Futuristic Inked In Blood [Closed]

[cleopat]

Tessa smiled at the slight feeling of pride when Xandros mentioned her good choice. Good, she chose right when deciding to go with the red instead of a safe color like black or white. Red was exciting. Titillating. Seductive.

But next she felt that Xandros just dropped a bombshell on her. Her eyes widened in surprise at the words, the name of the gang he dropped. She was familiar with their activities, since those in her circles were terrorized by their crimes a few years ago.

Robbery…murder…And she showed him right to her doorstep.

Evan, who the fuck did you hire?

To say she was nervous was an understatement.

“And how did you end up working for Evan?” she had to ask, rubbing the palms of her hands on her pants.

~~~

Dimitri didn’t respond to Damia’s question, a rhetorical one, but he offered a shrug. He wouldn’t confirm nor deny. He had many types, no doubt someone of Damia’s size left behind something at his place before.

“The office on Thrones street it is.” A chance to keep her away from his place for now, though the temptation to go to her house was high. It would be an interesting insight into her life, but that would be getting too close. Too personal.

He unlocked the car door and slid into the driver’s seat, starting up the car once Damia was in the car. He snorted with Damia’s question. Of course she would go back to that topic. He could just wave it off and not entertain her silly ideas, but he was in a good mood that day.

“I don’t have any bodysuits for women at my place, though I wouldn’t object if you left behind yours.”

 

[Lucyfer]

That definitely bothered Tessa. Xandros couldn’t help but show some amusement. It leaked into his smile as he imagined how afraid she must be. She was in an enclosed space with a known killer.

She tried to hide it. Tried to ask a question. He saw how she rubbed her palms, though. “I tried to rob him,” Xandros said. “He was home. Wasn’t the plan. It never is,” he preferred it clean. “He…stopped me. Damned if I know how.”

He still didn’t.

Evan wouldn’t play his hand that easily.

“You could say Evan’s blackmailing me and it wouldn’t be a lie. He has footage of me I can’t get to.” He’d tried. “You could also say Evan and I had a nice chat and decided it would be beneficial for me to try working with him, and that would also be true.” Didn’t mean he liked everything, but…. “Evan knows there are people out there fucking things up. He knows vigilantes are needed, like in the comic books.”

Xandros wasn’t a hero.

Nonetheless, he was needed.

“We don’t agree on everything. But we agree that sometimes, you have to go outside the law to get anything done.”

~***~

No insight into what Prince liked – just a shrug. It was answer enough in a way, as he also confirmed that he wouldn’t mind seeing more of her. She chuckled at that, “Not too crazy for a night, hm?” She’d think he had a good look at her, but then again, she’d been covered in blood. He probably didn’t have a great look at all.

More a look than she had at him, though.

It was a terrible idea to consider even a one night stand with another praetorian, let alone a fling. Besides the possibility of Gabriel getting jealous or possessive, there was always the chance Dimi might use it as an opportunity to kill her. Not that he needed to. He held the highest position among them.

She didn’t intend to take it off his hands.

“Maybe if you win. I’ll have to find some of the nicer underwear to leave behind, then,” she spoke with a thoughtful air, casually, because such a thing was clearly on the table. Not unwanted at all, but well – now he couldn’t have it easily. No, not at all. Now it had to be a game.

They both, likely, got things too easily where flings and one night stands were concerned. She could guess he got plenty with his rugged appearance and scars. Oh yes – terrible idea to play with a praetorian – but Damia didn’t really care if ideas were terrible when they were fun.

 

[cleopat]

Tendrils of amusement entered her mind, and it took Tessa a few seconds to realize she was feeling how Xandros felt about the current situation. That didn’t make her feel any better about being in a car with him, on the way to a mission that required her to play a little submissive to him.

Her heart pounded in her chest at the horrific scenarios that flashed across her mind.

But somehow, Evan managed to stop this man, someone with great strength and endurance. She was curious as to how, but not even Xandros knew. And Evan saw this man with his skillset and connections, and saw a way he could do good in this fucked up world.

Evan was always several steps ahead of everyone.

“Overall, do you like what you’re doing with Evan over what you were…doing before?” If Evan was blackmailing him, and then had a conversation with him that resulted in a mutual understanding, that meant she wasn’t in any imminent danger and could relax, right?

~~~

Dimitri hummed, allowing himself to enjoy a pleasant mental image of Damia in just her underwear. He had a good look at her figure when she wore the bodysuit, and in their line of work, one had to be physically fit.

She was attractive, and he wasn’t ashamed to admit it.

He didn’t get a look at her the previous night when she was all battered up, but that would have just been wrong. A killer he may be, but consent was always important to him.

He smirked. “I think I know what my request is for when I win,” he said it like it was an important announcement. “You, on my bed, in a lingerie set of my choosing.” But if she did not like that, because she didn’t want to go that far with him, he would allow her to back out.

But he really hoped that she wouldn’t. Victory would just be that much sweeter.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Over? I haven’t exactly stopped,” Xandros said, lifting one shoulder in a shrug, “I just get better intel now on who to target and when,” and he still got paid that sweet, sweet government check. He did have to stop the murders, though. Evan wouldn’t tolerated being connected to him if he kept killing people.

But stealing wasn’t off the table.

Especially since it covered the tracks of what he was doing for Evan.

Victory for both of them!

“I haven’t seen Evan’s work pay off big yet,” he said, “so I can’t say. If he gets all the pieces he wants, sure, maybe I’ll like it better when I see the entire structure topple and shatter into a billion fucking pieces,” anger. Sincere anger. “But until then…I like the more immediate gratification of stealing and fucking up their precious little lives the way they’ve fucked up everyone else.”

Worse, if he could pull it off.

His apartment was not on the ‘good side’ of town, and that began to show as they got closer to it. Graffiti became more prominent. The cars were either absolute pieces of shit – or ridiculously fancy, like his red one. There was no in-between, no ‘quiet’ to anything in the area. The roads were full of holes, the sidewalks had weeds, and the buildings were so high and close they almost blocked the sun.

