{ - centuries - }

THE WAY YOUR HEAD SPINS WHEN YOU’VE HAD TOO MUCH TO DRINK AND YOU’RE TOO NUMB TO CARE. SHUTTING YOUR HEART DOWN AND USING YOUR HEAD INSTEAD. PERFECTLY TAILORED SUITS. ALL BLACK EVERYTHING. CHELSEA BOOTS AND A CROSS NECKLACE. BEING GOD’S FAVORITE. MOVING BOTH HEAVEN AND EARTH FOR THE SMALL FAMILY YOU MADE FOR YOURSELF. SELFLESS MOTIVES, BUT SELFISH ACTIONS. HOLDING PEOPLE AT ARM’S LENGTH. GRAY CIGARETTE SMOKE AND THE EARTHY SCENT OF MARIJUANA FILLING YOUR LUNGS. THINKING IT’S EASIER TO FORGET. "

[zxcharie-h]

gicnni

Gianni Nott was an easygoing man by nature. He was laidback, calm, and collected; many even went as far as to call him ‘stoic’ and ‘aloof’ due to his quiet, introverted attitude. He wasn’t the sort of man that let his emotions remain on his sleeve. There was something very calming about having such a strong hold over his emotions. He preferred the company of those similar to him, people who didn’t bank on the high-strung drama or huge personalities. It was because of that reason that the dark-haired brunette found himself in such good harmony with his boyfriend. While Zacharie Hendricks was a egotistical and arrogant young man in every sense, he was quiet. introverted. Subtle, even–and he had was the perfect balance for someone like Gianni. The brunette knew he didn’t need to go out of his way or push himself with Zac; there was no need to, after all.

… Except for when anyone dared to get too close to him.

The loud, drunken atmosphere of the party was deafening. Gianni didn’t particularly care for the heady rush of a party–but his boyfriend was all but addicted to it. Gianni didn’t particularly mind joining Zac, sticking to the sides of the crowds and nursing a single cup of whatever alcohol was on hand. He let Zac have his fun; drinks and crowds seemed to fuel him, and who was he to deny Zac the chance to indulge himself? But he drew a line–a very firm one–and the moment dark eyes caught sight of another man drawing too close to his boyfriend, a stray tough ghosting over Zac’s thigh and lips too close to his ear, something in him snapped.

It was like a trigger; calm, collected ease erased automatically, replaced by a sudden flare of raw, white-hot heat. His grip on his cup tightened and his jaw clenched, stunned into silence for a moment as he simply watched the way his (more than drunk) boyfriend meerely swayed and seemingly laughed at whatever it was that the other male was saying to him. A low growl escaped Gianni and before he could stop himself, Gianni forced his way through the crowd, brown gaze focused on them. “What’s going on here?” His tone was gruff and less than friendly as an arm already moved to snake around Zac’s slim hips possessively, sharply tugging him close. His eyes narrowed, sliding between the two as his hand firmly gripped the blue-eyed man’s hip to keep him from swaying.

This was the kind of atmosphere that Zacharie Hendricks lived for. With a drink in his hand and the heat from the bodies around him, Zacharie couldn't deny that nights like this made him feel alive. He liked the feeling of just being able to let go, he didn't have to hold it all together. Parties like this were something of a natural high for the tattooed young man honestly.

At this point of the night Zacharie wasn't sure just how many drinks he had already finished off, the warm buzz of alcohol running through his veins making everything and everyone around him move just a little slower. Unless that was him. Taking another drink from the young man standing next to him, Zacharie didn't notice how close he had gotten, not feeling the hand as it ghosted over his leg. Taking a deep drink from the cup in his hand as he laughed about something they'd said. He didn't see Gianni making his way through the crowd, letting out a sound of surprise as he felt the familiar arm wrap around him.

What’s going on here?

Swaying slightly as Gianni’s arm found its home around his waist turning to give his boyfriend a very drunken smile. “Hey Love, we were just talking about…” Zacharie found himself trailing off as the previous topic of conversation slipped his mind. He could almost feel the alcohol impairing him as he took in Gianni’s less than pleased expression. The guy that Zacharie had been talking to quickly making an excuse and drifting back off into the crowd. “is everything okay?”

[zxcharie-h]

alcssandrc

“I want my husband back!” The words were blurted out before she could even stop them, the angry tears leaving streaks in her make-up as slender shoulders trembled. She hated crying; she always felt weak. Pathetic. Like less of a woman for letting a man control how high her emotions ran–but she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t help how her heart ached, how everything seemed twisted and convoluted nowadays. “God–fuck, Zac. Fuck, I just want us back. Not… this. not this fucking bullshit and arguing and… fuck.”

