The Fate & The Nerd

His mother once wove the tapestries of Fate for others and he walked alongside a twin. Now he has found himself alone, til he seems to find his mirror image in a newly made immortal.

[talonandelilah]

5

“Tal, why were you hiding a neck tattoo earlier?  Does it mean something?” Lightly Del traced over it with one finger, the pattern ornate and flowing, she found it beautiful.  “Am I not supposed to see it?”  She looked at his face again and met his eyes.  He looked confused and that made her a little scared.

He didn’t HAVE a neck tattoo.  What was his girl…no…she wouldn’t tease him about....oh fuck!  Without saying anything Talon was up off the bed and into the attached bathroom in an instant and flipped on the lights which were way too fucking bright after being in the two dim rooms.  As his reflection greeted him though, there it was and he couldn’t deny what he saw.  Holy FUCK!  

“Uh, Red Hot, ya wanna come here?  We need to talk, sweetheart.”  Yeah…that was an understatement, genius.

He heard her coming behind him before he saw the red hair over his shoulder and when he turned around he saw it.  Fuck yeah!  “Babe, I got some good news and some bad news.  Which ya want first?”

Del’s eyes searched his face and she felt like crying.  After what had just gone on between them and now there was bad news of some kind?  Had she done something?  Was there something about Talon that Brie hadn’t told her?  Did he hate her?  Was she just a pity fuck?

“Bad.”  She choked out and tried not to cry. He really needed to get better at teasing her. She was going to break his heart if she kept crying when he was trying to to tease.

“K, if you say so.”  He got down right in her face so that their noses were touching.  “You’re absolutely and positively, 100%, without any doubt….stuck with me.  Yep, can’t get rid of me.  I mean, you are literally going to have to put up with my fucking ass for…well, ever.”  He saw confusion cloud her eyes and she did that thing where she looked back and forth between his eyes and her little eyebrows drew together.  FUCKING CUTE!  God, he was falling for her in less than five hours, and that was without the nifty magic tattoos they now had.  

Talon leaned in and kissed her softly.  “There’s more bad news.” Her eyes went wide and before she could react, he deftly moved behind her and pushed her forward so she could see herself in the mirror.  “You got one too.  Only yours is right over your heart.  Kinda cool.”  He grinned as he put his chin on her shoulder, watching her stare at herself in the mirror in disbelief.  “Ya do know what this means, right?”

There it was, he wasn’t lying.  She did have one, and it matched his.  And, he was almost giddy over it.  He was happy.  She was afraid to be happy and could nor be more shocked if he’d said she’d sprouted a second head.  They. Were. Mated.  Married.  Bonded.  Paired.  Suddenly her eyes met his in the mirror and she still had a look of shock as she tried to take it all in, but as their eyes met the joy in his eyes was not debatable.  

“You’re happy about it?” She was hesitant. 

“You’re not?”  Now he looked unsure, but his arms came around her waist to hold her.  He was trying to comfort her, she could tell but she honestly wasn’t sure what she needed.

“I’m overwhelmed.”  She was honest, but she was happy and she put her arms over his to keep him from pulling back.  This caused his arms to tighten.  “I am happy, but this whole immortal thing is new.  Like a week old new.  And now, I’m married…ish…and…I just….well…I…” Del closed her eyes and took some deep breaths.  Her anxiety was kicking up.

“Red, shh..  You don’t have to explain any more than that.”  He understood now.  He had been afraid she hadn’t wanted him, but now he got it.  It hadn’t occurred to him how new all of it was and then this.  “We’ll take everything as slow as you need it to be, ok?”  Her head nodded and he kissed her cheek before turning her around and pulling her against him, then reaching over and flipping off the light.  “Come on, let's go back to bed.” Tracing them over to the bed again, they climbed in and he laid on his back, letting her choose where she wanted to be.  Her head came to rest on his chest and it made him smile.  “You can stay in here, or have your own place.  I’ll leave it up to you.  Or you can go back and forth depending on how you feel most comfortable.  Delilah, I’m not going anywhere.  Even without this new shit, I liked ya.  I liked ya A LOT.  I didn’t want what just happened to be a one time thing or just something casual.  I know we just kinda met and all, but I had a feelin about ya.”  Talon’s finger’s were gently caressing Del’s arm as he talked to her.  “Del, babe, I was gonna be all yours even before we knew about this.  From the second I saw ya and Brie told me about what ya liked, I just wanted to get to know you.  No one else.  Just so ya know.”  He stared up at the ceiling.  He had wanted her to know, to understand.

