by Bea Biddle
Karen didn't hear him come in, but as she was lying on the floor, debating with herself whether to get up again, his face appeared above her.
He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Hello?"
"Hi," she managed to get out.
"What are you doing?"
"Uhm, hanging out?" she squeaked in defeat. Oh no, no, no, no. What the fuck is he doing here? she shrieked inwardly, What am I wearing? Why am I thinking that? I need help. She tried thinking of several different things she could possibly say, but no words came to her rescue. She suddenly smelled strawberry. The Milkshake. Gross! But before she could scramble to her feet, he had reached his hand out for her and she accepted it gladly, happy to get off the ground and out of the milkshake.
"What is this place?" he asked as he pulled her to her feet.
"You're kidding, right?" she asked. "How do you wash your clothes?"
"I give them to the man, a couple of blocks down, in exchange for money. He returns them a few days later, clean," Cef said as if it was obvious, "I thought all humans did that."
"You mean the dry cleaner?" Karen laughed.
"I don't know how he cleans it, dry or not, it gets clean." He shrugged and started inspecting the washing machine humming to itself. Karen was about to say something when the lid on the machine started opening and slamming shut continuously. Thick soap started spluttering at them, running down the sides and spreading all over the floor. "Is that normal?" Cef asked and leaned back, away from the machine.
"No, no it isn't." Karen tried to get to the machine, wanting to shut it off. But all she managed to do was slide around on the floor and fall back. Cef caught her before she could greet the milkshake mess one more time.
"Damn human contraption," Cef mumbled, "What is it trying to do?"
"Trying to become as much of a headache as possible, I guess," Karen answered. She tried making her way to it again, but her legs slid around so much she instantly fell on her ass. "Dammit!" she swore and kicked the floor. Cef grunted and made his way towards the machine. "No don't!" she called out, but it was too late. Cef had already stumbled over to it on shaky legs and instead of turning it off he tore the lid open.
An explosion of bubbles filled the corner of the launderette. Cef coughed and spluttered, spitting soap onto the floor. "Yes, that helped," Karen murmured. He tried pulling her to her feet, but the floor was too soapy now and his effort landed him on his back next to her. And Karen burst out laughing.
"Damn machine!" Cef growled. He wasn't at all impressed with this, and Karen laughing at him made it worse. "How do we stop it?"
"We turn it off," Karen said between laughs, "Here, let me do it." She managed to get herself up on all fours. Her hands felt weird in the unusually thick soapy water that covered the floor, and her knees were shaking trying not to slide around. One foot found some footing and then the other. She finally stood up, albeit a bit wobbly. She took one step towards the machine still producing the foamy mess. And then landed spread eagle on top of Cef, pushing him down to the floor he was so desperately trying to get up from.
Karen laughed out loud, mostly out of embarrassment, but then stopped abruptly. Cef's hands were on her hips. Cef's wonderfully strong, rough fingers were on her skin where her hoodie had bunched up. He seemed not to notice as he continued to try and peel her off of him, but then his fingers slid on her soapy skin and the palms of his hands ended up on her back, under her hoodie, when she fell right back down on top of him. He definitely noticed then. She could feel the sharp intake of breath through his chest and he stopped fighting to get up. The contact was unexpected but very much welcome. She heard him grunt and shifted underneath her. Oh no, how long have I just been lying on top of him without moving? Karen yelled inwardly, Shit! She struggled to get back up. Cef's hands slid out and she instantly missed his touch. "Sorry," she heard herself mumble and sat up on her knees beside him.
"It's alright," Cef offered. He wished she hadn't moved. He had to wrestle with himself the second he felt her soft, soapy skin underneath his fingers. He had wanted to touch, wanted to explore, he had wanted to roam her body, sliding slippery hands all over her. Why did this human insist on testing him continuously?
The machine behind them spluttered and Karen felt the warm fluffy bubbles against her legs. She really needed to turn that off. "I should- I should get that," she whispered. But in trying to get back up, she realized that sliding around on hands and knees was not really her strong point. She had never been very good at skating, especially on all fours. And by the looks of it, neither was Cef.
