Leaning back against a tree, the lavender haired male had a smug smile on his face as he watched the exchange. Jasper had stayed in his civilian form as Meridiana worked, keeping from drawing attention to himself any more than necessary. Besides, half the fun had been in the bet of ‘how long can you go before someone realizes something is off.’ Had this male not arrived, Meridiana might have had a woman passed out on the bench before long.
Girl had game after all. Not that he would admit that directly to her.
Stepping back around the tree, Jasper allowed himself to pull out his own pen and senshi up as he hummed to himself. Short spikes of hair became a ridiculously long mane while his attire switched completely leaving him standing there in floof pants and a vest clearly made to show off his chest and abs. It just so happened it framed the dark hole in the center of it rather nicely. That black kept eyes away from the other scars on his flesh.
Sensing the movements of the woman he had come with, Arabia went back to leaning on his tree, head cocked to the side as his arms crossed over his bare chest. This time, out of sight from the rest of the public, he grinned as he heard her steps closing in. In a rather amused voice, he offered “Well, that didn’t go as planned. Did you at least get his number? Or even her number?”
~~~
“No…” Meridiana replied. With a hit of disappointment in her tone she stuck out her lower lip in a mocking pout.
“However…” She stopped within a hair's breadth of the male corrupt, a smile tugging the corners of her red painted lips in an almost mischievous way. “I can’t complain too much.” She reached out, brushing her fingertips over his well toned muscles and the dark cracked hole on his chest. “I did meet my quota for the week and then some not to mention I stole a kiss from a gorgeously handsome Lieutenant. On a plus note,” She looked up into eyes that mirrored the depths of the ocean in these nighttime shadows. “I did get the license plate number.”
Laughter escaped his lips at the very idea of her showing up at the poor man’s doorstep. That agent might just get lucky. Or find himself wishing he hadn’t been so rude to such a lovely lady.
Surely there was someone in the Negaverse that had access to the database where all the agent’s information was kept. It wouldn’t be too hard to find them that is assuming that she wanted a go at round two.
“I’m surprised to see you out and about.” Meridiana’s head canted to the side curiously as she moved the collar of his vest to reveal the myriad of scars around his shoulder. “At least tell me you enjoyed the show.”
~~~
Arabia’s laughter slowly faded as the smile on his face twisted into a thin line. Those deep blue eyes gazed down into the crystal clear waters that were the female corrupt in front of him, a storm on the edges.
His hand came up to grab the top of her own as he pulled it gently but firmly away from his shoulder. “I always enjoy watching you work Meridiana.” He offered, a firm but deep voice as he lifted her hand to his lips. He only brushed the top of her half glove before releasing it.
“But if you insist on undressing me, I will have to make a point to stop coming to check up on you. Or at least make sure I’m wearing a shirt.”
~~~
Meridiana held onto his hand and half turned in front of him so his good arm wrapped around her shoulders. Pressing her back against him she clicked her tongue almost scoldingly. “Don’t be a killjoy now. I know your boundaries, I just wanted to see.”
It had been a good month or so since she had found him in the parking lot. Blood smeared on the concrete beside him, skin torn from road rash having been thrown by that White Moon Senshi. “At least you’re charm hasn’t been affected.” She tenderly kissed the back of his hand and then the backside of his wrist.
~~~
“It hasn’t changed since the last time you saw.” Arabia sighed as he felt her roll into his chest. His eyes lifted up and he shook his head, allowing his shoulders to relax. “It’s just not covered in black tar or blood anymore.”
Though mentally he should have been back the night Meidiana had found him after the battle with that blasted white moon p***k, the words jerked him back to the day he woke up in the hospital. The realization his arm was…
Clamping his right hand into a fist, Arabia willed his body to stop before the numbness took hold and the shakes began again. His entire side tensed up, fighting back the memories. Her lips brought his mind back to the here and now. Her soft touch willed the shadows back that fought to crawl into his mind. This was real. She was real. Everything else was gone.
His body relaxed ever so slightly.
“It would take a lot more than some pink she-devil to throw off my charm. Besides, I have to at least attempt to be as charming as you since you so desperately want to claim my title of biggest flirt. And here I thought I was the good looking one. Sigh...whatever will I do.”
~~~
“You could always just admit defeat and accept my offer.” Meridiana looked up at him with a hopeful expression lighting her eyes.
Twice Arabia had turned her down for a reason he refused to say. Each time she let it slide vowing that next time… next time she will win him over. “Just wait until my promotion,” She reached up to brush is bangs out of his face. “I am a succubus afterall, it is an inevitability that your title will become mine sooner rather than later.”
Meridiana knew that she could always just take from him what she wanted but there was no fun in that; not with Arabia. No, in a sense he was like a kindred spirit and she had too much respect for the male corrupt to force him to do something he clearly did not want. She wanted him to come to her willingly
~~~
The look he gave her was as clear as if he said the words out loud. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared and he lifted his right hand up slowly and tapped the top of one of her horns.
“I find that is just a cheap trick.” Arabia purred as he tapped the other horn. “The rest of us are left behind having to rely on our personal wit and charm while you are just handed it along with more power to use. Keep this up and you could have the Queen bending to your will. Or at least one of the Generals who needs to shut up.”
