multiversallogs | Those very rare occasions don't let up, they keep on coming

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Those very rare occasions don't let up, they keep on coming

Who: Apollo and Cassandra
What: The inevitable awkward conversation following a drunken encounter
Where: The Valhalla Inn
When: The night after this
Notes: None
Warnings: Sexual tension and snippy, blunt honesty

The Valhalla Inn was starting to get claustrophobic. Cassandra felt trapped. It was ridiculous, of course. She wasn't a prisoner as she had been on the caravan, as she had been in Willaknapp. Nor was she, as far as she knew, under the sway of the natives of Baedal, as she had been in Rowan. Still, she was anxious to get out. The thought of having a place of her own was appealing, but Cassandra knew herself well enough to know that if she couldn't find someone to share a flat with, she would likely go off the deep end again. When she was alone all the time, she withdrew. She lived up to certain expectations. No, it was definitely better for her to find an anchor, someone she could trust to keep her sane.

For now, however, the only way to relieve the claustrophobia was to keep the door to her room propped open.

Cassandra lay on her stomach, across the foot of her bed, lazily scanning her CiD, examining various network posts. She was finally beginning to get a sense of some of these people, but so far, Ianto--and by default, Jack--were the only ones she felt comfortable telling about her visions. With the monster attacks so fresh in her mind, she felt no end to the frustration about the fact that her dire warnings had not yielded any kind of results. Then again, what could she do? Certainly, she couldn't tell the militia or these Hellsing people. Neither party had demonstrated much to give her any kind of faith. Of course, it would be easier to just try to live a normal life and pretend the visions didn't happen.

But that would be a lie.

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Cassandra nodded slightly. He had every right to ask her that question. The problem was that she didn't really think she could give him a proper answer. And it wasn't because she didn't want to give him one. On the contrary, Cassandra felt more comfortable, in general, when she could put the people in her life into their proper boxes, to keep them all straight. But Apollo just didn't fit into any boxes. He was a category of his own.

Lover wasn't the proper word. Cassandra had not yet been able to bring herself to come to bed with him. And there was still some lingering hate mingled with all of her other feelings toward him. What they had wasn't kind or gentle or...loving. It was brutal. No, no that word wouldn't do. It was primal. Yes, she liked that term much better. But it didn't answer his question.

He wasn't her patron anymore. No mentor of any kind. Cassandra wouldn't be terribly receptive to learning anything from him anyway. She valued her independence. She wanted to learn for herself.

Apollo wasn't her enemy anymore. That reality was jarring. Of course, Cassandra could--and did--get angry at him, but it wasn't the same. He didn't have power over her and for all of her anger, she didn't think he necessarily wanted it. In spite of earlier barbs.

She sighed softly. "I wish I knew," she replied honestly. "I can think of more things that you aren't to me. But I do know that you're...important."

"Well, that's why I think we should talk." A pause, and then in a rush of unusually fumbled worlds "I also don't know what you expect but I haven't been--not with other--there hasn't been anyone else because I didn't want you to think--"

Apollo groaned inwardly. What was he doing? He was a god. He didn't owe her any explanation or any fidelity and he certainly wasn't this thick-tongued, rosy cheeked shepherd boy he was doing such a good impression of.

"Forget it."

Cassandra's eyes widened. She had not been expecting...that.

"No," she said gently, reaching out lightly to touch the back of his hand. "What were you going to say?"

She needed to hear that.

He wasn't sure he could say it again. This was all getting entirely too humiliating. If Cassandra had been anyone else, he would have switched subjects. Preferably by means of seduction.

But this was Cassandra and he had been the one to bring up the subject. He had just hoped she would do more of the talking.

He sighed heavily. "I haven't had sex with anyone else since you," he finally admitted. "Just in case."

That was part of it. Just in case she expected it. More than that, no one else had really been on his mind.

Since her? What did that mean? In the hundred years since they had last met? Or the incident on the caravan? She couldn't possibly flatter herself into believing the former. And as for the latter...well...surprising, but appreciated, she supposed. As for the 'just in case,' Cassandra had to admit, at least to herself, that there had been many 'just in case' scenarios popping into her head recently. And not all of them were utterly pleasant, really.

Very gently, Cassandra reached out, brushing some of Apollo's hair away from his face. "You know," she said quietly, with deep sincerity, "I'm starting to believe a lot of the things you tell me. And I have to say...I like that."

He glanced at her, and couldn't quite stop a wry smile from hitting his lips.

"I am still not stalwart and good you would like," he said. They both knew it was true, saying it changed nothing. He was not Othryoneus, never would be. "But you have the most irritating way of influencing what I do when I'm around you. I'd appreciate it if you'd stop that."

The tone was dry, and his touch gentle as he placed his hand on top of hers.

Cassandra laughed. How could she not? It was a moment of pride, knowing that she, a mere mortal, could hold any sway over him. They both knew how irregular the entire situation was, compared to what had come before and what would come in the future. An understanding of time was something else they shared.

"Consider it revenge," she said, turning her hand over and interlacing her fingers with his.

She leaned over, lightly kissing his cheek.

Well, this was new.

And it left him feeling a little uncertain. Was she about to break his wrist or bite off his ear?

"Considered," he spoke carefully, glancing down at their hands.

