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 Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 4:41 pm
For a while there were just gasps and half-formed sobs he tried to contain as the pain threatened to overwhelm him. His grew grew spotty now that Creedy was off; Jack had to fight off the tempting urge to just fade completely, but he wouldn't, he couldn't now. Not in her room, not at her mercy, not again, not like their brawl in the common room months ago. He'd earned a crooked nose then; he wasn't going to let her mark him any further.
Quite the opposite.
That barely contained fury, that mindless mob mentality for her blood, was kept at bay and only just; he needed to focus on getting up without feeling like death. And though Jack failed miserably, he had his predictable streak of pride to protect: his face was twisted and murderous as he pushed himself up, the dagger practically fusing with his fingers with how tight he held it. Three steely words left his cage of teeth: "No. s**t. Sherlock." His body trembled just trying to talk, every breath some manner of labored or shallow.
But that wasn't news, he had never tried to pretend he behaved otherwise. They'd made their stances clear with just Twitter messages: Peyton was ashamed of that urge while he had accepted and adapted. (Greek gods didn't apologize, he had told Chel.) But the insinuation seemed to be that she thought she was his only outlet for it, that he was just as dependent on this agreement as she was, and when that occurred to Jack the black smile came back. (He heard a plate breaking, a voice calling him to stop, a sigh and a whimper, no-one could compare.) The world tilted and doubled in and out, but his eyes bore into hers steadily, asking, Are you sure about that?
"I said you were mine t'some point," he began, his words struggling to leave, his breathing audible, his back stooped under its own weight, locks of green hair shadowing his face. "Haven't made it official yet. Can't do anything f'I don't see your commitment. Can't have a deal f'I don't sign my name after all."
He beckoned her closer with his dagger.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:02 pm
It always seemed to end up this way. Jack biting, barking; digging at everything loose ring in the mail of her armor, seen or unseen. He held the intellectual advantage between them, and no matter how much Peyton would have loved to believe she could match him, it simply wasn't sure, and deep down, she knew that. But that didn't mean she didn't try. Needling, prickling at his pride. Egging him on, pushing all the wrong buttons just to see if she could get some kind of favorable reaction from the giant. A dangerous hobby. With a wince she sat up, back to the tv stand, and now she pressed a hand against her side, the tips of small fingers feeling for the slices and cuts that should have been there but were not. As long as she had been there, sometimes it still caught her by surprise, and the wrath demon gave a low hum, anxious, at the back of her mind. Reassuring, warning. Pale eyes narrowed as he talked about commitments, making thins official, and the corners of her lips drew up in sneer. "What, you want a ******** contract?" She poked at the back of her ankle gingerly, moved her foot up and down. Everything seemed to be working fine, meaning as startling as that underhanded slash had been, it hadn't done any real damage. So she got back to her feet, biting back a grunt as the motion tugged uncomfortably on the bruises she could feel forming along her side under the cover of the loose shirt she'd been wearing. She rubbed at them, hand slipping under soft fabric, almost absently, and maybe he'd see the delicate pattern, like white lace, along her hip before she'd dropped her hand again. He beckoned her closer, and she took a step towards him. Hurt, struggling talk, what the ******** could he possibly do, even with that toy in his hand? One kick, one ******** flick of her finger, and it'd be lights out.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:31 pm
One eye closed as his migraine began to magnify, and he absently rubbed at his temple with his knuckles. Something told him he wouldn't get to finish today--the pain was starting to go beyond his haze, sharpen his senses and make him just a little more conscious--but the word contract piqued his interest.
"Maybe," he replied with a little less strain than before. "Sounds right. You heard my offers."
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 6:49 pm
For a second she watched as he rubbed at his temples, then she was moving past him, towards the can of soda that was still, miraculously, on the coffee table. Grabbing it, she brought it up to her lips for a drink before his pain laced voice brought her gave back down to him.
{She liked him there, on the ground. It left a sweet taste on her tongue.}
"Information in exchange for a possible cure for the red eye. I let you do what you want, within ******** reason," she tacked on, eyes narrowing as she walked back around the table so he could see her easier. "And you teach me patience, and how to distance myself from the anger and the impulses." Terms she could live with. That could, of they didn't kill each other first, prove mutually beneficial.
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:01 pm
Within ******** reason. Had he the breath to, he would have laughed. But this time Jack kept it in.
Could he actually teach her s**t like that? He doubted it. That was more a test of character then it was a formal lesson, but whatever. He'd overstayed his welcome and needed to retreat for more painkillers. If need be, he could revisit the terms when his mind was clearer.
"Fine," he grunted, bracing himself before getting to his feet with a lurch. His balance was dubious for a moment, but he managed not to fall over even though doing so was enough to make his head want to fall off his shoulders. Enough had been done that he probably needed to revisit the infirmary just to make sure he hadn't pushed his arm out of place again; he couldn't tell at the moment as it was just a lump of throbbing pain. "I'll see myself out."
He didn't want to think how much she enjoyed watching him labor just to freaking walk to the door.
"Good talk, Pey."
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Posted: Tue Dec 23, 2014 7:07 pm
The lack of any argument was unexpected but refreshing. Eyes narrowed as she watched him struggle to his feet, tongue sliding over teeth behind the cover of her lips.
She didn't offer to help, that would have been wrong on so many levels. She did, however, enjoy watching how hunched his shoulders seemed as he labored towards the door. Even if the majority of the damage hadn't been her doing, the pain he was feeling now Pey had certainly had a hand in causing. It wasn't exactly a win, but she'd ******** take it.
"Take care of yourself, Jack." Was her biting retort to his back as it slipped out the door.
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