He was HERS?  Even before?  This sexy as sin man was hers?  He could have walked into any bar in any city and walked out with some hot chick and he had wanted her?  She found it hard to believe and just about said it, then her brain kicked in.  What was it he had asked her about when they’d left breakfast?  Gaming.  Hot as he was, how many women complained about their men being heavy into gaming?  And being immortal, how many women were going to want a man who was heavy into gaming and killing things?  Two things that were her passions.  

“Right now, I’m liking right where I am.”  One of her long legs moved to lay atop his and she heard a light chuckle and felt his chest move.  Her fingers played lightly in his chest hair.  Unlike so many of the “pretty boys” that her friend had dated, Talon was not smooth chested.  He was fuzzy, and she found it sexy.  “And don’t you ever shave, Feathers.  I like the fuzz.  Only place you can shave is the face.”  That earned her an outright laugh.

“As my lady wishes, Red Hot.”  His free hand rose to press her head briefly into his chest as he placed a kiss on the top of her head.  HIS  “Any other demands that I must obediently follow?  I might have a few demands of my own for you, you know?”

“Whatever this cologne is, wear it.  I think I could just smell it all day.  I might be addicted.”  She pressed her nose into the center of his chest and did a sniff and a slight sigh.  “So, what are your demands, Feathers?”  She liked their names for each other.

“Darlin, I’m not wearing cologne.  Welcome to matehood.”  He chuckled and kissed her head again.  Damn, this was gonna be good.  He might have to ask Brie to put him off of duty with the guard for a while and take her to the tropical area of Imperium for a bit of a honeymoon, a naked one.  

“I saw that sports bra and panties combo,” he felt her shift a little uncomfortable and he grinned knowing she wasn’t anticipating what was coming, “get more of those.” She froze. “Like lots.  When we’re gaming together, I want ya in that.  God, that would be so fuckin hot.  No lace, no strappy shit I gotta figure out.  Just that. K?”

“Are you serious?”  She sounded like she didn’t believe him.  She probably didn’t.

“Dead.  Get sets in every fucking color.  And do you mind just either sleeping in that or naked?  I want to feel your skin on mine when you’re with me. Like right now is heaven.” Another kiss to her head.  

“You’re being serious?  No sexy lacey stuff with heels?” Del asked again, still sure he was joking with her till he tipped her head back using his fingers under her chin and she saw his eyes.  No, he was serious.  “Okay, cotton panties and sports bras it is.  Every color of the rainbow and then some.  And I’ll steal your hoodies and shirts.”

“Now you’re talkin, Red Hot.” Talon grinned and she swore she felt herself start falling for him.

“If you hold me like this, I have no problem sleeping naked with you.”  Her hand again skimmed lightly over his chest.  Him being naked next to her was a pretty nice thing all on its own.  “In fact, I’m pretty happy to stay just like this until it’s time to get ready for the ball.  Unless you have other plans?”

“Fuck no.  Darlin, I am all yours in every way.  You and me are going to make plans for things for any time I’m not on duty with the legion.  Even if it’s just sittin on the couch and watchin a movie with the door locked and a privacy ward so everyone else can fuck off.”  His arm tightened around her.  “And tonight I’m talking to the boss and getting some time off.  You and me are gonna go to a private place I have here in Imperium on a honeymoon.  I’m going to take care of ya.  I told ya, I wanted ya before the mating thing.  I’m not changin a thing, cept I might be a bit more possessive.  Can’t help it, it kinda comes with the territory.”  Talon kissed her head, his own still reeling a bit from being mated. “I like the sound of that, Feathers.  We have a lot to learn about each other, but we have all the time in the world to do it.” 

banner by @cafekitsune

[talonandelilah]

4

WARNING - SMUT

That ends in a bit of a surprise

Holy fuck, he was done for. He’d been to heaven and had ambrosia and he’d rather kiss her than have it again.  Her hand massaged his balls then his cock and he knew that he’d made the point that he found her sexy as fuck.  He groaned into their kiss, sucking on her tongue and biting her lower lip as they pulled back and he looked into those eyes with challenge.  Come on girl, show me how bad you want me…I’ll be all yours, on my knees and worshiping you…

That kiss scrambled her brain and made thinking hard.  She didn’t want it to end.   But Talon kissing her had given her what she needed, and she was going to use it.  “I haven’t gotten anything else?  You sure about that, Feathers?” Her hand pressed against his hard cock that pulsed back in return.  “Seems I have the ability to get you pretty hot and bothered, now don’t I?”

“So for all your blustering and your puffing out of your chest, you must like the…what did you say?”  She nipped his bottom lip and as they were once more in a deep kiss the button on his jeans was let loose and the zipper dropped.  “Oh yes, the pale skin, red hair, and my ugly freckles.” Her long and nimble fingers wrapped around his cock and stroked once.  She saw his eyes roll back and he uttered a growled curse.  “What was that?  Did you just admit defeat?”