"I think we need to work together here," he suggested.
"Alright," Karen agreed with a nod. She placed her hands in his and let him hold them as hard as he had to for them not to slip out. His hands were wet and soapy, but she felt the warmth radiating off them and she savored the touch. He got up on one foot, found some footing somehow, Karen mimicked and almost did get up, but then her shoe decided to commit mutiny again and she flew backward.
"No, no, no," Cef hissed before she pulled him with her and this time, he landed on top of her.
"That's going to hurt in the morning," Karen said and winced at the pain in her back. She wanted to find it funny, she really did, she almost laughed. But she couldn't, she could barely breathe. The reason being Cef's weight on her, his torso between her legs, his face almost pressed against her chest. And she froze. He was on top of her, between her legs. He was actually lying on her in the most intimate of positions. She couldn't stop the familiar feeling of thrill she often felt around him. But this time it was much stronger, violently so. He noticed the position as well. Of course, he did. He immediately struggled to get up, his knees slid, his hands tried staying still on either side of her but couldn't. She was afraid he was panicking, that was the worst thing he could do. She wouldn't be able to bear it if he expressed disgust at being so close to her. A blush was spreading on her face, she just knew it, and she was feeling embarrassed. Not so much because of the way they were intertwined, but because she was enjoying him squirming between her legs way too much. Unable to help herself, she giggled stupidly.
At the sound of her voice, he stopped fighting. He was unfortunately, painfully, aware of the position they had landed in and it was taking every ounce of self-control not to take advantage. He was enjoying this. He was enjoying this, way, way too much. "Right," he breathed in defeat, "We may need to live here from now on."
Karen burst out laughing again. Was he actually joking? That was new. Who knew Mr. Tall, dark and serious was able to make a joke? This wasn't happening. Every time a new side of him showed she found herself liking him more. That wasn't fair! He looked up at her with his crooked smile, and her laughter faded to a silly giggle as their eyes met. The air around them thickened. The moment felt far more significant than having merely fallen on top of each other.
"I didn't hurt you, did I?" Cef whispered. He didn't sound concerned about that at all. He wasn't. She was underneath him, all soapy and slippery. It was too good to be true. He felt every curve, every soft angle of her body as he had her pinned to the ground. And she wasn't fighting it, he noted with immense pleasure. She was... smiling? Every ounce of self-control, every fiber of his body that was held in check by painful restraint, was slipping from him at a dangerous pace. He had to do something. Had to do something fast before he did something he would regret.
”No,” she breathed. Their smiles faded but the moment was palpable with tension. His eyes bore into hers making her heart rate quicken and her mind going blank.
”Lie still,” he demanded softly.
He placed his hands on her hips again. The feel of his fingers on her jeans was oddly erotic even though he wasn't even touching her directly. It still felt intimate, forbidden even, and Karen was almost overwhelmed by the hunger that sparked inside her. She swallowed hard but managed a nod. The way he had uttered those words made her spine tingle and her skin flush, she was embarrassingly sure that her face was tomato red.
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"I'm going to attempt something," he finally said after an unbearably long moment.
Karen could have melted into the floor at this point, his voice was so low she could feel it reverberate through his chest and into her body. ”Alright,” she tried to answer, but no sound came. Kiss me! she mentally screamed at him, desperately hoping that what he intended to attempt was the passionate, hungry kiss that she had, regretfully, fantasized about since meeting him. She didn't care that they were on a hard floor, she didn't care that they were both wet and covered in a harsh smelling floral soap, she didn't even care that they could probably be seen from the windows. All she cared about was his hard body on top of hers and his warm hands on her hips, his breath on her skin that gave her goosebumps and his damn enticing, soft looking lips that were so close it hurt not to have them on her. Well done, Karen, she chided herself, You were supposed to be done with him. You were supposed to push him from your life, remember? You are officially an idiot! She growled at her inner voice, knowing it was right. Only she didn't care anymore.
