Nighttime Encounter (D11EN)

[Axel Ward]

Axel slept.

The night before a battle, many would be restless. Not Axel. He had been in more than his share of battles, enough that they held no worry for him, not until he was in the thick of them. Perhaps not even then. And so he lay on his back, eyes closed, bare chest rising and falling slowly with the rhythm of his breath.

There was light, of course; on a ship, there was always a little light. But it was soft and red, and it did not disturb sleep. In fact, it seemed to soften edges, giving the room an almost dream-like quality, blurring the line between asleep and waking.

If there were anyone awake, they would see the room was bare and clean. But of course, no one was awake.

[Riza]

Waking hours of the night, Riza was normally asleep by now but the ever powerful jitters before a fight even had Riza succumb to them occasionally. Feeling it in her bones, she wasn't quite ready to be done with the day yet, not when there was a bit more living to do.

Casually, she walked the halls of the ship. Even though the outer halls weren't dimmed in the slightest the ship, any ship really, took on an almost ethereal quality to it. Corridors seemed to possess the capacity to sleep themselves, making one almost want to walk more softly as to not disturb them.

That wasn't a feeling she obliged in until she reached the door outside Axel's room, knowing he wasn't alone. Though, in truth, she'd no intention of waking him upon entering regardless.

Slipping into the rooms shadow she crept over to the bed, climbing up and in. Straddling Axel's unconscious form in the same instant she brought up her hand to his mouth and shushed him with the other, a single digit held up against her lips. A devilish smile. Red eyes, mixed with the red of the room, created for an eerie quality.

[Axel Ward]

Axel murmured, his eyelids twitching as the door slid shut. But it was not until he felt a hand touch his lips that his brown eyes flashed open.

For the briefest of instances, Axel tensed, visible throughout his body. He'd been visited in the night before, and much less pleasantly. But the pheromones, and a subconscious recognition of Riza, her scent and feel, stopped him before he could reach for a weapon. Recognition flashed in his brown eyes, followed by excitement a moment later as they met those ethereal red orbs of hers.

He wasn't sure that this wasn't a dream. It didn't matter. His lips curled up, just a little smile, tangible beneath Riza's fingers. His hands came up, strong fingers squeezing her thighs, as much to confirm that she was real as for the enjoyment of it.

[Riza]

Leaning in her breath touched his cheek. Resting her lips against his ear she spoke, softly, her cadence slow as to spend more time but not awake any other, "Mm, seems I've awoken you, but my.. you're well behaved for someone so recently awoken."

"I wonder, if you've a preference for this over your dream. If you dream, that is. See, I prefer something tangible. Always have. In books, they talk often about a tryst before the big event. Stories, well, they love that sort of thing where the romantic couple gets a moment before the storm to confirm their love. It builds suspense, you see, because then anything can happen to the couple. They've had their moment, and the reader will be satisfied enough with that, but really I've wondered how practical it really is. Sleep, after all, is a key portion of efficiency."

Riza shrugged, leaning up a bit so she could see his face but she didn't remove her hand, "We aren't lovers, like in the stories but.. maybe I am just feeling a bit impractical."

[Axel Ward]

Axel took a deep breath as Riza's breath brushed his ear. Even without being able to see his face, she would be able to detect his reactions to her. A slight quickening of her breath. An elevated heart-rate. The way his lips moved beneath her fingers, quirking, then softening. The way his fingers tightened briefly on her thighs before sliding up to her back.

As Riza leaned up, Axel's brown eyes were strange, soft and thoughtful as they met hers. They seemed to glint at the word impractical, though, and his lips smiled against her hand.

Slowly, Axel nodded his understanding. More than that, his agreement. On hand came up, stroking gently through her hair, even as the other tightened around her waist.

[Riza]

Moving her hand from his mouth she shifted it over his jaw, tracing along with her palm until it came once more at rest on his throat. Positioning her hand, just so, that it was firm against him but not constricting. A glimmer of a smirk she looked to him expectantly.

[Axel Ward]

Axel's lips parted, just the slightest bit, enough to have his teeth flash white in the dark at Riza. His hand came down from her hair to grip her wrist, firm, but not painfully so.

And then, a moment later, the grip released. Axel's chin tilted upwards, giving more of his throat to her hand. His own lips quirked then.

