armed-and-alxne

[armed-and-alxne]

{out of ammo} That's all for tonight! I should be back here again on 6/28, barring any unforeseen circumstances. See you then! =)

[armed-and-alxne]

"They are cool, thank you. I feel like not as many people appreciate a good bike." Luther had always loved motorcycles. Even if he could afford an expensive car, he'd probably have a bike anyway. He not only loved riding one, he loved the overall aesthetic, and it seemed like Leigh did as well. "Oh yeah, you gotta have the leather to go with it. That's pretty much- I think it's like a law or somethin', that you gotta pair the two," he joked with a smile. "I mean... I dunno how I look doin' it, but I do love ridin'. It's very freeing, you know?"

If Luther liked riding Shelly before, he really liked it now that he had someone he cared about sitting behind him and wrapping her arms around him. It just felt so nice to him, like something wholesome and pure compared to all the bullshit and violence of his life with the mafia. He smiled as she rubbed his stomach. Yeah... he was definitely in it deep with this woman. He knew he really loved her.

After a nice little tour of San Fran, Luther pulled over to park his bike next to a group of restaurants and specialty stores. "How was that?" he asked her, hoping she'd had fun on the ride. "You like cupcakes by any chance? There's a place in here that makes these artisan ones. They're as big as grapefruits, it's insane. Icing and filling and layers, I don't know how they do it. Really fuckin' good," he said. As long as work didn't want him, they may as well have some fun around town, right?

“So you gonna let me ride with you? I saw you out on your bike the other day.” (From Leigh for the AU; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther looked over at his motorcycle, Shelly. She was his one actual possession that he owned outright and wasn't provided him by Andrei, aside from some of his more worn out clothes. Maybe that's why he valued her so much. "Who, Shelly? Really? You wanna take a ride on her?" he asked, starting to smile. "I didn't know you were into that kinda thing. Yeah, sure, why not. You need a helmet, though. Safety first. You can wear mine if you want," he said, taking his keys out of his pocket.

[armed-and-alxne]

"I'm not scared by the idea of spendin' the rest of my life with the most wonderful woman I've ever met. That makes me feel lucky as hell," Luther said. He didn't understand how a guy with such a terrible past, who by all accounts earlier in his life was pretty cold and distant cold, could improve anybody's life, but this wasn't the first time Wanda had told him he'd done that for her. "Well, maybe we were meant for each other, then... if we improve each other's lives and encourage each other to be our best selves," he supposed. He grinned at her next question. "I love when you get flustered, baby, it's so cute," he admitted.

Luther understood Wanda's worries. Their line of work was dangerous, after all. But Luther had been involved in dangerous work since he was twelve years old. That kind of experience had to count for something, right? "I'm used to danger, Wanda. I'll be okay. And so will you. It's gotta be better than where we were before we got here, right? You livin' in a war zone and me with the mafia? At least here, every time we're in danger, we've got a lotta friends and support staff lookin' out for us and, if I'm being perfectly honest, a whole helluva lot of cuttin' edge medical technology. Our chances are pretty good here, I think," he said with a smile, hoping that would put her mind at ease a bit. "It's gonna be okay, baby."

"I am set on gettin' you a ring, you deserve it," he said with no small amount of determination. "Nothin' fancy, okay." He thought for a moment." Do you even like diamonds, or...? Or what about... Your favorite color's red, right? So what about a nice ruby ring? Somethin' more specific to you instead of just a generic traditional diamond?" he offered.

“Luther, what’s your thoughts on marriage?”

Luther looked from the TV over at Wanda when she'd spoken, her question catching him a bit off guard. He reached for the remote and turned the TV off, since this conversation was an important one. He shrugged a bit. "I don't know, I've never really thought much about it before. I guess I didn't ever think I'd be with anyone, much less get married, so I put it out of my mind."

He started to smile and reached for her hand. "But a lot's changed. I think I'd like to get married someday, especially if it was to you. But I also know that we don't necessarily need a piece of paper to define our relationship either. I just wanna be with you, Wanda, so whatever you want on the subject is fine with me."

[armed-and-alxne]

"It's okay," Luther said rather passively. It was the automatic response he gave anyone who apologized for speaking harshly to him. Whether he felt he deserved to be spoken to that way or not, he always just said... it was okay. With Leigh, though, he felt he did deserve it. "You're upset and I get that. Don't apologize, you're just speakin' your mind," he said, but his energy was definitely a bit deflated. As she explained why she had gotten upset, he nodded. "I can understand that. I didn't mean to hit that nerve, Leigh, I promise. You know I don't think of you as some helpless little girl who needs to be told what to do, right? I've never thought that of you."

