Proposal

BY: Luce

Disclaimer: We do not own Edward, Asher, Tamara, Gigs, Jean-Claude, Jason, Nathaniel and Kylie, they belong to their assorted "significant others"*. Kash however belongs entirely to me.

*I told him that this wasn't how you write a disclaimer, but does he listen to me? Of course not. So let me clear it up. All LKH's characters belong to her, and all Gig's characters belong to her, ditto for Tamara...the other two...notably me and Luce...well we belong to each other.

I wasn't sure this was a good idea. However, Asher had convinced me that all women wanted wine and roses. Kash wasn't like other women though, it was one of the reasons I was drawn to her. I have met my share of women and seduced the majority of them. It is after all my job. I quiet enjoy swaying the high-minded and bringing about their downfall. I have of course met with failure on occasion, and while those times are irritating they are nothing compared to the frustration my darling Kashauna has provided over the years. Perhaps Astoroth was correct, and I was slipping. Whatever the case, tonight was the night.

I looked down at the roses. They weren't right. Kash never stopped to smell the roses. However they had all insisted that flowers were customary. She rarely paused long enough to breathe. This whole scenario seemed wrong, however Asher had helped me in finally winning her surrender. Perhaps he was right in this as well. At least they weren't pink roses. Knowing Kash's desires was not as easy as I would have liked but only an idiot would bring her pink anything. Instead they were a deep velvety purple and real.

Tamara had insisted that all the arrangements be made 'the old fashion way.' Which meant I'd spent the past three days hunting for flowers, food and jewelry. I could have fashioned much more intricate pieces myself, but I'd been assured that the easy way wasn't necessarily the best way. Now it seemed everything was in order. I merely needed to collect my intended and set it all in motion.

I moved to her door. I shall never understands people's with walking it is so much simple to just BE where you wish Of course most humans haven't mastered the art of manipulating time and space to suit themselves. I've had centuries of practice.

I reached out and knocked, another of Tamara's insistences. She said it was creepy; the way I just appeared out of thin air. I don't quite understand why it's creepy when I do it but perfectly all right when Asher does basically the same thing. I also didn't understand why they all kept saying that ALL girls wanted THIS and ALL girls wanted THAT. I had tried to explain that Kash was different. Gigs had just rolled her eyes and said, "She'd have to be." Gigs did not like me. Of course very few Christians like me, once they know who I am...and believe. Gigs believed and she didn't trust me. I suppose it was only to be expected.

I felt blatantly foolish. I have never taken a girl flowers. I did once take Kash's friends hostage and used them as bait to get her temporary compliance in a small wager. I'd lost, that could very well be pointed to as the beginning of my present situtation. It had been an attempt to have one of the Aviartra's at my permanent disposal. It wasn't the first time we'd met it was the third actually. The first time she'd been very young and new to the order, she had scars to testify to our time together. It was the first time we met in a physical sense...during her life I had been present on occasion, as I am in all lives. She'd won that game too, though for a while I thought I had her. She continually surprised me, which was a very rare occurrence typically.

I looked at the door; it was still solidly closed before me. I had knocked?twice in fact while my thoughts wandered. She should have answered surely. I am lacking in most virtues, patience most notably. I walked through the door and into our suite of rooms. It was empty. I couldn't feel her presence here, though I could still smell the lingering scent of her water lily perfume. She was gone.

I tossed the flowers down on a small end table. This was ridiculous. I had planned the entire evening, she should have been there waiting. She knew...that stopped my train of thought. She didn't know, this had been a surprise; the only ones who knew were Asher, Tamara and Gigs. My eyes narrowed. Asher had better not be playing games with me.

I shifted to his room. He and Tamara appeared to be enjoying themselves. I glared hard at the bodies moving in time together. "Where is she?" I demanded my voice dangerously low. They knew and yet here they lay entwined. My temper tugged at the reigns of my control. You have heard I'm sure of the seven deadly sins, well I was becoming the living embodiment of rage.

Asher jerked upright over Tamara at the sound of my voice. Vampires had their tricks yes, but I had mine as well. Tamara lay exposed beneath him. Asher did have exquisite taste. I remembered Julianna...not that I had tempted her all that much...but I did remember her screams. The inquisition may have pretended to holiness but I knew the real cause. Greed, fear and lust were strong motivators of course some men just loved to watch others in pain, a great number of them in fact.

