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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 19, 2020 11:00:41 GMT -8
"Oh. Oh, I see. You think we're even now,""I can simply pop on out and get more of those whenever I want while you will remain without a shirt."
Erik was showing a toneless chuckle at her words as he watched her stabbing a bite of his omelet instead and popping it into her mouth. He didn't even realize himself how much he actually was enjoying all of this. It felt like half a life ago that he had been able to just be himself - to be happy. And here he was, playfully fighting about foods and shirts.
"Hmm,""I think, perhaps, I'll wear my new shirt the next time I make a pick-up. A bit baggy, perhaps,""but maybe I'll start a new trend. Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world, after all."
His silent chuckling was slightly lowering into a fully satisfied smile, while Erik, with his chin resting on his hand, watched her joking around. The smiling suited Maeve a lot.
"Tell me more about Paris.", he suddenly prompted her, more serious yet still with ease on his face. Of course, he wanted to hear something about her life in Paris rather than the daily life of anybody else, but he didn't want to ask to specifically to not give her the feeling of asking her out about something she wasn't willing to talk about yet. He was sure she would figure his intention out.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 21, 2020 14:56:49 GMT -8
Maeve used the side of her fork to cut another bite of the omelet when the absence of the sound of his fork had her turning to find him watching her. The way he was looking at her warmed her to her toes. It had been along time since anyone had looked at her like that and it renewed the smile on her face.
"Tell me more about Paris."
Maeve crossed one bare leg over the other and angled toward him. Her crossed leg came to rest against his in a subconscious draw to physical contact with him.
"Oh, it's such an amazing place," she said fondly, holding out her fork to feed him her bite. Perhaps a bit of an offering after having taken a bite of his but more of an intimate gesture while she was in the middle of talking. "The architecture is beautiful, the people are lovely, and the view from the Eiffel Tower, especially at night, when you have it all to yourself, with all the lights of the city in every direction..." Maeve looked off dreamily for a moment, imagining herself up there. "But it's more the feeling of warmth and romance that surrounds you when you're there."
She sounded like a hopeless romantic to her own ears, though she never saw herself as one. It was difficult to keep from sounding like one when describing the place known for its romanticism even by those who'd never been. "I go so often, particularly to this one little café, that the sweet, older gentleman who owns it believes I've lived in Paris most of my life. He chastises me for my subpar French. 'Il faut connaître la langue du lieu où ils vivent,'" she said, mimicking the way the café owner shook his finger at her. "One should know the language of the place they live," she immediately translated. Maeve chuckled. "Have you ever been?"
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 21, 2020 17:02:13 GMT -8
Erik was enjoying how they both seem to not get enough of each other, even if it meant little physical contacts like their feet meeting under the table. Her smiling and the easiness which with Maeve started to speak so fondly had already told him that this story wouldn't be about memories of her family but about Paris in general. This was fine with him. They had all the time in the world to get to know each other - hopefully.
"Oh, it's such an amazing place," With the smile regrowing on his face, Erik took the bite she was offering to him, as she went on with the storytelling. "The architecture is beautiful, the people are lovely, and the view from the Eiffel Tower, especially at night, when you have it all to yourself, with all the lights of the city in every direction..." Not only did he like the picture she was painting for him so rich in detail, this also made him dream of being the man that would stand right next to her as they were enjoying the view from the Tower at night, all to themselves. And for a moment, Erik's face became the same dreamily image than Maeve's. "But it's more the feeling of warmth and romance that surrounds you when you're there."
Without actually noticing so himself, the soft touch around their legs intensified, almost as if their bodies were magnetically attracted to each other. "I go so often, particularly to this one little café, that the sweet, older gentleman who owns it believes I've lived in Paris most of my life. He chastises me for my subpar French. 'Il faut connaître la langue du lieu où ils vivent,'" Even though Erik had no idea what these words meant, he loved listening to her speaking french. He'd always had a liking for that language, yet never thought it to sound as elegant and sexy as it came from her lips - never mind if she was calling it subpar herself. But maybe he was simply biased. "One should know the language of the place they live,", she immediately translated before she suddenly asked:"Have you ever been?"
"No.", Erik replied truthfully. "And that said as a European myself, guilty as charged." He chuckled. Different from her though, Erik hadn't set foot into his hometown ever since he had left it. No good memories of that place. No warmth. No romance. Certainly due to the circumstances of his own past, but then again, he really wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
"But I'd like to see that someday.", he quickly added, first of all, to distract from the fact that he had been living in a European country as well to not getting asked questions himself, but also because this was the truth.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 29, 2020 14:21:01 GMT -8
'I'd like to be there with you,' was the thought that filled her heart, but once again, this was too new to be opening herself to the vulnerability of voicing confessions from the heart.
The look in her eyes and on her expression as she took her time gazing at him were most likely an unspoken confession of what she wasn't saying out loud. "I hope you get to. I believe you also have the ability to experience the Eiffel Tower after closing hours," she said, smiling mischievously before taking another bite.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 29, 2020 15:25:51 GMT -8
Erik didn't have to be a mindreader to see his own thoughts reflecting on her facial features, though he wouldn't dare to speak his own out loud, not yet at least. Sometimes Maeve seemed to him like a timid fawn, while at the same time like a wild wolf. He would wait for her to open up herself before bringing up the topic about family again.