"How do I not owe him?" Luther asked, really wanting to know. "If not for him, I would've been dead at twelve, thirteen, fourteen... around there. I was runnin' with gangs. I was stealin' from stores to be able to eat. I was doin' things that were not only pissin' off the cops but the local outfits too. If he hadn't made me that offer, I would've either been dead or in jail for the rest of my life. I have no doubt of that. And yeah, that is how it works. When you get this kind of offer, it's not like he gives out room and board and a job and training and all this shit for free, Leigh. He expects you to give back to him for it. He expects a return on his investment. And if you defy that arrangement, yeah, he takes it as a personal insult and does something about it. That's how these things work in the mafia."

Of course Luther was leaving out that making such an offer to a desperate child with little to no other options in life was taking advantage of that child, and the fact that at that age Luther could not possible have been considered capable of making that sort of decision for himself. All he saw and all he knew was the idea that he was saved from death or jail by Andrei, and that meant a life debt. Andrei knew that. He'd pegged Luther for a good kid right off the bat. Good people made great marks. And because he was a good person, Luther never realized the abuse factor of what had been done to him. In answer to Leigh's question, no, it was clear that Luther could not see what she saw. That had all been taken care of with his conditioning.

Luther was tired of arguing with her. He loved her for caring about him and wanting better for him, but he just didn't see a way around any of this, and he was tired of hashing out what seemed like such a hopeless dream of his... to be free. When she drew his head downward, he stepped a little closer to her and let his hands rest on her sides as he lowered his head down against her neck. He sighed, the feeling of being held always doing wonders for him. "I love you, Leigh... Even if I'm not free to..."

“it’s not your job to protect me.” (From Leigh for the Au; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

"You're right, it's not. But that doesn't mean I don't want to. It doesn't mean I'm not gonna try to," Luther insisted. "Look, Leigh... regardless of... whatever might be goin' on between us, it's just not safe for you to be seein' me. I don't want you gettin' hurt."

Since that first day they'd met in Andrei's restaurant, Luther and Leigh had been slowly growing closer and closer. He was really starting to care for her, a lot, and that meant he was afraid for her safety. He wouldn't like to think that Andrei might have her hurt simply for seeing him, but... then again... it seemed like exactly what he would do.

"If my boss finds out I've got a... a friend..." he said, hesitating to say girlfriend, only because he wasn't sure whether she really wanted to be that to him or not. "If anything happened to you because of me, I'd never forgive myself.

[armed-and-alxne]

"Hey, I'm all for goin' to more black tie events and you can stare at me all you want if you promise to keep wearin' these backless dresses..." he said. There was something about a backless dress that made Luther slightly feral. Then again, Eleanor in general made him slightly feral. She was beautiful in anything she wore.

Luther grinned playfully and definitely excitedly as she said she wanted to leave marks. "Done," he agreed, immediately getting around to what she wanted... him out of his suit. He tossed the jacket and his shoes, unbuttoned his shirt and tossed his tie, and his pants were the last thing to go. "I hope you're ready for this, 'cause you got me riled up in the best way, baby," he said, unable to stop grinning as he watched her get out of her dress.

He backed her to the bed, his lips close to hers and his body brushing against her own. Already he could feel himself heating up for her, surprised he could still do that as a vampire, but... most of what he'd heard about vampires had apparently been wrong, and he was glad for that. He was hard as a rock by the time he laid down with her, drawing her arms up over her head as he kissed her.

@thenexusofsouls Sparks and Heat Prompts: ❝ i want you, right here, right now. ❞ (to Eleanor, from Luther)

@armed-and-alxne

"Has anyone told you how hot you are when you get assertive?" Eleanor teased as she led him back into their bedroom, closing the door behind them. They had spent the evening at a city event, something that she happened to be obligated to do given her position. While it wasn't her idea of fun, it was nice to get all dressed up and see her partner looking just as handsome in a suit. Now that they were home though, she was looking forward to being alone with Luther.

"You have me my love. I am all yours."