Dear god, she had the softest hands he’d ever felt and he just about came with one stroke of her hand.  His hand tightened in her hair and his forehead came to hers, fire burning in his eyes.  “Never, Red.”  He took her back a step, her hand slowly stroking him was making it hard for him to concentrate.  “I think I’m the one winning here…” His lips curled in a smirk before he nipped at her lips.

She scoffed and he loved it.  Fuck, she was a keeper.  Another step.  Another.  Another.  And the wall.  He grinned. “Oh yeah, Red Hot, I definitely won.” With a snap their clothes were gone and he saw her eyes go wide and his smirk grew.  “And now I’m gonna claim my smokin hot fuckin prize, girl.”

She didn’t even resist when he lifted her up and pinned her against the wall.  One word and he would have stopped.  One ounce of resistance and he would have backed off and put their clothes back on.  Instead her arms went around his neck and those long, sexy, silky legs wrapped around his waist.  It was all the encouragement he needed.  His girl, yeah…HIS…wanted him like he wanted her.

Talon kissed Delilah deep, his tongue invading her mouth as he claimed her with his cock, them both moaning into the kiss. Fuck she was tight and felt so damn good around him.  It was hard not to go fast and hard with how good she felt, but he didn’t want to hurt her.  This was definitely a first for him, but she was no ordinary woman.  Far from it.

Del’s fingers combed into his hair, pulling him even deeper into their kiss, moaning as he claimed her over and over.  Every thrust he made into her was pure pleasure and her legs tightened around him with the rhythm.  He fit her so perfectly and was driving her quickly to the precipice of pleasure, something no other man before had done.  Then again, no man had ever turned her on as fast or as much as Talon just had.  Nor had she ever had sex with a man on their first “date”.  So many firsts with him, and she had a feeling that there were many more to come.  

She felt the building pressure of her release in the pit of her belly like a winding coil and it felt delicious.  Every touch, every kiss, every thrust just built it more and more till she could no longer hold back.  Her head tipped back and her back arched against the wall as his name fell from her lips in a rapturous moan.  Fingers dug into his back and her legs tightened around his waist.  She swore the world tilted on its axis and the room spun.  

His girl was gorgeous when she came undone.  Fuck, he could watch her do that every day, and kinda planned on it.  As her slick core clamped down and spasmed around his cock, he increased his pace and took her harder.  His own release building and his pleasure increasing with each thrust.  She was fucking perfect and damn it if he wasn’t enjoying the fuck outta this.

Talon tried to hold out and prolong her pleasure as long as he could, but he finally reached the point of no return and thrust hard and deep as he spilled his seed inside her.  “Damn it, Red, you feel so fuckin good.”  He growled in her ear as he held her still afterward, both of them trying to catch their breath with hearts racing.  His nose was buried in her hair right next to her ear and she smelled like heaven.  Everything about her was perfection.  His.  She was gonna always be his.  He just had to figure out how.

“Hold on, beautiful.  I”m gonna get us somewhere more comfortable.”  He almost whispered in her ear and then the wall was gone from her back and they were in a different room.  This one was almost completely dark, a light purple glow from randomly placed recessed lights in the ceiling.  Talon deftly moved onto his bed on his knees then gently laid her on her back with his body covering her once they were better situated.  “There we go, Red Hot.”  He grinned at her in the dark light, brushing a lock of hair off of her face that had fallen there when he laid her down.  Fuck, she was gorgeous.

Everytime that she looked at Talon, Delilah had to wonder if he was real or if Brie had put her in some kind of coma and he was some hallucination.  He seemed too perfect.  They seemed too perfect together.  They had meshed too well, it had moved too fast, and laying in his bed with him on top of her felt way too good.  Then she noticed something on his neck and tilted her head.

“Tal, why were you hiding a neck tattoo earlier?  Does it mean something?” Lightly Del traced over it with one finger, the pattern ornate and flowing, she found it beautiful.  “Am I not supposed to see it?”  She looked at his face again and met his eyes.  He looked confused and that made her a little scared.

He didn’t HAVE a neck tattoo.  What was his girl…no…she wouldn’t tease him about....oh fuck!  Without saying anything Talon was up off the bed and into the attached bathroom in an instant and flipped on the lights which were way too fucking bright after being in the two dim rooms.  As his reflection greeted him though, there it was and he couldn’t deny what he saw.  Holy FUCK!  

[talonandelilah]

3

“Or are you gonna call your boyfriend to come save you?  How confident are ya there, Red Hot?” Now he’d know exactly the lay of the land, and possibly how interested the flame haired beauty before him was.

