fateandfortune | Just two vampires, traveling the galaxy... [For Todd the Wraith]

Her hand moved up to press at her forehead and she gave him a small, slightly sheepish smile. "Kind of, yeah," she told him before folding her arms again and turning her gaze to her shoes.

"And also, I was worried about things changing between us," she admitted carefully. "With humans, sex makes things complicated, and I don't want that. I wasn't sure how things worked with wraith, beyond what you've told me these past few weeks."

She didn't want to lose their easy friendship. Rogue would rather spend the rest of her life in complete celibacy than risk that, because of how much their relationship meant to her.

"I have no issues on that. The Queen might be my mate but she is also my CEO as it were. Kenny is my subordinate but we've shared some intimate times. Sex among wraith helps build bonds, not destroy them. For humans like yourself, that's up to you to decide. Will you think of me differently after we've had our fun? Will you still consider me a friend and the commander, or will you disrespect my authority and clamor over me at the most awkward of times?"

What happened in the bedroom, stayed in the bedroom. Outside, it was business and professionalism.

Building bonds. She liked the way that sounded, as compared to the human way that such intimacy seemed to often only cause trouble and tear apart perfectly good relationships. Rogue had said before that she wasn't looking for the typical human relationship, and that was still true. She wanted nothing more than to build on the easy companionship they already shared.

"I've never been the clingy sort," she told him with half a smirk, "and I think there's very little in the universe that could make me think of you as less than my friend and commander. And I would rather eat my own shoe than disrespect your authority."

She'd always taken great pains to address him properly around his crew, to follow his orders to the letter. He deserved that from her, but she also wasn't stupid enough to think she knew better than him when she was still such a stranger in this strange land. None of that would change if they added this aspect to their relationship.

A chuff of acknowledgement at that before they resumed their walk to his chambers.

He paused again however as something occurred to him

"Now that you can control your ability...will you remain the hive? Or stay on Atlantis upon our return?"

Woolsey would likely allow it and he was sure Sheppard and the others, while wouldn't reject her, would find it far easier to accept her on the base. With the knowledge of so many minds within her own, she could easily work on the city too.

That he paused again was a bit of a surprise, but when she registered the question it was easy to understand.

"This is my home," she told him simply. "I'll stay here as long as you let me."

She didn't even have to think twice about it. While she liked Sheppard and his team very much, and was fond of Atlantis as a city, she doubted she would ever feel like she could fit in there. Just because she could control her ability didn't mean she wasn't still a mutant, and her distrust and fear of the military ran deep, especially with the thought of what they might do to her should opportunity arise. If they found a use for her mutation like they had the wraith enzyme, she didn't doubt for a second that Woolsey and those he worked for would not stop until she complied with their plans, willingly or otherwise.

Edited 2015-12-21 17:54 (UTC)

Todd inclined his head, "You're welcome on board for however long you like."

He doubted she'd spend her entire life on the hive, even worshipers couldn't stand more than a few years at a time before they missed solid ground and some daily sun. But he wouldn't be kicking her off against her wishes.

The remaining walk to the commander's chambers took little time after that. He went into the bathroom and started the faucet to the tub-no shower yet-and set the usual items nearby before coming back out to remove his coat.

Rogue had spent the last few years avoiding the sun, for it was easier to travel under the cover of night when man and machine were hunting you. She did miss it, of course - she used to love sunbathing back at the mansion, sprawling out on the roof where she didn't have to worry about running into someone. But she couldn't imagine being anywhere else but the hive, she didn't know anything other than it and Atlantis.

By the time he'd returned from the bathroom, she'd sat in the armchair and removed her boots, and had taken her hair down to comb through the tangles with her fingers. She watched him remove his coat but didn't say anything. She didn't know what to say, not now that things had been set in motion.

He could sense her awkwardness. That's right, the last man she'd kissed had been her first. She'd never been with anyone before.

Todd came over and held out his hand. "We're just taking a bath" he reassured her "Like always."

If more happened, so be it. If not, then that was okay too. Just because they'd come to an agreement that sleeping with one another was okay didn't mean it had to happen tonight. Could be tonight, could be tomorrow morning, or weeks from now. Events would unfold as they did.