Her words cut through him and Zacharie didn't know what to say in return. Putting the bottle down he crossed the kitchen walking over to her but keeping the right distance just watching her. “I want my wife,” he said honestly his voice low and serious. “What happened to us Aless?” He added after a moment his hands itching for the bottle he'd left on the counter behind him. He'd been turning to his favorite drink and little more than usual since things between the two of them had started to deteriorate. Instead of going back for it he stepped forward reaching for her. “Aless…”

[zxcharie-h]

gicnni

The smirk gracing Gianni’s features only broadened with amusement as Zac consciously shifted to put a fraction of space between their bodies. Everything about him was endearing to the brunette–from the curve of his lips as he flashed Gianni a smirk to the twinkle in his cool blue eyes. Zac was interesting. A bit on the quiet side, introverted more so than his twin brother, but interesting. Being around Zac was easy for Gianni; there were no expectations for conversation at all times. Peace and quiet were given. It was calm, comforting, and tranquil–for the most part. The understood harmony between the two didn’t stop the dark-haired man from picking at the other when the time afforded him. Zac was slim, all angles and chiseled edges. He was thin and tall with hips that fit perfectly in Gianni’s large hands–and he often liked to remind the younger male of it whenever he could. Zac was hardly delicate–he could handle more than he looked like he could. But Gianni loved how adamant his boyfriend could get when arguing him over the point in question.

“You just bruise easily, love.” Gianni’s hazel gaze gleamed as a smirk flashed across his features. One hand reached up from where it had previously been resting against the edge of the counter, fingers brushing lightly against Zac’s jaw. “And as far as I’m aware, you quite like being manhandled.” The observation was touched with a dry, knowing tone as brows quirked up. Gianni moved to cup Zac’s face firmly now, the gentleness to his touch fading out as he made sure the other’s cool blue eyes were focused on him. “Considering how into it you were just last night, as a matter of fact…”

Zacharie scoffed as Gianni remarked that he bruised easily, careful to keep himself from closing the distance between them even though he could already feel that familiar pull toward the other man. Gianni had always been someone that Zacharie had more or less gravitated toward. He was quiet and kept to himself, two traits that Zacharie himself valued as part of his own personality. Gianni never seemed to be bothered by anything that was happening around them. He tempered Zacharie’s own instinct to blow up over the things that truly bothered him. Between them things were always quiet on the outside, they’d grown to be able to read one another in a way that did require conversation.

“I’m not opposed to being manhandled,” Zacharie’s smirk grew as Gianni’s hand cupped his face, subtly running his tongue over his bottom lip as he holds Gianni’s gaze. Zacharie couldn’t deny that there was something about the way he casually mentioned how into it Zacharie had been the night before, making him lean just a fraction closer still smirking, “And just how into it was I last night?”

[zxcharie-h]

gicnni

A quiet chuckle escaped the brunette as he gazed at their reflections, taking in the way Zac leaned back against him. He leaned in, lips ghosting over the side of his neck before pressing to the spot just below his pierced ear, a low hum escaping him. He shifted as Zac moved around to face him, brows quirking just slightly as hazel eyes swept over the male’s tattooed body. He couldn’t help the way his smirk took on an affectionate edge as he met Zac’s ice blue gaze; he was smitten by him. It was no secret, clear in the way his entire body seemed to move in unison’s with Zac, as if there was a gravity between them.

“I believe,” Gianni began, shifting to place his hands against the edge of the bathroom counter on either side of Zac. “We have plans with your brother and Blaise, something about a family lunch.” The Swedish words were touched with an air of amusement as he leaned a fraction closer to Zac, smirk returning. “I’m sure we have plenty of time before that, though… and considering what I had in mind for bed,” a brow quirked as his words trailed off, stopping short just before their lips could meet. “I’m sure we could do that right here. I can pick you up and place you on the counter, of course, like the delicate little thing that you are.” His low drawl was teasing as he tilted his head, shifting to press Zac against the edge of the granite, hazel eyes focused on him.

There was a magnetism between the two men as they surveyed each other. Zacharie moved as Gianni moved, subconsciously taking his cues from the dark-haired man. When Gianni moved so did Zacharie and vice-versa, and neither of them really seemed to mind. As Gianni moved closer, Zacharie noted how his hands were resting on the counter effectively caging him in.

“...I can pick you up and place you on the counter, of course, like the delicate little thing that you are.”

Zacharie fixed his boyfriend with an unamused look as he felt Gianni’s hips pressing him back against the counter. “I’m not some kind of delicate flower Love,” he said dropping his voice low leaning back just enough to put a noticeable space between them. “You can’t just manhandle me whenever you feel like it.” His voice was teasing as he consciously made sure to keep that slight distance between them. It was a running joke between them at this point because Zacharie was small and slight compared to his boyfriends obviously larger frame. “I do agree though that we have plenty of time for other activities before we have to go meet the two of them.”