What was she doing?  What was happening between them?  Were they flirting?  Was this hot guy really making sexual innuendos at her and actually meaning them?  Delilah felt totally out of her league, yet totally at ease with him.  They were very much the same.  Brie had chosen the person to show her the ropes here well, and he seemed to like her.  It was a surprise, but one she liked.

“I don’t need anyone to come save me, least of all some fictional male you have dreamed up in your pretty little head that I rely on.  Because what, you don’t think I’m good enough to do it on my own.”  Her head tipped to the side and her chin lifted.  “Trust me, Fly Boy, anything that you can have come up, I can more than deal with.” She closed the final bit of distance between them.  “And I’m pretty sure that you won’t mind the way that I do.”  Surprising even herself, Del let one hand drop to his crotch and run over his hardening cock, which judging from what she could feel through his jeans was quite impressive.  Her eyes never dropped from his as her hand pressed against his hard shaft and she loved the way those blues of his darkened, his jaw clenching. 

“You seem to have lost your shyness there, Red.  Or was that all an act to draw me in?”  He knew it wasn’t.  Everything now was a flirt between them.  This was had started as the shit that he and the boys gave each other while gaming, only he and Delilah were face to face and wanted to fuck one another.  He had no problem taking her in and to his bed.  Fuck, he had no problem letting her have her way with him on his couch.  Talon was also pretty damn sure it wouldn’t be a one time thing if he did.

“That’s what it was, huh?  Act all innocent and shy.  Draw the warrior in and then show your true colors.  All a seduction.  I see how ya really are now, Red.”  His lips were closer and closer to hers.  His free hand had come up to grasp her breast and found her bra was thin, so he now swept his thumb over her hardened nipple and watched her bite her lip as she softly moaned.  “You’re just a temptress and a tease aren’t ya?”

“You trying to call me out, Talon?  You really think someone like me would be interested in someone like you?  Okay, you got the brawn, Feathers, but what about the brains?  You got any of those up in that pretty head of yours?  Huh?” Del tapped the side of his head with two of her fingers as she rubbed her hand over his cock that pulsed under her hand, “or you just think below the belt and use those good looks and seduction skills to distract because that’s the only way you can win at anything.”

Fuck, he was turning her on more than any man ever had before.  She wasn’t a virgin, but close to it.  Only two previous partners and neither of them would have been considered passionate lovers.  More like awkward hookups because they needed itches scratched at the same time and geeks often couldn’t be choosey.  None of them had looked like Talon, smelled like him, and certainly not filled her hand like him.  Things were about to get interesting.

“Who says I wasn’t playing shy to save that delicate ego of yours?  What?  You think you bat those baby blues and flex those muscles and panties gonna drop.  Sorry, Feathers, but this girl needs some gray matter between those perfect ears.” Her hand pressed harder against his cock now and she heard him groan and growl simultaneously, his grip on her hip tightening.

Talon scoffed and rolled his eyes before bringing them back to those sexy as fuck unique green ones of hers.  “Like I’d want you!  Tall and lanky, pale as fuck, small tits.” His thumb ran over her nipple again, fuck her breasts were the perfect damn size for his hand.  His cock jumped as he caressed her breasts and he knew she felt it.  This would be their foreplay, and damn he loved it.  He also loved that damn name she had for him.  

She had a smirk as she cupped his balls through his jeans and massaged them till he groaned, and he leaned forward.  “Don’t get me started on that red hair and those freckles.  Or did you splatter paint on your face cuz your clumsy as fuck?” He cantered his head and bumped his nose into hers, smirking to match hers. By all the gods he was related to, he was fucking in love.  “You said it, I got the looks, sister.  What have you got? Brains and personality?  Well, you know what they say about girls with those?  They ain’t got nothin else.”  He saw a flash of something behind her eyes and knew that he’d hit something and immediately regretted it.  Her hand was still on his cock and he wanted it to stay there, so before any sting of his barb could take hold, his hand left her hip with his supernatural speed and wound in her red tresses before he slammed his mouth into hers and invaded it with his tongue.

Holy fuck, he was done for. He’d been to heaven and had ambrosia and he’d rather kiss her than have it again.  Her hand massaged his balls then his cock and he knew that he’d made the point that he found her sexy as fuck.  He groaned into their kiss, sucking on her tongue and biting her lower lip as they pulled back and he looked into those eyes with challenge.  Come on girl, show me how bad you want me…I’ll be all yours, on my knees and worshiping you…

[talonandelilah]

2

Things got off to a bit of an awkward start...but will they get better?