It was a blackhole.

~***~

Damia could only chuckle at Dimitri’s declaration. Oh, yes, that would be such a hardship to enjoy nice lingerie on a likely stupidly comfortable bed. He technically didn’t say anything else was expected, but she knew where that went, “Oh, it’s going to be such a shame to kick your ass. I always like getting new lingerie. New clothes in general,” a shrug, “but I’m not going to lose just for some scraps of clothing.”

Pity.

She probably needed some new ones anyways for the wedding. Well, she’d just have to treat herself to something to match the bridesmaid’s dress anyways.

Thrones street came into sight, and the building. “Emilio is going to be so upset,” not that she cared; Emilio was only a cover. “Oh well~ shall I wait for you to come back here, or do you want me to follow once I’ve changed so I can see the lovely bed you have and know what I’ll be missing?”

Of course, she understood if he wanted to head to his own place without her, despite the offer he made. In either case, she’d exit the car once it was stopped and head inside, buzzing in to get access since her card was somewhere in the mess of bloody things in her bag. She went right up to Emilio’s floor where her desk was, and several of her things.

“Damia! Where—what are you wearing?” Emilio was already agitated, no doubt because she was ‘no call, no show’. Others in the office looked up as she waltzed in, obviously not dressed appropriately.

“Hospital clothes!” She did a little spin in the middle of the cubicle line, before dropping the tote on her desk, “You wouldn’t believe! Some asshole tried to mug me after my night out with Gina – I got stabbed.”

She saw recollection flicker onto his face. Emilio knew who she was. Perhaps he didn’t know what happened last night, but he understood very quickly that she had not, in fact, been mugged. “Sorry I couldn’t call in, I’m only here to grab some things and go home, I’m still in a lot of pain,” she whimpered, faking it well as she opened her desk to grab out one of her emergency overnight bags.

“Oh—ah, shit, sorry, I didn’t…yeah, go on home.”

“Do you need a ride?” Becky asked, although Damia knew she wasn’t asking out of kindness of her heart. Becky was sticky and cloying. Becky hated Damia. It oozed off like tar swirled with saffron. Still, the ‘good person’ in her had to make the kind gestures, and then hate Damia more whenever they were refused. Feel vindicated.

No doubt, Becky would blame Damia for anything that happened to Damia. Always the victim’s fault, if they dressed and acted as Damia did.

Damia hated Becky, too. “No, but I so appreciate the offer, Becks!”

With a few other, more sincere, words of condolences and well wishes, she was out the door. She changed in a bathroom, not bothering with a helmet. Despite the bodysuit having all the protective fixings, she still didn’t wear a helmet unless it was for work. She wanted full range of sight.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa squirmed a little in her seat when Xandros revealed he hadn’t stopped his criminal ways. The only difference is now he had better ways of targeting certain people. Would I ever be someone that you target? What about my family?

How could Evan think to bring someone like him into his service? That leash he had on Xandros better be a short one. She didn’t want to see Evan getting hurt because Xandros decided to retaliate to the blackmail whenever he received an upperhand.

She felt the anger in his words, and hoped to never have that anger directed at her. At least she could attempt to manipulate the anger into something calmer.

Tessa said nothing more for the moment as they drove into the area of town she rarely found herself in. Not since she was the perfect student back in school, volunteering at the soup kitchen on the weekends. But now being there was a reminder of how many people the government currently failed, and those she wanted to help but had always been called a foolish dreamer.

If she grew up in this environment, she may have some anger issues towards politicians as well.

“How long have you lived in this area?” was the only thought she could come up with.

~~~

Dimitri wouldn’t say it outloud, but he enjoyed Damias attitude. He would enjoy taming that attitude later when he won the race, and again when he enjoyed his prize behind closed doors. Would she beg? Was she a screamer? Would she for once have nothing to say?

“Only good girls can see my bed,” Dimitri said with a wink before he left, intending on getting ready at his place without her. It would give him some time to relax and think about the race, to pick out an appropriate outfit, and to finalize which vehicle he was actually going to use.

He wore thick, black leather as he strolled to the parking deck and up to his motorcycle. Leather that would be tough to tear should he get in an accident, which has only happened once, and hopefully never again.

That was a painful few weeks of recovery.

He wore a different helmet than he did as a Praetorian, and he set back off to the office building he dropped Damia off at. He waited near where he dropped her off at, fully ready to get things started.

 

[Lucyfer]

Tessa's squirming almost made him laugh out loud. It was so ridiculous. He probably should feel bad, but he didn't. Sure had to know the truth of his words. Of his anger. This neighborhood said enough for the reasons.

"Most of my adult life. My family lives in worse." So, he'd moved up in the world! How horrible that must sound to her. He had the money to live better, but he always sent that home. It was better to spend it that way. Less of a paper trail if he bought clothes for his siblings than if he bought himself a nice house.

He parked near one of those tall, dirty white buildings. "This is me. You'll want to come out, we're switching vehicles." He had a PoS white sedan that no one ever paid attention to. He'd gotten away with so much in that thing.

He'd lead Tessa into the building and up the several flights of stairs, since the elevator wasn't working, to his single bedroom apartment where his brother Zoran, still just a teenager, was already sitting on his couch, watching one of those damn gaming streamers.

The importance of the man on the screen calling himself Quintus didn't register. "Shouldn't you be in school?" Xandros asked him in an annoyed tone.

Zoran just sniffed. "This guy died. He was my hero."

Xandros rolled his eyes as he kept on towards his room. "Fine whatever. Be nice to Tessa." Usually the distraction of another person would snap him out of things, but Zoran really was distraught.

~***~

Well, Damia was never going to see the bed, then. Not that she teased back. She let the Prince go, and went to her bike, that gorgeous, iridescent white bike that shimmered with all the colors of the rainbow. It sung under her hand as she stroked over it. "Just need to put the bags away." Though it was crammed in, the was enough room to cram them.

The bike did have to carry groceries, occasionally. But it wasn't really made for it, the design was obviously modified to speed.

She didn't drive it out fast though. She brought it out of the garage slow, and saw The Prince waiting with his own bike.

It had a pretty song, too. A happy bike. "Does it have a name?" Damia asked as she idled her bike near. Hers did, of course, but she didn't offer it immediately.

She was busy considering routes. She did this often enough to know several, but with her wounds she knew she didn't want a long drive. Short and sweet.

"You know 37th street, right?" Not too busy, not many lights. "37th down to Mission is usually a good run." Short but not straight. She usually killed it with turns and curves because people weren't as reckless as she was on them.

She could win that easier than a straight run. His bike told enough that it might be fast enough on
a straight line to beat her.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa didn’t say anything about his living situation growing up. She couldn’t. She knew her privilege, she recognized it, and she tried her best to help those who weren’t so fortunate to be born into luxury like she was. She still was trying to help, even if people like Xandros didn’t believe her.

She followed Xandros into the building and up the flights of stairs, trying to not mentally compare the differences in the buildings they lived in. That wouldn’t be fair, even if she was a little surprised that someone who was a gang leader, and now working for a senator, would live in such a building. Surely he wouldn’t have upgraded by now?

There was someone in the apartment, a teenager that looked a bit like Xandros. Has to be his brother. Tessa just stood there a bit awkwardly, as Xandros didn’t think to introduce them before he went to his room.

She could try to get to know the kid a bit more, though. “What about this guy did he like?” Tessa stood next to the couch

