Lunar Duality (Spitfire x katuzov)

The urge to take things slowly surprised Mike. There were a multiple reasons for this. The incident earlier in the day contributed to his desire to not press himself and to take it easy. He also really liked Selene. His interest to get as much as he could as quickly as possible was fine for the various gals who hung around the school of destruction, hoping to have a night or two with a fire mage. He didn't want that from Selene. He wanted to build something with a strong foundation. In addition was the stark realization that he needed her. Without her, he would certainly lose control. It was better to grow their relationship slowly.

He led her to the couch sat down and took a bite of pizza. It really was the ultimate in comfort food. Warm, cheesy and delicious. His magic had now calmed, he was home, on his couch with Selene. It was almost perfect.

"I needed this." He said. "It was a good idea to miss class." Though even as he said it, he knew that the two could not live like this. They would have to confront whatever was happening to him eventually.
 
"Well the exam is tomorrow so," shrugging, "as long as I get notes from today and we can go over them, I think we'll be caught up." She took her first as she queued up a movie to watch. Finishing her meal part way through the film, she took her plate to the kitchen and grabbed her necklace from the counter before returning to the living room.

With a sigh, she put her necklace back on and sat next to him. She bit her lip and tried to muster up the courage to say the words. Why was asking for what she wanted so immensely difficult? She assumed it was because she's never wanted anything physical before. And new was scary. She wanted him to make the moves and he was a Destruction Jock, shouldn't it have been him?

"Can we umm... Do you want... to cuddle?" That was it. That was all she was able to say.
 
Having finished all of the pizza he'd eat by the half way mark of the movie, Mike settled in on his couch. It was comfortable, and he intentionally sat a bit closer to Selene than he strictly had to. However, he avoided initiating cuddling with her. Even though he could feel the desire radiating off of her. It wasn't that he was toying with her, not exactly. It just didn't feel right to take advantage of their connection through the moonstones.

When she asked if he wanted to cuddle, he grinned and merely stated that he thought she'd never ask. He reached his arm around her shoulders and pulled her a bit closer as he sidled up to her. For a while, he just enjoyed being close to her, though he could feel a desire for more from her. It was quite reciprocated from him.

As the movie started to wrap up, he turned and locked his lips with hers. The two continued kissing long after the title screen came up, and the sun went down. Mike had his arms wrapped around her, he even helped her into his lap, though he kept everything above her shoulders, not wanting to move too far too fast. Even though he could sense the desire for more from her.

When they finally stopped, it was dark except for the glow coming from the TV. He checked the time. It had become somewhat late. "Did you need to get home for stuff for the night? I really should look at the material for tomorrow's exam." The idea of her being away from him worried him slightly, even if it was just for a short while. However he did not mention it. He wasn't ready to look that needy. "I can start studying while you grab whatever you need."
 
Her grin reflected his own as he responded to her question and she began to feel less silly about even asking such a question. Luckily that was all she needed to ask before he began to move further in the direction she wanted to go. She went along with moving into his lap though the idea of straddling him was absolutely beyond her. Even just his hands on her made her feel like she was overheating.

By the time he pulled away and suggested that he study while she went home to grab her things, she was almost ready for him to take her to the bedroom. She looked at him and nodded, "Yeah. Ummm... I'll need some clothes and... stuff." Standing, she grabbed her phone and checked her email. After forwarding the day's notes to him, she gave him a smile. "Those are from today." Sensing that he didn't actually want her to leave, she touched his hand gently, "I'll be back as quick as I can. It won't take me long." With a kiss to his cheek, she snagged her bag and put on her shoes. Then she was gone.

Her apartment wasn't too far from his and she with a quickness spell, she was a bit lighter on her feet than usual, though not enough to draw attention. Once there, she packed something to sleep in and clothes for the next day, as well as some toiletries. In the kitchen, she mixed her mother's pancake. Dry ingredients in a plastic container. Buttermilk and vanilla in a travel cup, and the butter and eggs in a small containers her mother made just for such occasions. She almost forgot the syrup but had everything packed and was out the door in a matter of minutes.