[zxcharie-h]

gicnni

Adjusting to life among muggles was something that came as a bit of a culture shock for Gianni Nott. Non-magicals were a strange but intelligent breed, with their interesting little devices and magic-free objects that seemed to be capable of things no witch or wizard could do themselves. Having been born into a pureblood family on the correct side of matters had, of course, meant that cellular phones and laptops weren’t a part of his day to day life–but ever since he had moved in with his boyfriend, Gianni found himself immersed in muggle technology. Perhaps that was simply because Zacharie Hendricks happened to own and run a company dedicate to the little devices, but whatever the case was, Gianni took this new lifestyle in stride. After all, he quite liked the way it felt to wake up with his boyfriend wrapped up in his arms, sound asleep and getting some well-deserved rest after wearing himself thin at the office.

Zac was always the ‘early bird’ sort, waking up at some ungodly hour to prep himself for the day at the office–leaving Gianni to his own devices as he got ready for his own workday at the British Ministry of Magic. However, Sunday mornings like these left the two with much more time on their hands. Gianni didn’t bother putting his shirt on as he made his way into the bathroom, arms stretching over his head with a quiet yawn as he came up behind Zac. A smirk graced his features as his strong, muscular arms wrapped around his boyfriend’s much slimmer frame. “Good morning, love.” His drawl was low and still husky with the heaviness of sleep as he pressed a soft kiss to the side of Zac’s neck, arms possessive and secure around the younger male. “You know you’re allowed to sleep in on weekends.” Swedish naturally fell from his lips in an amused murmur, smirk broadening as he gazed at their reflections in the mirror.

“You know you’re allowed to sleep in on weekends.” 

Zacharie Hendricks couldn’t help but laugh as he felt his boyfriends arms wrap around him from behind. Waking up early was ingrained into his very being at this point. He’d been waking up early, if he had even gone to sleep at all the night before, since he was in school. It was habit, not matter what day of the week it was. Still Zacharie could exactly say he didn’t like waking up a little later knowing that he didn’t have to actually get up. That he could stay in bed wrapped up in his boyfriends arms. “I know but that doesn’t mean that I can sleep in,” he answered back with a grin just leaning back against Gianni’s chest.

Speaking Swedish when it was just the two of them was second nature for Zacharie. He had picked up the language when he’d been at Durmstrang, and over time it was strictly the way that he, Chanel, and Gianni conversed. “Do we have any plans for today?” Zacharie asked turning around within Gianni’s arms, gazing at him with a smile. “Or would you prefer I follow you back to bed? I know you want to sleep a little longer.”

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

She knew it was wrong to laugh but as silence settled over the interrogation room, a breathy giggle spilled past Julia’s lips. The sound caused the detectives to snap their gazes over at the small blonde. Immediately, Julia’s teeth caught her lower lip to conceal the strangely amused smile gracing her delicate features. She already knew that Zacharie was far from crackable. The detectives would get nothing out of him–and the fact that they thought they could even try to weedle information out of him was so strangely comical that she could hardly bring herself to quiet her muffled giggles.

‘Is there something you find funny, Miss Laury?’

Her giggle only grew louder, forcing the blonde to physically bite down to contain the laughter. Julia shifted, the chains dragging against the surface of the table as her lips curled into a large, almost off-putting smile as she looked over at the detective that spoke. Her wide blue gaze locked on with his, uncaring of how the direct eye contact seemed to raise the level of discomfort in the air. “Nothing!” She chirped, slight shoulders lifting in a bored-looking shrug.

The detectives collectively sighed, moving to instead flip through the files before the other half of the pair cleared his throat to shift the subject from the tense, skin-crawling silence. ‘Can one of you explain to us what it is you two were doing at the scene of the crime?’

This time, Julia didn’t bother holding back her laughter. It spilled out of her–high-pitched and a little strange-sounding in the silence of the interrogation room. It took a few long moments for her to collect herself, laughter dying into giggles, shoulders still shaking before she shook her head. “We were getting a little busy, I think, before the police got to us. One of them touched my boobs, you know, when trying to detain us.” She feigned a pout before giving a large, toothy grin at the visible discomfort within the detectives. It was all too comical, too entertaining. She tilted her head slightly as one cleared his throat.

‘Can you tell us… why that was happening at the scene of the crime?’

“’Cause Zac turns me on when he’s on that power trip.” Her confession was simple, though her voice dropped just a fraction lower, blue eyes slowly sliding over to meet her boyfriend’s across the table, sparing him a faint smile.

“’Cause Zac turns me on when he’s on that power trip.”

The only indication that Zacharie found his girlfriend’s statement amusing was the slight way his eyes lit up as they met her blue ones across the table. He wasn’t going to say anything, and he was going to make sure that Julia didn’t say to much, but the look on the detective’s face was honestly priceless. The man looked between the two of them as if he was asking Zacharie for confirmation of his girlfriends claim, only getting a stony unamused look in return.

“And just how did the two of you come across this scene?”