~~~

Dimitri let out an appreciative noise when he saw Damia’s bike. It was pretty, he would admit that. He preferred the sleek black of his own though. It was just sexier. But the iridescent white that simultaneously held the colors of the rainbow fit Damia’s personality.

He scoffed as she asked for a name. Of course she would ask that. “Not officially, but I do call it ‘baby’ often enough.” He would admit that much, but he doesn't normally give inanimate objects actual names. “I know yours has a name. What is it?” She wouldn’t have asked otherwise if she didn’t name her bike.

Dimitri went over the route in his head, nodding as he created a mental map of the run. He had secretly been hoping for a straight run, as his bike can pick up a lot of speed, but he could do any twists and turns and curves the route threw out at him.

“Alright, that sounds good. Any rules we should establish first?” He had none, except, “No using any powers to help you win. I still don’t know everything you can do, so I’m throwing that one out there.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Zoran looked up at Tessa as she spoke a strange question. He frowned a bit, wondering where the hell Xandros found this woman, before he looked back at the television he was playing the video on. He’d heard about it, but he hadn’t watched it yet. Quintus was just talking as he drove now.

“He’s Revenant. He’s legendary. He was a professional gamer,” or at least, that’s what he thought. “Or. Maybe. I don’t know,” a sniff, “I guess he was a praetorian or something.” He loosely knew what it meant.

Some sort of super soldier. Like what his brother wanted to be. There were ten of them. “But he was so cool. I want to be a professional gamer.” Zoran murmured, “I played with him a few times. He helped me out a lot in Masters of War….” Now he’d never have that help again.

“Fuck, it’s just some stupid gamer?” Xandros could be heard from his room, apparently hearing that but not the ‘praetorian’ part, as he changed behind the closed door.

“He’s not stupid!” Zoran shouted, “What are you doing here anyways, don’t you have to be at work?”

“It’s my home, you’re the trespasser.” Of course, Zoran had a key.

Zoran tuned him out and looked back at the television as the car came to a stop.

~***~

Baby. Typical. Definitely not the bike’s name. Not the name it deserved. Naturally, her bike had a name, and she gave it when asked, “Ayida,” she had named it, of course. Names were given things, gifts, passed down. The bike couldn’t name itself, even if it had a song all its own.

At the request, however, she laughed.

“I can’t turn this,” she tapped the side of her head, referring, of course, to the strange sight. She had washed off the make-up when changing, so the rainbow eyelids were on full display, “off anymore than you can turn your own hearing off.” For better or worse, it was a constant. And when it triggered her, her reflexes responded.

Neither thing was possible to turn off.

“So it’s going to help me, but I don’t mind if you want to keep your speed activated for reflexes, or anything else, for that matter. So long as you don’t actively hinder me with a talent, I won’t hinder you.”

Hindering was where she drew the line. Malicious activity to win was shitty.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa didn't mind the strange look Zoran gave her. She didn’t know much about video games or the industry, and she wasn’t ashamed to admit it. She just never gave it a chance, never having much free time growing up.

Wait…did he just say Praetorian?

She did focus more on the television screen after that. Apparently Xandros didn’t hear the Praetorian part, but only thought it was some famous gamer. And the more she watched the video, the more she realized they were watching the man’s last few moments alive.

He had been marked for death.

“Um, Xandros?” she called out, not taking her eyes off the screen. “This wasn’t just some gamer. This was a fucking Praetorian.” A Praetorian with other Praetorians sent after to kill him, which was odd, as far as she knew.