[armed-and-alxne]

Wanda knew how to get Luther's clothes off in seconds, and he had absolutely no problems with that whatsoever. It was actually nice, feeling this comfortable with someone after so many years of being sexually awkward and repressed. He still couldn't believe he was with someone as amazing and beautiful as Wanda, though, and as they got undressed and got into the shower, he couldn't help but stare. He felt a little rude, but he couldn't tear his gaze away. "Sorry, I just... You are so beautiful, you know that?" he said as she hung on him with her arms around his neck. "Damn," he said with a smile, checking her out.

He laughed about the sweatpants. It was kindof a running thing with them. Luther still didn't get it at all. Sweatpants? Really? But they seemed to do something to Wanda in much the same way her little waistband snaps did for him, so who was he to argue. "They're just sweatpants, what's so hot about that?" he asked playfully. "What's not fair about it? You walk around every day lookin' amazing, I gotta get my moments in where I can, you know." He loved being playful with her, and if he could do it naked in the shower with her on top of that, then... even better.

Wanda sneaks in behind Luther and gently pings the waistband of his sweats before walking away. "Heading for a shower!"

Luther hadn't showered yet this morning, opting instead to get the coffee started. He knew how much the smell of it woke Wanda up, and it usually did the same for him too. So he figured he'd be nice and get it brewing for her, but it seemed as though Wanda had other ideas. When she when she snapped his waistband, Luther flinched in a good way.

"Woah, hello..." he said with a chuckle. "Was that an initiation? I feel like that was an invitation." She was already gone, though, and he nodded. "That was an invitation," he mumbled to himself, turning the coffee pot off and following Wanda to their bathroom. "You're very persuasive, baby," he said with a grin as he slipped off his sweat pants.

[armed-and-alxne]

"Hey... let me worry about what I need, okay?" Luther said with a warm smile. "You're not too much for me, trust me. I've had too much. I've had intense and crazy and all kinds of not what I need, and that's definitely not you." He spoke from experience, too. "Yeah, I do see a future with you, if you see one with me. For one giant reason. You make me happy. You make me feel good, like I wanna be my best self all the time. You're a good influence on me, and that's a big difference from how my relationships usually go. Besides that, I love you, Nova. I love who you are, I love how you are... just... everything."

Maybe he should explain a little. Nova knew he was divorced and that it hadn't been a good relationship, but he really didn't share with most people just how bad life with Katherine had been. Maybe if he shared a little, it would help Nova understand just how much better their relationship really was.

"Look... my ex wife's only two years younger than me. So we're essentially the same age. And when I first started seein' her, everybody loved her and they said she was great for me. When we got married, everybody told me I was lucky to have someone like her. And I believed 'em, even though they didn't see the kinda crazy she was when we were alone. They didn't see all the rotten shit she did to me, or hear all the things she said... They didn't know the fake smile I was wearin' every day, or how tired I was because I wasn't sleepin' well, all the antacids I was burnin' through around the clock from stress. She never came to my defense, never held me up, never supported me the way you do. In fact, I think she enjoyed tearin' me down. It made her feel good about herself for some reason.

"And after we divorced, everyone else didn't have to deal with her harassin' phone calls, her cuttin' up my mail, vandalizin' my house and my car, breakin' my windows... none of that. But they sure as hell blamed me for the marriage failin'. I didn't try hard enough, I pushed her away, I let her go, they said. And you know what I learned? Age doesn't guarantee success in a relationship. Also, people don't know what the hell they're talkin' about. Also also, I gotta trust myself a little better. I deserved better than her, and I wish I'd realized that years ago. I don't really care what anybody else says anymore, I do what's best for me. I really deserved better than her, and I think I've got better right here," he said, slipping an arm around her. "I mean it when I say you're good for me and I love you. I just hope that I'm good for you too."

"Hey Lu... you ever think maybe I'm too immature for you?" (Nova; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther looked over at her, wondering why she'd asked. Had he said something that might've made her feel insecure? "No, I don't think you're too immature for me. I think you make me feel a lot younger and give me a much needed boost of energy," he said with a smile. "Why? You ever think I'm too much of an old fart for you?" he then asked right back, because it could work both ways. Sure, there was an age difference, but the longer he dated Nova, the less and less it mattered to him. The important thing was that they had connected really well. They really cared for each other, and that was what mattered most.

