homeless_pard | Ghosts of the Past

Entry tags:

jason au,
starter

Ghosts of the Past

Who: Beryl, Nat, a reporter?
When: Once she's back on the low level MMA circuit, before the looking at buying a place.
What: Being...traced?

She adjusted the tape along her hands and smiled loosening up a touch in her corner. It was good to be back honestly, she'd taken four out of five matches so far and things were doing okay. She was getting her rhythm back, and she could see Nat sitting in the stands, that delicate mix of apprehensive and delighted to watch her. She could get the mixed feelings honestly, they made sense...

...but she was belatedly glad her boy was tall yes. Else she couldn't have picked him out so easily with many of the 'fans' choosing to fill the bleachers near him. She blew him a cheerful kiss before sliding her bite guard back in and ignored the honest to gods flashes going off as she turned her back to eye her opponent. A lot of sports enthusiasts and writers actually went with real cameras instead of cellphones so it could get a little bulb happy out there.

Given where the majority of the crowd was, well, the photography had to be getting great shots of her opponent's form...and her ass. Great, Nat was going to scrapbook the shit out of any magazines she ended up in and it would be nicknamed the 'hot in spandex' book or something by Eric and Lani. It made her snort a laugh, which pissed off her opponent, making him swing just a touch wide so she could bend and lash her heel into his hip, then her knee to his chin ad he buckled. TKO.

She grinned, adrenaline singing through her as she turned to beam at Nat, and caught another faceful of flashbulbs. Bah. "Excuse me, Beryl? Are you Ms. Beryl?"

"Hey, yeah, but I'm busy," she snorted ducking under the ropes to go to Nat for a kiss before hitting the showers! She barely registered the unassuming man muttering an apology and just flashing a few more pics before she was happily padding to the showers. Charles was going to demand she try that move on him again in a few days as they practiced so she didn't bother trying to poke him now. Let him go home and grump about getting old to his teens, who'd reassure him and make him a protein shake before he got a beer. He was a good guy, just competitive as shit.

After Beryl was safely away the man wove carefully through the crowd to smile hesitantly at Nathaniel, "hey, can you spell her name for me? I want to be sure to get things right but she...I guess she doesn't do ringside interviews huh?"

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"No," she agreed, but I want information." All of it before she decided if she was chasing him down on foot in the moonlight. She tugged Nat down against her side and sighed, "...you're wet!"

Khemrys actually laughed softly, "aye, he ran from the bathing room hmmm? You two are quite amazing to witness at times like these." Adorable and dangerous in a way that worked for them. "There, that is the last," she sighed, dabbing the last of the drug from Beryl skin and flexing her fingers a moment.

The rumbling didn't cease, but he molded against her without a hint of resistance. "Asher and the rats are probably doing that now, there's no reason for you to have to go anywhere near him again." He actually glowered as he pressed himself closer. "Unless it's to kill him."

The growling might have continued, but Khemrys's words snapped him out of it and he blinked up guiltily. "She was finally awake, I had to see she was ok..." he insisted weakly. His eyes dropped down to their bed with concern. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get everything wet. I can change the bedding for you..."

"I don't mind wet," that was just a dark, dark promise of a statement honestly. Water? Yeah, just making sure nothing else was wrong. That this was voluntary wet. She wasn't exactly firing on all cylinders but hr arms were firm as she wrapped around Nat.

"In the morning mayhap," Khemrys agreed, rising from the edge of the bed. "And be sure she has water, lord Nathaniel, and a good strong meal to aid against further shakes later." Not immediate perhaps...

There was a defensive flash to Nathaniel's eyes as he glanced up at Khemrys, and suddenly Jason was at her side staring Nathaniel down. "It's been a long upsetting night," he said evenly, his tone offering both opportunity and threat to Nathaniel, "I'm sure Nat can handle everything fine tonight. And tomorrow we can talk to Asher and figure out what's next. Ok?"

The question offered, but he clearly was only going to accept one answer; Nat impressed the hell out of him, but he was on edge and Jason wasn't about to risk his pregnant wife getting hurt.

And to his utter shock, Nathaniel held his gaze for several extremely long seconds before lowering his eyes in submission.

Khemrys blinked slowly and to the side, picking up on THAT how not? AND slowly started repacking her med bag, "the door is broken as well," a reminder nothing more.

Um.

She hadn't meant to cause that?!

Beryl inched a hand up into Nat's hair and bit his shoulder. How not? THAT WAS HOT!

Jason was still watching Nathaniel, as a reminder more than anything, but his energy pulled back with that sign of acceptance from Nat. "I'll send a text to your Eric friend and see if he can have someone come by in the morning to fix it for you." He didn't know the guy that well, but even if he was vague (and he planned to be) he was sure Eric would be quick to help. He stepped back, casually grazing his hand along Khemrys's back.

