So come on Virginia show me a sign

[godofcologne]

Characters: Thomas, Justine, and Skysong
Time: Evening
Location: Thomas' suite, Hard Rock Hotel
Content: Bedtime stories and baby dragons.
Format: Prose
Warnings: Teeth aching adorableness may occur.

Comments

[gift_girl]

Justine had walked over before dark (short as the distance between the hotels was, and well-lit as South Michigan Avenue was between them, she did try to stick with the warning she'd received the first day, for everyone's sake.

She knocked on Thomas's door, this time without having to ask for it at the reception, shrugging out of the warm jacket even before he'd opened; late fall chill was definitely not something anyone noticed while inside. She was still dressed enough (if with a snug fit) that with a pair of gloves, most of the accidental touch of skin on skin could be avoided. Little things, simple and easy and automatic.

[godofcologne]

At the knock, Thomas looked up, surprised. The whole concept of people knocking had started to become foreign with Kitten's complete lack of personal boundaries. "Hold on," he said, finishing the saber's pass on the whetstone.

He stood up, dusted off his jeans, and popped another crab puff into his mouth before heading for the door. "Can I he--" At the sight of Justine, Thomas stepped back as the familiar war between overwhelming emotion and persistent hunger rose within him. He swallowed the half-chewed appetizer with minimal discomfort, and cleared his throat. "Hey. Come in. I didn't think you'd come so late."

Thomas caught himself rambling and shook his head, waving Justine inside.

[gift_girl]

... it was still a hotel and it was Thomas, and much as things wouldn't be really interrupted if she walked in on something... it was one thing if such happened at a White Court residence. Somewhere else - well, she didn't know. Besides, knocking wasn't exactly that much effort.

Her eyebrows twitched up at the aborted question, and she grinned up at him. "Catching the last of the daylight." She stepped inside, smile only going wider at the rambling. So she liked the sound of his voice. Big surprise. "What does happen after nightfall, anyway?"

Looking over the arsenal spread out... well. Not like it was the first time she'd seen that. Actually, she tried to pick up which ones he hadn't gotten to yet, so she could help out.

[skysung]

Only a moment after the door had shut behind Justine, it swung open again, preceded by a soft whistle that at least Thomas, with his enhanced senses, would have heard. Just like every other time Thomas' door was opened without his permission, a small dragon sat back on her hind legs and peered through the doorway. Kitten voiced an inquisitive trill on seeing that he already had company, a woman she had yet to meet. Was he busy right now?

On the other hand, though, she could smell something good in the room. Thomas was typically willing to share food with her, so she took a few steps in.

[godofcologne]

"The monsters come out after dark, just like they do back home."

His response came lightly, almost flippantly, the undertone of 'like my family' practically undetectable as he closed the door behind him and reached into his back pocket. After learning that Justine was in town, Thomas had immediately invested in pairs of thin, fine Italian leather gloves, one of which he kept on his person at all time. He slipped them on with the ease of long practice and reached up to brush his fingers against Justine's wind-chilled cheek.

"They're just more aggressive, and with fewer people around, better sa--" A low, familiar whistle caught his attention and he turned back to the door, a mock exasperated expression on his face as a familiar dragon poked her head into his room. "And after dark, little dragons start coming around looking for a free meal," he grumbled. Despite his words, Thomas grinned as he crouched down, offering to either pick up Kitten or let her clamor onto his shoulders.

[gift_girl]

"Ah." She leaned her face slightly against his gloved hand. This was good, very good, the thrill of the caress unencumbered by the delicate leather.

She started to answer, when the newcomer barged in, and her eyes took in the change in Thomas's expression, the grin and the ease. Her eyes lowered to follow his motion, and she stifled a laugh at just the picture the two of them made. She tucked away the question for later and hesitated a moment whether to follow him in the crouch or wait for them to come up.

"That sounds like an exercise both of you have practiced?" She could bounce off Thomas's teasing much more, but then... it was a dragon.

[skysung]

If the woman could notice Kitten and knew her for what she was, Thomas' guest must be another of the city's transplants. The locals never paid active attention to Kitten, not even when she went out of her way to see if they'd notice her. She chirped a greeting to Justine as she ambled closer to Thomas and motioned for him to pick her up.

Her gaze flicked through the room, head swiveling on her long neck from her perch in Thomas' arms as she looked around. It stopped to rest on Justine, the boxes of food, and Thomas' weapons. She assumed, at least, that the strange device near the sword was a weapon, but Kitten didn't know how it worked.

[godofcologne]

Baby or no, Skysong was still a dragon and Thomas had a healthy respect for supernaturals on the level of dragons, so he obliged Kitten and scooped her up like a particularly curious housecat. "Better to keep her fed than to have her chewing on my hair," Thomas answered Justine lightly. He watched as the young dragon looked around, inquisitive as always, and waited for her to settle.

He gestured with one gloved hand. "Justine, this is Skysong. Skysong, this is Justine." Thomas paused, by now expecting the amount of information Skysong would want. He looked at Justine, and his expression softened. It wasn't the same peaceful calm as when he interacted with Kitten; there was too much desire and pain between them for it to be that, but there was something else, a care and attention that he didn't exhibit with anyone else. "Justine is --" My girlfriend. The woman I love. The woman I almost killed. The only thing that matters.

"Justine is very special."

[gift_girl]

Justine actually giggled at the mental image of the little dragon chewing on Thomas's hair. Briefly, but she couldn't help it. Then she straightened a little and inclined her hair in the direction of the two of them with the precision ingrained in her from years in the White Court, when dealing with creatures of the supernatural that didn't know her yet.

"Good evening, Skysong. Pleased to meet you," dark eyes flicked to Thomas, the brief look acknowledging and sharing the want, the hurt, and the love, then back at the dragon, "at last. Thomas has told me that you sometimes visit him."

She watched for a sign - from either of them - if she was supposed to reach closer - for touch or smell or any other way to complete the introduction.