[armed-and-alxne]

It broke Luther's heart to see the shape Leigh was in when she got into his car. She was so nervous, scared, and upset, and the may she buried her hands in her face as Luther drove off just made him feel awful for what she must be going through with David. He didn't understand how any guy could make a girl feel that terrible about herself, or that afraid. For Luther, it just seemed like the pinnacle of being a jerk and a coward.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay..." Luther said as he drove, one of his hands leaving the wheel briefly to give her shoulder a reassuring rub. "I'll just uh... I'll take you to my place for now and then you can figure out where you wanna go from there, alright?" When said said she couldn't take it anymore, he nodded. "I know... I know," he said empathetically. "Well, for what it's worth, you're doin' the right thing, okay? Trust me, as a cop I see this stuff all the time, and it rarely ever ends well if the woman decides to stay. You're really smart to get out before things get worse."

He also knew that, in an abusive relationship, the time at which a woman decides to leave is the most dangerous for her, because that's when the abuser might get the angriest and decide to do something drastic. Luther wasn't about to say that to Leigh, since she was upset enough, but it was on his mind, for sure. Maybe it's better if she stays with me. Just let David come and try to start somethin' with me there. He'll be sorry he was ever born.

"Listen... you can stay at my place for as long as you want. He probably won't think to look for you there. You can just camp out. Even when I'm at work, I don't mind. "My house has a guest bedroom, 'cause my ex-wife used to have her family over all the time, so you can have your own room with it's own lockin' door. How does that sound? 'Cause if you got to a hotel or somethin', if he starts askin' around, he might be able to find you, but if you're with me, he won't know where to look."

[text from Leigh] This is officer Luther right?

[text] do you have a moment?

@mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther had gotten off his shift about an hour ago, made it back to his house, and was just about starting to unwind a bit, when he heard his phone make the tell-tale jingle for an incoming text message. "Come on, leave me alone, geezus..." he muttered, assuming it to be his ex-wife making his life a living hell as usual. So, he ignored it.

A second later, though, he heard the notification sound again. Sighing, he went over to the couch in his living room and picked his phone up off the coffee table. Looking at the text, he saw that it was from Leigh, the woman he'd exchanged numbers with after she'd had an altercation with her boyfriend in her bar. Something about it all had made Luther give her his personal cell number, just in case. Now he was glad he had, if there was another problem and she needed help with something.

[text] Yeah, it's Luther. I've got time, what's up? You okay?

He sent the text and sighed longingly at the beer on his kitchen table. Luther went and put it back in the fridge. Until he knew what was going on, he didn't want to start drinking anything yet.

[armed-and-alxne]

{out of ammo} Alrighty, that's all I can get to tonight! I'm off to bed now. I should be back here again on 6/14. See you then! =)

[armed-and-alxne]

"Not if they really love her, they wouldn't. Least I don't think they would," Luther replied. But then he shook his head. "Nope, I'm totally serious. Meeting you was the best thing that ever happened to me. My whole life changed for the better after I met you." He paused, staring for a second before he smiled. "You're really beautiful when you blush, you know that?" he whispered, his thumb grazing one of her cheeks as his hand rested against it.

He wiped Wanda's tears with his thumbs and then held her as she buried her face in his chest. "Well, I'm not goin' anywhere, so don't worry, okay? I couldn't, I'd miss you too damn much," he said. "You don't? You deserve one, though..." It didn't feel right, him not giving her a ring. Wasn't that what guys were supposed to do? Wasn't that... tradition and all that?

"You would?" Sure, the conversation had been going in that direction, but to hear her actually say the words, that she'd marry him in a heartbeat, was nothing short of amazing. Luther grinned ear to ear, affected by the euphoria of what she'd said instantly. "Oh my god," he said with an excited reverence, as if a goddess had just agreed to marry him or something. "I don't know what to say, I'm.... I'm honored, Wanda. I promise you won't regret it. I'll make sure of it."

“Luther, what’s your thoughts on marriage?”

Luther looked from the TV over at Wanda when she'd spoken, her question catching him a bit off guard. He reached for the remote and turned the TV off, since this conversation was an important one. He shrugged a bit. "I don't know, I've never really thought much about it before. I guess I didn't ever think I'd be with anyone, much less get married, so I put it out of my mind."

He started to smile and reached for her hand. "But a lot's changed. I think I'd like to get married someday, especially if it was to you. But I also know that we don't necessarily need a piece of paper to define our relationship either. I just wanna be with you, Wanda, so whatever you want on the subject is fine with me."

