Homecoming [powered_otaku]

[sweetsalome]

    He had silently entered his own house the night before, when no one was there to greet him, to make a fuss over him.  Standing in the front foyer, he looked around slowly, not a thing out of place, the great walls and ceiling as silent as a tomb.  Like a giant cat he had stalked through the house, making sure everything was as it should be.  A massive shadow, gliding over chairs and carpets, all seeing, all knowing.  The shadow beast settled himself in one of the massive high back chairs in the living room, glass of scotch in hand he listened, he waited.  He waited a long time before this, there was nothing wrong with waiting a little more.

   

    Salome thought she had been wrong.  Maybe he wasn't coming home that day, or maybe he had just decided that it wasn't worth it and just left town.  Maybe Santa was real and this year she would finally get that pony she always wanted for Christmas. 

There's nothing wrong with being wrong, just expect the consequences of not being right.

He called her into his office, summoned her, as if some sort of employee, if she was nothing but a serf on his estate.  She sat in one of the big high backed chairs across from his desk, the one with the slippery leather that squeaked every time she moved or shifted.  Palms wet, heart racing, two works away from a panic attack as he fixed her with those eyes of his, eyes she had only seen from behind the safety of bullet proof glass.  There was a high likelihood that she was going to either die or throw up on his Persian rug.

She did neither.

He spoke to her softly, asking how she had been, how Jonba was and how her summer had gone at her grandparents.  The more they talked, the more she relaxed, until she was left only slightly weary, her palms now dry.  Maybe she had made a mistake, there was no threat here, just a man she had missed while he had been gone.  Someone who had changed when no one thought he could.

He asked her for a hug.

Standing up, she walked to him and lent forward to give him a gentle hug around his shoulders.  For a moment that was enough, but when she started to pull away, he grabbed her by the hips and yanked her down into his lap.  Despite the struggle, despite the fight she didn't do any damage, except smack her foot against the desk drawers.

Fool me once, shame on you, fool me two hundred times. . . Maybe I might be asking for it.

    "I heard you've been bad," he whispers into her ear, hand at the back of her neck, holding her still like some wild animal.

    "I heard that you've been telling lies about me," his fingers tightened, applying more pressure.

    "I even heard you found a play thing, and he believes you.  How long do you think that's going to last?"  With his free hand, he reaches for the ring on her left hand and twirls the band around slowly.

    "How long before he gets tired of you?  Before you come crying back to me because he doesn't love you any more. . ."  He stands up with her and starts to move to the door, dragging her along as she struggles in his grip.

She doesn't fight as hard as she could have, she knows that if she did it would hurt, a lot.  She doesn't want to get hurt, she doesn't have the defenses for it any more.  This needs to be over, this pain, this humiliation, this feeling of being so filthy and disgusting that she can't even look at herself in the mirror.  Somewhere, between the study and the bedroom, she takes over, and mercifully, Salome doesn't feel a thing.

She picks up the phone and she sends the text message after a shower.  There is no need to delay the inevitable any longer.

Comments

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"You could fit like, ten of your apartment in here," that could be a bit of an exageration. She watches him through half open eyes, her breathing slow, as she starts to relax into the bed. It's not so much that she's tired, just a little high. Everything seems to have a soft glow about it, and she's catching every other word.

Crawling to him, she bumps her head against his shoulder and rubs her side up against him like a cat. "I dun wanna sleep," she murmurs even as she climbs up into his lap. Her head on his shoulder, she sighs softly.

"Am I being to clingy? I can stop."

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro kicks off his shoes, then lies down in the bed, all the while making sure that he's keeping some part of his body in contact with hers. He pulls the cover with him so that they're cocooned in it.

"No, not at all." He pulls the covers down just enough so that their heads are sticking out. "Better?"

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Yes, much better, it's like we are in our own little world." Smiling, she cuddles up close to him, her hands moving up and down his back, rubbing and massaging him. This is safe, this is warm and comfortable, even though this place is new to her. It doesn't matter, he's here with her and thats all that matters.

"I love you, Hiro." Tilting her face up, she kisses his lips gently.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He likes the image of this being their own little island. For the next few days, unless she wants people, he's not going to have any people beyond the housekeeper there. He thinks she needs some days without people in her face, especially any reporters.

"Aish'teiru, Salome." His hands go around her gently stroking her skin. He's also taking note of any areas that make her flinch.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She lays against him, very still, her breathing shallow as she listens to the apartment, to his hear beating. Everything is so still, so silent, after all the chaos it's almost surreal. Maybe it isn't, and that would frighten her, if she wasn't currently a little high.

"Would you like to see, what . . . he did?" She's not sure why she asked, maybe to show him what he got rid of Liam for. Part of her wonders if he believes what her father said to him, about her being a liar.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro sucks in his breath. "Yes, I do. I want to know how badly he hurt you." He's almost afraid, but he reassures himself that she's not flinching from him as much flinching from pain. "I want to know where you hurt so I can make it feel better."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Slowly she starts to take off her clothes. Her sweater, her top and jeans, leaving her in just her panties and bra. There are bruises over her back and shoulders, mostly teeth marks, and some welts and bruises from lord knows what. Laying down next to him, her front is much like her back, bruises around her abdomen. There are restraint marks around her wrists, but that's the only real visible bruises he left on her.