Rogue wasn't exactly a novice when it came to physical intimacy, but in areas she might as well have been. She'd been close with Remy, but things had been different. They'd had to be creative, careful. And it wasn't as if she didn't have hundreds of fragmented memories from the others in her mind, covering the whole spectrum of experiences. But it was incredibly different to live through something personally than just remember it from someone else's perspective.

Still. With those few words and that outstretched hand, he'd fixed everything. It was just like every other time they'd done this. Simple and easy. She took his hand with a small smile and gave his fingers a slight squeeze before she stood.

He returned the light grip before letting go to finish undressing and heading back to the bathroom to make sure the tub didn't overflow. He sat down on the edge, feet in the water as he undid the decorative knots and braids in his hair as he always did before washing up, and he always put the same ones back in after his mane dried.

When she came in he elaborated on the unasked question, but one that would come up sooner or later.

"Its tradition that one keep the hair decorations in from one's last mate." he said "When a new one is taken, they're undone and the new mate gets to put new ones in." Hence why so many wraith had such a variety of hair designs.

Rogue undressed as well, following him shortly after, and was a bit taken aback by the unexpected explanation. She'd admired the handiwork in his hair for weeks, slowly noticing as time passed that the style never changed, but she'd never thought to ask him about it. She'd assumed there was some cultural purpose behind the choices, or just personal preference and style, but she'd never imagined something like this.

She took a seat on the edge of the tub as well. "It's a lovely tradition," she told him with a fond smile. "Humans don't have anything like that, at least not in my culture." Maybe in others there was something as beautifully symbolic, but certainly not in 21st century America.

Her fingers itched to reach out and touch his hair, but she resisted the compulsion. "How long have you worn these?"

"Several years."

He'd not had a new partner in some time. No time these days it seemed.

She'd have her chance to change them as he no doubt would be with her next, when she wanted to.

When the tub was filled up, he shut the faucet off and slid into the hot water. Felt good on his sink and soaked him to the bones, relieving any aches left over from the fight.

"Would you like me to do your back?" he asked, picking up the sponge and lathering it up.

Rogue followed his example and slid down into the water, the heat seeping into her sore muscles. She'd be feeling the fight in the morning, and she envied his healing in that moment.

It was a day full of surprises for the both of them, it seemed. They both had always kept their distance while bathing, even while working on her training when she could hold her control for a good long while. Now things were shifting in their arrangement, and she was incredibly pleased with it.

"I would like that, thank you," she replied before reaching up to sweep over her to the side and over her scarred shoulder.

Todd scooted closer and began to lightly wash her back, making circles with the sponge over her scarred and marred pale skin. Old scars like these took longer to heal with the enzyme treatment, otherwise they too would have disappeared. But her ribs, having been black and blue and a variety of other colors these past few weeks were now unmarked.

He dragged the sponge along her shoulders to between the shoulder blades and down her spine, working in a steady but relaxed pace.

It was when the sponge moved down her spine that she shivered, the sensation of something moving across her skin sparking a gentle pleasure she hadn't felt in a long time. Her life had only been filled with touches like this, through barriers like fabric, and Remy for one had quickly learned how easy it was to get a reaction from her. Even the simplest things like a back massage could bring her to tears with how wonderful it felt.

She glanced over her shoulder at Todd for a second, slightly self-conscious about her reaction. Which was silly, really - if and when they did take that step, he'd find out all about her.

Todd expected her to feel, well, something, after all she'd not had the touch of another-real touch-in some time. But he didn't mind, she'd react however she'd react.

"Strange to have someone this close again?" he asked, but didn't pause with the sponge as he worked it over Rogue's other shoulder and down her back.

"You have no idea," she murmured, her expression turning distant. "I didn't have the best childhood; my birth parents gave me away when I was a baby, and I spent years in and out of foster homes until I was finally adopted by the D'Ancantos. But we were never a touchy feely family, we never hugged or... Everything was formal between us."