[armed-and-alxne]

Just knowing that Eleanor would be watching and looking out for signs that he was losing control was a huge comfort to him. She knew what to look for, after all, so he was in good hands. But for now, he hopefully didn't have to worry about that, as she'd said. If she wasn't concerned, then he'd let go of his own worries too. He'd just been so angry that anyone would hurt someone he loved, and Eleanor hadn't deserved that at all. But maybe that anger was warranted, and Luther wouldn't take it too far.

For now, he did his best to put it all on a shelf and simply be with her in the moment. At least he'd been able to safeguard her a bit by giving her his own blood. Now he'd stay with her and make sure she was safe while she recovered fully. As she began to talk about the man he was, and the man he is now, Luther looked up at her from where he lay against her, hoping that he really was that caring person she thought he was.

"I wish I could see myself the way you see me..." he whispered. "It's hard, comin' from nothin' but violence and crime my whole life. Now that I have someone and there's real love in my life, I almost don't know what to do with it," he said a bit sadly. "Thanks for bein' patient with me while I figure myself out. If it weren't for you, I never would've had the chance to do that at all." He lifted his hand to her cheek. "You deserve it, Eleanor. You deserve to feel special... 'cause you are." He pushed up a little to leave a loving kiss just under her jawline.

“Luther!” One of the security team came up to Luther, blocking his path. “We just got word. Miss Eleanor was attacked. You should come with us.”

@mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther did his best to control his emotions, not wanting to lose his shit in front of this guy. It was all he could do, though, to keep from letting his worry for Eleanor or his rage at whoever had harmed her consume him. Instead, he nodded. "Take me to her, right now," he said, ready to follow them and hoping she was going to be alright. He would make whoever did this pay dearly for it...

[armed-and-alxne]

"Clingy makes it sound like a bad thing. I like it, so to me it's just bein' enthusiastically affectionate," he said, grinning. He wrapped his arms around her, giving her back a few gentle rubs. "Nobody's ever gonna take you away, Wanda, I promise. And you make me feel loved and valued as a person, which is something I haven't always felt in my life. I've always been valued for what I could do for people, not for who I am as a person... until I met you."

"Do they, though? I feel like maybe they just think we're lazy asses and sleepin' in or somethin'. Not that it's any of their business." He chuckled, though, at Wanda's determination at not letting their job become too demanding. "What're you gonna do?" he asked, now wondering. He knew she was probably joking, but it was funny nonetheless. "I'm sure they know better than to try to demand too much of us when we need bonding time." He pet her hair, leaving a tender kiss where his hand had just been.

[ TANGLE ]: sender’s legs are tangled with receiver’s under a cozy blanket.

Luther had to smile when he felt the sudden shock of Wanda's feet against his legs as she tangled up her legs with his. They had been lounging in bed in their shared room, watching TV, and all of a sudden... Yep, her feet are cold. He chuckled a little, moving his legs to make sure he was adequately warming up her ice cold feet. "I guess I'm a lot warmer and more convenient than gettin' up and puttin' socks on, huh?" he teased her. "Any other part of you cold, or just your feet?" He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a little squeeze.

[armed-and-alxne]

Luther shrugged. "Uh... no, not really. It's not that I don't want to, it's just... pretty far to travel and I don't get a lotta time off, so..." he trailed off. His expression gave away how much that hurt him, that he didn't get to visit his family more often. "It is important, though, you're right. I wish I could see 'em more often, I really do."

Luther smiled again when she said she'd rather take someone's advice on a city from one who had lived there. "Well, thanks for considerin' me a reliable source of information on San Fran. I hope you get to see it someday," he said, really meaning that. He wished he could take her there himself, but... they'd just met, and he didn't have any time off to work with.

His smile turned a bit awkward as she asked what she could call him for. "It doesn't have to be just for cop things, I guess, no. I mean, if you just need someone to talk to, that's fine too. You can never have enough friends, right?" He was finding himself wanting to know more about her, and he'd love to chat more, he just felt like it was weird to ask. If she wanted to talk, though, he'd definitely take her up on that. "Whatever you like. I'll leave the topic in your hands, alright?" he said, smiling and nodding.

“I… are you here to arrest me?”

"Huh? No, I'm not here to arrest you, ma'am. We're just here followin' up on a complaint. It uh... It happens more than you might think, actually... someone accuses Captain America or somebody else of totaling their car or whatever and we gotta see if there's any merit to it."