Letting out the quietest of sighs as he shifted back in the metal chair, the chains attached to his wrists dragging across the table. The detective was just trying to bait them into giving up what they’d done. They all knew why he and Julia had been there, her bloody knives had still been caked in blood, one attached to her thigh before they had forcibly removed it from her. Just the thought of one of them touching her was enough to send Zacharie’s blood boiling, seeing it happen hadn’t been much better. He hoped the broken nose and the black eye was enough to teach that cop a lesson.

The detectives were obviously uncomfortable with how cavalier Julia was about this whole thing. Zacharie knew that his girlfriend wasn’t the most stable human being, still she was his and there was nothing that was going to change that. He wasn’t going to let them hurt her. The detective was asking more questions, but Zacharie wasn’t really listening as he wasn’t planning on satisfying them with answers. He was listening to Julia though, as she giggled and laughed her way through each question, his gaze focusing on her as she started saying something that sounded like she was referencing Amber and Zade. Not by name of course but they didn’t need these idiots thinking that they weren’t alone.

Carefully he moved his foot beneath the table lightly nudging hers his hard gaze glued to her. The silent warning in his blue eyes clear. Stop. The detectives looked over at him as Julia stopped talking, his gaze tearing away to look the one who was standing over the table dead on.

“Do you have something to add Mr. Hendricks?”

“No.” Zacharie said coolly still keeping half his gaze on the blonde across from him.

[zxcharie-h]

zxiiden

It wasn’t as if the Hendricks twins were strangers to the idea of sharing. Hell, Zaiden was sure that if he were to count out every single threesome he had taken part of, he was sure most of them would have included his twin. Many found the entire idea of somewhat offputting–but both Zacharie and Zaiden found a good harmony. There were lines crossed and uncrossed, specific ones left far away and out of sight to prevent anything from getting a little weird even according to their standards–and somehow, somewhere along the line, Zaiden’s boyfriend had become share territory. It had started out as a bit of fun–but now it was becoming more of a regular thing–not that he nor Blaise seemed to mind. He watched the exchange between Zac and Blaise with mild amusement, already beginning to shrug off his leather jacket before resting his hip against the edge of Blaise’s desk.

“We figured you needed a mid-day pick me up.” His drawl was dry and amused, smirk growing broader as he exchanged a look with Zac. It was the truth–but between the three of them, it was almost painfully obvious that the twins were in just as much need for a ‘pick me up’ as they claimed Blaise was. He threw his jacket over the arm of one of the chairs across from Blaise’s desk, leaving him in some designer tank top–tattooed biceps exposed as he crossed his arms over his chest. “There’s nothing wrong with a bit of entertainment, no?” He asked, glancing between the two even though the sparks in the air by now were undeniable. The tension was thick–but the question was which of thee was going to crack first?

Blaise didn't hide the way his eyes roamed over his boyfriend's bare arms as Zade took off his jacket, shifting and getting up from his seat walking around to the other side of the desk. “I could always use a pick me up, that's true.” Leaning against the edge with a smirk he looked between the two just waiting for one or the other to make that first move. It was all about who was going to crack first and Blaise wasn’t going to let it be him. Not this time. “Just what sort of entertainment did the two of you have in mind?”

Zacharie laughed as he watched Blaise come around from behind his desk, stepping forward and closing the space between them. “I think it’s pretty obvious Blaise,” he drawled with an amused smirk glancing at his brother again. “Aren’t you always telling us that we work a little too hard? We’re only returning the favor. We just don’t want to see you over work yourself.” He added with a smug looking shrug, running a hand through his hair. As if he wasn’t all that interesting in Blaise’s answer, though they all knew that he wanted this just as much as they did.

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

What kind of person did this with the boyfriend of their best friend?

Julia Felicity Laury knew that the answer to such a question was a shitty one, no questions asked. She knew it was wrong on levels beyond comprehension for her to be involved with the boy that her best friend was all but smitten with. After all, Illyssa Giordano & Zacharie Hendricks were more of less the power-couple that ruled the Upper East Side. Gossip Girl had made ir priority number one to boost the reputation of the beautiful couple every chance she got–and Julia had been nothing but happy for her best friend, Illyssa deserved to be happy with someone that loved her, but…

The moment their lips connected and his tattooed fingers threaded into her silky blonde locks, Julia knew she was done for. A soft moan escaped her as she tilted her head, deepening the contact of the kiss as her own hands slid into Zacharie’s black hair. She was lost in the sensation, his teeth sinking into her lips and the low growl she knew he was struggling to keep stifled pushing her to that point of being all but drunk off of everything that was him. Julia knew the guilt would set in once she stepped out of his car and straightened out her expensive, brand-name dress–but in that moment, all Julia could do was tug restlessly at his hair and shift her body as close to his as she possibly could.