Liam Collins was smart enough to only leave marks on parts that could easily be covered up. Putting an arm under her head she sighs and looks up at the ceiling. She fidgets just a little, unsure on what he's thinking or going to say.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He kisses her gently. "These are the last. He will never hurt you again." His hands caress her, being certain that he doesn't press anywhere, especially in the darker areas. He makes certain, though, that she feels his hands everywhere. He wants her to know that he's not ashamed of her that she is still the one he wants.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Turning her head she deepens the kiss just slightly, enough so she can feel his whole mouth on hers. Hands slowly move down his back as she moves up toward his fingers. It feels good to be accepted, to be under such a tender, loving touch, it feels like such a long time since she's been touched like this. Opening her mouth, she lightly touches his lips with her tongue, just to taste him that's all she wants, just one taste.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He opens his mouth to her, his hands still gently caressing her. He's maintaining contact with her to ground her, to keep her mind away from what's happened. He's worried she's going to have nightmares after all this and he wants her to be as assured as possible that he's there to see her through it all.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She can feel him, taste him, and know that he's real, and that is the most important thing to her right now. His touch is so sweet, so gentle, that it makes her tremble, not with fear, but with longing. When she thinks about it, really thinks about it, the thing that upsets her the most is this feeling that she's cheated on him some how. She's been abused before, but never when she was with someone. In her twisted thinking what happened was almost normal, what she deserves, but sex with a person you aren't with can be considered cheating.

Salome gives a whimpering moan as she presses up against him, her tongue gently stroking his, trying to push the thoughts from her head.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

His tongue twines with hers, tasting persimmon sake and her own flavor. One hand cups the back of her head as the other tenderly strokes her cheek. She deserves all the pampering he can give her.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Very slowly she pulls back, gasping for breath, he's making her feel too good, and too hot. Opening her eyes, she licks her lips and lays back against the bed, her heart racing. She doesn't want to ask the next question, but she has to know, wants to know. "What did you do to him, Hiro?"

Her hand moves down his chest, over the waistband of his slacks as she looks into his eyes.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"Do you truly want to know?" He's not really sure he should tell her, but he won't lie to her. He'd hoped she wouldn't ask so that if it ever came out, she couldn't be blamed for what she didn't know.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Her resolve falters and she frowns up at him, her hand moving up his side as she turns to look at him. "Part of me does, and part of me doesn't. I want to make sure he's not coming back, that he suffered." Her fingers tighten around the fabric of his shirt and she pulls him close for another kiss. Things are completely crazy inside her head right now, she has no idea what's up or down.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"He will never return and he did suffer. Perhaps not as long as either of us would want, but he did suffer." He unbuttons the buttons of the shirt so that he can feel her next to his skin. He wants her to feel safe and calm, but he can feel her heart fluttering. She's afraid and she has no reason to be other than the nightmares that he hopes to rid her of in time.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"Good, good, that makes me feel good." She whispers against his shoulder. Salome pushes up against his bare chest, her fingers making shaky passes up and down his spine as she tries to relax against him. As comforting as it is, his skin feels hot like lava, and she nuzzles his neck and cheek. "I love you," she whispers against his skin, kissing him, loving him as much as she can at this moment.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

"I love you, Salome. There is no one else more important to me than you." He's gently playing with her hair, knowing she likes it when he does.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

She fights it, she really does, but the sound of his heart and his fingers in her hair put her to sleep. Her head is against his chest, her breathing slow and soft, she sleeps dreamlessly for a good long while.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro is a little too wound up to sleep, so he watches as she does, still touching her hair gently. He lets her sleep as long as she needs. He hopes that his presence is helping her sleep well.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

Some time during her sleep, when the meds wear off and she gets really deep, that's when the dreams begin. The nightmares aren't of her father's death, but of him chasing after her, on that large house on the beach that is in all of her dreams. His foot steps are everywhere, and the stench of death and decay proceed him, there is no where she can go. In real life she tosses and turns, her skin turning cold and clammy, and just when he is about to surround her she wakes up screaming.

Shaking and nauseous, she thinks she's going to be sick. She thinks she's going to be punished for her final betrayal.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

Hiro sits up with her. He takes one look at her green face and they're suddenly in the bathroom attached to this bedroom.

"Salome?" He's worried. This is the first time she's ever woken up screaming. Usually she just starts and stares at him with big eyes.

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

It has to be the medication, it has done something to her, and her stomach turns over. Leaning over the toilet she throws up, shuddering as the water and whatever breakfast she had that morning. Shaking, she pushes the hair away from her face, her whole body damp with sweat and fear.

"I am sorry, Hiro." Reaching over she grabs some toilet paper and wipes her mouth off, and gets sick once more.

[powered-otaku.livejournal.com]

He rubs gentle circles on her back while he reaches into the cabinet under the sink and pulls out a toothbrush, toothpaste and mouth wash. He flushes the john when she's finished, but he doesn't try to move her. He just doesn't want her getting sicker from the smell.

"It is ok. You have had a very difficult time."

[sweetsalome.livejournal.com]

"I feel like a child, and I don't like people seeing me like this," she moves away from the toilet, from him, and climbs to her feet. Running the water she splashes cold water over her face and then the back of her neck, it feels good, running down her shoulders and neck, back down to the sink. She makes use of the mouth wash and tooth brush, thankful to get that taste from her mouth. Standing there, hunched over the sink, water running, she doesn't know what to say. She can't look at herself in the mirror so in the end she turns off the water and gives him a bit of a smile before returning to the bed.

"It was just a bad dream."