"I hope you get to. I believe you also have the ability to experience the Eiffel Tower after closing hours,"
"Well, who knows...", Erik replied her mischievous smile with one of his own, before changing the topic all of a sudden.
"So, what's it like?", he asked with his fork resting halfway up to his lips. "Being invisible, I mean. Have you ever used it for any kind of practical joking?" A smile of slight amusement was playing around his lips as he actually couldn't imagine her ever done anything like that. Although, this anyway was rather a try to learn more about her abilities, since she wasn't so willing to talk about it a lot back at their time at Trask.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 5, 2020 17:27:09 GMT -8
Maeve chuckled. "Of course I have," she said, grinning mischievously with a glint in her eyes. Maeve looked to her plate, pushing around the last few bites before allowing herself to venture into memories of happier times and to start opening up a bit to Erik. A ghost of a smile played on her lips. Maeve relaxed into her chair, casually bringing her legs up to rest across his lap as she angled toward him.
"It might be hard to believe, but I was once a mischievous teenager. I, myself," she said, a hand momentarily going to her chest, "can't go invisible," she clarified. "But I'd use my invisible Sim to scare my sister all the time. The way she jumped when an invisible voice spoke quietly right next to her ear!" Maeve laughed. "She didn't find it as funny, at least not until we were older." Maeve looked off to the side, a fond look on her face. She rested an elbow on the back of her seat and played with a strand of her hair. "Eventually though, she could sense when my invisible Sim was there. She wouldn't tell me how. Keeping that secret was her best form of revenge for the torture I'd put her through." Again, Maeve chuckled.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 13, 2020 3:47:21 GMT -8
Oh yes, of course, she had. A slight smile of amusement lay on Erik's lips, yet grew to one of mere satisfaction when it seemed that Maeve was completely relaxing around him. What would he give to just spend all day here with her, in peace, with the time standing still around them?
"It might be hard to believe, but I was once a mischievous teenager."
"Damn hard to believe.", he threw in with an ironic smirk before listening closely to her next words.
"I, myself, can't go invisible,""But I'd use my invisible Sim to scare my sister all the time. The way she jumped when an invisible voice spoke quietly right next to her ear!""She didn't find it as funny, at least not until we were older."
Erik feared the mentioning of her sister might change the easygoing atmosphere of their conversation but it seemed that, for now, she was still alright. He wouldn't want her to feel bad nor lonely. Not today.
"Eventually though, she could sense when my invisible Sim was there. She wouldn't tell me how. Keeping that secret was her best form of revenge for the torture I'd put her through."
"Wanna know a little secret about me?", he suddenly asked her with a promising smile on his lips, and before she could have answered, he continued. Erik leaned a little forward to her, catching one strand of her hair as it fell into her eyesight, and gently put it back behind her ear. "I think I've got the same ability, because... every time you paid me a visit, I could tell you were there, long before you said anything." Erik was aware of the fact that this might be taken as yet another challenge, especially since he made no secret out of the vanity that was seeping through his words, but he didn't mind that - he actually appreciated that.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Apr 26, 2020 11:55:16 GMT -8
Maeve took up the last bite of her breakfast.
"Wanna know a little secret about me?"
"Mmhmm," she nodded, chewing and listening intently to this secret he was about to reveal. The motion had a strand of hair falling forward and Maeve loved Erik's action of tucking it back behind her ear.
"I think I've got the same ability, because... every time you paid me a visit, I could tell you were there, long before you said anything."
"What?" she said in surprise, a hand over her mouth as she couldn't stop the word slipping out before swallowing the food in her mouth. Maeve swallowed now, eyes slightly narrowed as she studied him, looking for a sign that he was joking. "You're teasing me," she said. Teasing, most definitely. Joking that he'd been able to know she was there before she'd spoken, she wasn't sure. Either he was telling the truth or he had a really good poker face.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Apr 26, 2020 14:31:11 GMT -8
"What?"
Maeve seemed more surprised about his secret than he thought she would be, even seemed to be searching for any hint of a joking manner around his features. She wouldn't find one. Not only because this was not a joke, but also because he had a good poker face indeed. That had fetched him a lot of victories and also, usually rare, curses from Charles during their regular chess sessions - something he was missing a lot, to be honest. But he doubted that it ever would be like back in the good old days between them. If Charles just wouldn't be so obstinate about his stupid principles and just finally see how wrong he was.
"You're teasing me,"
"You don't believe me?", Erik asked with a smile forming around his lips. A smile that still didn't look like he would be teasing her though. He wasn't. Then he leaned even more forward, the smile growing. "So, what's in it for me, if I tell you how it works?" He still wasn't actually teasing her, but he'd be lying if he said that it didn't please him to kind of have a hold on her right now.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 3, 2020 10:48:56 GMT -8
He was serious about knowing but Maeve was becoming more intrigued by the flirting aspect to their game. She had absolutely no problem with seducing the answer out of him, especially when he was asking for it. She wanted him again, or rather, hadn't stopped wanting him. It was only a matter of time before they pounced on each other once again. Each moment they resisted was sweet agony that would only make the surrender even more rewarding. So Maeve went all in with throwing gasoline on the already raging fire.
"Hmm," she said as if taking serious consideration. "If you tell me," she began, slowly and deliberately running her fingertips along the opening of the shirt she'd taken, widening the deep V until her fingers came to a stop on the one little button holding it together. Maeve lowered her legs from his lap, making sure they caressed his legs the entire way down before leaning close to whisper the rest in his ear. "I'll let you take your shirt back."