One of her long legs shifted to straddle him, taking that moment to settle into his lap as she broke the kiss to instead reverently press her lips along the curve of his jaw. Her delicate hands slid out of his hair to instead hurriedly work off the buttons of his shirt as she moaned against his skin. “You’re wearing too many clothes,” she mumbled somewhat breathlessly against his skin. “I thought we were supposed to be quick right now…” Julia continued, her words a mere rushed breath as she slid a hand under his shirt to ghost against the skin of his chest.

Everything about this was wrong. Zacharie knew that fucking his girlfriends best friend in the back of his car was [i]wrong[/i], but god it actually felt right and that was what kept bringing him back time after time. He honestly felt terrible about the fact that he was cheating on Illyssa, and he knew that as soon as Julia left and they went back to pretending there wasn’t anything going on between them; he was going to feel terrible about it all. But the way her moans sounded as she pressed herself close to him, how her skin felt hot beneath his fingers as they worked to remove the clothing that the other was wearing. Julia Laury was intoxicating and Zacharie just couldn't get enough.

There wasn’t room for rational thought though, not as Julia’s hands slid into his hair, his own grip on her hips pulling her closer. Fingers already sliding up the skirt of her brand-name dress, brushing teasingly over her thighs as she shifted into his lap. It was electric as her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, her lips trailing over his skin against his jaw. “We are being quick,” He murmured as he tugged down her panties, biting back another low growl as his fingers pressed against her. There was no mistaking the heat of this moment, Zacharie wanted the blonde in his lap and not even the prickling reminder in the back of his mind was going to stop him.

“Fuck Julia,” He growled pulling back to gaze at her before catching her lips in a rough kiss, his teeth nipping at her bottom lip as he broke it off to trail kisses along her jaw. His hands were gripping her hips underneath her skirt, guiding her hips down against him a little rougher than he normally would have but they were in a bit of a time crunch here.

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

She knew it was wrong–but damn, did it feel so right. Telling her parents that she had a sleepover seemed to work every time–and with the elder of the Hendricks twins out doing whatever it was that he fancied on a Sunday morning, Julia Laury found herself traipsing through the Manhattan penthouse with little more on than one of Zacharie’s oversized button-up shirts. The buttons were mismatched, exposing stretches of her pale, milky skin as she yawned, stretching her arms over her head, a sleepy-sounding yawn escaping her.

She didn’t bother pulling the shirt up as it slipped off her bare shoulder, instead running thin fingers through her pale blonde locks. A sleepy smile crossed her features as she finally made it back to the living room she and Zacharie ended up crashing in the night before. “Morning, daddy,” she mumbled a bit cheekily, her smile taking on a sassy edge as she crawled her way back into his lips, her hands sliding up his bare chest before she leaned into press a soft kiss to his jaw. Moments like these were so rare and far between and the young blonde was determined to make the most of this. “I hope you don’t mind, I stole one of your shirts.” A giggle escaped her as she gave the older man a cheeky grin.

Blinking the last bit of sleep from his eyes, Zacharie Hendricks picked his head up with a low sigh. Shifting on the couch into a more comfortable sitting position he looked around the main area of the penthouse that he shared with his brother. Letting a smile spread over his lips as he took in the sight of his house guest padding her was back over to him dressed in nothing but the shirt that he’d been wearing the day before. “Morning Beautiful,” he murmured as she crawled back into his lap, his arms circling around her just holding her close.

With a sigh he caught her lips in a brief kiss, just taking in the moment. It wasn’t often that Zade wasn’t home this early on Sunday mornings, and all other things considered it wasn’t exactly easy for Julia to manage a night over without lying to her parents about a sleepover or something at another friends house. “I think you look better in my shirts than I do Beautiful, why would I mind?” He said softly with a slight smirk before stealing another soft kiss. Mornings like these were some of his favorites, no rushing, no worries that someone was going to find out, it was just the two of them. They had all the time in the world.

[zxcharie-h]

zxiiden

The growl that rumbled somewhere in his chest was an automatic response. Zaiden was almost tempted to hit his brother, but instead he merely clenched his hand into a tight fist. “This isn’t fucking funny.” His tone was flat and cold as the volume dropped to a dangerously low tone, blue eyes cutting over to burn into his twin. Zaiden hated being doubted or questioned–it was in his nature. He was the leader, the one who made decisions and made choices with the best interest of his family in mind.

“For God’s sake…” he groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose as a low groan escaped him. “You two were all over papers. Online. Articles. Your sexual deviancy isn’t something for you to be smiling about, Zacharie. How many goddamn times have I told you to keep it in your pants while on the job? How many fucking times did I tell you not to fuck around on the premise of a crime scene?” Each question was cutting, jagged and icy as he spat them out. He wasn’t amused and Zac’s smug expression was only causing his blood to boil further. “I had half a mind to keep the two of you fucking locked up.”

“Of course it isn’t.” Zacharie deadpanned not looking away from his brother. Zade might’ve been the one in charge but that didn’t mean that Zacharie was going to back down and just roll over. Plus he actually found the whole situation very funny. The detectives that had originally question him and Julia had found his girlfriends stories very interesting, even if they didn’t want to admit it to themselves. “I understand you’re upset Zade, but no one got hurt.” He added raising an eyebrow.

At this point Zacharie knew that he was really pushing his limit with Zade. Zade was in charge, Zade made the decisions, Zade looked out for all of them. But at the same time Zacharie wasn’t ashamed of what he and Julia had been caught doing and he wasn’t about to let anyone tell him that he should be. “You would never of left the two of us locked up. Amber would have had a fit.”  

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

A part of the slight blonde knew she shouldn’t be as amused as she was. Slight wrists were bound to the table, chains dragging noisily against the surface with each of her subtle moments. The blank walls, she noted, were an ugly shade of beige–washed out and peeling in the corners while cobwebs collected in the corners. It was supposed to be uncomfortable, awkward. Supposed to make her feel caged in–but with a pair of familiar blue eyes across from her, Julia Felicity Laury couldn’t help but feel completely and utterly calm. Her own wide blue eyes flickered over to rest on her boyfriend’s face, a fleeting smile causing her lips to curl up at the corner before the arrivals of the detectives caused her to tear her gaze away from him. It was a bit of a blur as they came in, set themselves up, and prepared for the interrogation she knew was going to take quite a while to complete.

She wasn’t scared–she knew she didn’t need to be. Her trust and faith were with her older sister and Zacharie’s brother and she didn’t doubt that they’d come back for both herself and her boyfriend–so once the detectives tucked files under their arms and settled in, the young girl tilted her head to the side curiously. The first detective cleared his throat, causing Julia to watch curiously as the man flipped through the first file.

‘How about we begin with the basics. Do you know why you’re here, Miss Laury?’

Julia couldn’t hold back her giggle as she heard her name leave the detective’s lips. “’Cause I killed people.” Her answer was simply, chirped out in an oddly light, bubbly tone as a smile touched her lips. The detective that spoke glanced over at his partner, exchanging a look before peering at the blonde again, then to Zacharie, almost as if he was troubled by her lighthearted demeanor.

‘And you, Mr. Hendricks? Can you tell us about your involved with Miss Laury?’

Zacharie had been trained for situations like this. Getting caught was never an option, but there had been plenty of nights where his father had sat him and Zade down drilling into them how they were to behave if such a situation had ever arisen. His face was already blank, ensuring that there would be no reaction to anything that the officers said, though he couldn’t help the slight twitch of his lips as their eyes met across the metal table. Raising an eyebrow as the door opened, the smirk on his lips easily disappearing as the detectives filed in shutting the door behind them. Shifting in his seat, just sitting back a little as they all seemed to focus on her.

‘How about we begin with the basics. Do you know why you’re here, Miss Laury?’

Zacharie let his gaze rest on his girlfriend, internally laughing as she fixed the detective with a smile, giggling as he asked his question. Zade and Amber were already working on how to get the two of them out of here, so he wasn’t worried about that, and he could tell that Julia wasn’t either. The man was flipping through the file in front of him and Zacharie could already tell that he was a bit concerned about Julia’s apparent lack of concern.

‘And you, Mr. Hendricks? Can you tell us about your involvement with Miss Laury?’

Zacharie leveled the detective with a hard look. His lips pressed together, carefully not letting any hint of emotion show on his face. His plan was not to actually speak. Let them draw their own conclusions, they couldn’t actually accuse him of anything unless he opened his mouth. Maybe they’d think he was mute. Raising an eyebrow as the detective repeated his question, just leaning back in the metal chair, the chain of his handcuffs scraping on the table.

[zxcharie-h]

zxiiden

“You really fucking get off on this, don’t you?” His words were harsh, almost acidic, leaving his lips with haste the moment the door to the office clicked shut behind them. “Jesus Christ,” Zaiden Hendricks breathed out, frustration coloring the string of curses that followed the hushed aside to his earlier question. Tattooed fingers raked through his raven black locks as the man forced himself to bite back a low, tired-sounding groan. He didn’t even wait for his twin brother to take a seat, merely pacing back and forth along the length of his office space. His teeth clenched and unclenched, causing the muscle in his jaw to drop before he exhaled a sharp, frustrated sigh.

“The two of you went off and made yourselves into the biggest psychological case of the 21st century.” His tone was exasperated as he finally paused, blue eyes snapping over to his other half. “Really, Zacharie? Telling the authorities about your fetish for sex around dead bodies? For the love of God.” He closed his eyes, biting back a slow, exhausted sigh. “What the fuck were you thinking?”

Zacharie wasn't surprised that Zade had all but dragged him into the office. He and Julia had crossed a line. They'd been caught in a very compromising situation. He bit back his retort as Zade started pacing, knowing better than to interrupt him right now. Zade was the leader. He made the rules and Zacharie was more than happy to follow them. That’s how their dynamic worked. Zacharie knew that his brother needed to get all of this out. He was sure that while he and Julia had been incarcerated, Zade had been more or less stewing in his anger. Zade and Amber didn’t understand why he and Julia behaved as they did. It wasn’t exactly something he felt was difficult to grasp honestly. There was something incredibly sexy about the way Julia worked. Case in point, end of story.