I met Tamara's gaze for a moment and held it. She had lovely eyes. I smiled and nodded, then transferred my eyes back to Asher. He didn't look very happy to see me. I couldn't imagine why. I raised one eyebrow and smiled at him as well, though the warmth in it dropped rather suddenly.

"Where is she?" I repeated.

Asher continued to glare for a moment then relaxed against the pillows, ever the courtier. "I am afraid bruns yeux isn't here Mon ami." He said in a rather lazy French accent. A drawling French man what was the world coming to.

"Where is she?" I repeated very carefully.

He smiled. "She has gone out...she said she needed space." He said and shrugged, his pale blue eyes were teasing. He was doing this on purpose. It was a pity I didn't intend to maim or torture him, at the moment the prospect was almost worth all three ladies ire.

I rather liked Asher however normally. His golden beauty reminded me of times long past. I had known another with eyes that shade and hair that shimmered like the sun on water. Those times were long past though, and Asher did not have the same silly ideas about right and wrong. His hair looked as soft as that other hair had, a pity I could not run my fingers through it and find out. I rather thought I loved Kash, and to do so would hurt her, so I would stay that desire.

Asher smiled again wickedly, as though he read my mind; to see his lips spread in such a gesture was a pleasure. His scars had been a cruelty, not only to him but to all those who had been denied that beautiful sight. Kylie was to be commended. "She has gone to the park with Edward, Giggles, Jean-Claude, Kylie, Jason and Nathaniel. She insisted that the Jazz concert being held there was perfectly safe and that she was 'Sick and tired of moping around watching the grass grow.' Giggles thought it a lovely idea as well, and how could I deny both ladies what they desired." He said his lower lip pouting ever so slightly. It was truly a pity I could merely look, but not touch.

I glanced again at Tamara to find her looking smug. Telepathy was a nice skill to posses. I wondered briefly what she and Asher were trading quips about now. I rather thought I had a good idea about the topic of conversation. I shook my head and smiled again at her. "Do enjoy yourselves." I said pointedly my eyes fastened to hers for a long moment. She was a lucky girl. Turning back to Asher I nodded. "I shall see you later." I said as I vanished.

I knew the park they were at, Kash liked being out of doors, for any number of reasons, though I had my favorites. I found them easily enough; the rest of the crowd had formed a circle of empty space around them. Which could have been because of the two lycanthropes or the vampire or due to Kash herself. It could also have something to do with Death. He stood guard over the scene without seeming to at all.

When I appeared a few feet away, he was the only one to notice. His fingers moved slightly towards his gun before he realized who I was. Edward is a strange character, he is perhaps the only person I?d ever met who was more interested in figuring out how exactly to kill me, then in saving their immortal soul or selling it. Except Dare. Edward reminded me a great deal of Kash's best friend. It was another reason for me to dislike him. Edward and Dare shared a common past, that of a professional killer. Dare was now on the side of righteousness however, and he disliked my interest in Kashauna.

Edward, on his own, was a threat to my future with Kash. He was widely versed in his field of expertise, and there was nothing Kash liked better then learning new things. She thirsted for knowledge the way that others desired food or sex. Edward was a font of such knowledge, and she spent far too much time in his company learning. I didn't like that. I could offer the same, but she didn't care for any additional knowledge of mine, that one encounter had been more then enough, in both our opinions.

Edward nodded at me and went back to pretending to listen to the music. He was actually watching the crowd, which I supposed should have made me like him better, he was on the job, always, and Kash was safe with him. It was ridiculous this strange protectiveness. Kash could take care of herself, in fact she usually did, but there were times when she seemed like two different people. The fighter, the one who wouldn?t show fear in any situation, and the girl whose innocence shined in her eyes.

She had no right to be innocent and every cause to be jaded. Right now the girl was shining though. She was caught up in the music, moving in time to it while still talking to Jason and Gigs; she even included Edward in the circle. Every now and then she'd look in his direction and smile then lean towards him and say something. He smiled once...I really didn't like him.