Maeve gently nipped his earlobe then pulled back, letting her lips hover very near his but teasingly keeping that distance by pulling back when he moved closer. She placed a finger against his lips then watched her fingertips as they traced their way slowly along his strong jaw line, down his neck, only looking back up with a wicked grin as they started their slow journey down his chest. "I need to hear that we have a deal before you start collecting."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on May 13, 2020 11:26:19 GMT -8
"Hmm,""If you tell me,"...
Erik bid his bottom lip, probably though a rather intuitively action to prevent his grin from widening. This was no longer a serious conversation but anyways, in her presence, it seemed a lot more challenging to keep up a poker face - just like everything else around them was a challenge. And yet, it was so much more than just that. He knew it. He felt it. And he could only hope that Maeve was feeling the same way about them. But then again, this look in her eyes just couldn't be lying. And then the grin on Erik's face widened after all - especially when her body was leaning against his, playing with him in a sweet cat-and-mouse game. But who was the cat and who the mouse?
..."I'll let you take your shirt back."
The sudden nip on his earlobe sent an electrifying shiver through his whole body, as a chuckle, which came out more like audible hard breathing, left him at the same time. Erik wanted nothing more than her - right now - again. But then she suddenly pulled back; he should have known, Erik thought with another chuckle, this time toneless, when she placed a finger against his lips, only to let it wander downside just a moment later, stopping at his chest.
"I need to hear that we have a deal before you start collecting."
And yet again the grin widened, before, instead of an answer, he suddenly rushed forwards and took that kiss from her anyway. In a moment their lips drew back from each other slightly, Erik finally whispered: "I can be glad that Trask had never sent you to get information out of me. But then again," he chuckled, then moved around the corner of the table that was between them, intending to start collecting, or how she had put it. "I wouldn't have raised an objection I guess..."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on May 24, 2020 0:06:29 GMT -8
Quicker than she saw it coming, he'd grabbed that kiss she'd been holding as ransom just out of reach. She playfully gasped at his audacity, though her broad smile gave away that she'd very much appreciated his boldness in defying the unspoken rules of this little game. It was all part of their challenging each other. Maeve took note and upped her game.
"I can be glad that Trask had never sent you to get information out of me. But then again,"
He got up from his seat beside her and started to invade her space at the head of the table. She watched him carefully, biding her time.
"I wouldn't have raised an objection I guess..."
Erik began reaching for his reward. Oh, the audacity of the man. With the wily smile of someone with an ace up their sleeve, she let him get close to accomplishing his goal before vanishing into thin air.
The sound of tsking came from behind Erik. "There are rules, you know," she said as she wrapped her arms around him from behind, leaning up to whisper in his ear again. "Information first, then your reward." Feeling him start to turn, Maeve released her hold and took a step back, just knowing he'd try it his way again. And again, just as he started to reach, she vanished.
Her voice came from behind him again where she now sat on one of the stools at the bar between the kitchen and the dining table. Legs crossed and elbows casually propped on the little bar behind her, there was a smugness mixed into her playful smile. "I could do this all day," she taunted. No, she couldn't. The thread of control that stopped her from jumping him was stretching to a breaking point. She'd become far too engrossed in this cat and mouse game to care much about the information that she'd found important to know a short time ago.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jun 5, 2020 9:45:39 GMT -8
Instead of disappointment the grin on Erik's face even widened when suddenly he was grabbing at nothing but thin air. He was impressed by her, to say the least. Enraptured and spurred, to be dead on. Erik couldn't get enough of this back and forth between them, and so it happened that it was just upping his craving for more - again. Well, at least they had made it through breakfast.
"There are rules, you know,""Information first, then your reward."
"Rules are meant to be broken.", Erik replied with a playful shrug and his grin widening some more as he was about to lean into her direction once again, only to feel yet again nothing but thin air a moment later.
"I could do this all day,", her voice sounded from somewhere behind him.
Erik turned around to watch the playful smugness on her face. Oh, she was good at this. He liked that a lot. Although, he had to admit that he wouldn't be able to do this all day. After all, he was only a man. And something told him that she wouldn't be either.
"Fine.", he finally said, then taking a seat on the chair across her, the chairback to front. "Me first then. So..." He pretended to think of what they had been talking about while, of course, he knew.
"At first, I thought it was this scent of lavender that told me you were there. Maybe it was." Erik shrugged, a smile on his face. "But then again, I remember the surprise in your voice when I called you by that nickname. You wouldn't take the risk to send your sim into the Trask building without making sure to not leave any kind of mark behind. So, it had to be something else. Although, the scent of lavender was still with you on all your visits. It might have become more of an imagined sense though." A short pause was following these last words that gave away just how important their meetings had been to him back in that cell. "But what actually made me know that you were there..." Yet again, he pretended to think of it for a moment. "suddenly the walls felt less stifling, the loneliness less frustrating and the time elapsing differently. You brought something in there that made me want to feel home again... somewhere." Erik was not a shy person but also rather not used to speak so openly about feelings like this. Or did he just never had felt feelings to this extent? For a little moment, something like a sheepish smile appeared on his lips before gotten replaced by another playful grin almost naturally. "Mystery disclosed." He leaned back a little while his eyes were still fixating her. "So, are you disappointed now that there's not more behind it?"