The Dictator always did try and keep a unified image for his ranks.

~~~

Dimitri nodded, agreeing with Damia. No, some things couldn’t be turned off, so they would be used for the race. Just nothing that would hinder the other person. So Dimitri couldn’t use his abilities to mess with Damia’s bike in any way.

That was fair. He could be nice enough for that.

“Alright, I can agree with those terms.” He ramped up his motorcycle, the engine purring beneath him. “Meet you on 37th street.” He winked at her before flicking down the visor of his helmet and sped off to the starting line.

There he would wait for her to catch up and ready herself to begin the race. As he waited, he mapped out the route in his head, figuring out where the sharp turns would be. Poor Damia, hope you’re ready for this loss.

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros wanted to groan at the interruption of not just some gamer. 'What is it some millionaire gamer?'

Probably, when she added in Praetorian. "The fuck?" Praetorian didn't reveal themselves, period. So out of his room he went, shirtless and barely pulled together in jeans he hadn't yet zipped up, to see a literal fight between Praetorians on the screen.

"Nope." He found the remote and turned it off.

"Hey!" Zoran cried out.

"You're not watching some dude get snuffed and you're not idolizing a Praetorian in my house. Get your shit, I'm taking you to school."

Xandros dropped the remote back on the couch and walked back towards his room. "I don't wanna! You didn't finish school, and you're doing fine! So is–"

"You can go wherever after I drop you off, I don't care." Xandros shouted back, and Zoran huffed…then reached for the remote to return to watching the death of a legend.

~***~

Damia let him drive off first, watching him until he was out of sight. Then, she just chuckled to herself and shook her head, before shooting off down the road, with blatant disregard for the laws as always. ‘You shouldn’t be playing this game.’ But the music that blared from her speakers bled the thought away.

She went through Mission street to 37th. She knew the path, but there were always small changes. Cars parked alongside the road, detours, new potholes, pedestrians – it was all good information to have, and she reached Dimitri second, not at all bothered by that.

Let him underestimate her by arriving first.

She quickly did a u-turn once she arrived to pull up alongside him, turning the music down, “My phone has an app for countdowns,” she said, quickly digging it out as the bike idled beneath her, and going to the app. The volume was maxed, “Five count, then a go,” enough time for her to get it back in her pocket by the time it hit 3.

Better than having one of them say the countdown, and have the advantage of knowing precisely when ‘go!’ would be said.

And on ‘go!’, Damia was off, the music roaring right back up with the engine.

It became apparent that the Prince’s bike was definitely faster on the straight away, but not by enough when it came to the curves and turns. She was also very willing to run the one red light she encountered, almost causing a wreck, but she didn't care.

Damia was still very willing to take a curve at a speed where her shoulder almost brushed the pavement, the bike leaning with her weight into it, and thankfully, out of it.

But Damia knew that.

She could see the breaking point like a video game boss blinking red at low health – although it wasn’t a visual cue for her, it was a sound, a whine, that she didn’t ignore.

She did ignore the pain of her body as she hit those curves, and the wounds threatened to open up again and bleed. With everything else she could focus on, that was fairly easy to ignore.

So when the post for Mission street appeared, she hit it first, and then gradually slowed to a stop to wait for the Prince along the side of the street, the pop music turning down a bit again. The pain hit her again, a bit more difficult to ignore now that the race was done with, and she knew her expression reflected that.

She wasn’t going to act like it, though! “I hope you’ve got a good suit, Prince~,” Damia called in a sing-song, amused, but indeed, a little depressed.

Seems he wasn’t good enough, after all.

Oh well.

 

[cleopat]

Upon announcement of who this guy on television really was, Xandros came out of his room, not even bothering to finish dressing first. Tamsin knew why, as she had heard about the video and what it contained, but she was far too distracted by Xandros to think of the video at the moment.

Her gaze lingered on his form, muscular but not too muscular, and the tattoos that decorated his skin. And the open jeans, that only teased at what was beneath.

She completely forgot that he was a notorious gang leader, and only when he moved to go back to his room did she refocus on her surroundings. Zoran turned the video back on, and Tessa sighed. She would really rather not have some impressionable child watch the snuff film. She was on Xandros’ side for this one.

So cautiously, Tessa reached for the remote, making sure her skin brushed against Zoran’s. “You really don’t want to watch the rest of this. I think you should listen to your brother and gather your things for school.” She didn’t outright manipulate his thoughts, but she suggested for his mind to follow what she said.

Once she had the remote, she turned the television off. She hadn’t seen the full video, but she knew of most of its contents. Not something for a child, and definitely not someone he needed to be mourning.

~~~

Once the countdown finished, Dimitri didn’t hesitate to speed off with the roar of the engine. He had the advantage of his motorcycle having great acceleration, only heightened by his abilities.

But the one downside of fast acceleration is that he was less fluid on the turns. Dimitri slowed down more than he wanted to hit a sharp curve, but he tried to make up for it whenever there was a straight path.

Like Damia, he didn’t cower from running a red light, but a pedestrian crossing a crosswalk with a stroller slowed him down tremendously, to the point where he was worried that that was the determinant if he won or not.

He tried to make up for the mistake, speeding and zipping through the streets. He hit Mission street, and he groaned when he saw the white of Damia’s bike. “Shit.” Even with her injuries and battered body, she still won.

He wouldn’t be a sore loser though. “I guess I should make sure my suit is clean. Good race, though.” He paused for a second. “We’re doing this again, by the way.” And he will win next time.

 

[Lucyfer]

Zoran groaned when the video was turned off again by some stranger. She told him to get ready. It was easier hearing it from her, and so he grumbled his complaints but went to gather the things he'd brought and grab a snack from the fridge. He stuffed it into his mouth as Xandros exited his room.

"Ready?" His brother looked more himself out of the suit, in the leather jacket and jeans, with the off-white tank underneath.

Zoran just sighed his answer.

"Good, Tessa and I have places to be."

Zoran's nose wrinkled. "Like where?" He didn't wait, "Are you two dating?"

It was Xandros's turn to snort as they left his room. "No."

"Fucking?"

~***~

Dimitri didn't pout or act a sore loser. Even if Damia felt a bit like she'd lost out, victory was too sweet. Victory and pain, as she shifted to be side saddle once she kicked the kickstand down.

She was still grinning, of course, even with her arms wrapped around her midsection. She was definitely going home and not getting up after this.

"If you insist," now that it was over, Damia couldn't muster much enthusiasm for a rematch. The outcome was expected now, after all.

Boring.

"Give me your number. I'll need to text you the address for Sunday," and make sure she could reach him since they would be parting ways. She dug her phone out, "who do you want to be at the party?"

She didn't know if he'd be ok with his real name, or if he wanted another. She'd honor it either way by making the contact info match.

 

[cleopat]

It was Tessa’s turn to groan at Zoran’s prying and crass language. “No, we’re not.” And while Xandros was attractive, his criminal history would forever sit in the back of her mind, making her wonder if he would ever target her family or her friends who were in the same circles.

