[Vander could hurt her. if he wanted, he could have already had his way with her by now but he wouldn't. he wasn't that kind of man. if she truly wanted him to stop then he would. they both knew that wasn't what she was doing, though. it was simply a fight to let him know she wasn't happy and he'd have to really go for it if he wanted it.
maybe in some ways, this was her taking care of him. he needed this, didn't he? that's what she thought. she did, too. that he would keep fighting to have her. they both weren't happy and this was getting it all out.
her thong had been ripped off. it had been holding on but it'd been tugged and pulled off numerous times and this time it didn't stand a chance. something annoying to deal with later but that was the last thing on her mind. his desire to fuck her, obvious and hot, was much better. she was already wet and wanting, he probably knew that. but when he gripped her thighs, she only smirked with her swollen lip against his lips and kissed him deceptively gently (almost mocking) before trying to push at him again.]
Come on, you're the big man around here. Show me. Do it. [she pushed at his chest again as she felt her arousal grow. Vander wouldn't be able to miss it.]
[Her displeasure with how that entire conversation across the Murmur and the potential fall out was plain as day through the tether that they shared. Unlike those that would give the cold shoulder or argue, she was showing her displeasure by both shoving him off to force him to prove that he wanted to be close to her still. This was not the first time this tactic had been utilized against him, and he responded as she likely was hoping. Stepping out on her was the last thing he wanted to do, but the deep fear intermingled with old grief made the solution reasonable to keep her safe. A warped protective gesture based in care.
He tossed the remains of the thong aside, aware there were plenty around this place that she could replace them with. He also was not particularly concerned right now to the state of their clothing. After all, the warmth of her arousal in the tether was obvious, feeding into his own and encouraging the behaviours that they were displaying towards each other. He rolled his shoulders forward to brace against the shove to them by her, standing like a mountain against her futile attempts to unbalance him.
Instead, his hands slid from her thighs settle on the bar top so he could pull himself up onto it with her, crowding her between their mockingly sweet kisses so she was forced to lay down or at least squirm to try to escape him, in which he knew he had enough time to grab her and pull her right back if she even tried.]
That mad, huh? Come on, show me all your anger. [Now that he was on the bar top with her, their position became precarious, which might just be the way both of them wanted it. He caged her as much as he could with his arms and legs but also didn't hinder her potential for shoving, scratching or kicking.]
[something about Vander's reply bothered her. he knew she was angry from the tether, he'd probably known it even before he came into their place. until now, Maria didn't think she could be bothered by this man. they got along, they always seemed to fit together nicely, and now here they were. Maria wasn't very certain if this counted as a fight but it was close to it. she wanted them to join together to get this out of their system but she wanted him to know just how she felt.
he had her trapped under him. "trapped". there was space for her to get out or try to get at him but on top of the bar was risky. they could fall. there was no choice but to lie back, let him have his way like that, and there was delight there. there was a degree of play in this. it was a performance even if Maria was angry.
Maria knew all of her attempts at fighting would be useless but that wasn't what this was about. it was about the meaning behind the actions so she did try to shove him off of her. truly he was too strong, it wasn't much of anything, but the intent was there. her leg went up between them to try to put some distance between them as that caused her dress to ride up. all the while she was smiling at him even if her eyes didn't quite catch up to it.]
[If she was angry enough at him for wanting to protect her, he expected she would be furious at anyone making the attempt to harm her. Vander knew he was capable of failing since that day, and due to having a target on his back, people died. Children died. The Lanes would have been overrun and the bodies of addicts that he could have prevented were a weight on his shoulders too. He liked her. A lot. He needed to protect her while also understanding he couldn't and wouldn't hold her hand all the time because they were both separate people. He knew she was angry, felt it growing and building within her, and he forced himself to view it as good. She's fight. For herself. For survival.
Despite his antics, he would immediately if she was not comfortable or wanted to just have it out with him. There was nothing in his posturing meant to hold her against her will; he had never been that kind of guy and wouldn't become that here. The bar was a risky endeavor but not one they haven't enjoyed before either, and both of them did understand the risks of twisting and turning for a change in position.
His shoulders moved with his next shove as he loomed over her, glancing down to note the way she raised her leg to be a hinderance. He leaned down to kiss along her neck, an soft apology that was at odds with how he moved up so he could simply straddle her raised leg. He moved his arms to cage in the top of her head where he could also rest his forehead against it to watch her as he ground himself on her thigh.]
[all Maria knew was how to fight, it was all she ever did. even if she played helpless damsel more often than not, she survived—by any means necessary. and sure, the inability to stay dead was on her side, but Maria didn't give up. if someone hurt her here, she wouldn't forget. she would never forget. perhaps with Vander, she appeared too helpless. too delicate. there was trying to guilt him using that to make him stay but it seemed far more likely he would find himself unable to do that. but even if she was angry with him, she wasn't letting him leave her.
Maria can intuit what the kisses on her neck were supposed to mean, what the tether showed them to be, and she knows Vander is sorry for upsetting her. if they were not playing out this battle for dominance, then he would be apologizing. perhaps talking this out, a far healthier thing to be doing. but they both needed this. he'd been so angry and now he was trying to get it out of his system. that's what this was.
he was grinding himself against her leg. Vander was just as turned on as she was and it was impossible to ignore.] Are you really going to hump my leg like some dog? [it was hot, actually, even if she spoke as if she was mocking him.] Little dangerous, don't you think? [Maria tried to bend her leg as if she was going to knee his groin. it was meant to be a distraction before she used all of her strength to try to push him off of her so she could twist her body. if he didn't pin her down quickly, she could turn around and use all of her strength to back into him to try to push her off. Maria doesn't think it will work but if they do tumble off of the bar then she has an advantage.
and they both know what this is ultimately going to lead to no matter where it ends up. until then, though, she wants to show she doesn't have to make anything easy.]
