Private Tales Brothels and Broken Things

[Cassian]

Cassian leaned his arm against the wall as she stepped away from him, forehead pressed to forearm as he pulled air into his lungs and fought for control over his racing heart and panting breaths. He was slick with sweat and he stepped away to run his fingers into his hair with another deep breath as he watched her steady herself on the wall.

He laughed under his breath as he stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her to press a few kisses to the crook of her neck.. "I love you, Lex.." he rumbled and turned her to face him to take her face in his hands, his cheeks dimpled as he looked over her. "More than anythin' in the fuckin' world." he sighed deeply, and brushed her hair back from her face.. "Lets go.." he kissed "Take a bath.." he kissed again "Drink some wine.." and again..

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"And do that again?" she grinned as her hands came to rest on his hips.

Lexi took a moment to simply even out her breathing. The warmth coming off him was helping and after a moment of two she felt a little more stable and her legs no longer shook. She opened her eyes to gaze at him for a moment longer then leaned up to lightly kiss him on the lips.

"I love you too," because she knew it was important that he heard it from her. Especially after the horrific things his father had said and after he had had to see that witch again. Her only regret of the evening was not slapping the look of her face. She took his hand and then slid out of the alley trying to look casual whilst she straightened up her dress.

 

[Cassian]

He laughed at her words and nodded "As many times as you like.." he rumbled and nipped at her jaw. He did need her words, and he brushed his thumbs against her cheeks as she said them, drinking them in and letting them soothe him. It was going to take some work to put the incident behind him, but as long as she was with him he couldn't fall into that pit again.

He took her hand and grinned as she adjusted and he looked cautiously up and down the street, his hair a tousled mess and his new shirt now without buttons.

There was no sign of Anirian soldiers, only a few couples here and there making their ways home in the dark, and Cassian dipped his chin in a nod and grinned at the awkward looks he received.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

They managed to make it back to the house without further incident and Lexi closed the door behind them with a relieved sigh. She hadn't wanted to cause too much of a scene in case it had reflected on Damien badly, and she was pretty sure a single woman clobbering an Anirian unit would raise more than a few eyebrows in a city where women were there to be picture perfect ornaments and nothing more. Her eyes raked over him again as he stood in front of trying to make some sort of sense of his hair and her teeth dug in to her lower lip.

"Whisky?" she tilted her head to the side and a crooked smile caused her eyes to twinkle. She wanted one whether he did or not so she slid past him towards the kitchen to find what her parents had left them from their last visit.

 

[Cassian]

"Aye... Whisky sounds good, lass." he sighed with a look of gratitude and watched her as she left. The moment he was alone in the room without her he rubbed at his face and ran his fingers into his hair to grip at it, drawing a deep breath as he tried to calm to tumultuous thoughts that dizzied him. "Fuck.." he muttered quietly to himself and crouched next to the hearth to get a fire going.

He tried and failed twice before throwing the iron into the pit and sitting with his head in his hands with another, louder "Fuck." as he fought with his rage and reopened wounds.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Cassian..."

She had rushed back into the room as soon as she had heard the curse, two glasses and a bottle hurriedly shoved into her hands and she set them down awkwardly before dropping to her knees in front of him. It hurt her to see him in such a state but she wouldn't deny him his pain, it was something he was going to have to deal with if he didn't want to drown it all in booze and fighting. She very gently put her hands over his and then muscled her way onto his lap to hold him to her the best way she could.

"Baby..." she didn't know how to make it better and it angered her she hadn't given them both a punch. "I've got you," she whispered, fingers running up and down his back in slow lazy movements that were meant to soothe. "I've always got you, you're not alone," she placed a kiss to the top of his head.

 

[Cassian]

He didn’t want her to see what it done to him but he couldn’t hold it in, he’d held back, swallowed his words and stayed his hand because he didn’t want to put her through that. If she hadn’t been with him, he wasn’t so sure he’d have had the restraint. Restraint was a new thing for him...

He rubbed irritably at his face but as she pushed her way under his arm and clung to him he groaned and wrapped his arms around her to breathe her in. “I know, lass... I’m alrigh’..” he frowned.