She nodded, neither breaking his wrist nor biting off his ear. Instead, she pursed her lips, looking at Apollo without venom. Which was definitely a change. A reversion, perhaps. To that fourteen year old girl who he had first encountered. Only much wiser, she decided. Not all knowing, by any means, but a little wiser.

"I suppose," she said softly, "that doesn't really count as defining much of anything."

It was a slight disappointment. She liked definitions. Still...

"I like to think there will be time."

Humans, Apollo thought. They always believed that there would be time.

They seldom did.

"Am I allowed to kiss you?" he asked.

Cassandra laughed. It was cruel. In fact, it was damn near the closest Cassandra had come to a genuine laugh in a good, long while. "If we were supposed to ask permission for that, I should apologize for taking liberties earlier." Lightly, she brushed her fingertips against his cheek, where she had kissed him before.

She was reminded, rather suddenly, of Cris. Of all people. He had once asked for permission to kiss her. She had toyed with him a bit more than she ever knew she was capable of toying with anyone. A riddle. Yes, she had made him answer a riddle before giving her a kiss.

Somehow, that seemed like an absurd formality with Apollo.

She nodded.

He leaned in and kissed her, just as promised, and his free arm slid around her waist to draw her close. His palm slowly went up her spine until her found some hair and there, his fingers tangled up.

He groaned against her mouth.

"Never cut your hair," he demanded against her lips.

She kissed him back, although she had to break the kiss when she started laughing at his request. "Cut my hair?" she repeated, her lips quirking upwards. "Do you not know?"

Cassandra pulled back, resting her palms on his chest. She looked up at him, the corners of her eyes crinkling slightly. It was a bit unsettling on her, given how rarely she smiled. Yet, it was not entirely unpleasant.

"When we first met...the day after, if I remember it properly, Andromache was brought to the temple of Artemis to dedicate her hair before her wedding." She smiled slightly. "Paris stole the lock of hair, so I cut one of my own and dedicated it on the altar." Come to think of it, Cassandra had never mentioned this to anyone before, had she? Not even Othryoneus. "I dedicated it to you."

"So your hair is mine?" he asked, and an overly lecherous look spread over his face--his eyes twinkling as he gave her a once over.

"Any other body parts that you've dedicated to me that I should be aware of?"

Cassandra shoved his shoulder lightly. "I was in love with you, I was pretending that it was my wedding, not Andromache's wedding." And honestly, it was amazing to think that she had ever been so young. But everyone must have been a child at one point.

"At any rate, I have no plans to dedicate my hair again." That would require a real marriage and Cassandra didn't have to be a prophetess to know that was not in her future.

He shoved her shoulder right on back. He liked this Cassandra, the playful Cassandra. Nearly as delightful as the Cassandra with flushed cheeks and angry, bright eyes. Although not nearly as attractive as the Cassandra with hair spread across the floor and eyes closed and gasping for breath...

He drew her onto his lap, encircling his arms around her. "Enough of this wedding talk. Tell me more about how fond you are of me." He brushed his lips across her shoulder.

She gasped in surprise at Apollo suddenly grabbing her, but she didn't curl her fingers into claws. That was progress. Cassandra was actually rather pleased with herself. She hoped that Apollo could appreciate the effort as well.

"I will not," she said, smugly. "If you want praise, you'll have to find yourself a pythia."

Abruptly, she leaned forward, her nose only inches away from his. "However, I will be more than happy to hiss and spit a little. For old time's sake."

"Well, I do like it when you get passionate about a subject."

Fingers still in her hair, he pulled slightly, bringing her head back to expose her neck. He leaned in and pressed his lips against her throat, suckling against her skin.

Cassandra made a startled noise. Immediately, she remembered all the times that Bonnie and Damon had bitten her, back on the caravan. But Apollo wasn't biting.

To be honest, she wasn't sure what he was doing, but whatever it was, it was oddly pleasant.

She closed her eyes, an absent-minded smile on her face. "Mmm..."

He pulled away after a moment, brushing his thumb against her neck. There. A nice red mark. Cassandra didn't usually wear anything high necked enough to cover that, either.

He felt strangely pleased with himself for leaving the mark.

"Will you invite me to stay the night this time?"

Cassandra opened her eyes, looking at Apollo. Although her gaze was steady she felt more than a little uncertain. Was she ready for that? To wake up beside a man? It was strange to think about, even without taking into account the fact that the man was Apollo. And worse yet, to think that he might not be there in the morning.

Of course, she would probably deserve that, after what she had done on the caravan. Twice.

Slowly, almost timidly, Cassandra nodded.

Apollo was never sure what to make of Cassandra.

When he had entered in the room, she had run away, darting around the small room like a cornered animal. Now she was touching him and allowing him to spend the night in her bed.

He would never understand her, he was quite certain. Still, he wouldn't ask too many questions, not right now.

"Thank you."

"Yes."

It took a surprising amount of effort to get that single word out. But once she said it, Cassandra felt an odd, calming sensation. The sort that generally came with making a decision. A relief, almost.

"Although I imagine it complicates the definition."

"The definition of what?" he asked with a sudden laugh. "You were refusing to define anything. Said we had time to figure it out, remember?"

He brushed his fingertip against her cheek, pushing some hair out of her face. "You," he said fondly, "Are the most irritating creature I have ever encountered."

Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "I learned that from the best," she replied. She tried to look scowly and angry, but her eyes were shining just a bit brighter than usual.

"And if I'm so irritating," she continued after a moment, "then I would very much like to know why it is that you're still here."

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