Del had just reached out to grab Talon’s arm and apologize for making him feel bad and uncomfortable when they were suddenly standing in a darkened room that was lit by dim recessed lighting in the ceiling in a deep teal.  Toto they were not in her rooms anymore and what they were in looked like a gamer geek heaven.  This must be Talon’s room and she had to agree that it was droolworthy, much like the man it belonged to.

The look on his face when he turned around was a little shock and a little amusement.  She was sure both were at her being there and at the look on her face.  “Uh, hi!” She gave a little wave and a sheepish smile.  “I was going to apologize for being a dork and say that you didn’t need to leave, but…uh…here we are!” Her brows rose and she gave a short laugh looking around.  “Okay, the digs are decent.  You weren’t lying.”  Her throat cleared as a slow smirked formed on her lips. She was checking out his systems and the layout of the room they were in and trying very hard not to look at him, because she knew he was full on smirking at her, and the heat was growing on her cheeks, which were no doubt the color of ripe tomatoes.

Finally she looked up at him and busted out laughing at the pleased and smug look on his face, the lights of his room dancing in her eyes as she did.  “How about we try this again?  I suck at people.  I do my best work behind a keyboard, a drafting board, a game controller or a sniper rifle.  I’m not used to…” Del gestured around his room with a bit of a cringey smile and shrugged, words just not coming and feeling like the biggest idiot on the face of the planet again; but there was a look of understanding in those gorgeous blue eyes of his that were narrowing just slightly in a crinkle as he genuinely smiled and fought to contain his own laugh that she could see bubbling just under the surface. 

By all of the gods, she was perfect.  Absolutely, positively, the most perfect female he’d met in his eons of life.  Brie had said they’d be “two D&D dice shaped peas in a gamer chair pod” and she was right.  Delilah was his perfect pearl of a pea to be his second half of a pair.  His finger rose to press softly against her lips to stop her from floundering more.  This he could handle, and his head nodded softly at that thought.  “I got this Red Hot, no need to explain.”  Where had that nic-name come from?  No clue, but he liked it for her and the slight widening of her eyes said she kinda did too.  Cool. He was gonna keep the chick, the boys were gonna love her too.  Wait till the next gaming night… “Other than those you met this morning, and you’ll get to know in the next week or so, I don’t hang out with anyone else.  My dad and Deak are the two main ones I do.  The guys and Brie are my friends and family.  I don’t do crowds and I’m not the greatest with new people either.  I gotcha, girl.” He winked, she blushed, and by the gods he thought he might be falling for her.  Her skin was like the fairest alabaster and when it pinkened, it was like the green of her eyes intensified somehow.  Most likely it was some illusion, but he didn’t care, it was captivating.  Who was the last woman he’d had any kind of feelings for or even attraction to?  It had been a century or two, and he was having trouble remembering.  Talon was pretty sure she wasn’t this stunning though, or interesting.

To see how Delilah was feeling, he took a step closer to her, even though there wasn’t that much room separating them to begin with.  It was her grabbing his arm that had gotten her here, after all. “So, Red Hot, what’s your game?  Hmm? Since we have no ball to prepare for, we have all the time in the world.  What you want to try and kick my ass at?  And while you do, think where you want to set your comp up at.  We can do it in your room, or we can have Brie add a completely new room and put both ours in the same place.”  He grinned.  God he’d love to do WOW or something else running missions and such with her.  Fuck, it made him hard just thinking about having someone that shared his interests in all things and didn’t bitch at him for wanting to game.  One reason he’d avoided chicks was that every one that anyone tried to set him up with always bristled when he brought up gaming or weapons.  

Red Hot?  At first she wasn’t sure if he was teasing her or if it was something else, surely he wasn’t flirting.  Her thought earlier about him HAVING to have a female in his life was still there.  Except she didn’t see one thing in the room around them that looked remotely like a female had ever been there, let alone spent any time there.  It was possible, she guessed, that his girlfriend didn’t come over and she went there, but that would make no sense. Then there was him talking about setting up their gaming systems in the same room?  Her brain was rolling everything around and analyzing it as she stood there.  His closeness, the smell of his cologne, and that damned grin of his were making it hard to think though.  She was so out of her element, and he seemed to be right in his.  Of course, when you were as gorgeous as Talon, it probably wasn’t hard to muddle the mind of whatever female was your current target.  Immediately she mentally kicked herself for thinking that he would do something like that, she had to trust that Brie wouldn’t set her up with a complete creep as a guide in this new place she was going to be calling home.

Deciding to say *fuck it* and at least take a chance that he was flirting in some form or fashion, she could at least try to tease and flirt back.  Not that she was quite sure how to do that. “I’m going to assume you know how to use a trash can and don’t leave crumbs all over the desk?  I don’t want to share a game dungeon with a slob.”  They were almost eye to eye. Del was tall for a woman, and her head tilted as she cocked one hip and crossed her arms looking up at him.  She could swear there was a literal spark in those blues of his, and it made her smirk become more of a smile..