He let a silence fall between them for a moment, thinking of their words. How they must have laughed at him..

“It’s true.. what he said about my brother...” he frowned.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"No, Cassian," Lexi grabbed his face and forced him to look at her and the anger burning in her eyes. "The fault was not with you, he led you into slaughter. That is a Commanders fault. Do you think if Alec had died I would let any of you take the blame for not having his back? Those men I lost before I came here do you think I blame any of their Comrades for not having their backs? No, Cassian. I blame myself because I sent them there. It was my signature on those orders," she stroked her thumbs over his cheeks. She wanted to go back into the streets and find the foul man and hurl him back to apologise for what he had done. To make him stand before a judge, jury and trial of her choosing.

"He failed you as a Commander, he failed you all."

 

[Cassian]

"No, Lex.. You don't get it. It was his fault that we were there in the first place, but I made a mistake, I got in Remy's way after he told me twice to get out of there. He was too busy worrying about me. If I'd listened." his head shook and he settled his hands over hers.

"He failed us as a commander, aye. But that doesn't mean I'm not to blame." he frowned at her. He knew he was at fault, that his brother's death had been in some way caused by his actions, but his father had poured salt in the wound and brought everything crashing back down over him after only a few short minutes in the man's company. His mind was reeling, and he visibly seethed at the thought of the pair of them together.

"Do you know.. how many times he called her a gypsy whore when I loved her?.. The beating I got when he found out I'd married her?.." he laughed incredulously under his breath and scowled. "We may see them again, lass.. I'm sorry, I really am.." she frowned and squeezed at her hands. He'd wanted her to have some well earned time off, instead she was trying to mollify his anger and he tried so desperately to put it aside.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi didn't believe it for one second. Any soldier worth his salt would have ignored another's request to leave them in a difficult situation. It was the way of life for warriors. But she could see he was struggling and she didn't want to be another of his reasons to be angry. With a sigh she leaned her forehead against his and placed a gentle kiss to his lips.

"I will make sure I throw him further next time," like into the harbour. Or maybe through a brick wall. She had been quite measured in her response tonight for her - it could definitely have been a lot worse. She was trying to make him smile at least a little, his pain was almost a taste on her tongue and it was most definitely a knife in her heart.

"They deserve each other from everything you've told me Cassian," her thumb stroked over his chest. "I, for one, am thankful she ruined it. I would never have met you if it weren't for her mistake."

 

[Cassian]

He returned her kiss and let out a breath of a laugh as she attempted to make him smile. She couldn't not make him smile.. "I wanted to kill him, Lex. When I beat him before I wasn't going to stop, I didn't want to. I still feel that rage... I just didn't want to wind up in a cell when we're supposed to be here enjoying this time we have.." he huffed quietly and pressed another kiss to the corner of her mouth.

His smile widened. "Aye..They do. Please don't think it's jealousy, I had a love for the woman when I was too stupid to know better." he took her hand and kissed at her knuckles.. "Nobody has ever cared about me the way you do, lass.. I know I'm broken, but you help. I need you." he rumbled and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear..

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

She hadn't realised she was a little worried he was jealous until he said it. She shoved the feeling to the side with scorn and smiled as he kissed her knuckles instead.

"Care about you? It was to save my own skin. Do you know what Damien would do to me if I ended up in a cell?" she gently rubbed her nose against his and then kissed him with a soft fluttering of her lips. There was no question in her mind nor her heart that she would have ended up in shackles next to him if there had been a fight. Lexi wouldn't have had it any other way.

"That kids beefed up, he actually scares me now," she whispered as if he might be able to overhear them alone in this giant townhouse.

 

[Cassian]

Cassian laughed held her face in his hands, his eyes wandering over her face with a deep sigh. "How did I get so fuckin' lucky?.." he smiled, his cheeks dimpling slightly. "Let's have that whisky.. I won't spend any more of our time on them.." he rumbled irritably and captured her lower lip gently in his teeth.

