tenderflcsh

[tenderflcsh]

THE CALL HAD RANG ONCE — TWICE — BEFORE TOMMY'S FACE FILLED HER SCREEN , smug and irritatingly cheshire as always . she didn't speak at first , cocking her head at him , blinking glossy eyes as she sat perched on the marble sink ; a portrait hung too high , all legs and luxury with the slow , molten drip of a cabernet wine somewhere behind her pretty pout . " you know what pisses me off , tommy ?? " dakota's voice finally sounds , honeyed by intoxication as she drags out each syllable . her head tilts back to rest against the mirror as her unoccupied hand taunts the exposed peach of her thigh from where the hem of her dress had hiked up her lap , holding the phone up higher in her opposing hand .

“ how i know you’re always watching some cheap little porno alone in that sad little apartment , , , ” teeth scrape her lower lip , breath hitching as she drags her manicure further along the inner side of her now gently parted thighs , back up towards where it had been before she had called him . her next words are infused with breath , embarrassment coupling with a desperate whine as her manicure brushes atop dampened cotton : " how i started touching myself in the bathroom at this stupid party and all i could think about was having you watch . "

closed starter + @tenderflcsh

his phone is in his hand the second it goes off, under the assumption that it's just another one of his regulars looking to be hooked up with their next fix. but not only is it dakota that's contacting him, she's also calling via facetime. confused yet intrigued, tommy answers, leaning back against his couch but not really paying attention yet as he fishes for his red bull. "hey, what're you callin' for, weirdo? miss my face that much? because it sure does miss you sitting on it." a sly grin stretches wide across his face without missing a beat before it drops into confusion as he finally looks at the screen and takes in the marble white surroundings behind her. "where the hell are you?"

[tenderflcsh]

A KNOT FORMS BETWEEN HER BROWS , AN URGENT IRRITANCY HOLDING HER EXPRESSION CAPTIVE ; he wants to , , , but he won't . victor's voice splinters like aged wood as he speaks , the kind that'd hold whiskey in the belly of a ship ( jefferson's ocean , hints of salt dissolved in honey gold ) , creaking like equally worn floor boards . a sound she was familiar with , walking the old halls of her large house , trying to find herself in the dull , mahogany stained floors that had long lost their shine ; not from a lack of upkeep , but from a preservation of history . a history she was steadily being written out of —— just like her brother had .

dakota says nothing . in fact , she doesn't even breathe . lungs hold air captive , feeling oxygen grow stale as she refuses to do so much as flare her nostrils . she is still , no matter how badly she wishes to lean into his touch , his fingers carving sigils into her cheek , jaw , ear , and throat with the most restrained kind of physical affection . electricity crackles where he laid his unspoken claim , burnt her nerves hot . his words lead to the sensation doubling down , singeing her , leading her to wince . yet , dakota steels her resolve . she steps forward , flush to him now and pressing . she lifts her chin with his guiding fingers as salty eyes burn from both the tears , and the sheer intensity , in which her stare sews itself to his .

" i'm already plenty ruined , " she says , finally exhaling in order to keep her voice steady . she pleads with her eyes , folding the fabric of his shirt in her grasp , his heart drumming against her knuckles . the shoulder of her zip up slides down , cradling her bicep , chest lifting as the cotton material of her night dress feels like a corset , , , the very same one she had been wearing when she crawled into his bed all those nights ago .

her mouth . he kept looking at her mouth . dakota could taste the tension between them , taste the hunger on his breath , a boiling warmth in her stomach that had bloomed from what had once been a simmer . he looked again , and she watched him track his calloused thumb as it traced the outer seam of her lower lip .