Fleet-footed, she returned to his door and realized she hadn't gotten express permission to just let herself in. She knocked on the door and waited for him to answer, giving him a smile and an awkward 'Hello' when he did.
 
The temptation to walk with her to her place was strong, and Mike felt a bit weird letting her go alone. However he needed to study. If he did poorly on the exam, he feared that Selene might begin to second-guess her attraction to him. He never had real motivation to excel in school before. He got out his books and notes and started looking them over.

He could set them on fire with a thought.

The thought made him shiver, and his magic started to lurch within him.

Selene was gone and wouldn't return for a little while. She had to walk all the way to her apartment, grab her stuff, shower perhaps? He shivered. It wasn't going to be easy to last. There was the option of reaching out to her through the stone, trying to encourage her to hurry, or maybe even to come right back. She was probably half way to her place by now, but he knew she'd likely rush back.

He wasn't ready to be that needy.

She'd already come to his aid once. Was she really ready to have to be with him 24/7? Was he ready to be with her all day every day? He needed to be able to hold out. She'd be gone for less than hour!

Studying was next to impossible, but he pressed on. Trying to learn about boilerplate magical contracts on their binding effects. It was so dry. A cold sweat started to cover him. If Selene saw him like this... she'd know that he'd had another episode.

He jumped into the shower, and was just starting to wash himself when he heard a knock at the door. Quickly, he hopped out of the shower, wrapped himself in a towel and answered the door, only exposing his face - on the off chance it wasn't her.

"Hello." She said awkwardly.

"Hello" he replied with a grin, holding the door fully open for her. "You know, I left the door unlocked. You could have just come right in. Heck, I just use a mundane lock, easy enough for you to open magically." It was his hope that she'd be none the wiser of his episode. He could already feel his power settling again.
 
She blinked at him then narrowed her eyes a bit as she noted his wet hair and the fact that he'd only partially opened the door. She hardly had time to register that in her mind before he opened the door to reveal his half-covered body. With a sharp inhale, she looked down and bit her lip. While she very much wanted to see more of him than she usually did, his nonchalant partial-nudity was still off-putting to her. "Ummm... I didn't want... I mean I don't live here so... letting myself in seemed... presumptuous."

Walking past him, with an unnecessarily wide distance, she went toward the kitchen, "I brought some things for breakfast. I usually make something before heading to class." She placed the ingredients in the refrigerator, leaving the container with the dry mix on the counter. Looking in the bag, she deflated, "I forgot the sausage." With an apologetic expression, she shrugged, I can grab some in the morning if I get up a bit earlier.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt your shower. I'll ummm... take one in the morning, if that's ok?" It occurred to her that, being in his house, he would lean toward his habits, and it was becoming very clear to her that it meant being shirtless at the very least. Did he sleep naked? Her eyes widened at the thought.

"If you're... done studying, I guess we can go to be..." She stopped herself from finishing the word but it was entirely too late and she felt like it came out a bit too eager. Yes, she wanted to go to bed with him. Wanted so badly to see where they could go. But she definitely didn't want to come off as though she only wanted to be physical with him.

Crap.

She bit her lip and tried not to look at him but all she could think about was his body against hers, his arms around her, and how good his lips felt when he kissed her. Once again, she could feel herself getting warm.
 
Mike was not done with studying.


He had barely gotten started with studying. He knew that he still needed to have some questions answered before he tried taking the test. However, at her mention that he was done and that they could go to bed... He felt an overwhelming urge to take her into the bedroom and resume kissing. He knew that she wanted his warm, glistening, frame pressed against her. The opportunity to make a lewd joke in response to her forgetting the sausage crossed his mind, but he kept it to himself. The old him, with a gal just chasing a destruction jock might have. However, Selene deserved better.

Plus, it wasn't like he needed an 'in.' Her desire was quite apparent. "Bed it is then, but first..."

His power was now completely calm, thanks to her proximity, especially wearing the necklace. He approached her slowly, and pressed his lips to hers, wrapping one of his arms around her. Fortunately the towel around his waist was quite secure.
 
