her top, plucking at it to remove the bumps and wrinkles.
"I..." Varali frowned, unable to think of what she did when she wasnt working. "I take care of my plants. And Tix. I cook dinner for myself. Sometimes I watch movies curled up under blankets." A little shrug and she glanced away, "I... Don't do well with people. I like to keep to myself. I..." Varali slid off the table and fixed her clothing further, "coming here was a mistake. I'm sorry to be a bother."
She started to walk away, hands flexing open and closed. Be polite. "Maybe I'll see you at home. Thanks for the help." Though she paused in front of the door, hand out and ready to grab it. "Can I go?"
-
There she went again, just bolting right for the door. Apollo sat up immediately and pulled the pen and writing tablet from the inside of his clipboard. "Hold on just a second Pilot Echo Orion," he said. "I'm going to write you a prescription that I want you to follow religiously. Now, this is going to be doctor's orders."
He wrote it down on the tablet before tearing the paper off and folding it delicately. "I want you to call this number. It's a place where you can take a load off any time you feel you're being overwhelmed, call that number and they can schedule you an appointment to come in and relax. No people. Just one person. And they also have special therapy animals for your well-being."
He'd jotted his own number on there of course and put little heart shapes where the O's in his name would be. He smiled softly at her. "Look, Varali. I know we got off on the wrong foot earlier. And I just want to apologize for anything on my behalf that may have caused you to...erm, bolt from my presence. Much like you're doing now. Which is also very rude by the way. But. That's your prescription. Follow it to the letter okay. Call me any day or night if you ever need anything.
"And don't think i forgot about those cookies you never gave me either."
-
Doctor's orders.
Varali watched Apollo wearily, lower lip giving a slight tremble and her hands shaking slightly. Right. Doctor. Varali took a little breath and closed her eyes for a moment brfore she took the piece of paper. Pilot Echo Orion. That's who she was.
Straightening her shoulders she nodded to Apollo. There was no intention of calling the number. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Tears of shame and regret burned her eyes for a moment before she swallowed it back. She'd made a mistake coming here, if only because now her neighbour knew her... Oddness.
"I have Tix," she said, wiggling the 'perscription' at him between two of her fingers. Still she remained quiet, moving her other hand to squeeze at the back of her neck. A bright flush when he said she was being rude. Varali opened her mouth to talk, to explain but nothing came out.
There was no excuse.
Varali took the other piece of paper, folding it open and looking at his number. The fact he gave it to her didn't alarm her. The fact she wanted to memorise it did. Licking her lips she flicked her teal eyes to him and tried to breathe. "Thank you Doctor Hecates," she whispered, several shades of red as she backed from the room. "And thank you," she wiggled his number at him, "I'll be sure to see Critter."
And then, she was gone. Door left ajar and only the soft sounds of her footsteps pattering down the hall.
It was almost a week later that Apollo would get a text, not terribly late at night but late enough that most people would be sleeping.
Are you awake? I have something for you.
-
Did she forget that he was a licensed medical professional? However fucking hell that happened he had no idea. But that was a fact present in this current situation and one he was more than willing to take advantage of. While panic attacks weren't exactly immediately life threatening, they could have worse effects in the long run. And what kind of doctor would he be if he didn't at least give her some good advice.
Even if she seemed very unwilling to take said advice and was out of the door before he knew it. Apollo again leaned against the door, letting the cold metal of it cool against his flush face. Gone again, so close, yet so far away. Was he just that repulsive? Hm, he supposed in some lights he might be. But that wasn't his fault.
He was too busy being awesome.
That week did pass, and as usual it was blur.Apollo made a point of showing up to work on time and with his full faculties just to keep the Queen Bee off his back, oh and then there was always Lenny to consider. UUUuuuugh. Come to think of it, he was probably starting to come down with some semi-debilitating but non contagious disease the next day, or two after that. Just as soon as he thought of it.
Another sick day would be good. Commuting back and forth between Haviah and Havina was a pain in the cat butt anyway. And he hated being that far away from Critter all day long. She was a good girl for the most part, and didn't get into any real trouble, but he was ofttimes too exhausted to play with her and just wanted to collapse onto that sofa and pass out for days.
Tonight was one of those nights, but thankfully he didn't bother with working too hard, so when he got home he greeted Critter with a hug and kiss and let her drape herself on his neck and shoulders as he was wont to do.
Until his phone ran with a text from an odd number. Everyone who knew him already had his number, and he had theirs in turn. Except one person. Apollo checked it and tilted his head. "Yes I am," he replied. "What's up?
-
Varali hadn't been thinking when she sent it.
Had sent it late enough to hope that maybe he'd been sleeping. So, she waited for the kettle to boil, resting against the counter. Had her device pressed against her chest. He wouldn't answer. Apollo had only been teasing her.
A brief glance to the note he left her.
Ap<3ll<3 and the number. Slightly crumpled like she'd balled it up to throw it out. She had. Rifled through the trash to find it again. Varali swallowed and let her head tip back, taking a deep breath.
Let out a squeal of surprise and tossed her phone up, eyes wide. A deer in headlights look. Varali took a peek at it.
"Apollo NeedsCookies: Yes I am. What's up?"
Aww, crap. Why was he awake? Varali took a deep breath and closed her eyes. A glance around her apartment, covered in plants. Tix sitting on top of the fridge looking at her. He hopped onto her head, curled himself down to rest around her shoulders. Watching contently.
Can you open your door in a few minutes please? My hands will be full.
Okay.
Did she wait for a reply before she headed over?
Okay. It was fine. It was okay. Varali turned around and looked at the mugs. No. Too much. This was an apology. Not a... Hang out. Varali only filled up one mug of hot chocolate, grabbing the container of cookies in the other hand before she left her phone on the counter and exited her apartment.
Tix leaned from her to pull the door closed and another deep breath.
Good thing Apollo's apartment was so close.
Varali took a deep breath, relaxing when Tix curled up under her hair, down from its ponytail. A tumble of lavender curls. Varali looked down at herself, flushing slightly because she'd forgotten she had changed into pajama pants and hadn't thought to put shoes on.
Tix snuggled under her hair, making chittering noises and curling his fluffy long tail around her neck while she waited for the door to open. Not that she would.blame Apollo if he didn't want to.
-
Can you open your door in a few minutes please? My hands will be full.
That was a message he could get behind. Full of what was the question he'd shot back but immediately peeled himself out of his jacket, throwing it on the hook and rushing to the bathroom to freshen up, dousing his fine skin with water. Apollo shifted around and put Critter down. She mewed indignantly, watching him rush to the door to unlock it.
And when he found here there, he smiled, fighting the urge to lean against the frame. Oh because then he would be in there way. But there she was, in her glorious pajamas with her hair...down. Gods. Dragon balls!
"Hi," he murmured and when he saw she had too much in her arms, he reached out to grab the container she had and motioning her inside. "Please come in. Don't just stand there." He closed the door softly behind them and Critter wasted no time in greeting her with a curious cry. The calico hopped up onto the sofa and stared at Varali, eyes going huge.
Critter stared at her hair. At that thing in it. And only then did Apollo notice the fluffy tail looped around her neck.
"Oh, I see you brought your friend. That must be Tix, right?" he chuckled, setting the container on the center island. "Tix, that's Critter. Critter. Tix."
-
Varali let Apollo pull the container away, and she put the steaming mug of hot chocolate beside it. A mug she wouldn't cry about if she never got it back. Even though it was part of a set. A set that would now be missing a mug.
Tix slipped from around her neck like water, slipping towards Critter who he immediately started to sniff and pluck at. His little paws going into fur before he moved to lay on top of her. Varali also moved towards Critter, a hand going to scratch all the best places.
"I... Wanted to apologize," she said softly, tossing her hair over her shoulder before she moved back to the kitchen Tixless. Her hands motioned to the container of cookies and the warm mug. "I... I wanted to tell you that I don't mean to be rude," her eyes were downcasted while she spoke, taking in little breaths to keep herself calm.
"I just... You're very... Forward and... And handsome," a glance at him to makesure he was before she cleared her throat, "and I was rude and I owed you cookies. For the sugar." She reached to open the tin, made earlier in the day.
Truth be told she'd been waiting to hear his door shut since she got home herself.
Varali flushed at the thought, glancing away.
Tix busied himself with cleaning Critter, casting the odd glance to Apollo like he was keeping a careful eye on Varali. Spitting out a chunk of loose fur off the cat before the red thing resumed grooming the beautiful princess. "So," she nudged the mug towards Apollo and the container, "Please forgive me for being rude. I'm sorry. I'll... Try not to slam your doors in your face and be a better neighbour."
-
Critter didn't even fight being groomed by this newcomer in the apartment. And immediately she laid on the couch's back lazily, letting Tix just have his paws all over her. Also Varali was nice too, but seeing another little thing kind like her but not set the cat to purring immediately.
The missing Tix from her shoulders allowed Apollo a much better look to her neck, and the fact that she tossed it over her shoulder certainly helped matters all the more. Apollo kept his eyes steady, but not overly presumptuous and noted that she'd indeed only bought one cup of hot cocoa over.
"Thank you so much!" he grinned toothily. His smiles, as always, were optimal photo ops. But since she was next door, she really didn't need a picture did she? She could come and visit any time to see a grin of his. Those were free.
"Ahh, I was just trying to keep you in the room for just a few seconds longer. BUT you did promise me cookies, and I will say that I was very disappointed when I gave you my sugar and you never delivered those delicious cookies. Did you eat them all yourself or gave them to someone else?"
He tilted his head as if to inspect where on her body those cookies might be if she'd been hiding them. Hmm, nowhere to be found. Apollo curled his lips, tucking his bottom one inside his mouth just and turned around to snatch a cup from the cabinet behind him. It was a nice brown mug, simple and he poured half of the cocoa into the second cup.
"There's no reason we can't share," he said. "I can't eat all these cookies by myself. Please. Have some. And your cocoa too. I love to share." Apollo licked his lips, staring at her, at her flushed skin, lavender hair, full pouty lips.
She'd called him handsome. Of course he knew he was handsome. But the fact that she said it at all boosted his ego to ten thousand. So, he wasn't just some repulsive sea urchin that just so happened to successfully guilt trip her into baking cookies for him. He felt the hackles on his neck rise and goosebumps danced along his arms as he reached for a cookie, dipped it and took a bite.
"HMMM. Holy cowza-wowza," he hissed. "Varali! This is really good! Completely unexpected. Who gets awesome guilt cookies? I do! Point, Apollo. Boom." And shoved the rest of the cookie in his mouth. "Wow. I can't just stop at one. Oh, and come on. Eat one! Look Tix and Critter are all cuddled up on the couch. That's so cute! What kind of creature is Tix anyhow?"
-
Skies this man talked a lot.
Was he lonely or just trying to be friendly. Varali chewed on her bottom lip and cast her eyes aside, hooded. Her hands rested against her abdomen while he spoke and she had the good sense to look down shamefully when he mentioned the first batch of cookies.
The ones she couldn't bring herself to bring over. The oned that had rot. Varali lifted a hand and pressed her palm to her chest, feeling her heart beat. "They went bad," she said honestly, glancing away, the flush on her cheeks brighter.
Why was he getting a cup. The protest died on her lips before she took it as instructed, hands pressing to the base. Wondering if her using his cup was a calculated move or just thats how it played out. Varali took a sip of the warm drink and tried to surpress a shiver. Her wings fluffed up and her eyes snapped back to Apollo.
So chatty.
Alarmingly chatty.
"I have some at home," she whispered, watching Apollo eat the cookie. They couldn't be that good. Still, the distraction of Tix and Critter was welcome and she wandered over to the couch. A quick check to make sure her gloves were on tightly and she removed on before pressing her fingers through Critter's fur.
"She's gorgeous, isn't she?" She asked her strange rodent who gave a squeak of confirmation and then shimmied down and then up, Apollo. Curling around the man's neck where he watched him very closely. And licked crumbs from his face
Replacing her glove, she grabbed the hot chocolate again and brought it to her mouth. "Tix is... I don't really know. My parents gave him to me when he was a baby. When they knew I'd finished. He was the most unruly of the bunch but... I can talk to him so it never really mattered before." Varali moved towards Tix, resting a hand on Apollo's shoulder for Tix to move onto her.
A gentle gloved hand wiped away a smear of chocolate from the side of Apollo's mouth before she remembered herself. Hand snapping back and away, "I'm sorry. That was very forward. I have... No intentions other than to apologize." And she took a large gulp of the hot drink and it felt like burning regret the whole way down.
-
Apollo cackled as Tix came up to explore him. Those little hands were small and tingled along his ribs. He smiled sweetly, petting the creature's puffy tail and giving scritches between his ears. Critter meanwhile was soaking up as much attention as she could and rubbed herself against Varali's touch.
"He's magnificent! Really cute." Apollo grinned and busied himself with listening amidst the crunch of another cookie. Until she rubbed the schmutz from his face. Apollo smirked and shifted around to her.
"You're fine! Thank you." And he leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek. "You're very sweet."
-
Oh no.
Varali felt the horror on her face before she left it in her gut. Tix hunkered down against Apollo's shoulder like he felt it too and Varali jerked away from Apollo. Which only managed to make her slam her hip against the counter top.
A soft groan and she moved her hand to her side. Wings giving a little flutter. "Apollo," she glanced around, heart pulsing in her throat, "I... I'm not here for..." She glanced at his lips while she backed up to put more space between the two of them. Her cheek tingled. "I don't want you to kiss me, I'm... I'm ... "
Varali just put her cup down on the counter and crooked out an elbow, Tix gave a chitter and slipped from Apollo to Varali. "I should go. Coming here was a mistake, keep the mug and the cookie container." The words rushed from her and she calmly made her way to the door, even stopping to pet Critter. Varali didn't want to slam his door in his face again - it was rude.
-
Apollo would have apologized if she hadn't looked so damn cute all red-faced and flustered. The gesture itself had been innocent and although he wanted to do it again, he refrained, letting her instead get ahold of her faculties and once again trying to make for the door. What was wrong with spending a little time with him? Wasn't he handsome? Wasn't he beautiful!
Apollo gave a small frustrated whine and dusted his hands. "Oh come on! Don't go! Look, I won't do it again while you're here. I'm sorry," he said, waving his hands. "Varali. Please! Stay!" he said and almost rushed her to keep from opening the door.
Critter gave a meow, looking between Tix and Varali and her owner. Oh no, did this mean she wasn't going to get any more pets. And instead looked to Tix. "Stay. I have treats," she meowed. "You have fingers. You can open them."
-
Tix perked up from Varali and slid down her shoulder to curl his little red body around his new friend. Critter was warm and Tix snuggled in against her. Varali however chewed on her lower lip and looked up at Apollo before glancing away.
"Critter is trying to bribe him with treats," she whispered, looking at Apollo through her lashes. Her cheek tingled still and she brushed the back of her hand against it before she pushed her hair aside. Another glance around, the various piles if things.
The knick-knack shelf.
Varali shot a glance to Apollo before she moved towards it, wings giving a flutter while she moved. A glance to the feather and she licked her lips. Hand reaching out to gently touch the shelf. He'd saved her feather. Varali's heart skipped a beat and Tix slithered off to where he could find treats.