She pulled in a deep breath and closed her eyes, rubbing at them with damp fingers. "And then with my mutation, I never had the chance for something like this. Remy tried, and everything he did was perfect, but it could never be like this. I couldn't risk hurting him." If only she'd known how the world would change, maybe she would have taken more chances.

The commander listened quietly as he set the sponge aside and cupped water over the suds to rinse them off her back and shoulders, being less careful about brushing his fingers against her skin as he did so.

Rough life, plus her mutation, it was a wonder she hadn't fallen to pieces. Humans were indeed resilient creatures.

When he finished washing her back, he pulled her two-toned hair back around and held out the sponge to her. "Care to do mine?" he asked.

That brush of his fingers on her skin shook her from the melancholy of thinking back over the early years of her life, of all the things she had missed because of the hand she'd been dealt. Combined with the water flowing over her skin, it was relaxing. Soothing.

She took the sponge with a fond smile and answered, "Of course." After adding just a small amount of soap, she worked the lather up again before setting the sponge against his skin. Slow, smooth strokes across his left shoulder, and then his right, taking her time to notice the color of his skin, the small tattoo he had there. Her fingers had a mind of their own as she set the tips against those inked designs, tracing one and then another.

"Are they birds?"

Todd folded his arms and settled to rest them down on the side of the tub, chin atop, eyes closed, perfectly content with letting Rogue have her way with him...in a manner.

The scrubbing along his ridged spine felt especially good and he didn't bother holding in a thrum of pleasure when she ran the sponge along them.

He opened his eyes when she traced along the shoulder blade tattoo. "Indeed so" he replied. "During the earliest days of the war, we won a great victory over the Lanteans, taking over a large sector of the galaxy we believe the first of our queens flew. I was promoted from a lowly engineer to head scientist thanks to my idea of using and successfully putting to use the Lanteans technology against them, and received that tattoo." He elaborated.

"How impressive," she commented softly, smoothing the last of the soap suds away from the inked patch of skin so she could get a clearer view. "I think I'm the one who should be honored to be with such an accomplished commander."

She leaned in closer then to brush her lips against one of the small birds in a light kiss before continuing to wash his back. The sponge was swept down one side and the other, then she returned to those ridges on his spine, paying extra attention to them because of the sound he'd made before. As much as she enjoyed having him touch her, she enjoyed touching him just as much, even more so when she could elicit a response like that.

He lifted his head at the brush of her lips, glancing over his shoulder, but merely smiled and set his chin back down as she went back to work on his spine.

They weren't bone but stiff cartilage, which accounted for the mushy bed he preferred as laying on his back on a mattress-like surface wouldn't be nearly as comfortable.

Right now, he was more comfortable than he'd been in a long time with her fingers and the sponge working over his back and skin so wonderfully.

After feeling the cartilage spines beneath her fingers, she understood the bed he favored, which had been a bit of a mystery from a human's perspective. It was easy to see why it might be more comfortable than the mattresses back home though.

She finally set the sponge aside and washed off the soap as he had, cupping the water in her hands and letting it trickle over his skin. Her hands followed the water each time, though, sliding over that smooth skin to make sure nothing was missed. And just to feel another person with her own touch.

"We should do this every time we bathe together," she said as she finished and let her hands fall away from him.

"Typically we would" he said, turning to look at her "But its a bit tough to relax when it feels like you're ripping my spine out" he pointed out. "We can this too when we have the shower ability installed." he said, shifting to turn and face her entirely.

He looked her over. He often observed her scars when they bathed, but now he could touch them. Lifting his hand from the water he caressed his fingers along the one on her shoulder to gauge her reaction.

Oh, right. There was that. But now that they could, she was glad to hear this wouldn't be the only occasion. It really was incredibly relaxing, and intimate in a very particular way.

When they'd first started bathing together like this, she hadn't minded him looking at her scars or the rest of her, but it hadn't exactly been enjoyable either. Now, though, she was pleased by having his eyes on her, and her gaze followed his fingers as they touched the scar on her shoulder. She didn't flinch away or give much of a reaction at all, just looked back to him and said, "There was a mutant who could melt things with his hands. It was kind of neat until it was my skin."

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