"I'm sure you can keep my mind busy with other things..." his brow arched, and his grin widened as his mind drifted back to that alleyway.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi laughed at that grin that squeezed her heart just so. Gently she placed a kiss to each dimple in his cheeks then held his gaze for a moment longer to make sure he was ok before she reluctantly slid herself off his lap to fetch the whisky. She poured them both a sizable glass and then passed him one, sipping from her own.

"Well it would be a shame to put the dress to waste with only one time," she winked then sat down on one of the slow slung chairs and crossed one long leg over the over and twirled her ankle. Occasionally she could be more feminine.

 

[Cassian]

He took the whisky and turned to watch her from the floor, his brow's lifting at the way she crossed her legs and lounged lavishly across the chair. His face was a picture of longing and he groaned.. "Aye, lass. That would be a damned shame.." he rumbled and took a long drink of whisky before crawling toward her, still kneeling on the floor as his hands drove their way from her ankles and under the emerald fabric to her thighs and he squeezed gently.

"You have my attention.." he sighed, his eyes roaming adoringly over the gown, her bare skin, that face. He fought the urge to tear the dress from her, but it was there, and hunger danced like flames in his eyes as his fingers tightened on her skin..

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

As he came closer she placed her heeled foot on his chest and applied a little bit of pressure to keep him at bay, her lips curving up into a dark smile. She didn't speak straight away, made him wait as she took another slow sip of her drink. Only when she was done did she nestle back into the chair and raised a brow.

"Do I?" she glanced away from him and back to the drink in her hand with a dramatic sigh. "How do I know I have your full attention?" there was definitely ways to make sure she knew she had it. Her legs were long and so he was quite the way back from reaching anything but more leg should he attempt to grab at her more.

"I think I'm going to need some proof..."

 

[Cassian]

Another groan escaped his lips as she seemed intent on teasing him. It was working. His hands slid back down to her foot and he gripped her ankle to remove her shoe and massage the sole of her foot, his thumbs digging deep and kneading as he sighed.. "Where else could my attention possibly be righ' now?.." he asked, his words tumbling out with a strain of desire. His lips found their way to her ankle and he kissed all the way to her knee before attempting to pull himself closer to her..

His hands and lips continued to caress her skin and he lifted his gaze to her with a mute plea.. "I think I've been tortured enough lass.."

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi groaned as he began massaging her foot and let her head fall back momentarily. She hadn't worn heels for quite some time and it was a relief to have them off in truth. The groan turned into a low moan in her throat as he kissed up her leg though as he got to her knee she slid her foot to his shoulder to stop him going any further, looking down at him with a lofty expression. The way he looked at her made her bite down into her bottom lip.

"I suppose... you have," she still hesitated with her foot on his shoulder and then let her leg slide over his shoulder and tugged him up to meet her lips in a hungry kiss. Her teeth grazed his ear as she whispered. "I don't mind if you rip the dress."

 

[Cassian]

That foot on his shoulder provoked a breathy groan and a look of pain as he let his eyes wander over the sight of her without being able to touch. The wait was excruciating..

He met the kiss with equal fervour, his breathing hitching instantly and he gave a quiet groan at her sultry words. He was already on the cusp of losing control and she sent another shudder racing across his back, goosebumps blooming in its wake. Fuck sake Cass have some restraint..

He breathed out and kissed her again before pushing back and continuing where he’d left off, his lips returning to just below her knee as his hands slid to the curves of her arse and squeezed hard, pushing the dress to the top of her thighs. His lips worked slowly, and his tongue joined the journey along the inside of her thigh, making sure both legs had equal attention. A little lasting payback..

When he met the hindrance of fabric again he looked up at her, and slid his hands to curl his fingers into the dress, his jaw clenching as he gave in and tore in one powerful motion to free her skin, and clear his path, his eyes on her as he continued..

Fuck restraint.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi thought she had the patience of a damned Saint.

Cassian truly did take his revenge as his lips and tongue made their way up her legs and Lexi wasn't planning to stop the slow form of torture. She gave into it like a sinner on the confession stand and he took her apart like the righteous. Even though she loved every second of it she was more than glad when Cassian lost his patience first and tore the rest of the dress from her, taking her on the floor by the fire.