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jun 28, 2020 13:48:29 GMT -8
Maeve watched him match her casual stance by taking a straddle seat of the chair. She would have to replay his words and fully process them later. Right now, her mind was clouded with lust and the excitement of their game.
"But what actually made me know that you were there..." "suddenly the walls felt less stifling, the loneliness less frustrating and the time elapsing differently.
Then suddenly, it was no longer a game. He'd gotten very real. Maeve's stomach fluttered at his words and her mind became very clear. The playful smile faded as she slowly pulled from her casual lean against the bar and sat up straight, watching him and listening intently.
You brought something in there that made me want to feel home again... somewhere."
The flutter in her stomach moved up to her heart when the sheepish grin momentarily sneaked onto his face, adding an even heavier weight of truth to his words.
"Mystery disclosed." "So, are you disappointed now that there's not more behind it?"
Surprised. Scared. Thrilled. Elated. Overjoyed. Petrified. So many feelings tying her up in knots, but disappointment was definitely not one of them. Maeve could only look at him in silence, her usual guarded expression reflexively in place masking all the emotions running rampant in her mind and heart but there was a slight softness that hinted at what lay behind it. She'd miraculously survived through so much loss, so much heartbreak already. One more would break her, and yet, she still badly craved embracing what was between them. He'd already gotten past her walls. Pretending that wasn't the case was the only weak safety net left to her.
There was still so much of their pasts that they hadn't shared with each other, but she recognized the signs that Erik had endured a lot of loss and heartbreak himself. Despite it, he still had the strength and bravery to open himself up to her and speak what was in his heart.
Maeve stepped down from the stool and walked over to him in silence. He'd gotten to his feet, watching her expectantly. It was her turn, after all, but Maeve wasn't as brave as he was to speak what she felt. Instead, she let her feelings show through her eyes as she studied his face, reaching up and brushing the wayward hair on his forehead back into place. Her eyes went back to his as her hands gently rested on either side of his face. She pulled him toward her, lifting slightly to her toes to meet him halfway. Maeve kissed him slowly, tenderly, pulling back for a moment to gaze at him and smile softly. Moments ago, she'd been imagining hot, frantic, lustful kisses and instead found herself unexpectedly on a deeper level. Maeve wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again, pouring all she couldn't say into the kiss.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jul 4, 2020 10:38:19 GMT -8
Inwardly, Erik was admittedly more than just a little unsure whether it had been the right time to take on this next step of seriousness regarding their relationship - in fact, he didn't even know if that was what they had, but he hoped so, and judging by the sparkle in Maeve's eyes - although seemingly a little shocked as well - she hoped so too. This thought, along with that sparkle, was enough to bring a satisfied smile to Erik's face, though. He was happy, and that really meant something because he'd truly believed that he would have unlearnt to be ever again.
After all, it was her kiss though that gave him confirmation. Passionately Erik kissed her back, and it didn't take long until lust would yet again dominate all other senses - for both of them. They could talk about this another time. Or they just wouldn't. It didn't matter as long as she was with him.
***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jul 4, 2020 18:52:58 GMT -8
A few hours pass.
It is now early afternoon.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Aug 15, 2020 14:57:50 GMT -8
Maeve stood in the living room with a glass of water forgotten in her hand as she stared at the piano she hadn't gotten near in years. With all the happy memories around that piano and the pictures resting atop it, it had been too painful. She'd walled up her emotions, easily blocking out the fact that the piano rested there in that corner she avoided even looking at. But then she'd unexpectedly stumbled across Erik. Slowly and unwittingly, the wall had been weakened, brick by brick over the course of all those visits. She hadn't realized how weakened the foundation of it was until he'd showed up on her doorstep causing it to crumble. No longer shutting her emotions behind that wall, memories of the past started flooding her mind bringing those old feelings back making her realize that her newfound happiness was a package deal.
Maeve had been wrapped up in Erik, snoozing contently when her mind had started to conjure happy memories in the form of dreams. Heart longing for those times, she'd slowly woken, making the memories more vivid and it had become impossible to go back to sleep with her brain refusing to relax.
Not wanting to disturb Erik, she'd taken a few minutes to quietly study the handsome face of the man who'd turned her world upside down, then teleported herself out of bed. Very handy gift to have as attempting to scoot out of a bed without disturbing someone was nearly impossible. Graciously allowing him to have his shirt back, she'd left it folded over the arm of the chair as she'd donned clothes of her own then had teleported downstairs.
Now here she stood, the pull of the piano finally winning out. Maeve padded over to it, letting her free hand lovingly run along the curved side beside the covered keys. Having felt the grit of the dust, she glanced at her fingers before brushing them against her pant leg, making note to give the piano and everything on it a good dusting.
Resting her glass on the coaster that still sat atop the piano, Maeve stepped sideways and lowered herself onto the little piano bench, eyes on the pictures she hadn't glanced at for so many years. She automatically reached for her favorite, holding it and looking down at the happy family captured in one of their many fond memories around this piano. Her mother standing with hand resting on top of the piano, singing along with her father as he sat playing and singing, and two little girls sitting on either side of him, beaming at the love emanating between the two and daydreaming about having that for themselves one day.