" but , i'll ruin you in return , " she promises quietly , lifting manicured fingers to take hold of the wrist cupping her face , pulling it back so hazels could shift to where his heart-line cut across his palm . she presses a gentle , ginger kiss to it , then his hand's heel , then his wrist where his equally thunderous pulse ( beating in syncopation with hers ) sat beneath tan , rough skin . she then nuzzles her cheek into his palm , bringing his thumb back to her lips once more , pressing a kiss to its warm pad as if it were an act of sealing her fate . eyes lift , and there is certainty interwoven in the swelled pits of her pupils , her own gaze briefly shifting to his mouth , nudging the tip of her nose against his .

her voice is a low , damning whisper ;

" i want you to take me home , victor . right now . "

Eyes closing as she spoke, Victor drew in a deep breath, his chest inflating beneath the small, imploring palm that settled there. But his feet didn't move. Not because the urgency in her voice didn't resonate - it did. It fucking did. But because taking that first step meant giving in. It meant caving, fully and completely. And part of him still wasn't ready. Not when she didn't understand what she was really asking for; what she was stepping into.

So instead of moving, instead of doing what she'd asked - take her home - he exhaled slowly. Controlled and measured. That earlier inhale pushed past barely parted lips, carrying every last ounce of war waging inside him.

"I want to," he said at last, voice low, cracking around the edges. Raw, unpolished truth - the kind she'd asked for. His forehead touched hers as his fingers crept from the angle of her jaw into her hair, settling at the nape of her neck. The touch was gentle, but it carried far more desperation than he wanted to admit, the kind that came from restraint so tight, it bordered on pain. Not letting his hands wander, not pulling her closer - that was its own kind of agony. "Really fucking do."

Then his eyes reopened, near obsidian in the darkness, and locked on hers again. "But that's the problem, doll." His thumb brushed along the lobe of her ear, a slow, fleeting caress. And then he leaned back, just slightly, dragging his features away from hers, giving himself enough distance to really look at her. To study her face while he spoke the words he knew he had to. "'Cause I wasn't kidding when I told you I'm not what you need."

His jaw flexed, working around another breath that hurt a little more than it should have. Curled around the kind of honesty that felt like swallowing shards of glass. "I'll ruin you." No drama or bravado in it. Just fact, spoken with the quiet, steady beat of certainty. "Won't mean to. But I will. And not just in the way you think you want." The last part came a little softer. He'd hate himself for it - he knew that much. And still, he didn't step back. Didn't retreat another inch. He just hovered there. Caught on the edge of something dangerous. With her fingers against his chest and his pulse beating heavy beneath her hand.

His other hand drifted down the soft line of her jaw to the point of her chin. Fingers curled there, coaxing her face up just slightly. His gaze dropped to her mouth, then rose again, a flicker of hunger evident in the shadows of his eyes. "... But I'm done making decisions for you, princess." No point anymore. For him, the line had already been crossed. No going back now. Not unless she asked him to. "So if you still want this - knowing there's no going back - ask me again."

His thumb dragged slowly along her bottom lip, rough against soft skin. His gaze followed the motion, then lifted again, filled with something darker, heavier. Just waiting.

[tenderflcsh]

THE KNOT BETWEEN HER BROWS SOFTENS , wrinkled skin ironed out by his words of comfort . his sympathies . karsu's cheeks ripen , a royal blush painting itself atop cherub cheeks . " yeah , " she agreed with an exasperated sigh , eyes focused on the glass - only partially sheer , fogged ; condensation and texture making the outline of his masculine frame fuzzy and diluted . a nip at her lower lip , the redirecting of her eyes to the tile , only for them to find their way back to him again .

" i still don't understand it , " karsu muttered , and in a moment ( a blink , a flash , a breath ) she had fazed from where she had been atop the counter to behind him in the shower . she looked down at her hands , the water running right through them , feeling as transparent as the steam that filled the small space .