I phased out. Again Edward noticed, I would swear that he was staring directly at me, even as I moved, but that was impossible. No one could see me when I didn't wish to be seen. He looked away after raising his eyebrow while (I would still swear) locking gazes with me. I shrugged it off; it was impossible for him to see me. Impossible. Kash might have noticed, but then she was an Aviartra she was supposed to. She was caught up in the music though which was nice, she tended to get defensive when she sensed a demonic presence.

Kash danced or walked...maybe it was both, to Edward's side and told him something. The music was too loud for me to hear anything, but Edward looked over her shoulder then away quickly and nodded then said something. She smiled and shook her head. He smiled and said something else to which her eyes lit up and she nodded rapidly smiling. He reached out and touched her shoulder softly bending close to say something else then moved away in the direction of the vendors. He looked directly at me for one second as he turned. Something in the look made me glance in the direction he had looked earlier. A rather odd looking fellow kept peering towards Kash.

Edward shouldn't have left her surely he knew that. Of course Edward respected her skills. Have I mentioned that I don't like him? A movement to the man's left caught my eye. Edward was there and now the man was bleeding. There hadn't been a gunshot. He looked at me again with that one eyebrow raised. There was something I truly just didn't trust about that man. He moved back into the shadows and soon returned with two cups.

He handed one to Kash as he rejoined the group. She took it and smiled in thanks. I wondered if she knew what had just happened. I doubted it. Her innocence could be daunting at times. She also wouldn't let anyone do the dirty work for her. It all came back to the whole dual personalities. The contradictions in her nature were odd. I moved to Edward's side. "Who was that?" I asked, phasing back in for his benefit alone. I wasn't sure it was really necessary.

The lazy grin tugging at the corners of his mouth never faltered. "Not sure, but it wasn't human." He said softly. "Anyone you know?" He asked after a moment. I took a deep breath I didn't like what he was implying. I shook my head biting my tongue. Of course just because I didn't recognize him didn't mean he wasn't a 'relative'. Astoroth was second in command but he wasn?t happy with that position. I didn't necessarily know everyone in the 'family' personally.

"You think it was a demon?" I asked after another long silence. He considered it for a moment. "Would have to be a lower order, the higher ups don't die that easy." He replied matter of fact. I wanted to know when he'd killed a demon. He delivered a number of souls into my service but I didn't know a great deal about him. That was surely and odd occurrence. I nodded finally. Definitely a weak one if a demon and I was pretty sure that was what it was. Kash and I were on opposite sides of a war and everyone on our respective teams had to know what had happened. The Avi's knew of course, with Chris there was no way they could not know.

What happened now was sure to be interesting. "I don't want her hurt." I told him looking back at her. Right now it was hard to believe that she was Kashauna; that she'd weathered many centuries and fought countless battles. She had scars yes, but her spirit seemed intact. She seemed so young in that moment, alive and full of pent up energy. I wondered, not for the first time, which I wanted more, the warrior or the untainted spirit. Both. I wanted both, forever, or at least as long as I had.

Edward was watching me quietly. He seemed to make some decision. "She won't be," was all he said then he turned back to covertly watching the crowd. Perhaps he wasn't quite as intolerable as I had thought. I shoved all those thoughts away. I was on a mission and I had been delayed long enough.

I moved up close behind her. I had listened and planned for weeks now. Well now I was going to do it my way. Kash might like flowers but she would not expect them from me. I preferred to do things my way, what had Shakespeare written? 'To thine own self be true'. That bit of wisdom held for human and 'others' alike.

Placing my hands on her hips I pulled her back against my chest and whispered softly in her ear. "Miss me," I asked before capturing her earlobe between my teeth and pulling the tender flesh into my mouth. She tasted sweet and clean, with just a hint of spice that teased my tongue and made me hungry for more. She gasped my name, it was barely a sound on an exhalation of breath, but it registered in my ears and made me long to have her alone.

First I wanted to play. She would love the little game. "Yes love," I replied pulling her more firmly into the cradle of my thighs. I wanted her to feel my erection hard and aching. The church at one time along with society said that women should not wear pants. They were right and wrong.