The constant danger element was too much.

“We both work for Senator Cornell,” she answered him, following Xandros, “and we just have a few things to do for him. Well, mostly me, with Xandros tagging along in his bodyguard duties as a just in case.” Bodyguards wouldn’t otherwise normally run errands, but they could accompany, especially if anything being retrieved held sensitive information.

And like fuck she was telling this kid that she and Xandros were going undercover at a sex dungeon. She just hoped Xandros wouldn’t be a complete dick and tell the truth.

~~~

Dimitri gave Damia his phone number as he glanced over her body for any sign that she was still in pain. Why did he care though? She obviously felt that she was fine enough to do something that could be reckless and stupid, and he certainly didn’t feel any guilt for what he did.

“Just use my actual name,” he said with a wave of his hand. He used his real name on a daily basis. So long as his position as a Praetorian wasn’t revealed, it was no issue.

But if word got out of what he really was, then he would be fucked. That was the fun part.

“What do your friends know you by?” He would be sure to honor any aliases she may go by, since he had no reason to want to fuck up her life.

 

[Lucyfer]

Zoran laughed.

"A senator's bodyguard? Him? Bro, what kind of lies are you telling to hit that?"

It was funny. And with Zoran not believing it, Xandros groaned as if caught out. "He ain't no senator's guard."

"I am, it's a new job," the emphasis was in the wink wink, nudge nudge, shut the fuck up, way, as they descended the stairs.

"Riiiight."

They reached the bottom and went towards a white sedan, at least 20 years old. Zoran immediately went for the passenger's seat, and Xandros didn't bother correcting him as he went to the driver's side and got in.

"So what errand are you running for this senator?" Zoran asked with immense amusement.

"Checking out illegal tattoos for enforcement reasons."

Zoran just laughed.

~***~

Damia recognized the look over. She didn't assume it was pain he was looking for, though. Probably just enjoying the view and wishing he'd won so he could see more.

Shame.

"Damia Schaeffer. I don't let it blend, but just in case." She didn't really know who Dimitri was to the world. She also knew she ought to forget his name, but now it would be impossible.

She didn't know his last name, at least. He needed to know hers just because friends could be that way with questions. "What is your cover, then?" She placed her hands on the bike and leaned back.

They'd ask her what he did. How they met. Company dinner was honest enough for that. "I'm a glorified secretary for Emilio Kasnovich." Emilio was a fairly high ranking individual, all things considered. He didn't have a license to kill, but he handled a lot of the finances.

Damia existed. She got coffee. She dealt with people and kept appointments going. Easy -- but she still didn't like wasting so much time. Still a cover was necessary.

 

[cleopat]

Oh, Xandros’ brother didn’t know about his new job as a bodyguard.

Oops.

Tessa didn’t really care. She couldn’t find sympathy for a man who stole and killed, and apparently, lied to his brother. She didn’t really care for the brother much either, given the way he had been talking about her. As if she was a piece of meat Xandros was trying to get with, who definitely didn’t need to know where they were going.

She climbed into the backseat. “And given the kind of clientele illegal tattoos can attract, the senator felt it best if Xandros here accompanied me.”

If Zoran wanted to continue to laugh and not believe them, she didn’t really care.

~~~

“Emilio? I’ve heard of the guy.” He crossed his arms over the handlebars and leaned forward in a casual position. “I’m an IT manager.” Maybe that wouldn’t be surprising at all to Damia. “I work for the Novak law firm.” One of the most prominent law firms that worked closely with Gabe’s government.

It was an easy job to get.

And even easier to do. Half of the issues he fixes are solved by simply turning off the computer and back on. People could be so clueless when it came to modern technology, it was almost amusing if it wasn't so annoying.

“And if they asked how we met, tell them you swooned for me,” he said with a smirk.

 

[Lucyfer]

“Sure, yeah, of course,” Zoran just smiled and nodded, agreeing with it, and then trying to talk a bit about Revenant, but Xandros wasn’t in the mood to talk about ‘the enemy’. The school wasn’t too far, so Zoran was out the door and on his way soon.

“If you want to move up, you can.” Xandros would allow Tessa to change seats at the school if she wanted to move up from the backseat. “Sorry about that. He likes to crash at my place randomly. Don’t really blame him.”

Their home was a shithole, even if his siblings tried to keep it together. Their parents were just…terrible. And Xandros couldn’t stand it, so he’d left as soon as he could rather than try to keep it together for the others.

“My siblings don’t know I’m working with a senator,” obviously, “don’t really plan to tell them, either.” Not that he expected Tessa would meet the others, but just in case. “It’s not exactly smiled upon. More like selling out. Don’t worry – I have more responsible elder siblings who also think my criminal activities are just as bad.”

He couldn’t make anyone happy.

~***~

Damia wasn’t too surprised that Dimi knew of Emilio. Especially not when he mentioned his job. A law firm dealing with IT. Yeah, that tracked, and Damia chuckled at the thought of how boring it had to be for him, along with how frustrating, given all the stupid people he was around constantly.

How she just shook her head when he suggested how they met, “My friends won’t buy that. Sorry, Dimi,” she grinned impishly, “but don’t worry, I’ll let them know I made the first move at the corporate dinner we met at!” that would not help him at all and that was entirely the point as she shifted to get back on the bike properly. “I’ll see you soon~,”

She wasn’t going to stay and let him argue the point as she kicked the kickstand and shot off on that note to head back home. It was not the most comfortable ride, and she was very happy to strip out of the bodysuit when she got home and throw on a dress and plop down on the couch with some weird animated show on the television.

Sleep came just as quickly as she sent that text to Dimitri with the address and time, before she sent another to Gina letting her know she was bringing someone.

The phone was on the floor where she’d let it go when she woke, with messages from Gina screaming about who, and trying to guess. Damia smiled to herself, too easily imagining Gina’s voice.

She wanted to tell Gina about Dimi, as if he was just another temporary rush. A single day’s interest that would blow out as soon as it struck. That was likely the truth, and yet, she couldn’t tell Gina anything honest.