[She was a survivor, he knew. They had been around each other enough in the last weeks to know that she was resourceful, skilled and socially aware enough to move through groups and build alliances. He couldn't think of a time when he had seen her angry, least of all with him as they had an extremely amicable relationship with each other. He considered this as close to 'fighting' as they had ever managed, and he did not enjoy it regardless of how much he was putting on the show for her. He had hurt her and that provoked her current fury; he didn't blame her even if his intentions had been good.
They would play this out for as long as they wanted to, and he continued to kiss her neck and under her jawline as she asked him about his current antics. He made a point of grinding down harder in reply.] Hound, actually. And you haven't opened my pants, so what else am I supposed to do? [He was provoking her, he knew. He grunted when she set her knee, but he sensed the play as her weight moved.
He set an arm across the front of her shoulders above her breasts to pin her to the bar top, leaning over so they were staring eye to eye with each other. He smirked in that charming way that he did when he knew he was trying to win his way back into good books, and he dropped from being 'tough' with her to trying to be sweet on her instead, suspecting that there was nothing in the gestures that she would actually fall for. So he frotted on her thigh while also nuzzling her face.]
[Maria had half known she stood no chance against Vander. he was stronger as well as quicker, despite his large frame. Maria had been built to be weak and that was showcased well here. yet it makes her happy. the anger has yet to fade but him pinning her, working on taking her with as much effort as he is— if he could do this then how could he leave her?
there are no more moves she can make and simply stares up at him as her hands slide down between them to begin to help him with his trousers.] Funny how you'll fight this hard to keep me under you but you talk about leaving me so easily. [she finally smiles as she attempts to take his cock out while spreading her legs and trying to guide him inside of her.]
Are you going to fuck me like I'm somebody you can toss aside? [like i don't matter, is the underlying tone.]
[He was aware that she wanted him to prove himself here, that he wouldn't just let her have her way or that he wouldn't just roll over. Her anger meant he was to fight even if it was just pushing her around or a simple pin to the bar top. He knew she was testing him, and he gave in knowing that he deserved it and replied in kind with his own hurt and frustration at the situation that surrounded him. He needed her to be okay, to be safe, to not die on his watch.
By now, she had figured out his clasped clothing with its lack of zippers. He felt a sort of relief when the tension of the waistband was released and leaned down to kiss along her jaw. He shivered at her words, how they cut even if it was with the truth. On her hand guiding his cock to place, he didn't fight her, aware they both intended to have the same end point.] You're safer where he can't reach you, which is unfortunately away from me. He's already taken my sons from me. My daughter is twisted up because of him too... if I lost you, I don't think I'd recover.
[He pressed himself inside of her with a firm single thrust, driving himself up into her familiar wet heat. He growled at her tone, and now it felt like they were truly fighting.] Make your mark on me or maybe I will. [He challenged her back. If she was so committed to staying in danger, make him think of nothing but what they shared for some time.]
[the anger wells up inside of her, rage making her feel hot and her insides freezing at the same time—and she can't truly understand why. he is telling that he cares, that she means so much to him that she could destroy him that terribly. if it was only that then she would hold him and pet his hair. tell him sweet words that let him know just how much he means to her.
but she has been alone too much. Vander had been the first person she'd gotten to really know. their relationship had grown quickly. fast, hard, and apparently soul-crushing if right now explained anything.
there is so much she can say and she only falters for a moment when he is finally inside of her. his pleasure mingling with hers, their anger and frustration blending.] You're not doing this for my sake. Don't play that goddamn macho crap with me. [he wanted her to make her mark? fine. she kisses his neck with an open mouth, wet and needy. his pulse is right there and then she bites. meant to break skin. the temptation has been there always but she had never wanted to hurt him. at this moment this doesn't feel like much of a concern and he'd practically told her to.
and she wants him to fuck her. really fuck her so deep it's as if they will never be disconnected. it isn't about pleasure as it is about that. making a mark that will be impossible to forget.]
[This was not a situation where he expected any manner of sweetness from her, not when her anger seemed to be build higher and higher. This was a small pitfall of becoming so close so fast with one another; they didn't have time to reveal the nuances of their traumas to each other and were still learning one another's personal quirks. He didn't entirely understand that she had deep abandonment issues, and she couldn't know that he blamed himself for so much of what happened at the end of his life by simply being part of others.
He should explain more, but she was his one reprieve here, someone he needed feel like he had to measure up against. She accepted him as he was, never knowing who he had been and what he had done. For it to be aired so publicly too... she didn't even think less of him now.
He grimaced at her sharp words, it peeling away some of the pleasure of being inside of her. It wouldn't stop him from thrusting though, sliding his arm from her chest to set his hands on either side of her head so there was limited rolling about that she could do like this.] He'll kill you if he knows you're close to me. [That's all he can say before she was biting him, and he inhaled sharply at the burn of pain and also the feeling of skin breaking and blood welling up from the wound.
In response, he thrust into her harder and with a bruising pace for them both, sinking all of his frustration, worry and care of her into the motions. He grunted and growled pleasure with each thrust, keeping his neck close in case she wanted to bite him again.]
