For Clark [Warning: Graphic torture ensues]

[downsidedarling]

Normally, Eight-Hour's front door doesn't open into a cave.

A lot of things, however, are abnormal about this situation.

"...Ooops," she says as it shuts behind them with a depressing sort of finality. "Um, shit."

Comments

[hero_farmboy]

With that kind of encouragement, Clark is just going to continue, slowly and gradually letting go more and more as time goes on.

At some point, however, one particular little innovation, like that, will result in a dislocated shoulder. And not one of his.

[hero_farmboy]

Clark smiles at her, humourlessly, and runs his free hand through her hair.

"Please. You think I don't know what just this," he squeezes her arm tightly, "does for you? We've both been enjoying ourselves. I don't see what the problem is. Your promise doesn't mean anything to me anymore."

[downsidedarling]

"You know exactly what it does for me," she murmurs, shivering again. "It doesn't matter. That promise meant something to you when I made it - that's all that counts. Let the Scorcher run out of your system and then tell me how much fun you want to have like this; you and I both know it'll be none."

[hero_farmboy]

"Do you really think you can keep this up for very long? I mean, look how quickly you fell this time and you made that promise what, two days ago? Not even?"

He keeps stroking her hair as he speaks, voice soft. "He doesn't like you for who you are, you know. Look at everything he wants you to change, just for him. Make you into a whole new person he thinks is good enough."

Then he leans in to whisper, "I like you just the way you are."

[downsidedarling]

Anna shivers a third time, heartbeat so strong she can hear it herself, and shakes her head again.

"Stop with this he bullshit," comes the defiant murmur. "You're not a different person just because you're on drugs. So what if you'll feed my addiction when you're like this? That's not important. It's not asking me to change, not hurting me - asking me to break a promise is."

[hero_farmboy]

His smile gets a tiny bit more genuine.

"Then me relieving you of your promise should be enough. Since I'm the same person and all."

[downsidedarling]

"You're on drugs," she says, stubbornly. "It's not the same. I made that promise specifically about this exact situation. Don't get semantic on me."

She's on firmer ground now. Logical arguments she can deal with. They're abstract. And therefore a good distraction from the dripping wet, naked, incredibly attractive man who is practically pleading to have wild and violent sex with her while, incidentally, she is also dripping wet and naked.

[hero_farmboy]

"It's not drugs, it's just a chance for me to not have to be some stupid, naive, repressed farm kid. And you can't convince me that this isn't really what you want, when we can both be careless and just enjoy ourselves, instead of him being terrified he'll hurt you accidentally and you having to hide that you want him to."

[downsidedarling]

"I've never hidden it," she points out, crossing her arms. "You know. You've always known. The fact that most of the time you're not comfortable with doing that is your business, and it's something I respect, or I wouldn't have made that promise in the first place."

[hero_farmboy]

"Oh for fuck's sake," he sighs, exasperated, and glares up at the ceiling.

"You know what? Fine. Sit here with your fucking promise. I'm going to find someone who won't be such a bitch about details."

[downsidedarling]

Eights shakes her head. "Come on. That's almost as bad and you know it." A short laugh. "Besides, word around town is you rejected Ensorra. The pool of women who will go for the really extreme stuff is tiny at the best of times. I think you'll find that'll thin it."

She's not certain of that, as it happens. But it is a general trend, and saying it will help keep her promise.

[hero_farmboy]

He snorts, starting to walk back to the bedroom. Or wherever his clothes are.

"Well, I won't be any worse off than I am here, will I? And I won't have you nagging at me which right now? Is a major point in the favour of going somewhere else."

[downsidedarling]

"At least here you've got a chance of getting laid if you'll shut up and play nice for once. Out there? If there's a chick left in all of Downside who won't turn you down out of a misplaced sense of loyalty to Sor', and if she happens to be one of the few people around here who'll pander to your massive ego enough that you don't run out on her like you're running out on me, I can say the word and she'll avoid you like the plague."

She follows him.

"Come on. I'm not saying don't touch me, I'm just saying don't hurt me."

[hero_farmboy]

"When I play nice, it's because I want to, not because I have to," he calls out from where he's found his jeans, pulling them on. "And right now, I don't want to. Holding back isn't fun. It feels better when I don't."

[downsidedarling]

"And it's never occurred to you that there might not be someone else you can let go with?" Anna calls back, tone amused. "I'm the best contractor Downside's ever seen, and that's because I don't have limits. Everybody else--" she enters the room and lowers her voice to normal speaking volume, crossing her arms, "--does."

[hero_farmboy]

He chuckles. "Not really, no. I can handle limits. What I can't handle is you expecting both of us to lower ourselves to the standards held by an inexperienced hick because you've had an attack of conscience."