All well and good, since at that bite the worked up wereleopard's intense gaze was solely on Beryl.

Khem was tense under Jason's hand but turned easily to leave yes. It was the BEST thing to do right now!

"Do that thank you," Beryl noted to Jason, dismissing him from thought a moment later as she licked that bite and grinned at Nat, meeting his gaze. "Not going ANYWHERE," she assured that gaze with a low growl herself.

Jason nodded once to Beryl and turned with Khemrys, a surprisingly solid presence behind her as they left the apartment and headed to the car. He opened the car door and helped her in, then walked around to his side.

The text message for Eric could wait.

"You ok, Khem?" he asked gently.

* * *

The only reason Nat knew they had left was he felt when Jason's energy left the room. His chest felt tight as he breathed and he growled again uncertainly. "They tried to take you away," he rasped.

Khem settled in the car, strapped in by sheer instinct then rested her forehead on the dash, "yes. I have...encountered such reactions before at the clinic but not..." with her friends. Her kith. "I had not wished to trigger him, my apology..."

* * *

Beryl bit him again, arms tight around him, "you stopped them babe. I'm not going ANYWHERE without you okay?" EVER. Fuck that. "Wasn't getting on a plane, but you showing up was...better." She knew that.

She could have stopped that.

It would have...hurt.

Jason softly caressed her back in small circles. "It was a rough night for him, Khem, he didn't mean it." His tone was soothing despite what had just happened upstairs. "He's freaked out and just got defensive."

Although he had never gotten so defensive before, not with Khem; not with him. Then again, he'd never known Nathaniel to kill a van-load of hired muscle either.

* * *

There was a contented sound deep in his throat at that bite and he nuzzled at her. "I couldn't let them. They gave you so much to try to put you under, and what if he had more?" His growl was clearly a mixture of fear and anger and frustration. "You're my person. Your family only wants to hurt you and...and they can't have you. I won't let them."

She nodded against the dash, "I know," the soothing was nice though? She was truly gone on her husband with how easily he might sooth her nerves. "Aye, just...even the gentle might fight, I had not..." yeah.

Yeeeah. "She is his chosen world." She understood that.

* * *

"No way in hell babe," she agreed, leaning back against the pillows to look up at him. He looked good with her marks and they faded so fast she had to enjoy moments when she could! "My family is here. And YOU are my person, I belong here." Fucked up kidnap attempts or no!

"I knew you'd come."

"More than just fight," he admitted softly. "The ones who took her? He killed all of them. I guess only the guy she said she wanted to talk to was still alive. He was scared and still all keyed up from doing something like that that he's never done before."

He let out a breath and reached out to lightly brush through her hair with his fingers. "But you helped get the drugs out of Beryl's system and I have no doubt she can handle him just fine now. It's you I'm worried about."

* * *

A faintly satisfied look crossed his face as he watched her gaze at him. He reached out and hesitantly cupped her cheek. "I'm glad we were able to use the bond like that. I'm afraid I wouldn't have found you..." In time. His eyes glinted again sharply. "I killed them," his soft voice held the threat of another growl. "And...I'll kill them if they try again."

"...aye, as did I," she reminded softly. Killing was the fastest way to escape and not fear being chased in her case. In Nathaniel's it was the safest he could make Beryl safe. Same difference in most cases, extremes were survival and fear combined.

She wasn't foolish enough to think Nathaniel or Beryl would properly survive the loss of the other.

* * *

She reached up to trace fingers along his lips, sober, "I know. I know you did, I'm proud of you, but I'm going to do my damndest to makes sure you never have to handle the killing." Again anyway.

"I'll fail sometimes, I'm sorry." She had to say it.

No, Jason couldn't blame Nat: with her reminder he felt that flicker of anger stirring within him. Not his person. He reached down and pulled her hand up to his lips. "I'm glad that you did."

He smiled against her knuckles. "Ready to get home? I think you deserve some pampering after tonight."

* * *

"Don't be sorry: we're not perfect. And when you need me, I'll do it every time without complaint."

There was a rare flash of determination in his eyes, then he leaned forward -careful to keep his weight off any hurts she still might have- and kissed her deeply.

"It's nt..." not something she'd ever wish on another. Having to do that. Ever. She turned dark, more pupil than iris eyes on Jason as she kissed her hand, staring a long moment. Ah, her darling husband, "aye. Let us go home and let them rest without us haunting their, ah...lot?" Parking lot?

* * *

"I'll still always try to be between you and any of the future corpses," she assured, kissing him back. "I won't break babe. We can both be sore in the morning." And they would, her from the drugging and fighting at bad angles, him from sheer tension.

Cats weren't meant to be that tense...

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Ghosts of the Past

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