I hated that I was denied easy access to her, but I loved the way the jeans curved around her buttocks showing off their strength. It was a feast for the eyes; however mine were not the only eyes that got their fill. It made me appreciate a sultan's desire to keep his woman far from the view of other men. Of course the jeans fit like a second skin, and I could feel those curves very clearly, which was another point in their favor.

She leaned back against me. "Yes, lots" she whispered turning her head to look up at me. . She gasped when she encountered nothing but empty space. "Luce?" She asked again.

I slid one hand up and under her shirt where I began teasing her breasts with my fingers. She moaned and pressed forward into my hand. My darling Kash was something of an addict when it came to my touch. Of course she had the same effect on me. I tugged at one of her nipples lightly. She made such a sweet pleading noise when I did that. A sudden burst of cheering from the crowd broke the spell somewhat and she tried to move away. I pulled her back. "No running away darling." I whispered close to her ear, then began to nibble and suck at her neck.

Her head fell back to rest on my shoulder for a brief moment before her modesty started to show. "Luce anyone could see," she whispered urgently trying again to move away while I did my best to make her knees weak.

My other hand had begun unfastening her jeans. The flannel would hide the fact from most eyes. I glanced up over her shoulder for a moment to meet Edward's eyes. He held my gaze for a moment then idly went back to watching the crowd without seeming too. "So let them," I said smoothing my hand down her stomach and inside her jeans. I stayed outside her panties for the moment. She was getting a few looks; wriggling and moaning like someone being made love to. Of course I was doing just that, but no one could see me. I grinned. I am wicked by nature so I have an excuse.

She was already damp I could feel it through the thin silk of her unmentionables. "You are already wet love. Out here surrounded by hundreds of people and already I can feel the tiny tremors shaking you." I whispered triumphantly. It is always nice to know you can overwhelm your lover?s inhibitions with just a touch. My fingers had begun playing an ancient rhythm against her clitoris through the thin slk of her panties and her moans were groaning louder, like music to my ears. Her breathing was also becoming quiet ragged and those nearby were beginning to stare.

"I came home tonight to pleasure you, only to find you gone." I said softly, as she ground her hips forward into my hand trying to get closer. Silk can be a hateful barrier at times. "It does not matter though because I have found you now." I added with just the right hint of danger coloring the words. Let her think that I would take my pleasure wherever I found her, it made her heart race, my sweet little exhibitionist. I rolled her delicate flesh between my fingers as her hips battled to get closer, moving in time with my hands.

Still she resisted. Kashauna was stubborn about so many things, but most especially about letting anyone rule her, even if it was just her body that obeyed. The struggle is what made it all worthwhile. She fought and I seduced, it worked out very nicely, as long as she lost. "Not here Luce, please people will..." her breath caught on a long moan as I pushed the fabric aside and slid one finger inside of her. She was tight and warm the feel of her made my own temperature rise. If sex was a drug she was my heroin.

I pulled her more closely to me, pressing myself against her. I would have made love to her there, but the mission remained.

I stopped moving my hand trapped against her hot flesh, and then slowly began to withdraw my finger. "Well since you asked so nicely," I said. She moved her hand to cover mine.

Now she had a lot more attention. Jason had been watching her in fascination for a long moment before Kylie noticed; now she was watching as well, including Gigs and Jean-Claude. Nathaniel was seated and appeared to be getting a contact buzz. I let the power of the moment flow out to encompass them. They might as well enjoy the show. Edward remained apart; for all that the circle of energy included him...and was starting to leak past him and into the crowd.

"Don't stop." She demanded through gritted teeth. I smiled, now she would dance for me. "But dearest we are in public and none can see me." She shook her head in a vain attempt to clear it of passion. The tip of my finger slid back inside and she tensed at the movement.

"I don't care." She got out haltingly, the sweetest little purring noises in her throat as she shifted against my hand trying to get the pressure she wanted back. I slid free to stroke her folds in a feather light caress. Her hand on mine tightened. "Please Luce don't stop," her voice was heavy with desire. "Please," she said again demanding and begging all at once.

I teased her with my fingers sliding in and out in rapid shallow movements, letting her taste what she wanted but with holding any fulfillment. "What is in it for me? You are the one gaining all the pleasure." I pointed out with a deeper stroke.