He didn't kiss her. He didn't even try. He gently pushed off her hips and managed to erect himself into a standing position above her. When steady, he reached down for her hand and she was pulled to her feet in one swift tug. Still sliding and slipping around, having to hang on to Cef to remain upright, but on her feet more or less.
”That was good,” she coughed out awkwardly, trying hard to mask her disappointment. ”Good, that was- that was- Oh, uhm, Oh!” she burst out when she noticed that her hand was lying flat against his chest. She swallowed hard again. She could feel his heart, it was pounding under her fingertips, just as hard as hers. His shirt was wet, it clung to him like a second skin and she could trace every muscle if she wanted to, feel every rough scar, every nook and cranny was exposed to her.
”Yes,” Cef answered her, ”It was.” His voice came out clipped and strained. The hand burned into his chest, he could feel her fingers twitch. His arms moved on their own accord, circling her, holding her against him. He could feel her trembling with the effort it took to stay on her feet. Or was it something else? Unable to help himself, he pressed her tighter against him. She was so small, so fragile, so human. He couldn't understand what was happening to him, but he could not pretend he didn't want this any longer. If this human knew what was good for her she would push him away, get far from him before it was too late. You were supposed to stay away from her, a voice penetrated his skull. He ignored it, he couldn't stop now. It felt too good. And she wasn't struggling. That fact excited him. And worse, it encouraged him.
The hand on the small of her back moved in circles, his fingertips massaging her through her wet hoodie. And then not through her hoodie. With a sharp intake of breath, she realized it was under her clothes, on her naked back. Cef's hand caressed her wet skin with the wonderfully rough, warm palm of his hand. When she didn't complain, he grew bolder. Long strokes up and down her spine that made her want to purr. Her own hand sprouted life of its own, it moved across his chest with a courage she didn't think she had, touching him, feeling him. Reveling in the fast beating heart and the slow rise and fall of every deep breath. It moved lower. Between their bodies. He was so nice and firm and hard. She traced the ridges between muscles, between abs. She had never felt that before on any man, never had the chance. And this particular abdomen was making her brain hurt, she was going insane.
Karen felt his fingers on her chin, gently guiding her head upwards to face him. Karen began to panic. It was one thing feeling the man up, quite another for him to see her face, to see just how desperately she wanted him at that moment. He would know. He would just know how badly she craved his touch.
Cef couldn't wrestle with himself much longer, his self-control wearing thin, he needed to see permission in her eyes. When their gazes finally met he almost lost it, uttering a primal growl from deep in his throat. Her gaze was hooded, her eyes darkened seductively, a shy smile played on her lips. She did want it. As much as he did. He broke into a fierce grin, feeling the shudders of anticipation that rippled through her body in response. He was going to have her, the realization hammered into his chest and his heart started beating faster. This silly little human, she had been on his mind for far too long without him doing anything about it. No longer. This strange creature. So weak and powerless, and yet, with an absurd amount of power over him. Her pleading gray eyes, her blushing cheeks, even her slightly upwards pointing nose was exquisite. But above all those lips, drawing him in.
Karen bit her bottom lip. She would finally know what he felt like, she would finally taste him, finally feel his hard body against hers with no layers of stupid clothing in the way. She wanted to rip his shirt off right there. She didn't even care they were in a launderette, she didn't care if people saw, they didn't exist anyway. Only Cef and Karen existed. She licked her lips expectantly, holding her breath for what she knew was coming. ”Cef?” Her voice urgent, so needing she barely recognized it. Had she ever wanted anyone as much as she wanted this man?
”Yes.” His voice thick and laden with lust, his arm around her tightened. Her shirt was so soaked he could feel the edges of her bra against his chest, that didn't matter, that silly human thing would be ripped from her body as soon as he got his chance. His thumb graced her mouth. She parted her lips. His forehead touched hers. Her eyelids fluttered shut in anticipation. He was only a breath away.