It seemed as though he was just going along with going to bed because she suggested it and the thought creeped in again that her influence over him was stronger than he gave it credit for. "If you're not..." She stopped short again. Finding words was difficult when he was so close and him being shirtless only added to her reasons to be speechless. She didn't even have a chance to remove the necklace again before his body was against hers and their lips were pressed together.

She felt so silly for being this weak over a guy. It was ridiculous to her that her friends got so obsessed with romantic liaisons and it frustrated her that she couldn't relate in the slightest. Now that she could, it frustrated her even more.

With his arm around her, she moved her hands to his sides before pulling away when she touched bare skin, as if she'd reached for something that was too hot. "I umm," shaking her head slightly. "We don't have to... go to bed... if you're not done studying I mean. I just thought... you were in the shower... so you were... ready." She felt ready but also terribly intimidated. "We can study." If he were to put clothes on.

She was already nervous about what to wear to bed, not wanting to send the wrong message but also not wanting to infer that the door was completely closed on anything more. It was a fine line, and one she clearly hadn't studied enough to feel confident that she had the right answers. The only things she did feel confident about was her ability to help him pass the exam and to make him breakfast. The rest was like trying to learn fae languages.
 
Her touch made his skin tingle and form goosebumps, at least for the brief second she touched it. She removed her hands quite quickly, as if his bare flesh burned her. The idea of studying seemed like a good one, though he decided to use one of his own textbook moves.

"Let's set an early alarm and get up early. We'll be able to review then." He said. It was a tactic that he often employed with varying degrees of success. Truthfully he wanted very much to go to bed with her now. "I can put some shorts on... and we can get some rest." He pressed his lips against hers once more. "We will get some rest, I promise." He grinned.
 
Taking solace in the fact that he was planning on wearing something to bed, even if he was going to remain shirtless, she gave him a nod. Getting up early was much easier for her than staying up late. Early alarm, shower, and breakfast was pretty much the way she lived. "Yeah ummm... We can do that. I'll just... need to change." She wasn't entirely sure how much cuddling and kissing could be done if she couldn't get past the idea of touch his bare chest but, like most of this endeavor, she was either letting him take the lead or making it up as she went along. Mostly the former as the latter terrified her.

She smiled nervously and excused herself to the bathroom to prepare for bed. After brushing her teeth, she left her toiletry bag on the counter. She changed clothes and folded her used items, slipping them into her bag before emerging, dressed and ready but a bit more anxious than she had been at her own house. The decision of what to wear had occupied much of her thoughts on her way to her apartment. She didn't want to wear something too revealing or gave the idea that she was ready for something she definitely wasn't. She had decided on matching shorts and tank top in the same soft material she'd worn before.

Giving him a small smile, she hoped that he thought she looked cute, at the very least. Still, she felt so silly for dressing so that someone else would like her more. "I'm ready," she managed to speak with a bit more confidence than the night before though her posture was very much the same.
 
The way she said "I'm ready." made Mike grin. Almost the way he sounded when he was preparing for duel. He didn't mention it however. Instead he quickly brushed his teeth, and led her into his room.

He really should have taken the posters down, that just made him look like a college male. He of course was a college male, but still. "Well this is it." He said as he went to the head of his bed and pulled back the covers. "Though I suppose that you've been here before." He chuckled at himself. His bed was small, the two would be pressed together all night. He got in the bed first, and made some space for her, but she wouldn't be able to get in without touching him.

His heart was racing, he truly desired to be close to her once again, to hold her in his arms, and of course to kiss her again. However, despite all of this, his magic was completely calm. It all pointed something. He wasn't exactly sure what, but somehow, this felt... meant to be. A notion that two weeks ago would have made him laugh.

"You look cute, by the way." He turned the light on his nightstand off. Only the moon illuminated the room through the window... and of course on the necklace that Selene wore.
 
She laughed at his joke as she looked around, feeling like she was basically seeing the room for the first time. Having arrived drunk and awoken hungover, she wasn't sure she could remember much in the way of detail. Only a few days had passed since she'd been in his bed, alone, and on top of the covers, but this time would be entirely different. Being with him, and needing to be so close, she wondered if maybe they should've just gone back to her apartment instead. Her bed was bigger and she was fairly certain it would be more comfortable. However, perhaps not for him. And he was the one who needed the support, no matter how nervous she was about the situation.