And numerous others if the wreckage was any indication.

They lay in the middle of the carnage their stormy desire had created. Lexi was panting hard, sweat covered her skin which glistened in the flicker of the fire, her eyes closed. She wanted more of the whisky to soothe her parched throat but she was also way too tired to move.

"Remind me... to buy some new dresses."

 

[Cassian]

He wore a look of pain as his lungs starved for air and his heart rattled like a stone in a box, his forearm pressed to his forehead as he grumbled at her.. "I'm gettin' too old for this, lass..." he breathed out and lifted a hand to smack her bare arse with a laugh at her words.

"Aye..You do that, lass.." he grinned, and managed to pull himself to his feet. He must have read her mind, and he wandered over to grab the whisky, pouring two glasses and bringing the bottle to the bedside. He smirked down at her and dropped to a kneel in worship over her naked, glistening body. "Mh.." he sighed and shook his head before slipping his arms under her shoulders and thighs to lift her up and cradle her onto the bed with a few soft kisses.

Cassian climbed under the sheets beside her and pulled her close before handing her a drink, and sipping at his own.. "What a fucking day." he laughed.

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

"Do you want me to stop throwing you?" Lexi laughed softly. The man had practically begged her all but a few moments ago. She opened her eyes halfheartedly when he smacked her arse and she threw him a dark look. But... he was going in the direction of the whisky so she decided against retaliation and instead focused on getting her breathing back under control in the short reprieve. Her lips quirked when she felt him come to kneel beside her and she raised a tired hand to brush over his hair.

"Again!?" she gave a husky laugh as his hands came under her and she half expected to pull her back onto him. Of course she wouldn't complain but she would be amazed if he was ready for another round or two already. That whisky must be good. "Oh thank god," she groaned as she was lowered into the bed against him and took the glass offered.

"Yeah... a rather... intense start to the holiday," Lexi rested her head in the crook of his neck. "Maybe I should come on holiday more often, not at all as dull as I thought."

 

[Cassian]

"Hey now.." he frowned and shot her a look of disbelief and deep hurt. "I didn' say that, lass.."

He had to laugh at her exclamation however "Fuck no.. Well.. If you insist I'm sure I could.." he teased and pressed his lips down on her head as she rested her head down. He sighed deeply and let his eyes close for a moment. Her head fit so perfectly there, like it'd been a spot reserved entirely for her. It soothed him and he rumbled with contentment..

"Aye.. I'm sure tomorrow will be just as enthralling.." he muttered, sure his father and his men were still in the city, and they'd be even less pleased to see him tomorrow..

 

[Lexi Quinzell]

Lexi kissed the part of his neck that was closest to her.

"In all seriousness I can probably talk to someone about having him thrown out of the city," peopled across the world respected the Templars. They fought for everyone and kept themselves out of the politics of the rest of the world. Nobody wanted to be on their bad side. If she made her identity known she would be listened to and respected. It would just make their holiday more problematic in a different way; there was always a monster to be dealt with even if she told them she was on holiday.

"Or throw him further this time, as for your ex-wife..." her note took a very sour note. "She I wouldn't mind dealing with more personally."

 

[Cassian]

Cassian sighed and dipped at his whisky as he considered her words for a brief moment “As amusin’ as that would be lass, it ent worth the strife. He’s a bitter old bastard, and it’ll only make your life harder. Besides, we’re not working, no Templars, no Commander. Just us.” he smiled down at her. “And she’s not worth any of our time..”

He couldn’t believe the level of restraint and composure he’d had at seeing his father and Alana together. Regardless of how little he cared for either of them, just a few weeks ago he’d have done time for murdering them both. But now he wasn’t just thinking of himself. He’d been drinking less. Much less. He could sleep through the night and hold conversations with people and work with comrades again. All because of her.

His cheeks dimpled as he grinned down at her as the thoughts raced through his mind, the happiness he felt and he sighed again. “You know you saved my life. Right?... An’ I don’ mean by throwin’ my father into an alley..” he laughed.