"Anything." She said writhing against me, still trapped against my chest. "What do you want?" She asked panting.

"Marry me." I said simply kissing her neck. Her head fell back on a moan as I slid another finger inside and pressing down with my thumb. Her body shuddered and tensed. I worked her flesh quickly wringing a long groan from her throat as her orgasm broke over her senses, I could see the power of it travel like a shock wave through her and beyond into those around us. Nathaniel began to purr. I smiled. She had about the same effect on me.

I eased my hand free of her clothing and turned her in my arms. Pulling her close I kissed her finally. I suppose that most men great their intended with a kiss, but I'd been distracted. Kissing her though reminded me how much I enjoyed just the thrill of capturing her breath and making it my own.

Slowly the cloud lifted though and suddenly she jerked away. "What?" She said whirling to face me. I phased in, though perhaps I should have quit while I was ahead. The self-satisfied look on my face made her eyes narrow and her hands fly to her hips. Most people cannot go from orgasm to anger quiet so quickly but then Kash is not most people. Of course she'd had practice, where most people had make up sex we had pre-fight sex...and then make-up sex...which worked out nicely for me.

"Marry me." I repeated. Gigs didn't look happy to see me...Nathaniel was still purring and Jean-Claude looked like the cat that just ate the cream. Kylie and Jason had disappeared. Her face didn't lose any of its thunderous quality. Perfect now the 'famed' Kashauna Aviartra Lady of Chirval; Mistress of Daristawn was going to put in an appearance. Perfect, just perfect. You could always tell, her voice would get deadly calm, her shoulder would straighten and her eyes would go from being soft liquid brown to burning topaz in under two seconds. It was never a good sign.

"This is how you propose marriage?" She asked in such a calm tone, if you ignored the hissing quality of her s'es. She was well and truly pissed, I just wasn't exactly sure why. I knew it wasn't a textbook definition of romantic, but it had seemed like a good idea at the time. "That's the basic idea yes." I replied in a carefully neutral tone. Why the hell had I even asked?

"So you had to try and manipulate me with sex? You could have just asked." The icy tone was cracking; there?d been real heat in that remark. "I was not trying to manipulate you. I was doing a damn good job of it." I replied with just as much acid. I don?t think that was the right thing to say at the moment. I could feel the temperature drop twenty degrees. Our little audience was watching very quietly. Gigs was probably laughing inside. Edward seemed to be ignoring us, but I doubted he had missed a single word or a moan for that matter, that thought made me fight a smile. She was mine and he better stay the hell away from her. Something of me thoughts must have shown on my face.

"Why the devil can't you act like a normal man?" She asked pointedly.

My eyes flicked back to here. "A normal man couldn't handle you." I replied fighting the urge to wring her neck.

"A normal man would have better sense then to even try." She snapped back.

I smiled meanly. "That's because a normal man would be frightened." This was something of an old argument. I wasn't sure why we kept coming back to it. Neither one of us had a snowball's chance in hell of ever remotely resembling normal.

"Is it really too much to ask that you simply ask me. Just once Luce, you might try and just ask instead of all the elaborate games." She gritted out.

"It isn't a game it is a proposal." I snapped back.

"You talk about normal but who are you trying to fool with the ice princess exterior...Me? If you'd stop pretending maybe you could accept a perfectly good offer without flying off the handle." I added angrily. This was ridiculous. I asked the girl to marry me and she acted like I'd tried to give her the plague. What the hell was wrong with her?

"A perfectly good offer? Offer? You didn't offer anything at all and you damn well know it, you demanded and bargained there's a big difference Luce." She said her foot had stopped tapping...it tapped when she was annoyed...so that it had stopped might be a good sign...maybe.

I looked at her for a long quiet moment. I'd screwed up yeah, but maybe it could be fixed. "Will you marry me?" I asked hesitantly.

A slow smile spread across her face. "All you had to do was ask," she said softly and threw herself into my arms and began kissing me with more passion then any man had a right too. She could appear straight-laced but sometimes I would almost swear she was a succubus in disguise. I've been chasing her for centuries but I'll never understand her...maybe I don't really need to.



INDEXor To Be Continued