This wasn't the first time Luther and his partner had been sent to question someone at the Avengers compound. They usually got the runaround and the complaints either went nowhere, or they were immediately settled out of court anyway. Even so, he still had to follow up.

"I haven't, uh... I don't think I've ever seen you here before. New hire?" he asked by way of polite conversation while he waited for Barry to wrap up an interview and some paperwork. She was cute. Very cute. But Luther was on the clock and pretty bad with women so he kept that to himself.

[armed-and-alxne]

"Quick. Efficient. Effective," Luther said darkly. He was surprised to hear that she thought she could take Irwin in a fight. It was perhaps the last thing he ever expected to hear coming out of her mouth. "Oh yeah? Care to have a friendly fight with me sometime? I'd like to see your moves," he said, smiling in spite of himself. He wasn't patronizing her, though, he was actually serious. "Maybe I could give you some pointers too," he added. "You can never be too safe, right?"

As worried as he was about her, and about his whole situation with her potentially being found out by Irwin or Andrei, Luther was glad to change the subject and focus on going out with her. He got so little time to actually have a life of his own, probably because he wasn't supposed to be having one in the first place. The last thing he wanted was to waste that time talking about upsetting subjects.

He sighed cathartically and smiled. "How do you feel about Italian? I know this place that makes their own meatballs from scratch. Sounds borin', right? Nah, see, they make 'em with all these spices and cheese and everything, and they're so huge you have to eat 'em with a knife and force. Seriously, a whole dinner is just three of 'em. They're like the size of soft balls, they're amazin'," he said. Clearly, he'd had them before and was a huge fan.

“Luther, who’s this?” (Leigh, pointing out Irwin; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther felt a twinge of panic shoot through him the second he looked where his girlfriend was pointing. He didn't want Leigh anywhere near Irwin, because Irwin was Andrei's eyes and ears. It wasn't as though andrei didn't already know about Leigh, but he didn't need him to know any more than he already did.

"It's Irwin," Luther said, knowing he'd mentioned him enough times that Leigh would know who he was. He was just praying that she wouldn't look to start anything with Irwin, or he with her, but... well, he probably should've known that was too much to hope for, given the situation.

"We should um... We should get outta here before he sees us," Luther said to Leigh, hoping she would listen to him instead of going looking for a fight.

[armed-and-alxne]

Luther winced a little at her words. He lowered his gaze and bowed his head submissively, remaining quiet as she spoke. Anger directed at him always triggered him, because he promptly expected to be struck or degraded in some way. He had no idea that he was suffering the effects of abuse, even when Andrei wasn't anywhere near him. It wasn't Leigh's fault, it was just that Luther had been conditioned by years of being treated like a second rate human being.

That didn't mean he wasn't listening to what she said, though. He was afraid, and he thought it was prudent to be. He also thought Leigh should be too. Maybe she'd handled random idiots before, but this idiot, Irwin, had a sizable chunk of the Russian mafia to back him up. Luther didn't say anything, though, because she was mad and if he argued with her it would only make things worse. In addition to being conditioned by abuse, Luther had been taught and trained to be a de-escalator.

"I didn't say it was... a life," he said softly. "And I didn't say it was fair. But it's better than bein' dead, which is what I would've been had Andrei not picked me up. Sometimes life sucks either way and you gotta choose the lesser of two evils. "It is my life," he whispered. "I owe him, Leigh. There's no way around that. Whether I want to or not, I owe him." It really was too bad that Luther didn't realize his loyalty and honor weren't returned by Andrei. He also didn't realize that his mindset of there being no way around his debt to Andrei was all part of the brainwashing process.

"I'm sorry..." Luther whispered, defeated. He was sorry he'd upset her, sorry he ruined her day thinking about this, and sorry he wasn't what she wanted. "I don't think I'll ever be free. It's not the sort of thing someone gets released from." Her comment about the Petrovs not deserving what they have when they got it through hurting other people did make Luther nod, though. "Yeah. Yeah, I've thought that myself over the years..."

“it’s not your job to protect me.” (From Leigh for the Au; @mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

"You're right, it's not. But that doesn't mean I don't want to. It doesn't mean I'm not gonna try to," Luther insisted. "Look, Leigh... regardless of... whatever might be goin' on between us, it's just not safe for you to be seein' me. I don't want you gettin' hurt."

Since that first day they'd met in Andrei's restaurant, Luther and Leigh had been slowly growing closer and closer. He was really starting to care for her, a lot, and that meant he was afraid for her safety. He wouldn't like to think that Andrei might have her hurt simply for seeing him, but... then again... it seemed like exactly what he would do.