But he still had some bite of his own. His hands returned to her back, this time slipping under her shirt. His nails were blunt and neatly trimmed, but she would still feel them rake gently across her bare skin.

[Riza]

A man looked different in ultraviolet, but the situation called for it. Information was a powerful force anywhere, whether it's withheld or granted can change everything, can increase suspense or diminish it. Riza, of course, preferred greatly to knowing everything. Thus she looked to Axel in a way he could not reciprocate, saw what he could not see, and enjoyed the thought thoroughly.

Rocking her hips against him gently, briefly, she grinned, being sure not to tarry far from the nails raking across her back.

Leaning in closer she let her descent press her hand up against his throat, "He a light sleeper?" she spoke, as if her exhaled breath alone carried her voice.

[Axel Ward]

Viewed in ultraviolet, the lines of Axel's tight muscles stood out more. Perhaps more noticeable was the way his multitude of scars, scarcely visible after bacta treatment, suddenly became visible against his skin. Axel tilted his head, looking up at her with a question in his eyes.

But not for long. He grit his teeth as she rocked her hips, suppressing a groan, his own lips curling up a the sight of her smile.

Riza's question made Axel grin. "Not too light." His whisper was raspy, his deep voice scarcely carrying. "I can be quiet if you can." He teased. His fingers found the edges of her top, slowly tugging upwards.

[Riza]

Riza smirked at the tease, an almost silly request, at least, at first. Leaning in close her lips brushed against his ear as she spoke, though she hardly vocalized, each word carried out on a breath, making the words themselves physical, heated, "There is always a way. Just have to.. find it," she smiled a devilish smile, felt against his cheek as she leaned into it.

[Axel Ward]

Another soft breath, almost a sigh, as Riza's lips brushed her ear. Axel body tensed beneath her, against her, as he restrained himself. Only just.

He grinned. "Well." The word was more mouthed than spoken, only just audible as he pressed back against her cheek. "I should start looking." His hands were surprisingly gentle as he tugged the garment up over her head.

[Riza]

Working with him, shifting herself in such a way to let his hands drag the garment up over her head. Bringing her arms up, slipping free of it. Sat atop him, head held high, she took her shirt in hand and tossed it behind her. From up here she looked down on him from this position, shirtless, undergarment that was akin to a sports bra in place.

Looking down from here, she only grinned.

[Axel Ward]

And Axel grinned back. For a moment, he waited, appreciating all that lovely blue skin.

But she was ceding him the initiative. Which he knew meant he should take it; sometimes Axel was a fast learner. And so he sat up, rising to meet her.

His lips brushed her jawline before they sought hers. Strong hands beginning to move again, sliding over her bare skin, nails teasing once more.

[Riza]

Taking him into a kiss she brought her hand up behind the back of his head, brushing her fingers along the short of his hair and upward until she found something tangible and gripped hard. Pulling him in, firmly, with that one arm.

Reaching down, with the other, to tug at the waist of his shirt. Slow, methodical work, muffled sounds. Like teens in their third year of band camp. Every sound was watched, contained, every action was deliberate, because anything too much could give them away in a moment.

[Axel Ward]

Axel smiled into the kiss as Riza pulled guided him by his hair. It was curious, the element of control that seemed to be the theme of the encounter. Not just who was guiding things, but also self-control. It kept him breathing softly instead of groaning at her touch, tugging at her lip lightly with his teeth instead of giving in to desire.

Just as she'd helped him, he helped her, shifting as his shirt rose up over his broad chest. He let it drop casually to the floor. His skin took on the tint of the dim red light, a contrast to her blue.

[Riza]

Parting to remove the shirt, Riza started in quick again. Quickly finding his neck with her lips, leaving a trail of wet marks, and then another kind of mark that came with a slight shot of pain along the color-bone, done in by her teeth.

Wrapping her arms around him, one behind his neck and the other rested against the front of his waist.

[Axel Ward]

It was a struggle, but Axel kept his breath steady as Riza's lips trailed down his neck, his chin tilting to allow her easier access. The touch of teeth, though, made him inhale, managing just in time to make it shuddering rather than sharp.

Just as before, the element of competition, of play, was there. Axel found himself grinning even as his arms tightened around Riza, squeezing her form against his tight muscles. Smiling as he let his own lips brush back over her jawline, teeth brushing her earlobe.

He wondered who would win this time? Perhaps it would be a tie.

/ftb