The song they were singing in that moment started to play in her memory. It was a song heard a lot around this piano. La Vie En Rose. Her parents' song. Her mother had even learned how to sing it in French, as had their two little girls. With the euphoria giving her sudden inspiration, Maeve placed the picture back on the piano, centering it in front of her. Smiling fondly over past memories for the first time in a long time, she opened the cover and let her fingers run over the smooth keys, letting muscle memory allow her fingers to rest where they needed to be.
It had been a long, long time since she'd played. She'd never gotten the hang of the piano like her sister had, nor did she have the songbird voice of her mother. Maeve's playing was more simplistic, one-key, no fancy cords. She could decently carry a tune but she wouldn't make much of an impression on an audience.
Maeve carefully pressed the keys, adjusting by ear to the notes of the piano in need of tuning, slipping up a couple times but cycling through the first verse of keys before foggy muscle memory finally cleared up and she got it right. She started again, playing softly and singing softly along, her eyes glancing up every now and again to the picture.
She smiled at the picture as she sang the last three words of La Vie en rose which happened to be those very words, hoping that her parents were smiling right now just as they were in the picture and just as she was in this moment.
Maeve placed a kiss on her fingers and pressed it to the picture. "je t'aime," she said quietly.
So caught up in the moment, Maeve only just realized she wasn't alone. She shifted to turn in the seat, giving that smile to Erik with a dash of apology in it. She'd also gotten so swept up in the moment that she hadn't thought about the possibility that playing might disturb his sleep, not quite sure yet how light of a sleeper he was. "Sorry, did I wake you?"
____________________________
je t'aime - Love you
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Aug 15, 2020 17:34:59 GMT -8
Erik had been standing in the door frame for already a while, watching Maeve playing the piano and vocally accompanying herself. That might be the most beautiful scene he had ever witnessed, along with every other moment ever since he had walked through the door of her house. It was almost too good to be true. And yet, here they were, obviously both allowing each other to get a closer look around their self-built walls. Erik was all too well remembering that painful look on her face when she'd stand by the piano only hours ago, and now he watched her sitting there, playing, singing, and probably smiling, as far as he could see from this angle.
When she stopped the singing and quietly said something as she placed a kiss on her fingers, pressing it to one of the pictures above the piano, Erik felt a little bad for silently standing there and observing. But then again, it was too late anyway to just turn and leave as if he hadn't been there. And not only that, but he was also too curious to do. He wanted to learn more about Maeve - about her story. Everything.
And so, instead of even trying to pretend he wasn't there, Erik stepped closer until he was standing only a short distance away from her. He knew though that she wouldn't take it amiss on him, especially once he saw that smile on her face.
"Sorry, did I wake you?"
"No worries," Erik answered with one smile of his own, as he took now also the last meter between them, carefully having a seat right next to her on that little bench in front of the piano. "Act as if I wasn't there and just go on," he said quietly and then waited until she would, after she sent another beautiful smile his way.
Silently studying the turned-up page of that music book leaning at the little music stand on top of the piano, as it happened being the sheets she just played - although she seemed not to need them herself -, Erik eventually placed his left hand on the keys, adding the cords to her right hand playing the main notes. It had been a while since he'd played anything on the piano, but with that, it was like with riding a bike; once you had the knack of it, you would never unlearn it. Yet the process of resuming let his facial expression appear harder than it was meant to.
Erik could only guess the valuableness that this song stood for, judging from the way she played, and the way she had sung each of its notes before; same as from the fact that the sheet music was yellowed enough to tell him that it must be opened to this song for years already - as if it was more of a memorial than a tool.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 7, 2020 13:00:56 GMT -8
"No worries," "Act as if I wasn't there and just go on,"
The way he commanded presence, it was impossible to act as if he wasn't there. He watched her and waited and she watched him back, basking in this feeling of euphoria that had another smile lighting up her face.
She regrettably pulled her eyes away from him but she wouldn't pretend he wasn't there when she very much felt she wanted him to always be beside her. Maeve watched the keys, not needing the sheet music as the notes were forever burned into her memory. She sang in English this time, starting with the nearly spoken intro with sparse keystrokes. Once she reached the first verse, the cords she'd never quite gotten the hang of accompanied her simplistic main notes, creating the beautiful melody as she hadn't heard in decades.
Feeling suddenly choked up, there was a slight pause as she looked over at him in pleasant surprise, his features looking endearingly serious in his concentration. Not wanting to break it or this moment, Maeve quickly swallowed the lump in her throat and pulled herself together. She put her own concentration on her notes and singing the lyrics, letting the melody envelop her.
As they reached the end, her eyes flitted up to the picture once again and she felt tears pricking the back of her eyes, but this time, in nothing but happiness over having heard the song in its proper complete form played on this piano. Something she thought she'd never hear again. With the ease of years of practice in burying emotions, she quickly dispelled any notion of tears away.
Maeve leaned into Erik, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and remained silent, for there were no words to express what this had meant to her.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Sept 13, 2020 20:57:37 GMT -8
Erik surely had messed up one or two notes while he listened to Maeve's beautiful singing, but she seemed to care as less as he did. This was the most beautiful afternoon he'd ever spent, with the most wonderful woman he'd ever met. No way would he allow anything to ruin that, especially not something trivia such as wrong notes.