Fuck, he was in trouble.  The name he’d chosen for her was right.  She was going to burn him every chance she got.  “For you, I think I can control my bachelor slob ways.”  He moved a bit closer, holding up his hands, and giving her a sarcastic smirk and wink.  “You’re not gonna bring in those damn wax melt things and make it smell like pumpkin spice and mint chocolate are you?  Decorate it with kawaii stuffed animals?” One of his hands landed on her hip and he waited for her to react, but all he got was a narrow eyed smirk.  What was he doing?  He wasn’t quite sure but she didn’t seem to be minding, and the close he got, the closer he wanted to be.

“I’m kind of possessive of my keyboard and mouse though, Red.  Gonna have to insist on total and complete hands off.  You’re free to play with controllers to my systems, but not in my chair or at my controls back there.”  He raised his chin towards where his PC gaming setup was, his eyes never leaving hers.  When he talked to Deak later, he was gonna have to ask what a good thank you gift for Brie was for this little set up.  “Back there I’m the king.  I got room for a queen at my side though if ya wanna.”  One shoulder rose, as did one corner of his mouth as he leaned his head closer to her.  Tease and sarcasm rife in his voice and expression.

“And what exactly are you going to do if I try to take it over? Hmmm…?”  Del tipped her head to the side, raising her eyebrows, and narrowing her eyes up at him.  She was acutely aware of how close they were and his hand on her hip.  The thin fabric of her shirt was doing little to buffer the heat of him from branding her skin in the most delicious way.  “Or what if I just sit on you and take over?  Maybe I don’t need my own system, I’ll just take yours.” Her chin lifted and a smugness overtook her expression. It was a bluff, but one that she had done before, although the situation had been completely different.  She was still trying to come up with a good name for him.  It bugged her that he had come up with a good one for her right away and she was struggling, but she would.  

How had they gone from the awkward exchange after they’d left the dining room to this teasing flirtatious banter?  Talon wasn’t sure, but he was definitely not complaining.  When Brie had told him about Delilah, he’d been fucking stoked.  At the time, it hadn’t crossed his mind she’d be a drop dead knockout with the longest, sexiest legs he’d ever seen and red hair that made him want to run his fingers through it.  No, it had been the fact that she loved weapons; not just loved, she designed the damn things. According to Brie and Cruz, she had even made some for the Nephilim that helped them in taking out different preternatural beings.  If that wasn’t fucking cool as hell, what was?  Add onto that her love of gaming, and she sounded like the second coolest chick he could know.  

There was something familiar about their rapport, something easy and comfortable.  It wasn’t like the awkwardness earlier had even been there.  Even with the other females in Imperium, Talon didn’t have the rapport that he did with Delilah and it fucking turned him on.  It excited him sexually and cerebrally.  Could he get her to move into his room and never leave?  Was she single or was there a Mr. Delilah somewhere that Brie hadn’t told him about?  He figured it was a little early for considering that, maybe.  Only one way to find out…

“Try me and find out, Red.  You might like the result, ya might not.  And ya never know, I might like ya sitting on my lap.”  He waggled his eyebrows at her and used the hand on her hip to bring her closer in to him.  “Ya never know what might pop up though, ya ready for that, girl?  Or ya gonna chicken out again?”  He grinned at her, then he winked.  This was too fucking fun.  His fingertips were running over his palm as he tried to keep from rushing things too fast.  He’d made her nervous once and he was enjoying this far too much to spook her now.  

And damn, she wasn’t that much shorter than him, and he liked it.  Talon was almost as tall as Cruz, at just under seven feet, but she had to be at least six feet if not a slight bit taller.  Even other demonesses and goddesses were slightly shorter, most preferring to appear “delicate”, but there was something about her height he liked even more.  Put her in some heels and that would make her only maybe six inches shorter than him.  Fuck yeah!  

“Or are you gonna call your boyfriend to come save you?  How confident are ya there, Red Hot?” Now he’d know exactly the lay of the land, and possibly how interested the flame haired beauty before him was.

[talonandelilah]

1

Things begin for Delilah and Talon...

Lucifer standing the way he had, made Talon tense and he immediately grabbed Delilah’s hand. There was something going on, something Luc had anticipated, which didn’t make the demi-god feel too good.  But that Arioch and Mithos had disappeared with him in battle gear meant that he’d at least shared his foreknowledge with a trusted few.  That it was not more lent itself to the thought that it was not a true threat that he was expecting, rather a precaution to be prepared for battle. Delilah had tensed.  She knew readiness for conflict when she saw it.  Talon’s hand on hers had given her a sense of calm but she had still not felt truly at ease.  “Are we safe?”  Her voice low, her body leaned over toward the handsome male next to her, she inquired.  It was not as if she had not faced danger in the past, but she had hoped that Imperium would be a break from that.