[after seeing images of each other's towns, Maria had thought they had come to some understanding. that they could help each other. through the tragedy, through the gloom, they could extend a hand for the other. be a lifeline. Maria had believed that with all of her heart. no matter what past he held, she knew she could accept it. as long as it was still Vander.
his words only prove her point and she licks along the mark, not letting a single drop spill down his neck. their mutual pleasure feeding into each other through the tether. their sex is always amazing but the heightened emotions they were feeling only made this more and more intense. if she wasn't limping after this then it would be a miracle.] It's easier to let me go than feel like you failed someone else, you mean. [she hopes those words hit the target. Maria doesn't bite him right away again, kissing the wound and getting lost in the feeling of him inside of her for a moment.
and then she murmured near his ear:] But do you really think it'd be that easy to separate us? Do you really think you or anybody else can make that happen? Is that even what you want? Haven't you been happy with me? [her voice was like a siren's, trying to lure him into the safe haven of never worrying about such things. to focus on her, their pleasure, and how wonderful things were as they had been together.
she moved to try to spread her legs, showing how much she could take from him. this unrelenting pace, him. she wanted all of him.] I'll always accept you. Every last part of you. [is the whispered promise through their tether.]
[Vander trusted her more than he trusted anyone else here, which was saying something given there were people from his world here. Yet, the connection he had with Maria made it so he leaned into her more than others. He wanted to help her, and he knew that she would help him. That kind of connection was unique, and he thought that he would need to protect it - protect her - after he had lost so many of his close connections.
He rumbled as she licked the mark on she had generated on his neck, and he found his mind spanning too much to focus on one thing. He bowed his head as their pleasure washed over him, escalated by emotion as he continued to pound her into the bar top, yet he was clearly less in control of the situation that he had previously been playing at. Truth be told was that he had walked in here on the back foot. So he winced at her accurate assessment, grumbling a half-pained moan in confirmation.] There were so many that died because of their association with me... [A classic coup.
He rested his forehead against the bar top as he hitched his hips and slid a hand down to grip the back of one thigh so he could hike it higher to change the angle he thrust into her.] You don't know him like I do... he sees where to hurt people and how to control them. It's aged now, so I see it. [He understood he didn't answer her questions.] You make me happy, Maria. That's what puts you at so much risk.
He tipped his head to peer at her as she parted her legs further, and he curled his other arm around the top of her head while still using it to brace his weight forward.] I want to protect you from pain. You've seen so much...
[Vander was still thrusting into her with that violent pace, his movements sometimes bordering on a little too overwhelming but the thought of stopping him never crossed her mind. he needed this and she had said she would take care of him. besides, she needed it just as much as he did. maybe even more. the physical reminder that he was here with her right now and this moment couldn't be taken from them.
with the way he crowded her, all she could see was his body and how his adam apple moved as he talked. all she could feel was the pleasure and the absolute grief and pain recalling this brought to him. he'd told her he made mistakes, he'd let people down. it was easy to assume this other man had helped him face that mistake. maybe been part of it. it hurt her just as much to feel, to know that he had to face this. perhaps Vander had made a terrible mistake, done something bad, but that was in the past. all Maria knew was the man here now and she would do anything for him. take on anybody who would separate them.
Vander being so apologetic and so sad made it hard for her to stay as angry as she was. especially when it seemed like he was scared of losing her now. even if the anger was gone, the possessiveness was still there, though. Maria still wanted to prove her point. as he started to hit her g-spot, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him. Maria moaned into it and knew that with the aid of their tether, he felt all that she did. their pleasures blended.] Vander, let me take care of you. [was all she said through their tether and then she did start to push him up. she would ride him, make him look at her, and she would finish this conversation. put an end to his ideas of being a selfless protector.] Say you want me to and I'll do it.
[Vander had lost control and maybe he'd only had it because Maria allowed it. but now she would take it.]
[She wasn't squirming and the tether didn't inform him that she was in pain; if anything, her anger with him fueled the rate and strength of his thrusts. He'd bruise them both, he knew, and that seemed to be a worthy show of the emotion-fueled disagreement that they were having to the situation both had been thrust into and perhaps had both been unprepared for when one considered all the good times that they had had with one another so far. He didn't want to lose this connection or closeness.
Maria had seen the bridge, the failed revolution and felt some of his pain surrounding that event. It was merely the tip of the iceberg of terrible things that had happened, that he didn't want to enodate her with. What if she found out the truth of what he had done and she was reviled? He would have to endure the fracturing of her fondness for him, and perhaps that too was what he deserved as he had tried to pull away to protect her. He had to protect her; without Maria, he felt so utterly alone and weighted with the old grief that simply wouldn't quit.
He pressed his shoulders into the weight of her arms around them, and he didn't make any resistance to her kiss. If anything, the moment their lips touched, he came at her like a starving man, licking and nipping at her lips. She surrounded him in warmth and care, and the familiarity of possessiveness creeping through the tether was oddly comforting. In the tether, he reached for her as if he could wrap himself around her in return, protecting her with everything he was.] Don't leave me. Please...
[He should be stronger than this, the shoulder everyone else leaned on. Yet, for now, in this moment, she was his strength.]
[there would be bruises and she would be sore for days. of that she was sure. it didn't matter to her. she couldn't be close enough to Vander and she tried to meet his hips. Maria wanted them so connected it would be hard to feel as if he was separate from her at all.
and she knew he needed it just as much. deep down, Maria knew it had been fear that made Vander almost push her away. Vander was a man in pain, who was grieving, and he was afraid to lose more. it wasn't the same kind of loss if you left the person first. there was always an opportunity to start again. but even before he kissed her, even before he said anything, Maria had known it wasn't what he truly wanted. no, what he wanted was her. her and her comfort. so she gave it to him.
Maria kissed him back with the same passion as before, the same hardness. but now there was no anger. only desire. she bit his lip but not for the intention to hurt him. no, it was to show him how much she wanted him. all of him.] I won't. I'll never leave you. I need you, too. All of you. [she breathed hard through her nose as they kissed and her hands trailed down to his lower back, trying to show him to keep going.] So keep taking me. Keep going so we can't ever be separated. We'll show each other just how much we mean it.