" i had never tried to touch you before that night , , , " karsu's voice trails off , only before reaching out her fingers to gently press them against the toned muscle of his back . she felt his warmth , the silkiness of soap on his skin , the beating of the water from the showerhead . it soaked her clothes ( the same ones she had died in ; a camisole , a cardigan , and a short denim skirt ) , melted into her skin , drenched her deep brown curls .

upon feeling the water , karsu gave a short gasp , shortly followed by the retracting of her touch , only for the water to have left her as if it had never been there . she blinks , fazing in front of him now , hopeful and curious as she tries again , pressing her palms to his sudsy chest . the water soaked her once more . " it doesn't make any sense . when we're touching it's , , , it's like i'm real again . " a look up to anthony's face , something akin to hope bathing her words . " can you feel me ?? "

he had never been the best at empathising with other people, especially pesky students who tugged on his last nerve purely to further their own agenda — but it was difficult to not feel something for karsu after everything she'd experienced. blindly reaching for his shampoo anthony squeezed far too much into his palm as he listened to the grisly details of her death. " it doesn't matter if you were cheating or not, it's insane that he did any of that . . . that he left you here. " running soap lathered fingers through his hair he tries to imagine what it must be like for her, trapped inside the house she had been killed in. how had she not gone insane ? or maybe she had, maybe anthony was just as unhinged as she was and so it merely seemed normal to him. it definitely wasn't a sane thing to do, fucking a ghost, becoming attached to a ghost.

rinsing the shampoo he opens his eyes, blinking the blurry vision away and turning to look at her. " i know it doesn't help anything but i'm sorry for everything, for what he did and how you're stuck here — it should be him going through it, not you. " yet there was some ways anthony could pay the murdering bastard back for what he had done, destroying his life brick by brick seems like a smart choice ; the only choice. " so since then i've been the first person that you've been able to touch ?" or more accurately impale herself on their dick, but semantics. waking up to karsu's tight cunt squeezing his semi - hard cock had been a night he'll never forget, even now he can feel the blood surging south. likely not the best time, just after talking over her death and all.

[tenderflcsh]

I love when people are genuinely excited about our plots/ships. I love when I’m not the only one who’s like “!!!” I love it. @ my partners you will literally never annoy me by being overly excited about our ships I love it so much.

[tenderflcsh]

ELENA WATCHES WITH A DOG LIKE CURIOSITY , glassy eyes fixated on the contours of his face as she runs her tongue along the seam of her lips , dampening the pillows so they felt cool in comparison to the summer heat lingering around them . a girlish smile as dante knocks her leg down , one that is followed by an equally girlish giggle as he draws her closer — his touch welcoming a swarm of butterflies in her stomach and a pleased hum in her throat . elena stretches , innocently lifting her arms above her head , lengthening her spine on the lawn chair as her hips are then pressed closer to him , against him , coyly hooking her ankle on the outer side of his thigh to hold herself in place .

" im soooooorry , " she mews , puffing her lower lip as her pout returns . one arm remains stretched above her head whilst the other flutters down to gently lift up her skirt the rest of the way so the fabric drapes across her abdomen , revealing the cute little bow sat at her panties hem . a gift for him to unwrap . " is there anyway i can make it up to you ?? "

the second her leg drapes over his lap, very dangerously over his crotch might he add, and the other teasingly presses up against his arm, as if to entice him further, it takes him all the strength he can muster not to pull her closer to him so he can feel that smirk she so teases him with against his own lips. instead, he merely lets out a chuckle, turning his head away for a moment as if to rationalize with himself whether he was really going to get into this. he smooths out his mustache and runs a hand down his scruffy jawline before he turns to her again with an incredulous look. "course i like to look at you." with that, he knocks her leg down so it rests behind him, bracketing him in, allowing him to pull her closer. and as he does, he watches as her skirt lifts up the rest of the way, revealing to him the perfect set of panties she has on. "i don't look at just anyone, so don't go comparin' me to those guys."

[tenderflcsh]

ELENA DIDN'T KNOW WHY SHE WAS LOOKING TO LOGAN FOR AN OUT , but it felt like the obvious choice . her boss — tall and handsome with a deadly calm in the ashen storm clouds of his irises , the man who made her flush like a school girl , made her cum more times than she could count , and commanded her pleasure as if it were a living , breathing thing , , , or , her date . no , it didn't just FEEL like the obvious choice , it was .

" hey , are you sure everything's alright ?? " the devil spoke , just as logan was turning his eyes down to deal with something on his phone , eliciting a groan in elena's throat — one she swallowed down — as she turned back to look at him . fuck , what was his name again ??

" i — what ?? yeah , of course , , , " elena laughed , the sound nervous and liquor stained . painted lips parted to speak once more , offer up yet another excuse as to why she was so distracted ; an explanation for the two honey gold shots she had just downed , ones in which she already felt burning hot through her bloodstream alongside the mouthful of white wine she had chased them with , , , but her phone chimed . brows scrunch in confusion , glancing to where she had set it face up on the table ( so she could track the time , see how much longer she had to suffer ) , only to see none other than logan's name at the top of her notifications . she offered no apology or explanation as she picked it up , unlocking it to open the message , feeling her stomach knot as brown eyes read each word as if they were gospel .

" i'll be , , , i'll be right back , " she vowed , standing without thinking twice or meeting her date's eye , grateful for the out — the reprieve — as she pressed the back of her hand to her temple . tipsy , she was tipsy . elena didn't bother to look in logan's direction , obeying his instructions with a hurried desperation as she stepped off to the side and turned on her heel , making quick , bouncy strides towards the single-use restrooms , finding one unlocked and slipping inside . once safe from two sets of watchful eyes , elena set her phone down on the counter and pressed her palms into the cool marble of the sink , drinking in sips of air as if she had been trapped in a room full of smoke , head hanging slightly as the warmth of the whiskey and the sharp fruit of the wine danced a waltz in her skull .

elena didn't bother to text logan back . he had likely watched her walk all the way here . though she did look hopefully at the phone , waiting for a ' now sneak out and leave this creep ' text to come through next .

The man was bold. Downright shameless, in fact. He operated with the kind of crass, brazen confidence most men would at least wait for a flicker of interest to attempt. And Elena? Elena just sat there. Let him touch her. Let him lean in close, the stranger still painfully oblivious to the way his presence visibly repulsed her. Logan held her gaze all the while, making no attempt to mask his interest in the proceedings. Something dark simmered behind azure hues, an almost ominous sort of smug amusement. Smirk half-concealed behind the crystal rim of his glass, he took another languid sip of whiskey just as Elena's attention snapped from him, her head turning sharply.

His gaze drifted then, only just enough to let his eyes slide from her table, like he hadn't been watching so intently. They settled briefly on a different couple nearby, far less interesting, but Logan held the glance with casual detachment, playing the part of a man simply waiting for someone. Or something. He swirled the amber liquid in his glass with slow, idle grace, features settled - for that moment - in bored apathy.

But when the waiter arrived with a glass of wine and two neat shots of golden liquid, Logan's eyes trailed her path back to their rightful place. He watched Elena down both shots in quick succession, no hesitation. A dramatic display more revealing than it ought to be. Lowering his glass to the bar, Logan let his lips curl into a faint smirk, something too small - too mean - to be a smile. His gaze caught hers again and stayed there, heat - sharp and sinful - flaring behind it.

She was pouting now. Either trusting her date's proven lack of perception, or ( far more likely, by Logan's estimate ) simply beyond caring, she actually pushed that pretty little lip out for him. Looking to him. Waiting, he realised, for his permission. Even if she didn't know it consciously, some part of her had already surrendered that control; accepted the rules of this game - and her role in it. Knew, on some level, that ending the date wasn't her call. Not anymore. And fuck if that wasn't the hottest thing he'd seen in years.

Logan held her gaze like that just a little too long. Let her desperation grow. Then he slipped his phone from his pocket and typed. The text reached her phone a moment later.

LOGAN: Excuse yourself and go to the bathroom.