Gently Talon squeezed her hand and turned his face slightly to look at her, while able to keep his eyes sweeping the rest of large room.  While there were enough warriors currently seated in the room to take on anything that came, he was taking no chances.  “There should be enough wards and protections on the Palace to have kept anything truly dangerous out.  Not to mention that you have Div standing there not looking too worried.” Talon nodded toward the deity.  

Delilah looked and she couldn’t deny that he was rather relaxed.  He and the darkly handsome angel next to him would lean over and say something to one another every once in a while. She had a feeling they both knew what had happened, but weren’t sharing. It was something about the expressions on their faces, the faint hints of a smirk, the way their eyes met one another’s, like a silent communication.

“Ok.” She answered finally, starting to relax as she looked back over to Talon, catching his blue eyes with her own green ones. She knew he was a demi-god but she thought he had the most beautiful eyes.  They weren’t the typical blue, more like the color of the ocean at the Maldives.  A rich blue with a hint of green that gave them a depth that was captivating.  They were a blue a woman could get lost in if she wasn’t careful, and seeing how she was quite sure there was a Mrs. Talon, or someone who wanted to be, hanging around, she was going to have to be very careful.

For his part, Talon was finding it hard to read Delilah.  He could have, easily. With his powers, he could have been inside her mind and reading her thoughts without even flexing his powers or even really trying, but he didn’t like that idea. Going into someone’s most private places like that, without invitation, always made him feel dirty unless it was interrogating an enemy.  The stunning redhead sitting next to him was most certainly NOT an enemy, so he was going to have to use his other senses and skill to figure out what was going on in that beautiful mind of hers.

Finally Raguel had returned and informed them of what had happened, which surprised Talon and didn’t quite settle Delilah either.  She still felt there was more going on, but what could she really say or do?  As a new immortal, she really wasn’t sure of her role in anything, let alone her ability to either help or challenge a situation.  That the ball was canceled was at least a stressor that was removed. She was an introvert by nature so huge gatherings were not quite her thing.  Maybe Talon could show her around a little bit, introduce her to friends.  Something.

After everyone was dismissed, there were discussions with Gail and Thenasus about maybe meeting up later.  Deacon and Thinius both sounded like they were going to be having their hands full, so Talon wasn’t going to impose on that whole situation.  As the two of them were finally leaving the dining room, Talon looked over at the statuesque redhead next to him.  “So you are a weapons expert and a cyber geek, huh?  Brie didn’t give me much time to get anything setup for ya, but I got a killer gaming system setup in my suite if you want to kick back with running some missions in any number of games.”  He grinned over at her.  “Or, we can hit the weapons room and slice, dice, or blow shit up.  Lady’s choice.  Tomorrow we go shopping and get your ass outfitted.  And don’t worry that what you want can’t come off the shelf of big box, girl I got ya covered.  My boys are way better than what the average pleb can buy.”  Another grin.  “Or ya know, there’s this big ass Palace to explore.”

Talon wasn’t as social as Thinius and Dez, but he had just about any gaming system you could want, a gaming PC that would make just about anyone drool, and a projection TV that kicked ass.  He didn’t need to go out, he had plenty of fun on his own and once a week a group of the guys came over and they kicked each others’ asses at one game or another.  Crowds weren’t his thing, especially not ones with those he wasn’t comfortable around.  He preferred a few choice friends, or just playing alone.  After everything that had happened the last couple years, he felt more secure that way.

For a moment Del stopped and just looked at him.  During most of breakfast he had been mostly quiet and a little more serious after his introduction.  Now suddenly he was chatty and inviting her over to play video games?  This didn’t make sense, and Del hated anything that didn’t make sense.  With what had just happened in the gardens, it made her uneasy.  Her eyes narrowed at him, but she didn’t say anything.  There in the hall they stood, he was grinning at her and his blue eyes were sweeping over her while he waited for her to say…something.  If they had been paired up on what amounted to a blind date by anyone other than Brie she would have thought this was some kind of joke, but she knew Brie too well to think it was that.  However, the sharp contrast between what she was seeing now and the quiet and reserved man that she had just encountered while they ate made no sense.  Her head was having a hard time making sense of it.  Hell, her head was having a hard time making sense of everything that had gone on that morning.

“I..uh…umm…I think I just want to maybe go to my room?”  She sounded as confused as she felt when she finally spoke and immediately she hated herself.  That shining smile on the handsome face of her escort disappeared and his cheeks flashed a bright crimson as he nodded. 

