15:00- Animus
Series: Hunter's Path
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 532
24hour_themes prompt: Balancing matters of the body, mind, and spirit
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria A little over four hours to go...
To be more precise, it was 3:22, leaving her just over four and a half hours to figure out what to do and say during this meeting. She was hoping for the best to happen, she could admit that, since James was doing all the paranoia for her for once. And she could definitely see his point: if the situations were reversed, there would be nothing he'd be able to do or say to keep her from protesting him going. If the situation was exactly like what they had in front of them, she might be tempted to handcuff him to something to keep him from leaving, all the reassurances about codewords or not.
She glanced over and had to hold back a grin. She might be sitting over here fretting over whether or not she was making a horrible mistake that might cost them both their lives, but James was double- and triple-checking their equipment before they went out there. That was a good thing, because she wasn't sure she'd trust herself on it, as nervous as she felt. There was no way she knew to show it, but she did feel a bit uneasy on this. She was hoping it ended up going well; she missed her brother around; but if anything happened...
"Jamey..." she began then hesitated, not sure how to say what she wanted to.
At her silence, he looked up from cleaning his H & K to meet her gaze. "What is it?"
She bit down on her lip, something she always used to do when she was nervous, and winced as her newly sharpened incisors punctured and the salty taste of blood filled her mouth. There wasn't a lot, but the taste tended to be a bit overwhelming on her senses. She took a deep shuddering breath and slowly released it before continuing. "Do you think this is a bad idea?"
His thumb skimmed the side of her mouth, wiping the blood away. "Maybe. But we're ready if something decides to go wrong, so there's no use worrying about it."
"He called me Didi." At the look of confusion on his face, she continued, "That's the codeword for 'it's safe'. Meeting at eight means 'it's urgent'."
"You didn't have to tell me the codewords, you know. I wasn't holding that against our agreement."
She shook her head. "We might need it."
"God, I hope not." The vehemence in his voice startled her, and her eyes shot up to meet his. "I mean it. I've had to see you die once. It may be selfish, but that's something I never want to have to see again. That first week, I kept waking up in the middle of the day thinking you were gone; I had to check your pulse to reassure myself every time. I don't want to ever lose you, Claudia."
She smiled faintly and leaned over to press a quick kiss to his lips; he held her closer to extend it. As it broke and she moved back, a hand still tangled in the back of his hair, she murmured, "I don't want to lose you either, James."
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 532
24hour_themes prompt: Balancing matters of the body, mind, and spirit
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria A little over four hours to go...
To be more precise, it was 3:22, leaving her just over four and a half hours to figure out what to do and say during this meeting. She was hoping for the best to happen, she could admit that, since James was doing all the paranoia for her for once. And she could definitely see his point: if the situations were reversed, there would be nothing he'd be able to do or say to keep her from protesting him going. If the situation was exactly like what they had in front of them, she might be tempted to handcuff him to something to keep him from leaving, all the reassurances about codewords or not.
She glanced over and had to hold back a grin. She might be sitting over here fretting over whether or not she was making a horrible mistake that might cost them both their lives, but James was double- and triple-checking their equipment before they went out there. That was a good thing, because she wasn't sure she'd trust herself on it, as nervous as she felt. There was no way she knew to show it, but she did feel a bit uneasy on this. She was hoping it ended up going well; she missed her brother around; but if anything happened...
"Jamey..." she began then hesitated, not sure how to say what she wanted to.
At her silence, he looked up from cleaning his H & K to meet her gaze. "What is it?"
She bit down on her lip, something she always used to do when she was nervous, and winced as her newly sharpened incisors punctured and the salty taste of blood filled her mouth. There wasn't a lot, but the taste tended to be a bit overwhelming on her senses. She took a deep shuddering breath and slowly released it before continuing. "Do you think this is a bad idea?"
His thumb skimmed the side of her mouth, wiping the blood away. "Maybe. But we're ready if something decides to go wrong, so there's no use worrying about it."
"He called me Didi." At the look of confusion on his face, she continued, "That's the codeword for 'it's safe'. Meeting at eight means 'it's urgent'."
"You didn't have to tell me the codewords, you know. I wasn't holding that against our agreement."
She shook her head. "We might need it."
"God, I hope not." The vehemence in his voice startled her, and her eyes shot up to meet his. "I mean it. I've had to see you die once. It may be selfish, but that's something I never want to have to see again. That first week, I kept waking up in the middle of the day thinking you were gone; I had to check your pulse to reassure myself every time. I don't want to ever lose you, Claudia."
She smiled faintly and leaned over to press a quick kiss to his lips; he held her closer to extend it. As it broke and she moved back, a hand still tangled in the back of his hair, she murmured, "I don't want to lose you either, James."