“Have we?” Zacharie asked clearly amused as Zade glared at him. “Well at least they have something interesting to talk about now.” He added with a smirk, knowing that Zade wasn’t going to be at all amused. Holding his brother’s icy gaze with his own he smirked leaning back in his chair. “Technically, Julia told them. I just didn’t see a point in denying it. We weren’t exactly looking at hard time for this. I’m sure they were more interested in signing us into a psych ward than putting us away.”

[zxcharie-h]

alcssandrc

“You’re a fucking idiot.” Insults were hardly finessed enough for an argument of this caliber–but she was too drunk to think anymore. She couldn’t string together something clever or witty when all she felt was fire in her veins and pain in her chest. She loved Zac once–fuck, she still did. He was the only one to have ever brought out another side of the vivacious young woman and to see everything they had crumble and fall between her fingers like loose grains of sand… it was painful.

Before she even realized what was happening, hot and angry tears began to blur her vision. She could hardly make out her husband’s figure setting his drink down or even distinguish the trailing bands of ink against his pale skin. No, her head felt foggy and her movements sluggish–and before she could even stop them, streaks of hot tears made their way down her cheeks. Aless could feel herself shaking. “You’re a fucking idiot if that’s what you think I want.”

I’m the idiot.

The thought crossed his mind before he could stop it, looking away from her with another heavy sigh. Aless was able to press every single one of his buttons, and he hated that no matter what he always rose to the bait. He had been in love with her once, no he still loved her. That wasn’t something that was just going to go away but he couldn’t deal with this anymore.

She was crying though. He hated it when she cried, especially when he was the cause of it. “Then what do you want Aless? Because from here it sure as hell seems that you’d be happier without me around.” He said tiredly taking another drink from the bottle in his hand. “Maybe I’m an idiot but you aren’t exactly acting like you want me around.”

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

Julia’s nose scrunched up and without waiting, the blonde leaned in just to peck his lips once more before finally pulling away. She twisted the knife in her hand, the bloodied edge of the blade flecking small globs of scarlet into the air as she pressed her finger to the very tip of it. “And have you mess me up?” Her chirp was teasing, a gleam lighting up the blue of her eyes as she all but danced away from him, a breathy giggle following her movements as she approached the body again. “No way, handsome! Just stand over there,” she paused to gesture to the side of the body, a toothy grin spreading across her face. “Look pretty for me.” The blonde tacked on as she lowered herself down again onto the ground.

She leaned over the body, slowly dragging the tip of her knife over the body’s ripped and torn clothing, a soft and melodic hum escaping her as she made herself comfortable. “Maybe you canhelp, though. What should I bring home? I left my jars at the front of the house… Heart, spleen, or gall bladder? You can use the acid stuff in that to make poison or something, right?”

Zacharie laughed as Julia danced away the knife flicking blood through the air. He knew that she would never let him help her. He also knew that she didn’t need the help. Julia was more than capable of doing this without his assistance. “Look pretty?” Making himself comfortable leaning against the door while Julia set herself up on the floor with the body. There was something he honestly loved about the way she took charge of the room when it came to cutting up a kill. This was her area of expertise and even if she was a little bossy about it she made it clear that she wasn’t to be trifled with.

Nodding as she spoke, already moving to get the jars that she had left near the front of the house, coming back a moment later placing them next to her. “I can work with it yes, though you should make you decision based on what you need. I have plenty of chemicals back home.”

[zxcharie-h]

alcssandrc

“Well there has to be some godforsaken reason you never fucking come home anymore.” Her words were sharp, a cutting accusation to her words as she fixed him with a bitter glare. Her grip on the neck of the bottle remained tight–tight enough that a part of her was worried it would break in her hands. But at the same time, she couldn’t be bothered to care. not as narrowed green eyes honed in on the man she called her husband. Zac had been the love of her life–still was, if she dared to be honest–but somewhere along the line, their picture-perfect, whirlwind courtship had gone bad. And now they were forced to pick up the pieces.

A cold scoff escaped her as she picked the bottle up and took a long sip to busy herself. Her head was foggy and her movements were sluggish–but she didn’t care. Not really. She could still feel and that within itself was still too much for her. “Don’t act like you fucking know what I care or don’t care about. You don’t even know me, Zac. How could you accuse me of lying when you’re never around to even see the fucking truth, anyway?” Her words rattled out of her somewhat drunkenly, syllables meshing together as anger injected itself into each sound falling past her bow-shaped lips.