Leaning down, he put his head against her own. “And here I am just wishing for a magic carpet and a lamp with a genie. They can keep the monkey at the power up but…” now his hand reached down and slid down her side before he pinched her butt. “You would look cuter with a tail.”
~~~
“Oh the things I could do with one of those.” She moved her hips suggestively against him making it clear what kind of devious things she would do with it however, with her luck, it would be more like a feline tail and just sway in tandem with her mood.
“Alas I doubt it is in the cards. Plus I think it would do more harm than good, I can’t think of many people who are into that furry stuff anyway.” Meridiana gave an eloquent shrug then closed her eyes. Pulling comfort from his nearness and arm around her she sighed feeling truly content in the current moment.
“Here,” Meridiana held out her other hand and summoned the energy she had collected thus far. “Take it. The last thing you need right now is some haughty General pounding on your door demanding you get back to work. I still have a few days before my next turn in.” Letting go of his arm, the Senshi of the Succubus turned around to face Arabia however she did not wait for his reply. Instead, with deft hands, she undid the sash around his waist and looped the tail end through the bag’s drawstrings and re-tied the knot.
“No arguing.” Rising up on her tippy toes she gave him a kiss on the cheek. “You can pay me back later.”
~~~
Both of Arabia’s hands reached forward to grab her own before she could release his sash. The male was gazing down at her, a brow cocked in both a suggestive and questioning manner. “You don’t have to do that Meri. I’m not helpless...not anymore. I can gather my own energy. Take it so you can take the rest of the week off. I know you have better things to do than to strut around fixing other people’s love lives.”
Or life. Arabia was grateful for the woman in front of him. She had found him when he was at his lowest and hadn’t given up on him. She deserved better.
She deserves someone who wasn’t a complete broken wreck on the inside like the cracked mark on his chest. Mei’s face was still haunting him even while he stood there and gazed at this lovely lady. Before his eyes flashed that same look she had given him when he had snapped. It had been a mistake. All of it had.
Releasing Meridiana’s hands, Jasper stepped back and allowed the air to fill a larger space between the two of them. “Besides, you need to look after yourself. We corrupt have the short end of the stick in a way. I find no one really likes us.” He chuckled in a half attempt to change the subject as he turned his eyes away from her and looked off at nothing in the distance. “And I am not sure how much your feminine wiles can get you out of trouble with our overlords and masters. Maybe some but I don’t want to have to come pull you out of their beds and then beat them up if they try to put you in a furry costume.”
~~~
“Which is exactly why we have to look out for one another.” She was not so disillusioned by the fact she had magic that it made them in any way important. In the grand scheme of things it only seemed to put them on the same level as a submissive youma.
On one hand it did mean she didn't receive the same level of mentorship that the spoiled Lieutenants received however, so long as she met her quota, nobody really cared where she got it. Dont ask don't tell and so long as she didn't get caught everyone was fair game.
“Just take it. I'll be fine I promise.”
~~~
“I know you will. I also know you won’t accept no as an answer from me.” With a long sigh playing at being exacerbated with her, Arabia lifted a hand to run through the loose hair around his face. “That’s the problem with you women. The moment you make up your mind there is no changing it.”
“It makes things rather interesting for those of us on the receiving end.” But he knew better to fight her on such a small matter. Energy was one thing. Easy come, easy go. There were always bigger issues to address. Such as him not getting screwed over by the other agents. Time out due to rehab and medical related issues were one thing. Time gone because he just didn’t want to deal with their headache didn’t give him much wiggle room. In fact it gave him none. So he stuck do the bare min to stay under the radar.
“So what are you plans for the rest of the evening my dear succubus? Going to follow the license plate?”
~~~
“Nah. I kind of figured I'd head home, crank up the AC and spend some time with my dog. I have an early day tomorrow.” Sometimes it paid to come from a family with old money, it opened up so many doors and opportunities that would otherwise be closed off to those of more humble upbringing.
“What about you? Got any plans for this evening?” Meridiana hummed curiously.
~~~
“Well I was going to ask if you wanted to grab sushi with me at the new place down the road but I sense the dog is far more important. So I’ll just go whallo in my fish alone.” Arabia pouted as pretending to offended and hurt. His hand came up and brushed away a fake tear. “Oh well.”
He wasn’t asking as date or something like that. It was truly more because he didn’t want to go home. Things had been tense there for some time and it was like walking on eggshells. Not only his blow up temper but now dad was dating the nurse that had been taking care of him. Something about seeing his dad like that just...it set him off.
“But I’ll just go home and call it a night instead. Not much going on in the city today.”
~~~
For a brief moment Meridiana looked a bit surprised by the offer but quickly recovered when she realized he was teasing. “While sushi does sound really good right now. I'll need to take a rain check.”
She stepped forward then, closing the small distance between them, and gave Arabia a friendly kiss on the cheek. “We both deserve the rest of the night off. Just don't be a stranger ok?”
“Keep in mind…” The female corrupt took a step back, that smile from before alighting her fractured. “ The offer still stands.”
~~~
Arabia raised a brow tho say ‘I got it’ at her offer yet again. But there was an amused smile on his face as he turned to head out for the night.
Stepping from the tree line, Arabia allowed his form to shift and Jasper walked across the back headed back the way him came, a grin still on his face.
Sirene Naiads
Follow up to A special allure