So, instead, she just flipped to the old friend she missed as a friend and sent a message.

Home. Alive. Try not to need me for a week ~_^
Oh, he tastes delicious, by the way. I’m jealous.​

She wouldn’t explain herself. There was no need. Sunday would come and go, the wedding would pass, and she’d forget Dimi like every other flavor of the week.

And when Sunday arrived, she slipped on the blue dress for her role – they all had the same form fitting dress that covered only one shoulder. She pinned her hair up, and out the door she went to catch a cab there.

She didn’t have a car. And she wasn’t taking a bike in this dress.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa did change seats once Zoran left. “That’s okay.” She even found it rather sweet that the brother saw Xandros’ place as enough of a safe space to escape to, but she wouldn’t say that outloud. “He seems..interesting.” She didn’t care too much about all the questions concerning her though.

She did hope that he would remain at school for the day and not simply ditch for somewhere else.

Given Zoran’s reaction to finding out that Xandros was working with a senator, she wasn’t at all surprised that no one else in his family knew either. “Kudos to your elder siblings.” Should she mention that her older sister was a judge?

Nah, she wouldn’t.

“How many siblings do you have?”

~~~

Dimitri rolled his eyes and smirked at Damia’s explanation of how she’s gonna tell her friends how they met. Fine, whatever. He didn’t really care as he was certain this would be the only time he met her friends.

He rode home and spent the rest of the day relaxing, as was typical for him after an assassination mission. He never really needed to decompress, even after the more difficult missions, but some days, he enjoyed alcohol with his feet up.

On the day of the wedding, Dimitri did nothing until it was time to get dressed. He dressed in a well-tailored suit, one he made sure to get in case Gabe needed him at any fancy party or event. He didn’t put much effort into his hair, but he did brush it so it wouldn’t look like he just crawled out of bed. He would admit he was a little vain.

He took his sleek, black sports car to the wedding venue. He didn’t know if Damia was already there, so once he arrived, he sent her a quick text.

I’m here. I refuse to be standing in a corner by myself for any length of time here.

Something he would do if he wasn’t around anything he knew, unless there was an open bar. Then Dimitri would just spend most of his time there.

With the text sent, Dimitri went inside in search of his date.

 

[Lucyfer]

Of course, Xandros scoffed. Zoran wasn’t interesting. Well, he was by being his brother – but Zoran was just another gamer kid who didn’t have any direction to Xandros. He needed help. School might help him. It hadn’t yet.

He wasn’t sure it helped anyone in his family, considering how few had successfully navigated it given the need to work and make money.

He did roll his eyes at the kudos, though he knew she’d approve of that. It was why he’d said it. He didn’t need her assuming his entire family was full of criminals. “Seven siblings, not including me.” So his parents had eight total kids. Xandros hated it. He was pretty sure all of his siblings hated it.

They might love each other, but they wished their fucking parents knew how to keep it in their pants. Or use protection. Or do anything right.

“You got any siblings?”

~***~

Damia hadn’t arrived much before Dimitri. She had gotten to where Gina was, and made sure her friend was doing all right with the various clucking of the hair stylists, make-up artist, her own mother, the photographer, and a barrage of questions from others hired to tend to the wedding. It was almost overwhelming, by the sheer number of them and the sounds they all made, as well as the way everything was just…Important, in big, bold, red letters.

The emphasis in every sentence exploded like fireworks in her head.

Why they couldn’t go bother the groom, Damia didn’t know. ‘Thank god I’m never getting married.’

The sheer hassle of it all, and it felt to her, mostly for other people.

The text came through, “I’ll be back, Gina, I’ve got to grab Dimi,” she snuck the phone back into her little purse.

“Oh! Bring him here! I need to meet him!”

Damia chuckled, “Shouldn’t this wait until the reception? Your husband might find it strange that scarred men are coming in to see you last minute.”

Gina huffed, but Damia’s smile remained, “I’ll bring him along,” then she’d help Dimitri get situated. Introduce him to someone so she could tend to her duties in the bride’s party before rejoining him at the reception.

Dimitri wasn’t hard to find. He’d been stopped before getting in by someone trying to find his name on the list, which, he wasn’t on. “He’s mine!” she said as she strode out and wrapped her hands around one of his arms, pulling it against herself, “He was a last minute addition, sorry~,”

Pete rolled his eyes, and gestured them in, “Fine, fine, go on.”

And Damia would indeed lead him in, “Gina’s insisted on meeting you,” Damia said, then gave him that once over. The suit, obviously, fit well. Not a surprise. He smelled nice, too. Nicer than he did before, so she assumed it was a scent of cologne or something like that, rather than the scent she usually picked up. Cologne and perfumes had their way of messing with that. It blended well with the more usual scent she picked up, but she resisted the urge to press her cheek against his arm and get more of it. Hardly appropriate in this environment. "You are wonderful today." He cleaned up well, even if it might be entirely on the cut of the suit.

She wouldn’t upset Gina too much. “Then I can go find you a friend while I tend to bridesmaid duties.”

A touch apologetic, but not much.

 

[cleopat]

“Seven siblings?” Tessa repeated in slight disbelief. And here she thought her family was large…well, her extended family was. She couldn’t imagine the chaos at home growing up with so many siblings. Her two sisters had been enough.

“I have two sisters. Blaire, the oldest, is a judge, and then there’s Sophia, the youngest, who’s a lawyer.” She didn’t expect him to remember the names, but she did hope that he would make note of their professions and think twice about bothering her family.

Yes, she was still slightly afraid of him.

“We have a slightly strained relationship, but it’s not their doing. As the middle child, my parents would constantly compare me to them, to the point where I-” she stopped talking and shook her head. “That doesn’t matter.” He didn’t need her life story. “But because of that, I grew to resent them, and I don’t even think they had any idea what was going on.”

And that just wasn’t fair to them, but every time she saw them, or spoke to them, all she could hear were the echoes in her head of her parents’ words over the years.

~~~

Dimitri gave Pete a look before his attention turned towards Damia. “Thank you, that was getting a little awkward.” And he didn't have proof that he had been invited to the wedding, so all he could do was wait for Damia to show up.

And she did, and pulled him along her side. He took the chance to give her a glance over, enjoying what he saw. The dress looked nice on her, and he could hardly tell he had kicked her ass. He chuckled at her compliment. “You clean up rather well yourself.”

But he would have rather seen her sprawled out on his bed in some lingerie set than in a nice dress at some wedding for someone he didn’t know.

“Wait, you’re going to leave me alone with some stranger?” he groaned. “That wasn’t part of the deal.” He didn’t want to have to tolerate someone he didn’t know for who knows how long. “How long are these bridesmaid duties supposed to last? And is there a bar?”

 

[Lucyfer]

"Yeah," Xandros echoed confirmation of the amount. Two siblings wasn't bad at all by comparison. He wasn't at all bothered by their jobs, didn't even bat an eye at the details. He'd dealt with worse.

Tessa wasn't a target, though.

He knew the suffering of a middle child. "Yeah... I'm not sure if sixth child counts as a middle child, but it's not fun. The elders expect you to both do more for the youngers, and guilt you for having it better than they did." Because they had stepped up, so he should take advantage of the extra care and do better.

Fuck that.

"And the youngest are always the precious babies who can do no wrong, and the elders gave up everything to lead the way and deserve respect and deference. It's fucked."

It probably wasn't exactly the same, but he understood the resentment.

~***~

Dimitri was definitely not enthused. Damia could only grin, "Have you never been to a wedding before?" It seemed possible. "I'll be busy until they say their vows, then the reception I'll be freed up. There is an open bar at the reception." No drinks before. He'd have to suffer. "The deal was you came with me. There were no other stipulations."

He hadn't insisted on anything like that at the time. "Just play some stupid little gacha on your phone, you'll survive."

Probably.

Into the bride's room Damia went with Dimitri, to a gasp from Gina and a few surprised looks from the others. "You didn't say it was Dimitrios Spanos!"

Damia shrugged. "Is that so important?" Why did they know him?

Gina again gave Damia a little huff before laughing, nervous for a hundred reasons, but smiling in all white, "Honestly! You'd think she was oblivious to everything! You must enjoy someone who doesn't make a fuss though. Oh sorry -- I'm Gina Petros." She offered her hand to shake.

"Gina Titus," Ashleia corrected, which caused a more cheerful little laugh.

"Damia never brings anyone - shocked it's you. Oh! Right! My fiance -- husband," another titter, "has worked with that Novak law firm. He mentioned you." Not that Gina knew him that way. There were pictures of Dimitri alongside Gabriel.

It was why her husband chose to work with Novak. Obviously, they were favored. Heavily. "How did you ever meet Dame?" The surprise was obvious. They shouldn't run in the same circles...at least not in their off time.

 

[cleopat]

Tessa couldn’t quite understand all that Xandros had to deal with. She didn’t have as many siblings, and she wasn’t expected to do more for her younger sibling, but she could still sympathize with him. She understood that most families didn’t have the privilege of nannies that helped take care of the children, and often working families had to rely on their own children to look after the other kids.

But she could definitely understand the bias towards the youngest or oldest sibling.

“I swear my younger sister got away with shit I couldn’t dream of, and no matter what I achieved, I still wasn’t as smart or accomplished as my older sister.” Just some of the shit that she allowed to build up inside her over the years.

She loved her family, and knew they loved her too, but sometimes family had a funny way of expressing that love.

“I could rant forever about how my parents always compared me to them and how they downplayed my accomplishments.” But they weren’t on good enough terms to reminisce together old childhood memories like that, and she doubted Xandros wanted to hear it anyways.

But all middle children could always sympathize with one another.

~~~

“It’s been a few years,” Dimitri grumbled. Really, not since he was still living with his parents. Weddings weren’t his scene. A boisterous affair for some couple to announce how much they’re in love, only to divorce a few years later.

And he couldn’t even drink until the reception.

“Just because there were no other stipulations, doesn’t mean I won’t complain.” And he probably will complain until they separated for the ceremony.

He obediently followed Damia, not quite expecting the attention he received from her friends. But he smiled and played along. He chuckled, taking Gina’s hand in a courteous handshake. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He wasn’t terribly upset at the attention though.

It was amusing more than anything.

“Oh, I think Damia here would love to tell the story of how we met. She has such a talent for recalling those little details.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Xandros definitely understood and nodded in agreement about the shit the younger kids got away with. It was frustrating as hell, but it couldn't be changed...and it wasn't really their fault.

"Least your parents took notice." Xandros hardly remembered the last time he'd actually talked to his. He wasn't planning on making it soon, if ever. They could die for all he cared.

They reached a busier area, and Xandros turned into one of the parking spots. "Here," he said. "You'll want to go ahead and put the mask on. It's a little bit aways but I assume you don't want anyone to see you go in." Just a block down, between a pet store bakery and a bar, it fit in on the outside with it's vintage design.

Even the name: The Velvet Curtain. It looked like a niche vintage shop, but people were always stopped in the entry way before they got far in browsing...and many warned off as they realized it wasn't for them.

~***~

Gina immediately let her attention shift to Damia for the story. Red hot attention and so curious. Damia could fill it popping on her skin. She was annoyed amused that Dimi didn't take the opportunity to make things easier for himself.

His loss.

"It was some formal work dinner," Damia answered. "Dimi was trying to be brooding and aloof but I could see he was just so shy...and trying to get my attention with quick looks." She squeezed his arm, "so I went over to him and we ended up hitting it off~"

"Emilio isn't jealous?" Gina teased.

"I'm sure the boss man would have some issues...if he knew." Damia answered. Lies beneath truths. Gabriel might have an issue. Hard to say. A problem for later.

"Ha! Well, I guess what he doesn't know," Gina giggled.

"How did you get those scars though?" Ashleia asked. "Dame mentioned you were tall, dark, and scarred but wouldn't tell us." She pouted in that way which had won over many people into giving her what she wanted.

It didn't really impact Damia.

"He wasn't very graceful falling for me," Damia chimed, everyone aware it was a blatant lie, but she figured it was for the best anyways as it earned a couple laughs and a more obvious pout from Ashleia. "but I need to go settle him somewhere. I'll be back soon, Gina!"

 

[cleopat]

Tessa had nothing more to say as she realized how rough Xandros’ childhood must’ve been. Too many siblings, parents who weren’t there, or didn’t care. It had to be chaos.

Fortunately she didn’t have to sit in silence for too long, as Xandros soon pulled into a parking spot. Tessa made a displeased face at the realization she would have to walk in public with a mask on, which no doubt would look weird. But, at least no one would know it was her. Her only saving grace.

So she slipped on the mask, mindful to not mess up her hair in the process. “There, do I look the part of a submissive?” She really didn’t want him to answer that.

Everything felt so weird. Sure, she enjoyed her kinks, but never in such a public space, where someone could potentially recognize her, or she could recognize someone else.

Tessa didn’t want to know about the sex lives of a friend of her parents.