[tenderflcsh]

ELLIOT GIVES A SCOFF , ALMOST CRUEL IN NATURE . " what is this , some kinda interview ?? " he taunts , ashen smoke and cheap beer thick on his breath as he breathes into the receiver , head rolling back against the top of his sofa .

" christ almighty , girl . yes . just gimme somethin' worth the money i'm spendin' . "

she had decided a week ago , to do this , to make a little spending money , pay off a credit card . in hindsight , it had felt like a much better idea back then . and easier , too . " sorry , um . . . "

she is pacing , now , what was meant to be her liquid courage apparently turning her brain to slush , phone pressed to her ear as randi desperately tries to remember how to form a sentence . english , english , english . " — would you like to know what i'm wearing ? "

[tenderflcsh]

ELLIOT'S AMUSEMENT IS SUDDEN , shifting the muscles beneath mud-flecked skin as a furrow comes between his brows . " i don't shoot to kill , darlin' , " he answers , words slow — bordering on erotic . something stirring in his gut as he looks at her , no different than a fawn who was unknowingly eager to get skinned for pelts .

" i shoot to disable , prefer to keep my prey livin' long as i can before takin' 'em out with my bare hands . " the gentle cradle of palms on cheeks before the violent twisting of the neck , the deafening crunch of snapping ivory that he can FEEL with twitching fingers . a smirk lifts the corner of his lips .

" you gonna run , little rabbit ?? "

it may be hard to see in the darkness , the glint in her eyes , but it isn't fear painting her irises . it's curiosity .

she takes a step closer to the man with the gun , head tilting , not speaking for a moment . " would i bleed out slowly , do you think ? " she asks , " or would you make it fast ? aim for the heart . obliterate my skull . "

[tenderflcsh]

—— for @munofmanyminds

THE PARK WAS FILLED WITH CHARACTERS , which was the polite choice of words to describe the collection of people who occupied where he lived . his neighbor's daughter , lacey , however , , , well she was a doll in a box , sweet as iced tea , and as tempting as the damn devil himself . jeb was fixing one of their fences ( in exchange for a case of beer , though gettin' to look at her as he worked felt like payment enough ) whilst lacey stood and watched from the porch . he hadn't said a word to her yet , nor she to him , but his eyes spoke on his behalf , stormy blue with enough sin bleeding from his pupils to set a church ablaze .

" ain't it early for you to be up an' dressed ?? " he finally called out , standing just as he finished prying off one of the rotted boards , standing at his full height as he cocks a brow at her . jeb's eyes take an invasive scan of her outfit , which was missing enough fabric to have him convinced it was intentional . even better if it wasn't . finding her eyes again , he grants her a seemingly harmless little smirk ; " whatch'u all dolled up for , missy ?? "

[tenderflcsh]

MINUTES , SECONDS TICKED ON — much like his patience , cigarette half smoked and what he was willing to spend on this damn call half spent . he sucks his teeth at her excuse , but her voice is oh so pretty — sweet like cherry juice — so he licks his lips and reigns in his short temper . the filter is clamped between his teeth , his answer is silence ; giving her something to fill .

his lips twitch into a smirk , lazy and coy as she finally starts talking as nice as she sounds , shifting his weight on the couch as he switches the phone from one ear to the other ; " so you're just standin' around naked and wet then ?? " he teases , amused by the direction she was taking this .

" — so eager to answer a dirty pervert's call that you didn't bother to even dry off ?? "

Vivianne reached for the phone before she could second-guess it, her knee-jerk instinct to be helpful kicking in like a default setting. It was unfortunate, then, that she had absolutely no idea what it was she was getting into. And once the man on the other end started talking, she figured it out fast. The femme froze, just for a second. Not out of fear, but surprise. Like she'd just wandered into a room she wasn't meant to see but couldn't quite bring herself to leave. Still, she didn’t hang up. Couldn’t. Maybe it was curiosity. Or politeness. Or the fact that her roommate would absolutely kill her if she were the reason she had missed out on a cheque. So she cleared her throat, voice soft but steady, curling around the words like she was trying them on. “You’re right, sorry,” she said, lips twitching in a nervous almost-smile. “Got a lil’ distracted, s’all.” A beat. She sank back onto the edge of the bed, fingers twisting in the hem of her skirt like she needed something to hold onto. “You caught me in the middle of something,” she added, a touch too honest, blinking up at the ceiling. Then, quieter, like she wasn’t sure if it was the right thing to say, but said it anyway, “I was just gettin’ out the shower, actually." A hard swallow, biting down on her lip in a bid to curb the erratic giggle that sat at the back of her throat as she grinned down at the phone, exhilarated by the little white lie. "Didn't even have time to grab a towel..."

[tenderflcsh]

JEB LAUGHS , and it's a masculine sound — low and full of bass carved from age and too much whiskey . " an' she's a joker , lord almighty . " he lowers the wrench , tapping it against his thigh , metal meeting the stained denim of his work jeans .

his head cocks , something indiscernible aglow in the light hues of grey blue eyes . then , that all invasive gaze falls to the lacy trim of the aforementioned skirt , sucking on his teeth . " this your usual ensemble ?? " jeb asks , gesturing with his tool at the outfit his previous comment had been about , his statement holding true as he does , indeed , start to get the wrong idea .

" is that so ? " farrah makes a show of glancing around them , an over exaggerated crane of the neck before she turns her gaze back on jeb , the corners of her lips twitching into the smallest of smiles . " funny . the only fella i see 'round here is you . "

[tenderflcsh]

SHE COULD FEEL THE TOUCH OF THE FALLEN ANGEL ON HIS SKIN , beneath it , festering like a scarlet fever . he was warm to the touch , unlawful hands laying claim to hips and curves that didn't belong to him . she was GOD's creation , her god's — not whatever false god this man thought himself to be , , ,

but ( but , but , but ) eve had bitten the apple . lust tasted sweet on her tongue , a bit sour too , like honey that had began to rot — perhaps her and eve weren't so different . she hums , the proximity lighting a fire in her belly she hadn't felt since her first communion .

" are you now ?? " her voice is syrup from a tap , dripping slow from the tip of her tongue as curious hands wander the expansive terrain of his clothed chest . he feels strong — firm — a waterboard of muscle beneath cotton . her heart jumps in her throat .

she doesn't want to talk anymore . talking made room for thinking . so she lets one hand slip up his chest , over his clavicle , before wrapping it around the back of his neck in order to pull his face closer and rekindle their lips once more .

" i tend to act on what i want , " he says , never one who had to worry about not getting it . some may say he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth , dealt a good hand from the start . he hadn't faced much rejection in his life , certainly not enough to eat away at his confidence .

he grins , stumbling forward as she tugs , closing the gap between them . " don't suppose so , " colin agrees , though , what a thought . he isn't terribly against the idea . " i kind of figure it's a made up ideal . some twisted morals to stop us from enjoying ourselves too much . " he leans his head lower , staring back into pretty , narrowed eyes . " you wanna teach me more about it ? i've been told i'm an excellent pupil . "

[tenderflcsh]

MAISIE GIVES A DELIGHTED HUM , WITHDRAWING THE STRAW FROM HER LIPS ( sticky and glittering from the very gloss that now stained the plastic tube ) . art was sweet , cute in the way she'd find a grizzly bear , and not as overly perv-y as some of the others who had found her ad . maisie watched him stare at her , batting her lashes as two perfectly even dimples crater each cheek .