"Thanks," squeaking a reply as a shut off the light. She hadn't realized her necklace gave off a faint light until that moment. While there were theories in her mind about the reasons for such a thing. She wondered if she should take it off so she wasn't controlling him but then wondered if that would have another undesirable side effect. And then there was the more pressing matter of actually getting into the bed.

She swallowed hard as she cautiously sat on the bed and pulled the covers over her lap. Her heart was pounding in her chest and she couldn't quite look up from her hands for a moment. As her eyes began to trail away from her hands and up his body, a wave of desire flooded her. She laid back next to him, looking him in the eyes. "Wi... Umm..." It was as if he was still hot to the touch when she placed her hand on his side, a tentative caress, before she placed her lips softly to his. While she couldn't find the words to ask for what she wanted, it surprised her that she was able to take the step herself.
 
She kissed him. This was the first time she had initiated. She'd been willing all along, but now... she had taken the initiative. The stone around her neck glowed brightly, even through his closed eyes he could see it. The stone around his neck gave off no light. In fact, it seemed to absorb the glow given off by hers. It now thrummed with steady repetitions, a slow calm metronome.

The power within him was already calm, but this completely changed it. The unnatural desire to cast was gone. For the first time in weeks he felt completely in control of his magic. He kissed her for a few more moments, allowing her to lead. He was the first to pull back. He wanted to kiss her, to go further, but he needed to try something.

"Sorry." He said breathlessly, but I want to conduct an experiment. He raised a finger, and a small tongue of flame hovered above it. It illuminated his eyes, filled with relief. No extra sparks, no excess heat. He raised his other fingers, letting it leap from digit to digit. He laughed slightly. "It's fixed!" He said. "Nothing extra, just exactly what I want." He let it wink out and then pressed his lips back to hers in excitement.
 
Not paying any attention to her stone or the reaction his was having to it. She was entirely too involved in feeling his lips on hers, his arms around her, and her hands on his bare skin. Her body felt like it was on fire. Then he pulled away. And the fire was cooled. Breathless, she looked at him, afraid she'd done something wrong. She immediately withdrew, as much as his small bed would allow, and let out a sigh. Nervously biting her lip, she nodded in response to his assertion.

While she was concerned about flame in the bed, she knew she could at least extinguish it should things get out of hand. It also occurred to her that she had completely forgotten to set her protection spell on the room. She gave him a smile as he celebrated his victory over his powers and wondered if she should even bother casting at all. She certainly didn't want to do it in his moment of control for fear that it would show a lack of faith in him to keep himself contained. However, she promised to protect him so she reminded herself to put up the barrier before they went to sleep.

She was surprised when he kissed her again but she accepted it, even pulling him toward her while simultaneously pressing her body to his. Of course, she wanted him, she'd admitted as much, but taking that step had been scary. Her confidence was tenuous at best and if he'd pulled away and not returned, she'd have cast the spell and tried to sleep. But kissing him again made her wonder if she'd sleep at all. She certainly didn't want to as long as they were making out, early morning be damned.

Pushing back at him, she half rolled them and put her body partially on top of his. Her necklace shone a bit more brightly but she couldn't be bothered to notice. He had wanted her to tell him what she wanted. This was it.
 
Mike had initiated kissing her once again, but she hardly seemed passive. In fact, she began pulling him closer, while pressing her body against his. Letting her take the lead seemed natural. If she wanted to take it, and was willing to push things forward at her own pace, why shouldn't he allow her to? Further, her asserting herself had led to him being able to maintain control of his power.

Still with her on top of her, he could not deny that he wanted to go a bit further than kissing. Since she was wearing a tank top, his hands began to flirt with the bottom of the garment. He went slowly, seeing how she reacted as he began to slide his fingers up her shirt, towards her breasts. His intention was to make clear where he was headed so there were no surprises. While his hand moved upwards, his lips moved down, from her mouth to her neck. His other arm wrapped around her, holding her tightly.