Once he had warmed up with the piano playing, Erik became more daring and even added a little harmony himself. When he earned a look from the side, probably not for showing off but for the same reason his head had turned towards her - because they just couldn't keep their eyes from each other - Erik gave her a wide grin. Times of joy had been rare in his life, maybe even so rare that he almost forgot how this worked, yet the muscles in his face seemed to remember, at least.
As they reached the end of the song, Erik turned his face to the side once more. Tears were filling Maeve's eyes as she looked up at the pictures above, yet they seemed to come of happiness.
Erik pulled her closer and placed a kiss on her head. For a while, they were just sitting, huddled up to one another, and enjoying the peace around them, not even wasting a thought about how long it would last. The world around didn't matter at this very moment. All that mattered was them spending it together.
Yet, there came a moment when Erik's curiosity got the better of him, and he just dared to ask her a sudden question. "What happened to her?"
Of course, she had never said with any word that something had actually happened to her sister, or that the person she was searching for was her sister - probably not even that it was a person she was searching for in the first place - but Erik knew how to put one and one together. The glance over at one of the pictures, however, was enough to make it clear who he was talking about.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 13, 2020 22:06:45 GMT -8
Erik's question sent tension through her. The way they were huddled together, there was no way he hadn't felt how much the simple question affected her. He'd hit right at the core of the issue that her life revolved around for so long. She slowly opened her eyes and looked in the direction she'd felt him nod, knowing who he was referring to. Maeve had spoken of her parents, telling stories and referring to them in the past tense. But she'd hardly brought up her sister. It had become so ingrained in her to not speak of her sister as one of the forms of covering up her mission to find her sister.
Maeve found it easier to keep her eyes on the picture of her sister and avoid Erik's gaze in her attempt to open up after keeping herself locked up for so long.
"She disappeared," Maeve began simply. "Up and left to start a new life somewhere else." Maeve reached out and took the picture of teenaged her and her sister in her hand, looking down at it, "That's the picture they painted, the people who took her. Ivette would never leave me like that. Never. We were--we are" she corrected, "each other's rock. Our bond was always strong but after the accident, all we had left was each other and that bond, our dependence on each other, cemented into something unbreakable."
Maeve silently returned the photo to the piano. Though there was still tension evident in her, she did not give off that she'd closed up. Rather, there was a sense of openness over the relief at unburdening a little of the weight that she'd been carrying on her own for so long, but it having been so long and with so much built up, she wasn't sure how to proceed. So Maeve waited for Erik to guide her by asking the questions that had been brought to his mind.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 17, 2020 15:01:41 GMT -8
Erik had felt the sudden tension in Maeve's muscles but his curiosity, however, tended to be stronger than his compassion. It would do no harm to get to know each other better, after all. They surely both had been building up walls of resistant stone throughout their lives, but they also both had made an effort to let the other have a glimpse through it. Erik just felt that now it was the time to let up on these walls. Still, he hoped he hadn't crossed a line.
"She disappeared,", Maeve eventually began, keeping her eyes glued on the picture above instead of looking him into his eyes. Her answer was what he had guessed, more or less.
"Up and left to start a new life somewhere else."
Erik's gaze was wandering back at the photo as well. He wasn't able to name it, but he simply couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that the story of these two sisters really had been ending by one leaving the other behind. And then Maeve gave voice to just that: the feeling that this story was a painted picture, far from reality.
"That's the picture they painted, the people who took her. Ivette would never leave me like that. Never. We were--we are""each other's rock. Our bond was always strong but after the accident, all we had left was each other and that bond, our dependence on each other, cemented into something unbreakable."
For a moment, his eyes were following the movement of the returning photo back up on the piano before he slightly turned his head to face Maeve. Erik spared with words of sympathy, not because he wouldn't feel it, but because they weren't helpful. That was, at least, how he had felt about such words whenever people like Charles had tried to make him feel better with those. Words had never helped anyone. Only actions did.
"Is that the reason you ended up at Trask? Seeking information?" Erik eventually asked. Although he tried his best to hide, there surely still could be heard a hard undertone in his voice when he spoke out that name. However, there was no shred of blame towards Maeve in it. He just wanted to understand.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 18, 2020 17:31:52 GMT -8
She nodded. "Removing a person from their life and all the environments their presence touches without leaving anything behind that might raise concern is no small feat. Whoever took her had to have the funds and enormous resources at their disposal. Obviously I couldn't go to the police with nothing but my word to back up my missing person claim. Doing so anyway would probably bring attention to those who took her that they'd accidentally left a loose thread." She gestured to herself.
Allowing herself to start talking about it, it began flowing more easily. She also found it easier to sit up and face him. "So I started digging on my own. We'd never been a part of the mutant community so I had no idea who or what could have been behind this. So I started seeking out other mutants to learn of information and news common in the community. Any mention of someone missing and every single person emphatically said 'Trask'. So I got myself hired and arduously worked my way to becoming Stryker's right hand woman.
"I hit the gold mine, earning that position. Access to information--at least the stuff that came across my desk or wasn't locked up--mingling at events with others associated with Trask, talking them up. You'd be surprised how quick men are to spill secrets when they're trying to impress a woman," she said dryly as an aside. "Accompanying him to secret bases, able to ghost mode look them over later since I then knew where to find it..." she trailed off. He got the point, she was sure, and he knew the mission hadn't been accomplished as of yet.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Nov 13, 2020 13:47:11 GMT -8
Erik was listening without any sign of emotion on his face until one sentence made his jawline tighten for a moment.