~~~

Dimitri scoffed at the little story Damia conjured, but he didn’t fight it. He was the one who told her to make something up, after all, and it amused him slightly.

He does not brood.

One of the other bridesmaids tried to pry about his scars with a little pout. It didn’t phase Dimitri at all, and he wasn’t in the mood to tell the story. Fortunately, Damia saved him an explanation, and he only chuckled along with her story, resting his hand on Damia’s lower back.

When they turned away, Dimitri spoke, “We both know you would be the one to fall for me.” He casted his eyes over her figure, and a pleased hum sounded. “You clean up rather nicely. Shame you were the one to win the bet though.”

 

[Lucyfer]

“Sure,” Xandros just rolled his eyes at the question, the answer not a real one, as he exited the vehicle and led the way, only waiting at the door for her to catch up. Then he moved his hand behind her back, and guided Tessa into the building, where indeed, someone was waiting.

“Hi! Do you have an appointment?”

“Nah,” Xandros folded an arm over the little wooden podium the woman stood behind, “I’m here to see Tyr, he in today? Need to make a future appointment. Name’s Xandros,” he lifted his head up a little. The tattoo on his neck was not hard to see, given the cut of the shirt. That had been intentionally done.

Such a thing marked him as someone Tyr might see – to the right eyes.

These were the right eyes. “Tyr is,” the woman agreed, “let me show you on back, I don’t think he’s with a client right now.”

Xandros pushed off the podium and moved back to wrap an arm around Tessa as they were led beyond the velvet curtain, to a hallway of rooms. No sound escaped those rooms, wonderfully soundproofed as they were, and they were led into one such room. The markings on the room showed the soundproof nature on each wall. “Do you need anything? Water, coffee…?” the woman asked once they were shown in.

“Kitten, do you need anything?” Xandros asked in a purring tone, encouraging his submissive to use her voice then – and only too amused by it.

~***~

Damia smirked up at him, “That’s twice you’ve told me that now, Dimi,” she noted, “I don’t think I’m the one who would fall so hard,” not that attraction was a sign of falling, but stumbling over such a thing was. That, and she wanted to bother him with that fact, so he could recognize his fumbling.

He didn’t make a good argument for not falling first.

“Your ego is adorable, though.” Not a good consolation prize and she knew it, “I’m sure you’ll have other games in mind in the future. Maybe you’ll win. Once.” That was to be seen. They might not talk again.

She was still betting on that, as she led him into the ceremony hall, “You can sit anywhere, there aren’t sides,” she noted, “but since you insisted on not being alone, let me introduce you to…mmm…Caleb!” she lifted her voice to draw his attention. Caleb was with a couple of other men, and at first lit up at Damia calling to him.

And then immediately turned that down when he saw her with someone else, “Damia, shouldn’t you be with Gina?”

“Oh yes, yes, I’m going back to her – this is my date, Dimitri Spanos,” some recognition from others in the group at the name. Was he really that notable? Weird. “He’s a sad boy and doesn’t know anyone here, so could you help him out?”

“Uh….”

“Thanks!” Damia let go of Dimi’s arm to hug Caleb, who obviously could not refuse at that point, and turned a slight pink at the tight press, before Damia spun back to Dimitri and placed both hands on his shoulders to raise up a bit.

She brushed her lips close – but only just.

Just that small image of a chaste kiss that never happened.

“Be good.”

She let it linger on his lips before she was gone.

 

[cleopat]

The room they were led into was obviously not normally used as a meeting room. Various furniture with bondage gear decorated the room, and there were closets on one side that Tessa could only guess what was inside. She did not feel comfortable being in such a room not only with Xandros, but with this Tyr they’re meeting, but she didn’t let her discomfort show as she leaned into Xandros.

And that damned nickname again. Xandros was lucky it was for their cover.

“Oh no, I don’t need anything at all.” Her hand rested on his chest as she gave him a demure smile, falling into her role despite the thoughts waring in her head over the situation.

Cozying up next to a man whose hands have stolen and murdered before. Stolen and murdered those her parents knew.

Tess wanted to push herself away to get away from those hands that have done far more than what she knew.

~~~

Dimitri only groaned at Damia. He was ready to get the day over with, or at least survive through the reception so he could finally get his hands on that drink. “Once is all I’ll need.” And then he would finally have what he wanted.

Then they could get on with their lives.

He didn’t want to be stuck with the group Damia introduced him to. They hardly looked entertaining. And they recognized his name, which would either be a blessing or a curse for him. He swallowed another groan.

Then Damia drew far too close for a kiss, and he muttered back, “I make no promises.” Neither one of them could actually be good. But playing? He could try.

Her warmth lingered behind a few seconds after she disappeared, and he was left staring at the group that was unfortunately enough to be babysitting him. “Umm…hi,” he said rather lamely with a small wave.