[this time when their lips separated and she went to his neck, this bite wasn't a painful reminder of her anger. no, this was because she wanted him to see just how much she meant every word of what she said.]
[He would have to apologize if he had hurt her, aware of how his size and strength could put his partner at risk. The emotion bled out of him with the frantic state of their coupling, the tether escalating things as they shared emotion and surrounded each other with it. He felt her frustration with him along with her care and warmth to surround and protect him.
Once all of this had swung down from the emotion and he had an opportunity to think clearly, he knew there were more aspects of this that he would be required to explain. Until then, he did burrow into her comfort and warmth, the distraction of her body wrapped around him, and as they kissed each other, he experienced the change to her emotions. It caused his pace to gentle in reply, to roll his hips against her own, drive deep but without as much force. His eyes remained mostly closed, just a sliver of silver peeking out from between his lashes.]
I want you to need me too, Maria. I want to protect you. [He hummed into the kiss at her words, letting them drag some of the harsher emotion out of the coupling. As the kiss broke so she could kiss and bite his neck, he arched his back into her hands and tucked his chin over the top of her head in a protective gesture.]
You're my leading lady. I want to keep you safe. [Good intentions paved down the path to Hell, he supposed. But he would follow her, lead her, protect her, even in situations she may not agree.]
[the anger and the harshness left their sex. now it felt like it often did though still as serious as it had been before. sometimes it was boredom that drove them, sometimes they were simply horny, and other times it didn't feel like it was about anything carnal between them. those moments felt like they only wanted to be close and the tether wasn't enough. during those times, she felt wildly emotional and always wondered if he ever found it offputting even if he never implied he did.
but this moment right now felt more like them apologizing to the other. trying to assure each other that there was no other place they'd rather be. Maria certainly didn't want to be with anybody else and it was why she'd reacted so angrily at the idea of losing him. the thought was unbearable.
at his usual nickname, she smiled and it really did feel like everything was much easier now. they'd be okay and she continued to lavish attention on his neck. her hips matching his pace so they could meet together and he could continue thrusting into her just right so her pleasure could keep mounting and mounting.]
I adore you, you know. [her tongue cleaned off a smudge of blood left behind from her earlier vicious bite.] As long as you're with me, everything will be okay.
[Things between the slowed, became less emotional and frantic, and he fell into a softer rhythm as his breathing and emotional state eased out of volatility. It was a pleasant sizzle down his spine now, rolling her hips with his own while feeling the press of her inner thighs around his hips. They had always had a good sex life since this began two months back, yet this point in time was probably the most emotional they had been for it.
He tipped his chin so he could bury his nose into the hair at the crown of her head, breathing her scent in between him kissing her there. He leaned more heavily on her as an apology for being rough, his chest pressing against her breasts as he enjoyed the warmth of her embrace and seeming forgiveness. He didn't want to upset her while at the same time, he didn't want to risk her life as he had experienced with Benzo, Grayson and his kids. Maria was so special to him.
He hummed at her words, tucking his elbows closer to her arms.] I know you do. I feel it every day we're together. [He leaned into her tongue.] I cherish what we have together; I don't want you to be hurt because of me.
[His own pleasure was mounting, not longer requiring that strangle hold on it. He felt his climax rising, and he fully began to chase it, knowing she couldn't be too far behind him heading towards it.]
[he felt it, did he? how much more did he feel from her? could Vander even understand just how much he did mean to her? the first person she had talked to outside of James, the first person to see her and treat her like she was somebody, and the first time she'd been kissed and loved on like he wanted her. not a memory of a woman gone. just her. could Vander know that at all?
and Maria knew she was a comfort to him. with Vander, she played her role well. he allowed her to be what she was always meant to be. Vander needed more support than she thought even he understood. he was a caretaker, a guardian, and his defenses had been smashed to pieces. maybe they had been for a while. he was a broken man and Maria wanted to gather all the pieces, keep him safe.
he was close and so was she. her breaths were picking up in speed and she was panting. whispered pleas escaped her, telling him how good he was, how amazing he made her feel, and how much she needed them. these things were not even lies even if they sounded like something that came straight from pornography. they were all true and when her orgasm did rip through her, the loud whine that echoed throughout the bar was obscene. as was the satisfied groan when he did finally let go himself.
and when they both came down, she only pet his back and there was a satisfied smile on her lips.]
Hey. I found something earlier. Thought about saving them to barter with but we can share one. Consider it a peace treaty or something.
[He had some idea that he had become an important figure in Maria's life, that her previous life had not been a joyous one with few people. It had been a living hell for her, and he was so happy that she was in his life and vice versa. He knew that she was protective of him, and he appreciated that he had someone looking out for his back. At one time and for many years, that had been Benzo, but he was dead... killed in the streets to Silco's monster.
He didn't want to think about those losses right now, wanted to press himself against Maria and have a breather from the fright that he might lose her just by their association. He leaned into her body, focused on their sex and hummed as she pleaded with him, directing him to her pleasure as his fingers tangled in her blonde hair as he kissed her as she came with him following suit two thrusts later as she clamped on him. He growled out a groan of pleasure and panted against her lips.
He relaxed but didn't hasten to remove himself from being over top of her. No, he shifted so he could lay his cheek on the bartop and just rested there in the cradle of her thighs.]
Hmm, what would that be? I'm still working on that distiller. I think I can get it working.
[sometimes these were her favorite moments. where they simply just existed, sometimes basking in the pleasure they had brought each other or they were only relaxing. trying to enjoy the close proximity. there was no way Maria could give this up and her hand went to his temple, stroking along his hairline.]