A loud buzzing from the table next to them shook them both out of their trance. Karen's phone vibrated loudly, prying its way into the moment and mercilessly tearing it apart. ”No,” Karen begged it in a mumble, not knowing she was speaking out loud, “No, no, no, not now. Not now!” Determined to ignore it, determined not to care at all. She clung to Cef, pushing herself against him harder, hoping it would go away and leave them alone. It didn't. It vibrated louder and louder as text after text was received, moving around on the table with a life of its own. And when Karen didn't move a muscle to get it, it decided to move to the edge of the table and fall off. “Dammit,” Karen growled when she saw it disappear into the soapy mess out of the corner of her eye.
Reluctantly, she broke away from Cef and skated towards it on the slippery floor. She pulled it out of a pile of bubbles and dried it in an old scarf she hadn't washed yet. Four fucking texts. All from Colin. She rolled her eyes in anger. Angry at the phone for breaking the moment, angry at Colin for sending them. She didn't want to see what he had to say, she didn't want anything to do with him anymore. Habit opened the texts anyway.
I'll pick you up for breakfast tomorrow after work.
I'll be at the diner around six?
We need to sort this whole mess out.
Love you.
"For fuck's sake!" Karen growled. She pressed to reply. No, he could not come to pick her up. No, he could not come by the diner. And no, he did not fucking love her. And why could he never just write everything in one text? She wanted to text him back. She wanted to tell him to leave her alone, or better yet, to fuck off. But her phone went dead. Out of battery. "Fuck!" she yelled and slammed the phone down on the table, a little bit harder than she should have.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah," Karen said shaking her head. "It's just Colin and, well, Colin." No, don't, Karen, please don't, she scolded herself, Don't mention Colin to him. You'll ruin this. But the moment was already ruined, she could see it on his face, he had changed. A second ago the man had radiated sex, his expression and actions had made promises she couldn't wait for him to fulfill. But now, he stood back, arms crossed over his chest, and looked at her with an indifference that hurt her more than it should. He had drawn away. She finally felt like they were moving in the same direction and then he pulled away again.
Of course, it was that little rat. Cef sighed and started picking at his nails. Who else could possibly stop her now? He had seen her face, he was sure she wanted him, he would have bet his life on that fact. But one message from her little human mate and she changed co
mpletely. Who else could have such a hold on her? He felt the anger rising in him again. But he was angry at himself. He was the only one he could blame for this situation. How he wanted to end Colin, a slow bloody end, but that would serve no purpose on this side of the rift. Apparently, that was counterproductive when it came to females here. "I see," he eventually pressed out when Karen didn't speak. "I suppose he wants to see you again." He hadn't wanted to say it with such venom in his voice, it wasn't supposed to be a snide remark. But he couldn't keep his voice level. He was angry now, angry and annoyed. And for some strange reason, a little hurt. He snorted in distaste. Demons did not get hurt. At least not without bloodshed.
Karen huffed at the rough reply. He couldn't be serious. She watched him sneer at the washing machine in the corner, she had completely forgotten about it. Without saying another word, he fought his way to it, hammered his fist into the controls, effectively destroying the machine. After a couple of short bursts of bubbles and spitting soap, the machine died out. Karen opened her mouth to ask him what the hell that was good for. That was her laundry and now the machine was broken. Was she supposed to replace that? Could she be fined for the damage? She thought better of cursing at him it when she saw the grim expression on his face. Instead, she rummaged through her bag, fishing out a cigarette pack and a lighter. "I need some air."
"That's not air," Cef snapped and pointed to the pack in her hand. "You should stop."
"Will you stop saying that. It's my own business if I smoke or not.”
Cef narrowed his eyes at her and leaned against the dead washing machine, arms crossed over his chest again as he scoffed. "It shortens the lifespan of you humans."
"That's rich coming from you," Karen spat back at him, "You know what shortens the lifespan of Demons? Constantly jumping into fights, expanding your collection of scars. That shortens the lifespan of fucking Demons." She wanted to be angry at him. Wanted to yell and scream at him. She could have sworn they were about to kiss, about to- about to do something at least. And then, nothing. And he was standing there all aloof and stoic as if he hadn't just been turning her bones to mush and her brain to fluff, making her melt into him with only his touch. It hurt. Deeply.