Taking the initiative did not produce any change he could sense, though, his mind was hardly on his magic.
 
While she could feel his hands at the hem of her shirt, she was more focused on his lips. She let out a longing sigh as he moved his mouth from hers but inhaled a jagged breath when they landed on her neck. Another sigh that came out as a quiet moan before she realized where his hands were moving. For a moment, she considered stopping him but it felt so good. She was more than a little uncertain about how far she would let him go but she knew she wanted him to keep kissing her. And touching her.

She rolled to her back, taking him with her and letting out a sigh. "Don't stop," she whispered as her own hands moved over his torso. Her touch went from needy to tentative and back as if she was trying to decide how aggressive she could be. It seemed she decided as she once again pulled him toward her while pushing her body into his. Her head was swimming and she felt hot all over. Whether or not it was an effect of his magic, she didn't know, but she couldn't be bothered to care. More than need him, she wanted him. And she so badly wanted him to want her back.
 
Mike allowed himself to be pulled on top of her. With his back arched, he was able to still work his hand up towards her breasts where found her left nipple and slowly began massaging it between his thumb and forefinger. Within him, his magic started bubbling up again, though the desire to use it was oddly gone. Almost like something stood between him and the chaos of earlier.

Mimicking his power, his arousal began to grow, especially at her insistance that he not stop. His member became hard, and his kisses more passionate. He moaned, and his hips began pressing against her. She'd no doubt feel proof of his excitement.
 
Biting her lip, she stifled a moan as her reached her breast and paid careful attention to her nipple. With her eyes closed, she basked in the sensations he gave to her body, taking time to enjoy the feeling of him on top of her. She whispered his name before taking a sharp breath as she felt his arousal. She wasn't scared, not exactly, but feeling him hard against her made her realize where things were going.

"Wait," she whispered breathlessly, "I didn't mean..." She was excited and getting warmer by the second. He was hot and she wanted him so badly, but she still wasn't ready. Much as she cursed herself for it, she pushed up lightly on his abdomen and shook her head. "I'm sorry," looking into his eyes, she clearly felt bad for starting something she wasn't willing to follow through with. "I ca... I'm sorry," she repeated, already knowing what his reply would be but feeling uncertain nonetheless.
 
"Wait" It was just one word.

However, before she could utter another, all motion stopped from Mike. He had no intention of going further, even though the moonstone told him that she was torn about stopping. He rolled off of her, but kept eye contact. Though he exhaled slowly, as he felt the euphoria fade, he nodded and gave her a reassuring smile.

"There is nothing to be sorry for. Nothing at all. We go at your pace." He wrapped an arm under her neck, showing that he still wanted to cuddle, and to be close to her. "Sleep probably isn't such a bad idea anyways." It took him a while, but eventually he fell asleep. Once again, his magic was calm this night. There were no accidental spells, his dreams however... Selene featured heavily in all of them.
 
She held her breath until she saw his smile, which she reflected back at him. When he made it clear that he still wanted her close, she curled up next to him. Waving her hand, she put up the barrier and then placed her hand on his chest next to his stone. She could feel the thrum of her own as she drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

Her alarm went off early, quiet as usual, and she stirred awake, realizing she was still in his arms. She grinned and kissed his cheek before getting out of bed. "I'll make coffee and breakfast. Maybe you can get the notes together and we'll go over them before we have to get going?"
 
Though the alarm went off earlier than Mike would have set it, and he greeted the morning with a yawn, he still felt oddly well rested. He stretched, nodded and grunted in response to Selene, real words beyond him at the moment. It took him a few moments to sit up, swing his legs over the side of the bed, and stand. All the while stretch after stretch further woke him up, body and mind.

Soon the smells of breakfast wafted into the room. Mike felt like a cartoon character, floating off of his feet towards the kitchen. In the living room, he went to his backpack and started gathering his books and notes. "Are you sure you aren't enchanting my food?" He said with mocked suspicion. "I feel like you might be, that smells way too good." It was not a serious accusation, and a small smirk on his lips betrayed his otherwise flat tone.
 