"If my boss finds out I've got a... a friend..." he said, hesitating to say girlfriend, only because he wasn't sure whether she really wanted to be that to him or not. "If anything happened to you because of me, I'd never forgive myself.

[armed-and-alxne]

Luther felt a severe sense of dread and urgency seeing those texts from Leigh. He could feel how scared she was, right through the phone. He texted her back before heading out. After all, he was a police officer, so he wasn't about to be caught texting while driving. Practice what you preach.

[text] Leaving now [text] It's gonna be ok

Did he drive just a little bit over the speed limit? Maybe. But that sense of urgency was gnawing at him, and he couldn't help but get to Leigh as fast as he safely could. He'd said he could be there in 10 or fifteen minutes, but he made it to her bar in only 8 minutes. Parking but not turning the engine off, he looked around for Leigh, seeing her peeking out of the side alley. He waved at her to come to his car, leaning over and pushing the door open for her.

Once she was inside, he started to drive back to his place, just to get her away from the bar, but turned to look at her as he did so. "There somewhere you want me to take you? What's goin' on, Leigh? Did David do somethin' to you?" he asked with concern.

[text from Leigh] This is officer Luther right?

[text] do you have a moment?

@mxrvelouscreations

@mxrvelouscreations

Luther had gotten off his shift about an hour ago, made it back to his house, and was just about starting to unwind a bit, when he heard his phone make the tell-tale jingle for an incoming text message. "Come on, leave me alone, geezus..." he muttered, assuming it to be his ex-wife making his life a living hell as usual. So, he ignored it.

A second later, though, he heard the notification sound again. Sighing, he went over to the couch in his living room and picked his phone up off the coffee table. Looking at the text, he saw that it was from Leigh, the woman he'd exchanged numbers with after she'd had an altercation with her boyfriend in her bar. Something about it all had made Luther give her his personal cell number, just in case. Now he was glad he had, if there was another problem and she needed help with something.

[text] Yeah, it's Luther. I've got time, what's up? You okay?

He sent the text and sighed longingly at the beer on his kitchen table. Luther went and put it back in the fridge. Until he knew what was going on, he didn't want to start drinking anything yet.

[armed-and-alxne]

Luther was incredibly nervous. He wasn't used to dating anymore, since he'd been married and now divorced for a couple of years. It also didn't help that he was older now, balder, and not feeling on his game at all. He had to made due with what he had, though, and Mia still seemed interested, regardless? Maybe he should just let that give him enough confidence to proceed and stop overthinking it.

He smiled shyly and blushed when she said he looked handsome. "Thanks. Yeah, I guess we do. You look... really stunning. I mean it. That dress really suits you," he said, before he realized he was looking too long. "Sorry, I didn't mean to stare," he said with an awkward smile. At her question, he gestured inside. "I can stay for a minute. No need to rush, right?"

Once inside, he took a casual look around from where he stood. "Nice place," he said with a nod. "Listen uh... thanks for askin' me to uh... to go out with you. I never would've done it on my own. Not that I didn't want to, I just... would've never been able to work up the nerve to ask you," he said, hoping he wasn't sounding like some inept idiot.

[text from Mia] when do you get off the clock?

- - - - -

@mxrvelouscreations

"Woah!" Luther exclaimed, scrolling the picture upwards before Barry could see it.

"What is it?" Barry asked.

Luther couldn't help the way he instantly smiled and then laughed. "No, you're not seein' this."

"Come on, what is it? Lemme see," Barry pressed with a grin.

"No. Absolutely not. No way," Luther said.

"I told you she likes you," Barry teased.

"You don't even know what this was," Luther said, pointing to his phone.

"I know what it was, just from the look on your face right now," he said, chuckling.

Luther sighed.

"Text her back, don't make her wait, what the hell's wrong with you?" Barry said.

"Okay, okay," Luther said.

[text] 7PM, why? Very nice view, btw. You're gorgeous.

Luther looked up to find Barry just grinning at him. "What?!" he said, trying and failing to stop smiling himself.

"Nothin'! My partner's acting like a hormonal teenager, but you know, it's nothin', it's fine." He was having way too much fun with this.

"You're fulla shit, you know that?" Luther said. But Barry wasn't really wrong. Mia had him feeling some type of way, for sure.