"... We'd never been a part of the mutant community so I ..."
He said nothing, maybe because he didn't want to interrupt her, or, which was more likely, to not start another argument. They had... different views on some points. However, she made it sound like being a mutant would be some kind of social grouping while it was so much more. In his eyes, any mutant was part of the community. But this was not important right now, so Erik focused back on her story.
"... I hit the gold mine, earning that position. Access ..."
As well as the contact mine, he responded only in thoughts, yet again no more than a tightening jawline giving away that some of her words were striking a nerve with him. Erik knew how hotheaded he could become, especially when it came to Maeve's safety. She was playing detective, in a world she wasn't yet aware of how ugly it was - that was, at least, his impression, for if she did, she surely wouldn't still defend the human race. And so Erik decided not to react to that whole Trask issue but instead lead the conversation back to her sister.
"How long has she been missing?" he asked with an investigating tone, pointing at the photo again. It was showing her sister together with Maeve, obviously quite some time ago. If he shall help her finding Ivette, then he would need a face that was, at least, a little bit closer to how she might look today.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 15, 2020 17:47:37 GMT -8
Looking at the picture he'd pointed to on the piano, all of which were so old, she guessed he might be thinking her sister had been missing for far longer than she was. She and her sister never thought to take many pictures after they'd lost their parents. They were just a reminder of who was no longer around to be seen in them. "Seven months," she said readily as someone keeping track of an event that was close and personal to them.
Suddenly remembering a more recent picture did exist, Maeve got up and went to the bookcase behind and to the right of them. "Sometime in March," she added, kneeling down to open the cabinet below the shelves. She pulled out a photo album newer than the ones out on the shelves, one that had been stuffed out of sight, and quickly flipped through in a detached manner. Finding the image that matched the one that had come into her memory, she pulled it free from behind the plastic and carelessly stuffed the album back away, snapping the cabinet door shut again.
Returning to the piano bench, she held out the photo between them. Smiling back at them was a pretty young woman looking very much like a bridesmaid in a formal pastel dress, holding a small bouquet of flowers that complimented the colors of her dress along with a few small flowers tucked throughout her hair. "Beautiful, isn't she? This photo is fairly old as well, but it's the most recent one I have."
She turned now to look at him, just noticing in the set of his jaw that he was upset. Maeve reached up with her free hand, gently caressing a hand along his jaw in hopes of easing the tension there as she placed the photo on top of the piano with the rest. She changed the topic to further ease him away from dark thoughts, settling on probably the thing he was most passionate about. "Hey," she said, her other hand resting on the other side of his face as she gently pulled his attention away from the photos and on to her. "You know, for someone who's all about our kind, you've hardly asked me about my abilities. I might start taking it personally," she teased.
They'd had disagreements about mutants and the use of abilities back during her weekly visitations with him at Trask. She'd also mostly avoided discussing her own abilities, even declining to answer more than cryptically, which had probably and understandably led him to thinking she did not like to discuss it. But that was not the case. During that time, she was trying to keep as much of herself secret as possible. A mutant's ability could sometimes be likened to a fingerprint. If he had managed to get out, he'd have been able to track her down simply based off her gift, had she told him the extent of them. But circumstances were different now. She wanted him to know everything and wanted him to be able to find her in case anything went wrong.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Dec 11, 2020 15:07:55 GMT -8
"Seven months,"
Erik hadn't expected to hear this wound being so fresh. On the other hand, this was good news, for then, the chance that she was still alive was much higher. Of course, he wouldn't give voice to anything like that. Erik might not be the most sensitive person but also not the most clinical, especially not when it came to Maeve.
When she suddenly got up, walking over to the bookcase behind them, Erik threw another look at the photo in front of him. If there was only the slightest chance of her sister still being alive, he'll do anything to bring her back to Maeve, almost as if this was a mission or even a way to make up for his own family parts that he never had a chance to save but only could watch them die right in front of him. His jawline tightened once again.
"Sometime in March," Erik returned his eyes towards her once she came back with another photo. For a little moment, there was a questioning look upon his features, yet disappeared quickly. This was not the time for asking questions like the one that had come to his mind while imagining the obvious event taken place when this shot was taken. "Beautiful, isn't she? This photo is fairly old as well, but it's the most recent one I have."
And then, almost as if she would have sensed the sudden change of mood with him, Maeve reached up to his face with her free hand, gently caressing along it. Erik forced a smile, although it became a more eased one soon.
"Hey," she said as she gently pulled his attention away from the photos and instead on to herself. A good alternation of one view to another. The smile on his face widened instantly. "You know, for someone who's all about our kind, you've hardly asked me about my abilities. I might start taking it personally,"
Erik chuckled yet didn't say a word before he suddenly grabbed her by her legs and pulled her closer. "Then tell me." He had been expecting looks of confusion as she was probably waiting for a specific question from him, so he was well prepared with an explaination. "We don't need this question and answer game anymore, do we? Just tell me everything about it. About you," Erik answered the questioning in her eyes while his hands started to gently stroke along her legs. He couldn't help but touch her as often as possible. The weekend would be over soon enough, and he had a feeling that it wouldn't always be like this between them. He was no fool. They both had their stances, and the world around them could not always be cloud nine. For that, Erik knew himself well enough.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 20, 2020 17:13:02 GMT -8
A surprised gasp escaped her when he suddenly pulled her closer. Being the take-charge type herself, she might have thought that such a bold, take-charge physical action applied to her wouldn't be her thing, but she suddenly learned that coming from Erik, it was very much her thing.
