The Arrangement

[nike_ravus]

Much belated random fic scrap:

Title: The Arrangement
Author: Alsike
Fandom: Criminal Minds/X-men
Pairing: Emma/Emily
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Emily gets back from her 'death,' and picks up where she left off, or at least tries to.

It was the same restaurant.  The maitre’d nodded, recognizing her and not knowing that he was supposed to be surprised.  Why should he be surprised?  Once a month, regular as clockwork, she was there.  That was how it went.  She’d missed the last few month’s meetings, and still felt a little guilty about it.  But really, sometimes things happened.  Sometimes you didn’t have a choice.

The woman seated at the usual table leaned on her hand, looking bored and lazy.  She looked like she ought to be playing with a PDA or smoking an unfiltered cigarette in a long-stemmed holder.  But no devices were part of the rules, and cigarettes had been banned in restaurants a year ago.

Emily hesitated.  It felt strange, her chest tight, throat constricted.  She wasn’t the sort of person to hesitate, not recently at least, but she had been on then, working her ass off, just trying to get this thing finished, and now it was finished, the blood washed off her hands, and she was back.

Even if they all hated her for leaving.

The woman looked up, the light from the chandeliers shimmering off her glossy blonde hair.  Her eyes caught on Emily.  An eyebrow rose.

And that was what made it strange, that it felt good to be recognized, after months where if she was recognized she’d be killed.

“I’d heard you were dead,” said Emma.

Emily slipped into the chair across from her and shook the folds from her napkin.  “Well,” she smiled. “Rumors of my death seem to have been highly exaggerated.”

Emma just nodded.  Her eyes flicked over her, almost assessing, no missing limbs, no internal injuries, no lost fingers or toes.  That was all.  The rest didn’t matter to her.  That was what was good about this arrangement, it was always formal, always polite.

Sex wasn’t supposed to be polite, people said.  But that was no excuse to act like animals.  There was always dinner, champagne, a cab to the hotel.  Then only luxurious privacy remained.

 

The door on the suite clicked shut behind them.  Emma drew the curtains, then joined her, offering another drink from the ensuite bar.  Emily shook her head.  She cupped her face and their lips met.  Emma’s mouth was soft, more affectionate than usual.

Emily broke the kiss and looked at her.  “Were you sad?”

“Would you be angry if I said I was?”  The words were light, casual.  They broke the rules.  But rules were for the breaking.

Emma kept her eyes averted though, not allowing anything to be seen in them.

“No.  But,” Emily ducked her head.  “You’re not angry with me?”

And Emma laughed, leaning closer, fingers tracing over her ear and across her cheek.  “Why should I be?  For lying?  I never asked you to tell me your secrets.  For risking yourself?  You know I have no hold on you, no ownership of what you so delightfully offer.  I’m not your team.  You call them your family, not me.”

Emily relaxed, resting her head in the crook of Emma’s shoulder, breathing in the unrepentantly chemical scent of salon-quality product.  “You don’t know how wonderful it is to be with someone who doesn’t make demands.”

“Oh, I make plenty of demands.”  Their bodies were close, lightly touching.  Emma’s fingers ran up the backs of her arms, and then closed unsteadily around her biceps. “Do you want to be here?”

Emily looked up, looked into blue eyes that had never been anything but casual, and saw a slight hint of worry.  The fingers pressed into her arms. The faintest line cut the skin at the corners of her eyes.  It wasn’t cold and formal, not that cold had ever lasted once the door shut behind them.  But it was so impossibly perfectly polite.  She lifted herself up on her toes and bit lightly at Emma’s lower lip. “I’ve been everywhere else,” she murmured, lips so close they brushed as she spoke.  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

“Then welcome back.”

Comments

[kith-koby.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I'm not sure. I like it, especially because it gives us an inner look into how Emily perceives their relationship, but it's odd. Why? Maybe because I don't recognize this stage of the relationship, with neither of them acknowledging the emotional component. Event he way they ignored it in the early stages of the relationship was a type of acknowledgement. But here... frankly it seems like they meet once a month for sex and relief. Which may be exactly what it is, but we know there's much more possible, and I feel that lack.

In any case, good work, a new aspect to it is always appreciated, as is any fic. But two questions: any progress on Demons? And do you think you'll ever do some more of High D'Haran Love Poetry, even if it's just smut?

[nike-ravus.livejournal.com]

I pretty much think you hit the nail on the head with this one. It's a very static, very cold sort of relationship. I think it makes sense for them in this context, with Emily doing her spying and not really being emotionally available, and Emma, a rich classy businesswoman, also unavailable. But it is depressingly shallow.

And, you know, I opened Demons for the first time in months last night, and it is really really awesome! I have made no progress, but I'm thinking about it again. It's so close to being done. I just have to fill in the scenes that are already outlined.

D'Haran Love Poetry... Jeez. I like that as a complete set of fics, but that is not to say that I haven't written a good chunk of a follow up. Maybe if I did it as vignettes it might have a chance of seeing the light of day.

Encouragement/Demands are always appreciated. I need some reason to keep on plugging.
Thank you!

[kith-koby.livejournal.com]

Good to see I haven't lost my skill at reading what's behind a story.

Thank you for writing. But if we're talking about that... I had an idea for D'Haran Love Poetry. It's non-canon, of course, but who cares? Basically, at some point Berdine becomes de facto regent of D'Hara (this is actually kinda canon). So, she's all ruling D'Hara and stuff. Richard (the new Lord Rahl) is coming to the Palace now, and everybody's preparing for his coming. Berdine always arranges for the last person she has to deal with as regent to be Raina, who's in charge of the Mord'Sith quads. Quite obviously, rather than just listen to Raina's report, they start having sex in the middle of the throne room, possibly on the chair Berdine's sitting in. Whether Richard, Kahlan, Cara and the rest of the group wlak in on them is something to consider... I think you get the idea.

[mayireadtoday.livejournal.com]

Wonderful.

[mord5ith.livejournal.com]

Not up to your usual standars, I have to admit.
However, if I forget you wrote it, I'd say it's great. You managed to convey the causual coldness Emma Frost had in the early comics with just a hint of something I can't quite name.
It just... seems aloof. And I feel like something is missing.
Personal opinion, of course.
That doesn't mean I don't consider you one of the best authors of fanfiction, anymore. :P

[scoutnabout.livejournal.com]

Thank you!