Zacharie didn’t bother answering her right away, taking another long drink from the bottle in his hand. Placing it down on counter with a heavy sigh he leveled Aless with a hard look. “Perhaps I’m not home because it’s obvious that you don’t want me here. Did you ever think of that?” His words were laced with poison as he glared at his wife. He had been over and over their relationship in the past few weeks, just trying to pick out the spot where everything had gone wrong. But no matter how many times he did, he couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment. One thing was clear though, whatever they had, had was now broken. Their relationship had run its course and now they were forced to deal with the consequences.

“Of course I know you.” He snapped gripping the bottle tightly. “I know you better than you want to believe and I don’t need to be sneaking around my own house to be able to see that you don’t want me here.” The rational part of his brain was trying to tell him that she was obviously drunk. He shouldn’t be getting angry with her over something that there was a chance she wasn’t going to remember in the morning.

[zxcharie-h]

jvlic

Julia couldn’t help the giggle that escaped her lips, a silly little smile gracing her features as she leaned in once more to close the gap between them. Zac had undoubtedly become her safety–for reasons she couldn’t entirely explain. He found the best in her, even when she was coated in her victim’s carnage and leaving a crimson trail in her wake. It was always easy with him–even if at some point, she had been terrified of even being in the same room as him. The blonde delicately leaned in, letting the kiss last for only a second longer than the last as her hand came to rest on his chest. She knew Zac didn’t entirely mind the bloody mess she left behind–even if her touch left behind a damp, stick print on the front of his shirt.

“Yup!” She agreed quickly, popping the ‘p’ sound with another bright smile–almost as if there was no mangled body behind her. “Did Zade say I could bring the organs back?” Julia’s question was hopeful as she peered up at him, head tilted back as she tried to read her boyfriend’s expression. “It’ll only take me a little while, I think we sold off the last spleen I removed…” She stepped up on her tippy-toes, her lips a breath away from his.

“He didn’t say you couldn’t, and I don’t see why not. Do you have something to transport them in?” Zacharie knew that Julia definitely had remembered to bring something to take the organs in question back to their base. She never went on a job unprepared. Zacharie didn’t find his girlfriend’s obvious attachment to cutting open and stealing the organs from a body that she had just finished killing.

“We’ll have to move quickly though,” he added stealing another slow kiss with a smirk. “I’m sure we’ve already overstayed our welcome.” His tone was sarcastic, pulling back just gazing down at her with what could only be described as a loving smile. There was a time where Zacharie hadn’t thought of Julia as anything more than a cute challange. Then they’d started to get to know one another and not here they were. Lacing his fingers with hers, ignoring the still sticky coating of blood that was honestly just sticking to every part of her. “Can I offer any help?”

[zxcharie-h]

alcssandrc

She fucking hated him. She fucking hated every goddamn thing about him. From his ego to his pomp to the way he licked his lips just right, leaving her knees weak and her back against the wall. She hated how he never seemed to want her until she was on her knees and sucking him off in the way she knew only she could. She hated him. She hated what they became–and more than anything, she hated how she couldn’t get herself over him. It was a vicious, ugly cycle that dialed itself on repeat. Zacharie Hendricks, her husband. Zacharie Hendricks, her number one enemy. How the two became interchangeable even Aless didn’t know.

But the thought of it alone was why the woman found herself nursing a bottle of whiskey on her own in the kitchen of the massive mansion that had become more like a warzone. She tilted her head back, taking a large gulp of the alcohol without flinching before sighing and halfway slamming the damn bottle to the countertop. He wasn’t home–he never fucking was, anymore–and when Aless was left to her own devices, she tended to stew in her hatred. Or was it love? It was all so convoluted that she couldn’t even dissect the two from each other, not even as the sound of familiar footsteps echoed down the corridor. No, she couldn’t be bothered to care if he came in right now to find her half-drunk off of whiskey, half-drunk off of emotions that always seemed to run a little too high with her.

“So your fucking ass decided to finally show up at home, huh? What, your intern whores weren’t keeping you late tonight?” It was a low blow, but she couldn’t help it as she spat those words out at him, manicured fingers gripping the neck of the bottle that much more tightly.

Zacharie Hendricks often avoided going home nowadays. His home had become something of a war-zone lately. His relationship with his wife had deteriorated into something that was so far from what it had started as. He loved Alessandra, he honestly loved her so much it physically hurt him to admit that he had probably been the reason everything had been royally fucked up. Emotions had never really been something that Zacharie had been any good at. He didn’t know how to properly express himself and that only left him with arguments and fights because she was obviously disappointed in him.

But he was often to angry to care.

Her accusation hit him hard. He’d never cheat on her and she knew that. He could already feel the fight building and he hadn’t even said anything yet. Aless wanted a fight and she was going to do everything she could to get one. “Don’t lie to me and tell me that you even care when I come home anymore Aless.” Rolling his eyes and walking past her to get his own bottle of whiskey from the fridge. “And you of all people should know that I’d never cheat on you.” He added dryly before taking a drink.