"Then tell me."
And that intensity of his. Her eyes were starting to glaze over. The only confusion on her part right now was trying to remember what it was they were talking about through her suddenly lust-filled mind. What was she supposed to tell him?
"We don't need this question and answer game anymore, do we? Just tell me everything about it. About you,"
Oh, that's right. She'd opened the door for him to ask her about her abilities. But the way his hands were caressing her legs was taking her out of a talking mood. She scooted even closer and wrapped her arms around his neck. "But I very much like playing games with you," she said huskily, leaning close to place a teasing kiss on the corner of his mouth. She pulled back but hovered close, willing to let him decide if talking would happen now or maybe a bit later. "I won't be able to form coherent sentences if you keep running your hands on my legs like that," she warned in case it was the talking he'd be choosing. Maeve leaned in again, placing another teasing kiss on the other corner of his mouth.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 10, 2021 13:41:30 GMT -8
"But I very much like playing games with you,"
So did he. But he also was curious. Yet... maybe not that curiously anymore once Maeve started scooting herself closer onto his lap. One might think that they must have had enough of this after several rounds already, but that was not the case. Erik wanted to savor every moment with her, each second of this weekend, just as each and every centimeter of her skin. Again and again and again. He doubted that he could ever get tired of it. Maybe physically tired. But it was still early in the morning, wasn't it?
"I won't be able to form coherent sentences if you keep running your hands on my legs like that,"
A satisfied smile lay on his lips as she continued placing teasing kisses there. Her words, though, were only inciting him to want just that - her not being able to form coherent sentences because she could only utter cries of pleasure. Erik's smile widened into an almost combative grin. "That's an intriguing assertion. I say we should prove it, to be extra sure." He didn't seem to be waiting for an answer, or more less, permission before he would not only go on running his hands on her legs but also letting them slide up to neighboring regions while, at the same time, leaning closer to her face.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 5, 2021 22:36:14 GMT -8
"Mm," she said as if in compliance, a playful grin was on her lips as she watched him move closer, waiting until both his hand and his lips were nearly at their goal before disappearing.
Standing behind him now, she leaned down, draping her arms loosely around his neck. "You might have to catch me first," she teased near his ear before placing a kiss on his neck. "Penalty for taking a head start." His head turned toward her, Maeve leaned forward and gave him a lingering kiss as one of her hands began a slow descent down his chest, down his torso, continuing on down much like his hands had been doing on her legs in an attempt to render him incoherent.
She did want to talk, but right now, talking was highly overrated. Maeve much preferred this game of who could render the other incoherent first. They had the weekend to enjoy each other. After it was over... well, she hadn't allowed herself to think past this weekend. It was all part of fully immersing herself in the two days they had before having to think about reality again. Talking could come later when they finally got their fill of each other. She wasn't anywhere near feeling she'd gotten her fill of Erik, but it would happen eventually, wouldn't it?
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 7, 2021 18:51:55 GMT -8
Maeve managed to surprise him with her new habit of suddenly disappearing while he was trying to get close again and again. One might think he should have learned from it by now. The problem with that was just that every time she did, Erik was in a state of feeling... not so mindful but rather... hormone-driven. It was like torture and pleasure at the same time. Pleasure, because it was driving him so crazy that he wanted her, even more, the next moment he saw her appearing somewhere else. This time right behind him, leaning down and draping her arms around his neck.
"You might have to catch me first,"
Erik smiled with his eyes closed as he felt her hot breathing near to his ear and, right after, her soft lips on his neck. Now, this was driving him really crazy, so he couldn't guarantee that they would even make it out of their clothes completely this time.
"Penalty for taking a head start."
Maeve didn't leave him a chance to reply to that, as she pressed forward to cover their lips into a lingering kiss while one of her hands began to slowly descend down his body. Coming to think of it, talking was not exactly what he was longing for right now anyway. Just as Erik was about to grab her by her hips to place her back onto his lap where they had started before she'd been using her power to disappear, he suddenly paused, giving her a mischievous grin. He wanted her, more than anything else, but he also liked a good challenge. Especially the one she continuously started, thinking that she had him by the short and curlies.
"So, we're using our powers," Erik whispered as their lips paused in front of each other, lingering in an almost kiss only inches apart. "Fine by me, if that's how you want it."
Without giving her any chance to react to this statement, Erik just carried on with their kissing. Letting her forget about his words kiss by kiss while, at the same, was about to get in on this challenge. It wouldn't take too much of his concentration to send something he had seen lying around - obviously left from the chaos they had caused during their first dance the other night - flying into the air and finally towards them. A necklace with a chain long enough to surprise her with a little trick.
It took only a moment, too quick for Maeve to realize in time, that the necklace wriggled its way up her wrists until her hands were tied together, not too tight to even hurt her yet tight enough to force her to stay where she was. Such an act alone probably couldn't suspend her ability to teleport herself out of anyone's clutches, but Erik guessed it was a little different with somebody using their own power to hold it. "Gotcha, I guess. Compelling, isn't it?" The grin on his face widened as he started to free her from her clothes while placing kisses all along her neck and upper body, curious if she would play along.
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