Nothing so important as what you got going, handsome.
[she turns a bit to reach under the bar and pulls out an almost empty cigarette pack. only five cigarettes are in there but she shakes them in front of him.]
We can share one and see what we can trade for the rest, if you want? It's my peace offering to you.
[His hard breathing began to slow as he relaxed against her, keeping her trapped - and safe - under his body as they lay on the bar top. Even as he softened and slipped free of her, he remained exactly where she was and hummed softly as he felt her fingers against his temple. He turned his face so he could kiss her neck and then the corner of her jaw.]
It is simply something we can leverage and bring people together. We'll need that.
[They would need it now more than ever to strengthen their position. That seemed paramount now than he knew that Silco was on the move.
Yet, he lifted his head as she produced a cigarette pack, and a shiver ran down him. He missed smoking so much, and yet he didn't have the same craving as when he had 'quit' before.]
I didn't think you smoked. Keeping secrets from me, beautiful?
[now that they are here together, coming down from their highs, it seems so far away that she had truly been so angry at him. and with the way he holds her, it feels just as unlikely that he had wanted to leave. not with how he kisses her skin and his touch makes her feel so important.
and when he says 'we' then Maria knows for certain they will be okay. they are okay.]
Before I'd go out, I'd smoke a cigarette when I drank to calm down. And then you know, those ran out where I came from. Not exactly a big habit of mine but there's old stories of people smoking shit as they talked things over. Doubt I can find anything better to smoke than this. [Maria was sure any weed was long gone by now. she hadn't found any.]
[Even in his blissed out state, he knew that there were questions that would require answers. That had been a public dust up after all, and she deserved to know so that she could better protect herself just in case. That moment seemed far away right now, cuddled as he was against her, the feel of her body under his own with its familiarity.
He nodded his head at her explanation, and it fit so many similar life stories. He smoked the vulgar crass herbs that managed to survive in the undercity, the kind of mixture that stirred up the lungs and yet he was intimately familiar with. He missed it, the soothing motions that also provided him a level of confidence that had been stripped from him in the aftermath of his fall.
He took the cigarette from the pack and brought it under his nose to breathe in the scent. It was good, much milder than he was used to. He offered it back to her to take first.] Maybe a little habit we can share now and again? Feels like it's been awhile, but I can honestly say that I miss it.
[He should stay quit, but in some ways, why bother?]
[there's a quirk of her lips that becomes a smile when he tells her that and she can't help but kiss him. Maria loved him terribly and in her fear of losing him, anger had overcome her. but now together again, everything calmed, Maria couldn't imagine anything ever coming between them. and she knew Vander must feel the same.]
Sharing a smoke with you sounds good sometimes. But I'd share just about anything with you. [there was an undercurrent of many emotions coming through with that and she really did think she would share anything with him. cigarettes, her time, her life...anything he wanted.
Maria had wanted to offer him first drag but this was just as well. there were plenty of lighters in this strip club and Maria got one of the many under the bar to light it up. she took a long drag of it, letting the smoke run through her. it had been a while and she had thought she might cough but she didn't. honestly, she felt amazing right now. post orgasm, Vander close, and their emotions at an all time high. there was the slight buzz from the cigarette when she passed it to Vander, her eyes on him.]
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2026-02-28 10:04 pm (UTC)maybe in some ways, this was her taking care of him. he needed this, didn't he? that's what she thought. she did, too. that he would keep fighting to have her. they both weren't happy and this was getting it all out.
her thong had been ripped off. it had been holding on but it'd been tugged and pulled off numerous times and this time it didn't stand a chance. something annoying to deal with later but that was the last thing on her mind. his desire to fuck her, obvious and hot, was much better. she was already wet and wanting, he probably knew that. but when he gripped her thighs, she only smirked with her swollen lip against his lips and kissed him deceptively gently (almost mocking) before trying to push at him again.]
Come on, you're the big man around here. Show me. Do it. [she pushed at his chest again as she felt her arousal grow. Vander wouldn't be able to miss it.]
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Date: 2026-03-01 08:40 pm (UTC)He tossed the remains of the thong aside, aware there were plenty around this place that she could replace them with. He also was not particularly concerned right now to the state of their clothing. After all, the warmth of her arousal in the tether was obvious, feeding into his own and encouraging the behaviours that they were displaying towards each other. He rolled his shoulders forward to brace against the shove to them by her, standing like a mountain against her futile attempts to unbalance him.
Instead, his hands slid from her thighs settle on the bar top so he could pull himself up onto it with her, crowding her between their mockingly sweet kisses so she was forced to lay down or at least squirm to try to escape him, in which he knew he had enough time to grab her and pull her right back if she even tried.]
That mad, huh? Come on, show me all your anger. [Now that he was on the bar top with her, their position became precarious, which might just be the way both of them wanted it. He caged her as much as he could with his arms and legs but also didn't hinder her potential for shoving, scratching or kicking.]
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Date: 2026-03-05 02:57 am (UTC)he had her trapped under him. "trapped". there was space for her to get out or try to get at him but on top of the bar was risky. they could fall. there was no choice but to lie back, let him have his way like that, and there was delight there. there was a degree of play in this. it was a performance even if Maria was angry.
Maria knew all of her attempts at fighting would be useless but that wasn't what this was about. it was about the meaning behind the actions so she did try to shove him off of her. truly he was too strong, it wasn't much of anything, but the intent was there. her leg went up between them to try to put some distance between them as that caused her dress to ride up. all the while she was smiling at him even if her eyes didn't quite catch up to it.]