" oh ?? 's that why you're lookin' at me like that ?? " she sets down her drink and leans her elbows forward on the table , wind sweeping through her hair from the breeze gusting past the lakeside bar they currently occupied . a knowing look as she tilts her head , allowing her gaze to slip and briefly admire the way he sipped from his bottle . the gleam in doe eyes was all mischief when their stares became sewn once more ;

" — you thinkin' bout enjoying my youth ?? "

" oh , did they ? " he lets out a hearty laugh , entirely charmed by the innocence of the statement , the way she smiles at him . she was even more beautiful in person , the resemblance even more uncanny .

his own lips around the mouth of his beer bottle , art takes a generous swallow , but his eyes never leave her face , almost unwilling to blink . so , so pretty . " trust me , you don't wanna be as old as me , honey . enjoy that youth while you've got it . there's plenty of time to be called ma'am . "

[tenderflcsh]

HER BROWS FURROW . " this isn't my first time , " she says plainly , moving around the crime scene that had become of her kitchen with a deadly calm . the eye of his raging vortex of chaos . she lets his woes fill the air between them , let them hang like old linens on a clothesline , scrunching her nose as he pathetically declines her offer . as ingenuine as it may have sounded , she would have done if it would have made him fucking relax .

" henry , " she sighs , looking at him . " — i really , really am going to need you to take a fucking minute to breathe or something . " lest he wanted to end up on the chopping block next . literally . " if you're not going to take me up on my offer , then be useful . go to the pantry and grab me some garbage bags . "

he winces at the sound of bone against metal , a phantom ache in his own ribcage . " and how are you going to avoid getting caught ? do you have an alibi ? because i don't have an alibi . you're my alibi . doesn't paint a perfect picture of innocence , here ! "

there is a break in his hysterics , caught entirely off guard by the young woman's question . " what ? no . i mean — . . . " there is a moment of hesitation , of consideration , of weakness . she is really pretty . " no ? no ! he's dead , val , do you think his family is just gonna . . . not notice when he stops showing up ? someone is going to report him missing , eventually , and we were the last two people to see him alive . do you have a plan ? other than . . . butchering him to hell ? "

[tenderflcsh]

VALERIE LETS OUT A HMPH AS ABEL'S HEAD SHAKES , puckering full lips into a pout . she doesn't fight it , doesn't speak another word , instead twisting her head ( her torso following , floating ribs poking her insides from the unnatural shift ) to look towards where he was walking . she doesn't even inquire when he sets her down atop his work station , noticing how the aged wood looked as if it had gotten a much needed bath . she presses her palms into its edge , not worrying much for splinters , as she furrows her brows at his unspoken instructions .

silently heeding his request , valerie's eyes flutter shut , screwing them extra tight as to prove just how much she wasn't peaking . then , they open , lips parting to speak before her sights land upon the trinket . a soft gasp , an indiscernible look , before she's delicately reaching out a hand to brush along the manmade ( literally ) charms . " oh abel , " she says quietly , her voice feather soft , not even caring her name was spelt wrong . it could have spelled out an insult and she'd have doted on it all the same . " my sweet boy , , , you made this ?? for me ?? " brown eyes shift up to his , adoration ripe in the doe-like rounds of her pupils . valerie moves her investigative fingers to gently scoop up her hair with one hand , holding it in a loose ponytail behind her head as the other hand finds one of his wrists in order to tug him closer . " will you put it on for me ?? "

her laughter is a welcoming change to the screams and cries that otherwise rattle the wood structure of his shack or echo out from the basement below. he likes the way it sounds, but mostly, he likes that it comes from her. feeling her shift in his grasp, he tilts his head to steal a look up at her, momentarily meeting her gaze before he shakes his head as if to say: no, not yet. he shoves open the shack door with ease, carrying her inside and placing her down on the large table in the middle. it's where he usually spends his day, carving up meat. but this time, he made sure to scrub it clean of blood and grime so that it wouldn't stain her pretty dress and pristine white stockings when he set her atop it. once she's settled and he gestures for her to close her eyes so as to not have the surprise be ruined, he collects his gift and presents it to her. five human teeth serve as charms on the necklace he had made for her, with abel drawing her attention to the letters that had been carefully inscribed to spell out: V - A - L - R - E. her name. or at least how he thought her name was spelled.