Way to go Big T, make her feel all uncomfortable in the first five minutes of being around you, Talon mentally kicked himself.  This is why you’re better at fighting than having many friends and definitely better at it than you are at women.  “Sure thing. Sorry if I came off…uh…yeah..”  Fuck, he was sounding like a goddamned idiot.  Maybe he could talk to Thinius or Mithos or something and get some advice on how not to sound like a shithead.  Olly even.  Hell, even Dez had to be better than he was.

Talon put his hand in the middle of her back lightly and traced them into the middle of the living room of her suite.   At least he had a few hours to get over the utter embarrassment of making a jackass of himself before the subject of another meal would have to be broached, that was unless she figured out how to start doing ordering from the kitchen, and then he was even more fucked.  Hopefully no one told her about that yet.

“Ok, five hours till dinner.  I’ll be by in four and half so we can figure out what we want to do, yeah?   I’ll have a fairy come by to do your hair and makeup, if you want.  They’re awesome and can get it done in like ten seconds, literally.  There’s a phone around here somewhere that Brie says connects to my room, and we have cable…” Talon lifted his chin to the huge TV on the wall.  “So…” he blew out a breath feeling uneasy and uncomfortable, his own doing.  “I’ll let you you relax and get comfortable.  Just a call away if you need anything.”  He turned and looked around the sitting room to her suite before preparing to trace out.

Delilah felt like an ass.  He was trying to be nice and she’d made him feel awkward. Classic move for her, stick her foot in her mouth when someone was trying to be friendly.  She was the awkward one normally, so making someone else feel that way wasn’t something she enjoyed.  The thought of sitting around with a hot guy, who was genuinely nice, and playing video games for an afternoon actually sounded fun, she was just nervous and the whole thing with becoming immortal, then coming to Imperium, and everything with the arrival of Lucifer’s granddaughter just had her all off balance.  She didn’t want Talon thinking he’d done something wrong.  Leave it to her to alienate the hot guy that Brie had set her up with, even if it was just to be friends and show her around.  Someday she wouldn’t be such a disaster around men. Maybe.

Del had just reached out to grab Talon’s arm and apologize for making him feel bad and uncomfortable when they were suddenly standing in a darkened room that was lit by dim recessed lighting in the ceiling in a deep teal.  Toto they were not in her rooms anymore and what they were in looked like a gamer geek heaven.  This must be Talon’s room and she had to agree that it was droolworthy, much like the man it belonged to.

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[talonandelilah]

Autumn was one of Delilah's favorite time of year. The colors of the leaves, the smell of spices and baking, the chill or the air, and the holidays all combined to warm her in a way that the summer sun was never able to.

[talonandelilah]

DELILAH

Unlike everyone around her Del wasn’t born immortal.  She was just an average human on Earth.  Her parents were both doctors and she wanted for nothing.  Then one night her life was upended when a drunk driver hit them head on and ended both their lives in an inferno of twisted metal and glass.  She was an instant orphan and Del had to rebuild her life.  Always a prodigy in math and science, she had already graduated college by 20 and had been working in a tech firm in Silicon Valley when it happened.  PTSD and an inability to cope caused her to lose her job and move in with her best friend.  Using her inheritance and with the help of her best friend who had connections she started Pendragon Armaments, a high tech munitions and software company that provides weapons and systems to governments and other organizations around the globe that are able to afford what she can provide.  There are none better than what Del develops.  It was after her best friend was murdered by an assassin that Del learned that there was more to the world around her than she had previously believed, and that some of her friends had secrets that made them a lot more dangerous than any weapon she could ever craft.  Now immortal, she is not only learning to adjust to this new life, but also to the new world that she has been brought to when she meets Talon, who seems the perfect match for her.  He is tall, more handsome than any man who has ever looked her way, and his interests match hers in every possible way.  Is she dreaming, or has her life finally started to move in the right direction.  She’s almost afraid to hope.

[talonandelilah]

TALON

For centuries he believed his father to be the Destroyer, the one also responsible for his mother's death. A mother he loved and believed. Then one night in a confrontation on the city streets of New Orleans, the truth was revealed. His mother was indeed the Fate, Cotho, however his father was not the Destroyer but rather the demon Thinius. A betrayal from his sister would come later as he still comes to grips with the truth of his lineage. Along with that, comes learning the truths of his powers. Always stoic and quiet by nature, he is felt even more alone in the days since this revelation. When it is revealed he is to be a guide to a technology queen coming to Imperium, he jumps at the chance and looks forward to it. It instantly becomes clear that he has no idea what he is in for.