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Date: 2026-03-05 05:17 pm (UTC)Despite his antics, he would immediately if she was not comfortable or wanted to just have it out with him. There was nothing in his posturing meant to hold her against her will; he had never been that kind of guy and wouldn't become that here. The bar was a risky endeavor but not one they haven't enjoyed before either, and both of them did understand the risks of twisting and turning for a change in position.
His shoulders moved with his next shove as he loomed over her, glancing down to note the way she raised her leg to be a hinderance. He leaned down to kiss along her neck, an soft apology that was at odds with how he moved up so he could simply straddle her raised leg. He moved his arms to cage in the top of her head where he could also rest his forehead against it to watch her as he ground himself on her thigh.]
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Date: 2026-03-06 03:21 pm (UTC)Maria can intuit what the kisses on her neck were supposed to mean, what the tether showed them to be, and she knows Vander is sorry for upsetting her. if they were not playing out this battle for dominance, then he would be apologizing. perhaps talking this out, a far healthier thing to be doing. but they both needed this. he'd been so angry and now he was trying to get it out of his system. that's what this was.
he was grinding himself against her leg. Vander was just as turned on as she was and it was impossible to ignore.] Are you really going to hump my leg like some dog? [it was hot, actually, even if she spoke as if she was mocking him.] Little dangerous, don't you think? [Maria tried to bend her leg as if she was going to knee his groin. it was meant to be a distraction before she used all of her strength to try to push him off of her so she could twist her body. if he didn't pin her down quickly, she could turn around and use all of her strength to back into him to try to push her off. Maria doesn't think it will work but if they do tumble off of the bar then she has an advantage.
and they both know what this is ultimately going to lead to no matter where it ends up. until then, though, she wants to show she doesn't have to make anything easy.]
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Date: 2026-03-07 07:51 pm (UTC)They would play this out for as long as they wanted to, and he continued to kiss her neck and under her jawline as she asked him about his current antics. He made a point of grinding down harder in reply.] Hound, actually. And you haven't opened my pants, so what else am I supposed to do? [He was provoking her, he knew. He grunted when she set her knee, but he sensed the play as her weight moved.
He set an arm across the front of her shoulders above her breasts to pin her to the bar top, leaning over so they were staring eye to eye with each other. He smirked in that charming way that he did when he knew he was trying to win his way back into good books, and he dropped from being 'tough' with her to trying to be sweet on her instead, suspecting that there was nothing in the gestures that she would actually fall for. So he frotted on her thigh while also nuzzling her face.]
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Date: 2026-03-08 02:53 am (UTC)there are no more moves she can make and simply stares up at him as her hands slide down between them to begin to help him with his trousers.] Funny how you'll fight this hard to keep me under you but you talk about leaving me so easily. [she finally smiles as she attempts to take his cock out while spreading her legs and trying to guide him inside of her.]
Are you going to fuck me like I'm somebody you can toss aside? [like i don't matter, is the underlying tone.]
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Date: 2026-03-08 03:21 am (UTC)By now, she had figured out his clasped clothing with its lack of zippers. He felt a sort of relief when the tension of the waistband was released and leaned down to kiss along her jaw. He shivered at her words, how they cut even if it was with the truth. On her hand guiding his cock to place, he didn't fight her, aware they both intended to have the same end point.] You're safer where he can't reach you, which is unfortunately away from me. He's already taken my sons from me. My daughter is twisted up because of him too... if I lost you, I don't think I'd recover.
[He pressed himself inside of her with a firm single thrust, driving himself up into her familiar wet heat. He growled at her tone, and now it felt like they were truly fighting.] Make your mark on me or maybe I will. [He challenged her back. If she was so committed to staying in danger, make him think of nothing but what they shared for some time.]
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Date: 2026-03-08 03:50 am (UTC)but she has been alone too much. Vander had been the first person she'd gotten to really know. their relationship had grown quickly. fast, hard, and apparently soul-crushing if right now explained anything.
there is so much she can say and she only falters for a moment when he is finally inside of her. his pleasure mingling with hers, their anger and frustration blending.] You're not doing this for my sake. Don't play that goddamn macho crap with me. [he wanted her to make her mark? fine. she kisses his neck with an open mouth, wet and needy. his pulse is right there and then she bites. meant to break skin. the temptation has been there always but she had never wanted to hurt him. at this moment this doesn't feel like much of a concern and he'd practically told her to.
and she wants him to fuck her. really fuck her so deep it's as if they will never be disconnected. it isn't about pleasure as it is about that. making a mark that will be impossible to forget.]
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Date: 2026-03-10 01:36 am (UTC)He should explain more, but she was his one reprieve here, someone he needed feel like he had to measure up against. She accepted him as he was, never knowing who he had been and what he had done. For it to be aired so publicly too... she didn't even think less of him now.
He grimaced at her sharp words, it peeling away some of the pleasure of being inside of her. It wouldn't stop him from thrusting though, sliding his arm from her chest to set his hands on either side of her head so there was limited rolling about that she could do like this.] He'll kill you if he knows you're close to me. [That's all he can say before she was biting him, and he inhaled sharply at the burn of pain and also the feeling of skin breaking and blood welling up from the wound.
In response, he thrust into her harder and with a bruising pace for them both, sinking all of his frustration, worry and care of her into the motions. He grunted and growled pleasure with each thrust, keeping his neck close in case she wanted to bite him again.]
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Date: 2026-03-14 07:34 pm (UTC)his words only prove her point and she licks along the mark, not letting a single drop spill down his neck. their mutual pleasure feeding into each other through the tether. their sex is always amazing but the heightened emotions they were feeling only made this more and more intense. if she wasn't limping after this then it would be a miracle.] It's easier to let me go than feel like you failed someone else, you mean. [she hopes those words hit the target. Maria doesn't bite him right away again, kissing the wound and getting lost in the feeling of him inside of her for a moment.
and then she murmured near his ear:] But do you really think it'd be that easy to separate us? Do you really think you or anybody else can make that happen? Is that even what you want? Haven't you been happy with me? [her voice was like a siren's, trying to lure him into the safe haven of never worrying about such things. to focus on her, their pleasure, and how wonderful things were as they had been together.
she moved to try to spread her legs, showing how much she could take from him. this unrelenting pace, him. she wanted all of him.] I'll always accept you. Every last part of you. [is the whispered promise through their tether.]
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Date: 2026-03-15 05:39 pm (UTC)He rumbled as she licked the mark on she had generated on his neck, and he found his mind spanning too much to focus on one thing. He bowed his head as their pleasure washed over him, escalated by emotion as he continued to pound her into the bar top, yet he was clearly less in control of the situation that he had previously been playing at. Truth be told was that he had walked in here on the back foot. So he winced at her accurate assessment, grumbling a half-pained moan in confirmation.] There were so many that died because of their association with me... [A classic coup.
He rested his forehead against the bar top as he hitched his hips and slid a hand down to grip the back of one thigh so he could hike it higher to change the angle he thrust into her.] You don't know him like I do... he sees where to hurt people and how to control them. It's aged now, so I see it. [He understood he didn't answer her questions.] You make me happy, Maria. That's what puts you at so much risk.
He tipped his head to peer at her as she parted her legs further, and he curled his other arm around the top of her head while still using it to brace his weight forward.] I want to protect you from pain. You've seen so much...
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Date: 2026-03-17 02:08 am (UTC)with the way he crowded her, all she could see was his body and how his adam apple moved as he talked. all she could feel was the pleasure and the absolute grief and pain recalling this brought to him. he'd told her he made mistakes, he'd let people down. it was easy to assume this other man had helped him face that mistake. maybe been part of it. it hurt her just as much to feel, to know that he had to face this. perhaps Vander had made a terrible mistake, done something bad, but that was in the past. all Maria knew was the man here now and she would do anything for him. take on anybody who would separate them.
Vander being so apologetic and so sad made it hard for her to stay as angry as she was. especially when it seemed like he was scared of losing her now. even if the anger was gone, the possessiveness was still there, though. Maria still wanted to prove her point. as he started to hit her g-spot, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and leaned in to kiss him. Maria moaned into it and knew that with the aid of their tether, he felt all that she did. their pleasures blended.] Vander, let me take care of you. [was all she said through their tether and then she did start to push him up. she would ride him, make him look at her, and she would finish this conversation. put an end to his ideas of being a selfless protector.] Say you want me to and I'll do it.
[Vander had lost control and maybe he'd only had it because Maria allowed it. but now she would take it.]
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Date: 2026-03-17 04:22 pm (UTC)Maria had seen the bridge, the failed revolution and felt some of his pain surrounding that event. It was merely the tip of the iceberg of terrible things that had happened, that he didn't want to enodate her with. What if she found out the truth of what he had done and she was reviled? He would have to endure the fracturing of her fondness for him, and perhaps that too was what he deserved as he had tried to pull away to protect her. He had to protect her; without Maria, he felt so utterly alone and weighted with the old grief that simply wouldn't quit.
He pressed his shoulders into the weight of her arms around them, and he didn't make any resistance to her kiss. If anything, the moment their lips touched, he came at her like a starving man, licking and nipping at her lips. She surrounded him in warmth and care, and the familiarity of possessiveness creeping through the tether was oddly comforting. In the tether, he reached for her as if he could wrap himself around her in return, protecting her with everything he was.] Don't leave me. Please...
[He should be stronger than this, the shoulder everyone else leaned on. Yet, for now, in this moment, she was his strength.]
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Date: 2026-03-17 09:35 pm (UTC)and she knew he needed it just as much. deep down, Maria knew it had been fear that made Vander almost push her away. Vander was a man in pain, who was grieving, and he was afraid to lose more. it wasn't the same kind of loss if you left the person first. there was always an opportunity to start again. but even before he kissed her, even before he said anything, Maria had known it wasn't what he truly wanted. no, what he wanted was her. her and her comfort. so she gave it to him.
Maria kissed him back with the same passion as before, the same hardness. but now there was no anger. only desire. she bit his lip but not for the intention to hurt him. no, it was to show him how much she wanted him. all of him.] I won't. I'll never leave you. I need you, too. All of you. [she breathed hard through her nose as they kissed and her hands trailed down to his lower back, trying to show him to keep going.] So keep taking me. Keep going so we can't ever be separated. We'll show each other just how much we mean it.
[this time when their lips separated and she went to his neck, this bite wasn't a painful reminder of her anger. no, this was because she wanted him to see just how much she meant every word of what she said.]
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Date: 2026-03-19 04:35 pm (UTC)Once all of this had swung down from the emotion and he had an opportunity to think clearly, he knew there were more aspects of this that he would be required to explain. Until then, he did burrow into her comfort and warmth, the distraction of her body wrapped around him, and as they kissed each other, he experienced the change to her emotions. It caused his pace to gentle in reply, to roll his hips against her own, drive deep but without as much force. His eyes remained mostly closed, just a sliver of silver peeking out from between his lashes.]
I want you to need me too, Maria. I want to protect you. [He hummed into the kiss at her words, letting them drag some of the harsher emotion out of the coupling. As the kiss broke so she could kiss and bite his neck, he arched his back into her hands and tucked his chin over the top of her head in a protective gesture.]
You're my leading lady. I want to keep you safe. [Good intentions paved down the path to Hell, he supposed. But he would follow her, lead her, protect her, even in situations she may not agree.]
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Date: 2026-03-20 12:04 am (UTC)but this moment right now felt more like them apologizing to the other. trying to assure each other that there was no other place they'd rather be. Maria certainly didn't want to be with anybody else and it was why she'd reacted so angrily at the idea of losing him. the thought was unbearable.
at his usual nickname, she smiled and it really did feel like everything was much easier now. they'd be okay and she continued to lavish attention on his neck. her hips matching his pace so they could meet together and he could continue thrusting into her just right so her pleasure could keep mounting and mounting.]
I adore you, you know. [her tongue cleaned off a smudge of blood left behind from her earlier vicious bite.] As long as you're with me, everything will be okay.
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Date: 2026-03-20 08:11 pm (UTC)He tipped his chin so he could bury his nose into the hair at the crown of her head, breathing her scent in between him kissing her there. He leaned more heavily on her as an apology for being rough, his chest pressing against her breasts as he enjoyed the warmth of her embrace and seeming forgiveness. He didn't want to upset her while at the same time, he didn't want to risk her life as he had experienced with Benzo, Grayson and his kids. Maria was so special to him.
He hummed at her words, tucking his elbows closer to her arms.] I know you do. I feel it every day we're together. [He leaned into her tongue.] I cherish what we have together; I don't want you to be hurt because of me.
[His own pleasure was mounting, not longer requiring that strangle hold on it. He felt his climax rising, and he fully began to chase it, knowing she couldn't be too far behind him heading towards it.]
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Date: 2026-03-23 04:48 pm (UTC)and Maria knew she was a comfort to him. with Vander, she played her role well. he allowed her to be what she was always meant to be. Vander needed more support than she thought even he understood. he was a caretaker, a guardian, and his defenses had been smashed to pieces. maybe they had been for a while. he was a broken man and Maria wanted to gather all the pieces, keep him safe.
he was close and so was she. her breaths were picking up in speed and she was panting. whispered pleas escaped her, telling him how good he was, how amazing he made her feel, and how much she needed them. these things were not even lies even if they sounded like something that came straight from pornography. they were all true and when her orgasm did rip through her, the loud whine that echoed throughout the bar was obscene. as was the satisfied groan when he did finally let go himself.
and when they both came down, she only pet his back and there was a satisfied smile on her lips.]
Hey. I found something earlier. Thought about saving them to barter with but we can share one. Consider it a peace treaty or something.
[and they were going to have to talk.]
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Date: 2026-03-23 09:13 pm (UTC)He didn't want to think about those losses right now, wanted to press himself against Maria and have a breather from the fright that he might lose her just by their association. He leaned into her body, focused on their sex and hummed as she pleaded with him, directing him to her pleasure as his fingers tangled in her blonde hair as he kissed her as she came with him following suit two thrusts later as she clamped on him. He growled out a groan of pleasure and panted against her lips.
He relaxed but didn't hasten to remove himself from being over top of her. No, he shifted so he could lay his cheek on the bartop and just rested there in the cradle of her thighs.]
Hmm, what would that be? I'm still working on that distiller. I think I can get it working.
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Date: 2026-03-24 01:27 am (UTC)Nothing so important as what you got going, handsome.
[she turns a bit to reach under the bar and pulls out an almost empty cigarette pack. only five cigarettes are in there but she shakes them in front of him.]
We can share one and see what we can trade for the rest, if you want? It's my peace offering to you.
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Date: 2026-03-24 02:02 am (UTC)It is simply something we can leverage and bring people together. We'll need that.
[They would need it now more than ever to strengthen their position. That seemed paramount now than he knew that Silco was on the move.
Yet, he lifted his head as she produced a cigarette pack, and a shiver ran down him. He missed smoking so much, and yet he didn't have the same craving as when he had 'quit' before.]
I didn't think you smoked. Keeping secrets from me, beautiful?
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Date: 2026-03-24 02:30 am (UTC)and when he says 'we' then Maria knows for certain they will be okay. they are okay.]
Before I'd go out, I'd smoke a cigarette when I drank to calm down. And then you know, those ran out where I came from. Not exactly a big habit of mine but there's old stories of people smoking shit as they talked things over. Doubt I can find anything better to smoke than this. [Maria was sure any weed was long gone by now. she hadn't found any.]
Want it?
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Date: 2026-03-24 05:31 am (UTC)He nodded his head at her explanation, and it fit so many similar life stories. He smoked the vulgar crass herbs that managed to survive in the undercity, the kind of mixture that stirred up the lungs and yet he was intimately familiar with. He missed it, the soothing motions that also provided him a level of confidence that had been stripped from him in the aftermath of his fall.
He took the cigarette from the pack and brought it under his nose to breathe in the scent. It was good, much milder than he was used to. He offered it back to her to take first.] Maybe a little habit we can share now and again? Feels like it's been awhile, but I can honestly say that I miss it.
[He should stay quit, but in some ways, why bother?]
I'll take it if it means sharing it with you.
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Date: 2026-03-24 08:41 pm (UTC)Sharing a smoke with you sounds good sometimes. But I'd share just about anything with you. [there was an undercurrent of many emotions coming through with that and she really did think she would share anything with him. cigarettes, her time, her life...anything he wanted.
Maria had wanted to offer him first drag but this was just as well. there were plenty of lighters in this strip club and Maria got one of the many under the bar to light it up. she took a long drag of it, letting the smoke run through her. it had been a while and she had thought she might cough but she didn't. honestly, she felt amazing right now. post orgasm, Vander close, and their emotions at an all time high. there was the slight buzz from the cigarette when she passed it to Vander, her eyes on him.]
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