[tenderflcsh]

HER SHOULDERS STIFFEN MOMENTARILY , PULLING THE SKIN OF HER CHEEK BETWEEN HER TEETH , gnawing down on it as he speaks . it isn't that it hurts to talk about it , having had plenty of time to grow numb to her circumstances , but she feared of what anthony would think of her if he knew the truth . how he'd look at her . if he would .

' i live here but so do you . ' she pulls a leg up , propping her heel on the counter so her chin could rest atop her knee cap . wrists lock around her shin , and she looks back towards the shower once more , hearing the water slosh and crash against the tiles as anthony shifted beneath the shower head . " it was my boyfriend , at the time , " she states , keeping her voice level . steady . the sound of the running water was an odd comfort , closing her eyes as she imagined how it'd feel against her skin . " he , , , he thought i was cheating on him . i wasn't , but he was insistent . the accusation came out of nowhere . "

her frown deepened , chest igniting with a frenzied kind of warmth . " i wish i could say it was a blur . we were fighting in the kitchen , he followed me when i tried to walk away , , , then - next thing i know , i was dead and looking at myself from the outside in the middle of our living room . " with the kitchen knife plunged through her heart , scarlet puddling beneath her like thick syrup as she felt the tethers of her humanity snap with each swipe of the reaper's scythe . he didn't even hold her hand when she crossed . he left her there to ROT .

" he just , , , left me there . he didn't even panic or show any remorse . he made it look like a break in , got off because he had a friend willing to back up his bullshit alibi . i haven't been able to leave since . i've been here all by myself since the case closed , , , well , until you moved in , that is . "

stepping under the spray of perfectly warm water anthony rolled his bare shoulders, joints popping as he reached for the soap. karsu's presence felt like a strange type of comfort, likely propped up on the counter where he'd left her a few minutes ago. " if you don't mind telling me? " what he knew about her death had been sourced from local papers and news sites, vague and uninteresting — anthony had purchased a house where a murder had occurred, the bland details in those articles hadn't put him off, clearly. rubbing a hand down his right arm he tipped his head back, embracing the light pounding he got from the high powered shower head above.

" i live here but so do you and i don't know your story . . . not really. " who was she outside of being a ghost that lingered in his home? " you don't have to go into details, just . . . just tell me more about who did it, why they never got charged with anything. " because she might be stuck within the confines of this house but anthony wasn't.

[tenderflcsh]

HE GRINS , AMUSEMENT BLEEDING FROM HIM IN THE FORM of a series of deep set chuckles , feeling the sounds as they scrape against his throat — dry from summer heat , parched from a kind of thirst a beer couldn't quench . " sure you can , " he agrees , but the taunt in the words doesn't paint them as being convinced , turning to toss the wrench he'd been holding hostage into his opened tool box .

he takes pause at her question , a brow lifting as his head turns to look at her , sliding his tongue along his top row of teeth before sucking on them . " ain't you say you're a big girl ?? " jeb drawls , turning , coming closer now . closer than should be permitted between a man his age and a young girl he barely knew . his gaze is intrusive now , drinking her in from the closer proximity . his voice lowers , but theres no shame in how he answers — not trying to hide his intent . " could let me hike up that excuse for a skirt and bend you over the hood of your car . for starters . "

she can't be this easy. a couple of suggestive comments and her heart is already racing. she's been subjected to them before, from customers at the diner she worked at, who thought they were being discreet when they so obviously weren't. some of whom may have even been his coworkers, or even himself back when she didn't know him. but, christ, what was it about jeb that made her body shift not in disgust but in something else? an airy laugh leaves her, eyes casted away as her cheeks continue to burn. "i'm a big girl, mr hartley. i can take care of myself." however, the second her gaze returns to him, she eats her own words. now that he's closer, she feels entirely too small. he's huge, with well muscled arms that sure as hell could crush her if she ever got wrapped up in them. her breath gets locked up in her throat, feeling warm under his gaze, too warm. "oh yeah?" she asks like she doesn't already have somewhat of a clue, unable to believe the words are coming out of her mouth, "like what?"