His accusatory question caught her off-guard and, blinking, she looked up at him. The hurt was apparent in her eyes before she saw the smirk on his lips. She sighed and muttered, "Holy Hestia." Pouting at him, she replied, "Yes, I'm sure." It wasn't beyond a kitchen witch's ability to enchant her recipes, even so far as to fill a room with the aroma of her cooking just to sway people. However, it was human nature to feel more favorable toward those who fed them a good meal and people tended to decide whether they liked most food before even eating if it smelled delicious.

Still, Selene didn't seem to respond well to the jest, already feeling fragile about whatever hold she had over him. With another sigh, she returned to the pancakes, "I'll be done in a few minutes." It didn't take long for the stacks to be built on each plate and coffee to be poured. "Sorry I forgot the sausage... or bacon or whatever," she said with a shrug as she set the plates on the table next to the already placed sugar and syrup. Retrieving the mugs and setting them down, she declared their breakfast complete, "Everything's ready."

She grabbed her phone and opened her notes for class before sitting down. "Looks like they did mostly review work yesterday so there's not much to catch up on. Surprising for Hale." The professor was known for throwing as much at them as possible. "Maybe he decided to take it easy on us for once," she said with another shrug. "Was there anything you needed to go over then?" Selene asked before taking a sip of coffee and pouring syrup over her pancakes.
 
Breakfast piled on his plate, Mike sat down, sipped his coffee and poured syrup over his pancakes. He chuckled slightly thinking about impressing her by taking her for breakfast. As if she'd see any value in food that was worse than she could cook at home. He melted at the first bite, though he didn't mention magical enhancement again. He had only meant to compliment her, but as often happened, it fell flat.

He opened his book, and started checking his knowledge. Asking questions, and attempting to answer them, to make sure that he knew the material. He wasn't always right, but he was usually close enough. He'd come a long way since their first meeting.

At last it was time to walk to class together once again holding hands. This time, in a slight reversal of the day before, law students got to witness her holding hands with a destruction jock. Mike didn't know any of them, though he got the feeling that they all knew Selene and were questioning her choice in men.
 
On their way to class, she hardly took notice of most people until she realized they were staring. She heard a few whispers and it was difficult for her to keep from withdrawing into herself at the attention. While she had every bit of knowledge to make a good lawyer, her desire to not have all eyes on her was going to make creating a career of it nearly impossible.

Furthermore, she didn't want Mike to think she was pulling away from him out of shame or any such thing. She did like being with him, but having a relationship was new and having it on display was something that would take her a while to get used to.

Upon arrival in class, she avoided Hale's eyes and was almost certain his TA would have something to say about her getting romantic with the guy she was supposed to be tutoring. Still, Selene gave Mike a smile and a gentle squeeze of his hand, whispering, "Good luck. You got this."

After Hale performed his usual pre-exam monologue, Selene only had eyes for the test in front of her and finished first, as was typically the case. She exited the room after her submission was acknowledged and she was dismissed, choosing to wait for Mike in the hallway instead of moving on to her next class. To avoid people trying to talk to her, she put her nose in the biography book she'd been working on for a week. Eventually she'd make it through it. At least that's what she chose to tell herself.
 
The exam wasn't easy for Mike. Each question seemed difficult, and he had to think about each one carefully to avoid getting tripped up. However his chances were vastly improved thanks to Selene. This time he had a fighting chance. Though his mouth twisted slightly when he saw her get up and turn her exam in first. He was hardly a third of the way through. He took a deep breath remembering her words of encouragement. She was right. He had this.

It took him until the end of class to finish. He was still writing when Hale said "Times up, pencils down." He furiously finished his answer and jabbed a period on the page - just in time, though Hale was glaring at him. He hadn't aced the exam, that was certain. However, it was a better effort than his 35% on the first one. He thought high 80s, maybe even low 90s.

He walked out into the hall to find Selene reading. He gave her a tentative thumbs up, showing that he felt good about the exam. "Piece of cake, right?" He said with some false bravado. Though he was dreading what was to come. He had to attend a destruction class - without her. Who knew what might happen if she weren't there wearing her necklace.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom