Tomorrow's a New Day
Wren scrubbed at tired eyes that seemed filled with sand. She felt raw and used. Her body felt battered and it took every ounce of her strength to stand from her plane chair. They disembarked to the flight attendant wishing them a good night and hoping they'd had a pleasant flight. Wren gave the woman a smile she knew didn't reach her eyes.
Drev carried their bags as she could do little more than clutch her arms around her stomach. She knew she should be feeling relief at the knowledge of her tormentor behind bars, but mostly she felt like shit.
She just didn't understand what she'd done to deserve such things. Was she a whore mongering pirate in another life and this was karma's way of sticking it to her? Or did she just reek of victim pheromones? She needed to find herself a psychologist or she'd loose her mind and she'd worked so hard to rebuild it she had no intention of letting it go.
Drev draped an arm around her shoulders as he slung the two duffles over one shoulder. She leaned into him and let him guide her to the waiting limo waiting outside the terminal. It was an awkward way to walk, but she just didn't have the wherewithal to care.
As he slid in next to her, he automatically wrapped her up in his arms. It was just a quick hug, but it was enough to remind him of a hunger he hadn't sated in several days. He could sense her blood pumping through her veins, but he was able to resist the lure of it fairly easily. He needed fresh blood, and soon, but he wouldn't take it from Wren. It was actually her frail vulnerability that kept him from having a more difficult time resisting the urge to pierce that soft, slender neck and drink of Wren's warm lifeblood. Had she been more vital, more energetic, the scent would have been more alluring. As he pulled away from her, the scent faded.
As the car began to move, Wren snuggled up against Drev. Once she found a comfortable position, Drev held her, silently stroking her silky black hair. After a few minutes, he felt her breathing deepen and her muscles relax as she finally drifted to sleep. The ride was quiet and peaceful. Drev's thoughts were surprisingly quiet as he sat holding Wren. He might have even dozed off himself, if the thought of fresh blood wasn't in the back of his mind.
Finally the car stopped outside his condo. He lifted Wren into his arms and carefully carried her out of the back of the limo. The driver took their bags out of the trunk and handed them to Drev. Though they were in his hand, he held most of their weight with his Telekinesis. He instructed the driver to add 30% to the cost of the ride and send him a bill, then carried his sleeping beauty upstairs.
When his door was locked behind him, Drev dropped the bags on the floor and walked nimbly through the dark rooms to his bedroom. With a thought, the sheets and blankets were pulled back and he set Wren carefully on his massive bed. She was still wearing her skirt and silk blouse, so he carefully but quickly removed them. She stirred a little bit as he gently stripped her, but she didn't wake. When she was in just her bra and panties, he pulled the covers over her and gave her a light kiss on her cheek. Within moments, she was back into deep sleep.
Seeing all that bare flesh and sensing her throbbing bloodflow was difficult for Drev. It had aroused his hunger and his sexuality, but he would not use Wren for this carnal release.
He left the bedroom, still holding his hungers in check, and retrieved his katana. He tied it around his waist and left his condo in search of blood.
Pale hands close the raged pages of a battered green spiral notebook, and sobs could be heard. The small hands are handed a tissue and the notebook is taken away to be replaced by a stack of police pictures. Large pictures, showing every demented detail.
A closet shrine, with a face sculpted in some kind of white material, pictures, candles, words cut from magazines.
A stack of videos each carefully labeled with date and place and time.
A collection of photo albums
A second closet full to bursting with photo boxes.
The photos were replaced with a small tape player, a button was pushed and a panicked voice crackled into the room.
"Hello? Hello! Who's there? Why are you doing this?" The voice shouted, echoing in the small room.
Wren sat up as a scream tore it's way from her throat. The room was dark and chilled, her clothes were missing and she had no idea where she was. Another scream clawed up from her stomach and pierced the night air. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the dim light coming from a night light in the hall and Wren realized she was home in Drev's bed. Her clothes were draped over a chair and she found her shoes on the floor.
She did not call for Drev, she knew he wasn't home, as there was no sound in the house but her own ragged breathing. He must be out doing whatever it was he did when he went out. She lay back onto the pillows, and pulled the covers over her body as she curled into a small ball on her side. Hot tears leaked from her eyes as sleep sucked her back into its deep abyss.
((ooc Purple is a dream))
Drev was curled against her back, she'd woken around seven and found him there, which meant he'd probably gotten in around five as her night mare had woken her the first time just after four, and the final time just after nine. She sighed softly and pulled Drev's hand from her body.
Wren stood and groaned again. She felt like she'd been hit by a mack truck. She needed to do something with her body and get rid of some of the nervous energy that had her suddenly shifting from foot to foot. She hurt to bad to dance, she'd probably pull a groin or something. Padding to the bathroom she tugged off the little scraps of red stain that had served as bra and panties and jammies, and pulled her hair into a high pony tail.
In her room, she pulled on a black sports bra, black spandex shorts white socks and white and purple running shoes. She took a black, slim fanny pack out of the closet and went into the kitchen, and checked the contents; pepper spray, bandaids, whistle, key card and sunglasses. She filled a white water bottle and slipped it into the loop on the side of the fanny pack. She put the whole thing around her, so that the pack and water bottle rested in the small of her back.
She wrote a short not to Drev -Out running, be back soon. W- and left the condo. She took a right out of the building and walked four about a block and a half. Stopping she stretched her legs, and body, her muscles screamed in protest. When she was finished she fished her sunglasses out of the fanny pack and slipped them on. Wren was still in the shadow of the buildings but the sun was already making her eyes hurt. She took a deep breath and set off at a comfortable pace.
Wren gave smiles and nods to the few joggers and their dogs that she knew, and raised an eyebrow at a perky little redhead in goth jeans and some shear shirt thing that played with one of the ugliest mutts Wren had ever seen. Chuckling and glad that she could chuckle, she set off on the trail at a good clip.
Her body moved on auto pilot, but her mind was full and churning and caught in a few self destructive loops. At the one mile marker Wren stopped and smacked herself in the forehead. This was getting her no where. She shouldn't be beating herself up about this whole thing. God was not out to get her, the devil didn't have designs on her soul. She was a victim of circumstance and she would become a survivor. Maybe she needed to re-visit the studio idea. She could still work for Drev and run a studio.
That was exactly what she would do. She pushed her face into a determined smile and set back off on the trail. She completed the circuit twice as usual, and set off at a brisk walk for home. Once inside the condo she stretched her now vibrant and no longer sore muscles, before searching for Drev.
Wren gave smiles and nods to the few joggers and their dogs that she knew, and raised an eyebrow at a perky little redhead in goth jeans and some shear shirt thing that played with one of the ugliest mutts Wren had ever seen. Chuckling and glad that she could chuckle, she set off on the trail at a good clip.
Her body moved on auto pilot, but her mind was full and churning and caught in a few self destructive loops. At the one mile marker Wren stopped and smacked herself in the forehead. This was getting her no where. She shouldn't be beating herself up about this whole thing. God was not out to get her, the devil didn't have designs on her soul. She was a victim of circumstance and she would become a survivor. Maybe she needed to re-visit the studio idea. She could still work for Drev and run a studio.
That was exactly what she would do. She pushed her face into a determined smile and set back off on the trail. She completed the circuit twice as usual, and set off at a brisk walk for home. Once inside the condo she stretched her now vibrant and no longer sore muscles, before searching for Drev.
Sighing softly she pushed away from the door and padded into her room where she put her shoes away. Taking herself into the bathroom she stripped, and gathering all the black she could from the laundry hamper they shared, started up the washer.
With it filling up she hopped into the shower and washed away the sweat, and the last twinge of ache in her lower back and upper thighs. She bathed, and dried quickly, and took herself, wrapped in a towel back to the bedroom. It was a bit early to wake Drev, but she needed to tell him thank you and she wanted to be held for a bit.
She sat on the edge of the bed, and leaning down pressed a soft kiss to his lips, and waited.
As he fully woke, he remained motionless. Then with reflexes aided by his supernatural agility, he pulled Wren down on top of him with the arm that had been stretched out next to her. He positioned her light body on top of him, kissing whatever warm, damp skin came within range of his lips.
"Good morning," he said, caressing the contours of her body.
"Good afternoon."
She pressed her lips lightly to his and became very aware that just a towel separated them, as she felt him grow against her leg. She wasn't sure sex was what she wanted from him right now, so she decided to distract him.
"I decided something today."
"Oh? What did you decide?
"I'm going to start a studio of some kind. I can still work for you, so don't worry about that part. I just need to do something for myself, that lets me give something that only I have. I can't and don't want to open a full studio that I thought was my dream. I want to offer adult classes. So people who never had the chance can learn to tap dance or move like the little girl of their dreams that got to wear pink tutus and ribboned slippers.
I know I don't have it with in me to teach little children anymore, maybe a long time ago I did, but now I have nothing to offer them. Oh!" She sat up a bit and ginned "Maybe I could offer like a fitness class centered in different types of dance genres, that would be fun."
She gave his chest a pat and lay back down. She knew she had a stupid grin on her face, but she just didn't care. This thing could really work. And she didn't even have to ask for a loan, she had the start up money, thanks to Drev, sitting in her bank earning 2.4% interest.
"Do you need anything from me?"
She smiled at him. and let the thoughts percolate in her head. It would be a lot of fun and a lot of hard work, but she needed it, this, for herself and no one else. Her first task was going to have to be to find a space. Though she let that slide and let names flow through her head.
"No, but I'll let you help me pick one, and i'll buy it. I just can't let you do that." She put up a staying hand so that he would let her finish.
"It's not the money, Drev. It's the principle of the thing. A car isn't something you buy some one to say congratulations, unless they are your spouse or child and just graduated or got that big promotion they'd been working so hard for. I'm neither of those things to you, Drev. I just can't let you. I can however et you keep me from getting swindled. Ok?"
She bit the inside of her lip. She didn't want to hurt his feelings, but she needed him to understand. She was grateful for everything he's done for her, but she needed him to not do this.
"Yeah, you're right. I'm sorry. I just want to help you as much as I can, and since you're not going to let me fund your studio..." He chuckled and sighed. "Yeah, I sometimes forget that others perceive money differently than I do.
"Despite my less-than-stellar upbringing," he went on, fully aware that he was babbling needlessly, but unable to stop himself, "but probably because of my training, I have a strong protective instinct. And since you're basically under my protection now, I feel the need to make sure you have everything you could ever need."
He sighed again and laughed at himself. "How about I just take you out to dinner, instead? I know this place called Enzo's... they have a live band on the weekends, and it's a great place to dance... if you're into that kind of thing, anyway..."
"I think I can handle letting you take me dancing. It's a bit early though, I could think of a few things to occupy our time. First! I need to eat. How does an omelet sound?"
"First tell me about these 'few things' you have in mind," he said against her mouth as his hands began to wander over her terry-cloth-covered waist and hips. When they got around to her butt, he gave it a little squeeze and flicked her upper lip with his tongue.
"Most of it requires me being much more naked."
She pressed her lips firmly against Drev's, and her stomach picked that moment to growl audibly.
"Yeah, I should eat first. I haven't had anything substantial since before we went to Ann Arbor. I think an omelet and bacon and fruit is in order. I may even add some toast."
"Alright, you go get something to eat, and I'll finish waking up. Then we can see about doing naked things." He gave her a final kiss and squeeze of her tight little ass, then nearly pushed her out of bed. "Now hurry and go eat," he said, climbing out of bed himself, wearing nothing but a mischievous grin, "before you lose the opportunity."
In the kitchen she took out a carton of egg whites, a tomato, green pepper, mushrooms, a single green onion, shredded swiss cheese, bacon, a pint of strawberries and a package of whole wheat english muffins. In all her adult life Wren had never been tempted to eat the whole egg or buy white bread products or use processed cheeses, she knew what it took to keep her body healthy and she did it.
She set everything on the counter and pulled a microwave bacon crisper and a small frypan from the cabinets and set about making breakfast/lunch. Fifteen minutes later she had two plates loaded with eggs bacon and toasted muffins, two bowls of sliced strawberries, and two cups of coffee and two glasses of orange juice sitting on the table.
"Come eat, Drev." She called so that her voice carried, but she wasn't yelling incase he was close by.