Title: The Castle Prepares

Series: L&L Fantasy Ball

Author: Rella

Rated: R

~*~

“What’s taking her so long?” Payne asked, crossing to the mantle to set her make up case on it, adding fresh lipstick to her lips as she looked in the mirror above.

“Don’t know, Pita,” One rumbled from his place on the couch. He was relaxed and at ease, yet there was a wickedness playing about his lips. Some small twinkle in his eye hinted that maybe he did know but just wasn’t telling.

Payne eyed him through the mirror, eyes narrowed for a long moment before shrugging and going back to the task of applying makeup. She wore a simple black satin nightgown with spaghetti straps that fell just below her knees. Her red hair had darkened to almost black and her veins were visible under her skin, standing out along her shoulders, arms and face. The only part of her that hadn’t been triggered was her eyes, staying her usual green instead of darkening to black. Only true anger would cause that to happen. Tonight, the rest was just for effect.

“I could go up and give her a hand,” Panic suggested softly, fussing with the sheer bell sleeves of her dress. White crushed velvet hugged her body in a sheath from her chest to her hips, where it flared out gently fell in graceful panels to the floor. The gossamer sleeves looked like afterthoughts, cupping her shoulders and falling down her arms.

He just grinned and shrugged a shoulder. “M’thinkin’ she’ll come down when she’s ready.”

“Is she nervous? I get nervous before parties sometimes,” Sabine piped up from her perch on the ottoman. The demure burgundy velvet dress she wore showing off her slim, pale shoulders and gleaming dark hair.

“No, Mouse, m’thinkin’ s’not nerves that’s makin’ ‘er dawdle.”

Jason paced near the sliding glass doors leading to the pool, barely restrained energy bubbling under his skin. “Maybe she’s just changing her clothes again… you know how she can never decide on what to wear.”

Payne watched him pace and chewed her lip. “You going to be okay to go to the party?”

“It’s just a full moon tomorrow, so I’m a bit jittery.” He nodded and walked away from the window, moving to pace behind the couch. The blue shirt he wore clung to his torso tightly, showing every ripple of muscle underneath and matched his eyes perfectly. The black PVC of his pants gleamed with every step he took and clung nicely to all his attributes.

“You should take a dram o’ the scotch. It’s guaranteed t’ calm your nerves,” Mick suggested in his lilting Irish tones.

“You think it cures all manner o’ ailment, Ireland,” One snorted, crossing his brand new booted feet on the coffee table. Leaning back, he rested his arm along the back of the couch. His chain mail shirt stretched across his chest showing his nipple rings peeping out through the links. The pants were buttery soft black leather that disappeared just below the knee where his boots started. Buckles lined the sides of the boots from knee to ankle. Silver plate covered the toes and gleamed in patches along the sole and the top part of the tongue.

“You haven’t seen me sick yet, have you?” Mick, wearing a dark blue velvet leisure suit, hitched a thigh up on the back of the couch and smirked at Payne, daring her to dispute the fact.

“You’re programmed not to get sick, so that’s hardly a fair question,” Payne said dryly, applying a bit more black eyeliner around her bright green eyes.

“Mother’s give it t’ their wee babes when they have a sniffle and by morn’n they’re well, seamen drink it to brace themselves from th’ icy northern winds…” Mick was puffing himself up, getting ready to go on another one of his speeches about the medicinal purposes of a good single malt when I finally made my way into the living room gingerly.

“What are you all in a tizzy over?” I asked, pointedly ignoring my mate in favor of the drama unfolding.

“A wee dram o’ scotch for th’ wolf before we go would calm him.”

“No, honey… I don’t think so. It’s too close to the full moon for him to be drinking alcohol. It clouds his judgment.”

“Speaking o’ goin’, are we all ready then?” One dragged himself up from his sprawl and came up behind me, one fingertip dragging down my bare arm.

My body gave a shiver and goosebumps raised all along my skin. //Damn you// I cursed him, outwardly ignoring him.

His voice chuckled in my mind. //You wanted t’ play, wildfire… don’t know why you’re so angry with me.//

I snorted. //Gee, I wonder…//

Everyone was gathering up bags and supplies and bringing them out to the cars, leaving One and I to our silent teasing of one another.

//It doesn’t ‘urt, does it?// His concern melted a bit of my indignation.

I considered telling him it did. Maybe then, he’d let me take it off. Or, better yet, he’d take it off himself. But the truth was, it didn’t. It felt… different. Throbbed? Yes. Made me feel restless? Yes. But pain? Not really. Not the kind he was talking about.

Flushing, I shook my head and squirmed a bit.

He smirked and trailed his finger down my bare arm again and brushed a feather light kiss over my shoulder. //Good…//

I tried to move away and he caught my hips, making the crystals hanging on my “dress” clink against the chain mail. //One…// I warned, feeling my scalp tingle as his hands drifted up over my front side, lightly brushing my breasts. The outfit was really nothing more than links of chain mail loosely woven to make a net-like dress. In the diamonds between the mail hung teardrop shaped crystals that made it sparkle and glint under any light. The catalogue he’d ordered it from had called it a chemise, although it managed to hang low enough that it covered me to mid-thigh - as much as one could be covered wearing such a dress. The flesh colored g-string I wore was the only concession to “modesty” I’d allowed. The crystals hid the rest in peek-a-boo fashion.

//mmm…?// he growled.

//We have to get going.//

//In a minute, wildfire.// His lips were trailing along my shoulder, pushing the chain of one strap over the curve and making my dress gape down.

//One! Really, we don’t have time for this!// I grinned and pulled the strap back up over my shoulder.

“If you two are done…?” Payne peeked her head around the corner from the hall, giving us a knowing look.

He grinned and took my hand, leading me towards the garage. //M’thinkin’ what you’re wearin’ doesn’t really go with th’ theme o’ th’ party, love..// he teased good naturedly.

//Well, they did mention that if we wanted to wear saran wrap, we could… and that doesn’t go with the theme either…// I teased back as we exited the house and were on our way.