"Are you attracted to me?" She finally whispered, looking over to Apollo, eyebrows up. She swallowed and ducked her head down, lavender hair falling to viel her face, wings tightening against her back. "I'm not going to sleep with you, if that's why you're doing all this," better to be blunt now.
-
When Tix took the invitation to cuddle, Critter was a loud engine of purring, and that heavy motor sound reverated into Tix as it became his turn to be cleaned and groomed. Critter then nipped at one of his ears playfully and zoomed from the couch, the rodent giving chase. The pair of them rushed around the living room, going from the couch to the cat tree to the island and all underneath the tables.
Apollo, however, seemed mostly distracted with Varali revealing what his cat was thinking. "Well, she can't have any. Critter will have her dinner when I give it to her." And that was when the cat stopped long enough to rub against his legs.
Apollo picked her up, and the roden found it's way around Apollo's neck again, trying to swat at the cat. "Be nice," he warned. And Tix curled his tail around Apollo's neck.
As soon as she noticed the knick-knack shelf, he followed her into the living room. And grinned. Because in the end that was his pride and joy. "I like to collect interesting and odd things. And you left that little blue guy here the first time you came here over three weeks go."
He chuckled and set Critter down to resume her game with Tix. "If you wanna straight answer, then yeah. I think you're gorgeous," he murmured. "Don't you find me attractive? You said i was handsome."
-
The look Apollo got was one of slight annoyance, slim eyebrow drawn up and she shifted her hips before she turned her head away. Another flush on her cheeks. "You're plenty attractive," she grumbled out, tracing the line of shelf again. Though quickly enough she pulled her hand back and let it rest at her side.
"I don't..." Varali closed her eyes and pressed her hands to her stomach, "I don't do relationships. Not casual. Not serious. Not sexual. Not plutonic. I..." she glanced down, "I made that choice as a candidate. When i learned the real risks of being a Pilot. When I learned... When I learned... That I was little more than useless."
A glance over her shoulder to her wings, spread out to their full width. Not wide at all. Though she pulled them in slowly. Looking away, "Doeshe would argue. You're a Doctor," she said helpless, head down, "I repair servers. Write code. Talk to plants and animals." Varali pursed her lips, trying to make herself sound unappealing and uninteresting.
"I'm sorry for asking for sugar," she said softly head down, hands are her side. "And for leaving a feather behind. For... Being noticed by you." She didn't move away, casting a glance his way before she sighed. Tix zoomed by, skittering up her clothing to get away from Critter who mewled until Varali picked her up.
To which she did, prolling a hand under Critters butt so all her feet pointed out. Tix went to cleaning her ears. Varali pressed her face to Critters head and sighed, eyes falling closed. "It's just easier to not know anyone."
-
It wasn't like he didnt know he was beautiful, but it was always nice to be reassured. Because it meant that you weren't blind or crazy, and it reaffirmed the truth that Apollo only knew too well. His hand reached up to brush back his hair yet again and he tilted his head so that his eyes could better catch the light. Why the hell not flaunt it?
"I find it hard to believe you're completely useless. You're certainly not hard to look at it," he said and shifted over to her, putting his hands behind his back. So she didn't do relationships. So what, neither did he? He didn't have a serious anything at any point in his life. Even his Candidacy was very much a joke.
"I don't regret meeting you. I think you're very nice. You're a nice girl that just so happens to be beautiful. You really honest to goodness, darling, have nothing to be ashamed of," he murmured. Apollo looked at Critter, legs up and just loving every second of attention she was getting.
"Am I really so bad? Come on, let's just enjoy some cookies and some hot chocolate and watche some TV yeah? You do watch TV right? If you don't, we can just talk, and watch our critters run around and pick at each other," he shrugged. "It's time to feed Critter. Would you like to do the honors?"
-
Watching TV would be much more simple than talking while Tix and Critter played. Varali flushed after listening to Apollo, not sure how to tell him his compliments fell on deaf ears and that he was vain and full of himself.
That would be rude.
Varali decided to try avoiding being rude. For now. Maybe later. Gently, she put Critter down, meandering over to where the food was kept and put some in her bowl. A quiet chastising from Varali when Tix tried to dig in but he quickly curled back up around her neck.
Then it was TV time.
At first Varali was stiff, back straight, wings tucked up against her. Slowly though, her guard lowered. Varali wasn't sure if she shuffled closer to Apollo on the couch or if he did. What she did know was that by the end of the second Whatever they watched, her cheek was smooshed against his shoulder sleepily.
His arm trapped between hers with his hand trapped between her knees. Wings relaxed and draped in somewhat odd ways behind her. Tix had decided that Apollo was a better neck to snuggle onto and Critter curled herself up between the back of Varali's knees.
There was a great deal of effort to try to open her eyes, of which she gave up after the third episode, sleeping (and perhaps drooling slightly) on Apollo's shoulder.
-
Apollo didn't really watch TV. Not with any real interest. Sure there was the occasional singing competition and deciding just who he liked better and even calling in to vote. Or watching soaps with Critter to catch up on the latest drama of "Bastards and Bitches." Just last week Jonny Tomero got back together with Gwen after she cheated on him with his evil twin brother, so that was good.
Critter always hissed when she came back on screen. Jonny was too good for her.
They were watching something else that Apollo had forgotten about, stuffing his face with cookies. After about five cookies, Apollo too felt himself begin to drift off, even after he'd scooted closer to Varali, as an experiment in proximity.
His feet were laid up on the coffee table and his head laid back. He hadn't even realized his arms had been tucked between her knees. He wriggled his hand, feeling it smooshed betwen her legs. He gave a soft hum, turning himself so that he was closer to her, eyes heavy with sleep. And he largely was, shifting his hand a little closer to something warmer between her thighs. Apollo breathed in, feeling heat there, being drawn to it and wanting nothing more than to wriggle in further, deeper.
But the way her legs were prevented it, so instead he shifted his hand back to where it was, and he forced himself up, gently prying his arm from hers. He said nothing and shfited Varali into his arms and hefted her up toward his bed, laying her down across it with little more than her bra and panties, Critter following and hopping in right after he tucked the blanket over her.
Apollo normally showered and flopped into bed, but this time he just undressed down to his underwear and carefully crawled into the bed beside her. Thank the gods that there wasn't any work tomorrow.
-
That was an awful dream.
Even slept in her bra.
Varali rose up on the bed, eyes still closed. It smelled different, a little more masculine but she didn't shower after getting back from Apollo's and that was probably why. Sitting up, she stretched her arms high above her head.
Curtains were drawn so it was still dark out. Good. Time to get ready for her own day of work. With a sleepy grumble she peeled her clothing off before making her way to the bathroom. Not bothering to turn on the light. There was enough for it to matter with the door open.
It was a quick shower and she grabbed a towel, patting herself dry before wrapping her hair in it to keep it from dripping in her way back to her bedroom.
Another sleepy grumble when her dresser wasn't in the right place. A growl when she'd tried on the second shirt and they were all...
Varali pulled the towel from her hair, eyes wide.
"Oh... Skies," she breathed out, looking down at herself in one of Apollo's shirts. "I'm not in my apartment, am I?" She whispered, hoping not to hear back. She was naked under this shirt. Slowly she shuffled to her pile of clothing on his floor. Oh gods.
Varali bit her lip hard enough to bleed. She could return his shirt later. Maybe... squeezing her eyes shut she slowly backed from his room. Though not before Critter roused from her sleep, spotted Varali and mewled at her from the end of the bed.
Varali gave impatient waves of her hand, "not now, Critter," she hissed, "I'm not even wearing panties." It was a hissed whisper, because surely, hopefully that lump on the bed was Apollo still sleeping soundly. "Go back to sleep! please!"
-
A brick house could have fallen on top of Apollo and he probably would have still stayed asleep. When he was exhausted or thoroughly worn out, the man slept like a rock. So he hadn't registered anything she was doing or saying in the background, and he may as well have been dead for all the good her careful quietness she attempted.
Until Critter meowed. Years of having her had trained Apollo to wake up when she needed attention. Critter was usually content to let him sleep unless it was important. Like belly rubs or being fed. He also didn't want to risk being faced with cat butt again. Once a month was enough for him.
Apollo roused, turning over in the bed and sitting up, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The bed was still warm, and Critter gave another complaining mewl. "Hey you." His hands were busy rubbing the sleep from his eyes, scraping out the crusts before he shifted out of bed and stretched, flexing his arms upward until his shoulder cracked back into place.
"Want some coffee?" he asked, not even questioning why she was wearing his shirt, and why her underwear had been taken off. Panties tended to drop in his presence after all.
-
Oh Skies.
Varali tensed. His voice sent a shiver over her damp skin and she squeezed her eyes shut. She'd fallen asleep here. He took her to his bed. To sleep. Why hadn't she woken up? Her back ached from the odd angle her wing had been at all night. The bright feathers clumped together from the shower.
Varali forgot about her pile if underthings beside his bed and simply dived for her own discarded pajamas. The ones he pulled off of her. A shiver at the idea. Though while Varali felt like she should have been repulsed there was a warm tingling in her belly. Though she pushed the idea away.
After this Varali had no intentions of seeing Apollo again.
Tix scurried from his found sleeping spot in a pile of clothing while she fixed her pants and zipped up and around Apollo's shoulders.
"Coffee would be great," she said softly, looking away for a moment, flushed. Still in his shirt. Varali ignored that it felt comforting even though it did little for her wings. "I'm sorry. For falling asleep," she whispered.
Swallowing slowly she looked away. When he went to shower she'd bolt. Go and hide. "Skies, I'm sorry for falling asleep here." She repeated, voice thick sounding.
-
Intentions, inventions, conventions. Some of them were just made to be broken. And others could lead to a lot of fun in a lot of creative ways.
In this instance, he only wanted to have a cup of coffee and had forgot to prepare it the night before.While Varali was busy trying to put more clothes on. Apollo couldn't help but feel as if he were just a little bit hmm, over dressed. Sure he was walking around in his underwear - a nice pair of red briefs that matched his red striped tie.
He wasn't wearing a tie now, and when he was, one usually couldn't see the briefs. But he knew they matched, and that was all that mattered. As ever he had impeccable fashion sense.
"Don't be sorry! You were very warm last night," he said, affirmatively, setting the coffe grounds into the brewer and letting it heat up. Within a few seconds and a cup of water, it was making a fresh cup, foamy just the way he liked it. And he hoped she did too. "Cream and sugar?"
Whatever she indicated, he made it as she preferred before handing her the mug and still using hers that he grinned into as he took in a deep sip.
"And before you think something happened, it didn't. Nothing happened. You were an excellent bed partner, if that's how you'd want to grade yourself. No disruptive sleeping, no tossing and turning, no talking to yourself. I'd say it's an 8 out of 10 easy. And any time you wanna crash at my place, I'd say it's okay."
He invited her to sit at the island and he shiifted around toward the kitchen. "Shall I make us some breakfast? You're my guest after all."
-
Of course it was his apartment.
Why did he still have to wander around in his underwear.
Varali swallowed carefully, moving her wings under the pilfered shirt and arranging her slowly curling damp hair over her shoulder. It was dripping at the bottom right over her breast which was, in turn wasmaking her boob very cold.
Autopilot, she nodded to the cream and sugar.
Then stared at him in horror as he spoke. "No!" She said, hands out with her enthusiastic cry. "No. No need to make breakfast. I wasn't... intending to spend the night. I'm sure I can manage at.home." she swallowed a sip of coffee and ruffled her wingd again.
"I'm sorry about the shirt." She said softly, "I thought I was in my apartment and... Now i can't find my shirt." Her voice was soft before she got up and drank a large gulp of coffee, wincing when it burned. "I should go now," she rounded the island and stood beside Apollo.
On impulse, she leaned in, kissing him on the cheek and scooping Tix into her arms. "Have a good day," she whispered finallý before moving away and making her way to the door, "Thank you for the coffee."
-
No. No.Nononononononono! She was trying to leave again!
But at least this time it came so far out of left field that he didn't even see it coming. Could he really blame her? She was dripping through her shirt. Well, his shirt. It fit her just right and she admittedly looked better in it than he did.
Still, the little warmth around his neck that Tix had been, trying to clean his hair, was sorely missed once Varali yanked him from his neck. "Varaliii!" he whined, and flailed uselessly after her and soon she was out the door.
"Okay, don't worry about your tupperware and mug! I'll wash it and......and you're gone," he said, and watched the door as it was left open and heared her slam the door to her own apartment.
At least she didn't close his own door in his face again. Apollo snorted and slowly closed it as Critter followed them and meowed curiously. "Do you want to stay for breakfast, Critter?" And she jumped off the sofa and scittered toward him. Because food was food.
------
That afternoon, Apollo had made good on his promise on making sure her mug and tupperware was clean before he was standing by her door, gently knocking on it and waited a while for her to answer. When she didn't he set it down by the floor.
With a little note written on it. "Keep the shirt! You make it look good."
-
Stupid!
Varali whipped off the shirt as soon as she was in her own apartment, stretched out her little colourful wings and rushed to her bedroom. Stupid!
"Fuck!"
The shirt was thrown into the wall of her bedroom, a hand was pressed to her face. Calm. Tix scurried onto her bed and chittered, looking at the wall that seperated him from his new friend.
And the window.
Open just a bit.
Varali huffed and went about getting ready for her day. Peeling off her gloves and putting on a new pair. At least that explains the 'weird dreams' she got from touching the shower. It wasn't her shower.
Once ready, the day carried on as normal. Returning, tired and a little haggered. As usual the apartment was quiet. Tix wasnt a battle to leave without today, which was odd but welcome. The mug and the tupperware were a surprise and she picked those up before letting herself into her apartment.
"Tix?"
Varali frowned, looking around, chest feeling empty.
"Tix?" Breath coming short now, Varali almost whimpered. Was he stuck? Was he... dead? "Tix!" And... then she ripped her apartment apart. Flushed, a little sweaty. Hadn't changed from her work clothes.
Apollo.
Tix could have... Snuck over there?
Maybe? He liked Critter.
Varali looked at the mug and felt her breath hitch. Frowned at it. Tix was more important than her embarassment.
To his door she went, knocking repeatedly. "Apollo?" Please be home. Please be home. Please be home. "Apollo, I can't find Tix!"
-
Apollo, unfortunately, wasn't home. But Critter was. The patio door to the balcony had a special access flap for her to come in and out as she pleased and she knew better than to jump off the ledge when she went outside. The fresh air was nice, the city lights. And the ...Tix.
Again, when Critter saw this little thing on the side of the ledge, she meowed loudly and stared at the orange ball of fur that scampered over to her quickly and nimbly. Little paws were in her fur and Critter was rolling around with the rodent before scurrying back inside and Tix soon following.
Apollo was just making his way from the elevator when he saw Varali knocking desperately on his door. He pulled the key from pocket, one arm holding a bag of groceries and he set them down.
"Hey, Varali. What's up?" He gestured to her. "Hello. Over here. HI yeah. What...are you doing?"
-
Distressed.
Varali's wings spread out in surprise, a tiny display of bright tropical colours. Her hair was a messy bun with loose wavy curls falling from it and she was flushed from worry. Fear.
His voice had her jerk back and she gave him a mournful look. A moment to take a breath and she let her hands fall to her sides as surely as her little wings tightened against her back.
"I can't find Tix. He's never not at home unless he's with me," you could taste the worry in air. Her eyes red with tears. Tix was her focus. The thing that kept her grounded - for the most part. A good deal of events had been averted because Varali needed to take care of Tix.
What was she supposed to do if he was... Gone?
"I thought maybe he snuck into your home. To play with you and critter. He liked you . You're warmer than i am and better to snuggle," she pressed a finger to her mouth to bite at her nail in nervousness, "i just... can you check for me? I dont know if anyone else on this floor has a pet. And... And you and I kind of get along."
Kind of. Except for that closing the door on his face thing.
-
"All right, all right! Calm down, we'll get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. I'm sure everything is fine," he murmured, gently maneuvering her out of the way so that he could open the door.
Her panic was evident and the moment held enough weight behind it that he immediately took his key and shoved it into the lock, turning it fast and opening the door for her. He allowed her inside first, dragging the grocery bags behind them and hoisting them up on the counter. From immediate view there was no indication that even Critter was in the apartment.
"Critter!"
And nothing. "Huh," Apollo moved around to check the bedroom, her cat tree and nothing. Well, fuck him sideways then.
"Critter! Treats!"
There was a rustling sound somewhere and as Apollo followed it, he opened up the cabinets above the fridge, and there was Critter curled up with Tix with the bag of treats open and a mess all over the shelf bottom. "Critter! Bad kitty!"
-
It felt like going hollow.
Varali could barely breathe, her breath was caught in her throat. The idea that Tix was just gone made her want to curl up. Deep breaths. Calm. Varali stood in the door way, not willing to go into his apartment because what if?
When Critter didn't make her appearance, Varali chewed on her lower lip. Nervous and full of butterflies. Though...
Bad kitty.
Varali closed the door behind her and rushed further into the apartment. A wide grin on her face. "Tix!" She didn't feel angry. Just relieved. Despite her ability to communicate better... They were still animals. Varali was so overcome with relief and joy she wrapped her arms around Apollo's midsection and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek.
Pressed against the fridge, arms up. "Tix!" She wiggled her fingers, "the both of you! Get down from there! You can't just barge into someones home and gorge on treats!" She chastised, wings fluttering to keep her balance while on her tiptoes. "That's rude!"
Though she pause and looked to Apollo.
"Thank you. I owe you. I was about to make a melt down."
-
The kiss to his cheek left Apollo's cheek all warm and tingly all over. And he gently touched his cheek, grinning, and shifted around so that Tix and Critter could come down, although Critter. Was being rather lazy about it. She stretched, mewled and cleaned her paws.
Tix wrapped himself around Varali's neck and Apollo had to pry Critter from eating another treat. She mewled again, and let herself be cradled to the sofa. Alrighty, crisis averted for now.
"Hey it's not a problem. Anytime you need something let me know. What else are neighbors for?" he blushed just a little and reached up to pet Tix's head. The red floof took it as an opportunity to skitter across to his arm and wrap his tail around his neck.
"Hey Tix. What happened? Varali, can he tell you why he got out? And how?
-
Varali frowned and looked around. Frowned at Tix.
Then wandered through the apartment.
To the porch.
"You jumped over here?!" She barked from outside, going back in, pale and a little shaky. "Do you have any idea how far down it is!?" Tix did his best to hide in Apollo's hair. When that didn't work he shuffled down into the man's shirt, resting by his belly.
"I know you like Critter and having a friend is fun, but you can't just... Leap! You could fall!" Tix snuggled up into a lump of a ball at Apollo's side, clinging to the shirt. Chastised and full of guilt, Tix remained where it was safe and warm. Varali crossed her arms over her chest and took a deep breath.
Teal eyes turned to Apollo.
A glance to his bedroom.
She still couldn't believe she'd passed out here.
"Have you had dinner?" She asked Apollo softly, quite done with Tix tomfoolery. For now.
-
He had to admit it. Thoughts like that couldn't stay hidden forever. She was kinda cute when she was flustered, and underneath all that panic, the relief that came after was immediately lightening, and so worth it. Tix was safe, in good hands, and despite her scoldings, Apollo's hands cradled around the lump that slithered his way into his shirt.
Apollo cackled, throwing his head back. Little paws skittering against his skin had him trying to cuddle Tix further against him. "Come out, now. Stop." He unbuttoned his shirt and wrapped Tix up in it, bundling him up and placing him on the couch.
"He's very sorry, I'm sure," he laughed, pulling his undershirt back into place. And began to set the groceries away.
"Nah. I haven't had a chance to cook yet. I need to wash my dishes first," he chuckled, snorting. "Why? Are you offering? Because the answer is yes."
-
Tix made himself right at home in the nest of Apollos shirt. Peeking over the fabric to spy on Varali while she habitually opened and closed her wings. A nervous habit. One that had replaced biting her nails. Tix turned to Critter, offering her a space on his shirt and hunkered down for an after treat nap.
Varali, of course, was surprised at how.. Quickly the invitation was accepted. A flush on her cheeks, though not from worry or anger. Nor shame. Simply... A flush. She glanced away and swallowed.
"You don't even know what I plan on making. What if I just give you a pile of bird seed?" Varali spread her wings as wide as they would go as a reminder of what she wasn't - completely human. "Maybe a plate of worms?" She smiled at her own teases, "its a veggie stirfry. With noodles. I don't eat animals. Its weird and feels wrong when I can talk to them."
She glanced away and cleared her throat, frowning at what a little traitor Tix was. Slowly moving to the door, "Do your dishes," she instructed, taking hold of tbe handle, "I'll leave the door unlocked for you. I.. Pop by if you want to join me for dinner. If you do, bring Tix. If you don't... i'll come by later and get him. No hard feelings."
Then to avoid questions, comments or concerns, Varali left. Though she didn't slam the door this time. Simply went to her own apartment and began making enough food for two. Well, two and seconds.
-
So it would inevitably end up as food for four wouldn't it?
Her nerves were getting the better of her, the poor thing. Apollo's eyes flickered over her, those little twitches, movements not at all lost on him. Her wings spread out and their colors reflected the vague warm lighting, even twinkling with a vague sparkle here and there.
Intermittently, and here he was just appreciating every inch of her in those ragged work clothes and wondering what she looked like without them. Ah, well, he knew what she looked like. And he could very well imagine what it must feel like to touch her all over.
"Okay, I'll come by when they're done," he replied genuinely. The sincerity in his voice surprised even him. Tix watched Varali leave and when the coast was clear, he cuddled around Critter, who cleaned at his ears.
Well, shit. Looks like he now had to wash those dishes. What was usually an exercise in futility ended up in a marginal dent being made in the general mess that Apollo's apartment had been. He just couldn't be bothered? Why should he? He had so many other important things to do. Like have dinner with gorgeous neighbors.
Apollo showered, redressed, even cologned and took Tix with him by the shoulders, and Critter at his feet, and gently rapt knuckles against Varali's door. "I'm sure those noodles are worth the wait."
-
Plates of food were on the table, the food steaming, and she'd gotten comfortable from her work clothes. Varali changed into a nright yellow sundress, the back exposed to the top of her butt, the fabric hanging from.her chest.
Hair still in a messy unkempt bun. It was clear she wasn't meant.to be going out in her state. The knock at the door had her fixing her hair in a mirror and pinching her cheeks for a flush before she went and answered it.
Varali's apartment was a mirror of Apollo's.
Though hers was pristine. There was the general cuddl/play area for Tix and more potted plants than most people could shake a stick at.her silent alarm systems.
She supposed she could have just asked the plants where he had gone.
Too late now.
After opening the door, Varali was taken aback. Blinking wide and tilting her head. Had he always been that handsome? Varali chewed on her lip and tilted her head to the side, a chunk of hair falling from her messy bun.
"Come in," she said stepping aside, blinking at him still. Gawking. "You look nice," she said impulsivly. An arm motioned to the table. Cups of water. A candle. The light was still on but the attempt at a nice dinner was made.
"Thank you. For Tix. I dont think hes ever liked someone as much as he likes you." Varali licked her lips, looking at dinner before desting herself and digging in. "Eat while its hot," she instructed, fixing her hair and pajama gown.
-
This...this was her place? Good gods, why couldn't his just stay clean like this?
Apollo stepped inside with a small degree of hesitation. Like he didn't even deserve to be in here, and yet. The aura couldn't have felt more welcoming. The plants, the place for Tix to scamper around. It was rather perfect. Of course, Critter had her cat tree and her toys and every waking moment Apollo could play with her.
But not this!
"Thanks," he said and watched as Critter took immediately to her new surroundings and Tix immediately scampered off to show Critter around, and the chase once again began.
"I like your place. It looks like mine. But better. I'm actually kind of jealous. Do you do interior decorating on the side?" he chuckled, observing the candle and the water and the...food. "Wow, you weren't kidding. This looks amazing."
-
Varali frowned and looked around her apartment.
It was... Pristine.
Not homey.
There were no pictures of family. No pictures of her. No pictures of... Anything that wasn't scenery or flowers. A glance away and she smoothed her hand over the table before she glanced at Apollo. "I... No," she replied softly to his question about decorating. Perhaps if someone was looking for 'clinical' and 'painfully clean'. Varali cleared her throat and glanced away, blushing before she took her seat at he table.
"It's not that amazing," She said softly, taking her fork out and starting to eat. Glancing at her glass of water and taking a sip before she took a deep breath, "I tried a little harder to impress you," She cleared her throat, "As a thank you. For putting up with me."
-
She was trying to impress him? Now that was just fucking adorable!
Why!? Why did she have to be adorable? Why did she have to shy away from him? Why couldn't she be just like everyone else he hit on and hit back on him in turn? Apollo was naturally flirtatious, he couldn't help it. And nine times out of ten it was simply him being friendly with no real intention of carrying through. Sure maybe that one tenth happened more often than he cared to talk about.
He wasn't ashamed of it. It was what it was.
Apollo took his seat, looking her up and down with hooded eyes. Easy Apollo, he chided himself. "Well, all right then. Thank you accepted. Let's eat, my friend," he chuckled. She beat him to it of course. But he wasn't going to be a barbarian. That was saved for the bedroom.
He stabbed a fiew pieces of broccoli and noodles and dunked them in the sauce and spices and closed his eyes, letting himself focus on the taste. "It's pretty damn good, Varali. Seriously. You've got a gift for food, girl. I love it." He laughed and sipped his water. "Oh...you don't have any wine? I can grab some from my apartment. It's cool!"
-
Varali shrugged simply.
Her eyes on her food while she sipped water and ate quietly.
"I don't drink," she said simply, looking up at him for a moment before she glanced away, clearing her throat. It tasted awful and made her feel funny. Her wings gave another nervous little flutter but she nodded towards the door, "You're free to help yourself if you want wine with dinner," She said softly before she did her best to smile.
Another moment to clear her throat and she nibbled at her food carefully, glancing away.
This was awkward.
Why did she think she could share a meal with someone? Varali was best alone. Where things could be quiet. Usually she had a meal alone in front of the television watching some stupid movie or something. Varali ate slowly while Apollo went and got his wine, wings fluttering open and closed, spreading wide and fanning them slightly though she snapped them closed quickly when he returned.
Oh. Glasses.
Clearing her throat, she smiled slightly and got up before going to the cupboard and getting two wineglasses. A brief look at them, a quick rinse and a cloth to wipe off the dust before she cleared her throat. "My mother got them for me. A dish set. Said she'd upgrade me to crystal wine glasses once I got married," She snorted softly before she looked at one of them, holding it delicately, "Good thing I never counted on having crystal wine glasses." She moved to the table, putting them down before she paused and sighed.
"I... What are you looking for, Apollo?" She said softly, head down, eyes averted, "From me, I mean."
-
When he came back, Apollo held a fin bottle of 42 underneath his arm and when he came back inside, he presented it too her. It was all right if she didn't drink. But a fine wine never hurt anybody. Or as fine a wine as this 10 buck bottle could be.
Apollo didn't care. It tasted great.
He settled it on the table and was sure to bring his corkscrew, jamming it in and popping the top out like nothing and smelling the red. The tingle lit up his senses. "Mmm," came that soft hum.
And...she was bring two glasses. He thought she didn't drink? Oh, far be it from him to question it and not offer! He'd brought it over to share after all.
"Oh? Don't think you can find someone that can cherish everything you are?" he countered, pouring her a glass of the already chilled wine. He poured his own and raised it.
"What do you think I'm looking for from you?" he asked back. Mostly because he was curious as to her opinion on him. Clearly he'd been pretty sleazy in the past. And he still was. Some things never changed, yet...she was so sweet and endearing, what possible reason was there for him to want to stay away?
"Who said I was looking for anything? Maybe I can genuinely like your company."
-
The look Apollo got for his cherishing comment was probably hard. A cold icy green before she looked away, frowning and flushed. A moment to chew on the inside of her cheek she took the glass back to the table to eat the slowly chilling meal. "I don't," she said simply. It was true. Her parents weren't part of the usual Aedolian make-up. They'd married young and stayed together, as their parents did before them. From the same neighbourhood, her parents had grown up together. Both of them children of immigrants to some degree.
"I imagine I'm going to die alone and my funeral will be as pristine as my apartment," Her voice was hollow sounding after she took her seat, sipping the wine. It tasted disgusting - it always did, she'd never acquired the taste for it - but she refrained from making a face and simply let it wash over her tongue. Another mouthful of food and another sip of wine. It was an easy little dance.
His question to her own question caught her off guard and the warmth the wine spread through her from her belly let her tongue loosen a little.
"You have a reputation," she said simply, looking away, "I'm just unsure if you're trying to get my panties off for a quick romp or if you're... Trying to be my friend." Varali frowned again, looking at her wineglass before taking the last sip. It was fine that she'd finished it in a short amount of time, right? She was eating the whole while! Her meal was almost finished!
There was even a delightful buzz on her tongue from the spices.
"You confuse me," She sighed, glancing away, wine induced flush on her cheeks, "You're all flirty but I don't feel like you intend to be. Like... You don't know how to be anything other than... Messy-apartment-pretend-to-be-sick-bachelor-who-lets-dishes-rot-in-his-sink-but-has-a-nice-chest-and-can-pick-up-girls Doctor Guy.." She frowned at her glass and poked at her food with her fork, "Just like I don't know how to be anything but a neurotic bird-brain."
-
Ugh, did she hate to mention funerals over dinner. He had to fight the urge to gag and he merely shrugged in response. Honestly, entertaining the thought of her dying wasn't his idea of a good time so instead he sipped his wine and ate quietly all the while she seemed to take a sip of wine. The look Not-Enjoyment on her face was evident and Apollo quietly snorted to himself.
"I won't lie. Yeah, I get around. Have some fun. It's Aedolis." He shrugged, nonchalant about it. He wasn't ashamed of himself, it was just a fact of life for him. Sometimes there was a hot body that needed cooling off. Sometimes he was the hot body. It was never anything serious.
"I also know not everyone is into that," he chuckled. "I like to flirt. I can't help myself. It's all in good fun anyway, I mean no harm by it. Although, if it makes you uncomfortable, I can't promise that I'll stop." He snickered, another sip of wine to wash down the noodles stuck in his throat.
"You're not at all a bird-brain. I personally think you're very sexy. I just like you is all. What's wrong with that?"
-
"I know where I am," She snapped, frowning. Looking at Apollo over the table. Her hand clenched around her fork and she pushed around the last bits of food on her plate. Varali sighed, head ducking down for a moment. Wondering for a moment if she'd be any different if she hadn't... Been here. If she'd been born somewhere else.
A moment and she squeezed her eyes shut, pushing the thoughts away.
"You're free to do what you like," She said softly, eating the last bites of her food before she cleared her throat and pushed her plate away. A glance to Apollo and then to her wineglass, empty as it was. Sighing, she glanced away and rolled her shoulders, wings opening and closing before she stood up and put her hands on the table.
"Men don't like me," She said simply, "I'm quiet and weird and..." Varali frowned and grabbed her wineglass before she went to the bottle and filled her glass back up. Another sip and she put her empty plate in the sink, leaning against the counter and watching him, "Broken." She finally finished, frowning at her glass.
"I don't do well with touch," She wiggled her hand at Apollo, gloved still, "so it's easier to just... Not..." She glanced away, "Ever." Clearing her throat, she tried to fight away the blush and finish half the wine in her glass. What was she ever saying? Clearing her throat she glanced away and pursed her lips, "Sorry. Too much information. How's dinner? Is it okay? Do you..." she flushed and glanced away, "Want to come over for dinner again? You have to clean your apartment though."
-
Location Location Location? That was the entrepreneur's motto was it not. People were the same all over, and if it wasn't him, who else would it be that she would allow to have dinner with her. He couldn't be all that bad if she thought he was at least decent company to eat with. Sure his apartment was trashed, but maybe if he cleaned it she would come over more often.
Oh yeah, that was an idea he could get behind. Maybe get behind her.
Apollo stood up when his plate was finished and he polished off the rest of his glass, leaving a very solid print of his lower lip on the rim of it. He gently licked it and licked his lips. Apollo kept his gaze hooded, feeling the wine make him all warm and giddy inside.
Hmmm, she was pretty.
"You're fascinating, you know that? You claim that people don't like you - in particular men - and yet somehow here I am, in your apartment. And having dinner and wine. Which I happily share with you by the way. Yet you don't drink either. I have forced none of these things, although I think I seem to have a very...hmmm, exploratory effect on you," he said, voice low, a purr.
He shifted himself over to her and carefully maneuvered close enough to pick up the plate, although this was her apartment and these were her dishes. "Yes the food was absolutely delicious," he said, gently scraping his arm against hers and taking the dishes to the sink. He washed them and put them on the rack. Even took his time about drying them.
"So is that how it's going to be? I clean my apartment, I get to spend time with you? Because again, the answer is yes." He grinned at her, shining pearly whites. Apollo crossed back to her and his face abruptly changed. "Oh my. Varali...your face....What's wrong with your lips?"
-
The dishes were a surprise.
Varali opened her mouth to protest but her tongue felt heavy and the words didn't come out. Instead, she watched as he did her dishes. Leaning against the counter, second glass of wine done. She almost whined when he took it away to wash but... It would probably be for the best if she didn't drink more than one glass. Two glasses, rather. Her cheeks felt warm and she wanted to lean.
Maybe lean on him?
But he was busy. Doing her dishes.
He didn't even do his own dishes, why was he doing hers? Why hadn't he popped up when he finished his meal and scuttled home? Why stay? Varali was half bent over the counter, head on her hand while she watched him clean, eyes hooded in a wine induced stupor. Of course, his attention back on her hand her stand up, back straight, wings relaxed against her back before she tightened them to keep them out of the way.
"What?"
In a panic, her hands moved to her mouth, fingers pressing against her lips, "What's wrong with my lips?" Her eyes were wide, cheeks were flushed. Her hands went to Apollo's shoulders like she was trying to steady him - or herself - to better examine just what was wrong with her. "I'm not allergic to anything," She whined, eyebrows drawn together, heart thumping faster in the slowly growing panic.
"Apollo!" She whined, licking her lips because - what if there was something on them still? - Her hand pressed to them again and she frowned, "Can you see? You're a doctor, fix me!"
-
And why not do those dishes? He was a guest wasn't he? It wasn't good manners to just let her clean up after him. He could do what he wanted in his own place. He could do what he wanted in any place. And right now he wanted to do her dishes. Once they were dried, he even put them away and slipped placed the towel out to dry.
And hook line and...oh, better not have her have another panic attack again.
His hands expertly slipped to her sides, gripping them tightly. "Yes, yes, I can fix it. You seem to have something on them, and it's a condition that is sometimes gained after drinking wine after not having had any for a very long time. You have caught a very mild case of the Sugarlips, Varali. But you're okay," he said, nodding vigorously.
"I know just the thing to fix it." And he wasted no more time in leaning in and kissing her hard, coaxing her mouth to open and teasing her tongue with his.
-
The hands on her sent shivers across her skin. Like a ripple of unfamiliar warmth. Gooseflesh crawled from where his hands rested across her chest, over her arms. Wings opened up and she gave them a little stretch. Heated breath left her and she leaned against the counter.
"Apollo, whats sugar--hm!" but her question was cut off. What if it was contagious?! What if he got it? A different heat bloomed through her, moved to rest in her belly while her hands moved from holding his shoulders to cluching at the counter top.
Varali gave in for a moment. Let the unfamiliar warmth coax her to relax against him, press into the kiss. A whimper left her throat and she pulled away after a few moments, flushed and breathing a little heavier. "I'm not sure if I should be angry about that or worry that the fake illness is contagious," she whispered, wings giving helpless flutters behind her.
Apollo was close now, she noticed, she'd pulled him closer. "Is it gone?" She whispered, looking honestly a little concerned, head tilted so he could look at her lips. Varali ignored the tingling that was running through her. There were important medical things that needed to be adressed.
"Am I cured?"
-
Whatever she was feeling, he was definitely feeling it too and his arms wound themselves around to the small of her back. Apollo was no stranger to such situations, and as a trained medical professional, it was important that he remained calm in the event that his patients were prone to panic. So he secured his arms around her, just in case Varali began to flail.
It was better that she didn't hurt herself anyway.
When his lips broke the contact at last, he gave her a half-lidded smile with his eyes. They were squinted somewhat, and he peered down at her, although she was fixated on his mouth. "Almost, I think you have a little bit left over just on the sides there. I better get them just to be sure. If anything, I am thorough," he whispered.
He plucked lightly at her lips, releasing her from that hold at long last and clutching the side of the counter. "There, all better now. How do you feel now?"
-
Varali just looked up at him, mouth hanging open. Flushed. Needy. What was that? Her hands moved to the counter as well, though she did her best to make sure her top wasn't pressed tightly against her front. A shiver ran through her and she was about to lean in.
"Like I need more wine," she whispered, licking her lips before looking away. What a show. How easily she was distracted. How easily she succumbed to any notion of pleasure. "Is there a perscription for those?" She breathed, watching Apollo's neck because facing his face would be embarrassing.
"The cure for sugarlips, i mean," two could play the game and Varali's mouth and sense of humour was well washed by wine. Slowly, her gloved hands moved up his arms, over his shoulders and she cupped his cheeks.
-
"I could write you up one, but the cure can be mighty powerful for those that aren't prepared for it," he said. "I'm sorry I caught you off guard. Hmm, well, not that sorry." He leaned into her touch, loving how relaxed she was, how utter uninhibited she could be. Sure, it wasn't the shyness that endeared him, but this side of her, that low and slow burn, made his blood run hot and his head was already swimming with wine and good food.
"More wine. Good suggestion," he murmured and moved back to the table to take the bottle and fill his glass. He raised it and took a deep sip, letting the sting of it burn away any further hesitation, such as it was.
"Would you like another? But I guess, that's kinda beside the point now, isn't it? Lest you need another taste of the that cure," he murmured. The dragging flesh against her bottom lip had a shiver dart up his spine, and his hands fell back around her waist, squeezing at hips that were far too good to be legal.
"You got a license for this body, Varali? Because you look good, doll. I might be a little durnk. Just a little. Pffft, drunk. Deeerrruuunk," Apollo laughed lightly and leaned in to kiss her again. Without a ruse this time. Maybe it would still taste the same.
-
When they met those few weeks ago over some sugar Varali hadn't intended on seeing him again. Let alone feeding him in her kitchen. Feeding him in her home. Clinging to him in her kitchen. Her first real kiss since forever. Though the ploy had been momentary panic.
The heat was real and the tingling that slowly consumed her lower half was very quite real. "I could do with some powerful medicine," she breathed against his lips when he leaned back in. This time, she pressed into the kiss, her hands pushing through his hair. One leg moving to rub her knee against his thigh, trying to tuck him between her own. "Apollo, I need..." she panted against his lips, pulling him as close as she could with an eager little noise, wings stretching and closing with the strange pulses of pleasure running through her.
-
She was practically putty in his hands, and it was this very notion that had Apollo melting in hers. Who knew that wine would do just the trick? Ah, pfft, well he knew. Wine always did the trick. Few things that seemed too good to be true often were. Maybe he was taking a chance on her was finally going to pay off?
He could feel that thrumming in her body. She was giving it off like a lodestone, radiating with such vitality. And he couldn't help but be drawn to it that energy like a moth to a flame. Finding her nervous system giving off such power much like his own.
Apollo kissed her eagerly, with a growing hunger not completely unfamiliar. He hummed into it, pressing himself so that he had any excuse to be close to her. And his hands were busy trying to find the spaces in her clothing, prying it apart to spread a warm palm to the small of her back. A little further up and he'd be reaching her wings.
"I know what you need. And I'd be happy to provide," he panted, turning to press her back against the counter.
-
Varali gave a whimpered little yes, rolled herself against him with unfamiliar need. Wanted to press his hands to her or push him to the floor of the kitchen or something. Tightly wound and ready to let all that coiled energy loose.
The crashing sound of the candle stick on the table jolted her out of her lustfilled haze. A gasp and a jerk and very quickly Varali went ramrod straight, wings snapping closed. She wiggled away from Apollo on the counter and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand.
She'd just let that happen.
Luckily the wax from the candle snuffed the flame, Tix and Critter were sitting on opposite chairs watching the pair curiously.
Scooping Critter into one arm and grabbing the neck of the bottle of wine in the other she moved to Apollo and pushed both into his arms. "You need to leave," she whispered, not making eye contact. Staring off to the side like if she looked at his face her eyes would melt.
"I hope you enjoyed dinner," she whispered, moving to her apartment door, wings tight to her back and head down, "have a good evening, Apollo." Her voice was firm and when she finally did look at him, her expression was stoic and she was still holding the door open.
-
It was moment's like these that made him question why he ever went to work at all. Clearly his skills were put to better use when they were wrapped tightly around a warm body, sharing that heat, that friction that warmth. WHo else could possibly bear the title of 'Love Doctor'? That list was awfully with just his name gracing it's standard.
A name he wanted Varali to be screaming at the end of the night. She was wriggling against him. Gods she was hungry for him, he could just feel it! So much so it was like she was thin air! The electrical pulses that energized within him made him numb to all other stimuli save the one she was giving off and giving freely at that.
Was Varali always so generous? Oh, he couldn't wait to find out.
Wait? Where was she? Apollo tilted around, feeling himself against the counter, whirling at the sight of her snatching Critter and shoving the wine bottle in hand. "What did I do!? Oh, come on! It was just getting warm in her," he whined, and when he was met with that wall of stoicism, he balked at her.
His face was red, flushed with heat and fury and he chewed on his lower lip, fighting the urge to throw a tantrum right there. Mostly for Critter's sake because she probably wouldn't appreciate being flung around, and then for his own because women tended to dislike that Toddler look.
He bowed his head. "Have a good night Varali. I had a good time," he smirked at her, washing himself over with a wave of cool nonchalance. He walked out, and tucked Critter underneath his arm. "Girl, at least you had fun right?"
She mewled and jumped right into his arms as soon as he opened his own apartment door. Right...he had to get to cleaning.
-
Varali checked twice to make sure the door was locked. Hated how she ached and needed. Angry that she'd let herself get so carried away. He was a player! An Aedolian player who probably had twice as many lovers as his age. Someone who probably only wanted her because she was hard to get.
Blowing out a puff of air, she squeezed her eyes shut and pressed a gloved hand to her face. What a mess. She let wine ruin a perfectly decent friendship. With stupid kisses and teenage grinding.
That night held a cold shower for her.
The dreams were concerning too. Starring her neighbour. Left her waking up with a strange ache only cold showers could fix.
Varali made a point of leaving and entering her apartment quietly. The window remained closed and part of her hated how lethargic and sad Tix was without his friend. Hated how many times she had to resist knocking on the door to ask Apollo if Critter could come over and play.
It was a regular day, a few weeks after ... the dinner incident. Everytime she thought of it shame wracked her body. Varali was moving furniture, needing something fresh looking. A feeling of new. It was a simple enough job, or rather, it could have been.
One false move had sent her reeling backwards, back slamming into a wall. Aside from the wind being knocked out of her and a terrible ache in her wing she paid it no mind until she felt her back wet.
Her hand moved back and she looked at it. Blood. Why was there blood?
It was panic that made her move. First the window was opened because at the very least, Critter still had a kitty door and Tix would get ti.play with his friend.
A blind panic, she finally, after weeks of silence and maybe a little ignoring, she went and knocked on the door. Frantic, doing her best not to leave blood smears. "Apollo?" She whispered, guilt crawling up her throat with her pounding heart, "Apollo I really need your help, I can't reach it on my own."
Today should have been his off day. Despite her attempts to ignore him she practically remembered his schedule. Unless he was out drinking. Which would suck for her. "Apollo, please. Im sorry."
-
Why? Why did it have to be weeks when she decided she was better off not talking to him, at all? Ever. They were neighbor's for crying out loud. She couldn't avoid him forever. Gods, he wasn't even that drunk that night and he hadn't even come on nearly as strong as he wanted to. He should have kissed her again, just one more time. A great big ol' sloppy wet one before he bounced on out of her life forever.
Ugh, why did she have to have such nice lips? Lips he thought about when he had those weird food induced dreams. The kind that left him in a cold sweat and a nice warm feeling in his belly.
He was just getting up after a long hard night. He couldn't let himself be alone for long, even with Critter, but getting a random lay from a random stranger had a very brief appeal. Apollo heard that urgent knocking on his door and rolled out of bed with a loud thump. "ohh fuck," he murmured, rubbing his head. "Not so loud. Please!"
His please would go unheard and he tilted his head toward the door, leaning against it, only then remember he didn't have any pants on, and quickly pulled up some sweats.
"I'm coming," he hissed, yanking the door open. "Yes? Varali? What's the matter?"
And saw the look on her face which pretty much snapped him to attention. His hand reached out to touch her arm, yanking her inside. "What's wrong?"
-
The yank inside did little for her broken feathers.
The surprise had her snap them in a movement and no doubt there was a splatter of blood. "I fell," she said, pale and doing her best to remain calm. The blood dripped freely from the bent and broken feather.
Her hand was covered in it and she gave Apollo a helpless look. "I can't reach it to pull it out. Im sorry," she breathed, looking away. Why was it that everytime she bothered him he was topless.
Tix had, of course, made his way over and was trying in vain to make the sleepy kitty play with him untik he hunkered down with her.
"I just... Need you to pull it out. Please. Then... I'll clean up the blood and go. Okay? I woke you up," her voice was small with her panic, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. If i hadnt kicked you out we would have regretted it," she finally said, back to him with her wings spread out, feather dripping freely.
"It would have ruined whatever friendship we were building and..." she flushed, mind going a million miles a minute, thinking of anything, everything to keep it off of her feather, "I've never done anything before and I'd have been bad at it."
-
What was she saying? There was a noise coming out of her mouth. Little things, vibrations in the air that didn't quite register because the only thing he could really focus on was the blood seeping out of her back blood that was dripping all over his floor!
Holy shit.
"What talk Varali!? We are friends. We're neighbors. We'll see each other in the hallway and we'll say hello, good morning, and good night."
He prattled like she did. Prattling was good. It made the mind less focused on the fact there was red shit spilling from her back. So he guided her into the kitchen and ran the faucet. Water was quickly added with soap and he washed his hands, reached into her bleeding wing and examining the broken feathers.
"Friends help each other and share affection all the time. Nothing we did was wrong or out of the ordinary in anyway." Apollo reached his fingers in tenderly and grasped the point of it and yanked with a firm tug. One feather, then the other, seeing the vessels had been broken in the stem of each feather. "See. I am your friend. I've got your back." And beamed at her with a snarky grin over her shoulder.
-
The relief was instant.
The bleeding slowed immediately, though the cold swest picked up and she gave a hiccup of a sigh. The sting of having feathers ripped out had her moan and writhe against the counter. Eyes shut, fingers clenched tight.
"Thank you," she panted, pale and quite bloody. Hands wet. Top wet. It was impulsive when she put her hands to the bottom of her tank top. Though she hesitated, "can you help me?" She whined softly, "its... Sensitive," she whispered, looking at the bloodsoaked feathers.
"I... no," she took a step away, "I can do this in my apartment," she winced, each step causing the tender part of her wing to be touched. Licking her lips she looked at the mess, face heated. "I owe you again," she whispered, pressing her nore clean had to her face.
"How do you put up with me? I cant... Feed you every few weeks and expect you to help me."
-
Apollo threw the bloody feather into the sink, washing the red out of his hands with a deep and exfoliating scrub. He kept his hands wet and untouched for a time until he toweled them off. "Hey now," he murmured, and moved back to her wings to examine them, making sure that none of the others were bleeding.
Their colors were mottled by the blood, and his frown only deepened. A shame that such beauty could also be so delicate.
"Stop it. You're not leaving until you're better," he said matter of factly. Few things could get Apollo's attention and keep it. And even fewer still could make him actually want to give a damn. It seemed Varali had a way of getting him to stay still long enough to give that damn. Just the one. And it was reserved for her.
"Have a seat. Now."
He moved back into his room and pulled out a set of towels. One was large enough to be laid out by a pool side, and the other was a wash cloth. "Remove your shirt, Varali. Doctor's orders."
-
Conditioned to take orders, the tone of voice wasnt quedtioned and she moved quickly enough. Have a seat he said. Where? A glance down at the floor and it was easy enough to park her butt on the tile of the kitchen. Wings giving little trembles.
Varali slipped the tank top off easily enough, wincing when it pressed her feathers together. A surprised pained little moan and she took a deep breath before dropping it to the tile. Leaning forward, pulling her knees to her chest, covering her breasts. Pulling her hair away.
Another little tremble and she closed her eyes. Relieved and feeling a little light headed. "I'm sorry for making a mess," she grumbled miserably. "Helping me out is very nice of you," another whisper and her hands moved to her hair.
-
Not at the table? On the floor it was then. Apollo disappeared for a second, returning with a first aid kit, and opened it up to rummage through it's contents. All that really needed cleaning up was her back, however it was better to be as thorough as possible.
"Shit, Varali. Don't ever hesitate to ask if you need me for something. This is how bad things happen. I'm not a bad guy, I swear," he murmured, taking the towel he'd gotten and rolling it up under his knees seeing as she'd gotten to covering her boobs herself.
Dampening the washcloth with alcohol, he wiped at the crevices, cleaning out the stained blood, and at the nubs where wings met flesh. "Don't worry about repaying me," he said, finishing off and reaching the towel around her torso now, hugging her with it.
Apollo stayed like that on the floor with her, and turned his head over her shoulder. "I'm your friend remember?"
-
Was he really?
Varali didn't protest when he cleaned the blood from her. It had slowed and finally stopped, the broken feather no longer acting as an open vein. A sigh and her eyes falling closed at the warmth. For a time.
"You... Dont have a woman here do you?" She looked at him, head on her shoulders, the pressure of her wingd against his chest comforting. The dull throb ebbing away. "I'm sorry. I interrupted... something, didn't I?"
-
Could he really blame her if she thought he'd been busy gettin' busy? Apollo internally snorted. Not that it was at all far fetched. She was a big girl, she could use her imagination. Or so he hoped. It wasn't something he was open to discuss, but nor did he deny it when she asked after his absent partner.
"i sent him home much earlier. Yeah, he. But that was that. Nothing special. They never are," he sighed and leaned more into her. "You didn't interrupt a thing. I was out, prostrated on my bed for the better part of 12 hours."
He laid his lips to her neck, pressing a soft kiss to it, holding her a little tighter and shifting his hand underneath the pool towel to feel at her breast. A soft squeeze and nothing more than that, a test, and letting his hand rest just underneath it, focusing instead on her not having a heart attack.
"So how did you fall? Did you, uh, do something by yourself, you might have needed help with and didn't bother to ask me?"
-
Oh.
Varali flushed. Eyes closed while she just soaked in the warmth of another body. There had never been much physical contant for her and the cool tile under her was a nice contrast for the warmth Apollo offered.
When he leaned in, she tucked her wings tighter, giving a little moan at the unfamiliar pressure holding them closed. "Why..." his lips were on her neck and her breath hitched. Memories of the wine encouraged kisses made her flush and she turned her head away from his. Varali wasn't sure if it gave him more neck to nuzzle or so she wouldn't have to watch.
"Why aren't they special," she finally whispered, breath hitching at his hand against her breast. The jolt of pleasure it shot through her. How warm his hand was, slowly she moved her hand over his throigh the towel. "I was just moving furniture and slipped," she whispered, shifting slightly.
Hating how heated he could make her with a simple hand on her breast. It was hard to not guide it up. To leave it against her ribs. She wouldn't be special though, so what was the point? "Why... Why do that with someone if it isn't going to be special?" She asked again, looking back over her shoulder, letting go of the pool towel to hang open at the front.
Hopefully his kitchen didn't have eyes.
-
Apollo could relish in every little noise she made. For the hackles on the back of his neck began to stand on end and he could feel her wings twitching against his chest through the thin fabric of the towel. The proximity of their strange reverse hugging made his own heart speed up a little, little tendrils of electricity dancing up and down his spine, and he pressed those tendrils along her own nerve endings.
But not too much. Just enough to ignite gooseflesh along exposed parts of her skin.
"Why? Must there be a reason? There's nothing wrong with wanting to have a good time once in a while, doing something to relieve the tension, some relenting that stress." Apollo felt her head turn away from him and he carefully let her go, slipping off from behind her.
His front missed that warmth, whatever lacked there acquiescing into a snarky grin. "Come on, I'll get you a t-shirt. And we can go back to your apartment and fix your furniture," he said, keeping his eyes on hers. "Look, I even cleaned up around this place."
-
It had felt like a cold wind pushed through his kitchen. Except she wasn't cold and in fact would say she was downright toasty. Even with the lack of shirt. Varali moved her hands from his when he started to move away, moved to pull the towel closed.
Mostly.
Varali slowly stood up, turning around. She'd say it was an accient when the the corners of the towel slipped and put her front on full display. It was quickly remedied by pulling the towel closed and she ducked her head.
"I..." Varali shrugged, unable to come up with an excuse, "I wouldn't... Want to do that with someone if it didn't mean anything," her voice was soft and she collected her bloodied tank top from his floor. "I know. I'm weird," another smile and a tilt of her head, "you don't have to help."
But he wanted to.
But remember what happened the last time he was over. Varali closed her eyes and took a breath, "I can scuttle down the hall like this," she whispered.
"How about... You stay here and bathe," the unspoken words hung in the air about his nightly activities, "and when you're done... You can come over for some brunch and coffee." A glance around his apartment and she moved closer to him, pressing a kiss to his cheek, "okay?" A moments pause before she started to leave, "I'm sorry for ignoring you," she said softly, "you make me feel things I'm not comfortable feeling, especially not for a man it will mean nothing to. But I'll get over it."
A quick smile over her shoulder and she made her way to the door to go back to her apartment.
-
Why did it have to mean something? Why couldn't she understand that that didn't not make it worthwhile. Besides, what did she know. She was probably a virgin anyway? And was clearly inexperienced. So why then did Apollo abruptly feel a small pang in his chest when she uttered those final words before vanishing. She still had his shirt, his towel.
And he still had Tix. The little critter was nestled up with Critter in the cutest way possible. Apollo snapped a picture before he did as she asked him. Yeah, he smelled fairly rank. A quick shower, and fixing up his bed and brushing his hair back, Apollo threw on some simple jeans and a t-shirt and headed next door.
No reason to get dressed up. Why bother trying to impress a girl that clearly wasn't interested? It wouldn't meany anything she said. Apollo decided having brunch with her was better than nothing. He couldn't stand being cooped up in that apartment any longer.
He didn't even bother with shoes and gently knocked on he door, leaving Tix and Critter to nap at his place. The worst they could do was get into the treats again.
-
There was a moment of panic when she realized Tix wasnt here. Fuck. Stupid window. Varali grumbled and put the towel on the back of a chair before going to her room to pull on another tank top. The bloodied one was dropped into the laundry bin.
Varali also dug out Apollo's shirt and put that on the back of the chair as well. While she'd never admit it, she wore it a few times and had to resist slicing little holes in the back for her wings.
Good thing too.
Varali cleaned up what blood she could from the floor. The smear on the door. Then went to making breakfast. It was simple. Eggs -because eggs couldn't talk - fried potato bits. Peanut butter on toast and half a grapefruit. Well. It was a whole grapfruit right now.
Her whole wing throbbed when there was a knock at the door.
With a hesitant smile she opened it, standing aside to let Apollo in.
The couch was sideways and the smear on the white wall was still there. Missed because she'd been obsessively cleaning the kitchen. "Hi," she said simply, moving to get two cups of coffee.
"I didn't mean to... belittle your... Fun," she said simply, glancing over her shoulder, "I just... I like your company and it makes me feel... not so good that if... If i hadn't stopped us before it would have meant nothing to you." Her wings pulled tight to her back, ignoring the sting of the wound, "Because I'm weird and it would have meant plenty to me." A small weary smile over her shoulder.
"Anyway, breakfast is still hot, sit!" She smiled again, putting the cup of coffee down beside containers of cream and sugar. Her own was done and she took a sip, seating herself across from where she planned on him sitting.
"I washed it. Your shirt. Sorry if it smells like.. uh. Me."
-
"Mmmm, Varali. Girl where have you been all my life?" Apollo murmured. He was trying exceptionally hard not to focus on the fact that she was rather intent on focusing on his love life. What did it matter to her if she wasn't apart of it and her rather poignant intentions being little more than to apologize constantly and cook him food.
The latter of which he would NOT be complaining about. The girl could fix a meal. And he was fairly determined to return the favor. Some day. Making vegetarian cuisine was nothing he was personally acquainted with.
"Varali," he murmured, smiling and moving across to her, taking her hand in his. "Stop it. Let's just eat shall we? The last time we ate, we didn't even get to really talk. I mean just talk. Like regular adults. I do enjoy a good conversation here and there. What shall we discuss?"
He saw the bloody mark on the wall. "So why were you moving furniture by yourself?"
-
Varali looked down at their hands, eyes lingering for a moment. Her pulse picked up ever so slightly and she turned her hand so her palm faced up.
"Well," she started, slipping her hand away to take another sip of coffee glancing at the couch. "I'm a grown woman and i wanted to move my couch," was the simple answer before she sighed, "I wanted something different. That wasn't cutting my hair. Because I like my hair."
She moved the eggs around on her plate before she remembered the grapefruit. A rather sharp knife had been set down for it and she sliced the grapefruit in two. So easily though, that the knife sank into the meat of her palm.
A surprised hiss and she shot up and out of the chair, rushing to the sink and putting her hand under the water before it started to bleed. While it stung like a bitch and she was angry she tried to keep up the simple conversation. "I noticed your apartment looked nice-ish," she stated like nothing was wrong, "was there an occasion?"
-
Apollo was rather impartial to grapefruits. He had no disgust for them, yet their relationship was little more than one of mutual indifference. That was until the knife Varali was using to slice into that fruit's thick peel was also hungry for her blood. He was on his feet and right behind her the moment she rushed to the sink. He was a doctor. He wasn't going to just let her bleed out.
She just seemed to be bleeding all over the place today. Hopefully her wings and her hand were the only two places that would experience such tonight.
Yes good. She knew enough in caring for herself to run her hand under water, and he moved around behind her, carefully avoiding her wings. "Do you have a bandage somewhere? We'll get that taped up," he murmured. When she directed him, he returned with a box and bottle of alcohol and once again found himself administering medical care.
"I'm glad you noticed. Because I probably wouldn't have cleaned it otherwise," he admitted, flashing pearly white teeth at her. "My brother has been getting on me for months trying to get me to pick up the place. But just when I think I'm making a dent there it goes again, just piling up. There's not enough hours in a day to get that place properly fixed up. And...if it'll let me spend more time with you, yeah I'll clean it up."
Honey colored eyes flicked at her, warmed and his fingers worked mindlessly to dab alcohol on the palm, then stretched the length of a bandage across it. Pressing his own thumbs to the sticky tabs, securing it down, he kept his gaze on her still, looking at her lips and that soft touch of a flush she had on those cheeks.
"Why do you have such an effect on me, Varali? It's all your fault... You made me....clean," he replied, and stuck his tongue out at her.
-
What a confusing man.
Eager to help her. In many ways. Her not-hurt hand rubbed her boob where he'd touched earlier and she watched him go grab the kit of bandaids and bandages and various other sticky-medical-things. Let him guide her along.
Turned the water off once all was said and done and she watched him... fix her hand. Kind of. Varali wiggled her fingers while she listened to him. Glancing down at the floor when he mentioned his home being clean for her was a motivator.
Why? She kept... Running away.
"I'm a bad influence on people?" She questioned in a whisper, nodding to the table and the grapefruit. "Your coffee will get cold," looking at her hand and wiggling her finger, she resumed breakfast-at-lunch and ate her half of the grapefruit. Would save the other half if Apollo didnt want his.
"I was making more room for Tix," she said softly, "I'm not... comfortable with him jumping across the decks, so i was going to give you a key so you could drop Critter off and pick her up. I mean," she glanced away, "I figured Critter gets lonely and... They get along. I wasn't going to mention the key, but sometimes i have weird hours. I'm sure you do too."
Varali finished off her plate of food and sighed, "It just makes me sad that Critter is all alone when she could be here snuggling and playing with Tix. Y'know?"
-
"Oh you're the worst. I don't know how I put up with you," he murmured. Voice soft and his thumbs finished their application of the bandage. Back to the table, back to brunch. And yes, his coffee was getting cold. Nevermind the fact that there was something else very much on his mind to keep him warm enough.
Apollo crossed back, resumed his seating and stuck a knife, gently this time, into the grapefruit, scooping it out and slurping at the juices. "Hmm, delicious," he whispered.Because it was and he'd be damned if he was going to waste a perfectly good meal. "You'll have to let me cook for you sometime. You only eat veggies? I'd be down to make some kind of stir fry. Although i can't guarantee it'd be as good as yours."
At the mention of keys, he perked up over the rim of his coffee cup. Critter was playing with Tix, exchanging swats before curling up and cleaning his ears. Then back at it again. She really did love being here and being with her friend. Far be it from Apollo to deny his sweet kitten a chance to have a real friend. He wasn't always home. Critter didn't always complain to him, but he knew that her being bored was a definite threat to her well being.
"Absolutely," he agreed without hesitation. "Hell yes. And vice versa so that you can get in if you need something, sugar. Or just want to pick up Tix. Critter never jumps from the deck, and I'd rather she didn't get it in her head if she ought to or not. So yeah that's a great idea. They like each other a lot."
He split a toothy grin at her, scooping out more grapefruit. "You have wonderful ideas, Varali. You're so smart."
-
The look of suspicion just for Apollo over her coffee cup wasnt hidden. She wasnt sure if he called her sugar. Wasn't sure if he thought she was smart or just felt like she needed a compliment. Varali licked her lips and rested her elbows on the table, looking down at her hands, palms up.
Her fingers traced the bandage and she glanced to Apollo, smiling slightly. Yeah. She could get used to being his friend. Chewing on her lower lip for a moment she looked to the crooked couch and then back to her honey coloured companion.
"Where are your parents from?" She asked softly, looking at his hair, leaning forward to look at his eyes. Varali always thought he had lovely eyes.
-
He meant every word. Apollo was quickly finding Varali was one of the few people he was incapable of being ingenuine with. He wanted very much to enjoy her company and soak up any and all attention she was willing to give him.
Apollo kept that gaze for as long as he could, blinking slowly like he did at Critter sometimes. "My family is an old Aedolian clan. House Hecates is steeped in history, mystery, and all kinds of other wonderful things. What about yours?" he murmured, leaning in and pushing her hair behind her ears. A stray one, one that might have gone unnoticed by any other.
-
Was it a staring contest?
Either way, Varali lost because she looked away. His answer left her wanting and she just pursed her lips at him after a few moments. Didn't say what kind of things. Varali looked back at him, eyes widening when he pushed hair behind her ear.
"Mine?" She glanced over her shoulder, looking at the wing with the gap in it from the missing feather. "Mutts," she shrugged simply, "Nothing concrete," Varali smiled slightly, looking away, "my great grandmothers great grandmother was apparently a harpy." Her wings gave a flutter and she looked away.
"Whatever I am, it craves nature," she pressed her gloved hands to the top of the table, "I... I can talk to plants, too. They dont say... Words.... But..." Varali shrugged and played with her finger tips, "they let me know if someones been by."
-
"I like all the voodoo, that you do, so well, dollface," he murmured, and let his eyes melt into something that much googlier. Oh, it was a mess, but for Apollo such things were so natural. So easy! And if for no other reason than because with Varali, it didn't matter if he came in with sweats or a tuxedo. She herself wasn't overly dressed up.
"I like mutts. In fact, it makes for a much stronger bloodline," he whispered. "All that diverse breeding. Harpies, fantastical folks. Amazing. Gets you the kind of looks you have, as well as other assets."
Apollo leaned in and reached across to take her gloved hands. "What kinds of things do they see? Not anything to gossip about I hope. I'm sure they'd chitter chatter all day."
-
Was he quoting a movie?
Varali frowned off to the side for a moment, eyes squinting, trying to think of just what he might have been quoting. Not that she'd know. The last time she saw a movie was... Ages. No doubt the TV in her apartment - facing away from her couch- had collected so much dust it just didn't work anymore. Varali blinked at him, wings tucking tight to her back before she hissed and pulled them away to hang open loosely.
"It's all gossip," She whispered, looking down at her palm, ignoring his assets comment. No doubt he was talking about her breasts, which he'd groped not much earlier. Varali curled her hand into a fist for a moment before she let him touch the gloves. "Items have memories and I see them. Sometimes it's a lot. Sometimes it's a voice. Sometimes it's... A feeling. Or a smell." She shrugged slightly, looking at the glove, "But I can't not do it, so... Unless I need to, I don't." she took a deep breath and closed her eyes trying to think of an example.
"If I touched a coffee cup," she nodded towards the cup he had, "I'd... See the most recent thing, which would be us sitting at this coffee table. Maybe I'd hear some of the conversation. Maybe I'd... I don't know. See it from your eyes." There was a shrug, "I avoid it because it's uncontrollable and therefore useless." Clearing her throat she reached forward with her other hand to hold one of his between hers.
"And you? I talk to plants and animals and see an items memories. What do you do, Doctor?"
-
So that's why she wore those awful gloves. Not that they were awful-awful but rather because they prevented her hands from truly being able to appreciate all the was beautiful before her. By beautiful of course he meant he wanted her fingers perfectly played out against the hardness and curvature of his lower abdomen and lower still until they were cupped against the firmness of his ass.
He wished she'd just take them off, to just let herself go. To touch him to her heart's content. He knew she wanted to. Or was that him being presumptuous again?
Apollo projected these little thoughts to Varali. Vibrant visualizations of his hands plastered over her, and likewise to him. Little flashes of her fingers curling into the leather of his belt and prying it over, slipping into the hem of his pants.
Was he wearing a belt? He didn't remember. And he couldn't be bothered to check, his eyes kept plastered to hers, and he let his hands drift inward toward her arms and his touch scrape softly, curiously against her forearms.
"My little gifts generally involve little sparks of excitement, here and there," he said with a purr. Apollo's fingers curled into her touch. "I'm electrokinetic, focusing on the pulses and senses of the nervous system in relation to my work as a doctor. It helps me detect where people are hurting. I can make it hurt more or less depending on how much charge I stimulate along your nerve endings. I can make your heart beat just a little bit faster too."
Apollo leaned in and planted soft lips to her cheek, letting his skin touch hers. "Does your little gift also work with other parts of contact? Like this for example?"
-
The images sent blood right to her head.
Though instantly her hands let go of his and she froze in her seat. Was that... Was he trying to tempt her or something? Because that was just really weird! "You're not even wearing a belt!" Varali practically yelped, looking at him like he'd burned her by pushing his fantasies into her head. Apollo was, if anything, intent on his goals.
Determined.
Stubborn.
A bit of a sleaze, but... Varali had some idea of the... Goodness... He could portray. Her wings a good example. He'd dropped everything to help her with her wings and only went for a boob grope after the fact. The memory of it sent a shiver down her spine but she squeezed her eyes shut. They jolted open again when she felt his lips on her cheek and she blinked at him with wide eyes.
"I..." Varali blinked at him mouth open before she moved her hands to catch his cheeks, tilt his head and kiss his forehead. "No," she whispered before pulling away and looking into his eyes, breath short before she stood up and away from the table with her arms open, "All you're getting out of me is a hug," she said softly, "So keep your dirty thoughts to yourself."
-
The blood going to her head was meant to be sent elsewhere. Or perhaps that's just where he wanted it to go. Apollo didn't want to give any true thought to what he intended with that pressing thought trick. Apollo just liked being close to her, and liked the little jolts it sent into his belly when he was. And why not? She was single, she was beautiful, and sweet as cherry pie.
She was so close, her lips were right there. Apollo's eyelids fluttered shut and he leaned in intent on planting his lips to hers agian. when she... She was fucking kissing him all right!
ON THE FOREHEAD!!!!
"You...what?!!" He blinked at her stupidly, jaw half-dropped and he saw her arms stretched open. "Oh... Well don't mind if I do. Seriously. Because I'm gonna hug you until just wanna kiss me all over."
Waste not want not, right. So he swooped in and wrapped them around her in a yanking tackle. Apollo picked her up from the floor, keeping his arms at the base of her waist and squeezing her too him. "Wanna kiss me yet?" he said, twirling her around.
-
Varali made a face and pushed at his shoulders, trying to get down. A little wiggle and she just stared at his face, looking worried. Fingers held his shirt and she just frowned at him, leaning in to press her forehead to his to make the twirling sensation not so bad.
"If I kiss you will you stop spinning?" She hissed, pressing her lips to his cheek again, arms curling around his neck and squeezing her eyes shut.
-
"Hell yes!" he hissed and did stop. And before she could rescind any promises to the matter, Apollo leaned in and kissed her, sweetly but hotly and he plucked at her lips until his arms felt the need to give her some air. He didn't wanna kill the girl after all.
"There, now was that so difficult!?" he snorted. He was relatively close and his heart was beating a goddamned mile a minute. "You know, you have nice lips. You should share them more often."
-
Varali squeezed her eyes shut during the kiss, trying not to whimper into it before he pulled away. Slowly her eyes opened and she breathed, flushed, squinting at him. Licking her lips and looking at him.
"Share with who?" She whispered, "a nice boy at the brothel?"
-
Apollo giggled out loud. The snort was rather unbecoming but he was far too giddy to give a shit. Right now, he had something gorgeous in front of him with an ass he could bounce a quarter off of. He'd caught that little noise she made during that kiss, and he could feel the need for sleaze about to rear it's ugly head.
Apollo gave a grumble, feigning disappointment.
"Why bother with a brothel when you can exercise those lovely lips with me? I'm much closer than some stupid whorehouse. I'm cleaner too. I swear," he said with a purr. Apollo tilted his head, taking his time about it, pressing a curved index finger underneath their chin and coaxing her head delicately upward.
He kissed her a second time, this time slower, focused and curling his fingers into the side of her head, into her hair that he wanted to bury his face into. No dirty thoughts, nothing else that required any intonation beyond the curious touches he gave to her face and lips.
-
The second kiss was slower. Nicer. It sent her heart reeling and she felt it speed up her pulse. This was normal. Her hands moved to his elbows and she gave his arms a squeeze before she gently pulled away. Flushed. Heated.
"Apollo," she said softly, pulling away. Distance. Varali needed distance or things would move too fast. Too soon. While she was a rational adult, in a world over saturated in everything else Varali didnt want it to feel cheap. Didn't want it to feel like everything else.
"We should go back to having conversations. Like adults," a few more steps away and while her face didn't display her emotions her wings gave nervous impulsive movements, "I want to be your friend. I can't do that if you keep kissing me."
-
Apollo leaned backwards, taken aback by the abrupt parting. It wasn't at all unexpected, and he released a soft whine when she pulled away. Such sweet sorrow indeed.
She was right though. Apollo really didn't give two fucks if she was kissing him or touching him. Hell just being in the same damn room was enough to send shivers up his spine. He wanted her more than he could consciously think of. And if Apollo was truly considering it, he might tell himself that being all caught up with one person wasn't anything at all like he was used to.
And he'd be right. This wasn't normal for Apollo in the slightest. And yet...Varali looked like she could use a friend.
"So what were we conversating about? Something to do with our neat abilities. And why they mesh so well together, I think," Apollo murmured.
-
How they mess well together?
Varali just blinked at him for a moment before she turned ro the table to grab the dishes and stack them up. Stack the cups. Everything was brought to the sink and she paused there for a moment, glancing over her shoulder at her... Friend.
Confused. Varali was just really really confused.
He didn't get all handsy. He'd touched her boob once. Apollo went in for a lot of kisses thoigh. Maybe that was his version of a hug? Varali cleaned the dishes while she though, careful with the cut on her palm. Careful with the knife in her sink.
Carefully she examined it before she put it into the dishrack. "They don't mesh," she said softly, "our abilities." Still she once she was done she dried off her hands and leaned on the counter, watching her guest.
"I... Understand that you're... Free with your affection," she said softly, glancing away, flushing at the idea of Apollo with anyone - mostly because of the images it gave her, "but... Are you afraid of me? Do I repulse you? You come on to me like I'm water and you're a fish but when you... Make attempts at seduction - I'm assuming here - You can't be done with me sooner." A little frown, "was it the panic attack? Are you not wanting to send me into the wrong kind of convulsions? Because i'm getting mixed signals and the sooner i figure out if the kisses are because you're a slut or because you genuinely like me the sooner I can stop over thinking them."
-
Apollo took a seat back at the table, wishing she hadn't clean up the food just yet. He'd only just gotten around to enjoying it. Whatever brew she had, he'd have to start investing in if he was intent on getting her inside his apartment more and more often.
The silence fell for a long moment, and he watched Critter playing with Tix, running back and forth furiously again and Critter finally stopping long enough to pin Tix to the carpet and nipping at his long ears. Floof and floof and more floof. Just everywhere.
Apollo snorted at the sight. They were so damned cute he just wanted to capture that image in mind forever.
"And you know all this becauuuse?" Apollo murmured, relaxing in his chair and crossing his legs. He gripped his knee and tried for a moment to be a serious adult about this. He disgusted himself for trying. "Varali I don't really know how much simpler I can make it. I like you. That's all. There is no ulterior motive here. If we sleep together and enjoy it, that would simply be one side-effect by how much I enjoy your company. I have a feeling you overthink a lot of things. Not just relationships with people - or lack thereof."
He sighed and moved over to where Tix and Critter were wrestling, kneeling down to watch them until Tix jumped up around Apollo and wrapped his tail around his neck. Apollo cackled at the sensation when Critter decided he was material enough to land on as well. With a thud, he slammed down onto the floor, as Tix wiggled his way into Apollo's shirt.
-
Varali watched with a little smile on her face. Processing Apollo's words. Maybe... She should stop over thinking things. Just... let things be. How ever they were meant to be. Even if there were consequences. Varali chewed on her lip before she moved to kneel beside Apollo, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"Tix," her voice was firm and she pulled Apollo's shirt to look down at him, "that's rude." Though, Tix ignored her after casting her a glance. Letting go of Apollo's shirt she just remained kneeled on the ground. Watching. Curious.
"You're good with animals," she said softly, "Critter really loves you." A little smile and she placed a hand on his leg, giving it a squeeze, "is she the only pet you've had?"
-
He was giggling and cackling all the while until Varali went about freeing Tix from the confines of his shirt. The sobering effect of having her touching him caused Apollo to relax enough on the floor and lean back on his elbow. Because damn did he like the thought of her touching his clothing in any manner.
"I've only really been allowed to keep pets after I graduated. I had a cat I really loved from way before my dad died. But after that, me and Hektor moved around a lot. We uh, focused more on staying together I guess," Apollo shrugged as Critter came around to Apollo to check on him, make sure Tix didn't rough him up too much.
She mewled and rubbed her face against his hands and chest and neck, trying to climb into his shirt as well. But she was just a little bit too fat for that.
-
A glance to Apollo from her seat on the floor and she pursed her lips, glancing away. Watching Critter make her way over, protective and playful. Varali smiled at the absolute love the creature had for her human. Her hand trailed over the kitty's back while Apollo spoke though she froze.
"Your dad...?" She whispered, watching Critter move to get snuggles and try to fit herself down Apollo's shirt. "Apollo," She said, moving to rest a hand on his knee, thumb brushing slowly. A tilt of her head, "Hektor," She glanced away. There were too many people for her to remember them all by name. Co-workers Sort of.
Varali hadn't even known Apollo's name before she'd asked for sugar that one day. Not really. "Is he a Pilot too?" She smiled, moving her hand away and shifting so she was laying on her stomach, wings spread and resting against the ground while her feet kicked up in the air, "Name sounds familiar."
-
"My dad. Yeah, Captain Richter Everard Hecates," he said with a mild shrug. "He died when I was really youn back during the Great War. After that my...mom kind of just lost it. She couldn't take care of us anymore. So we moved in with our aunt and she threw us into Candidacy the first chance she saw to get rid of us. I mean, we were family and all that, buuut..I guess we were more of a bother than guests in her home."
He pet Critter and the cat settled for nestling in the crook of his shoulder and arm began to Pur.
"Yeah my brother Hektor. He's an asshole. But he is well-meaning, i suppose. If you're into that sort of thing I mean," he said. "He make sure we didn't get separated more than we had to. But he's in Inquiry and used to having a stick up his ass. And frankly, talking about him is just bringing me down."
He shrugged and tilted his head. "How about yourself? You got any siblings?"
-
Varali had never really planned on having children.
Being a Pilot and being in a country like Aedolis - where the values were so different from the ones that ran deep in her family. Still, while she watched Apollo snuggle the kitty and Tix she trailed her fingers in a circular pattern on the fluffly cream coloured carpet. It was at that moment that should she have a child, Everard would be in there somewhere. It sounded nice. Like the name of a tree. A teal glance to him and she blinked widely for a moment.
"Me?" she said softly before she licked her lips and glanced away. Of course her. "I.. No. No siblings. Just mom and dad. Grandma. Grandpa. Great grandma." Varali frowned for a moment, thinking clear on her face, glancing away and shrugging, "I... Won't talk about your brother anymore," She said softly, glancing at him and offering a small hesitant smile, "Tix was a gift. When I got picked by Doeshe. Some strange exotic animal my parents picked up for me. I guess he's kinda like a little brother. That likes it in your shirt." She teased, glancing away, "Do you want a minute alone with him? I'll try not to get jealous."
-
No siblings then. And little more than her grandparents and Tix and Doeshe. No wonder she was very much the way she was.... Just little more than plants and her animals to talk to. While they were great and all that and nobody would replaced Critter in his life, there were few suitable substitutes for people. Sometimes there were just moments where he would rather just be alone, stew deep in thought.
Apollo shifted around to accommodate all the animals that were trying to get comfortable in his clothing.
"You know...you don't have to stay all the way over there, Varali. I mean...why don't you try getting closer?" He shifted himself so that he had his hand held out to her.
"I mean, we're friends. No kissing, promise. Just...touching. Seeing what it's like. Because, honestly, I find it really hard to keep my hands off you. I just like you that much."
-
An exaggerated roll of her eyes and she shuffled closer to Apollo, legs tucked to the side and wings held to her back. A quick awkward flutter of her wings and she moved until her knee was touching his leg, her hand resting on her thigh. "Touch," she said simply, tilting her head to look at him, smirking ever so slightly.
"No kissing. Just touching. Which is the more dangerous of the two, I think," Varali leaned forward slightly and shifted her shoulders, extending a brightly coloured wing, "Was there anything specific you wanted to touch?"
-
"Touch, something simple." The words, honestly, were going to be so much easier said than done. Apollo tilted his head. Because he couldn't exactly move with those two little critters huddled up against him. He was warm and inviting and he was wondering why Varali didn't find him such either? Gods, it was like pulling teeth from this woman to get any response.
But perhaps this approach would garner him more honey than vinegar.
Apollo stretched his arms back against that plush rug so that he was just a lump there. "Just...cuddle with me! Like Tix and Critter! They love it, you will too," he chuckled. "It won't kill you now."
-
Varali gave Apollo a skeptical look.
"How about..." She slowly stretched out beside him on her stomach, resting her head on her elbows and kicking her feet back and forth, wings stretched out. Her hip touched his leg and she looked at him and poked at Tix in his shirt. "Why do you want to cuddle so much. Didn't you get enough of that in the past twenty-four hours?"
-
"Nope. There's never enough in the way of cuddles," he said and shifted around so that Tix was on his chest and his hand slowly pet his fluffy tail. The buttons his shirt were stressed with the two critters inside of it but there was no look of concern on his face. None at all.
Shirts could be replaced after all, but times like these, they were meant to be treasured.
Apollo opened up his arm and motioned for her to tuck her head against it. "I showered like you said. Now I smell like roses and bread. A great smell," he snorted. "I mean, I smell like whatever junk is in my body wash. I like it. What about you? Do you have another suggestion on what I should smell like?"
-
There was a moment where she wasn't sure if she was giving in because she wanted to or because she wanted him to stop talking. Still, she shuffled closer and on the carpet of her living room floor, tucked her head on his arm, eyes closing for a brief moment.
On her side so she didn't squish her wings she pressed het face to his arm, "well, you smell like soap," she decided before she got comfortable. It didn't take long for her head to rest on his shoulder, knee resting on his leg with her eyes closed. Varali wasn't falling asleep, oh no. She was just resting her eyes and deepening her breathing so it looked like she was sleeping.
-
"Soap. Soap is good," he sighed. Apollo's back was more than a little worse for wear while laid out on that floor. Nothing needed be said. The pets were finally asleep - using him as a mattress for that matter - and soon he found himself drifting off. Weird. Normally the sleep followed the after banging part.
Apollo didn't know what time he woke up, just that he jerked at the growing again in his back. The floor was waaaay to hard, even with the thick carpet underneath and when he turned, he found Critter and Tix took to laying on Varali. Critter in particular had slung herself over Varali's neck like a purring neck pillow.
-
Varali was passed out.
Sometime she'd slipped from Apollo's shoulder and was propped up on her own arm, the back of her hand supporting her head. The movement beside her roused her slightly, eyes peeling open before she started to move up and away. "Whu?" she mumbled before her brain clicked. Critter. And Tix. "Hi kitty," she said softly, reaching a hand to scratch at the kitty before she move to roll onto her back. Critter just moved a bit, as did Tix, to lay on her chest.
"I'm sorry," She said, voice thick with sleep, "I didn't expect to fall asleep," it wasn't dark, but it wasn't bright either. "Or fall asleep on you," A sheepish laugh and she let her arms out, "can you get the little monsters off me? They don't want to move."
-
Apollo was pretty sure he wasn't going to feel his arm later on through the day. Which might make for interesting body play. Hm, it was too bad Varali didn't want anything to do with that. Not yet. Maybe later, he could coax her into making out with him again. If anything, she was a remarkably talented kisser for someone that didn't seem to have much of human contact with anyone! Did she practice on her reflection like some adolescent practicing for their first smooch?
"I think they're very comfortable where they are," Apollo whispered. He grunted, shoving himself into a sitting position and crawling around Varali so that he could move behind her. A reach across behind him and he yanked a pillow off the couch, moving so that he could stuff it underneath Varali's head.
He just took the liberty to hug her where she was, now that she was vulnerable and couldn't escape. Apollo's arm found her middle, and tucked her in close, his front to her side, and he nuzzled his face in against the softness of her neck, where Tix and Critter converged.
-
Varali didn't move when Apollo got up. A small smirk when he commented on how comfy they probably were but she remained where she was and expected him to take the kitty and the Tix off of her. Instead, she felt her eyes drift closed though snapped open again when she felt a pillow. A soft sigh and she gave a confused look over her shoulder.
"Apollo?" she mumbled, turning on her side away from him. The critters, instead of meandering away, simply relocated on her. A soft noise and Varali sighed snuggling into the warmth of her floor guest. "What are you trying to do?" she mumbled, turning her head slightly and pressing her hip into his abdomen, "It's not a bed," her arm covered his around her middle and she breathed softly before rolling again to face her floor napping friend.
-
"Okay, so it's not the most ideal place to sleep," he snorted and rolled around to press that hip she was pressing into his belly even closer. In fact his hand may or may not have been reaching down to slide her leg a little ways up his form. "But if you want to get more comfortable, why don't we move to the bed? Don't bother moving, I got it."
Apollo gave her hip a gentle squeeze. And wriggled a little so that Critter and Tix would shuffled off of Varali the moment Apollo twisted around and scooped her up into a cradled embrace. He wasn't the strongest Pilot, but her butt wasn't that big, he could deal with it. "Oh okay now sooo, where is your bedroom? Hm, never mind I think I can manage."
Adjusting his arms underneath her legs, he scurried around and heard Critter meow after him. Tix came scampering along as well, shoving the way through the door that was open just ever so slightly, Apollo jutting his ass out to push it open with his butt.
And there it was, a rather nice luxurious bed in which to prop Varali down, and he quickly followed suit, rolling over her, to curl a pillow underneath his head. "This is much better, I think. Don't you agree?"
-
What?
Varali found herself tired. Too tired. Bone tired. Like her body decided that now was the time to just sleep. Sleep forever. Though they was someone awkward talking and she frowned slightly and pressed her face to something warm once she started floating. It smelled nice. Comforting. Like Apollo and - Varali's eyes snapped open and she watched as he pushed her bedroom door open. They were in her room.
Her room.
When was the last time she had someone in her room? Probably before Never. Still, sleep's bony arms clawed at her and Varali's eyes fell closed again once she was in the comfort of her own bed. Or at least on it. It didn't take a lot of effort to roll onto her back and undo the ties of her shirt. The rest of it came off easily before she curled her arms up and under her pillow, wings relaxed against her back. Her breasts weren't apparent but it was obvious that if she rolled over onto her back Apollo would get a free show.
Luckily for him - or unluckily - Varali never sleep on her back. "Sweet dreams," She mumbled, reaching out a hand blindly and touching Apollo's hair, thinking he was Tix.
-
She....she just took it off. Just like that. Apollo was perhaps a little more energized from that short nap than she was. Varali was far too tired to even realize what was going on. So, he had a few options here. He could quietly leave, tuck her in and have her be as comfortable as she was with Tix tucked in just right beside her. However, that was rather boring.
What kind of doctor would he be if he simply let her be without taking a proper look at her wing. It'd been bleeding pretty bad before and it'd be rather unprofessional of him to not make sure she was in good condition before taking his leave. Apollo wriggled around and Critter tucked herself in with Tix at the foot of the bed.
She was content with nibbling on the fox-thing's ears. Apollo shifted around beside Varali, admiring her for a second, and getting a chill at the way the dimness in the room settled nicely against her skin. The door was partly ajar so light still streamed in, and highlighted the feathers of her wings. "Sweet dreams," he murmured. His hands reached out and his fingers slowly and carefully dug into the muscles of her lower back, finding the connected appendage of her wings, massaging around them and touching those soft feathers.
No more blood now, and they were cleaned. He spread them out slowly, gently manipulating the joint of the wing and sending a very soft jolt of electricity to her nervous system, to tingle the skin of her back and - hopefully - inspire gooseflesh.
-
The touches melted into Varali's nap dreams.
Those dreams were always a little more vivid than her sleeping dreams. Once the shirt was off and she'd said her piece she was out like a light, mouth open slightly, already drooling a little. The touches were unfamiliar though and Apollo got the reaction he was expecting. Sort of. A surprised soft little moan but Varali didn't wake up. Instead the tingles turned into something different and she lived out a whole erotic life time in those few seconds when he'd touched her wings.
It wasn't long but Varali's eyes snapped open and she gasped slightly to realize the tingle was still there and... Apollo was also still there. It was disturbing to her how much she thought of him. How much she wanted him to put his hands on her in places she could barely put her own. Varali slowly turned so she was more on her side, her heart picked up a thousand beats a second and she reached behind him to take his elbow. Fluttering her wing out of his hand, she tucked them tight to her back before she shuffled back against him.
Guiding his arm around her ribs, just under her bared breasts she snuggled back into the bed. "You aren't sleepy?" she questioned softly, though no doubt he'd feel how fast her heart was beating. How bold a move this was for her. If he'd leaned over she knew he'd be able to stare at them but once she'd moved back she'd closed her eyes. "Whatever you were doing just gave me weird dreams" She admitted softly.
"Does that work anywhere or just on limbs?" She teased softly, turning her head ever so slightly like she was trying to look over her shoulder at him - which wouldn't work because she was a sleepy sheepy.
-
Electrokinesis had it's uses beyond that of a combat or medical field. Apollo would have never made it as a soldier. He barely made it as a doctor. As a Pilot. All of that was another thought to consider. Another time when he didn't have his hands preoccupied with a warm body beneath his fingertips. His heart picked up in his chest.
Rapping wildly against his ribs. Apollo licked his lips, biting his lower one at her question. Why yes it could feel good. So good that both of them might very well see their own brains by the level of which their eyes rolled back into their skulls.
"I am not tired at all. Kinda looking to get tired though. But we'll see. Are you comfortable?" He tilted his head, not quite leaning over to look at her breasts, instead gazing into the side gleam where the skin met her eyes.
Finger tips itched to draw on the electrical pulses a body naturally made. And Apollo pulled them enough to make her skin tingle, wanting to touch gooseflesh. He shifted down to place his hands on her hips. He gave a grip and slid them down to the warm space between her legs, summoning a very gentle pulse there, pulling at it. Making it tingle>
"All kinds of places. Really. Skies the limit."
-
Varali was awake now.
Not wide awake but awake enough for it to matter. Awake enough for it to count. Varali cleared her throat after he spoke and moved to look at him before his hands moved. The simple movement froze her and she could feel her heart beat in her neck. A chill tingled over her skin and the noise she made when his hands went where her own barely goes was a squeak and she reached a hand down to grab his wrist.
Didn't move it away though.
A peak over her shoulder and she chewed on her lip for a moment, "That isn't the sky," She shuddered out, looking at him over her shoulder before she carefully, tucked her wings against her back and rolled over. Flushed. Her chest flushed with her blush and her cheeks and she let go of his wrist to moved her arm over to cover her breasts.
"What are you after?" She whispered, moving her hand to press to his chest, hand moving to his neck and feeling the pulse. Varali chewed on her lip and lifted a leg up so her knee was pressed to his hip, "Why this? You could... Have anyone," She whispered, looking a little hurt, "Are you after a conquest? I like our friendship, Apollo, but if you're just going to drop anything and everything if we do this I don't want it."
-
The grip on his wrist was all he needed to give Apollo pause. The doctor saw the change in her eyes, even the blush on her cheeks and it did nothing to quell the desire that currently burned in his veins. He made a soft whine at being impeded from touching her first. He shifted around to lean beside her, letting that leg she teased at his hip to remain.
"I could have anyone. But I don't want anyone else," he said. "I want you, Varali. I like you... I...dunno. You're nice. You're different. I don't know what else to say, except how I feel. I want you... I live next door to you, I'm not going anywhere."
Apollo's free hand reached across to grip her wrist, the one she held his with. And let his touch remain tender, thumb and index finger drifting down her forearm and letting his ability tap into the small shocks of her nervous system, pulling at it.
"I'm...more worried you won't like it. I mean, I'm good. Really good.... Lot's of practice. But...if you don't like it, or I do something wrong, then that means I've got to get better. Make you feel better about the whole ordeal," he admitted, flushing deeply. "I've never really had a deep conversation before. I like it when we talk. A lot."
-
The fact he didn't immediately stare at her breasts didn't go unnoticed by Varali. Her hair was slowly being a mess around her head and she breathed carefully and listened intently while he spoke. Every word made her heart thump and she watched his lips while he spoke. Of course some of it was lies but Varali could forgive him going out and getting some when he wanted. Apollo was an adult who could make his own choices, just like she could make her own choices.
His hand on her arm hand her grip loosen on his wrist and she let go completely, eyes drifting shut at the pulses. So strange and alien. Varali bit her lip while she let herself experience instead of worry and finally opened them when he started to speak again. Not like it? The words caught her off guard. That was fair, she supposed, she was a little neurotic. Varali took his free hand and placed it on her breast before she pressed her hand to his cheek and leaned in for a sweet chaste kiss.
"Did you want to talk instead?" she whispered, leaning back slightly and tucking her arms under her head, giving him a sleepy look, "Would you like it better if we just talked until you were tired?" Varali smiled again, her hands tucked under her pillow, body exposed to her slightly newly nervous neighbour.
-
That had to be a good sign, when she didn't shun him completely. Apollo hadn't completely lied. The parts that were true was the fact that he enjoyed talking to her. And he wanted to talk in a different dialect, with their bodies, and their tongues, and their over all physical endurance. That was a real heart-to-heart.
"Sure. We can talk, between kisses," he offered as a compromise. He shifted around to lay across her, one arm on either side of her head, only flicking his gaze down for a moment to witness the soft mounts of her tits. They were nice and he wanted to taste them. Apollo leaned over her and softly kissed her, taking her lips in a momentary breath.
"Are you scared of me? Is there something wrong with me?" he asked, parting lips. He sniffed and reached up with one arm, leaning on his other elbow and cupped the underside of her breast, fingers pressing deeply into those ribs there.
"Why do you think I won't like you anymore afterward? I'll always like you Varali. I'll always want you around."
-
Talk between...?
The kiss didn't catch her off guard as she had expected but... Varali leaned into it slightly, heart picking up and her head screaming at her. When his hand moved to practically cup her breast the entire world crashed down and she took a deep breath and let it out slowly, looking at him. Listening.
Apollo was concerned something was wrong with him? Varali closed her eyes for a moment and continued to listen, hands moving to rest at his arms and her fingers caressed him from shoulder to elbow. Swallowing carefully she guided his hand to at least cover her breast. Having it just hanging out with his hand on it felt lewd and wrong. Like the walls could see her and judge her.
"You're...." She looked at him, a hand moving to cup his cheek while she willed herself to calm down, "You're.... You're not picky." She looked down and away, "You don't want me for me," She said softly, taking his arm and curling onto her side, guiding him behind her so they were spooning. She kept his hand on her breast and she snuggled back into him, a little confused. A little tired.
"I'm scared of what will happen if... I do that with you. Because it means nothing to you but it's a big emotional investment for me, you know?" She gave his arm a squeeze and closed her eyes again, not sure what to do now that she was actually awake from her nap and it was still the middle of the day. "Maybe..." Varali licked her lips and pressed her back fully against him, plastering herself before she reached back and fluffed his hair, "You should go back to your apartment. And... We can have breakfast in a few days..." It was by no means a demand. Or a request. Just a suggestion.
Varali wouldn't tell him that if he pushed the subject just that little bit more it would break her resolve. She smoothed her hand up and down the arm she kept against her and soaked in the warmth of another body. The comfort it offered her. She could see why people liked this. Still couldn't see why people liked it with so many other people though. That part was still weird.
-
Maybe Apollo just didn't understand. Or maybe he'd been so used to having his prospective partner reciprocate his advances rather than just 'not resist' them. Apollo lived in the moment, all that mattered was the here and now.
His eyes softened though, and he could hear the hesitation in her voice and he didn't even feel his hand being moved to her breast in what would otherwise be his sole focus. She turned in toward him and shifted so that he was hugging her back.
This...why this?
"I...no. I'm not going anywhere," he murmured, leaning towards her to bury his face into her neck, his hair falling forward. She wanted him to leave again? Because she was afraid of him. That be would use her and leave her. That he wouldn't care about what she had to say in the matter.
"We can have breakfast in the morning," he whispered, leaving a lingering wet kiss on her neck. "Let me sleep over." He gave her another neck kiss. No play with her senses this time, no pulling the pulses on her nerve endings.
"I do care about you. I understand now that you're afraid. And that's ok," he purred and hugged her back into his chest. "Everything will be okay."
-
His words pleased her a little bit and Varali whimpered slightly at the kiss, having not expected anything. Honestly she'd expected him to give her a weird little kiss on the back of the head and leave. Not for him to snuggle in and ask to sleep over. Varali swallowed carefully and took deep breaths to calm her raging heartbeat. Not going anywhere.
Varali smoothed her hand over his at her breast and she snuggled into the pillow with a small smile on her face. She still trusted him about as far as she could throw him but the cuddles were nice. Slowly, she rolled over and shimmied down to press her head to his chest so they were front to front.
"I guess I can believe you," she whispered, lips tickling against his chest with each little movement. "You are a doctor," She teased, hand moving to rest on her hip, ignoring the fact that if she passed out now she'd wake up in the middle of the night. This was nice though. This was comfortable. It didn't take long, but Varali eventually found sleep snuggled against her strangely handsy neighbour.
-
It was safe to say that Apollo wasn't used to this kind of rejection. Normally it came in the form of a drink being thrown in his face, or a polite guffaw in the offer to roll around in an office somewhere. Apollo found this kind to be sweeter than anything else. It was kind of amusing come to think of it. Only Varali would have ever garnered this kind of response. And only she would have made Apollo want to stay the night.
"I'm some kind of trained medical professional," Apollo agreed, snorting a little as she curled her body in toward his. He shivered and reached down to rest his hand at her waist instead of her breast, hiding her body instead with his own. Just in case the walls were still watching her. And they were. Always the walls were watching.
Apollo began to speak, say something, utter nonsense until eventually even he droned off to sleep. Probably talking about the pets he had when he was a child. Those were easy to talk about. Apollo always liked critters, usually stray cats that he came home with that his mother always wanted him to get rid of. She didn't like her boys being soft, she said. She wanted them to be strong. They would be Pilots someday, just like their father.
-
Varali had slept peacefully. Surprisingly so for having never knowingly slept with anyone before. Every so often her eyes would flutter and she'd half wake up. A press of her lips to flesh and she'd snuggle back in. It was a lovely dream.
So real she could almost taste it.
Giving a stretch, chest pressed to her dream, she made a squeaky breathy noise. Her hand trailed down his chest curiously and her fingers dipped against his hip. Pants? Fingers dipped further before... Oooh. Oh whoops.
Varali's eyes cracked open. There he was. Still here. "Are you awake?" She whispered, moving her hand away from his bits to smooth along his neck and chest. It was later. Not morning. Slept through the afternoon.
-
Apollo's eyes flicked open at the sound of a voice close by. Was he awake? Pretty much. He had felt something groping him. And since his arms were around her and hadn't moved around for hours. Thus Varali was the only other suspect.
He made no mention of it, and tilted his neck in to lightly peck at her forehead.
"I think so," he whispered back. "Should we get and have breakfast again? Or is it dinner time already?" He pressed further against her. "Either way. Hello."
-
Varali was glad when he made no mention of it. Phew, must not have woken up. This was all a dream right? The light had changed again, it was redder now which meant it was sunset which also meant that she'd slept the day away.
The kiss on the forehead got a surprised noise from her and she leaned back to look up at him with wide eyes. Flushed cheeks. Her eyes were on his lips and she listened to him talk and she smiled while he did so. Finally, he said hello.
"Hello," She whispered, reaching up to draw a finger along his lip before she slowly leaned in to press a kiss. It was a dream, which meant she could kiss him. It felt pretty real though, usually she was aware of the whole going in for a smooch thing but then it didn't feel like anything. Confused, she leaned in again, pressing a longer kiss to Apollo's lips before she finally leaned back and gave him a suspicious look. "I'm not dreaming am I," She whispered after leaning back, licking her lips and looking up and away.
-
Whatever was going on in her head, Apollo wasn't going to fight it. He had absolutely no energy to argue. And much like Critter who was content to lay on the floor and stretch out, spreading he toes as she did so, Apollo wriggled deeper into the bed. A shiver coursed down his spine and he pressed deeper into that source of heat.
"Varal...I." It was all he could do before she leaned in and willfully kissed him. Her own pressure. That shock alone made Apollo's eyes flutter open and heat rose to the very top corners of his face, just underneath his eyes.
"If it is, I don't want to wake," he whispered back. He leaned up and seemed as if he were going to kiss her back. He stayed his forward motion, content to press his forehead close to hers. "That was a very nice kiss. I liked it. Very sensual. Very you. Does that make sense?"
Heat rose into his face again, and he felt himself get a little flushed. "I'll make you dinner," he added quickly. "I have food at my place. It's clean! I uh, have veggies too!"
-
Very her.
Varali blinked and flushed, smiling slightly because she did something silly ( like kiss Apollo ) and turned her head ever so slightly so he wouldn't have to look at her. A few shades of red now, Varali wasn't sure what to do now.
Her wings gave a nervous flair outwards and she cleared her throat before she curled her arm over her breasts - which she just remembered were just flopping about out in the open like a pair of birds - and sat up. Though... Slowly she moved her hand down, standing up, pajama pants low on her hips from the nap and she turned slightly, not bothering to hide any nudity.
Apollo was a doctor. She didn't have anything he hadn't seen before. It would be fine.
So, Varali pulled on a shirt carefully, adjusting her wings out of it. A day off so like hell she was going to put on a bra and she finally turned to Apollo. Decent at last.
"I'd love that," She decided, reaching out a hand, "Want to go home and wake up first or... Should I just follow you there?"
-
Nothing he hadn't seen before, sure. But just because Apollo was a doctor, didn't at all mean that he was the most sought after one at DoSaM, let alone in all of Aedolis. There was no shortage medical professionals, and maybe if he applied himself once in a while he might actually shoot right to the top of that list. Gerry sure made it sound like he was some kind of prodigal son.
It was too bad he didn't feel that way most of the time. Too bad that his faith was misplaced. Apollo pushed himself up into a seated position, and just watched her, taking in that gentle sight. Why did she hide so much? He wished he could see more of her, that she saw the very beauty that he saw when he looked at her.
"Okay dinner it is. You can get ready, I'll get all the stuff, ready, it'll be great I promise," he said enthusiastically. Shifting himself off the bed, Apollo caught himself on the edge of the bed and called over for Critter. The calico cat mewled and the bells around her neck jingled as she rose from where she was cuddling with Tix. "Come on, we've got to get freshened up."
He reached down and picked up that critter, slinging her over his neck like a cat scarf and gently pet her buns. She was a lot heavier than he last remembered. What the hell was he eating? A little note he mentally scrawled away and pet Tix who tried to follow them.
"Come over when you're ready, Varali. Just come on in, it'll be open for you," he said back to her. Apollo didn't waste any time, giving Critter her dinner as he went about looking for actual things to cook. Did he even know how to cook?! How hard could frying vegetables be? He had some oil for that. Some spices, and under the choppy-chop they went.
Within minutes they were under the fire, or rather over the fire, and he was tossing in broccoli and potatoes and carrots. Eugh, he hadn't eaten carrots since candidacy. And he wasn't even sure if those were real carrots. He just hoped that when she did show up, the food wasn't too cold. She'd show up...right?
Yes, without a doubt.
Too bad his guts didn't get the memo and curled in and over itself again and again as he tried to keep the stir fry from burning.
-
Varali flushed, fixed her hair by tucking it behind her ears and then... Waited. She looked at Tix when her door was closed and wondered fleetingly if maybe it was an invitation given out of... Being Polite? She fixed her clothing and contemplated actually getting dressed to go over and have dinner but thought better of it.
Instead, she went and brushed her hair. Looked at herself in the mirror before pinching her cheeks to gain the illusion of a natural flush and chewed on her lips a bit to make them look all red and ... Swollen. Desirable? Did she want to be desireable? Taking a deep breath, she leaned against the sink, looking at her reflection before she just let her head drop forward.
Clearly she hadn't been or maybe he'd have tried something or... Varali squeezed the sides of the sink before she pulled on a comfy sweater, pat her shoulder to indicate for Tix to hop on - which he did with great gusto - and finally she fixed her hair again, pulled the sweater. One last pinch of the cheeks and she shuffled from her door to Apollo's.
A gentle scan of her chip and the door unlocked, as an expected visitor it made sense to program her in. Door open and fwip off Tix went to find Critter and she walked into the apartment, bare feet tucked under the hem of her loose comfy pants.
"Hi. I tried to take as long as I could but I just brushed my hair and paced a little," She replied honestly, walking over to Apollo in the kitchen and smelling... Well. Vegetables.
A tilt of her head and she brushed her hand against his back before looking down and away. "You know you didn't have to make dinner right? I mean... Thank you though." clearing her throat, she frowned at the sound of something falling over and just rolled her eyes to the sky. "Um.. How's work been." She finally asked, not really sure how to talk to someone that's seen her tits.
-
The stirfry was going to burn. Without a doubt, Apollo was so sure it was going to burn, his stomach was in knots over it even as he kept it moving in the olive oil and made a small uncomfortable noise at the scent of delicious fried peas and broccoli and carrots and other veggies filled his kitchen. Critter meowed loudly and rubbed against his legs before hopping up onto the counter and curling up to watch him move about frantically in front of the stove.
"What?" he murmured, glancing back at her. "I'm not nervous. Who's nervous? I'm not, not me. That's for sure. Nope. Perfectly calm. I've had good ass over before.... I know how to wine and dine folks."
Critter meowed again and made a small mrr that followed it, staring at Apollo. He took a pinched piece of broccoli and tasted it. A small bite and when he was convinced it was cool enough he gave the rest to Critter. A few suspicious sniffs and the calico cat nibbled on it and munched it down.
"Okay, so I know I don't think I want a piece of ass. I like her. There I said it, are you happy now, cat? Stop judging me damn! I like her and I can't stop thinking about her and I don't want just another booty call. So yeah I'm making the girl dinner. Because why not? We mesh well together." He was babbling, oh god how he knew he was babbling. He frowned and huffed and went back to the veggies when he heard the door open, and his stomach flipped something awful.
She let herself in, just like that, just like this was normal and she was just coming over like a regular day or maybe tired after a long day from work, and he'd get to cuddle her and rub her shoulders and make her feel good. And oh gods why did these thoughts make him feel so fuzzy and warm inside and Apollo couldn't stop his rambling thoughts until he felt her hand gently brace against his back.
Apollo did still himself and slowly glanced over his shoulder, shutting the stove off with one hand. "Heh, of course I know that. But I wanted to. It's the least I could do. My mama raised me right," he nodded to her and fixed the stirfry out on the plates he'd had ready to go. He rolled his shoulders and invited her to sit at the table he had not far from the center island.
Critter was busy scampering around with Tix and the scuffling in the next room was audible until all was quiet. The suspicion Apollo felt was brief until he glanced up to Varali, pulling out a chair for her and inviting her to sit. "Work is work. Still good. Still boring. Gerard still wanting me to live up to my full potential and me just...uhh trying to do my job. Despite what people say, I'm...well, I like being a doctor. It's kinda nice to help people," he felt his face flush at the admission. "I mean, I'm by no means the best."
He cleared his throat and moved over to the fridge. "Can I get you something to drink? Anything at all?"